#fem werecat

[monstersflashlight]

Commission for @vgilantee

A/N: Thank you so much for commissioning again! And specially for trusting me with an idea to write it as I want, means a lot! <3

Request: fem/afab cat hybrid reader and first time taking werewolf boyfriend’s knot?

Plug you up to shut you up

Werewolf x cat-hybrid fem!reader || dom/sub undertones, phone sex (kinda), edging, orgasm denial, knotting, oral sex

“It won’t fit,” he told you for the thousandth time.

“Yes it will,” you argued, also a for the thousandth time. Your tail moving around in agitation. You weren’t asking much of him, just for his knot. You two had been dating for a few months, you deserved to be stretched and stuffed, didn’t you?

“No it won’t. Stop asking about it, you’ll get hurt and I don’t wanna hurt you.” His worry was adorable and you wanted to hug him about it, but also scratch his face because he was being way too nice about it.

“I won’t get hurt!” You argued again.

“Yes you will, you are tiny and your pussy is just too tight for it to fit.” His voice was exasperated, like he was arguing with a kid, or like he was a dom arguing with his bratty sub… Which was pretty much what was happening right there.

“Pretty please…” You asked, looking up at him, blinking slowly, trying your best innocent look.

“No,” he repeated. But you saw a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips. He was going to agree, you just needed to try a bit harder.

“Pleaaaaaaaaase…” you repeated, pouting. You caressed his chest slowly and acted all coy. He loved when you did that.

He sighed. “Ugh. I hate you.”

You jumped, happily and hugged him around his middle. “No you don’t, you love me so much you are going to stuff me with your knot.”

He grabbed your wrist and kissed you until you were out of breath. When you broke apart, he told you: “Okay, but we need to do some prep first.”

“What kind of prep?” You asked, already suspicious of his intentions.

That’s how you found yourself wearing a plug in the middle of the day. He bought some kind of special plugs that were made exactly for your purpose. There were five of them and you were supposed to change them during the day leading to the knotting. He did a lot of research before buying them and was so serious about it that you couldn’t be mad about it. He was adorable, like a puppy.

He woke you up earlier that morning, knowing he had to go to work, just so he could eat you out and plug you with the first size. It was a bit uncomfortable to move around, but you could deal with it. It was fine. You made breakfast and worked for a bit before he video-called you.

“Hey darling, what do you want?” You asked, busy with your latest drawing. You had a deadline soon and wanted to do as much as possible as fast as possible.

“It’s time for you to change the plug,” he reminded you. There was an edge in his voice, the exact same edge as the one he had when he was ready to push his dick inside of you. Fuck, how was the tone of his voice so fucking hot? Being madly in love with a werewolf was fucking with your brain, you now got wet when he talked. Just talked. Insane, you were going completely insane.

“Yeah, right. Will do,” you answered, not paying too much attention to him as you reached to end the call.

He stopped you. “Hey wait! I want to see.”

You looked back at the phone like he grew a second head. “What?”

“I called so I could see as you change it. I want to see.” His voice was pleading, but demanding. The idea of him calling you just to see your pussy was making you all kinds of hot and bothered, and it was annoying. But you agreed, because it was making you all kinds of hot and bothered. Fuck, you wanted to cum so bad.

You positioned your phone so the frontal camera was looking at your pussy, your face extremely red as you parted your legs. You could hear his intake of breath as you parted your lips and he saw the base of the plug still inside. His grunt of pleasure made you whimper as you pulled the plug out. Your pussy gaped as he groaned.

“Fuck, kitten, look at you. It looks so puffy and swollen for me. You are going to look so pretty wrapped around my knot.” You blushed harder, trying to insert the second size without knocking off the phone. You whimpered again when it made contact with your swollen clit. “Fuck, do that again. Touch your pretty pussy for me, kitten.” His growl was so deep it made you groan. You complied, running the plug up and down your slit and getting it all wet. You were so ready to come you wanted to beg. “That’s enough, kitten. You can’t come, remember? I told you that this morning.” You whimpered, but obeyed. You wanted to be a good kitten. You pushed the plug inside, feeling the stretch but still comfortable with it. “Good job, you are doing perfectly. How does that feel?”

“Go- good.” Your voice broke down when you lowered your leg and the plug pressed against your G-spot. Fuck. This one was going to be harder.

“I will call you later for the next size. Love you, bye!” His cheerful nature annoyed you to no end. He called you, got you all hot and bothered and then had the audacity to forbid you from coming and then hang up on you. Fucking werewolves (affectionately).

It went exactly like that three more times. Each size up was harder and harder to adapt to. You felt so stretched and needy you wanted to grind against every single surface, unable to sit down since size three. You had been standing around, trying to clean but failing. Every time you bent down to pick something, it pressed against your G-spot and you saw stars. When the fifth plug was inside of you, you couldn’t hold it anymore and had to call him.

He picked up at the second ring. “Please… Please come home. I- I need…” You whimpered, unable to keep talking.

“I’m on my way, go strip and wait for me on the bed. Face down, ass up. Be a good kitten for me.” He instructed. You followed his instructions without even processing them. “Don’t hang up on me, talk to me, tell me what you did today.” You could hear him walking around, closing the door to the car. The anticipation was killing you.

You tried to tell him, to distract yourself so you wouldn’t grind onto the bed until you came all over yourself. You told him about your new project, about the art supplies you wanted to get, and he listened and asked questions. Without realizing he arrived home.

You heard the door closing as he hung up the phone and ran to the bedroom. You were exactly how he instructed, face down, ass up. Your tail was going crazy from side to side waiting for him. You felt on the edge of the biggest orgasm you’d ever felt, and he was just standing there.

“Please…” Your plea broke him out of his stupor, tearing off his clothes as he approached the bed.

“Good goddess kitten, you look good enough to eat. Are you ready? Do you still want this? You can say no.” He was always so sweet that you wanted to cry, but at that moment it infuriated you.

“Knot me already!” You cried out, more than ready. You always appreciated when he asked stuff and asked for consent beforehand, but in that moment you were beyond any questioning, you wanted to be filled. You wanted to be stuffed with his knot.

He didn’t comment anymore, he lowered his pants and threw them someplace behind him. You could hear something breaking, but you didn’t care. He slowly but surely took the plug out as you cried out his name, grinding back against air as your gaping pussy dripped with fresh juices. You were so turned on you could cry. Maybe you were crying already. You couldn't feel anything apart from his hand on your hip and the tip of his cock at your entrance.

He didn’t ask anymore. He pushed right in and you groaned, coming instantly around him. Your claws tearing through the bed sheets. He grunted behind you, not stopping. He held your hips secure as your arms went limp under you and you face-planted to the bed. He kept fucking into you and telling you how pretty you looked, how good your pussy felt around his shaft. You came at least twice more before you felt the knot forming.

“Do you want it? Tell me you want my knot, kitten.” His voice was soft and demanding, and it made your insides melt. You loved that stupid werewolf so much you could squeeze him until he disappeared. But right now you needed his knot more than anything.

“Yes. YES. Knot me!” He didn’t wait anymore. He pulled your tail up, making you scream as he pushed his fat knot inside your pussy. Your eyes crossed and your brain turned off. The only thing you could feel was the stretch of his knot and the first shot of his cum deep inside.

“Does that feel good, kitten? Do you like to be so full you can’t even talk?” He chuckled at your blissed out face. “Guess it does, you love it, don’t you?” He rolled his hips and you opened your mouth to say something, but you could only drool in pleasure, too fucked out to even control your saliva. Embarrassing. But so fucking good you could die impaled on his cock and you’d die a happy cat. “If I had known all it took for you to shut up was to fill you to the brim I would have done it sooner.” You tried to argue with him but when you opened your mouth the only thing that you could do was moan as your eyes rolled back into your head. It was insane how big he felt inside of you, how stretched you felt. It was like you were going to break apart, but at the same time, his knot was the only thing keeping you together.

By the time the knot went down, he was still grinding inside of you, your pussy raw and abused. It felt like pain and pleasure mixed in the most excruciating sensation you’d ever felt. As soon as his knot deflated, he was there, tongue and fingers and playing with your used hole. He licked and sucked and made out with your pussy until you were coming again. And then another time. Your body couldn’t hold you up anymore, and you gave up trying.

“I like you like this, limp and fucked out. We should do that again.” His voice was cheerful and animated, and you wanted to scratch his face for being so fucking annoying. But good lord if you didn’t want to be fucked like that again. “I take that groan as a yes,” he said with a laugh.

Ugh, fucking werewolves.

Reminder that you can also commission me, info here.

[written-in-flowers]

The Drifter: The Weaved Web (1.01)

Pairing: Chan x Demon!fem!Reader (future)

Genre: adventure, fantasy, romance, fluff

AU: western!au, fantasy!au, bounty hunter!au,

Word Count: 20k

Overall Summary: A demonic bounty hunter drifts into the sleepy seaside town of Levanter Bay, and there is where she finally finds a real home.

Tags: western!au, demon!reader, fantasy!au, high fantasy, kidnapping, child kidnapping, demon summoning, mentions of death, mentions of trauma/PTSD, arachnophobia, descriptions of violence,

Disclaimer: These works are completely fictious and for entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to reflect or label the members of Stray Kids. The events within never took place.

Please do not repost/translate!

****

Episode 1: Sacrifices.

Episode Summary: A rash of child kidnappings has unsettled the quaint town of Levanter Bay, Sheriff Bahng and his deputies are at a loss until a strange demon comes riding into town.

***

‘Welcome to Levanter Bay, The Sunny Side.”

Levanter Bay appeared anything but sunny. An overcast sky blocked any sunlight that might’ve shone on the open bay. The water washing up on the docks appeared gray and dark, small waves lapping at the wooden stilts holding up the port. From the top of the hill, the small town resembled a semi-circle of small buildings leading out to the docks far off. It did not seem any different than any other country town, and after a week of riding and camping, a warm bed and a hot meal sounded good. Giving gentle kicks to Summer's sides, the black mare started to walk down from the hills. 

“What do you think, girl?” You asked your mount with a soft pat. “How does a warm night in a stable of hay sound?” When Summer huffed, you said, “I know we're low on money. With a bit of luck, this place will have a bounty board and we can get some coin. It'll all work out, I promise.” 

Summer gave another snort, and you furrowed your brow. “Don't be bitter. That thing with the snakes turned out okay in the end. We got the reptile guy's amulet and returned it to the villagers. Everything was fine like all the other times. Whatever job we find next will be just as easy, and we can end the day with a good pint of ale and some hay….” You then scratched her neck, “And maybe an apple? A sugarcube?”

You smiled when Summer whinnied softly. Reaching the bottom of the hill, you saw the quiet town up ahead of the dirt road. People riding their own horses and driving wagons passed you on their way into town, likely on their way to the ships at the end of the main road. You considered taking one of them when you finish up business in town. The destination itself never mattered to you. Each location offered up more chances at new experiences and new lessons. The Shadowlands provided nothing but melancholy and pain. The mortal world teemed with life, and you wanted to feel it all. 

Once you entered town, you saw the scope of the townspeople. People of all races, human and magic, lived side by side in harmony. You spotted a werewolf in human form, his ears and nose a dead giveaway, talking to an elderly man through a post office window. Out of the local bank came a blond man, counting bills before sticking them in his bill fold. Two women, one a feline werecat and the other a reptilian walked together to a market stall run by a young human. Back home, the only people around were other demons like yourself. Those who passed through The Mar already departed the mortal realm, therefore could not be considered “alive”. They’d been shadows who could do nothing but wail in their misery. You made eye contact with a skinny elf walking out of a barbershop, and grinned.

“Morning, sir,” you nodded at him as you rode past. 

Townspeople in such a tight knit community tended to eye strangers closely, but they appeared extra suspicious of you. A young mother walking past with her children spotted you, and held them closer to her sides, rushing away from you. It's your horn stumps, no doubt. No amount of hair or hats could hide the two stumps on the front of your head. The first tell-tale sign of a demon was their horns, their markings being the second. You covered yours with your jacket and gloves, but if anyone did see them, they'd see the ancient fire runes inked onto your shoulders and wrists in adolescence. It’d been your markings that drew Him to you in the first place. 

‘Children of the flames are mighty and strong. I can make you stronger.’ 

Summer gruffed when a reptilian woman crossed her path, but you calmed her down immediately. Clearly, your dreadsteed hadn't gotten over her last encounter with reptiles. You apologized to the woman, then asked:

“Excuse me, can you tell me where your inn or hotel is around here?”

“In the market square,” she said a tad affronted, closing her coat over her chest with folded arms. “The White Pearl, is the name. Ask for Changbin, he'll get you a room, Miss.”

“Thank you, and sorry again about my horse,” you patted Summer's neck, “She's…skittish.”

The woman gave a contemptuous huff, then walked away. Riding into the large town square, you pass vendors selling their wares until you find an inn nestled into a corner. You guessed it by the hanging sign that read “The White Pearl” with an open clam shell underneath. Through saloon doors and large windows, you saw patrons already enjoying a drink and a meal inside. The thought of a hot breakfast crossed your mind, and your stomach growled. Dismounting Summer, you tied her up to a pole next to other horses, and walked inside. 

Nobody noticed you walk in, since everyone appeared focused on their own conversations. Good. You didn't want anyone seeing you. Crowded places tended to have too many eyes, and too many eyes also meant too many mouths. You've run out of enough taverns to know to keep a low profile until you've taken a good look around. 

‘Mortals are weak and simple. They are meant to be beneath our feet.’ 

“Howdy there,” a voice caught your attention.

He stood behind the bar cleaning pint glasses. Seeing his muscled arms and short stature, you guessed a dwarf but he appeared a bit too tall. A forest dwarf, then. He wore a flannel shirt rolled up his forearms and a white apron around his waist. You gave a small smile and head nod as you approached. 

“Welcome to The White Pearl,” he glanced up at your horn stumps, but did not linger long, “What can I get you? We have our daily lunch special, a hot sandwich with a drink of choice.”

It sounded good, but your light purse felt heavier than ever. “I'll take a bit of water for now, thanks.”

The innkeep went to work pouring water into a glass. “Just passing through, ma'am?”

“For the moment,” you answered, taking a drink from the cold mug. “I was wondering if your sheriff’s office had a bounty board? My horse and I  came from Newport a few miles west, and we've gotten cleaned out since then.”

“A bounty hunter, hm?” The man nodded, taking you in for a moment. “Yeah, Chan has a hero's board outside the station. You won't find anything that pays well there though.”

“Poor town? I thought with the port nearby you'd be off better than some other places.”

“You'd think that right?” He noted, “But since our docks were invaded by pirates a few months ago, our mayor has been working on rebuilding it. You'll be doing quite a few jobs I expe-Hey, you!” He snapped from his friendly tone to a harsh one. You looked to see a child walking secretly out of the tavern, guilt on his face. “What did I tell you about pickpocketing, Eunwoo? Come here, empty them out.”

The young moon elf, detected by his high pointed ears and soft lavender skin, came over to the bar. From his pockets he withdrew a leather bill fold, two gold coins, a single dice and a silver spoon. 

“A spoon?” The innkeep questioned, lifting the utensil. “Eunwoo, who could you have sold the spoon to?”

“People always need spoons, Changbin,” the boy shrugged. “There can be somebody eating soup and not have a spoon.”

“I've told you before,” Changbin slid the contents into a wooden box behind the counter, “If you're hungry, I'll give you a free plate and a drink. You don't have to steal.” 

“Sorry, Changbin,” he pouted apologetically. 

“Now, go on into the kitchen and tell Wooyoung to give you a lunch plate. You can feed Honey too, if you want.” 

The elf child smiled brightly, then rushed through a door behind the bar. He turned back to you, “Seo Changbin, I own this place. You are?”

“YN,” you answered, “Just YN.”

“You're a demon? I thought demons had strange names? I met one during the war named Tarhez.”

You giggled, taking a drink, “I changed it when I decided to live in the mortal world.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“Multak,” you said, your true name sounding rough and deep. You laughed at his stunned expression, “Told you it's hard on mortal ears. In my language it means ‘shield of fire’.”

“Interesting,” he replied sincerely. “If you couldn't tell from the patrons eyeballing you right now, we don't get many demons around here.”

“Not many of us decided to stay when the war ended.” 

You almost could not go home when the war against Nor'goth ended. The evil, primordial demon lord escaped from your realm into the mortal one, claiming that all humankind deserved punishment and enslavement. While most demons joined him, a fair few of you went against him. The Blind One, Sakmarth, led a force to defeat Nor'goth once and for all. You might have not known mortals at the time, but you knew nobody deserved enslavement. It simply went against your code. The image of the mighty, dark demon sent a sickly chill over your body. Glowing orange eyes that saw into your soul and tentacles that tore down several men at a time came to the forefront. He’d been monstrous. Even now, so many years later, you still heard his guttural voice in your head. 

‘You are mighty, shield of fire. Join me, and together we can bring this world to its knees.’ 

You’d told him ‘no’ before sending him back into the abyss. 

“What about you? If I'm correct, you're a dwarf, no?”

“Woodland Dwarf,” he smiled, “And proud of it. I came down from the Blue Mountains far west, with nothing but a dream, my axe, and my bear.”

“Bear?” Your eyes widened. 

“Yeah, my bear Honey. She's right there,” he nodded over to an open window where you saw a massive grizzly bear walk past. “I've had her since she was a cub. She's dangerous and looks like it, but if you give her some food and a head scratch, she’ll love you until the day you die.”

“Like my Summer,” you pointed out your own horse outside, “She's a dreadsteed. That's like a demon horse to mortals.”

“A dreadsteed? I think I saw those on the battlefield. Some demons I knew had them.”

“They're faster than lightning, stronger than oxes, and make good war horses,” you added. “She's gotten me out of a few jams in the past. I bet your Honey did the same.”

“She did. I took her into battle myself…Seems we both have war stories to tell,” he drawled, gazing over you again. “Listen, if you want a good paying gig, Sheriff Bahng always has open bounties in the station documents. If he thinks you're up to snuff, he'll pass on something to you. He should be there now.”

You finished your water, then nodded appreciatively. “Thanks, I'll go check out the board, then I can come back for that special.” 

He gave you a nod, and you left the inn. Summer shifted her feet when you untied her. “The place seems alright,” you told her. “They got a pet bear, but I'm sure it's not in the stables.”

Changbin said you’d find a listing outside the sheriff’s office. Feeling your light coin purse and hearing your rumbling stomach again, you knew you’d need to find a job soon. Walking through the busy market square towards the sheriff’s station, you spotted the wooden bulletin board covered in different colored papers. Reading some of them, you realized most involved hunting down excess wildlife in the forests beyond the town, finding lost items or relatives, or helping settle disputes. Nothing particular stuck out to you, but mindless work was better than no work at all.

“What do you think, Summer?” you turned to the black horse you’d guided by the reins to the board. “Want to go hunt down some feral boars with me?” The black stead huffed and shook her long black mane, almost as if declining the offer. You chuckled, “Alright, that’s a no.” You looked at the board again, “Well, we gotta pick something. I might be demonkin and you might be a dreadsteed, but we have to eat too.” 

You continued looking for a proper posting when someone came out of the office. He wore a beige button down and denim jeans with black boots. The badge on his breast glinted in the morning light, the word ‘sheriff’ across the top with the town sigil on it. Black curls kept back from his face, even with his big nose he was handsome. At least, other women might think so. You turned to him right as he stretched and basked in the warm sun. 

“Excuse me, Sheriff?” 

“Oh, good morning,” he smiled, noticing you standing there, “I've never seen your face around here before. You're new in town?”

“Just stopping here,” you explained. “I was checking out your listings board.”

He sized you up for a moment. You caught him looking over your black jacket, plain shirt and boots, getting a sense of you before his eyes landed on the crown of your head. Your horns were the price you paid to live amongst humans. His eyes stayed on them a moment, then he looked back at your face. 

“What’s a demonkin doing so far from home?” he asked curiously. 

The usage of your peoples’ true name surprised you. “Living.”

“Clearly, you’re not keen on doing it for long if you’re looking at our board,” he said, almost amused. “Do you have a speciality?”

“Warlock,” you answered, “Sort of goes hand-in-hand with my kind.”

He nodded again, “How long have you been drifting?”

“Since the war ended.”

“You fought?”

“Yes, sir. I fought with the Mortal Armies.” 

“Against your own people?”

“Not all of us see other races as beneath us. I like to think of myself as one of the good ones. Now,” you stepped closer, “Does your office have any private work or do I help Mrs. Young with her feral boars? The innkeep at the White Pearl said you might.”

The sheriff gave you another once over, then said, “Tie your horse up there and come in. I think I have something up your alley.”

You tied Summer to a post outside the door, and followed the sheriff inside. “I’m Chan, by the way,” he introduced himself in the main hall, offering his hand. 

“YN,” you replied, shaking it firmly. 

“A demonkin named YN,” he mused, “Never thought I'd see one of your type around here.”

You looked around the small office to see two other men already in the room. One of them was short with cheeks expanded by the donut he’d stuffed into his mouth. By the long fluffy tail sticking from behind the chair and his black nose, you saw the squirrel hybrid immediately. The man jotting down notes in a book had two slits in his shirt that revealed the dark purple wings close to his body. When he looked up at you, his eyes matched his wings. A shadow fairy. The squirrel hybrid only nodded, but the dark fae sat stock still. You registered the stunned expression and realized he recognized you. Not many mortals knew you by sight, mostly by name and your demon name at that. 

“YN, these are my deputies: Han Jisung and Lee Minho,” he pointed to the hybrid first, then the fae, “Boys, this is YN. She’s come looking for work. I thought she could help us with the Hook Clan.”

Both men also sized you up like their sheriff. Han spoke up first, “Speciality?”

“Warlock,” you answered again. To prove it, you flicked your wrist to make the donut in his hand disappear and reappear. “That’s nothing compared to what I can really do.”

“Hm,” Han stuffed the other half into his mouth before you could do it again. 

“As I live and breathe…” Minho said softly, “Multak.”

“You know her, Minho?” Jisung questioned in surprise. 

“Have we met before, sir?” you asked him next. 

“Not personally,” he answered, “But every shadow fairy who was at the Battle of Incheon knows the fire demon Multak.”

Incheon, home of the dark fae race. You recalled it fondly: tall dark trees with their canopies of leaves hiding the light-sensitive species, and wooden houses sitting on stilts or floating on boats throughout the wide rivers and lakes. Shadow fae came in all shapes and sizes, but they proved to be fierce and formidable allies. Nor’goth’s forces kidnapped and drained the fairies of their powers to weaken them, even breaking their bodies to do it. Your heart had gone out to the wisps, the smallest and most gentle of them all. All they do is tell fortunes and guide people to their fates. 

“Wait…” Chan stood still, examining you once again, “You’re the fire demon?”

“I’m a fire demon,” you said, not wanting to go into the differences between the demon clans in The Mar. 

“She stopped Nor’goth almost single handedly-”

“-Almost-” you emphasized, “It was a group effort.” 

If the Orcs had not distracted his people with their fiery catapults and if the elves had not shielded you, you wouldn’t have been able to strike. Your sword, a runic blade of fire, struck Nor’goth right in his heart. 

“I don’t know,” Minho said in a sing-song tone, “It was your flaming sword that vanquished him in the first place.”

“You have a flaming sword?” Jisung’s eyes widened with wonder. 

“It’s a runic blade,” you turned to Chan, “So, who is this Hook Clan?”

Minho sensed the change in subject, but you knew he wasn’t done. Nor’goth and the war are the last things you wished to discuss in detail. You did not agree with the Shadow Lords about Nor’goth’s sentence; banishing him to the underworld prison, The Abyss, will not hold him forever. You didn't care how weak they'd made him. 

“They’re outlaws at the edge of town,” Chan answered, going over to a desk where he kept a stack of folders. He brought it over to you, withdrawing reports and documents for you to see. “They started off with stealing cattle or crops from the farmers, but they’ve escalated in recent weeks.”

“Escalated how?”

You noticed the three men appeared apprehensive, a tension starting to stiffen between them.

“They started kidnapping children,” said Minho. “The last kidnapping was Wang's little girl, Hyeyoung. Before that was Seo Dobin, and before that was Lee Sanghee. The only connections we’ve been able to make,” he flipped through his notebook and found a page. He walked over to you and showed you the page, “All three were between eight and ten, taken from farmlands, and in broad daylight. We don’t know where they are, why the clan is taking them, or what they plan to do with them.”

“What makes you think it was them?”

“The clan always paints a red hook somewhere when they’ve struck. It’s been found at each scene.”

“That’d be foolish of them to do,” you noted, reading more of his notes. “That’s basically telling you that it was them.” 

“They’re not the brightest bunch, if I’m being honest,” Minho replied. 

“Which means they’re least likely to have done it,” Chan told him. “Kidnappings like this require a thought process and planning. The Hooks have always operated loosely: pick a target, slaughter anyone who gets in the way, and take what they want. If they are kidnapping these children, they would’ve slipped up at some point.” 

“They could be hired by somebody else,” Han chimed in from his desk. “Red Hook will work for whoever pays him enough. If they’re taking kids, it’s likely someone is paying them to do it.”

“Then who?” Chan looked over to ask him. 

One person came to mind, but you’d sound foolish. Nor’goth is currently imprisoned in the Abyss, an island floating in a dark void, powerless and useless to anyone. You read Chan’s reports and cross-checked them with Minho’s notes. You hated to think it, but some dark warlocks and shadow magic practitioners use children in their rituals. Just because a ritual lists ‘innocent blood’ or ‘innocent souls’ does not mean the caster needed a child. Even demonkin preferred using animals over defenseless children. 

“-I think it’s just too easy to scapegoat a group because of their reputation,” Chan’s voice caught your ear. “I want to catch Red Hook and his band of outlaws, but I want to arrest them for crimes they actually committed.”

“His mark’s has been found at each scene-”

The outlaws must be hired to help. They reminded you of a band of thieves back in the capital city who were stealing resources from a nearby mine. It turned out they stole them for greedy goblins. 

“Do you know anything about this clan aside from their crimes?” you interrupted them. “Their leader? Anything significant?”

“We don’t have a name, but he calls himself the Red Hook,” Chan told you. “According to people who’ve seen him, they say he’s a magic user.”

“Human?” you directed this at Minho. 

“Can’t say for sure, since the clan is a mixed bag,” he replied, “But the people we interviewed said they didn’t see any magical distinctions.” 

“Where do they hide out?” 

“Around,” Chan shrugged. “Last location was an abandoned farmhouse northwest of here. We checked it out already, and they’re no longer there. They tend to drift around to keep us a step behind them all the time.”

“My friends in the forest tell me when they see them,” Jisung said, “But they’re pretty well hidden a lot of the time. It’s likely Red Hook is concealing them somehow.” 

“Friends?” 

“The animals,” he explained. “The rabbits, squirrels, gophers, moles, and the like. I can talk to birds sometimes, but not always. It helps to have eyes in the trees,” he grinned mischievously, picking up a bag of trail mix. 

“I’d like to talk to the families,” you said, seeing the children’s names once more. 

You didn’t see anything peculiar other than they’d taken two girls and a boy so far. Some rituals called for a certain number of souls, but never spoke about sexes. It can certainly be a coincidence. Although, you rarely came across those in your line of work. 

“We already did,” Minho told you, “They don’t know anything.”

“I’d still like to talk to them myself. Their children might have something in common that you missed.” 

“Does this mean you’ll take the job?” Chan asked, and you detected a glimmer of hope in his voice. 

“For a fee.”

“Naturally,” he nodded. 

“With a demon on our team,” Minho said, “We’ll have this case wrapped up by supper.” 

“I don’t know about all that, but I’ll do my best,” you insisted. 

Chan moved to his nearby office when the door opened. In walked a rotund, dark-skinned man in a blue suit, wearing a bowler hat and checking his pocket watch. He didn’t look at the men at first, but when he looked up, his eyes settled on you. Shock took over his broad, square face and brown eyes widened with realization. 

“Good afternoon, Mayor,” Chan intervened before the man could speak, “What can I do for ya?”

“Chan, there is a demon in our station,” he said, voice quivering slightly. 

“She’s a bounty hunter,” he assured him. “She’s come to help with the missing children.”

“Demons don’t like children.”

“We do, actually,” you retorted, arms crossed. “And no, not to eat them,” you added disdainfully. 

“YN's a bounty hunter, Gerald,” Chan said. “She's just agreed to help us with the missing children. I think it'd be beneficial to have someone like her helping us. YN, this is our Mayor, Gerald Wallace.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” you tried keeping the annoyance from your voice. 

“I don't know, Chan,” the mayor said, “You know folks around here. They won't take kindly to a…demon being in town right now.”

“I only want to help,” you fixed your jacket, “But if you don't want me here and want your children to keep being snatched up, then I'll be on my way.”

“Wait, wait,” Minho came to your side and faced the mayor, “Mayor Wallace, this demon isn't a normal demon. She's the demon who ended the war.”

Did he really have to keep telling people that?

“Impossible,” the mayor scoffed, “There's no way that demon stuck around after the war.”

“I did,” you said. “Do you want my help or not?”

“We do,” Chan answered quickly. “We do.”

“Chan,” Mayor Wallace turned to him stiffly, “May I speak to you in private, please?”

“Of course,” he gestured to let him pass, “This way.”

He shot you an apologetic glance, then followed the mayor into an office. 

“Sorry about that,” Minho said, “I promise our townspeople normally aren't this prejudiced. Things have been uneasy around here, so you can imagine a newcomer strolling into town concerning people.”

“Explains everyone's apprehension,” you replied, seeing Chan and Mayor Wallace through a window. You can see both men starting to heat up during the conversation. “It doesn't bother me as much as it used to,” you said, “I understand my people did heinous things when they came here. Not everyone is so quick to forgive.” 

“But not everyone is like that here,” Han reassured you. “They'll warm up to you soon enough.”

You didn't particularly care if the little people liked you. You didn't plan on staying too long anyways. 

“Where are you staying in town?” asked Minho, walking over to a small bookshelf behind his own desk. “The White Pearl?”

“I need money for a room and a stable first,” you told him, feeling that rumble in your stomach again. “I hoped I might get at least an advance. We've rode a long way.”

“We can talk about that when Chan finally finishes with Gerald,” he casted a glance over to the window. Chan appeared to have quieted the mayor down, but the man remained unconvinced. “You can go on ahead and tell Changbin I sent you. He'll give you a room, and some feed for your horse.”

“Appreciated,” you nodded, “Tell Chan he can find me there.”

“-Chan, I'm telling you this isn't a good idea!” Mayor Wallace said, coming out of Chan’s office. “We already got the docks to rebuild, the town council is on my behind about the merfolk situation and now we have our children going missing! Then, you got Han over there who'll tell anybody that'd listen that we got a demon and cause a damn hysteria!”

Chan appeared more amused than upset by now, and asked, “Han, you planning on causing a hysteria?”

“Not today, Chan.”

“See? Gerald, you put me in charge of the safety of this town,” he patted his shoulder, “Trust me.”

Wallace's shoulders sagged, and he gave you an uncertain glance, “Alright. I trust you. You never let us down before.”

“There you go,” Chan concluded, steering Mayor Wallace to the door. “You tell the council we have our best people on this…”

“He really knows how to de-escalate a situation, huh?” you asked, impressed.

“That's why he is the sheriff,” Han nodded. “Come on, I'll take you back to the inn. You can get settled before the work begins.”

Han led you out the door, and you untied Summer. “Looks like we got a job after all,” you grinned, petting her side. She huffed and you said, “No, no snakes this time…I think.”

“Wow,” Han marveled at Summer, taking in her fiery eyes and black mane. “A real dreadsteed.” He wiggled his nose at Summer, who nodded her head. When he gave a grin, cheeks puffing out, he said, “She's a tough cookie, huh? She says you guys just came from Newport.”

“You can talk to her?” You guided Summer back to the inn. 

“Animal hybrid,” he pointed at his own chest. “I can talk to all kinds of animals, even demonic ones.” He glanced at her again, “Summer is an interesting name for a dreadsteed. Is that her real name or a new one?”

“It's her name,” you said. “I gave it to her when we came back to the mortal realm. I named her that because summer is my favorite season. We don't have seasons where I'm from.”

“How dreadful,“ Han frowned, “I can't imagine living anywhere that is so desolate. I used to live in the forest before Chan found me and brought me here.”

“Found you?”

He scrunched up his nose guiltily, “I might not have been the most law-abiding squirrel at the time. I'd been caught stealing food from different farms, and rather than send me up the road, he gave me a place to stay and a job.”

“During or after the war?”

“After,” you both reached the steps of the inn, “A group of demons attacked my village and destroyed everything. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I ended up outside town. Chan found me hiding in someone's boat and took me in.”

“That's awfully kind of him.”

“That's the kind of guy he is,” he shrugged. “He really cares about everyone.” 

Han and Changbin helped you and Summer settle into The White Pearl. By the time Chan arrived, you'd devoured a hot sandwich and given Summer hay and an apple for her patience. 

“Everything squared then?” You asked him. “Your mayor seems…”

“He's only being cautious,” Chan insisted, “But with a bit of convincing, he's willing to pay the 50 gold price.”

Fifty sounded more than fair to you. After that, he insisted on taking you to the childrens’ families himself. You both mounted your horses and headed towards the first farm. 

“What can you tell me about their families?” you asked him, riding Summer alongside him on his own horse. 

“Seo Dobin, the first kid taken, lives at the Seo vineyard not too far out of town,” he began. “His parents grow grapes and berries and are part of the Seo pack.”

“Pack? He's a werewolf?”

“Yes, but don't worry. Junhwan and Eunji are good people. Dobin's dad can be a bit of a hothead; I’ve had to put him in holding once or twice, but he’s usually a nice man. His mother, Eunji, does some work at the bakery here from time to time.” He noticed your pensive stare, and said, “They’re all good people. Each and every one of them.”

“Good people can have enemies too,” you replied. “Enemies that they don’t know about, even. What do the other families do for work? Minho said the children were taken around farms?”

“The farms are the least guarded parts of Levanter,” he said, “Since they’re owned by the families and not the town. The Seo family mainly deals in grapes and berries to make into wine; The Wang family grows wheat, and the Lee family grows corn.”

“All crops where the stalks can grow high,” you added to your mental list of notes. 

“Where the children can be snatched without anyone seeing them,” Chan added, nodding to himself. “I thought the same thing. It’d be harder to take them from a pig, horse or cattle farm because there’s always people patrolling those types of places. A crop of plants? Easier to walk through them and wait for the kid to go right by them instead.” 

“Are there any other farm-”

“-I already told them not to let their kids go running off into their fields or in the woods,” he answered ahead of your question. “I told the kids at the schoolhouse to go straight home after school, and don’t talk to any strangers they meet on the road.”

“Did you instill a curfew?”

“I’ve considered it, but I don’t think it’ll help much. These kids are taken during the day off their families’ own land. I’ve asked a few of our local hunters and mountain men to keep an eye and an ear out for anything suspicious too.” He hesitated, and you worried what question would follow it. “Minho’s convinced it’s the gang, but it’s not them.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“And I think you already have an idea who it is.”

“The idea that magic casters use children in their rituals was a myth perpetuated by religious zealots who fear magic and everything it can do,” you said, keeping the bite out of your voice. “While innocent blood or souls are called for in a good chunk of blood magic rituals, anyone who truly knows magic and reads magic texts will know that it means an animal. Whoever this person is either is a magic user who doesn’t care about translations, or a magic user who doesn’t understand the magic they are trying to wield.” 

“You say ‘magic user’. Do you mean, like, a human using magic?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Fae, demons, merfolk, some species of hybrids are all born with magic already inside of us. It’s in our bones, and in our blood. Our specialty, if we have one, is just a choice we make in using our magic. Humans…No offense, Sheriff, but humans were not meant to have magic.” 

“Really?”

“That’s not a jab at humankind. I’ve met plenty of human mages and warlocks who use their gifts rightly,” you said quickly. “I mean, physically. Their bodies are not meant to hold it. Yes, they can perform little rituals and incantations and make potions, but real magic? No. It'd kill them, so they likely wear trinkets or charms that harness their power. I think whoever is taking these children plans to use them for something, otherwise you would’ve found their bodies by now.”

“Perhaps they're using them to gain more power?” He suggested. 

You considered the idea. “It's a possibility.”

You both arrived at the Seo farm, where you saw a farmhouse, barn, and a chicken coop. Beyond the house, you saw rows upon rows of vineyard bushes. The barn door wide open, you saw two young men pouring fermented grapes into a barrel. Briefly you pictured a young wolf pup running around the front yard area, maybe with a toy plane or a kite while his mother watched over him from a window. The same woman who happened to be outside the house with a tub and washing board. 

“Sheriff!” She gasped, dropping the board in the water and coming his way. “Sheriff, have you found him? Have you found Dobin?”

“I'm sorry, Eunji,” Chan frowned, getting off his horse and removing his hat. “But, I have someone here who'd like to speak with you about that day.”

“Who?” she looked at you. Even with the crinkles on the sides of her eyes, Mrs. Seo looked younger than you expected. Her wolf ears perked at the sight of you, and you saw her nose twitch slightly. Her claws long and black, led to furry arms underneath her linen dress. “A demon? What's a demon doing here?”

“I'm here to help, ma'am,” you answered, dismounting Summer and standing in front of her. “Sheriff Chan told me about the children in the area, and I want to help you.”

You expected her to question you like so many others, but instead she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! We need all the help we can get. Dobin has been missing for three weeks now, and nobody can find him.”

Worry filled her eyes and you spotted the shaking hands she wrung together. You pitied her and said, “Where was the last place you saw him?”

“Back here. Come with me.”

She led you both around the house to a backyard. You saw the typical horse and wagon tied up outside the barn in a stall, calmly eating hay. The vineyard started behind a wooden fence that bordered the entire crop, and seeing the uniform rows stretching for acres made it the perfect kidnapping spot. You imagined a small boy being snatched without anyone seeing him or his kidnapper. 

“He was down there,” she brought you both behind the fence to point down a middle row, “Helping one of our pickers gather grapes. He always loves helping pick the grapes,” she smiled fondly, “We know he sneaks some, but we let him. Our picker, Taeyong, said he turned his back to put some buckets in a wagon, and when he looked back, Dobin was gone. At first,” she wrung her apron in her hands nervously, “At first, we thought the little rascal was hiding from us. You know, the way children play hide and seek? He does that from time to time and it worries me something awful,” you heard the panic in her voice even speaking about it, “But when it…it started to grow dark,” her eyes began watering and her lip trembled, “We…Oh, why did I let him go?! Something told me not to, but he was with Taeyong! He was safe! I should've been more careful! Why?! Why didn't I pay more attention?!” 

Chan embraced her as she started to sob. She reminded you of the women in the villages during the war. Women who grieved for their fallen children, who begged you to find their lost sons and daughters. Their pain radiated onto yours, stinging your eyes and bringing a bout of helplessness. This warlock, whoever they were, needed to be stopped. 

You nodded at Chan, then proceeded into the vineyard. Cautiously, you walked outside of the trodden path where you saw dozens of footprints having worn down the grass into the dirt. Wheel marks told you they'd just finished collecting ripe grapes for the day, and it's unlikely you will find any child size footprints here. Taking a whiff of the air, you only smelled freshly toiled earth and ripening grapes, not flesh. If you concentrated, you caught wisps of human sweat but nothing of a child. Time would’ve drowned out any proper scent. You envisioned a small boy, eight-years-old and greedily munching on grapes he'd picked off the vines. He'd have walked away from Taeyong. What could make him walk away from the safety of an adult? Standing in the middle of the row, you scanned over the vines to only see more grapes. He had plenty to pick from here, so why did he walk away? 

“Taeyong,” you sensed Chan walking up behind him, “Did you ever interview him?”

“We did.”

“What's his story?”

“Exactly what Mrs. Seo just told you,” he said, “He was picking, turned around, and the boy was gone.” 

That sounded too convenient. “Any idea why the boy would walk away?” 

“More grapes? Berries, maybe?” 

You started walking alongside the path again.  Turning to face one of the hedges, you noticed breakages in the foliage. 

“He went through here,” you said, seeing a break between two stalks. You then spotted small footprints still in the dirt. “Yes, yes, he went through here. Otherwise Taeyong would've seen him walking away.” 

You pushed through the vines to the other side without another word. Dobin didn't stop here. He kept going. You inhaled deeply, trying to mesh through the various earthy scents for something human. Scanning the floor in the second to last row, you saw them. Embedded in the hard packed dirt were small paw prints. Four toes with a palm, they went one in front of the other through the dirt. You crouched to touch one, and realized they were cat prints. 

“Do The Seos have any pets?” You asked Chan, who just broke through a brush behind you. 

“A dog, some chickens and two horses.”

“No cats?”

“No cats.”

Slowly, you followed the cat prints until they went out past the fence. “He followed a cat,” you concluded, “Into the forest.”

“How did we miss these?” Chan wondered, following the prints with his eyes. 

“Because they were hidden,” you answered simply. You took a few sniffs, then said, “A cat. Yeah, definitely a cat.” 

“So, our kidnapper can turn into a cat,” Chan said, standing beside you at the threshold of the forest. “Clever. Most children like animals, especially children who live around them. Dobin likely saw the cat and followed it.”

The image of Dobin, innocent and cheerful, following a cat before being snatched gave you shivers. Stepping further, you let your sense of smell guide you, but sadly it wasn't as strong. 

“Deputy Han,” you looked at Chan, “He's an animal hybrid.”

“Yeah, obviously.” 

“How good is his sense of smell?”

“Pretty damn good.”

“Have him come here. He can help me track down this cat.”

“I'll have Eunji call the station.”

You saw a rush of adrenaline pump through him. He finally had a lead. According to his notes, Dobin, a werewolf, went missing three weeks ago; Sanghee, a garden fairy,  disappeared two weeks ago, and Hyeyong, a werecat, was a week ago.  Two girls. One boy. All from farm families outside of town. All of them are magical. The connections seemed too close to be a coincidence. Thinking of the timeline again, you realized they'd taken a child each week. They'd need a fourth, if they follow their pattern. Problem? You had no idea which farm they'd strike next. 

****

“Alright, children, remember what Sheriff Bahng said. You're all to go home straight after school, and don't talk to strangers.”

A rustle of books and papers sounded at dismissal. Slyvia followed the other children outside of the schoolhouse, her lunch box swinging from her clawed hand and books to her other side. She saw classmates rushing ahead of her to the general goods store for sweets, while others waited for their parents to retrieve them. Her own mother had taken to coming for her since the disappearances began, but not today. She had too much work. Slyvia immediately thought of all the chores waiting for her back at the ranch. Her mother will need help with the washing, and then she has to muck out the stables. She hated cleaning the stables, but with her brother and father away in the big city, there is nobody else to do it. Walking past The White Pearl, her sensitive nose already smelled the manure. 

“Hey Slyvia! Wait up!”

The reptilian child turned around to see a boy running to catch up to her. Barney Pebbles was a lumpy elf halfling boy who lived on the farm next to her family's ranch. Sandy blond hair fell behind his pointy ears, and she saw the run bring pink into his cheeks. Slyvia smiled a toothy grin at him regardless. 

“Want to…Want to walk home together?” He huffed, catching his breath as he came up beside her. “My Ma says it's safer if there's two…two of us.”

“Sure!” Slyvia beamed. “Sheriff Bahng says we need to look out for one another.”

The pair continued walking together. “Did you hear about the demon?” he asked, pushing blond hair from his forehead. 

“Demon? What demon?” She wouldn't deny the pang of fear that struck her. “Where?”

“My Pa was leaving the bank when he saw a demon on a big horse riding past him,” he explained as they reached the end of town, “He says she had these stumps on her head, and her horse had flaming eyes!”

“But don't they have wings? My Uncle Sithlin says some have wings.”

“I didn't think to ask,” he grew quiet, then said, “Do you think they're behind the other kids?”

“But that started happening before they came.” 

Slyvia thought about her missing classmates. Dobin, a boy slimmer than a tree branch, once offered to split blueberries they found near the school. Sanghee, a garden fairy, always radiated kindness and befriended her on her first day. Hyeyoung, a werecat kitten, helped her find her bonnet when it flew off her head. Their disappearances worried everyone. Slyvia hoped her friends were okay, and that Sheriff Bahng would find them in time. Her father told her Sheriff Bahng was really smart and made of tough stuff. 

The other kids said he could talk to sea creatures. 

Slyvia and Barney walked down the dirt road leading out of town. They passed by merchants going in and out of town, and greeted neighbors they saw along the way. They continued talking about the newcomer, and she couldn't stop the bundle of nerves in her stomach. She remembered the stories her Pa and uncles told her about demons. They're supposed to be evil made into flesh. Thinking about a winged monster gave her jitters. 

“-Mr. Edwards says that the demons he saw were super tall! As tall as trees, and they could breathe fire.”

Slyvia listened to his story while she looked up the forest lined path ahead. She saw the crossroads where it split between the town, another village and the capital city. The tall directory signs were her first milestone back home. 

“Maybe they're helping whoever is taking the other kids,” she suspected. “My Nana says they use babies in their rituals, and feast on newborns.”

“You think?”

‘Meow!’

The two children stopped in their tracks at the sound. When it sounded again, they realized it came from the forest bushes nearby. Slyvia's nerves stood on end. Barney stepped closer to the threshold, bending to peek into the bushes. 

“Barney…”

“It's a cat,” he said, “I think it's hurt.”

“Barney, don't go in there.”

She could smell it the closer she came. Barney, ever the animal lover, ignored her warning and walked further into the forest. 

“Slyvia, come quick,” he said worriedly. “It's hurt.”

Slyvia came up behind him, and sniffed the air. Most cats smelled according to their environment. Barn cats smelled like horses and pigs; house cats smelled like coffee and linens. A wild cat carried the scent of leaves and trees. This cat didn't have any of those. She walked behind Barney, her heart starting to race. 

“Barney Pebbles, you come back here,” she said, panic building in her voice. “We're not supposed to wander off.”

“It might be really hurt, Slyvia,” he replied over his shoulder. 

Feet crunching the forest floor, Slyvia tried peeking into the shrubs from behind him, but couldn't see anything. 

“Come here, kitty,” Barney crouched in front of it, “It's okay. I won't hurt you. Hey! Wait!” 

The sound of rustled leaves told her the cat scurried from the bushes. Barney went after it, and Slyvia followed. A downward wind brought a scent to her flat nostrils. Not a cat. Not a dog. Not a bird, rabbit or wolf. She gasped. It was human. She saw a flash of black and white dart behind one of the trees, Barney only a few paces behind. 

“Barney Pebbles! Come back here now!”

“Calm down, Slyvia. It's only a-AH!” 

“Gotcha!”

“Barney!”

Slyvia cried out his name as an arm grabbed him from behind a tree. She froze in place, her breath becoming haggard and drying her throat. She could hear Barney struggling, and a man’s voice drowning him out. The sound of snapping twigs came from her right, and she spotted them. Three men wearing red armbands stepped out from behind the trees, malice on their faces. Slyvia ran. Her heart pounded in her chest with each foot step. Panic put them right on her heels, and she beat the ground harder. 

“Get her!” She heard the silvery voice say from the distance. “Don't let her get away!”

The young chameleon ran through dense shrubbery, the tiny branches snagging on her dress and scratching her colorful scales. She'd do what her Papa taught her. With a quick glance back, Slyvia dove into a nearby bush and closed her eyes. She envisioned herself turning from her usual pale green and yellow to a dark brown. She brought her knees to her chest and tucked her head and tail inwards. The footsteps charging after her came right beside her bush, and she stuffed her face into her dress to muffle her breathing. 

“Where'd she go?” One of the men asked. “She can't have gone far!”

“If Maurice hears we lost her he'll burn us alive!”

“Ah shoot, Suho, does it really matter? That was a girl, and Maurice only needed a boy.”

“She can go blabbing to the sheriff and his deputies,” the other man retorted. “We're so close, Baekhyun. I can taste it now. If we help that old man with his ritual, he'll give us whatever we want. That means gold and women!” 

“I…I don't know, Suho,” a higher voice said uncertainly. “They're kids. I thought we didn't harm youngins.”

“We're not harming them. Maurice says they'll be fine. It'll only hurt for a little bit.”

“You believe that?”

“Of course, I do. Now, you go that way; Chanyeol, you go that way and I'll check down here. She can't have gone too far.”

Slyvia heard the men split up. The last image of Barney being lifted off the ground came to her, and she shivered. The men, whoever they were, also kidnapped the other children. She needed to tell someone quickly. When the coast was clear, Slyvia gingerly climbed up the tree behind her. Her fingers sticking to the branches, the child moved from one tree to another with ease. The Seo family lived not too far from this spot; she can go to them to call the law. She needed to find Sheriff Bahng. He needed to know that Barney is in trouble. 

****

Han and Minho appeared some time later, the pair having appeared through a portal. 

“I thought it'd be faster than horses,” Minho explained, closing it with a wave of his hand. “What have you found?”

“There's paw prints,” you told Han as you both walked to the blocked off spot in the dirt, “But no animal scent.”

“You think it might be a hybrid?” 

“It doesn't smell like an animal or hybrid,” you said. “It's…I don't know. Chan said you have the best nose, so I thought you could track what I can't.” You stopped right by the forest entrance, “They go about three or four yards into the woods, then it goes cold.”

Han nodded, “It shouldn't be that hard. If we can't track the cat,” he pulled out a small handkerchief from his pocket, “We can track Dobin.”

“What's that?” You eyed the blue and white cloth in his hand, seeing grape vines stitched into the border. 

“Dobin's head scarf,” he answered. “He wears it when he goes into the field. His mother thought it might help.” 

You watched him take a deep inhale of the scarf, closing his eyes in concentration. Soft black nose wiggling, tail twitching at the new scent, Han immediately glanced up to the tree ahead. He started walking without saying anything to anyone, sniffing occasionally as he went. 

“You think it's a human shifted into a cat then, huh?” Minho asked, coming up beside you. 

“I can't pick up anything to the contrary,” you told him. “My sense of smell isn't very strong here. He might find out what I can't.”

Minho grew quiet while Han stuck himself into a bush. “I was looking through my library at the station. I keep it there for research purposes and all that, you know? I thought while you and Chan checked out the different locations, Han and I could try finding any magic rituals that require sacrifices.”

“Psh, that's a lot. What did you find?”

“That the shadow casters of yesteryear really enjoyed sacrificing things to ancient gods,” he snorted. “But I did come across a few rituals of interest. One in particular intrigued me.”

“What was it?”

“The Secrets of the Mystics by Arnold B. Miller described this group of ancient mystics who called upon gods to sustain their power,” he began. “They regularly sacrificed people to a god named Yuth’ik. I couldn’t find anything that gave any background on Yuth’ik other than that he was defeated by a warlock named Vivian Moon and several others centuries ago. They banished him into another realm, where he’s likely laid dormant for thousands of years. If the Hook clan are really working for someone, it’s someone who wants to release Yuth’ik.” 

“For what purpose? More power?”

“Most likely.” He gave a slight scoff and shook his head, “If they’d gone to an actual magical being, we’d tell them what a stupid idea that is. I will say this: I pity whoever this person is.”

“Why?”

“The ancient gods weren’t known for their kindness,” he said. “A lot of the stories in the book mentioned the summoner having to give something in return.”

“Four souls isn’t enough?”

“That’s just to open the cage. If Yuth’ik really is a god, they'll expect gifts. The person behind this doesn’t understand that once you summon a god or a demon or any powerful being, you’re their servant for life,” he looked over at you, dark eyes serious and stern, “For life.” 

You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. Shaking your head, you said, “Will they ever learn?”

A part of you expected Minho to take your words offensively; he does live amongst humans, and is close to them. Yet, you heard him snort and say, “Never.” 

The three of you traveled further into the forest. Han sniffed every bush, tree and flower patch that carried a wisp of Dobin’s scent. You admitted his sense of smell must be incredible if he can follow a trace three weeks old. His bushy trail flicked and wiggled whenever he caught a particularly strong scent. Both you and Minho kept your eyes on the trees around you, searching for the slightest change or movement. 

Underneath the canopy of leaves and sunlight, you took in the vibrancy of the world around you. Nothing grew in The Mar. No trees, flowers or grass thrived there; the only animals around were the vicious beasts lurking around the mountain ranges and rocky canyons. A cool breeze wafted through the trees, brushing your cheeks and hair, and you inhaled deeply. Why would anyone wish to destroy such a glorious place? Nor’goth’s armies tore down trees, burned wheat fields, and polluted rivers to keep the mortals from feeding themselves. He believed cutting off their supplies left them powerless, but the people you’d met proved the opposite. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Han sprung up from the newest bush, whipping his head side to side in a panic. 

“Hear what?” Minho asked, irritably. “Jisung, we’ve been walking for ages. Have you found anything yet-”

“-Shush!” he interrupted him, putting a hand up for silence. 

The two of you watched the hybrid carefully walk sideways, his head pointed up into the trees. A feeling of apprehension came over you when he stopped underneath one of the thicker trees. The smooth motion of an arrow being notched caught your attention, and you turned to see Minho’s bow armed and ready to loosen. Han braced his hands up against the rough bark, and sniffed. The immediate image of an enemy dropping onto him had you withdrawing your sword from your back. 

“Jisung…” Minho whispered harshly, but Han ignored him. 

 “Slyvia?” Han said, confused. “Honey, what are you doing up there?”

Both you and Minho shook when a figure jumped down from the tree onto their feet. Minho unleashed his arrow, but thankfully it stuck into the tree inches above the child’s head. Skin the color of the trees, the chameleon-hybrid’s scales gradually changed to light green and yellow in seconds. Bulbous, beady eyes were on either side of her nose, full of fear and worry. 

“Deputy Han!” she cried, immediately wrapping herself around his middle, “Deputy Han, you have to help me!”

Han bent down to her level right as you and Minho reached her. Her heavy breaths making her chest rise and fall, you saw tears spilling from her black eyes and shoulders shuddering in every sob. 

“It’s Barney!” she sobbed, voice cracking at the end. “They took him! The bad people took him! You have to help him! Sheriff Bahng has to get him!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Han said, hands rubbing her shaking shoulders, “Just take a deep breath, honey. You mean Barney Pebbles? Fred’s little boy?”

“Yes! We were walking home together, and he-and he saw this cat in the bushes and I told him, sir, I told him to not wander off but he did! Then, we chased it-it- in-into th-the woods and this bad man picked him up and these other men started chasing me! We have to save him! We have to!” she fell back into Han’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder as his eyes met Minho’s. 

“Where did this happen, Slyvia?” Minho asked next, bending down to look into her face. “How far?”

“That way,” she pointed behind him. “I don-don’t know where!”

“Alright, alright, you go with Deputy Han and talk to the sheriff,” he said to her gently. “My friend and I will go look for Barney.” 

Slyvia took one glance at you, then buried her face in Han’s neck. You expected that reaction. Crouching beside Minho, you said, “We’re going to find your friend, and bring him back, okay?” She flinched when you met her eyes again. 

“You’re a demon…” she said, voice muffled by Han’s shirt collar. 

“I am,” you nodded, standing with Han and Minho, “And you want to know what that means?”

“You’ll eat my friends!”

“No,” you giggled, “It means bad guys are scared of me. The bad people who took your friend will hand him right back to me if they know what’s good for them.”

This seemed to calm her slightly, though not enough for her to look at you. “I’ll take her to Chan,” Han said. “We can get in contact with her folks, and Barney’s parents.”  

“I’ll give him a heads up.” 

Minho reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew dark blue dust. Putting a pinch between his fingers, he blew it out into the air. Rather than disappear or fall to the ground, the glowing swirl of dust stayed in the air. 

“Chan, we found Slyvia Eleon. She says Barney Pebbles was just grabbed. Han’s bringing her to you; YN and I are going to scout the area.” With another puff of air, the dust cloud quickly darted away from you and down back to the farm. “We should go to where he was taken,” he said to you, “We could check it out while their footprints and scent are fresh.” 

“Good idea.”

“Slyvia,” he addressed the little girl again, “Sweetie, do you remember any details about where he’d been taken? A tree or flower or a specific place?”

Slyvia turned her head, sniffling, and thought for a moment. “It was near the direction sign. I remember because I live past it.”

“On which side?”

“The…left. The left side of the road.”

“Alright, thank you, Slyvia,” he petted her head, “Don’t worry. My friend and I are going to find Barney.” 

“They’re going to kill him,” she broke back into a sob. “They’re going to kill him and eat him!”

“Nobody is killing and eating anyone,” Han assured her, rubbing her back as he began walking away. “Mrs. Seo just came back from the bakery too. She can give you a snack and you can tell Sheriff Bahng…” 

Watching Han take the girl away, you looked to Minho, “Do you know the sign she’s talking about?”

“I do. It’s far though. Take my hand.”

You didn’t question it. Taking his hand, you watched the dark fae aim his outstretched palm to the ground. Glowing and sparkling a bright purple, you recognized the spiraling and crisp winds of a teleportation circle. In a flash of light, you and Minho left your spot in the forest. You could feel yourself being thrown into a tornado, spinning and spinning through gushes of wind, before landing on soft grass.

“Here we are,” Minho said, removing the circle with a closed fist. 

You found yourself on the dirt road a mile from town. On the crossroad corner stood a tall post with different directions on it. ‘Levanter Bay 1 mile’ ‘Gold Rush 5 miles’ ‘Sunwind 10 miles’ went in various directions. 

“Slyvia said they saw the men down towards town,” Minho started walking in that direction. “Their footprints will still be in the dirt; we can follow those.” 

“This Barney kid,” you caught up with his quick strides, “What do you know about him?”

“A bit simple-minded, but a really nice kid,” he answered. “His family owns a pig farm. He loves animals, so it’s no surprise he followed a cat into the woods despite all sense.”

“They took him from off the road instead of a farm,” you noted. “They’re getting desperate. This ritual of theirs must be happening soon.”

“Yuth’ik’s ritual can happen at any time. They just need the four souls and the right words,” he said. “They need all four in order to open the portal to let him through.”

“That explains the rush. It’s risky to be snatching kids from the side of a somewhat busy road,” you nodded at a passing wagon, “Someone might’ve seen the two of them going off the path.” 

“Perhaps, but if they went deep enough, nobody would’ve heard them.” 

You both stopped when you reached two sets of clear footprints going off into the grass. Minho and you walked along them, and that’s where you picked up a scent. Barney Pebbles must sweat pretty heavily if you could pick it up so quickly. It started by one of the trees at the edge, then carried off through a large bush. When you looked inside, you saw tiny prints in the dirt and a breakage in the leaves. 

“The cat hid in here,” you told Minho, “And he followed it.” 

“There are more prints over here,” Minho called from nearby. You saw him standing between two large trees, looking at spots behind them. “The shapeshifter had accomplices. Two or three by the looks of the sets.” 

“What were they planning to do? Ambush the kid?” 

“To make sure he didn’t escape,” he examined one of the trunks with his hand. 

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small piece of blue chalk. Well, at least you thought it was chalk. Minho started rubbing the blue stick onto the thick brown bark as one might a piece of paper. You came up to him, and saw the blue chalk having outlined handprints along the edge of the trunk. You counted two large hands on one side, then two more on the other. 

“Two over here,” Minho went and did the same to the other tree, “And one more over here. Three culprits.”

“What is this?” you asked him, wiping some of the chalk with your finger. 

“It’s a little invention of mine,” he said, putting the chalk away. “I enchanted a few pieces of chalk so I can lift prints. It’s damn helpful when investigating scenes. I got a fingerprint off one of them,” he said, putting a thin piece of film into the pouch, “I can cross check it back at the station. If it’s one of the Hook Clan, we’ll know who.” 

“Intriguing,” you nodded, “I never heard of an enchantment that can do that.”

“I like to experiment with magic,” he shrugged. You both walked back to the scene of the kidnapping, “Magic is so versatile and fluid. It can be used for anything, if one puts their mind to it.”

“That bit of powder you used to contact Chan,” you said, “You invented that too?”

“I wish,” he said, “It’s one of the ways fairies communicate away from home. Fairy dust,” he petted the leather pouch. “Can transport messages or people from one place to another.” 

“Just think happy thoughts?” you joked, remembering the stories.

Minho laughed, “No, no happy thoughts required. Just a deep breath before you teleport.” He stopped at the spot where you smelled Barney and his kidnapper the strongest. “What can you smell?”

“Male,” you sniffed the air, and let the aroma linger in your nose, “At least 30-years-old. He’d been standing right here,” you pressed yourself against the tree. You put your nose to the trunk, catching a bit of his sweat on the skin. Something then threw you off, “Coal.”

“What?”

“Coal,” you sniffed the spot again, “Or something like it. He had some sort of dust on him.”

“The clan sometimes hang out in abandoned mines or lumber yards,” Minho said, putting his fingerprint dust on the bark next to you. “That might be where it comes from.” 

“We should tell Chan and Han,” you advised, “Then we can see what they learned from the little girl.” 

“Alright.”

He took your hand a second time, and opened up a transport circle once more. In another howling winds, you left the wilderness for the hustle and bustle of Levanter Bay. Stumbling forward a moment, you caught yourself in a deep breath. Hardly anyone appeared bothered by the demon and fairy who’d just popped up in the middle of the town square. 

“Minho,” Changbin came down the steps of the inn, wiping his hands with his apron, “Is it true? Was Barney taken?”

“News travels fast, huh?” he quipped. 

“His dad is in here,” he nodded to the inn behind him, “Hollering about someone taking his boy and that he was gonna hunt the bastard himself.”

“Oh god, no,” Minho groaned. “Don’t tell me he went into the woods?”

“No, no, I talked him down, but he’s more pissed off than Honey when she can’t catch any fish,” he said. “You didn’t find him, did you?”

“We didn’t, but we have leads,” he answered. “Just…make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”

“People know the clan is involved,” Changbin said seriously. “Fred was talking about going to the Brandstone Mine south of here.”

“The mine?” Minho looked over at you, then back at Changbin, “Why there?”

“Rumor has it that Red Hook and his boys are up there,” he answered, looking between the both of you. “It’s only a matter of time before someone takes it upon themselves to take them out.”

“That’s a dumb idea,” you snapped. “It can cause them, or whoever they’re working for, to do something rash.” 

Like kill their captives and dispose of their corpses. Minho was about to give Changbin instructions when a voice called out from behind him, “Lee! Hey, Lee!”

A big burly man with a thick blond beard and short blond hair came storming down the steps towards him. From his red face, you could tell he’d been ranting for a good while now. Minho sighed irritably, “You go to Chan. I’ll handle Fred.” 

You nodded, and watched Minho reach Fred first. Fred, standing several inches above Minho, started shouting right away. You thought Minho might flinch at the sudden rush of anger, but the deputy remained cool. Deciding Minho and Changbin could handle the distressed parent, you walked ahead back to the station. Inside, you found a group of people sitting in the middle of the room. Slyvia sat on the lap of a woman who could only be her mother, and another chameleon hybrid who must be her father. A slender woman with blond hair was beside them, anxiously listening to everything they were saying. Barney’s mother, no doubt. Chan and Han sat in front of the girl, talking to her softly and gently.  

“-Did you see what they looked like?” Chan asked her. “Anything particularly different or noticeable about them?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I was hiding.”

“Could you hear what they were talking about?”

“They said that they’d get burned alive for not getting me,” she said. “But the other man said they didn’t need me.”

Slowly, you approached and put the pieces of her story together. “Did they say any names?”

“Suho, Baekhyun and Maurice.”

“Kim Junmyeon,” Chan grunted, “How’d I know he’d be involved?”

“And Baekhyun too,” added Han. 

“Who are they?” Slyvia’s mother asked. 

“Part of the Red Hook clan,” Chan told her. “We think they’ve been taking the kids. But, Maurice…I don’t know any Maurice around here. Jisung?”

Han thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope, nobody comes to mind. Does that name mean anything to you?” he asked the parents, and they shook their heads. 

The moment Slyvia’s parents spotted you, they gasped. Her mother clutched her tightly, while the male stood in front of them. You didn’t make any move towards them, instead deciding to keep your distance. 

“That must be who they’re working for,” you finally spoke up. “Minho and I found four sets of prints on the trees near where he was taken.” 

“That’s a demon!” the man said, “Sheriff, you got a demon in here!”

“She’s a friend, Salazar,” Chan insisted, standing up to put himself between you and the father. “A friend.” 

“That’s a damn demon! There ain’t no demon that's friendly! I’ve seen what those things can do! I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the one taking all the children!”

“I’m only here to help, sir,” you said from your spot. 

‘Their kind will never accept us! They know nothing of respect or obedience! They must be subdued!’

You shut out Nor’goth’s voice from your head. “Minho and I found some information that backs your daughter’s story,” you said. 

“She’s his niece,” Barney’s mother said, stepping in front of him to address you. When she tucked hair behind her ear, you saw a point at the curve. A Sunwind Elf. “You’re here to…to help us?” you heard the disbelief in her voice. She looked at your horn stumps, then back to your face. “With Barney?”

“Yes, ma’am. I take it you’re his mother?”

“I am,” she nodded. You noticed her puffy eyes, and trembling lips. “Slyvia says he was taken by a shapeshifter.” 

“We believe so,” Chan answered. 

“Your husband is a human, isn’t he? I saw him outside,” you asked her, coming closer. 

“He is,” she nodded. “I’m from Sunwind. What does that have to do with anything?”

“So, your son is a halfling,” you looked to Chan, “Dobin is a wolf pup. Sanghee is a garden fairy, and Hyeyoung is a werecat. They’re all children with magic inside of them.” You turned to Minho’s desk where you found a book left open. When you turned a page, you saw a chapter titled: ‘Yuth’ik: God of the Trees’. Rather than tell Chan that these magical children are likely being used for their magic, you said, “There has to be a connection, right?”

Chan glanced at the open book, then at you, “Yes, there might be.”

“It was those damn bandits in the woods,” Mrs. Pebbles snapped. “They did this. They must have. Who else is vile enough to kidnap innocent children? On a count of them being magical, no less!” 

“Them, and someone they’re working for,” Chan told her, putting up a hand to calm her. “Wilma, go find Fred. Lord knows he’s bound to do something crazy.”

“Too late, Sheriff,” Han said with a deadpan voice as he looked out the window. 

“What?”

Everyone converged by the window where a group of people on horses started kicking up dirt. Their calls and cries mixed together, and you knew what happened by their angry faces. 

They started a damn mob. 

“Damnit!” Chan cursed, grabbing a rifle from beside the door and rushing outside. With all of you behind him, he called out to the crowd, “Hey, hey, hey! What the hell's going on here?! Minho!”

Minho and Changbin tried closing off the horsemen, but there were too many. Fred Pebbles, sat upon a white palomino, glared down at Chan. 

“They got my boy, Sheriff!” he said, voice hoarse and deep. “Those bastards have my boy!”

“We know, but there’s a way to go about this!” Chan shouted over the ruckus, “Hey now! Hey!” 

“Pebbles, damnit man!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the mercantile with a few other customers, “What are you doing?!”

“I'm gonna make this all right!”

“Like hell you are!” the mayor blustered. “We are civilized people! Not animals!”

“So what are we supposed to do?! Let those filthy sons of bitches take our children?!”

“Of course not, but Fred, riling people up and going out there like this can make stuff worse!” Mayor Wallace wiped his brow and said, “Let's all go into the town hall and discuss this-”

“-I'm tired of listening to y'all. You ain't don't nothing-”

Chan cocked his rifle and fired it into the air. The loud gunblast caught everyone’s attention, some of the people ducking and others whipping around angrily. The crowd focused on him, Chan walked up the steps of The White Pearl, and he glared down at them. 

“What the hell’s gotten into all of you? I thought we were people, not animals!”

“They keep taking our children, Chan!” one woman shouted from her horse. “Somebody’s gotta do something!”

“I understand that, but if we went around hanging every single person we thought was guilty, we’d be no better than them,” he remarked. “I know you’re all worried. I know you’re all hurting, but we need to be smart about how we handle this. Red Hook might have his morals-”

“-Horse shit!-

“-But the person he’s working for doesn’t,” he continued. “Now, thanks to Slyvia and our bounty hunter, we’ve discovered some new information.”

“Such as?” Mayor Wallace asked. 

“They’re operating in a coal mine,” Minho said, getting up onto the porch beside Chan. “Anybody know any abandoned mines around here?” 

“There’s the Willfire mine up north,” the woman on the horse called out. “My husband used to work there before the war.”

“The old Brandstone mine too,” said Mayor Wallace. “But, that was gold, not coal.”

“The coal could be dirt,” suggested Changbin, the woodland dwarf. “If they’re living in there, they likely got the dirt on their clothes and hands.” 

“It’s a long shot,” an elderly man said from atop his horse, “But they could also be at my family’s mine. It’s gotten run over by spiders, but if they could’ve exterminated them before moving in.” 

You shuddered thinking about the large arachnids. 

“Alright,” Chan nodded at their answers, “I say we split into groups and search these mines while they’re off guard. Deputy Han will lead a group to the Brandstone mine; Deputy Lee will lead one to the Willfire mine, and I’ll take a group up to Mr. Choi’s mine. If you find them, do not engage,” he said these words firmly, “We need to catch them off guard. Whoever is helping them will not hesitate to kill anyone who opposes them. We need to be vigilant and patient.” 

“And I will stay with the rest of the town here,” Mayor Wallace said to Chan. “Changbin and I will organize something for the children and the families. You know, keep everybody calm during this whole thing.”

“Sounds good…”

“They’re going after magical children,” you whispered to Minho and Han. “They plan to use their magic to open the gates.”

“Makes sense,” Minho nodded. 

“Those poor babies,” Han frowned worriedly. 

“We need to find them quickly,” you told them. “Now that they have four children, they can start their ritual.” 

“Seungmin! Seungmin, where are you?” Chan’s words interrupted you, as he looked through the crowd. 

“Right here, Sheriff.” 

Dressed in a pin-striped shirt with an apron around his waist, Seungmin fixed his glasses on his nose and looked up at Chan. Just by the golden eyes, black wolf’s nose, and furry pointed ears, you realized Seungmin was a werewolf. 

“Where’s your pack at?” Chan addressed him. 

“Likely back home at the den,” he answered. “We’ve been looking ever since little Dobin was taken. He’s one of us, you know. I’ll get word to my father about your search parties.”

“I’ll call on the wisps!” 

A young fairy came floating up to the steps. Black hair in front of his face, the garden fairy’s bright green wings batted as he landed on the floor. You noticed he held onto the medical bag across his body. “They can fly faster than light and move between the different parties if they find something. The trees may have information too.” 

“The trees?” the words left your mouth before you could stop them. 

“They don’t say much,” he said, “But they will speak to me.” 

“Jeongin,” Han said to you, “Garden fairy. He’s also our doctor, believe it or not.” 

“And who the hell is she?!” another woman in the crowd asked. 

“That’s a demon!” the elderly miner gasped, taking a few steps back. A couple others did the same, but you did not react to their shock. “Sheriff, Sheriff, did you know you got a demon next to you?”

“I do, and she’s been extremely helpful since she arrived this morning,” Chan said. 

“I told you,” Mayor Wallace hissed at him. “I said they wouldn't take kindly to her.”

“How do you know she ain’t got anything to do with this?” asked Fred, taking a few steps back on his horse. “Their kind eat children!”

“We don’t eat human flesh,” you rolled your eyes, annoyed. “I don’t know what human started that rumor, but demons who still hold up to our code never harm the young.” You briefly recalled the children who’d get lost in the afterlife, and end up in the terrifying Mar. “I’m only here to help,” you said. 

“For some gold, I expect!” 

“And because whoever is doing this is harming children, and children are sacred to my kind,” you replied sharply. “Their souls are pure and precious.” Whenever a lost soul passed through your gates, a demon always took them back over to the heavenly cloud world of Divinity. 

“Get your heads out of the sand,” Changbin said to the group, “She’s good people.”

“How would you know?” the old man asked. 

“Because I've met dangerous people before, and she's dangerous in a different kind of way.”

“That's just her demon magic working on you!”

“Alright, if you don't believe me then let's get someone else's opinion.”

Changbin whistled through two fingers, and from behind the inn came an enormous grizzly bear. Far too big to be a normal bear, you suspected. Honey came right up to Changbin’s feet, sniffing for a scrap of food. It was when she smelled your scent that she moved over to you. Yes, it was silly of you to reach out to a bear, but you put the back of your hand to her wet nose. She gruffed once, nudging your hand with her nose, and then putting her head underneath it for a few scratches. 

“Honey’s never been wrong about anyone before,” Changbin gave them a satisfied smile. 

“Plus, she’s a war hero,” Minho said, “She killed Nor’goth.” 

The name sent a ripple of uneasiness through the crowd. Even you, who defeated him, couldn't help shifting at the words. Skin hard as rocks and dark purple Nor'goth towered several feet above anyone else. Burning orange eyes stared at you with hate as you challenged him. If it weren't for your allies, you may have died trying to defend your people and the mortal world. 

‘I will not suffer your insolence anymore, Multak! Prepare to meet your doom!”

“Is that true?” One man said with wide eyes. 

“It is,” he answered for you. “I don't know about you all,” he said, going down the steps, “But I think it's pretty handy having a demon around.”

An agreement mumbled amongst the townspeople, but you didn't care. “Chan, we're running out of time,” you hissed at him. “The longer we wait, the closer they get to completing their ritual.”

“To do what?”

“What else? Summon a being they have no business summoning,” you said. “It is going to blow up in their faces, and a lot of people can get hurt if we don't get a move on.”

“Alright,” he nodded. 

All the groups split evenly, everyone mounted their horses and began riding out of town. You looked around for Summer, realizing you'd left her at the Seo farm. No matter. You whistled a three note tune, and a burst of fire came from across the square. Summer dashed through the portal, charging past other people and horses to get right in front of you. She kicked the ground, head swishing as the commotion riled her up. Taking her reins, you held her still before mounting her. 

“YN!” Chan rode up to you on a white horse, “You’re with me. We’re checking the Choi mine.”

You gulped thickly, “Isn’t that the, um, spider one?”

“It is…” he then smirked and your cheeks burned, “Is our strong fire demon afraid of itty bitty spiders?”

“They are not ‘itty bitty’ and they’re gross!” 

His laugh made you grumble, and you charged ahead of him. Summer snorted, making you kick her sides lightly. “Hey, I didn’t pick on you about the snakes.” 

Running behind the group headed to the last old mine, you already pictured the eight-legged creatures likely waiting at the end. The old man mentioned that they’ve likely been driven out by the gang, so you clung onto that. Your skin crawled at the idea of having to fight ginormous spiders when a flash of white caught your attention. Chan’s horse, snowy white, came up to you once again. You got a good look at the animal, seeing the shimmer in its white coat and strands of silver streaked through its mane. Rather than fully black, the beast’s eyes glimmered a dark green color. 

How did Chan get his hands on a sea steed? 

“Where’d you get it?” you asked over the clopping feet. 

“What?”

“Your horse! It’s a sea steed! How’d you get it?”

He gave you a proud smile, “My Ma gave it to me!”

“Your Ma?!”

“She's a mermaid! You should meet her sometime!” He added.

“Your mother is a mermaid?!”

“Yeah, from the Southern Sea,” he said. “My Pa worked as a fisherman, and that's how they met.”

“You're a halfling then?”

“That's usually what people call me.” He then turned to you with a grin, “Not all of us halflings are so obvious.”

“What can you do then? Besides gathering search parties and solving crimes,” you smirked at him. For once, you're not the one under scrutiny. 

“Nothing extraordinary really,” he shrugged. “I used to sing whenever I worked on my dad's boat, since the fish would always come to me. But then I felt bad about luring them to their deaths so I stopped. I can breathe underwater…I could live in Hydrus if I wanted.”

“Hydrus?”

“It's the merfolk capital of the world,” he said. “My Ma sits on the city council. She's a healer there and has her own apothecary. She told me I could always come live with her, but I prefer being on land.”

“How come?”

“My Pa mostly,” he answered honestly. “He needs me more than her. She has her family down there; he's only got me and our dog. My sister lives with her, but she and my cousin come to visit sometimes.”

“Your sister?” 

“Hannah. She's got more mermaid than human, so she struggles living on land. Do you…Do demons have families?”

You gave it a thought. “In a way?” You decided, “We have our clan, which is a family. The Keepers are our parents, and everyone your age is a brother or sister; anyone older is an aunt or uncle.”

“Are you allowed to visit home or are you banished or something like that?”

You shook your head, “I can go if I wish. My horns…” you hesitated, “They're what I traded to live here, but I'm not exiled like some of my kin.”

“So, in a way, you fought against your family.”

“I did. I wasn't happy about it, but I did what I had to do.”

You pictured the demons you fought against during your ride. Brothers and sisters, standing on the other side of the field, severed their ties with the Shadowlands and became Nor’goth’s servants. It hurt you to fight them; you'd grown alongside most of them, and saw them as family. But, Sakmarth said those who break their vows are no longer part of the demon realm. You found that easy to understand but hard to carry out. 

The Choi mines happened to be several miles outside of town. Dusk began to set by the time you reached the outskirts of the mine. The trees around gave almost no sunlight. Whatever light did come through broke through the dark leaves in the canopies. The same canopy where you saw the thin, silver strands of webs. Cobwebs hung from the dark branches and stuck to the tree roots at the bottom. Apprehension settled into your stomach seeing them so high. Already, you felt their pincers snapping close to you and their furry legs skittering when they rushed around. However, seeing Chan and the other townspeople getting off their horses, you knew showing fear would disappoint them. You are Multak, fire demon and vanquisher of Nor'goth. You can't be afraid of anything. 

“Mr. Choi,” Chan looked at the wizened old man coming over to him, “What direction do we take from here?”

“Down this dirt path to the end,” he pointed at the path leading further inside. “My family sold the land when those damned tentaculars started nesting there. If the gang's anywhere, it is right here.”

Chan nodded and let him take the lead. He and several others kept their pistols and rifles ready as you carefully moved through the dead forest. One false step or loud twig might send a signal to any beasts in the area. You kept your hands firmly wrapped around the sword handle, doing your best to not tremble. You peered between thick patches of webbing; tricks of light and shadows created long legs and thick bodies creeping behind the silvery webs. There’d be no way for the gang to survive in arachnid infested woods; they’d be cocooned and devoured in minutes. Their warlock must have cleared them out; you might run into nothing along the way. At least, that’s how you comforted yourself. 

“I thought demons weren't scared of anything,” Chan teased. 

“I'm not scared.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

“Am not.”

“Don't worry, YN. If a spider comes, I'll kill it for you.”

You rolled your eyes, but the image left you feeling nauseous. Going deeper into the dense forest, you began hearing small cracks of twigs or rustling of leaves on the ground. The clicking and clacking of the tentacular species pinched your ears; you thought you might throw up right there. There used to be dozens back home, and you always avoided their nests. This forest is their ideal environment. 

“Wait,” Mr. Choi whispered, putting up a hand, “I see lights. Yeah, they're right there.”

A glowing orange light broke the darkness of the forest on your left. Everyone turned to see it hiding behind dense bushes and trees. Anxiousness stiffened your bones when you saw thicker webs in the trees above you. They must have scared them off not long ago if the webbing appeared so fresh.

“Fred,” Chan called the burly man, “You take Ryu, Harold and Donny and flank them on the right. Mr. Choi, Samantha, and Jenny will take them from the left.”

“And you, Sheriff?” the woman, Samantha, asked.

“YN and I will draw their attention.”

You hardly heard Chan’s orders. You didn’t keep your eyes off the trees for a moment. Phantom hissing and clicking sent shivers up your spine, leaving you in a cold sweat that wet your palms. Back home, clearing out spider nests or infestations was left to the newest soldiers. Shadowland spiders looked nothing like mortal ones. Their venom burned through flesh and bone, and their pinchers stabbed like sharp knives. You hated them. You pushed them from your memory as Chan encouraged you forward. Steeling yourself, you tried keeping your fears deep in your gut instead of on your face. You’re supposed to be a big, scary demon. You are a demon of the fire clan, a warrior forged from rock and flame; not a baby afraid of a few pests.

Very large pests

Carefully, you both walked towards the firelight. Chan kept his rifle pointed ahead and you kept your sword at the ready. The sounds of chatter and laughter caught your ears first. When you and Chan reached a small bundle of bushes, you crouched down to peek through the foliage.

Around a campfire sat four men. One of them, broad and wide, turned sausages in a skillet over the fire while another, slender and narrow, poured more ale from a barrel nearby. One lounged back against large sacks, his hat over his face and a fourth sat on the floor arranging coins into small piles.

“I got twenty gold here, Suho,” the one with the gold said. “That’s five pieces each. I thought you said Maurice would make us rich! This ain’t rich!”

“The real money’s coming soon,” Suho, turning sausages, said. “After he’s done with those kids, he’ll hand over the rest.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Idiots…” you whispered to yourself. The realization came to you right away, and you shook your head. “They’re the gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“In order to appease Yuth’ik, the summoner has to offer gifts to the god. This warlock did not really need lackeys to kidnap children; they could have done it themselves. They hired these bandits to then hand them over to Yuth’ik.”

“A double-cross…Suho wouldn’t like that.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Follow my lead.”

Chan stepped out through the bushes first, casually walking into the light. You went right after him, eyes sticking to your surroundings. From the rocky face behind them, you guessed they must not be far from the mine entrance.

“Evening, y’all,” Chan said in a friendly tone, “How’re you doing tonight?”

The four men scrambled to their feet. They each reached for a nearby weapon to hold up, but you noticed the shock in their eyes. Only Suho appeared calm and easy.

“Evening, Sheriff,” he replied in a casual tone, “We were just enjoying a nice campfire, some ale and the night time breeze. Care for some?”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. I’m here on sheriff’s business tonight.”

“Is that so?” Suho glanced at his members, who sneered back at him. “That’s a shame,” he cocked his pistol, “Because I’m in the mood for bandit’s business tonight.”

“Do you happen to know anyone named ‘Maurice’, Suho?” Chan took a step forward, unafraid of the gun pointed at him.

“Nah, don't ring a bell, I’m afraid,” Suho shook his head.

“Hm, that’s strange. A little reptile hybrid said you might, and a few friends of mine have been looking high and low for him.” You heard his friendly, polite tone turn serious. “I thought The Hook clan didn’t harm children.”

“We don’t,” he said.

“But the person you’re working for does, and that’s okay by you?”

“I don’t work for anybody but myself,” Suho said.

“Stop with the games, Junmyeon,” Chan cut across him. “I know you and your gang have been kidnapping children from the town. You might be a thieving, no-good outlaw, but I never thought you’d be the type to hurt kids.”

“We don’t have anything to do with that.”

“We have your fingerprints on the trees where Barney Pebbles was taken,” he said. “Who’s Maurice and what is he doing with the kids?”

“I don’t know a ‘Maurice’.”

“Junmyeon…these children could be in serious danger. They’re innocent, and I know you wouldn’t let some psychotic warlock kill them.”

“Again, Sheriff, sorry to disappoint you, but we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you even know the man you're working for, Junmyeon?” 

“I only work for myself, so yeah, I do know the man I work for.”

“Whoever he's summoning tonight is going to expect human sacrifices…and it's not the kids.”

“What'd you mean?” Asked the shortest one, wide eyed and worried. 

“He needs the kids to open the portal, but he has to have gifts to offer the tree god thing. I'm guessing that's you and your boys. Now,” he took another step, “You can tell us where he is and we stop him or you become an ancient being's dinner.”

You heard a small twig snap from somewhere behind you, and every nerve in your body stood on edge. It could either be a friend or a foe. A big, furry, hungry foe. Up in the sky, you saw the russet colors slowly fading to black. You’re running out of time.

“I still don't know what you're talking about,” Suho declared, but not as strongly. 

“-Junmyeon,” Chan came closer, “Don’t make this harder on yourself. Tell me where Maurice is, and you'll be free to move on.”

“Ha, I doubt that. You’ll have me cuffed before I even talk.”

“You're telling me you want to get eaten then?!”

You grunted and walked past Chan into the light. Eyes glaring at him, you let the fire light wash over you to give them a better view. All four men froze in place at the demon standing on the other side of their campfire. The cracking, burning wood crunched under your boots when you kicked their skillet aside and stood in the fire. The burning flames licked up your legs to your thighs, but you hardly felt them. You might as well have stepped into a warm bath. 

“Listen, scumbag,” you growled, making sure he heard it, “Tell us what you know about the warlock and where he is before I pull you into this fire with me.”

Suho, clearly not one to back down easily, pointed his pistol right at you. “Stay away, demon,” he said stiffly, though you could smell the sweat coming through his pores. Fear. Your demonic roots savored the fragrance, “Or I’ll shoot!”

In a swift motion, you reached out and brought the heavy man right to the edge of the fire. High pitched screams followed his panic kicking as flames danced close to his ankles. Suho tried uncurling your fingers from his shirt collar, but to no avail. You bore your eyes into his as you spoke.

“Where is Maurice, human?”

Too afraid of being burned, Suho did not answer you right away. You quickly looked to the men around him, seeing how they’d backed up and away from you. “I asked you a question,” you grunted, lowering him closer to the fire, “Where is he? Where?!”

“Pl-please!”

“Innocent children will have their lives sucked out of their bodies, and you’re standing there refusing to help them?!” You dragged him into the fire at last, though kept him above the lowest of the flames. The sound of running feet told you his members left him behind to be tortured. “Do you know what we do to people who harm children in the Shadowlands? Hm?” You brought him in closer, “We burn them!”

You dropped him into the fire, and Suho screamed hysterically. Rolling away, he rustled around on the ground to put out the tiny flickers on his back. Panting and sweating, the gang leader stared up at you in horror. Most likely because the fires burning inside you had finally reached your eyes. Their mortal hue turned into burning coals, and your fingers itched to set him aflame.

“In the mines!” he screamed, cowering under your fiery gaze. “He’s in the mines! He has his little pets helping him! Please, don’t eat me! Please!”

“Where’s the entrance?”

Suho whimpered, not answering.

“Where’s the entrance?!” you demanded. 

“Tha-th-that-t- wa-ay!”

He pointed to his left, and you nodded. Storming off into the nearby path, you already saw the sky gradually becoming darker and darker. The warlock could start their ritual at any moment.

“Hey!” you heard several pairs of feet coming up behind you, “Hey, what was that?”

Chan came up beside you, but you kept on moving. “Intimidation,” you said, “You weren’t getting answers, and we’re running out of time, so I stepped in.” You smirked over your shoulder, “Nothing makes a man talk more than under the threat of eternal flames.”

“You weren’t going to actually kill him though, right? That…That isn’t how we do things here.”

“Of course not,” you scoffed. “Yes, people like Suho deserve whatever fate they have coming, but when that happens is not up to me.”

“Oh…”

You knew why he asked that. “I’m not that kind of demon, Chan,” you told him, “I might be a demon, but I’m not a thrill killer. I only do it when-”

You stopped at the sight of metal tracks some yards away. The mine entrance was on the other side of them, dimly lit and foreboding. Empty cargo carts sat on the tracks, and you saw crates stacked on top of one another. Whoever worked this mine abandoned it long ago, and several residents had taken it up. All the fire from before extinguished when you saw the gargantuan spiders roaming the area. The stinging sensation of bile crept up your throat, and your skin started crawling again. Big and hairy, most of them varied in colors of white, gray and black. You almost turned back, but knew to do so now would be abandoning the children and also negating any perceived toughness. 

“Kind of hard to intimidate a wild beast, huh?” Chan asked, humored by your weak attempts. “Especially big ones with several pairs of eyes-”

“-Nothing needs that many eyes or that many legs!” you harshly whispered. “How can we get past them?”

“Fire,” Mr. Choi croaked from behind, pulling out a large matchbox. “It’s how my grandfather used to do it back in the day.”

“Works for me,” Chan shrugged, turning back to you, “YN? Would our fire demon like to handle the big nasty spiders?”

You stuck out your tongue at his smug smile. “I’d love to,” you responded pointedly. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

“Please, be my guest.”

He then made a hissing sound that made you punch his shoulder. You knew he was only teasing. Any other time, you’d tease him back but the sight of a spider coming down from the mountain with a bundle between two legs caught your attention. Fire. Warmth and light always scared off nocturnal beasts. 

Taking a step out of the treeline, a prickling sensation went up your legs, most likely the formation of goosebumps all over your body. You searched for a starting point for the flames, which happened to be the light shedding of webs along the tracks. In a single thrust of your hand, a bolt of red-hot fire shot from your palm and onto the metal tracks. 

Like a spark to gunpowder, the fire quickly began spreading. The beasts sensed the fire right away, and scurried away from the light. When one of them spotted you, it screeched loudly and scuttled over to you. With a high scream, your entire body went into a panic and you shot both hands out. Shrieking screams pierced your ears as the flames engulfed the creature, whose cries died out along with a few others. Your comrades, not wanting to miss out, started shooting. Gun blasts added to the fires scaring off the spiders; some of them took several shots while the proper marksmen got them between the eyes. 

“Come on,” Chan took one of your wrists, “Let’s get inside.”

“Inside?!”

You imagined more spiders awaited you in there, “This is no time to be a baby! Let’s go!”

Guiding you through the scorched earth, you kept your eyes peeled for any more spiders, but they’d appeared to have been killed or scared off. You’d gotten right into the entrance when your party came up behind you. 

“There’s more where they came from,” said Mr. Choi, “But don’t you worry. I grew up in this mine. I know it in and out.”

“Yuth’ik is an earth god,” you deduced from research, “He’s likely far underground where there’s roots.”

“I know the right place,” he nodded. 

Chan and Mr. Choi led the group, and you did your best to keep your shaking legs moving normally. Someone came up beside you. 

“You really showed Suho.” It was Fred, carrying his rifle across his chest. “I ain’t ever seen a man scared out of his wits like that before.”

“Being the good cop wasn’t working,” you shrugged, “So I played the bad one.”

“We could have used someone like you when this all started.” Once he realized how that sounded, he recovered, “I mean, the sheriff and his deputies are great at their jobs. It's…Things weren't being done quick enough.”

“I understand,” you said. The amount of webs did not match the spiders outside. There are more of them. “He was doing the best he could with what he had. I'm glad to be of some use here.”

Fred moved to talk again, but the group then stopped. In the spacious coal mine, you saw them right when everyone else did. High above the floor, cocoons hung from the ceiling and stuck to the walls. Bundles long and short were covered in several lengths of sticky webbing. You gulped back the fear burning in your throat, and stepped over to a nearby cocoon. About the average size of an adult, you poked it with your sword. When it didn't move, you looked at Chan with a worried stare. Your suspicions proved true when you cut a hole in the head to see the corpse of a young elf maiden inside. Sickly pale and blue, her paper thin skin and hollowed cheeks suggested she'd died ages ago. 

“How horrible…” Samantha frowned, opening another to find an old man. 

“Donny,” Chan looked at Fred’s farmhand, “Stay here with Samantha and start cutting the bodies down.”

“Harold and I'll keep watch,” Fred said, pulling out a flint to light a nearby stick. 

“Good idea,” he nodded his approval. 

As the other four started removing bodies, the rest of you went further into the mine. It didn't take much longer to reach the heart of the mine, and it was there that you thought you might scream. Dozens of spiders small and large covered the walls, and stood on the ground around a platform of rocks. None of them caught your scent yet, but one false move will have you setting the place on fire in a panic. You flinched when a warm hand grabbed yours. 

“Stay with me,” Chan whispered, his fingers gently taking your wrist this time. “We need to stick together.”

“The kids!” Mr. Choi gasped, pointing at the platform. 

Wrapped from the neck down in white webs, four children wriggled around an archway carved into the stone wall. You heard their sobbing pleas through the unrest amongst the beasts, and you forced out your fears. They needed you. It was then that you finally saw the warlock named Maurice. The top half of his body was a human torso, aged but strong with white hair braided back from his face. The bottom half was a spider's form, eight legs keeping him standing high above the children. That explained why the creatures hadn't killed any of the clan members. 

“My children!” He said, his voice a delicate hiss, “Tonight we bring forth the power of the old magic! We bring forth our salvation! We bring forth our victory!” 

The beasts approved, clicking and clacking in their language. 

“For centuries, mortals have feared our presence! They run from us! They hunt us down and kill us!” He continued, “But tonight, sweet children, the old god Yuth’ik will give us our redemption. We will have our revenge!”

“Ugh, disgusting creature,” Mr. Choi scoffed. “Let's get him-”

“-Not yet,” Chan stilled him with a hand. He scanned the area and shook his head, “There are too many of them. They'll overpower us. We have to be smart about this.”

“Or extremely dumb,” you said, a thought coming to you. “You stay hidden and wait for my signal.”

“YN!” 

Your knees wobbled walking towards the entryway into the main area. A human would be of no concern to the spider hybrid, but a demon from The Mar might keep him distracted. 

“-No more will you cower in your nests, feeding off scraps! You will have fresh meat!-”

“I wouldn't say my meat is fresh!” You shouted over the chatter of the room, “But demons are an acquired taste, I've been told.”

Maurice paused in surprise at the sight of you. Black eyes held you in their gaze. He had four of them. Nobody needed that many eyes.

“Ah,” he grinned, teeth sharp and white, “Here's the demon I've heard so much about. Was it you who harmed my children outside?”

“They were in my way.” 

Confidently, you walked through the horde, which parted to make way for you. Glittering black eyes stayed on you as you moved. Having them all in one place suffocated any fresh winds coming through the tunnel passages. Your skin prickled having them so close to you. You kept a tight grip on your sword at your hip, gripping so tight the pummel dug into your palm. No fear. Show no fear. 

“You know summoning an imprisoned god is against the celestial laws, Maurice,” you continued. “The Blind One doesn't take kindly to people who disobey him. I suggest you release those children and take your spider friends back where they came from.”

Maurice gave a mocking laugh, “As if you could do anything to stop me. Once my ritual is complete, no mortal alive could stop me.” 

He turned away from you to face the archway. “You'll have to give him something in return,” you said, “And be in servitude to him for life. I don't think you want to be someone's puppet, do you?”

“I will do anything I must,” he said. “I shall be the ultimate supreme lord. Everyone will bow down to me or suffer the wrath. The weak mortals you so eagerly helped will be scum beneath my feet.”

“Please, help us!” A red-haired girl with leaves in her hair cried. Sanghee, no doubt. “Help us!”

“Please!” said the werecat Hyeyoung. 

“He's going to kill us, please help!” pleaded a blond boy with concurved ears. “Help! I want to go home!”

“Silence!” Maurice shouted angrily over his shoulder. 

He lifted his head towards the arch and began muttering the incantation. It brought forth a vortex of black and blue, and gradually a white light broke through. You gasped at the recognizable swirls of The Abyss. Unrest rippled throughout the horde, who'd begun moving away as the portal opened. 

“Children,” the warlock called out to the spiders, “Dinner.”

You screamed as several spiders hurried towards you, some clawing over others to reach you. Fear and panic set inside you again, and erupted on its own. Bursts of fire cracked and burned the ground around your feet, keeping a protective circle as you started launching fireballs at any beast in sight. 

‘Bulgakgan!’

Flames shot out continuously from your hands, and as you moved in a clockwise circle, spiders were incinerated. One minute there, the next a stumbling ball of fire. Sensing a greater foe, the rest of the spiders began crawling away. This boosted your confidence significantly, and you switched to your sword. With another command, the dragonfire runes on your sword burned red and heated up the steel blade. Swinging and slashing the air, the spiders burned from the flaming steel alone. You hardly noticed the grunting and struggling occuring on the platform above you. 

Chan was locked in a struggle with Maurice. He blocked the hybrid's long legs with his arms, then gave a swift kick to the steady legs on one side. Maurice shot bolts of gray and black shadow magic at him. One barely grazed his bicep, and you heard his loud painful cry. Maurice, believing him finished, sent more shadow bolts at him just as Chan rolled away. Getting onto his feet, you watched through your own fight as Chan turned around. Mr. Choi, holding his own against his own foes, tossed him a rifle. Maurice chuckled right as Chan raised his weapon. 

“For Levanter Bay!” 

You heard the war cry from behind you. Fred, Samantha and Donny appeared, sweating and fueled with adrenaline as they covered the front entrance. A gunshot bounced off the walls, though the thick webs kept the sound suppressed. Chan's bullet missed, which amused Maurice, who curved his hands until more dark matter materialized between his palms. Chan quickly reloaded, but Maurice rushed at him. With another shadow bolt, he knocked Chan squared in the chest and launched him back several feet. 

You hurled a fireball at his legs, causing him to fall against the wall. This split second diversion was all Chan needed to shoot a bullet into Maurice's forehead from the ground. Their leader defeated, propped up by his legs, the other spiders disappeared from battle up through ceiling tunnels leading further into the mountain. You took deep breaths, heart pounding in your chest as you rushed over to Chan's side. 

“Chan, are you alright?” you asked, looking him over. 

The shadow bolt singed his shirt, the black mark vibrant against his chest, but otherwise no blood. It hadn't gone through completely. 

“Thick skin,” Chan winced through a laugh. “Merfolk side, they say.”

You both stood up on shaking legs, “Still, shadow magic is nothing to sniff at. You need to get that checked out.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted halfheartedly. 

The thought of Chan being mortally wounded by shadow magic came to you. You'd grown to like Chan. You felt glad for his merfolk blood. His eyes glimmered even in the dim torch light, and his soft smile warmed your cheeks. You turned from him to see Mr. Choi cut the children out of their cocoons. To avoid more butterflies, you started helping him. 

“Papa!” 

Barney Pebbles ran to his father the second you freed him, weeping and reaching out before the man embraced him tightly. The other children took comfort in the adults who'd saved them. 

“Sheriff Bahng!” Dobin, furry with a black snout, ran over to him, “I knew you'd come! I told everyone you'd come for us!”

“Of course I did.” Chan hugged him and patted his back. “Your parents have been worried to all hell about you. Let's not keep them waiting.”

“Or stick around for more of those things!” You added, shuddering and sheathing your blade. 

The rest agreed and walked with you out of the mine. You took in deep breaths of fresh air, feeling the breeze cool down your body. Heat never bothered you, but it still felt nice to fan your flames. You watched Barney and Fred riding back on his horse, the young boy protected by his arms. Being raised in The Mar by the warrior fire clan, people thought your clan were cruel. In fact, it'd been the opposite. You sat on your horse, remembering the time an air demon healer soothed your cries after a particularly nasty spar in the yard. 

“Ma'am?” Hyeyoung sat on Samantha's horse, tearful and shivering. “Are you a real demon?”

“Yes, I am.”

“But demons are supposed to be mean.”

“I'm only mean to the bad guys.”

She grinned at this, but said nothing else as she leaned into Samantha's embrace. When you reached the main road, you caught up with Minho and Han towards town. Minho found nothing at his mine, and Han only ran into vagrants with nowhere to live. What you really anticipated was the missing children with their parents. Word spread about your mission while you'd been gone, and as you rode to the town square, all four children rushed to their parents. Cries of joy and smooching kisses reached your ears, and it brought warmth into your chest. 

“Oh, thank god!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the school house building, which doubled as a meeting hall apparently. He hustled over to Chan, “Chan, Chan, thank goodness you came back safely! And you got the children back too!”

“It wasn't all my doing, Gerald,” Chan insisted, dismounting his horse. “I had help.”

Mayor Wallace looked at you once more. You expected words of suspicion or caution, but instead he held out his hand, “Thank you, YN. We wouldn't have our children back if you'd not stepped in on time.”

“I was only doing my job, sir.”

“And a fantastic one you did.” 

Someone called him from afar, and he excused himself. The weight of the battle, using your own magic, and the adrenaline wore you down. The hazy feeling of exhaustion came over you  within minutes. You looked on the townspeople being reunited with friends and loved ones fondly, similar to scenes you'd come across during the war. The fear of the past few weeks lifted at the return of the four children. Taking a seat outside The White Pearl, you continued observing them. 

Nor’goth used to claim that humans were selfish beings that knew nothing of loyalty. They were animals that killed each other needlessly. The people of Levanter Bay proved him wrong. The mortal world proved him wrong. When the tides grew high and the odds stacked against them, mortals banded together under one flag. They created The Allies, and stood as one against a common enemy. The Shadowland cities did no such thing until the war, and Sakmarth liked to say mortals had much to teach them. You couldn't help being in awe of them at that moment. 

“Hey there, Honey,” you said kindly as the bear waddled up the steps towards you. She sniffed your palm once more, then licked it. “You should've mentioned you liked spiders. I would've brought back some legs.”

“They're too boney and don't have enough meat for her.”

With the pet came its tamer. Changbin stood at the door a foot away, leaning on the frame. 

“She usually eats salmon or roots and berries I pick up on my hunts,” he took a seat beside you to watch the community. “You really pulled it off, huh?”

“You doubted I would?”

“Not for a minute,” he shook his head, “But it's amazing. The kids are saying you had a flaming sword?”

“It's a rune blade.”

“Interesting,” he nodded thoughtfully. “You'll make big money off of this. Saving children from a spider hybrid must be-Haha, what's with the shudder?”

“I hate spiders,” you grumbled. “Why did it have to be spiders?”

He laughed and patted your back, “Come inside, hero. We cooked up a feast to celebrate. You look like you could use a drink or two too.”

“Good, I'm starving!” 

You went inside with him to find tables of food laid out. You went in right away, sneaking apples to give to Summer later on. As you tore into a chicken leg, Han and Minho appeared in front of you with their own plates.

“Spider hybrid, huh?” Minho sniffed, “I suppose we were wrong about the human warlock theory.”

“Very,” you nodded, taking a huge bite of your chicken leg before turning it over. “He hardly got a chance to summon Yuth’ik.”

“Chan said you got there in the nick of time,” Han said, forking mashed potatoes into his mouth. “He said he might have gotten killed if you hadn't come along.”

“And that he inherited his mother's skin,” Minho sipped an ale cup before saying, “Well done, Multak. I told you we'd have this thing finished by supper.”

You both grinned at one another before digging into your supper.

****

The festivities carried on through the night into morning. You crashed into your bed upstairs and passed out instantly. When you left your room for the common area downstairs the next morning, you were met with applause. This reaction startled you, But not as much as the praise. 

“Thank you, YN!” Fred Pebbles came over from the bar and lifted you into a bear hug. “From me and mine, thank you!”

“Woah, okay!” You laughed out your surprise. 

“We mean it,” Wilma walked up from behind him, holding out something to you. “Here, take this as a thank you.”

Made of pure tiger's eye, someone engraved the blazing sun into the small charm. It hung from a thick string that glistened in the sunlight.

“It's a tiger's eye,” she explained. “My people wear certain stones for different things. This charm will protect you on future quests.”

“Appreciated, Matriarch.”

She smiled at the elvish title. “No, thank you. Barney is our only son. When we heard he'd been taken, we thought he'd be dead for sure. It was by the light's grace that you showed up when you did.” You saw her watery eyes and hugged her tightly.

It then occurred to you that The Pebbles' weren't the only ones with tokens of gratitude. When Wilma and Fred left, the other parents met you outside. Sanghee’s grandmother gifted you a valerian plant, meant to bring strength and knowledge to you. Dobin's father and mother gave you a wolf tooth, a special gift given to allies of specific werewolf packs; Hyeyoung's werecat parents did something similar with a cat claw. But, it was the children who warmed you the most. 

“There's the demon lady!” Dobin said from across the square. 

They'd all been standing in the middle of the market with Han, who smiled at you. “Well, go on,” he encouraged, “Jump her.”

You flinched at the gaggle of children coming your way. They didn't jump on you, but they surrounded you. 

“Do you really have a flaming sword?”

“Can you make people turn into dust?”

“Hyeyoung said you set the spider man on fire!”

“Ms. Demon Lady, did you die?!”

You didn't know which one to answer first. However, their barrage of questions ended when Chan appeared. 

“Come on now,” he said, shepherding them away, “Don't crowd YN. You got school.”

The children groaned in disappointment, but still walked away. You fixed your jacket on your shoulders, watching them going towards the schoolhouse. Most people you helped handed you the money, and then sent you on your way. The people in those towns usually didn't know you'd helped them at all; they only cared when their own people rushed into danger. Yet, the cold reception you received when you arrived turned warm and friendly. 

“You've become pretty popular around here,” Chan told you. “You're all the kids have been talking about.”

“And clearly their opinion is the only one that matters,” you smiled in amusement. “How are the kids doing?”

“They're still shaken up, since, you know, a spider hybrid kidnapped them and planned on sacrificing them to a tree god,” he answered, “But they're happy to be back home. Thanks to you.”

“And you,” you added. “How's your chest? That bolt hit you pretty bad.”

“Minho took care of it for me,” he shrugged, though you noticed the slight wince when he did. “It just stings. Nothing to worry about.” He then fished in his pocket to withdraw a leather pouch, “The mayor wanted me to pass this onto you. Your payment.”

You opened the pouch to see dozens gold and silver coins in the bottom of the bag. With an approving nod, you already budgeted what amount went to what expense. 

“So, um, where do you plan to go now?” Chan asked you, hands in his pockets as he walked with you to the stables behind the White Pearl. “You can always pick up other jobs around here. Someone always needs help. Mrs. Young still has a boar problem; she says they keep eating her cabbages. I didn't know they even ate cabbage,” he added with a soft laugh. 

You chuckled, coming up to Summer's stable. Your horse kicked the ground gently, a greeting. “As tempting as Mrs. Young's boars sound, Summer and I were planning on heading to the capital.” You pet Summer's snout, smiling softly as she huffed. “Don't worry. We'll take a ferry there.”

Chan stayed silent, then said, “Um, that might be a problem.”

“How come?”

“The ferry isn't running right now,” he said, thumbs hooked in his pockets. “Our local sea serpent has been seen close to the bay, and the King declared the ferry closed to keep people safe. You know these sea monsters. They like knocking boats over and eating people.”

“The King said this?” You faced him, arms crossed in disbelief. “I didn't hear anything about that.”

“It came in an hour ago,” he said. “Private government papers and other boring stuff. The damn thing nearly swallowed a whole navy ship, so imagine a little transport ferry. Psh, they'd stand no chance.”

Not once did you ever hear a royal decree not being posted or spoken about anywhere. Looking over Chan, you noticed the slight curls in his black hair, pushed back from his face and left to grow out. Brown eyes looked at you with a twinkle of hope inside them. You supposed you could stay a little bit longer. It isn't as if you had important business anywhere else. Levanter Bay did not seem to be a terrible place; the sunshine is something to be desired, but the people were actually nice. You touched the tiger's eye necklace you'd been given, as if rubbing it might produce an answer. 

“I guess we can hang around here,” you said casually. “What do you think, Summer?” You asked your horse, “Want to hang around here for a bit?” You laughed when she grazed on the hay inside a feed bag. “I guess that's a ‘yes’.” 

“Great,” Chan grinned. “That's really great.”

“Looks like you're in luck then,” you walked up to him, casually, “You'll have someone help your station get out from under the bounties up on that board.”

“I'm not proudful. We could use a demon in this town. Except, maybe one that doesn't burn down a whole cave because of a few spiders.”

“There were more than ‘a few’,” you punched his shoulder, but he only laughed. “There were hundreds, and I took out a good amount before everyone else joined in. I noticed you, Sheriff, didn't fight any spiders.”

“I was fighting the biggest one!”

The two of you talked about Maurice and his disgusting army on the way back to the inn. You had enough gold to buy you food and board at the inn, and you actually liked Changbin and Honey didn't scare Summer. 

It's not such a bad place after all. 

***

A/N: Wow, my first Stray Kids fic (well, a real one. The last one doesn't count too much to me). I hope you guys really enjoyed this one! I have one for each of the members coming up soon! Like, comment, and reblog! it keeps posts alive <3

Episode 2 >

[running-with-kn1ves]

You reblogging that werecat gf getting dommed post makes me drool thinking of werewolf edira fucking her werecat gf/employee/darling to submission

If you have time, could you write it out for the sapphics who need more female yanderes on tumblr🥺

I physically couldn't NOT write this!! I've been having trouble writing lately so it's pretty self-indulgent but I hope it's good enough for my edira lovers 🙏 everybody thank @werecreature-addicted for the werecat/werewolf inspo juice

CW: NSFW, fem! Werecat reader, werewolf Edira, sexual content literally just a nsfw gay drabble

Hm, Oh look-- The pretty kitty's nose got stuck where it doesn't belong."

Her flat tone lacked any surprise- almost sounding pleasantly expected.

Snooping into your bosses locked file drawers was never something you thought you'd do. It's too bad she stole your phone for "insubordination", claiming you could have it back at the end of the day if you kept your attitude as her obedient secretary. Not the mouthy employee who cares about trivial things such as "privacy," and "the right to communicate with coworkers on things besides work."

It only took you 20 minutes after your lunch break to start the undercover search for what she had stolen. You didn't trust your obsessive, erratic predator of a boss to not go through your belongings.

It was like she resented you, the "cat stench" you wafted in along with her coffee, or the pieces of fur and hair she found on the occasional set of new copies. As if she didn't shed enough for two, her office needing to be lint-rolled every Tuesday and vacuumed from top to bottom by the end of Friday. Her stress made her that much more irritated and finicky, leaving your allergies to fester and her anger at your small mistakes increase tenfold.

You should've known her lunch break wouldn't be an entire hour like scheduled; workaholics and possessive bosses don't let their underlings rest for too long.

Maybe this would've happened whether or not you were snooping, maybe she would've reprimanded you no matter where she found you... but her glare, the harshness in her claws and the way her usually alert, pointed ears were flat-- it made her look all the more menacing.

"Such a dutiful mouth, from an insignificant creature... so weak, barely able to lift your head."

She snarled with a rough, guttural growl echoing from the back of her throat.

"Ed..ir..thag--"

You choked out broken sobs from behind sensitive cuspids, two fingers rhythmically pulsing against your tongue, two more from your bosses opposite hand, inside of you. How many orgasms, how many screams did you bite down on her fingers to silence?

Did it matter, now that the building was empty and her office door was wide open? These were the consequences, apparently, for trying to text back a friend or a family member... you couldn't remember anymore. Maybe you were just trying to see the update your favorite influencer threw out. But it never mattered, not when edira nipped at your ears, leaning deeper from behind as her fingers worked magic in defiling your mouth and pretty pussy.

"I knew werecats were a devious breed...hm, not very resilient though--are you?" She pulled two fingers out of your cunt, tugging at the base of your wildly flicking tail.

Yowling from behind her digits in your mouth, you gripped at the slippery layer of wood beneath you. She pulled your tail forward, your ass sticking up as your mouth was suddenly sucking on air, missing her fingers as they slide back to hold your thigh.

"You should know better than to come to work in your heat, sneaking into my office, shoving your chest up against my desk--ngh, less composed than the wolves I know. "

Your heat? You hadn't felt thar burning sensation in your lower stomach for months. It wasn't season quite yet-- but for werewolves...

Over shedding, her irritation, calling you into her office every 5 minutes, continuously out of breath-- who's heat was happening again?

You didn't have time to contemplate any further, claws once ripping at your tail now digging into your stomach as her free hand was pulling your hands back. They were your only source at staying somewhat stable on the mahogany desk. She ripped the short, but cutthroat nails of your stubby fingers backwards as one hand held two of your wrists together, your head falling to hit against forgotten paperwork. Across from you, her laptop remained open, an email draft sitting as the computer timer counted to shut down from lack of use.

"Please, miss Edir-ah--!" You clench around her fingers as they slide back in, playing with your slick as she grinds against the corner of the desk. the way your tail tries to cover up your sensitive hole makes her laugh, giving a small pinch to your ass.

"Pet pet... mph, you're making me burn-- it's all your fault... I have to take you home,"

A small kiss to your cunt made your walls flitter. You can't help but arch your back involuntarily, imagining yourself in your bosses home, in her bed-- her fangs pressed deep into your neck and her fuzzy tail wagging with delight.

You could feel her drool down against her fingers, pushing inside of you with a playful rhythm.

"Werecats deserve to be used like the weaklings they are-- and you, my darling are no different." You felt the shake of the desk as she rutted against it, a long tongue reaching where Ediras fingers couldn't. "Need me to help you through your heat, huh? Gonna take your punishment like a good kitty?"

If you weren't going through your heat, you were facing something akin to it now. But between the two of you-- your hot-headed boss was far more worked up, salivating at the smell of you, nearly finishing on her desk at the sensation of you on her fingers.

The lights by your cubicle were beginning to shut off, one by one. You prayed the janitorial crew would avoid this side of the office, for now. Hopefully, they won't question the mystery mess left upon Edira's desk...

[lynlyndoll]

𝔖𝔭𝔬𝔬𝔨𝔶 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔶𝔨𝔦𝔡𝔰 𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔨

𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘: there might be allusions to sex, so please do not read this unless you're 18+. MDNI please, since it does have scarry and/or blood themes. All of my works for this theme is gn!reader, but there may appear allusions of fem-bodied! reader.

𝕱𝖎𝖈𝖘:

22 october - werewolf!chan x human!reader

23 october - angel!felix x demon!reader

24 october - ghostface!han x psycho!reader (it was supposed to be witch!han x witch!reader, but I thought abt this and liked the idea more)

25 october - vampire! seungmin x bat-hybrid! reader

26 october - greek god! hyunjin x human! reader

27 october - male harley quinn! jeongin x female joker! reader (here, reader is indeed pictured as a female.)

28 october - superhero! changbin x superhero! reader

29 october - werecat! lee know x werewolf! reader

30 october - vampire boyfriends! ot8 x vampire! reader

31 october - (the most normal one) going trick or treating with your skz!boyfriend

𝕸𝖊𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌: at first, I wanted to be part of kinktober, but then i realized I totally forgot October alr started. so, I decided to do these 9 fics! If you want to be tagged, please either leave an ask, either comment!

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙:

@agi-ppangx @lisaaassophhhieee @hyunjin-lover20

[toumahrt]

Possibly only “spooky” drawings youll see from me LMFAON😭 (wips + finished drawing)

These are all part of my vampire Alejandro/zombie tyler au, full video abt it on my tt!

Ghost hunter drama brothers, vampire courtney, werecats sadie and katie, and lindsay are also featured in these drawings! Trans fem harold is apart if this cause i love her…. Eueue

Creating full character sheets later on, So possibly look forward to that!!!

Had a whole bunch of fun making these so yeye, currently at school so I’m tryna keep this short and sweet, so baiiii :3

[blues824]

A Fem!Reader with a Werecat (transforming from human to overly large house-cat to monstrous cat beast) Quirk isekaied from BNHA into The Remarried Empress where she's adopted as a pet cat for the Empress.

She's just thought to be a highly intelligent cat who's bigger than most cats (including Maine Coons) until she manages to transform back to her human state. She's gorgeous (as all readers are; the beautiful ladies/gents/non-binary royalty they are!) and aching to go back home to her husband (Shouta Aizawa) and her kids (Class 1-A, Hitoshi, and Eri).

Sovieshu is interested in her becoming his mistress but she's not interested (because she's married, obviously), she avoids him and Rashta excessively, she forms a deep bond with Navier and Heinrey, Kosair may have feelings for her but she gently turns him down as she only loves her husband.

She cares for her new friends but she has her life back home and just wants to be back in her husband's arms.

(And if, one day, Shouta (and the kids) manages to find her and take her into his arms to take her home after she says her farewells to her friends, she'll be the happiest she's ever been since she got there)

Preface: Y/N Aizawa has a quirk that allows her to turn into a cat, and depending on the threat level she can either turn into a typical house cat or a monstrous cat beast. She is married to Shota Aizawa. One day, she was facing a villain, and she was isekai’d to the world of the Remarried Empress.

Sovieshu

He was a bit concerned when he heard that his wife had rescued a cat that had been roaming about the palace, but he assumed that it might have been a stray. From what she had told him, the cat was okay, just a bit spooked for some unknown reason.

However, your identity was eventually revealed. You were a very gorgeous woman with cat ears and a tail, and Sovieshu felt his heart beating fast. You know that song that has the line that goes she looks just like a dream, the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen? Yeah, Alexa, play that song.

For days and days, weeks and weeks, he has been trying to woo you. Bro wasn’t loyal, so that surely meant you didn’t have to be loyal either. However you were adamant on remaining faithful to your husband and your ‘children’ back in your world. During a time where he backed off a little, you showed him pictures of Class 1-A, Shinso and Eri. He was jealous when you said that your husband and you cared for them as though they were your own.

It eventually got to the point where you were very close to scratching Sovieshu because his advances were getting annoying. He didn’t care about you being a married woman, though. Hell, he was a married man and he had a mistress and pursuing you was the cherry on top to his complicated love life.

Once the portal opened up for you to get home, your husband made it through first. You let out a scream before jumping into his arms and giving him a long kiss. Your students, Shinso, and Eri let out cheers at recovering their teacher/mom, but Sovieshu was absolutely heartbroken. He knew that alcohol would be his best friend that night.

Rashta 

She was quite curious when she heard about Her Imperial Majesty taking in and rescuing a cat that she had found in her garden. Since Navier wasn’t particularly fond of conversing with her over such trivial matters like cats, she could only get updates from Sovieshu.

But when you were revealed to be a human with the power to turn into a cat, she was at first amazed. However, she looked at the man that she called her lover, only to see heart eyes instead of normal eyes. He was smitten with you and not with her. Then she was angry and upset because the supposed love of her life was looking at another woman (this is the story of the La Llarona, people).

You did your best to avoid her, but sometimes it was inevitable. She eavesdropped on one of your conversations with Her Imperial Majesty, and you were showing printed out pictures that you carried in your bag of your students and your son and daughter, and eventually your husband. She was definitely jealous that you led such a happy life and she couldn’t.

Rashta even tried copying you instead, because obviously there was something about you that lured Sovieshu in. It might just be your cat ears and tail, but you acted much differently than both her and Navier. You were sarcastic to the point where it could come off as mean (to be fair, that was specifically targeted towards her and the Emperor, but anyways), and you had a few selected favorites when it came to people. The young mistress did not have the confidence to pull it off, unfortunately.

When your husband finally got the person who teleported you here to re-open the portal, she was genuinely questioning your taste in men. She wouldn’t exactly describe your husband as handsome as you had said he was, but the pure joy that was in not just your eyes but also his was something that Rashta could only imagine.

Navier

She was under the impression that you were a normal cat, so she took you to her chambers to get you properly cleaned and tidied up. After all, a cat of the Empress should look no less than presentable. But, before she gave you to one of her handmaidens, you revealed yourself to be not a mere cat, but a woman who could turn into a cat (take a shot for every time I say ‘cat’).

You, however, told her about your desire to make it back to your own home to be able to see your family again. She asked about them, and you gladly pulled out some pictures (something she was unfamiliar with as photography wasn’t around yet) to show her your students, Shinso, Eri, and your husband. There was a sad glint in her eyes when you explained that your husband loved you as you loved him, and you knew that there was something wrong with her marriage.

As a result of this discovery, you leaned your head into her lap. Your ears folded down, and she started rubbing your head as you started transforming back into a cat. Suddenly, you heard a few caws at the window, and Navier had to hold you back from going to attack Queen (AKA Heinrey). It made the Empress laugh at the irony of the situation, but she made sure that the bird made it out okay.

Unfortunately, once you revealed your true identity, it caused you to gather some rather undesired attention… from her husband. She couldn’t blame you, as you did nothing wrong. But Sovieshu was definitely in the wrong because his advances were unwanted by you. You were remaining faithful, and Navier did her best to support you in that. She’s even smacked his face for you to escape.

Once the portal opened, you kissed your husband with such passion that it caused everyone in the room to blush. However, you pulled away before you ran out of air and immediately picked Eri up in your arms and placed a kiss upon her forehead. The Empress took the small girl from your arms and had an adorable little time with her as you went to place a kiss on the foreheads of Shinso and the rest of Class 1-A. It did not go unnoticed that you called them your litter.

Heinrey

Your first meeting is rather a funny story. It was the night that Navier took you in, he just so happened to fly into the window. You tried to eat him, and he is now traumatized. It wasn’t until you both were ushered out of the room that you both agreed to meet up in the garden. There, you both revealed your true selves (obviously, you gave him time to get dressed, which was kind of embarrassing).

From that point, you acted as his wing-woman (that is most definitely a pun). You’ve shown him pictures from your family and how you needed to get back to them; so as long as you help him by wooing Her Imperial Majesty, you could count on him to try and find your way back (and unlike a familiar bird-man from Twisted Wonderland, this bird-man actually tries).

If I’m being honest, you are the only woman aside from Navier that he genuinely appreciates, and that’s a pretty high honor. I mean, have you seen how this man treats Rashta? Speaking of, you confide in him that you’re trying to avoid her and Sovieshu because the former is trying to copy you and the latter is trying to get you to become his mistress even though you were happily married to your husband back home.

He is definitely a dear friend of yours. You even treat him as though he were one of your 22 (now technically 23) ‘kittens’. Mans considers you a motherly figure in his life because you always make sure he’s okay and he can go to you if he wants to go on a lovesick rant about the love of his life.

When it was finally time for you to return home, he was kind of sad because he was going to miss you. However, he saw the love in you and your husband’s eyes when you both saw each other at last. He knew that if he wanted to truly cherish Navier, he needed to look at her like that every single day he wakes, and he’s ready for that kind of commitment. 

Kosair

He had the chance to meet you during his surprise visit to his sister, and he was immediately in love. You were beautiful, you had cat ears and a tail, and you could shoot back witty remarks as though it was nothing. Plus, you really cared for his younger sister, so this man was heart-eyes for you.

For months, this man was so down bad for you, and you knew it. It’s like that situation where your guy best friend has a crush on you and you know it, but you pray to any god or goddess there is that he finds someone better. It’s not that you didn’t like him, it’s just that you liked him only as a friend. Also, you were happily married to the love of your life, Shota Aizawa.

So, one day, you decided that it was time to let him down easily. You pulled him into the garden and sat next to him on a bench. Out of your bag, you brought out a few pictures. Kosair flipped through each one, and saw that it was of your life back in your world. As he neared the end, his heart absolutely shattered.

There was a photo of you braiding Eri’s hair, and on the back it said ‘New Kitten!!!’ You said that she had gone through such a tough past, and you were glad you were able to rescue her. Then there was a picture of you and a boy that looked to be around the age of 16 hugging each other, and on the back it said ‘Shinso got accepted into the Hero Course!’ There were a multitude of pictures with you and a bunch of teenagers who looked like your students.

But, then, he got to the last few pictures. It was a few romantic-looking pictures: wine glasses clinking, a headless photo of two people (you being one of them) dancing, etc. But, there finally was a picture of you and another man kissing each other. Kosair went paler than he ever had before. You, with a joyful tone in your voice, explained that the man was your husband, and you showed him your ring-finger which, lo and behold, had a ring on it. Well, he stood up and left, and you knew that you had definitely hurt his feelings. Was this really the best way to do this?

[towriteloveontheirarms]

Hey, how are you?? Well, I have a Rowan x reader request, if you can do it. Like, the reader is a werecat and is afraid of rain, so Rowan helps her with that. (Fem or Gn reader, pls). Thank you <3

I have been well. I hope you are doing good too, anon. <3 I totally forgot how much I loved writing for Rowan. This is a bit on the shorter side, but I hope you enjoy it none the less.

Bonds forged in rain

pairing: Rowan Laslow x reader

synopsis: You are scared of rain, but who would´ve thought that one day there could be something good coming from that fear.

warnings: none

word count: 1.1k

The sky had been cloudy and dark all morning already. The wind only another sign for the oncoming storm. Yet still you didn‘t manage to pack any possible measure against the rain, that would surely soon commence. Leaving the dorm in a hurry, to get to the greenhouse on time for the first lesson of the day, after almost sleeping in. Luckily you arrive just on time. Sitting down, greeting your friends while trying to catch your breath and getting your stuff out before Ms Thornhill began the lesson. As always, it’s easy to follow along what the teacher is saying, until towards the end of your time in the greenhouse. At first it is only a quiet dribble few and far between water drops, but faster than you are comfortable with there is a proper shower whipping against the windows. Suddenly its hard to listen to anything that is going on inside of the classroom, instead you start to get more and more into your own head. Adrenaline coursing through your veins as fear takes over your system. You can feel your chest heaving with heavy breaths, unable to do much against it on your own. 

That´s when you feel an equally nervous leg bouncing against yours. Looking to the side you see Rowan. Staring to the front where Ms Thornhill is currently writing something on the chalkboard.

“Sorry.”, he whispers quietly when he feels your legs colliding. 

“It´s alright.”, you whisper back. 

The two of you had never talked much outside of class projects. Yet, unlike most of your fellow students, you abstained from the bullying. In your mind he had it hard enough with the telekinesis already. A mutual friend had told you once how it could mess with your mind. You didn´t need to bully him on top of that too. 

You rake your eyes over him. It´s not the first time you look at him closer. The deep brown eyes, flitting looks from behind the brown and gold-patterned glasses, the beauty mark beneath his left eye, his pale skin and the perfectly neat sitting hair and uniform are well known to you.  You liked looking at him, in fact. For reasons unknown to you. 

All too soon the bell rings though. Pulling you from your thoughts and signalling the end of the lesson. Cursing under your breath you notice the rain has not let up, but only sounded to have become even stronger. As the other students file out of the room you stay behind for as long as you can, but you had to leave for the next class eventually. So, on very shaky legs you make your way outside, coming to a stand under the roof. Something inside you just stopped your legs from working no matter how hard you tried. 

The longer you stood there the harder it got to breath or even think about walking, until you felt a hesitant hand on your shoulder. You quickly turn your head to see Rowan standing next to you. 

“Oh, I´m sorry.”, you step to the side. Assuming you stand in the way of him exiting the door. 

“No, it´s… It´s fine. Um are you alright?”, he asks in a shy almost meek voice. 

“Yeah.”, it´s your first instinct to lie. However, your body can´t hide the way it´s shaking and pressing up against the building wall under the roof. “No, actually. I´m kinda afraid… of the rain… It´s cringey I know.” 

“Oh, um, you can share my umbrella if you want. I don´t know if that helps… At least you wouldn´t get wet that way…”, he points to your empty hands signalling that you had forgotten to bring your own in the haste of the morning.

“Y-yeah… That would be nice. Thanks, Rowan.”, you can feel the heat of embarrassment spread over your cheeks. 

However, the embarrassment is only becoming worse when you take the first step away from under the roof and a drop of the water hits your face before you reach the relative safety of the umbrella. With a squeak you quickly grab onto the handle of the device protecting you from the downpour. An almost unintelligible whimper leaves your lips. 

“Woah, it´s okay.”, he says in a quiet but weirdly soothing voice. Though you can hear that he is taken aback by your reaction ever so slightly. 

Your eyes meet his and it gets a bit easier to breath all of a sudden. Somehow looking at him, with these eyes that always seemed to hold a deep inner trouble, had a calming effect on you. Together you make your way back to the main school building as fast as possible. Once under the roof and inside one of the hallways, the shaking finally slowly stops again. The burning on your face and the tip of your eyes sticks around a bit longer though. It feels awkward having been seen like that by anyone that isn´t part of your inner circle. The feeling forces you to train your eyes to the stone floor. Now that you are back inside you don´t know what to say to him. Don´t know what to feel. Only that despite the overwhelming urge for the ground to split open and swallow you whole, there is an undeniable need to stay in his presence for longer. When you dare to look up into Rowans face again, it is red like you had rarely seen it. Cursing yourself you try to think of something to say. Anything basically that could possibly make the situation a little less unbearable.

“Thank you, again. It was really nice of you to help me.”, you say with an awkward chuckle. One of your hands finding its way up to shyly rub at the back of your neck.

“Yeah, sure, no problem. Are you… alright now?”, he fights to find the right words.

“Well, I´m better.”, the voices of the students around you alert the two of you that it is way past time to get to your own respective classes. “Before we go, um… I know we don´t really talk or anything, but would you maybe like to eat lunch together or I could interest you you to go to the weathervane once the weather is better or something?”

Surprise takes over Rowans face once he realizes you are genuine in your request and if you weren´t so nervous yourself maybe you would have had time to notice how cute he looks as he opens and closes his mouth like a fish on land, grappling with himself to get out an answer.

“Yes. Yes, I´d like to eat lunch with you.”, you almost don´t understand his answer from the way he quickly mumbles it out.

“I´ll meet you by the Poe statue then.” You give him a small smile and wave before running to your next class. Heart beating out of your chest and happiness flooding your chest. You couldn´t wait to get to know more about the person that so long you only watched sitting beside you in botanical sciences class.

[luuv-zomby]

catrine demew introject? pls and ty!

Catrine Demew

pt: catrine demew

General

✿ —⁠ name : catrine, calico, paris, adora ✿ —⁠ pronouns : she/fleur/mew ✿ —⁠ gender terms : fem ✿ —⁠ presentation (masc, fem, neu) : fem ✿ —⁠ age : 17 ✿ —⁠ labels : femme sapphic, genderqueer, demiromantic ✿ —⁠ birthday : mar 15

System

✿ —⁠ role(s) : mood booster, anxiety holder ✿ —⁠ type : fictive ✿ —⁠ source : monster high

Personality

✿ —⁠ general mood / emotion : upbeat but a bit nervous ✿ —⁠ traits : perfectionist, creative, dexterous, ✿ —⁠ mannerisms / habits : bounces from project to project/craft to craft, sunbathing (with sunscreen!), taking forever to choose what to wear, organizing pens/pencils ✿ —⁠ priorities : fashion sense, keeping hygienic and well groomed (hair styled, nails done) ✿ —⁠ pet peeves : art block, dirty glasses/sunglasses, her purse being too small to fit everything, frayed paintbrushes ✿ —⁠ introvert / extrovert / omnivert / ambivert : ambivert ✿ —⁠ aesthetic : pattern mixing, cluttered y2k, luxury/designer, purple/blue/pink/black & white ✿ —⁠ theme : art/fashion ✿ —⁠ theme song : super graphic ultra modern girl

Appearance

✿ —⁠ body type : athletic pear ✿ —⁠ species : werecat ✿ —⁠ height / weight : ✿ —⁠ voice / accent : french accent ✿ —⁠ hairstyle / hair type / hair color : ✿ —⁠ facial shape : diamond ✿ —⁠ eye shape / eye color : bright blue upturned, catlike pupils ✿ —⁠ nose shape : cat nose ✿ —⁠ lip shape : heart ✿ —⁠ other features : wavy purple hair with pink streaks, usually curled or in a half up ponytail, cat ears that poke out of her hair, very pale purple skin, long cat tail, beauty mark ✿ —⁠ clothing aesthetic : lots of patterns, puffy sleeves, always wearing a belt that holds drawing tools, tall heels, frills but no lace, sequins/glitter

Ideas

✿ —⁠ dream job : portrait painter ✿ —⁠ fears : large dogs, being imperfect at her art ✿ —⁠ regrets : n/a ✿ —⁠ insecurities : when she gets a portrait wrong, letting her tail move freely ✿ —⁠ core values : being good at and passionate about what she spends her time on, looking and feeling her best, self care ✿ —⁠ philosophies : practice makes perfect (or at least progress)

Interests

✿ —⁠ likes : acrylic paint, oil pastels, fashion shows, birds (especially pigeons) ✿ —⁠ dislikes : the blank page, ✿ —⁠ loves : drawing, sketching, painting (especially gouache and oil paint), high fashion ✿ —⁠ hates : chalk pastels, heavy foundation ✿ —⁠ hyperfixations : her newest art project ✿ —⁠ unbearable : makeup melting down her face, being swarmed by mosquitoes/flies/gnats ✿ —⁠ comforts : parisian food, pop music, her friends ✿ —⁠ favorite color : can't pick, she loves them all but prefers cooler colors ✿ —⁠ favorite activity : making art ✿ —⁠ favorite song : changes almost weekly ✿ —⁠ favorite music genre : pop, lo-fi, lounge ✿ —⁠ favorite game : telestrations (like telephone with pictures/gartic phone) ✿ —⁠ favorite TV show : downton abbey ✿ —⁠ favorite movie : mean girls ✿ —⁠ favorite food : a really good, flakey, buttery croissant ✿ —⁠ favorite drink : iced matcha tea ✿ —⁠ favorite scent : florals & sweet scents (cupcake, rose) ✿ —⁠ favorite flower : lilies ✿ —⁠ favorite feeling : putting the final touch on an artwork ✿ —⁠ favorite season : spring ✿ —⁠ favorite weather : slightly overcast, it lets her get good lighting on her portrait subjects

Extra

✿ —⁠ other : art creds to @ 1percentcharge on tumblr and @ GisCoret on deviantart !! picrew creds to this one and this one!!

image id 1: catrine demew from monster high. she faces the right, leans on a stair railing. /end id 1

image id 2: bust of catrine demew from monster high. she holds a paintbrush to her mouth in thought. /end id 2

image id 3: a picrew of catrine demew from monster high. she has pale skin, purple hair, a white bow in her hair and white cat ears that poke out the top. /end id 3

image id 4: a picrew of catrine demew from monster high. she has pale skin, purple hair, a white bow and pink sunglasses in her hair and white cat ears that poke out the top. /end id 4

image id: a green userbox with a beatles album cover on the left. the right says "this post was made by sybil at spoil-the-party" in orange text. /end id

[moki-dokie]

My OCs: Ed

bit of info on my fucked up trash cat

Name Edrick Ishida 石田 エドリック AKA: Ed, Edo, Cat, Tiger

Species Nekomata/Werecat (Nekomata mother, werecat father. Werecat virus passed at conception.)

DOB May 3 1850 (173 years old)

Gender Cis Male (Sometimes fem presenting)

Orientation Bisexual, Homoromantic, Polyamorous

Ethnicity Japanese/Dutch

Height/Weight 5'6"/140lbs (Petite, often malnourished)

Analysis Edrick presents extreme anger issues and is immediately hostile. He is generally in poor physical condition, being malnourished and often injured. His mood is unstable, but he is coherent and very aware of time and place. Edrick shows several signs of severe and chronic emotional trauma that has been left untreated since childhood. He is very uncooperative. Symptoms point to the following:

PTSD

Bipolar I disorder with mixed affective state

Paranoia

Antisocial disorder

Avoidant personality disorder

Major depression with suicidal tendencies

Insomnia

Kleptomania

Sexual masochism

Hypersexuality

Several illegal drug addictions

Edrick struggles to maintain relationships at all levels. He purposely closes himself off and avoids giving or asking for more than basic information about a person. Due to extreme emotional distress as a child, he has developed a defense mechanism through rude and lewd behavior. He defaults to anger and violence and is often too impatient to handle most social situations. True intimacy is avoided, but he practices prostitution for physical intimacy and pain. Edrick does not value himself highly, if at all, and treats himself accordingly despite being capable of doing more and better for himself. He has spent the majority of his life homeless and without any true stability, making a living via prostitution and theft. He is highly intelligent and talented but carefully conceals that knowledge, sometimes even from himself.

Within the past 3 years, Edrick has made significant progress in healing and recovering from many past traumas, but at the same time has unfortunately gained new ones. His social skills have improved impressively, complete with a small but close circle of friends. He is also engaged to be married to a man named Cole, though the relationship is highly unorthodox and questionable. One would not label it a healthy relationship by any normal standards - but they are also not normal people. Though toxic on many levels, it works for them and the deep love and bond Edrick and his affianced have is abundantly clear. Unfortunately, after a very traumatic brush with death, and prolonged threats to his and Cole's safety, Edrick's PTSD is worse than it ever has been. He is in severe and urgent need of professional help.

Manifestations

Glamoured Can pass as human entirely - default when in public.

Natural No glamour. Cat ears, tail, sharper/longer incisors, and claw-like nails. (All can vary in appearance depending on circumstances. isn't always convenient to have claws, for example.) Most common in private. Can develop fur along spine, face, and other parts of the body if nearing a shift into werecat form.

Cat Simple domestic housecat, larger than average (about the size of a small savannah cat). Smoke black oriental longhair. Can change into it at will and easily. Some extremely limited verbal speech is capable, restricted only to the sounds a feline is able to make. Fully capable of non-verbal animal/feral speech.

Werecat Triggered by extreme anger. Very ‘wolfman’ like appearance. No conscious control, retains no memory. Highly aggressive.

Nekomata (mutated) Form is misshapen and mutated from werecat virus. Hulking beast. Painful to remain in. Extremely powerful both physically and magically. Necromancy and fire are primary magic. Severe emotional distress, total mental breakdown, or imminent threat to life currently the only way it can be accessed.

Species Traits & Quirks Nekomata don't gain their full powers until at least 1000 years of age, Ed is still very young and thus most of his abilities are unimpressive.

Once at 1000, aging ceases. He will not die from any natural causes of the body. Only beheading or removal of the heart will kill. Until then, while he may age very slowly, he is still susceptible to dying from pretty much anything, although he can endure much more than the average human.

Nekomata start with 9 lives. Lives increase exponentially at 1000 years. Ed has somewhere between 6-8 currently.

Nekomata abilities include, but not limited to: Dreamwalking Necromancy Controlling fire Life force absorption Unrestricted shapeshifting Spell casting Cursing Superhuman senses, speed, and strength Enhanced nightvision

While not a true hybrid, Ed does have certain traits and minor abilities passed along from the werecat DNA of his father.

During sex, a scent may be released from the base of his neck that is directly linked to the hormone Oxytocin. The more released, the stronger the scent. This, sometimes called the "love hormone", is commonly released during intercourse in mammalian females, but far less in males who instead get a surge of Dopamine, the addictive pleasure hormone. In Werecat males, it is a biological signal of being bonded with his mate. Like the typical intact domestic tomcat, Werecat toms have an extremely high libido and will mate often with many different individuals. Bonded pairs will often, but not always, become monogamous (or polygamous if more than two are bonded) and forgo mating with others. It is rare for such bonding to happen, as they are a relatively solitary and shy species. This scent is often subtle even when at its strongest, much like a perfume still lingering on clothes several days later. It is described as musky with a deep, warm, indolic sweetness like vanilla. At its most potent it is deeply euphoric and even narcotic.

Accelerated healing factor - physical wounds heal about three times as fast as humans, what few illnesses he can contract are weak and run their course within a couple of days.

Allergies to silver, malachite, and garlic.

Writings Year of the Cat Series Cocaine Kaleidoscope (WIP) Winter's Faded Light (Complete) The Truth About Yesterday (WIP) (Been on a long writing hiatus to heal a bad case of tendonitis booo)

[starheart-blog]

Some Julius The Cartoon Cat Au X Reader Ideas for you guys can make.

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The Three Cat Lovers Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat, Kat Cole Kng and Blythe The Cat X Lover Reader The Cat.

Hurt kitty au: Julius The Cartoon Cat, Kat Cole Kng and Blythe The Cat x Hurt Reader The Cat.

God's of the toon Au's: god of Chaos aka Julius The Cartoon Cat, God of The SpotLight aka Kat Cole Kng and goddess of kindness aka Blythe The Cat X Goddess/God Reader The Cat.

God of the toon Au's: God of Chaos aka Julius The Cartoon Cat, god of The Spotlight aka Kat Cole King and the goddess of kindness aka Blythe The Cat x The Reader The Cat.

SHE IS MINE!! Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat X Female Reader The Cat x Kat Cole King.

Lovers at heart Au: Blythe The Cat X Reader The Cat.

Mamma Mia Au: Julius The Cartoon, Kat Cole King and Blythe The Cat x Reader The Cat.

The Devil and Angels Au's: Devil Julius The Cartoon Cat, Fallen Angel Kat Cole King and Angel Blythe The Cat x Angel Reader The Cat.

The Devil and Angels Au's: Devil Julius The Cartoon Cat, Fallen Angel Kat Cole King and Angel Blythe The Cat x Goddess/God Reader The Cat.

The Devil and Angels Au's: Devil Julius The Cartoon Cat, Fallen Angel Kat Cole King and Angel Blythe The Cat x Reader The Cat.

(Pretty Kitty~) Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat and Kat Cole King x Blythe's Older Sister Reader The Cat.

(I will always love you. 💖) Au: Blythe The Cat X Reader The Cat.

(It ok Dear...) Au: Blythe The Cat X Reader The Cat.

Movie Date Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat x Reader The Cat.

A date at the Movies Au: Julius The Cartoon, Kat Cole King and Blythe The Cat x Reader The Cat.

(She Not yours to have or use.) Au: Mickey Mouse aka Michael Mouse X Fem Toon Reader X Julius The Cartoon Cat.

Beyond The Paper Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat and Blythe The Cat X Reader The Cat.

Beyond The Paper Crossover Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat, Kat Cole King, Blythe The Cat From Julius The Cartoon Cat Au X Reader The Cat From Beyond The Paper.

Vampire Au's: Vampire Julius The Cartoon Cat, Vampire Kat Cole King and Vampire Blythe The Cat x Reader The Cat.

Monsters Au's: Vampire Julius The Cartoon Cat, WereCat Kat Cole King and Witch Blythe The Cat X Ghost Reader The Cat.

Monsters Au's: WereCat Julius The Cartoon Cat, Vampire Kat Cole King and Ghost Blythe The Cat x Witch Reader The Cat.

Mafia Au's: Mickey Mouse aka Michael Mouse X Toon Reader X Julius The Cartoon Cat.

Mafia Au's: Julius The Cartoon Cat x Reader The Cat.

Sick Au: Julius The Cartoon Cat, Kat Cole King and Blythe The Cat X Sick Reader The Cat.

Abandoned Au: Julius the Cartoon cat, Kat cole king and Blythe The Cat x Abandoned Cartoon Reader the Cat.

Soulmates Au: Julius the Cartoon cat, Kat Cole King and Blythe The Cat x Soulmate Reader The cat.

"Her name is Lola, she was a ShowGirl" aka Copacabana Au: Julius the Cartoon cat, Kat Cole King and Blythe The Cat x Female Reader The Cat.

Warrior cats au: ShadowTail Aka Julius The Cartoon Cat, Kat aka Kat Cole King and Blythe aka Blythe The cat x GreyFur aka Reader The Cat.

Fantay Au's: Dragon Julius the cartoon cat, Knight Kat Cole King and Princess Blythe The cat x Knight Reader The Cat.

Fantay Au's: Dragon Julius the cartoon cat, Knight Kat Cole King and Princess Blythe The cat x Princess/Prince Reader The Cat.

Fantay Au's: Dragon Julius the cartoon cat, Knight Kat Cole King and Princess Blythe The cat x Witch Reader The Cat.

_________________________________________

I hope you guys like the Julius The Cartoon Cat Au Ideas! ^_^

[fandom-go-round]

I have a guy were mountian lion oc, I think he'd have a gf who's into outdoor sex. But also I'm convinced people who have outdoor sex kinks have never spent any significant ammount of time outside. Ticks they know ticks exist right? and dirt and sunburn and the ground is not comfortable. can ya do a scenario of a catboy who who doesn't want to do outdoor sex x fem reader please??

As someone who lives in a places that has a lot of outdoor spaces, I get it Anon. I really do. Ticks are gross. But also: fucking under the stars. I can’t deny the appeal.

Warnings: Sex, Sexual Situations, Implied Sexual Situations, Outdoor Sex, Kink Discussion, Uncomfortable Sexual Situations, Werecat x Reader, Implied Monster Fucking, Exophilia

            “Absolutely not.” Tyluk’s voice is flat and his ears are almost completely pinned against his skull. You frown, trying to pout a little and sway him but all he does is scoff and cross his arms over his chest. You’ll have to tread carefully…

            “Come on babe, it’s something that we’ve never done before and you said that you wanted to try something different.” He rolls his eyes at your words, eying the blanket that you laid out in the grass.

            “Do you have any idea where we are?” You don’t know how to respond to his question, glancing around before turning back to him.

            “At the camp ground? In the woods?” He sighs, walking over to the blanket and pulling the corner back a little.

            “See these grasses? Perfect for ticks.” His eyes are slits when he looks up at you. “You put your fucking blanket right in tick city.” You sputter and he laughs, shaking his head again.

            “Ok first off, eww. Second off, there’s no guarantee that we’re going to get ticks!”

            “Babe, you might have skin but I have fur. There’s not way I could avoid the ticks.” Tyluk gives your cheek a quick pinch and then looks back at the clearing. “Not to mention that the sun is at it’s highest right now so we could burn and the ground is covered in rocks and –“

            You cover his mouth and all he does is give you a look waiting for you to speak. He’s right of course; the sun takes this moment to fall directly on his fur, making is shine beautifully in the sun. It’s a gorgeous shade of brown and you’re distracted again until he chuckles. You stick your tongue out without thinking and take a step back.

            “I get it, I get it, no fucking in the woods. Can we do it when we get home?” He smirks at your question and gives gentle licks against each of your fingers before pulling away.

            “That, we can defiantly do.”

[k-vanity]

The Bucket List masterlist

To everyone who participated, we can’t thank you enough. Here, we’d like to share what our members created!

Written Content:

☀️ Vampire~! Wooyoung by @sanjoongie

Pairing: Wooyoung (Hala Hala Era) x Reader (f)

Genre: vampire au | supernatural au | thriller au

Prompt(s):  explore an abandoned building

☀️ Anytime, Anywhere by @multiheaux-house

Pairing:  boss’s son!Sehun x female reader

Genre: smut

Prompt(s): host a summer bbq party

☀️ Incubus~! Hongjoog by @sanjoongie

Pairing: Hongjoong (Illusion Era) x Reader (f)

Genre: incubus au | supernatural au

Prompt(s): go on a road trip

☀️ Werecat~! San by @sanjoongie

Pairing(s): San x Reader(f) ft Wooyoung

Genre: werecat au | supernatural au

Prompt(s): swimming at the lake

☀️ Epilogue~! by @sanjoongie

Pairing(s):  San x Reader(f) x Wooyoung x Hongjoong  

Genre: supernatural au

Prompt(s): rent a yacht for a week

☀️ Forever with You by @iridescentxstars

Pairing: Bangchan x reader (fem)

Genre: established relationship au | fluff | crack 

Prompt(s): on a road trip

☀️ Shoganai by @flurrys-creativity

Pairing: Kwon Soon Young/Hoshi (Seventeen) x GN!Reader

Genre: hybrid au | strangers to hinted lovers | fluff

Prompt(s):  jumping out a plane and checking out an abandoned house

☀️ Thirst Trap by @sugakookitty

Pairing:  demon!Jungkook x female reader

Genre: angst | fluff | smut | supernatural | s2l | fangirl!reader | rockstar!jungkook | wannabe edgy!reader | pwp | soulmates

Prompt(s):

Graphics:

☀️Road Trip by @highwaytoheaven

Idol(s): NCT 127

Prompt(s): on a road trip

[alterfactory]

catty noir (monster high) headmate pack? :33 pls and tyyy!!

ALTER PACK...

LOADING...LOADING... LOADING

~~~~~~~~~~~

WELCOME : CATTY / LUNA / PEPPER💗 

×🎤

she / glitter / shine / ze

fem leaning gender fluid, werecat , pansexual

[[social alter, anchor]] willogenic monster high introject

a cat-human who enjoys singing , writing , and general calming and creative activities . she believes that self expression is extremely important , and helps shy alters come out of their skins. shes driven and bashful , preferring to let others shine. shes also very supersticious.

LIKES :: Music , Flowers , Baking , Socializing , Poetry , Cats , Vocaloid , Fashion , Pinterest , Fairy Lights , Summer Nights , The Stars , Writing Letters

DISLIKES :: Winter , Hot Days , Spicy Food , Stress , Sharks

HOBBIES :: Singing, Writing , Scrapbooking , Making Aesthetic Tumblr Layouts and Pinterest Boards

MUSIC :: Pop Music, loves Brittney Spears and Sabrina Carpenter

FAVORITES ::

Favorite Color : Hot Pink

Favorite Animal : Dogs, she admires their loyalty and they always make her smile

Favorite Flower/Plant : Impatiens

Favorite Gemstone : Rose Quartz

thank you for requesting ~

[stainedgold]

Simple Character info

Kei Vern - Angel, 228 (21) years old, he/him, gay, aromantic, 5'7

Klaus Aare - Werewolf, 156 (29) years old, they/he (non-binary), aroace, 6'2

Mei Clove - Vampire+Succubi, 172 (28) years old, they/she/he (genderfluid), lesbian, ace, 6'4

Nico(las) Ino - Werecat, 76 (27) years old, he/they, bisexual male pref, 5'6

Elis Ruix - Angel, she/her, straight, 5'4

Orion Vex - Demon, he/they, bisexual fem pref, 5'8

Lila vern - Siren, 23 years old, she/her, straight, 5'5

^ (Technically dead but any posts w/ her would have her be around her alive age and Kei would be like younger)

[unsaintedfox-a]

☎ (from Newt :))

Put ☎ in my ask for your muses info in my muses phone:

NAME: Innocent Kitten

RINGTONE: Freaking Me Out - Ava Max

PICTURE:

LAST TEXT RECEIVED: Why was there a kitten on my doorstep with a note that says ‘you’re a father’?

LAST TEXT SENT: Well OBVIOUSLY you knocked someone up, Newty. Should I be worried?

[christinebloodwrittings]

Hi again my amazing mutual ❤️✨️ May I request a story with Loki and a female y/n who is a werecat, a werepanther to be precise. Loki has a fascination with cats (he is 1000% a cat person) he's always attempting to make y/n purr or exhibit other cat like behaviors. And he knew she was a werecat but he though she was a domestic cat and is quite suprised to find out she's a panther. Idk I just think his shock would be very funny!!

You ask I write! Thank you so much honey 💖

Another Loki x beast! Are we having a phase?

*My requests are open*

Pairing: Loki x Fem!PantherReader

Summary: Loki's fascination for cats only grows when he meets the new member of the Avengers, a werecat named Y/n.

Warnings: (Again, it's not bestiality!) Fluff.

Loki taglist: @lokisprettygirl22 @lucky-foxface @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @high-functioning-lokipath @thereadinggeek @el-zef @apine7 @beakami @lokiprompts @llaufeysondggerxx @ilovefanfictions

Kitten

Loki has been obsessed with cats ever since he got to meet them on earth. He found a stray on the street, a black cat with green eyes meowing for food or attention. He made sure no one was looking then he knelt down and gave the little animal a piece of the kebab he got at the market.

It meowed and emitted a vibration unknowingly pleasant to him, that’s how he fell for cats.

Often, he would sneak back from a walk with two to three cats hidden in his coat, to later play with inside his room. He loved the softness of the fur, the purrs they emitted when he petted them, their tiny meowing, even the biting, although mostly were playful bites, they didn’t hurt at all. He was in love with those little animals.

One day, he had come back from a cat café, those places where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and play with cats, smelling like catnip. As he was… well, he, the waitress had put some catnip in his hands so that the cats would purr around him, -he was very happy when they actually started to purr- he had a great time.

However, when he returned to the tower, the common room was in chaos. It was not uncommon for it to happen, but there was never a black panther loose in the room.

"Loki! Brother help us!" Thor was on the dining room table while the panther looked at him as if he was going to eat him, "What the hell is that thing doing here?" he whispered to Stark, he was behind a plant. "The panther is an agent, it happens that she loses control sometimes" the panther roared taking into account Loki's presence, coincidentally the elevator doors closed behind him, leaving him with no escape.

The animal prepared to pounce on him, Loki already had a spell in mind, however in a quick turn of events the animal got close enough to his hands, and cautiously began to sniff, his pupils widened and like any other cat, it began to purr.

The stunned agents came out of their hiding places, dumbstruck watching the animal rubbing its head against Loki’s hands, “How?!” Barton loosened the cable that held him and Widow to the ceiling, “I have a way with animals it seems” he pretended to show off his talents, but he really had no idea what he was doing, much less what was going on.

“Well, stay with her until she transforms back, Dolittle” Stark left with a wink, “Were you seriously on top of the table?” Loki laughed at Thor, “Barton was on the ceiling” his smile fell and pointed with his finger at the archer, that made the trickster laugh, “You’re unbelievable, scared of an overly grown cat” he scoffed as he lead the panther to his room.

“Ok, just don’t eat my friends” the panther meowed in response, jumping on top of his bed and stretched, “Great, yes do that and scratch my bed while you’re at it, fantastic” he grumbled under his breath, “An agent that can turn herself into a cat, I saw it all now” Loki sat down on a puffy couch he had by the window.

Now that he remembered, you had the same ability. Only, he had only seen your ears and tail pop up, oh how he wanted to touch them, they looked so fluffy and soft, but never really asked because he really becomes a shy mess around you.

The panther stirred and groaned, perhaps out of tiredness, suddenly the shape of the animal shifted to a seemingly human one, "Ugh my head!" That voice, the god was far too stunned to speak. It was you.

"Y/N?!" You turned around groggily, blinking several times before getting a clear image, "Loki? Hi" your face adopted it's original shape and aspect, same to the color of your eyes and the shape of your pupils.

"You're a panther?" He said more like stating a fact, but still asking just to be sure, "Yeah, I know it's s... but you had seen my ears before, how come you didn't picked up on that?" he turned his head down to look around him, "I thought you turned into a cat, like this one" he scooped up Sammy, a black cat with white paws, it almost made you laugh.

"Oh, well now you know" you let out a nervous laugh, "Uhm, would it be too much of me to ask you to help me to my room? I can barely see" seeing you all sheepish around him made his hands stop shaking, "You can rest here, I have kittens" he handed you one of the littlest ones.

"Thank you, but I need my medication, soon the muscular pain is going to kick in and it will hurt" you tried to stand up through your knees being unresponsive, so moving wasn’t a good idea, he saw that. Moving next to you, Loki spoke, "Really? How much?" he seemed concerned, but he made it sound as if he was curious, partially true though; "Like I'm being burned alive" he caressed your hand, he had never done that, following your instinct you remained still, watching attentively all his movements.  

"How does it look like? I'll get it for you" he didn't want to seem desperate, but your ears were showing and he thought there wasn’t going to be a better opportunity to ask you in the future. “It’s on my nightstand, it’s in a purple makeup bag” his hands glowed green for a second, materializing your purple bag.

“Awesome!” you gasped in awe, but as you were going to grab the bag, he put it behind his back, “I have a request” confused was an understatement, but you were intrigued too, “May I touch your ears?” while fighting a smile you tilted your head towards him, your ears twitching in anticipation.

His cold fingers reached your ears almost in the blink of an eye, the cold sensation sending electric chills down your spine. Then from the tip of your ears, she went down to the base, she had so much fun playing with how soft she was, until one of her hands cupped your face.

He had the sweetest smile, like a little boy petting a kitten, "You're so soft" came out of him unintentionally, but with such fascination that it was impossible to ignore. "Thank you" he heard your voice and the smile on his face vanished, instead a blush settled on his face.

“I-I…Uhm, I’m sorry, it…I just- I mean, words, right?” he trailed off, backing off while dying of embarrassment weirdly was a very cute look on him, it impulse you to stand up from the bed to plant a kiss on his cheek, “May I have my meds now?” Loki smiled still feeling your lips on his skin, he took advantage of the closeness he had with you to appreciate how beautiful your eyes are before answering.

"Of course" he made your medications appear in his hands, your opportunity to take the pills and his hand in the way, "Pleasure to make business with you Lokes” you brought up his hand to your face and slowly had his knuckles caress your cheek, bringing him closer and closer to a red blush panic,  “By the way, next time you want to touch them” you cupped his cheek with one hand gently to keep him in place, then placed a kiss on his cheek again, this time adding a little pressure and making it longer, “Just ask” you finished with a smile and a wink as you made your way out of his room.

His knees collapsed after you left, the soft texture of your fur and his…you kissed him. Your relationship with Loki wasn’t really based on many long conversations, but in battle he knew you got his back covered. Your instincts were strong, and around him, you felt like there was no threat, like you could trust him, which allowed you to hang out in common places when he’s there.

But that was before he had your ears between his hands, one of your most sensitive areas, it felt disgusting with others, but oddly enough, not with him.

After a mission you found out you could turn into a smaller version of a panther, so as soon as you came back you jumped on his lap, knocking off the book on his hands, “Y/n? you are small” he swore he saw you wink as you settle on his legs, “I kinda want to see you Y/n, although this from is killing me, you’re so adorable” you changed back, still sitting on his lap with your arms around his neck, “Better?” you smirked while watching his cute blush grow.

“Yes. The mission went well?” his hands went to your hips to have you closer, “I’m a bit bruised, but I´m fine now” your smile grew taking notice of how his hands were placed, “Any chance I can take you to my room for a movie while I tend to your bruises?” he had been rehearsing that all day waiting for you, “In exchange of what, mischief?” “In exchange of petting you and pampering you…kitten” your eyes lit up, taking on an amber color and the pupils sharp as his daggers, “Call me kitten again mischief and I may play a trick on you” you weren’t threatening him, any cat owner could see you were just being playful, but as a wild bigger kind of cat it was hard to know. “I´m eager to see that” he smiled, getting closer to your ear, “Kitten” oh now it was on.