#fic; the gloaming

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

Most believe that vampires do not exist. That they're just an old tale that has been reused countless times in the forms of horror in romance. But you know otherwise. After all, vampires do have a special affection for you for reasons unknown. Delving into the world of the night is something totally different though. Especially for someone who’s been trying to avoid these creatures that practically hunt you.

But then, one step closer in the form of a vampire you accidentally befriend and the slope becomes slippery.

It’s time you learned what happens during hours in the moonlight by the side of vampires who come in the form of friends, allies, and potentially foes.

Here it is! My Twisted Wonderland Vampire AU! I hope you all enjoy!!

Part 1 of Hours in the Moonlight: Fairest Midnight Master-List

Part 2 of Hours in the Moonlight: Persevering Afterlight Master-List

Part 3 of Hours in the Moonlight: Guileful Nightfall Master-List

Part 4 of Hours in the Moonlight: Somnolent Gloaming Master-List

Part 5 of Hours in the Moonlight: Solitary Eventide Master-List

Part 6 of Hours in the Moonlight: Fathomless Vespers Master-List

If you would like to read more fics like these, my Twisted Wonderland Master-List can be found here: Twisted Wonderland Master-List.

[sp00kymulderr]

Working on a little something new

[ladyviolethummingbird]

The Gloaming

An Outlander/Jane Eyre crossover

Catch up on chapters 1-9 here

Chapter 10: From Afar

Head full of thoughts of Claire, Jamie wound his way along darkened corridors towards his bedchamber. Within him there was a lightness; the weightless and floating kind that made his feet feel as though they were barely touching the ground as he walked. At the same time there was a heaviness; pressure on his chest like he could scarcely draw breath from how all-encompassing his feelings were. Having never been in love before, he had no idea if it was normal to feel so jumbled up inside, so instead settled for replaying the evening he had just spent with Claire and recalling with pleasure just how beautiful she’d looked in the light of the fading fire.

Having not paid much heed to the direction he was taking, Jamie unexpectedly found himself at the foot of the stairs where Claire had fallen. Despite bone aching tiredness, a niggling feeling propelled him to crouch down and take a closer look; something about a graceful and surefooted woman stumbling on steps she’d descended hundreds of times just wasn’t adding up. Sweeping his hands over the smooth wood he anticipated finding a loose board or nail to account for it, but squinting at the dimly lit staircase he detected nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly his fingertips slid into a cold liquid. Startled by the unpleasant sensation, he yanked his hands back, hurriedly glancing around for the source. With nothing appearing out of place, all he could think to account for it was rain, perhaps from a window blowing open during the storm, however a quick check showed all those nearby fastened shut. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation for the wet stairs but a feeling in Jamie’s wame told him otherwise, and with a shiver he pulled the shawl he wore a little tighter around himself. He was still wracking his brains to determine the cause of the dampness when the smell hit him; such distinctive odour he wondered how he could have missed it earlier. Spicy, fruity and not quite sweet, it was unmistakably brandy.

He rubbed his eyes trying to think, Claire’s voice floating into his head “The smell alone makes me gag”…“I must’ve misjudged a step”… “No need to wake anyone else”… It was all connected he knew, only he couldn’t see through the fog in his brain to work out how. As the questions swirled, Jamie felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, as though he was being watched. Standing to his full height he cast his eyes out into the semi-darkness; searching but not entirely sure he wanted to find anything. From behind him a floorboard creaked and he whirled around, body tensing. The scape of feet followed…

Continue reading…

[landwriter]

Heya, I love your writing and taste in things.

I’ve finished (and loved) everything you’ve posted <3

Are there any sandman fics that have tickled your fancy lately?

Thank you so much!!! I sadly do not have time to read near as much Sandman fic as I'd like, but I have scoured both my memory and my bookmarks on AO3 (all twelve of them) and dug up some absolutely wonderful stories - hope at least one or two of these is new to you?!

I am probably a bit weird in this, but I don't bookmark fics I love (which is really nearly all I've read) insamuch as fics that have done something in particular that I think is so well-executed or clever or inspiring that I want to be able to study it like a creature in its own right. Usually these are stories that have the traits I admire most in fiction: economy of language, being very fucking funny, making me viscerally uncomfortable, or outright haunting me.

I loved reading all of them but your mileage may vary! Caveat lector like more than half of these are smut and/or violent so please check the tags against your own preferences. Several long-winded recs with excerpts and explanations under the cut:

---

The Birthday of the Beast | @slythernim | Dream/Hob | T | 3.3K

Father Almighty, though I have long not been your servant, I remain your unmanageable son. Here on Earth, closer to Hell than to Heaven, as I celebrate perhaps the least holy of holy days, I must imagine myself like unto Lucifer more than as Michael, that he and I might together make of the darkness a place for humanity to grow. He blows out the candles. 

Hob turns 666. Extremely fun fic by Nym that features incredible characterization within a very short space, Catholicism, Lucifer, and of course, gets a very special birthday gift. But you shall have to read the fic to see what it is. Read everything of Nym's, actually.

---

New Mistakes | Anonymous | Dream/Corinthian | M | 3.2K

Dream slid his thumb into the Corinthian’s mouth, the one he shared with most, the one with which he commonly spoke. “Well?” he asked. “Are you fed?” The voice that came from his left-eye mouth buzzed like locusts. My lord, we are. The voice that came from his right-eye mouth dripped like honey. My lord, we can always be fed more. Dream pulled back, looking at the Corinthian expectantly. The Corinthian swallowed, running his tongue along his teeth. There was a faint blush on his cheeks, and Dream was unaccountably flattered. “My lord,” he said. “I wish to be good.”

Have read almost no Corintheus but this fic hits on so much that I find distantly intriguing about the pairing. Perfect dialogue, gorgeous rhythm. Wonderfully visceral. Absolutely bonkers nuts for repetition in threes, as I'm sure you know, and I love how it was used here.

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Lucy Locket | Anonymous | Dream/Hob and Dream/Hob/Corinthian | E | 17K

Five chapters (now with a new threesome added in late April, much to my delighted surprise!) of just fantastic roleplay smut that in-between all the sex is by turns incredibly funny and tender. Alternating Dream and Hob POV. As somebody for whom sexual roleplay has been my literal bread and butter on a professional basis, it shouldn't be surprising I am so fond of this fic - but it catches me out every time! Like a blow from behind, and I am winded. It is ridiculously hot and distressingly perfect all-through, and I would absolutely marry the author about it (sorry author if you're reading this). No excerpt because I cannot choose and will simply suggest that if you're up for kink that you go read it all at once.

---

Public | @softest-punk | Dream/Hob | E | 1.1K

"Oh, darling," Hob murmurs, fingering the edge of Dream's delicate lace knickers. Dream feels his smirk against his jaw, bites his lip at the brush of a kiss under his ear. "You forget how old I am. I learned to fuck with an audience."

Every day I get closer and closer to needing to write Dream and/or Hob with vulvas; this may have been the fic that sealed the deal for me, I think. Ridiculously hot, and enshrined in my head forever for the line above. I learned to fuck with an audience. God! How good. A masterclass in the slutty drabble that nevertheless retains peak Dream/Hob characterization (I would argue that sex is in fact one of the best narrative vehicles for characterization and exploration of interpersonal dynamics...this bias is probably why nearly all these recs are so horny.) One day I will learn how to write proper smut in media res like this and not preface it with gratuitous plot.

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worship like a dog | @thewalrus-said | Dream/Hob | E | 2.5K

“Is it so inconceivable that I might love you?” Dream murmured, running his manicured nail down Hob’s cheek. Hob tried to speak, swallowed, and tried again. “No one ever has before,” he said. “No one but God.”

Hob is a priest. Dream is a demon, except he's not. Dizzyingly hot for so many reasons, with a delightful canon dialogue echo. And again, must stress this: Hob is a priest. Hob is a priest. Hob is a priest, go read it.

---

Safehouse | Anonymous | Hob/Corinthian | E | 5K

“I need a room. One without a door.”

The best execution of the sex pollen trope I've ever seen, with the worst men. Very, very good fic with a brilliant premise and unerring execution. World-building is done in such brief but vivid strokes - it feels like a 50K fic whenever I remember it, and I'm always surprised how short it actually is. Haunts me in the best of ways.

---

As well - these fics are well-known and well-loved - but some stories that are utterly wonderful and contain lines that haunt me weeks, sometimes months later - stories that rearranged my soul, lurched me closer towards writing for Sandman, and warrant mention even though I am SURE you have read them, include:

@moorishflower's iconic and beautiful Odyssey fic, maybe sprout wings was the first fic I commented on with my AO3 account, and among the best fics I've ever read in any fandom; slightly deeper cuts from Heather's oeuvre (if, for some reason you are not reading everything already) that I am obsessed with and have reread multiple times: vowel shift, most vain devices, an act of faith. Genius stuff and unbelievably gorgeous language. Just go read it all, honestly

@softest-punk's Shelter is one of the first Sandman fics I ever read, and is beyond lovely; if you have not read their entire deep and profoundly lovely back catalogue, I recommend Catching Up (quintessential Cecil deep tissue emotional massage), Delayed (or: my favourite kink and favourite Endless); Ferrous (vampires! bad men! ahh! ooh!); and I would of course be remiss and ungrateful to not mention self-abandon, and the confounding effects thereof, a 10K fic that perfectly answered my general question of how the three lads would actually get together once the Corinthian and Hob had started fucking (as narrative foils that deserve such treats)

@xx-vergil-xx's Hounds is an ongoing epic that has singlehandedly caused me more emotions than humanity has language for; it is ambitious in scope and sticks every landing. The world is alive and lovingly-detailed. The language is a poem. It is so smart, so beautiful, and so well-researched and built. It is a TEMPLE unto itself, and appropriately worthy of worship

I will also suggest you read absolutely everything by @that-banhus because she literally cannot miss and writes the loveliest, cleverest worlds. All of it.

[catcas22]

Prince of Death ch202

Prince of Death - Chapter 202 - catcas22 - Elden Ring (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]

[brotherscain]

What's your favourite headcanon of something that happened in the Impala?

ever since i read it in a fic i CANNOT stop loving the idea of sam and dean both bringing girls “home” (the impala) at the same time. to me, this happened so much when sammy first started getting sexually curious—dean’s perfect student

because it’s a bit weirder all around to do that as grown men (even for them, especially for the women), they don’t. but the other will always *know*. it’s not like anyone’s trying to hide it. in fact they WANT the other to know, to have a comment, to be thinking about how his brother just nastyfucked in baby. like this is their way of having sex with each other. @-@ freaks.

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 5, day 21 IN TANTA WE TRUST SOON AM EXCITE!!!!

For art tonight, I extended the time between the last two blinks before it loops and adjusted the frames per second. For some reason my program defaults to 15? I like doing 24fps, so that's what I changed it to, but then I held all of the frames on twos so it basically amounts to 12fps because animation is weird, y'all XD

I might take advantage of the higher fps to smooth out his blinks, or for the extra sass animation I plan to add with his tail :3 Or both! I'll find out when you find out lol

[yzeroo2]

Long before I was a part of Earth, I was a part of your world

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57692212

[capegloam]

hate being obsessed with my ocs. i just wanna read fanfics about them but I MADE THEM. I HAVE TO WRITE THE STUPID FICS. AAAUGGHRRUGH

[dhampling]

˗ˏˋ i'm dal - she/‎‎‎her. 24. ˎˊ˗ astarion x reader content • 18+ only, minors dni! ‎‏‏‎ ꙳⊹ ﾟ⋆ • about me • ko-fi • ao3 • my caps • © BLOODSOEUR. do not copy, repost, modify, or translate my works.

butter gn!reader, 2.5k you and the vampire spend a short gloaming sun discussing marriage

both free gn!reader, 2.1k you reject bhaal’s greatest gift - to this, your horrified love bears witness

one mine, both yours bard gn!reader, 1.6k astarion’s habit of visiting your tent leads him to your hidden pile of sonnets

the shepherd, the black sheep gn!reader, 2k a plummet into a chasm leaves you and your light-fingered friend stuck. together, you wonder if you’ll ever emerge again.

sylvan gn!reader, 2.8k a chance series of encounters in youth come together on one night, where everything just clicks for Astarion and his unicorn.

the sunwalker's gift gn!reader, 3.3k you find a ring - after a lot of searching - that allows astarion to walk in the sun, and propose with it.

gush fem!reader, 2.2k (NSFW) it rains. you swindle some wine and astarion cums in his breeches.

oh, mother fem!reader, 3.3k (NSFW) it’s the mummy fic.

lifeblood fem!reader, 2.5k (NSFW) astarion discovers an aphrodisiac during a trip to the night market, and only one thing is on his mind.

ivory tower fem!reader x ascended!astarion, 4.6k (NSFW) you're still mortal, and there's good reason for it.

warming fem!reader 1.2k (NSFW) early morning feeding and cockwarming because i said so.

swell fem!reader 1.9k (NSFW) feral pregnant sex with the elf. inspired by this NSFW piece by the ridiculously talented @mutualcombat.

leeches girl!dadstarion, <1k astarion and his daughter have a spat.

little love girl!dadstarion, <1k dadstarion watches dhampling sleep.

bramble jam girl!dadstarion, <1k “In what realm would we need this much jam?”

the gate girl!dadstarion, 1.5k astarion is a school-gate dilf on his first pick-up adventure with you.

sunburn girl!dadstarion, <1k dhampling gets sunburnt!

introducing the siblings girl!dadstarion (inbox prompt) "I had this image in my mind of him introducing the older girls to their new baby sister each time and just being sweet and cute"

breakfast girl!dadstarion (inbox prompt) astarion trying to make breakfast for the growing brood while tav/reader is like, "my love, you wanted this"

bump dadstarion x reader (inbox prompt) astarion being a lil shit and causing more kicks talking to and touching tav's baby bump as tav tries to rest?

stretch marks dadstarion x reader (inbox prompt) Imagine a tav who’s really insecure about these marks [...] and when they bring it up to astarion he decides the best course of action is to show them how much he loves them.

snuggles dadstarion x reader (inbox prompt) when tav is pregnant astarion would love snuggling up to their baby bump - curling around them and listening for signs of their little one

shallow bites girl!dadstarion (inbox prompt) "I think it would be really funny if astarion and tav’s daughter was practicing her bites and pickpocketing on the two of them, respectively. [...] No ancunín is going to grow up being a half-rate pickpocket!"

hugs from behind dadstarion x reader (inbox prompt) "hugging the other from behind" from this list of prompts with astarion hugging his very tall, very pregnant wife from behind because I think the image of it is so cute.

tiefling tav showing affection via their tail tief!reader (inbox prompt)

valentine's day with astarion gn!reader (inbox prompt)

earthbound astarion x earth!born reader (inbox prompt) "how do you think astarion would handle a tav who is actually from earth and is going to return home after defeating the netherbrain?"

reunited astarion x earth!born reader (inbox prompt) "a follow-up to earth tav somehow reuniting with astarion, via reincarnation or another divine intervention"

patience gn!reader (inbox prompt) "hmm, you're not very patient, are you?" from the one-liners list"

baking gn!reader (inbox prompt) "ASTARION GETTING INTO BAKING AND ASKING YOU TO SAMPLE ALL OF HIS BAKES"

thulsun fem!reader, not tav! 3.7k (NSFW) under rework! astarion appears at your parlour one evening in a cloud of smoked bergamot and the briefest hint of spunk, and it becomes oh-so difficult to watch him leave.

three, minimum fem!reader, 4.3k (NSFW) astarion has been planning, for the first time in his life. He wants babies.

nought point five fem!reader, 4.7k (NSFW) seven months along, he’s besotted with every pregnant piece of you.

one fem!reader, 2k astarion is a newly-minted girldad. that’s it. that’s the plot.

one more fem!reader, 2.9k (NSFW) your home is quaint. astarion continues to insist it isn’t busy enough.

(astarion x fem!reader au, NSFW) he's a potwasher. you want to fuck the potwasher. this started as a joke and now i'm obsessed. enjoy.

one two

[senior-mourn-watcher]

I had another thought.

I was thinking about Corpse Whispering while writing a fic that may or may not see the light of day—trying to discern and analyze what makes it happen to make it believable (as one does...)

I think the term "corpse whisperer" isn't altogether accurate to how it works and what it does, but only how it's used among Mortalitasi. Emmrich is able to understand and hear spirits more than another necromancer can, impressions/echoes of death, emotions/feelings inside the corpse, as well as communicate to spirits in ways a normal Mortalitasi doesn't seem to be able to.

Any death mage could raise the dead, and spirits would understand them easily, what was desired. I'd imagine any necromancer could put a stronger spirit into any corpse and have the corpse talk—But the spirit would be conveying themselves not the deceased. I think what sets a corpse whisperer apart here is that only they can see and summon minor spirits, ones that can mine a corpse for the memories, and only they can communicate in an empathic way to the lessor spirit.

And we see that with Manfred, too. While we (even as a necromancer) can only hear hisses and such, Emmrich understands Manfred on a level we cannot. I don't think Manfred uses words like "maudlin" or states "the order's knowledge will see us through," but I think he communicated through impulses which Emmrich translates for us.

So... It occurred to me that corpse whispering is an empathic ability at its roots, but it may not stop at undead and spirits.

It's the reason Emmrich sees the good in some people, it's the reason he hurts seeing Johanna, it's the reason he feels almost physical pain when he witnesses the terror of dying from so many deceased at the manor and inside the gloaming lantern... Why he understands people at their core and gives them a chance even when they seemingly have no redeeming qualities to show (*coughs, Johanna, coughs coughs*). Why he falls in love so deeply and quickly with genuine Rook despite their clumsy and awkward flirts.

—On that note, by the way, I figure Emmrich being an empath knows the difference between Rook's genuine flirts and the likely similarly worded flirts he's gotten before from people trying to use him as a leg-up in a social system.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Somnolent Gloaming - 1. Dead Memories and the Undead

Summary: You’d only just started getting used to the slight sleepiness that filled your evenings as you waited for Crowley’s next orders when they finally came. But the time has come for you to meet the oldest clan in this district as well as the multitude of vampires it houses.

Series Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ series/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 2371

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

I didn’t even really know how much time had passed since Vargas had told me he would see if he could get Crowley to send me to the Diasomnia clan next. But it had been enough time that I was starting to get rather bored and had even pulled out one of my old books that I had read countless times in the past.

At first, it had been nice not having to go to a clan and evaluate potentially aggressive vampires. I had plenty of money to last me with the funds Crowley sent as payment for my job as his Hunter. But soon things had become dull, and I’d started visiting my friends.

I’d told both Vil and Leona about my hopes for evaluating the Diasomnia clan next and the reasoning behind it, but neither had seemed terribly happy. In fact, Leona seemed downright annoyed by the very name of the clan, while Vil had cautioned me to be extra careful if I did get to go there.

Kalim, for his part, had suggested I bring a gift when I got to go.

And in all honesty, we all knew that rather than a question of ‘if’ it really was a matter of ‘when.’

 Crowley had made it pretty clear that I was going to be evaluating all of the clans. The only one that might not be on that list would be the Pomefiore clan since they’d only just been formed.

For better or worse, I was going to end up at the Diasomnia clan at some point. Whatever that might entail.

I looked up from my book at the quiet sound of knocking on my window, wondering which one of the guys it was. Perhaps Vil?

I sat the book down and walked over, unhurriedly to the window, and pulled back the curtains only to find bright pink eyes staring back at me.

Sam’s face split into a grin as my own eyes widened and I hurriedly opened the window, “Sam?!” 

I couldn’t even keep my surprise at seeing him out of my voice, but he merely held up a hand, waving at me with a wide grin, “Long time no see, Little Imp. We had to decide if you were ready to evaluate the Diasomnia Clan, so sorry for the wait.”

His eyes were alight with amusement, but I found myself faltering as his words fully registered.

They’d had to decide if I was ready for the Diasomnia Clan? 

It brought to mind Vil’s warnings and had me frowning as I stepped back, giving Sam ample room if he decided he wanted to come in, even though I pretty well knew he was just going to lounge in my window like he usually did.

“And? What was decided?” I eyed him closely, and Sam chuckled slightly at my wary words.

“Well, you’re in luck, Little Imp. In light of what a good job you’ve been doing and your reasons for suggesting it, Crowley’s decided to grant your request. They’re already expecting you at the clan, so when can you be ready to go?” My eyes widened slightly at his words before I gestured to my bag that stayed packed with my various tools.

“Just give me a sec, I’ll be right down,” Sam nodded, an amicable bobbing of his head before he disappeared from my window.

I glanced down at the street in time to see him land lightly on his feet and begin strolling along as if nothing were amiss. I shook my head slightly, wondering if I would ever get used to that before I darted over to my nightstand.

My hands quickly found my cross necklace, and I clasped it around my neck. Letting it fall as if by habit under my shirt to rest comfortably against my collarbone.

Thoughts were already beginning to roll around in my head as I trotted out the door, down the stairs, and to the bottom floor. 

And my concerns only increased as Sam smiled at me, turned on his heel, and started to lead the way down the street in a perfectly cryptic fashion.

I knew that the Diasomnia clan had some ancient members from what Vil and Rook had told. And similarly, Jamil had implied that the clan was also quite old since their records apparently dated back quite a ways. Perhaps that was why Vil had told me to be careful and Crowley had been deciding if I were ready? All Leona had said about them was something about some lizard whom he seemed to particularly dislike. And while I didn’t really know if were-creatures could be reptilian, that was my best guess at this point.

I felt myself frowning more as I silently walked with Sam, wondering when we would reach the Diasomnia clan headquarters. We were steadily heading closer and closer to the outskirts of the historic side of town.

In the distance, I could see an old building rising over the other houses and trees that now crowded it. Hiding it from the view of the street and giving it an especially ominous appearance that somehow seemed to call out to anyone who gazed at it for too long.

The perfect Hollywood fit for a creepy old house hiding something that probably shouldn’t be messed with.

In fact, it was a little too perfect.

I leaned forward, my eyes staying on the building as I spoke softly, “Um… Would that happen to be the Diasomnia Clan right there?”

Sam chuckled but nodded, barely glancing my way as he answered, “That obvious, huh?” He shook his head slightly before continuing, an amused smile still on his face, “Yeah, that’s it. The only reason they stay hidden is because it’s difficult to actually get into the building because the gate is so overgrown and off the main road, so most people don’t even bother trying. And even if they do, this clan is good at running people off.”

So saying he turned off the sidewalk, lifting one leg to step over a small bush and crunch down onto a veritable pile of limbs, sticks, and who knew what else.

He held out his hand to me, politely helping me over the bush before he turned and headed off down what looked about like an old goat path into the underbrush that concealed the ancient building.

I glanced around, frowning as I spotted the overgrown metal gates that gave way to a fence that seemed to surround the area. As if operated by a motion sensor, the gates opened as soon as we approached, and I felt my eyebrows raise as we passed through them.

“What was this place originally?” It felt like my head was on swivel as I continued to glance around at what had probably once been a glorious entrance to the mansion grounds themselves. Now it was mostly overgrown, with roses and vines climbing up the fencing in their futile efforts to reach any sunlight that might shine down between the trees’ now bare limbs.

Sam glanced my way, watching as I looked around the two of us and the notably daunting environment we now stood in. 

But unlike the other clans, this place actually had the feeling of the setting place of a vampire story. Campy or otherwise.

“I heard that the head of clan’s second bought the place, and then, after the clan moved in, let the place get run down like this so no one would come here and bother them,” I nodded idly at Sam’s words. Silently wondering how much money it would take to buy a place like this that had so obviously been magnificent many years ago.

But now… Now it was more like a haunted mansion where only dead memories resided. Or rather, dead memories and the undead themselves, in this case.

I couldn’t deny that the building was beautiful, though. An architecture of stone and metalwork that stood tall and proud despite its age. Almost like it was daring us to approach it.

And it was true that while I’d been nervous when first visiting the other clan’s headquarters, this building on its own was almost more daunting than any of the past experiences had been. 

This one actually looked like it might hold something that wasn’t meant to be seen by the normal person. Instead, the only ones who would go near it would be the hapless protagonists of a horror movie.

Or someone like me. A person who had business with the creatures that would reside in such a building. Once grand and filled with character, but now haunted looking in the way it loomed over us.

Sam knocked on the door calmly, looking around at the shadowed porch with vague interest until the thick wooden door creaked open, drawing both of our attention.

A short man looked between the two of us, his bright red eyes blinking at us. And despite the fact the building matched the entire vampire aesthetic perfectly, this man did not, what with bright pink streaks in his short, otherwise black hair. 

If anything, he looked more like a young teenager who was still experimenting with his look and most definitely wasn’t what I’d expected.

But, when he spoke with a smile crossing his face that didn’t even try to hide his fangs, his voice was far lower than what I’d been prepared for too, “Ah, you must be the head-vampire’s new Hunter. We’ve been expecting you.”

I faltered when he addressed me rather than Sam before nodding hurriedly, “Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He let out a light giggle before stepping aside and gesturing into the building, “Oh no, the pleasure is all mine, child. But come in, both of you. Malleus will be wanting to see you after all.”

Me and Sam followed the little man in silence. As per usual, Sam was relaxed. His eyes stayed forward and on the path while I, on the other hand, was glancing around at the aged interior of the building.

It was dark in here, something that surprised me since the other clan’s headquarters had been better lit. But somehow it fit the building’s overall character, and, as I looked around, each room seemed to be very well decorated.

This clan also seemed to be rather large. Vampires filled the building and glanced at us as we went by.  

Their eyes lingered on me, but no one approached or even leaned out of a room to continue to gaze after us. Curiosity and arrogance tinged with hunger filled their stares, though.

Sam glanced over at me, letting himself drift closer as he began to talk in a low voice, letting some space spread between us and our guide, “The Diasomnia clan is an old one, with a variety of characters as its members. Both Malleus, the clan’s head, and Lilia, the clan’s second, are ancient, though. They’ll probably have the records you want, assuming they exist. But remember that you’re also here to evaluate the clan.”

I nodded silently, my eyes staying on Sam as the man continued with the slightest of smiles on his face. And at this point, I was honestly beginning to wonder if anything could phase him at all.

“We aren’t very suspicious of this clan simply due to its age, but we’ll be checking up on you fairly regularly just like usual. And you may want to brace yourself,” I frowned at Sam’s words, but the young man’s grin only spread as he bobbed his head to a door we now approached, “He’s going to look a bit different than what you might expect.”

I turned, noting the door we were coming up on and how our pace was slowing. And, confirming my suspicions, our guide turned to look at the two of us with a little smile, his voice taking on a slightly lilt, “Here we are.” 

With only those words, he turned. Grasping both of the curved door handles and pulling them open as if they were weightless despite how obviously thick they were.

I inhaled, half expecting fog to come pouring out of the doors like it did in some b-rated horror movies, but it didn’t. Instead, as we entered the large room, the first thing I saw was a young man sitting on a dark-colored chair.

On either side of him stood two other men. One, whose hair was a shock of pale green, stood tall. Almost like he was at attention as he looked our way with a slight frown. The other young man was, conversely, more relaxed as he glanced towards me with almost tired eyes.

My own eyes widened slightly as I recognized him. But then he was quite distinctive, with such pale hair and fascinating eyes. 

This was the man who was a human in a clan of vampires and the man I’d bumped into on Halloween. Silver, Vil had called him.

I swallowed slightly before forcing my gaze back to the young man in the chair. He must be Malleus, leader of this clan.

 It wasn’t hard to guess what Sam meant about him looking a little different than I might expect. After all, the dark, slightly curled horns protruding from his head and delicately pointed ears certainly weren’t something that any other vampire I’d ever seen had.

He tilted his head, glowing lime green eyes focusing on me and I felt myself go still.

Somehow, this man practically oozed power. Perhaps it was the way he held himself with a confidence that was on par with Leona and Vil’s despite also being different.

A smile curved slowly across his face, and I swallowed. 

I was getting used to every vampire I met being absurdly attractive, but somehow it always felt incredibly unfair. Though it might have been the focused way this man was looking at me that made it quite so bad this time.

“So we finally meet.” His voice rolled out into the room, almost like it was trying to cover the entire space, and I felt myself straighten slightly. Bracing myself even as he continued with an almost amused smile, “What do you need, little Hunter?”

If you would like to read more:

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[sp00kymulderr]

WIP Wednesday

Hm, a little peek at the gift seems right today. Anyone up for a little monster Joel?

****

The terrifying image in the book of Tabbris flashes to the forefront of your mind once more, as you listen to the heavy footsteps approaching.

Your instincts tell you to flee, to run and never look back, but you had promised to be brave. To be good. And so, you plant yourself tall and try not to shake as the growling snarling fury draws near, your fate growing closer and closer with each second.

[ladyviolethummingbird]

The Gloaming - Chapter 10 Preview 🏰

Ch 10: From Afar

Head full of thoughts of Claire, Jamie wound his way along darkened corridors towards his bedchamber. Within him there was a lightness; the weightless and floating kind that made his feet feel as though they were barely touching the ground as he walked. At the same time there was a heaviness; pressure on his chest like he could scarcely draw breath from how all-encompassing his feelings were. Having never been in love before, he had no idea if it was normal to feel so jumbled up inside, so he instead settled for replaying his evening spent with Claire; recalling with pleasure just how beautiful she’d looked in the light of the fading fire.

Having not paid much heed to the direction he was taking, Jamie found himself at the foot of the stairs where Claire had fallen and despite his bones aching with tiredness, a niggling feeling propelled him to crouch down and take a closer look. Something about a graceful and surefooted woman stumbling on steps she’d descended hundreds of times hadn’t sat right and as he swept his hands over the smooth wood he anticipated finding a loose board or nail to account for it. Squinting at the dimly lit staircase he had detected nothing out of the ordinary when his fingertips suddenly slid into something cold and wet. Startled by the unpleasant sensation, he yanked his hands back, hurriedly glancing around for the source. With nothing appearing out of place, all he could think to account for it was a window blowing open during the storm, however a quick check showed all those nearby were fastened shut. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation for the wet stairs but a feeling in Jamie’s wame told him otherwise, and with a shiver he pulled the shawl he wore a little tighter around himself. The cause of the damp stairs became apparent when the smell hit him. Such a strong and distinctive odour he wondered how he could have missed it earlier. Spicy, fruity and not quite sweet, it was unmistakably brandy.

He rubbed his eyes trying to think, Claire’s voice floating into his head “The smell alone makes me gag”…“I must’ve misjudged a step”… “No need to wake anyone else”… It was all connected he knew, only he couldn’t see through the fog in his brain to work out how. As the questions swirled, Jamie felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, as though he was being watched.

———

Geez it’s been a minute….writing this chapter has been like getting blood from a stone and it’s still not quite done. Little preview for anyone still interested xx

[quona]

Scaling New Heights 🏰Towerziraphale & 🐉Dragon/Snek Crowley! --- --- ---

This is my piece for @contritecactite's FANTASTICALLY WEIRD AND WONDERFUL fic, Scaling New Heights (Explicit; AO3) in the GO Fairytale Bang!

In the story, Aziraphale is a sentient magical tower, and Crowley is a middling nobleman who is cursed, on the run, and in desperate need of shelter.

I decided to illustrate the very first scene where Crowley, unwillingly in snake form (that's the curse!), finds a lonely tower in the middle of a field with a window slightly ajar, and decides to slither on up.

If he’d heard three days ago that there would be a coup, he wouldn’t even have thought himself important enough to chase, but here he is, running through the woods and trying desperately to keep ahead of his pursuers. Red hair had never seemed like much of a blessing until now, but the gloaming and the autumn foliage work well together to keep him obscured when he stops to breathe. He can still hear them, not far behind, and he knows he has to keep moving. He’s not running for very long, though, before the foliage runs out and he finds himself exposed in a massive meadow. The expanse is surely too long to cross. His fear, previously calmed to a dull roar, flares up at the realization that he’ll be caught, and then he is no longer running but slithering. There’s nowhere to go. There is low grass as far as he can see. He can’t hear the crowd behind him, but the ground shakes with their footsteps. They can surely see him, a massive dark shape caught in the rising moonlight. He changes direction, hoping they’ll all just keep going in a straight line, and then he sees it: a tall tower half-covered in vines. His body seems to carry him there instinctively, and once he’s circled the tower, the only way he sees to go is up. He finds the side that, as far as he can tell, is the farthest from where he started, and he begins his clumsy, wobbling climb up the rough brick. His haste makes it chafe against his sensitive belly, and he has to remind himself to keep going every time he realizes he’s left the ground entirely—how do snakes even work? He’d have paid more attention to them if he’d known he’d be in this position someday—but he makes it to an open window and slithers inside. He drapes himself across the cool floor, exhausted. Just as he begins to fall asleep, he feels his body change back to its usual form, and he hears someone tut at him. “Silly creature. I do have a front door, you know.” Scaling New Heights (Explicit; AO3)

[catcas22]

"The Gloam-Eyed Queen cradles newborn apostles swaddled in this cloth. Soon they will grow to become the death of the gods."

Melina and the baby apostle from Prince of Death ch120. If anybody could've raised these little monsters right, she could've.