#from her little son escaping from his bonds to run to the neighbors for help

[mylordshesacactus]

See here’s the thing. It’s not that Secret of NIMH is a bad movie. It’s not that themes about believing in yourself, or about The Power Of A Mother’s Love, are necessarily bad.

It’s that--

It’s that the book is so much bigger and so much smaller. So much more.

It’s that We All Help One Another Against The Cat. And that saves an entire civilization, in the end. And it saves the life of a single little boy. And those things are equally important in the end.

In Mrs Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, everything, the whole world, comes down to this in the end: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

An elderly mouse sets up shop as a healer, charging nothing, asking nothing in return. The frightened single mother gets free medicine from him. Because she has a doctor to go to, she’s in the right place at the right time to see a very young crow tangled in string, and stops despite the danger to free him. Moved by her patience and courage, Jeremy refuses to abandon her and risk her being killed by the cat whose attention his struggle has caught. He is gracious and polite and humble as he flies her to her home, so she swallows her irritation at his youthful foolishness and speaks to him respectfully, so a friendship is forged between them that lasts longer than a single mutual rescue, so she tells him about the danger her son is in, so he vouches for her to an owl. The owl is interested enough by her nerve and the unlikely bond of friendship between them that he gives her his genuine time and attention and speaks to her for long enough that Jeremy calls out to her by name to see if she’s safe, which means the owl recognizes the name, which means he can send her to the rats--

Simple, understated, mundane, none of them coincidences. All of them a choice. To do what’s right and not what’s safest. To do the hard thing and not the comfortable one. To act with compassion even when you’re annoyed at the deviation from your plans.

Justin opens a cage door for eight little mice who mean nothing to him, who he’s never met before. Nicodemus sees the smaller, lighter mice in mortal peril and reaches out instinctively to grab one, two, and the rest are gone before anyone even has time to react. The entirety of A Group having seen what comes of carelessness grimly throws themselves into keeping these two vulnerable mice alive, bracing them with their bodies, holding them close, anchoring them to safe points. Mr. Ages, not Nicodemus, proposes using a screwdriver as a pry-bar. Jonathan crawls through a hole too small for rats and frees them all. Justin burns hours they cannot spare to venture back into the tunnels--

(Having escaped, having reached freedom and safety against all odds but knowing others were left behind, he turns back--)

--Calling, hoping, and they find no one and it was still worth the risk, even if no one was saved, because they might have been. The care he shows for the mice means Jonathan and Mr Ages stay with them past the escape, form a friendship that lasts years. That gives his name such respect among them that when they hear it, they drop everything to care for his wife and son.

Dragon cannot be drugged because they have no mice to run the risk anymore. The rats decide there’s nothing for it--they will work in the open. Risk not only their lives but the discovery of their entire civilization if caught, in order to move a cinder block eight inches to the right, to save the life of a single tiny child, their dead friend’s son. The child’s mother volunteers to run the risk for them. A human boy says wait, don’t let the cat in yet, I’ve caught a mouse because human boys are loud and big and clumsy and it’s traumatizing and she’s hurt but Billy Fitzgibbon saw a tiny vulnerable thing and wanted to keep it safe. And so she remains in the kitchen, and hears about the death of Jenner’s team, and is able to warn the rats just barely, barely in time.

Because Jenner was not a villain, because he was never cruel. Because he disagreed with his oldest friend but Jenner and Nicodemus never hated one another, so they never wanted anything but the best for each other. So Jenner and his supporters defected peacefully. So their terrible, fatal mistake happened in the public eye, not too far away, because there was no hostility between them. Because they only ever wanted one another to be safe and happy, in the end.

And the surviving rats escape, save for one who stumbled and fell as he ran from the gas, and one unnamed who might have been Justin, who might not, and does it matter whether it was someone we knew, does it matter, should we mourn him less if he wasn’t, does his name matter more than that he was kind and brave and died for it? That after being kinder and braver than anyone had any right to ask, he dragged one last brother out of a cloud of cyanide and then went back?

They escape, they survive, just as surely as Timothy will grow up strong and healthy and the Frisbys can now return every year to a safe, warm home and never have to leave it. A civilization deep in the forest, safe and secure and entirely their own, because Mrs. Jonathan Frisby was in the right place at the right time to tell them to hide their machines and run--

Because she was kind to a crow. 

Because she had a neighbor who dedicated his life to helping others.

Because her husband died helping the rats build a home that was their own, that he would never share in. 

Because they were his friends, because he opened a grate for them once, because they held him close and shielded him with their bodies when he was too small. 

Because a rat named Justin opened a door.

Because kindness is hard and scary and hurts sometimes, but it’s always worth it, it’s never wasted, compassion finds its way back to you in the most unlikely ways and even when it doesn’t, when you get nothing in return, it was still worth it to try.

Because we all help one another against the cat.

And how dare Don Bluth look me in the eye and try to say that isn’t good enough.

How dare you try to tell me that isn’t magic.

[juliandev0rak]

Willa Clary 🌿

the creative magician with a shadowy past

Introducing…

Full name: Willa Clary

Meaning: 

Willa means “resolute protection” and “will, desire” 

Clary is a family name running back many generations, it originally relates to the word “clerk” or “cleric”

Gender: female, she/ her

Birthday: May 3rd

Age (start of story): 27

Orientation: bisexual

Magic: manipulation, telepathy, animal communication/ zoolingualism, clairvoyance, psychometry, potion making

Occupation: magical apothecary owner, farmer, artist

Familiar: Mira, a field mouse

Love interest: Muriel 

Shippable?: shippable!

Theme song: Thistle & Weeds- Mumford & Sons

full playlist

— ALIGNMENTS —

Zodiac signs: 

Sun: Taurus

Moon: Cancer 

Rising: Pisces

MBTI: ISFP

Element: earth

Major Arcana: Strength

UPRIGHT: strength, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion

REVERSED: inner strength, self-doubt, low energy, raw emotion

Minor Arcana: the Queen of Cups

UPRIGHT:  compassionate, caring, emotionally stable, intuitive, in flow

REVERSED: inner feelings, self-care, self-love, codependency

Magic:

— Telepathy: Willa can communicate her thoughts to others through her mind, and she can hear other’s thoughts in return. However, she can’t read minds and hears only what the other person wishes to communicate to her. This power works best with people she is close to and only within a near range

— Manipulation: Willa is able to force others to follow her commands, only those with strong magical abilities can block or avoid her control. She can either place a thought in someone’s mind or verbally communicate her wishes. This is not a power she chooses to use anymore, but it sometimes occurs accidentally in moments of strong emotion

— Zoolingualism: She can communicate with and understand animals of all kinds, both through verbal and telepathic communication. She has some difficulty understanding aquatic animals, and is best at communicating with animals she has a close bond with

— Clairvoyance and Psychometry: Willa has high sensory perception and is able to detect things about people’s pasts and futures by touching them or through psychometry: touching objects owned by those people. These powers only work with people she is close to, and not with any regularity. She also gets flashes of her own future, but she has no way to divine the past or future on her own— the images come to her as if by chance 

— Potions: She works at an apothecary and makes potions to heal a variety of physical and mental ailments. She grows her own herbs and plants for these potions, and while she is not adept at using her magic to physically heal wounds, her healing potions are renowned for their potency

Other abilities: Willa is an accomplished artist and loves to paint scenes of nature as well as portraits of her loved ones, she also knits and sews and makes most of her own clothing, she can sing well and is an excellent cook, she has a green thumb and enjoys gardening and cultivating plants

— PERSONALITY & PREFERENCES —

Personality: 

Willa is often outgoing and cheerful, and nearly always has a smile on her face. She loves to make new friends and has no trouble interacting with strangers or crowds. She was very shy and withdrawn as a child, but as she grew older Willa grew into her confidence and enjoys being around others. However, she is an introvert at heart and prefers to surround herself with a smaller inner circle and needs frequent alone time to recharge. 

Willa is kind and gentle, seeking to help others whenever she can. She seeks harmony and often finds herself as a peacemaker in times of conflict. Willa cares deeply about those she loves and is loyal nearly to a fault. She can be very stubborn, and when she’s decided on an opinion of someone it is difficult for her to change it. She likes to be right, and she likes doing things her own way. Willa can be a bit particular, but it comes down to her stubborn belief that her way is the best way. She likes to help others, and can sometimes help too much and risk suffocating or being clingy with her loved ones. 

While she has a wide assortment of acquaintances, her inner circle of close friends and family are her focus and she is always willing to drop anything to help them. Though she loves to help others, Willa is very independent and does not like to rely on others. She can be impulsive and loves to try new things, often jumping from one hobby to another without finishing previous projects. Willa can also be a bit impatient, but has learned that good things come to those who wait. 

Mental health: Willa faced traumatic events in her childhood and she suffers from nightmares and occasional panic attacks as a result 

Likes: soft yarn, fresh bread, cold mornings, sunny afternoons, empty canvases, swimming

Dislikes: greed, eating meat, wearing her glasses, shadows

Fears: hurting a loved one, being trapped (physically or emotionally)

Quirks: she nearly always has dirt or paint under her fingernails and on her clothes, she needs glasses to help her with reading but frequently misplaces them and hardly ever wears them 

Favorite food: strawberry scones

Favorite drink: hot cocoa

Favorite flower: daisies

Favorite color: sage green

Most likely to: paint on the walls

— APPEARANCE —

Height: 5′1 / 155 cm

Eyes: very light blue-grey

Hair: light red / strawberry blonde, wavy, shoulder length and usually half pulled back from her face in a bun or a little pony tail 

Other: fair skin with many freckles, lots of calluses on her hands from her work

Color theme: sage green, mustard yellow, brown, cream, pink

Fashion sense: Willa likes to be comfortable and wears mainly knit items she���s made herself. She wears lots of sweaters and skirts as well as floral dresses and occasionally overalls if she's gardening or working. She prefers light, warm toned colors and makes most of her own clothing. Her favorite clothing item is knit socks and she loves to create intricate patterns of flowers or even animals when she knits them. She wears comfortable boots during the day, and has a pair of yellow rubber boots for when she’s out in the garden.

— FAMILY & BACKGROUND —

Family:

Torin Clary - father - alive  | relationship: strained 

Una Clary - mother - alive  | relationship: strained, nearly nonexistent

Finnegan Clary - older brother - alive | relationship: very close

Eoghan Clary - younger brother - alive | relationship: close 

Fiadh Clary - great aunt - alive | relationship: close 

History:

Hidden on the cliffs of the Rosmare sea lies a small village called Armara. Under a near constant deluge of rain, a small community thrives on farming and fishing. Willa’s family has always lived in Armara, and they always will. The family farm goes back through many generations and it has always been expected that Willa will be there to see it through the next. 

Born to Torin and Una Clary, Willa is the middle child of three and the only daughter. When she was little, her older brother Finnegan was her best friend and she spent her days following him around the farm and learning how to take care of the animals. At three years old Willa told her mother that the sheep could talk, and her mother laughed— thinking it was simply childish imagination. But Willa insisted, the sheep really could talk, and so could the cows and the pigs and even the birds who nest in the trees. Her mother often found her talking to the farm animals, seemingly carrying on full conversations. As she got older, her parents tried to break her from this “childish fantasy”, it wasn’t real and there was no place for fantasy in Armara.

When she was six, Willa’s younger brother Eoghan was born. From birth he was perfect, everything their parents had hoped for in a child. He was kind, quiet, and more than content to do farm work and listen to his parents unlike his older siblings. Finnegan had always been a dreamer, never content to stay in one place or live the simple life laid out for him. He spent his time writing poetry and music, and dreaming of going somewhere —anywhere — other than Armara. Willa took after Finnegan, and she spent most of her childhood longing to be somewhere else. 

Willa found this escape in her dreams, which were vivid and even frightening at times. She often had dreams about a city, a place she’d never seen in real life. In her dreams Willa was an adult, grown up and able to do strange things, magical things. She tried to copy the magic when she was awake, lifting leaves without touching them, changing the color of her hair to whatever she wanted, and she found that the powers she had in her dreams were real. Willa showed her parents her newly found powers but instead of being excited, they were terrified. 

Generations before Willa was born, Armara had been a place steeped in magic. People worshiped the old gods, they used magic freely and passed it on to others, they lived at peace with nature and with the spiritual forces of the land around them. But over time the old gods faded away in favor of a new one and magic was branded as witchcraft, wickedness, evil. Those who practiced it weren’t welcome in the village, and by the time Willa was born Armara had become a deeply superstitious place. The name “witch” was given to anyone different, and the only way to thrive in Armara was to fit in. 

So Willa was told to hide her magic, to never show it to anyone and to forget she had ever had it. She spent every Sunday morning at the old stone church with the rest of the village listening to a priest talk about the horrible fate that would befall anyone who chose to practice witchcraft. Aside from attending church, Willa’s parents tried to keep her away from others, always afraid she’d slip up and reveal her powers to someone else.

Inevitably, one of her neighbors spotted Willa practicing magic behind the barn, and the whole village was caught up in the panic. Her parents were told to send her away, out of Armara to somewhere she could be “safe” and learn to repent from her wicked ways. Her parents refused, but Willa was ostracized and forced to stay away from the others. She was no longer allowed to play with any of the other village children lest her evil was contagious. Willa was a witch, and witches didn’t belong in Armara.

Despite her relative isolation, Armara was a beautiful place to grow up. Willa had her animal friends and her brothers, and she made her first real friend when she was 9, a girl named Isolde. Her parents didn’t understand her and the village hated her, but she continued to study her magic in private, learning the bounds of her abilities. She continued to have dreams about the city, and she often asked her parents if she could someday travel to find this city. Every time they forbid her from leaving— Armara was her home, she had a duty to the family and the land. Willa felt trapped, she wasn’t accepted in Armara but she couldn’t leave. 

One night under the light of a full moon, Willa went into the woods after dark, something she had been warned against since childhood. The people of Armara did not believe in the old gods anymore, but they still feared their power which was said to be strongest in the woods. The villagers did not worship the old gods, but that night Willa did. She prayed to the spirits of the wind and the trees, she dipped her toes in the freezing cold stream and prayed to the spirits of water, but no one answered. Finally in desperation she began to pray to the shadows, the very darkness around her, and she got an answer.

“What is it you want?” the shadows asked.

“Nobody ever listens to me!” Willa cried, “I want a way out of here.”

The deal was struck, though Willa did not know then how dearly she would pay for her new found power. When she returned home she found that suddenly, everyone listened to her. She asked for something and found three hands holding it out for her, she told her mother she wanted to go into town and, for once, was allowed to go. Her wish was everyone’s command and at first the power was intoxicating. But one day, she found that the unlimited power she’d been given could have grave consequences.

Willa had an argument with her younger brother Eoghan, a simple sibling squabble over whose turn it was to do a chore. She generally got along with her brothers, they were among the only people in Armara who didn’t look at her in fear or derision, but Eoghan was mad. He called Willa a witch, a term only those who hated her used. Willa was angry and hurt, and when she shouted, “You shut your mouth Eoghan Clary!” she didn’t expect her magic to take over. Willa watched in horror as Eoghan’s mouth snapped shut, his lips pulling together like they’d been sewn closed. She tried everything to fix it, commanding him to open his mouth, telling him to speak, but the magic stuck. 

As the days went by with no change, her family panicked. Eoghan’s mouth was still stuck shut and it was only a matter of time before he died of thirst or hunger. So Willa went back to the woods at night to beg for the shadows help once more. She didn’t want this power anymore, she only wanted her brother.

“What will you give?” the shadows asked.

“Anything.” 

When she returned home Eoghan’s curse had been lifted, but she found her parents even more furious than before. Eoghan had nearly lost his life as a result of her magic, so it was decided that Willa must be sent away. She had wanted out of Armara, but when faced with the prospect of leaving her family behind, Willa was terrified. She begged them to stay, but she had lost her power of manipulation and her parents were resolute. 

The next morning, Willa went to pay her friend Isolde a visit before she left. When she knocked on the door, Isolde’s grandfather opened it, his tear-streaked face shocking Willa. She learned that her friend had died suddenly the night before, healthy and alive one moment and gone the next. Though there was no proof, Willa knew her deal had caused this. A life for a life, Eoghan had been saved in exchange for Isolde’s life. 

The next day, on her 15th birthday, Willa’s parents sent her off to a city called Vesuvia to live with her Great Aunt Fiadh. Fiadh was her grandmother’s sister and many years earlier she’d been sent away by her own family under similar conditions. Witches were not allowed in Armara, but it seems they were welcomed with open arms in Vesuvia. When she arrived in the city, Willa realized that this was the place she’d been dreaming of for so long. She loved Vesuvia, she finally had a chance to practice her magic in a place where people accepted her. 

Willa flourished in the city, though she missed the nature that had surrounded her at home and the family she’d had to leave behind. Away from Armara, she began to heal, and though the guilt of what happened with Isolde didn’t go away, it was easier to deal with in a new place. She met a new friend, a magician named Asra, and began to learn how to control her powers. When the plague came to Vesuvia, she knew she needed to help as many people as she could. Willa still felt as if she had sins to atone for, and she couldn’t ignore the suffering around her even as Asra and her Great Aunt Fiadh begged her to leave the city.

When Willa contracted the plague and passed away, Fiadh ventured back to Armara to share the terrible news. Finnegan travelled back to Vesuvia with her and they held a proper funeral and mourned Willa together. He decided to stay in Vesuvia with his great aunt, and when Willa was miraculously brought back to life, Finnegan was there to help her recover.  

As she got her memories back, Willa remembered the deal she’d made and the terrible price she’d paid to obtain power. She never forgave herself for what happened, and vowed to never use her powers again. But over time, and with the help of her friends and family, Willa began to move on and learn to control her powers again instead of running from them.

Post-canon, Willa still runs the apothecary shop with her Great Aunt Fiadh, but she spends most of her time out at her farm in the forest. She’s done enough world-saving for one lifetime, and enjoys a quiet life of creativity and spending time with her loved ones. Though her life is mostly peaceful, Willa still finds herself wary of the woods at night and she sometimes feels as if the shadows are watching her.

Five facts:

Willa uses her magic to enchant her knitting with protection and warmth charms

she carries her sketchbook with her everywhere and often stops to draw a passing stranger or a pretty flower in inspiration strikes

she’s a vegetarian

she’s left handed, which was seen as a bad omen in her hometown, her mother tried to train her to use her right hand but she refused to change

Willa knits sweaters and hats for the animals she cares for, and she lets them pick out the yarn

notes: my sweet flower gal :’) i love her

thank you as always to @leila-of-ravens​ for the bio template and to all of my lovely mutuals who have loved Willa along with me 💗

[hannigramficrecs]

A/B/O

The One That Got Away by whatacunningboy [words: 4,694]

Hannibal Lecter had this macabre air to his name. Everyone knew who he was and in what he specialized in—assassination was his trade and no one questioned it. He could make anyone disappear with a simple trick or two. He never missed a target, he was quiet, and swift. Yet, he missed the biggest target of all.

Ethics & Aesthetics by fragile-teacup [words: 106,330]

Pride and Prejudice omegaverse AU

Beginning and Ending by LittleUggie [words: 36,888]

19 year old Will gets cornered in an alley right before his first heat. Hannibal steps into help him out and decides he wants to keep the young omega. Will eventually comes around, against his better judgement. Let the mutual manipulation and power games begin.

I Could Just Eat You Up by orphan_account [words: 32,604] 

Hannibal breeds Will. A love story in bodily fluids.

Sirens Wail by Breakmybones [words: 48,495]

Will has been an Omega since his eighteenth birthday. He's been a Beta since his twenty-third. Finding a mate was never a priority - staying out of the spotlight and keeping his secret was. Enter Hannibal: dark, dangerous and keeping secrets of his own, Will knows what he is from the beginning, but he's more interested in understanding the beast than slaying it.

Bright Hair About The Bone by MissDisoriental [words: 484,669] 

In a world where omegas are little more than trophies to be bought and sold, Will Graham has done the unthinkable by escaping a forced bonding. Already in high demand as a profiler, Will's determined to find freedom on his own terms.For Hannibal Lecter the outlook is far more straightforward: a slow, systematic seduction of the most uniquely captivating omega he's ever encountered.As the shadow of a new and terrifying serial killer falls over Baltimore, the stage is set to redefine all accepted meanings of passion, temptation, horror and beauty – and to discover the ecstasy of a genuine love crime.

Not Interested by Watermelonsmellinfellon [words: 64,333] 

Will Graham, an Omega of forty-four years, finally finds himself interested in an Alpha. The only problem... that Alpha is not interested in him! And he can't stand it!

The Only Place I Can Hold You by snapdragonpop007 [words: 27,865]

“Hello, Jack.” These past two years had not been kind to Will Graham-Lecter. The solitary confinement that Chilton had promised would help had only seemed to make the omega worse. “I was wondering when you were gonna come talk to me.” Will hadn’t looked up from the book in his hands. He was running his fingertips across the pages, and when Jack looked a little closer he could see that it was full of photographs.

Friends To Lovers by Sirenja, TigerPrawn [words: 8,008] 

When Harry Met Sally AU

Consortio by kelex [words: 23,088] 

Every Omega in the land is brought to the lord on the evening of their first heat. Lord Hannibal usually doesn't choose to exercise that right, but this night's offering is too much for him to pass up. A virgin Omega in his first heat, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a spirit that can't be broken.

Sharing A Bed by TigerPrawn [words: 4,150] 

Will, Hannibal, Jimmy and Zeller are sent to Butfuck Nowhere on a case and the small hotel has messed up the booking leaving them with only 2 rooms between the 4 of them. And specifically Omega Will having to share with Hannibal, the only Alpha on the trip.

Stormchaser by YouAreMyDesign [words: 6,465] 

One thing, Hannibal knows absolutely; Will is empty, all the time. He aches to be filled.

Pathology by YouAreMyDesign [words: 14,129] 

In his periphery, Hannibal's head tilts. "Tell me," he purrs, "how exactly does one your age come to enroll in an FBI training facility?"

There Will Be Bells by Entropyrose [words: 36,639] 

In Georgian England, male omegas are very rare diamonds. Baron and Baroness Graham have a plan to build their wealth and social status by offering their son Will's hand in marriage to a mysterious older Duke, an Alpha named Lord Hannibal Lecter. Will's personal feelings need not apply.

Alpha Mart by slashyrogue [words: 63,164] 

Will needs an alpha. After years of fake knots, half-assed suppressants, and his own damn hand during heats he’s reached the end of his rope. He doesn’t do dating so he decides to waste his life savings and hype with the current trend. Alpha Mart.

Enchanted By Your Name by CarnivalMirai [words: 9,207] 

“Now, my husband would prefer it if I got the job done quickly.” He says, slashing down the back of each gag as he passes each man, watching as the silk falls gracefully to the floor. “However, I want to have some fun. Considering you’ve troubled my husband so much… it’s only fair, right?” One of the men whimpered fearfully. Or: The name "Will Graham" is a name you'll only ever hear once.

I've Been Building Black Ships by cloudsarefluffy [words: 8,116] 

Alpha Hannibal moves to the States with his sister Mischa after being overtly done with the fancy life of a count, and his blind omega neighbor gives him an insight into love that he never quite expected.

A Rare Find by hit_the_books [words: 5,379] 

Life as an omega bookseller can be quite lonely. However, as the owner of Graham’s Books, Will Graham is reasonably content. That is until he meets—long-time customer and crush—Doctor Hannibal Lecter in person for the first time. Attraction blossoming between them both, Will agrees to a dinner date with the good doctor.

We All Have a Hunger by 1ntothew1ld [words: 12,260] 

Hannibal will ensure a properly slow and painful death for an alpha who allowed a beautiful young omega to go to waste as this one has. Too skinny for his own good, a stuttering and humble mess. The likes of the omega in front of him belonged at Opera houses and in million-dollar mansions, not scrounging for his next meal. Meek and afraid in some disheveled row house. When he finally looked back up the alpha had to conceal the utter punch to the stomach that meager glance was, blue eyes full of innocence but also hunger.

The Doctor Is In by Kummerspeck7 

Will nearly scoffed. "You can't expect me to believe you'd want anything other than a delicate flower to adorn your side, keep your ostentatious home, bare you the exact number of children you want--No more, no less-- all while being available at your whims." "Not at all." Hannibal disagreed. "I would no more put a wilting flower in my home than in a bouquet given as a gift. Tell me, Will, is that how you are treated? Forbidden from work, cloistered inside and used at Mr Brown's discretion?" "My Alpha's discretion." Hannibal looked pointedly at the curve of Will's neck, free from a single scar. "Not yet he isn't."

Sugar by Sweaty_dogman [words: 12,659] 

Hannibal finds himself hung up on his friends mother, desperate to find ways to spend time with the omega. Will Graham is a beautiful, kind and single omega. The young alpha finds himself struggling to keep his emotions hidden.

No One Falls the Way We Fell by HigherMagic [words: 9,206] 

Five years ago, Hannibal's mate died, leaving him with their young daughter. He's tried to move on, but Abigail keeps interrupting his sleep and insisting that she can see her mother in her room at night. Hannibal turns to Alana for help, and Alana gives Abigail a doll, someone to talk to and help her accept her mother's passing. Once the doll arrives, though, strange things start happening in Hannibal's house. It's impossible to consider, of course, but if anyone could defy death and return to them from beyond the grave, it would be Will.

Proud of You by CarnivalMirai [words: 11,748] 

Will worked right up until labour to make money, through all the sickness and fatigue and swollen ankles, he worked to bring his little boy the best life. And it has paid off. As of last week, Hannibal has sent off his university applications. Medicine at Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He’s applied for a scholarship at all of them, and Will desperately hopes he gets it. He knows he will. He’s Hannibal, after all. His baby can do anything.

Venus Is Bright by wolfgraham [words: 7,237] 

Tomorrow, he tells himself, tomorrow he'll set new rules, boundaries. He'll tidy up Hannibal's room and give him the talk, and download Matefinder on his phone. But is it so bad? So bad to wish that the world outside the two of them would just disappear and leave them be?

Creator by Caidepgun, wolfgraham [words: 5,589] 

Will and his son, Hannibal, have an unusual relationship.

My First, My Last, My Everything by TheBl00dyFl0wer [words: 14,930]

Will Graham's encephalitis gets out of control and messes with his hormones, mutates him. May I present: Will Graham, the first known Omega.

Room 205 by HotMolasses [words: 9,220] 

Will is an Alpha, but in name only. He's a hotel maid at the Graham Bed & Breakfast. He considers himself a freak; an Alpha with no knot, who dreams of a powerful Omega to dominate him. He's pretty certain that because of this, he'll be alone for the rest of his life. Then he meets Hannibal Lecter.

Howl by multifandom_fanfic_writer [words: 7,083] 

When omegas go into heat, they go feral. Only an alpha strong enough to subdue them is a worthy mate. Will Graham has never found anyone worthy. After all, there is only one alpha Will plans to submit to – and he doesn’t even know their name.

Careful, He Bites by maxxeoff [words: 10,328] 

Will Graham is a feral child. His dad died when he was five, and he lives with a wolf pack until he has his first heat. He's found, brought to Baltimore. Dr. Lecter takes an interest in him.

Predator by eijirouN_17 [words: 7,619] 

Will hasn't presented, he doesn't give off any scent at all so everyone, including himself, assumes he's a beta. Then Will goes into heat. At a crime scene. In front of everyone. And Hannibal tries so hard not to go feral.

[apiratewhopines]

In the Offing

Summary: AU - Storybrooke - Emma Swan is drafted to help Liam Jones clear his brother’s name in the disappearance of a former flame. As she digs deeper into the rash of missing person cases, she risks losing more than just her heart as she uncovers the truth.

Chapter One - Pilot

Summary: In which our heroine embarks on an adventure

“Let the exits pass, all the tar and glass

Til the road and sky align”

-Angela, The Lumineers

If asked, Emma Swan would land firmly in the ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ camp rather than the ‘Once Upon a Time’ one.

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in happiness and true love and good triumphing over evil. She did. Or at least she tried to believe in them, which was nearly the same thing.

It was just that in her experience, relationships were more likely to end in indifference and divergent roads at best or disappointment, deceit and violence at their worst. It rarely ended in laughter over the dinner table, surrounded by the people you loved and admired. In fact, it never ended that way for her. And she was fine with that. Or at least she tried to believe she was, which was not nearly the same thing.

So it was without the slightest bit of surprise that she made her way back to her office from yet another honey trap date, her third this week if anyone was keeping track. She didn’t anymore, had stopped wondering years ago how there were so many cheating spouses and deadbeat dads and none too bright criminals in one city. Nor did she have the energy to wonder why she found her doorway blocked by the broad form of her sometimes collaborator, sometimes competitor, always annoying quasi-neighbor.

“What do you want, Liam? I’m not staying. I’m only dropping off paperwork so I can go home and mourn the loss of human decency uninterrupted.”

“Perhaps a bath would be more helpful, lass. You smell like a walking distillery,” he replied, not bothered by her unfriendly tone and refusal to meet his eyes as she elbowed him out of the way and unlocked the door. “Were you drowning your sorrows or were they drowning you?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I caught the guy who did this and he smells like jail now so I would say I won,” she muttered, bristling only a little bit when he followed her inside. She would like to say that she and Liam had a complicated relationship but the truth was they tolerated each other when they had to and avoided each other when they didn’t. She could count on him to be professional, which unfortunately was not a given in their line of work, and his complete disinterest in her as a person was a quality she appreciated, having never been someone who craved attention or willingly engaged in small talk.

Now that she thought about it, he was probably one of the better connections she had made in Boston. If his self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude chafed at times...well, no one was perfect. She had met him when her boss moved their bail bonds office operations to their current location and with his private investigation business occupying the suite next door, they would throw work each other’s way when it made sense. Despite knowing him for nearly two years, she would be hard-pressed to recall a single interaction after hours or off the job so even though she was tired and her feet were killing her from running down tonight’s skip in stiletto heels, she was a little curious about why he was there. “Barry isn’t here.”

“If I was looking for Barry, this is the last place I would be.”

She snorted as she dropped off a packet of reports on the nearest desk. The truth was that her boss, who also happened to own the business, was probably cruising off the coast of Florida at that very moment and hadn’t stepped foot in the office since they moved. But she considered absenteeism a great quality in a boss so she wasn’t complaining.

Sighing, she turned around to face him. She leaned against the desk behind her and hoped he didn’t notice her flexing her feet in an attempt to keep them from cramping. “As nice as it is to catch up, I’ve had a long night. Why don’t you tell me what you want?”

“Henry mentioned that he was going to spend the summer with his father when he came by last week,” Liam stated as if that explained everything. Henry’s capacity to make friends never ceased to astound her and was definitely a characteristic he inherited from Neal. Even curmudgeonly Liam Jones had fallen victim to her kid’s ability to engage with anyone. Little did her visitor suspect that reminding her that she had nearly eight weeks of going home to an empty apartment was not the best way for him to start a conversation.

It had been with great trepidation that she had agreed to the trip at all. After years of fielding her son’s questions about his father, she used her considerable tracking skills to finally run her ex to ground about eighteen months ago. Enough time had passed for her to forgive him, although she doubted she would ever forget, but she felt she owed Henry the chance to at least meet his father. And of course, they had hit it off as she had both hoped for and feared.

She had worried, apparently needlessly so, that Neal would quickly lose interest in the son he hadn’t know existed and was inconveniently located in a different state. However, the man who had no issues with abandoning her a decade ago had surprised her. He called Henry every day and made the trip at least once a month to visit. He had shown up and supported Henry in ways she hadn’t expected and it reminded her that not all the times had been bad and maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t a villain. When Neal had approached her about a long distance trip that spanned their son’s entire summer break, her first reaction was to forbid it but she knew Henry needed it. Although she would never admit it to Neal, she had also appreciated that he had brought it up with her first rather than sending Henry to talk her into it.

Still, it had physically hurt her to see them walking away together at the airport yesterday, similar gaits and probably with matching, wide smiles on their faces.

Now her interaction with her son would be reduced to a couple of texts a day and FaceTime calls a few times a week while Henry had the time of his life gallivanting around California with his father and future stepmother. In a flash, she went from tired and curious to tired and pissed. “Right. Glad you reminded me before I made it home and called the police about a kidnapping. Did you need something, Liam, or are you just trying to bother me?”

“Both. Obviously,” he said dryly.

“Great, he’s got jokes,” she groaned as she threw her head back in frustration. “I should warn you that I’ve already punched one jerk tonight. I’m hungry and exhausted and if you don’t get on with it, I’m not afraid to add another one to the list.”

He sighed and for the first time she noticed the tenseness in the way he was holding himself. Whatever the reason for his visit, it obviously had him wound up pretty tightly. Against her better judgement, she felt her curiosity stirring again.

“Fine, since you’re obviously not fit to be out in public,” he said with a vague gesture toward her whiskey-flavored dress, “order some delivery and let’s talk.”

—

The smell of cheese did a lot to restore her good humor. She watched him from under her lashes as he looked at the meat-lovers pizza with what approached horror in his expression. She never pegged him as a health food nut, although she could tell he took care of himself, so maybe what offended him was the grease that had soaked through the box to the papers that were stacked neatly on his desk. Tearing off a large slice, she hummed happily while she took the first scorching bite.

“I need a favor,” he stated without preamble before he too took a bite and glanced at her with a pained look in his eye.

She was pretty sure that this was the first time he had ever uttered those words in his life and that was probably the source of his discomfort rather than the molten lava cheese he just swallowed. She tried not to show any interest even though hundreds of questions wanted to escape her mouth. She wanted to ask when they started doing favors for each other and why he was acting like a caged animal. Instead, she settled for something that he would probably find a bit more in character considering their past interactions. “Would this be the type of favor that involved payment of some sort?”

“It will, if that gets the job done quicker,” Liam answered, staring intently at his half eaten slice.

“Well, that would depend on if we’re talking about an hourly rate or a flat fee,” she joked. “I have typically found that payment is the best way to insure a job gets done.”

Something was definitely bothering him and damn if that didn’t make the hair on the back of her neck stand up and chase a shiver down her spine. With a hint of disgust she threw her uneaten crust down on her plate. She already knew that whatever he was about to ask, she was going to agree to so she continued, “Might as well spit it out, I would like to go home and get some sleep sometime this century. What kind of favor do you need?

“The kind of favor that involves going away for a couple of weeks and solving a cold case.”

Of all the things she thought he was going to ask, actual work didn’t even make the top ten list so she was a little letdown. His discomfort had her prepared for anything from being a date to an ex’s wedding to a surprise twist of being asked to babysit his previously unknown kids. Even a mundane request to water his plants while he was on vacation would have been more interesting. She wasn’t entirely sure Liam was human and it would have been fascinating to see the lair he crawled back to when he wasn’t in the office.

“Why the cloak and dagger routine? You made me think something was horribly wrong,” she huffed. Picking up another slice, she thoughtfully examined his face. There was more to this request but she was afraid she was going to have to drag it out of him based on his body language. His eyes were shuttered, shoulders hunched in on himself, body twisted slightly to the side as if he had decided this was a mistake and he was on the verge of running out of the room. While she would dearly love to see Liam Jones run away from his problems like a mere mortal, she was clearly already too invested to let that happen. Quickly swiping her fingers across a napkin to rid them of the worst of the grease, she gently laid her hand on his forearm to hold him in place. “Whatever you need to say, it will go no further.”

Apparently those were the magic words to unlock whatever secret he thought he needed to keep because with a sharp intake of breath, he started his tale. “There is a town in Maine...”

—

Hours later, he was dropping her off at the entrance to her building with a promise to pick her up at six o’clock the following evening. She wasn’t crazy about starting out that late or the fact that they would hit the tail end of rush hour traffic but her mind was swimming with too many details to make her normal fuss. Honestly, she would need all the time she could get to go through the files stuffed in the briefcase he passed off to her as she emerged from the car.

Without registering the journey upstairs, she found herself opening the door to her apartment and immediately kicked off her heels with a moan while her toes curled a little to celebrate their freedom. Her dress had climbed up her thighs a bit during the car ride but she had a feeling she was the only one who noticed. She was pretty sure she could have been naked and Liam wouldn’t have paid any attention. He was just that kind of guy. Considering they were about to embark on a trip to his former hometown where they may end up having to give the impression of a relationship, she should probably be grateful that his only attraction to her seemed to be limited to her ability to find people and her reputation for being a spookily accurate human lie detector. For her part, all she wanted from him was a couple weeks of distraction from what was surely going to turn out to be a lonely summer. If she was getting paid for it, all the better.

Leaving her shoes where they fell in the entranceway, she grabbed a hair band from the narrow table that she privately thought of as their crap collector. She had never been the neatest person and she had passed that trait on to Henry so you could never predict what random stuff would be found on the table that served no other purpose than to be a catch all for the things they discarded when they arrived home.

Styling her long blonde hair into a messy bun, she pulled her ruined dress over her head and casually threw it in the direction of the laundry basket. Taking advantage of the fact that there wasn’t a ten-year-old at home that would be traumatized by her behavior, she lugged the briefcase to the kitchen island and spread the files across the countertop before walking back to her closet to slip into a pair of black yoga pants and a Red Sox tank top, not wanting to take the time to shower at the moment. Besides, she was the only one home to know how bad the smell of whiskey and sweat was after sitting for hours in a small office, stuffing her face with the unhealthiest pizza on the planet and getting drawn into the web of mystery that had made the always serious Mr. Jones even more somber.

Pouring a glass of wine, she climbed up on one of stools that formed a line that ran the length of the counter and pulled the top file to her. The photo paper-clipped to the inside showed a rundown pawn shop that might as well have had a neon sign flashing ‘Shady Place of Business.’ Below it was a list of names from various missing persons cases spanning thirty years.

Taking the first sip of wine, she murmured, “What have you gotten me into, Liam?”

She spent the next several hours combing through the files until her back hurt and her contacts felt scratchy in her eyes. It seemed like Jones Investigation had a file for everyone that lived in the town at the time of the burglary as well as newspaper clipping from the various investigations into the suspicious disappearance of citizens.

It was too much information to take in during the course of one night but Liam had been insistent that the files remain in Boston. He didn’t want to risk tipping off any suspects to the real reason for their trip should the paperwork be discovered. So, under direct orders from the former British Naval officer to memorize the facts, when she reached the end of the files, she would start over again. She sorted and resorted the files into stacks based on a variety of factors from chronological order to some distinguishing characteristic like age, proximity to crime, or possible motive.

If her attention kept wondering back to the grainy photo of one Killian Jones, brother of her dour compatriot, she blamed the wine and lack of sleep. Even the low quality of the picture couldn’t conceal that the younger Jones brother was an incredibly attractive man. However, he looked enough like Liam to make her interest unsettling and that was what finally pulled her away from her research and drove her to bed where she dreamed of blue eyes and a wicked smile.

—

For most of the trip, the only sound was of the sports commentators who nearly shouted out a play-by-play of a soccer match Liam had politely asked to listen to as they pulled out of her parking garage. The only other break in their silent commute was the subtle hum and thump of road noise occasionally making its way into the cabin. He had been unimpressed with her offer to take her car, not even bothering to acknowledge her when she suggested it and simply opening the lift gate to the large, dark colored Honda Pilot he had rented. If he noticed her surprise at finding several bags already in the truck and heard her sarcastic observation about packing light as she had to reposition some of his luggage to find a spot for her single gym sized duffel bag, he didn’t show it.

As she had predicted, they spent an hour stuck in traffic before getting beyond the city limits where the cars spread out and their follow drivers seemed to think that allowed them to indulge in NASCAR fantasies. She used the quiet to mentally go over the particulars of the case before them, secure in the knowledge that unless she magically sprouted another head Liam was unlikely to start up a conversation at this point in the trip.

Fact One: Leo and Ava Blanchard left for a date night and never returned home to their young daughter. There car was found broken down on the side of the road about a mile from their home. No sign of foul play, no trace of their whereabouts.

Fact Two: Shortly thereafter, there was a burglary at Gold’s Pawnshop on Main Street. No sign of forced entry and the owner claimed nothing had been stolen, but the alarm had been tripped from the inside. Having nothing to go on and with no stolen items to track down, the local law enforcement devoted a total of five minutes to the case. Basically as soon as the report was filed, the case was closed and life moved on.

Fact Three: Robert Nolan had a few too many at a bar one night, which apparently was a reoccurring circumstance, and never found his way back to his family. He was rumored to be involved in some illicit activities but no proof of a crime was ever found.

Fact Four: There appeared to be a bit of a lull for more than a decade and then a rapid secession of missing person reports: Regina Mills, Peter Wolfe, and finally Milah Gold.

It was the last one that seemed to drive Liam’s interest in the cases. Although he and his brother hadn’t relocated to the US until the early 2000s, it seemed his little brother quickly formed an attachment, which Emma read between the lines to mean had an affair, with the older wife of the town’s local businessman. After his wife vanished into thin air, Mr. Gold and the local police tried their best to pin her disappearance on Killian but could never come up with enough evidence to press charges.

The final piece came through sources Liam was disinclined to name. He had recently found out that a newly arrived visitor had been asking questions around town and according to his source, the visitor was a best-selling true crime author named August Booth who happened to be weeks away from publishing a tell-all book about the sordid history of the town.

Going into full protective mode, Liam had decided the best course of action was to return to the small town and solve the mystery, or potentially multiple mysteries if they were as interconnected as he thought, thereby clearing his brother’s name beyond all doubt.

If it had been anyone else who had asked for her help, she would have been flattered but she knew Liam to be practical above all else. He valued her skills but it was probably Henry’s absence that was the catalyst for this particular partnership. He needed an extra set of eyes and ears and she was a known element who was conveniently available for a long term undercover assignment. Still, he had trusted her with the family secrets, or at least his brother’s secrets, so she was trying to be mindful this wasn’t simply another case for him.

She wasn’t convinced the non-burglary and series of disappearances he seemed to think connected would turn out to be anything but she knew better than to discard possibilities this early on. She also wasn’t convinced that parading in front of his family and friends as a girlfriend was a good game plan.

“I think we need to revisit this cover story,” she said as he pulled off the highway and into the lot of a gas station.

“If you can find a more convincing reason for me to show up with a strange woman, I will gladly listen to it,” he replied before exiting the car and fading away into the dark night.

“No, I wouldn’t like anything from the store, thanks for asking,”she called out to his back, wanting to nettle him in retaliation for his rudeness although she doubted he heard her. According to the GPS, they were only about forty-five minutes from their destination, a place called Granny’s Diner. She tried to research the town, including restaurants, venues, and things to do but it was as if Storybrooke existed out of the modern age. While you could find it on maps, there wasn’t an internet presence at all. There were no tourism sites, despite the fact that most little towns that dot the Atlantic coast were in peak season for welcoming travelers. It appeared that chains and national franchises had no interest in the sleepy town either. There were no notable residents making their marks on the world at large, no complaints on business sites, no reviews of the natural beauty to be found in its forests and parks.

The sound of Liam returning to the vehicle and pumping gas broke her train of thought. Hearing the gentle chime of her phone, she took the opportunity to check her texts before they got back on the road. Smiling a little at seeing Henry’s name on her notifications, she clicked the message and was rewarded with a silly photo of him pretending to be eaten by a shark at one of the selfie stations located on a pier in whatever seaside town they were currently visiting. She text him back a thumb’s up, following it quickly with a good night and reminder that she would send him the details of where she was staying in the morning.

Running her finger gently over her son’s happy grin in the photo, she didn’t greet Liam as he climbed back into the car.

“That’s a nice picture,” he mumbled, clicking his seatbelt in place before pulling out and rejoining the dwindling line of cars heading north. “Is he having a good time?”

“Looks like it,” she answered, turning her head away somewhat embarrassed to feel the prick of tears in her eyes. She wasn’t an emotional person but she missed the kid something fierce.

Either he was being exceptionally sensitive to her distress or he didn’t notice it because they lapsed back into silence until they were about fifteen minutes from the town line. Deciding next to the last minute was as a good a time to broach the topic again as any, she picked up on her earlier comment as if it hadn’t been over half an hour ago. “Listen, I’m not saying I have a better cover but maybe we could not volunteer the girlfriend story. You know, keep our options open unless someone asks us directly. Or maybe actually tell them we are there to investigate.”

Hope for a rational debate on the merits of her suggestions was immediately crushed when he actually started to laugh. “You’ve never lived in a small town, have you?”

“No, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Emma, I left five years ago under some difficult circumstances—“

“What circumstances? How difficult?”

“That’s need to know, lass,” he interrupted in a tone that cautioned against any further questions. “If it had anything to do with our case, I would have already told you. Let me assure you that everyone will know of our arrival within minutes of the car entering town. There will be a description of you circulating before you wake up tomorrow morning. There is no way people aren’t going to ask us directly and repeatedly the nature of our visit and relationship.”

She was about to interrupt again so he held up a hand to stall her and added, “And if we decline to provide details, they will make them up. Trust me, it’s better to control the story than to have eyes following us everywhere trying figure it out for themselves. As far as openly investigating a crime, you’re daft if you think they won’t clam up the second you start asking questions. In my experience people are more comfortable being a gossip than a snitch. If we are simply a couple enjoying a trip down memory lane, we will be able to move much more freely.”

“But your brother,” she countered weakly because she had to admit he had a point. “How can you lie to him? Surely he can be trusted with the truth. Not to mention that if we are staying with him, he’s going to notice that we don’t like each other.”

“What are you talking about? I’m quite fond of you. You’re one of my best friends,” he said in indignation.

Her jaw went slack with shock as she tried to process how she had slipped into some bizarro alternate reality. What in their past could possibly have given him the idea that they were friends, besties even. “I don’t know what—“ she sputtered. “Is this some weird British thing?”

He barked out a laugh that was so unlike him that she doubled down on her alternate reality theory. “Calm down, Emma. It was a joke. We aren’t friends exactly but I don’t dislike you. It will be fine. Pretend I’m one of your fake dates for a couple of weeks. Lucky for you, I’m an old-fashioned guy. Killian won’t think anything of us bunking separately.”

“There is old-fashioned and then there is being a monk, Liam. But whatever. I still think you should trust your brother. Especially since it’s his neck we’re trying to save.”

“I would trust him with my life. What I can’t trust is that he won’t go off half-cocked and muck up the investigation. He’ll understand why I did this as long as we get results.”

She believed that he believed what he was saying. She also believed he was wrong. As a person who always preferred the truth, no matter how painful, her gut told her that it would be a mistake to keep the younger Jones in the dark about the true purpose of their trip. However, besties or not, she knew the mulish tilt to Liam’s mouth indicated that for him the discussion was over.

At that moment, the high beams illuminated the Welcome to Storybrooke sign. She felt an ominous dread settle over her as they approached, turning in her seat to look at the sign as they passed.

It was the last thing she saw before the world exploded in glass shards, twisted metal, and smoke.

[holylulusworld]

Bloody lips - Eternity

Summary: He turned you months ago. Now you are out for blood...

Pairing: Vamp!Dean x Vamp!Reader

Characters: Werewolf!Sam Winchester, Lisa Braeden

Warnings: angst, vampire Dean, bloodthirst, implied characters death, blood, blood-drinking, dark!fic, implied smut, murder (they are vampires after all)

Kinktober Special: Horror/Angst - Blood drinking

A/N: This is the sequel to Bloody lips and a cross-over with my Werewolf!Sam story ‘Sharp teeth’. For more read the second part of sharp teeth coming tomorrow.

<< Part 1

Kinktober 2020

Dean’s POV

Eternity. I smile at the word leaving my girls' lips. 

The moment she drank from her now-dead husband she was doomed to be mine – for eternity. 

My former self, the hunter, and loyal brother would be ashamed of what I became but after months with my mate, my partner in crime – I can’t find it in me to care.

“What about him?” Y/N whispers, body pressed close to mine. She always seeks my closeness since I turned her. It’s the bond we formed months ago drawing her to me like a moth to the flame.

“Or the girl in the corner,” my girl purrs. “She watched what’s mine the whole night.” There is an edge in my girl’s voice, and I know, she wants to feast on the girl.

“She came with three guys and two girls, baby girl. If we kill her, they will look for her. We agreed to not rock the boat too much,” Y/N nods, still, I can see the disappointment in her eyes. “We can mark her and get that little bitch later.”

My girl smirks, a dark look in her beautiful eyes. “I want her later, Dean,” I can tell, my cock just got harder at her words. “Can we make her scream, baby?” My girl coos, batting her eyelashes. Y/N is a wild beast, dangerous and strong but sometimes, she likes to play the innocent girl.

“We can, sweetheart. Now let’s find an easier prey for tonight and later, we will get the girl for staring at me,” I push her against the wall, roughly claiming her lips. I kiss her hard, drawing blood as I sink my teeth into the lower lip. “We will…”

Bloody runs down my girl’s lips and I follow the crimson droplets with my greedy eyes. We feasted tonight on the guy who dared to ogle my girl. It was my time to choose the victim and I choose him.

We killed him fast. Unlike other vampires, we don’t play with our food. I can’t hide we become playful now and then, toy with someone who pissed us off but most of the time, we do it fast, precise, almost painless.

“He tasted like a loser,” Y/N whines. “I want to taste someone sweeter,” She has a devilish grin on her lips and I know, she has something evil in mind when she looks up at me like an angel with bloody lips. “I want her…”

“We talked about it, Y/N. She’s got a son and,” my girl pouts, hands cupping my face she looks up at me, pleadingly. “Don’t you love me, Dean?” God, that woman can make me do the evilest things only by batting her eyelashes. “Please, baby.”

“I guess we will visit Lisa tonight, babycakes. Now be good and let’s have a shower,” I press my lips to hers, licking the blood off her soft pillows. “I can still smell him on you. He touched what’s mine.”

“You showed him I’m yours when you fucked me in front of his dying body,” my girl grins, revealing bloody teeth. “I think he got stiff when you filled me up so good.”

“You’re so bad for me,” she hums melodically, looks up at me as if I’m the sun and I can see a flashback play in front of my eyes. Y/N holding my hand, giving me that warm smile she used to wear, now it’s cold and I need to shrug the memory off.

I’m the bad guy in this story after all…

She runs. Oh-what a festival of fear, screams, and pleas Lisa offers to my girl. She hides in her bedroom, the room I used to fuck her in. I can hear her breathing and smell the urine run down her legs.

“Not sexy Lis,” I sing-song before I kick the door open. “Don’t worry, we will take care of Ben,” oh, you should see the fear in her eyes at my words. 

“I will have so much fun with you tonight,” Y/N pushes my ex-girlfriend on the bed, and I snatch her wrists to pin her hands above her head. My girl enjoys every moment of Lisa’s defeat before she leans over her latest victims’ body to lick the tears off her face.

“Relax, Lisa. You will taste so much better when you are scared. Y/N will make it fast,” I look at my girl who reveals her beautiful teeth to Lisa, “right babycakes?”

“Let me have my fun, Dean,” Y/N scolds and my heart aches. My creation, the new Y/N is mad at me and I don’t like it one bit. “You promised I can play with her for a bit longer than usual,” I sigh deeply but agree in the end. “I wanna see the light in her eyes fade.”

My girl's bloodthirst should scare me. Not even I are that cruel to toy with my prey but Y/N, she likes to scare her victims before she feasts on them.

“Please…I got a son,” a slap silences Lisa’s pleas and I scold my girl to not waste her blood.

“You stole Dean from me! I should've had your life, not you! You owe me a life!” Y/N screams, suddenly retreating from the bed. Her eyes turn normal again and I can see the struggle all over her face.

A new-born vampire is still connected to its past, which means flashbacks and memories will make the killing harder. At least for me.

“Y/N, calm,” I let go of Lisa to calm my girl, but she slaps my hands away, shaking her head furiously. “Y/N, sweetheart.”

“Y…you made me like this,” tears run down my girl’s cheeks when I reach out for her once again. “I had a life, a husband.” The struggle gets worse and I need to bite my wrist to feed Y/N with my blood. It calms her to taste me, so I let her drink from me instead of Lisa.

“I know, and I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I whispers, running my hand over her back to soothe Y/N. “We will go home, okay. We just need to finish…” the door to the bedroom bursts open and I see someone I never thought I’ll meet again.

“SAM?” something is off with my brother. His scent is so strong it makes my nose scrunch up and his eyes, fuck his eyes are glowing like mine. “Leave or you’ll be next.”

Sam puffs his chest when I shove Y/N behind my back. “I’m warning you, Sammy. I can’t be saved. I drank from Y/N,” Sam’s eyes sparkle when he steps closer to me. He looks at me, expectantly, before his large hand wraps around my throat to slam me into the wall.

Fuck, I struggle against Sam’s inhuman strength and just now I see his glowing eyes and sharp teeth. 

“We need to be fast. The neighbors called the cops, Dean. Let’s clean this mess,” Sam snarls in my direction before he looks at my girl. “You don’t have to kill people, Dean. Not only you changed, but I did also, whilst I had to hunt on my own. I got bitten months ago, I’m an alpha now, a werewolf,” I laugh at Sam’s words, giving my baby brother a dirty grin.

“I guess this means we are a family of monsters now,” a howl escapes my brothers’ lips as I wrap my hand around his wrist. “Let’s end this here and now. She can’t tell anyone what she saw,” I want to fulfill my promise to my girl, but she shakes her head.

Y/N crawls onto the bed. Unlike minutes ago, she softly coos something into Lisa’s ear before she bends Lisa’s mind to her will.

“You had a nightmare, Lisa. You never met anyone called Dean Winchester. There was no vampire in your room nor a werewolf. The reason you peed your pants is that you drank too much. Now be good and sleep,” I smirk at my girl’s powers. She learned so much in such a short amount of time.

“Back to business, Dean. I got to be somewhere else,” I nod, looking up at my monstrous brother. “I think I found my mate and need to get her, Dean. Will you help me?”

“Let’s get your girl, bitch,” I grin, watching my girl hug Sam from behind. “We need to make sure my brother can fuck too.”

“Romantic as always brother,” Y/N snickers at my brother’s words before she pats his back. “Let’s get my girl, jerk…”

Tags in reblog

Divider by @talesmaniac89​

[luvreyn]

My Manhwa List (2020) Part 6

sHi! How arth thou? I’m back to give you another list of recommendation! 

Beware of the Villainess

Description:

Sit back and take in this romantic tale of an angelic heroine and her devoted suitors as they vie for the depths of her love... or not. This story’s about to go through some edits! After an accident, a modern-day college student awakens as the story’s villainess, Melissa Foddebrat. She’s far from anyone’s favorite, but she IS the daughter of the duke. Determined to live it up, this new Melissa is doing things her way — antiquated society, be damned! All idiots, prepare to step aside or perish!

WHY YOU SHOULD READ:

- plot = 4.5/5

- art = 4.5/5

- C O M E D I C  G O L D 

- their meme-able face are so funny lmao

- ml is so cute & soft & deserves everything in the world

- mc is such a bad-ass like?? she’s so cool & she doesnt deserve to be treated less by that stupid prince ok

- she is beauty, she is grace, she is the queen!

- all i do is fangirl over the mc basically

- isekai

- i love her dynamic with her bro cause honestly same that’s how my sibs and are act sometimes lmao

- her maid is so cool 

- a bad-ass with a heart

- ml has this past and secret and i’m living for it

- a gem basically

- overall verdict, a highly recommended manhwa that will make you all sort of emotions. one of the best manhwas released this 2020 ok i said what i said

I Became the Villain's Mother

Description:

Summoned into her favorite novel as the infamous Duchess Roselia Chade, Haena is bathed in riches, power, and a family of her own. Life couldn’t be better, save for the small detail that her beloved stepson, Einspanner Chade, is also the evil mastermind destined to kill her. At this point in the story Ein is still just an adorable child yet to reach his cruel awakening, and so Roselia is determined to stop him from becoming a ruthless killer. But with the duke getting in her way and trying to poison his own son, safely raising a child that was primed for villainy may prove harder than she originally thought. The survival of both mother and child depends on whether Roselia can successfully rewrite their tragic ending!

WHY YOU SHOULD READ:

- plot = 5/5 ok i’m loving it already despite the few chaps released

- art = 3/5

- IM LOVING THE TWIST

- this is an all out war between father & son ok

- ain is so cute like??

- i s e k a i 

- ain is such a bad ass cute little devil

- i know i know i’m collecting so many isekai-ish manhwas bcoz why not

- i love the mc so much shes so adorable and her previous job is awesome (i know you dont care but i wanted to be a daycare teacher too when i was a kid so yay)  

- she’s such an awesome mom like?? 

- the dad... the dad is idk but he’s a terrible dad for me (right now)

- ^ why is this like a discouragement comment like idek what i’m thinking yet i’m not gonna delete it 

- i love that this is mostly a son-mom manhwa bcoz it’s such a breath of fresh air and not to mention almost all dad-daughters manhwa are hurting me

- i’m here for the mom and son interactions basically

- overall verdict, a highly recommended manhwas for our souls! 

Marked By King Bs

Description:

High school is hard enough without a target on your back, but that’s exactly the situation Annie finds herself in when she crosses a group of the most popular kids in school. Marked by the king bee himself, the notorious Ashton Griffin, Annie becomes his newest fixation--and he is determined to make her life miserable. Now at his beck and call, Annie must stay on Ashton’s good side to maintain her peaceful life and avoid becoming a social pariah. As she navigates her way through alienating social cliques, persistent old crushes, and the hot upstairs neighbor who never puts a shirt on, Annie will soon learn that there’s more to being popular than meets the eye. She just wanted to live a normal life, but maybe there’s no escaping these king bees. An official comic adaptation based on the hit dating-sim game. I AM TARGETED BY THEM!!!

WHY YOU SHOULD READ:

- plot = 3/5 

- ngl but i can already feel the slight cliche-ness of this story and yet i’m still here forgive me this is a guilty pleasure manhwa

- art = 4/5

- i love the mc (yes, that quickly)

- dark haired boyo is mine ok??

- kinda funny

- i miss the school life setting so hihihi

- verdict, a cute and good read!

Pixel of Life

Description:

After finding out her boyfriend has been cheating with her boss, Hana loses her menial desk job of 5 years. Countless rejections later, she finally lands an interview at a small art gallery. Hana jumps at the chance to leave the drama of the past few months behind. But her high school friend (and worst enemy) Jiyeon is the gallery owner? Their most peculiar romance is about to begin… or not?!

WHY YOU SHOULD READ:

- o m g

- plot =4/5 this deserves more read tbh

- art = 4/5

- i’m starting to relate to mc since i started working cause #adultingsucks

- one of my dream jobs huhuhu

- i so love the twist 

- the s i b l i n g s

- i wanna know what happens next!!!

- s u s p e n s e 

- mix with mystery and spinkle with secrets and viola i present to you: the pixel of life

- verdict, a super good read!

The Antagonist’s Pet

Description:

Blessed with the face of an angel, young Sasha Tartt knows a life-altering secret: in this romance novel where she’s just a side character, she’s the only one who knows the true ending! When the antagonist of the story takes a particular liking to her, she must make a decision: help the clever and beautiful Rebecca find a happy ending, or side with the sweet-natured protagonist to ensure her own survival? On top of that, Sasha has to juggle the affections of her bespectacled love interest and tame a dragon boy! Can Sasha learn new tricks to win the hearts of these main characters? Based on the hit novel.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ:

- plot = 4/5 so few chaps yet so good

- art = 3/5

- i so love that she acts dumb when she’s not cause i love scheming characters

- W O M E N  E M P O W E R M E N T

- who run the world? girls! 

- i love that she loves the villain cause girl same

- idec whether there’s an ml or not cause we stay for their future bond

- she is beauty, she is grace, she’s the villainess pet

- ^ it sounds better in my head

- verdict, a refreshing manhwa that will leave you wanting for moreee!

[cruezins]

       ☣  ;  (  KIM TAEHYUNG  ,  24  ,  HE/HIM  )  coming up next on rebel radio is OPAUL by FREDDIE DREDD  .  this tune goes out to SIWON RYU  .  rumor has it they just rolled into town and are fightin’ for the GHOULS  .  they’re AFFABLE  ,  INQUISITIVE but also AIMLESS  ,  MERCURIAL so watch your backs out there  .  we wish them the best of luck here in our golded city of light  .  stay vigilant  ,  stay dirty rock ‘n rollers and we’ll catch you for the next one  .

𝐎𝐎𝐂  :  hello  !  i’m deni and i don’t know what editing is  .  i use she/her pronouns and live in the gmt+9 timezone  .   i’m terrible with ooc chats and half the time just want to vibe a connection or plot idea  ,  so please don’t hesitate to throw a half-formed thought at me because i swear i’ll do the same  .  my discord is gay fairy#6371  .  anyway  ,  here is siwon  ,  someone i’ve been work-shopping for a while  !  looking forward to writing with you  ♡

                     ☣  ;  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇  .

cw  :  drug mentions  ;  stop me if you’ve heard this one before------

       his dad’s a junkie and he hasn’t seen his mom since some fatcats bought their restaurant for a steal a few years before  ,  but that’s the way of life for a lot of people in the underground  .  young  ,  bored  ,  and desperate to hear and smell anything that wasn’t the rottenness of his own childhood home  ,  siwon found himself on the streets more nights than not  ,  spray paint in one hand   ,  painting nights in greens and purples until reds and blues chased him away  .  makes his first steal before he can tie his shoes  .  creates alliances with the neighborhood kids  ,  sneaks around to watch how the haves live with their pretty  ,  pretty screens and their ugly  ,  ugly words  .  school isn’t anything special  ,  either  ,  and while siwon can’t remember shit that he reads from a page he can work with his hands  .  fast and efficient  ,  nimble fingers whether they’re flying across a keyboard or fucking around with some screws  .  you can make something of yourself  ,  some of his teachers tell him while others can’t stop bitching about homework or tardiness or the way he falls asleep in the middle of class  .  but what’s siwon supposed to make  ?  he and his ragtag group of weirdos he calls friends  .  when he gets older and nights get hungrier  ,  siwon learns to stop relying on the benevolence of neighbors and finds a job  ---  he’s fast  ,  after all  ,  with a sweet face and wide eyes  ,  makes a helluva getaway after years and years of running  .  

       thieving’s a natural grift  .  he’d been training for this his whole life  .  then he catches the eyes of a boss man who isn’t nearly as mad as he should be catching some kid with his wallet in his hands  .  courier comes next  ,  ferrying messages from a bunch of suits all over the city  .  siwon never opened the packages  ,  never second guesses the credits that start bloating his account  .  desperate  ,  he does what he’s told and does it well ------ and that’s the real kicker  ,  isn’t it  ?  that after a year and some-odd months of dedicated service they leave him high and dry with some bullshit he doesn’t have any involvement with  .  after years of running  ,  boys in blue finally catch him and he’s left to take the fall of some dumb fuckery  ,  man  ,  and he’s pissed  .  steaming in jail  ,  it’s a wonder some other gang didn’t get to him first  .  the longer he sat and talked with that ghoul member  ,  the more he grew to despise the rich  ,  the ones who left him to rot after all the shit he did for them  .  what was even the point anymore  ?  dog eat dog kind of bullshit  ,  no sense of loyalty or shit anywhere  .  the law and all that money was out to get him from the beginning and siwon had enough of it  .  a few months locked up but he learned and leaned and learned  ,  only able to get out on a technicality  .  the second he stepped back out into the sun  ,  siwon followed the map given to him and signed up for the ghouls  .  city of light be damned  .  the only lights he wants to see are flames eating this hellhole alive  .

                    ☣  ;  𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  .

➤  full name.  ryu si-won ➤  date of birth.  january 29th ➤  hometown.  city of light ➤  gender.  cis male ➤  affiliation.  ghouls  ➤  primary occupation.  drug runner  ,  pickpocket  ➤  secondary occupation.  network manager at an internet cafe 

➤  sexual attraction.  pansexual ➤  romantic attraction.  panromantic ➤  character alignment.  chaotic neutral ➤  personality type.  enfp ➤  temperament.  sanguine ➤  wants.  power  ,  family

       stands around 5′11  .  broad shoulders  ,  slim hips  .  floppy  ,  messy hair and sun browned skin  .  half legs  .  a few pieces of silver in his ears and a small hoop on his bottom lip  .  dresses somewhere between a washed up rockstar  ,  your college weed dealer  ,  and a miami vice reject  .  style’s a whim with a closet’s chaotic mix of anything he thrifts or patches together  .  most of the time he’s sporting cuffed jeans  ,  vintage blouse  ,  a denim jacket or tweed blazer and thick ass boots  .  keeps all that hair back with a bandanna or a headband  ,  hair ties on his wrist  .  nothing in his closet’s technically new and he loves looking for a bargain steal —— or simply just a steal  .  likes colors just as much as he likes his neutrals  .  wears a black air filtration mask and fingerless gloves  .  considers his floral button-up shirts fancy material and his trousers cut off at the ankles  .  likes the smell of old leather and the breathing of fringe on a jacket  ,  the weight of heavy rings on his fingers and sunglasses swooped low on his nose  .  wears a monocle because he can’t be fucked with reading glasses  .   his hair’s been every color of the rainbow and he’s always changing it up thanks to temporary dye  .

                                    ☣  ;  𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄  .

       hustles at arcade halls  ,  scarfs down ramen and burritos like they’re gonna disappear  ,  looks as comfortable in a dark  ,  dirty alley as he does standing under all those lights in the neon district  .  pockets full of candy and a lollipop between his lips  .  likes cheap beer and cigarettes  ,  fast talking and smooth smiles  .  gets up when the sun goes down  .  who knows if he ever gets a full night’s sleep  ,  but you can find him taking a nap just about anywhere  .  seems to live for the dark hours and stays busy as a bee  ,  at the internet cafe one moment and grabbing fried cheese sticks in the next before crossing the bridge to watch the street races and venturing to the tunnels for the fighting rings  .  complains about being broke but puts down bets faster than anyone  .  lives for the feeling of wind in his hair so the window of his top-floor one bedroom shit hole stays open all the time  .  feels the rain on his skin  ,  plays with matches  .   learned how to assemble a gun in less than sixty seconds and stays packing nowadays though he can’t really shoot for shit  .  spray paints boobs on the sides of government buildings and dicks on malls  .  looks like an angel under all those holographic lights  .

       rides a motorbike and his skateboard  .  can do crazy math in his head and spot fake bills with incredible accuracy  .  can barely stand to sit still  ,  always moving except when there’s a computer screen in front of him  .  gets addicted to things so easily it’s scary  ---  people  ,  food  ,  liquor  ,  feelings  .  craves that intimacy  ,  craves that closeness that’s always been denied to him  .  has a loud as fuck laugh and a love for sneaking into places where he doesn’t belong  .  catches extra cash on the side by fixing up broken-down machines and can figure his way around a motor with a bit of elbow grease  .  still sees his family  .  not as much as a good son would  ,  but he sends cash when he can and looks after his younger sister  ,  makes sure she stays well and clean  .  they don’t know half of what he’s gotten up to since he was let out of prison  ,  but they might have some idea --- after all  ,  who’d pay a crooked boy with a record as well as he seems to be  ?  when the sun starts to come up and he crashes into bed  ,  siwon stares out the window and thinks about how in another world  ,  or in another time he probably could’ve been something  .  could’ve made something great  .  but for now he’s just got a whole lot of anger  ,  raw like a fresh wound he can’t stop picking at  .  

                           ☣  ;  𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔  ?

➤  bonds.  my loyalty to my friends is unwavering  ;   i owe everything to my mentor --- a horrible person who’s rotting in jail somewhere  ;  i fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure this individual never crosses paths with me  . ➤  flaws.  once i pick a goal  ,  i become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life  ;  when I see something valuable  ,  i can't think about anything but how to steal it  ;  i have a weakness for the vices of the city  . 

       he’s friendly  ,  but he doesn’t make friends easily --- the ones that he has made  ,  he’d do anything for  .  because that’s how he’s gotten this far  ,  right  ?  all those people who looked after him when others tried to stomp him out  .  he’s still close with his teen friends who threw a few grifts with him  ,  gaming buddies that he knows only through a screen  .  little escapes from all the other bullshit going on in the world  .  even though he isn’t a club guy  ,  he runs into more than a few faces on his rounds  .  maybe they’re bad influences or sweethearts who help that touch starved affliction that comes from living in a city so wired  .  on the flip side  ,  there’s some enemies --- competitors in the runner world  ,  antagonists he meets at the races or rings for whatever reason  (  insane bets make tempers run hot  ,  who knows when they’ll flare for good and siwon’s learning the hard way how to keep his mouth shut  )  .  he’s fixed up a few cars or weapons for people recently because he misses working with his hands  .  y’know  ,  making nice  .  then there’s people he’s caught in a crossfire with  ,  where they’ve met something nasty one too many times before over turf  ,  territory and clients  .  a newer face to the ghouls  ,  he’s bugged someone into mentoring him  ,  and gone on a few runs with someone he loves to call a coworker  .  

       eager to prove himself as more than a green kid with a keyboard and an eye for detail  ,  find him cutting deals and making trades in smokey barbecue houses  ,  hole-in-the wall ramen shops or by taco tents  .  a full bellied class of clients are happy clients in his opinion  ,  and siwon isn’t above not making deals with the other groups who’s names aren’t violent delights  .  speaking of which  ---  there are definitely some skeletons there he aims to confront  ,  some old demons to fight from that class of people that fucked him over  .  there’s an ex lover in there somewhere  ,  probably met in that pre-prison childhood phase when he mingled past class lines more  ( ~1.5-2 years ago )  .  someone he’s healthily fearful of for whatever reason  ,  and maybe a vendetta against the family that scammed his parents out of their business and basically sent his life spiraling  .  there’s someone who isn’t what they seem  --- he doesn’t know who they really are  ,  and maybe they don’t know who he is  ,  either  .  they’ll learn eventually  .  someone he’s protective over  ,  someone who protects him in ways he doesn’t even know  ,  and those he looks after because they grew up on the same side  .  desperate for connection  ,  desperate for a place  ,  he finds it all in heaven and hell  .

[nothingeverlost]

Fic: Out of the Ordinary (Penny for your thoughts verse)

I’ve been doing a lot of rereading of fics, and it’s made me want to go back and fill in holes in the timelines.  I thought this was a piece fo the story that I needed to tell.  Timeline wise this is before Belle leaves.

II “Closing time, Gabe.  You’re coming over for dinner tonight and the roast is already in the oven.”  David leaned in the doorway of the office.  

“I don’t remember making dinner plans.”  In fact he’d made the opposite of plans.  Belle was spending the evening with Archie; they’d missed their weekly Doctor Who viewing twice now and planned for a marathon night of pizza and British tv.  There was no reason for him to head home for hours; he could read through his old notes and if he was hungry there was a sandwich in the fridge.

“That’s because Mary Margaret is the one that made the dinner plans.  I’m just the messenger.”  David sat on the corner of the desk, reaching over to close the file folder on top of the pile.  “She says she’s worried we’re working too hard, which is probably true, but really I think it’s the cabin fever talking.  She’s glad to have this time off with Neal but she also misses teaching.”

“Don’t you want to have time just with your wife?  We see each other enough.”  Too much, lately, considering the hours they had been working.

“This is about my wife wanting to see other people.  Not like that,” David admonished before Gabe could made a sarcastic comment.  “If you’re really my friend you’ll come and talk about something other than diapers and whether it’s a real smile or gas.”

“I was going to…”

“Obsess over the case some more, like we haven’t been for weeks now?”  They’d been living the case for weeks now.  It was ugly enough to know what was happening without adding on the fact that the man they’d dubbed Hook had already escaped from them once.  It had taken seven years before he’d reamurged, and already another three women were dead.  They couldn’t let him escape again.  They were close enough that they’d saved his last intended target.  They needed to figure out his next move.  The last body they’d found had belonged to a girl that was barely nineteen.  Gabe couldn’t stop remembering the look in Ursula’s father’s eyes when he learned that she had been found, but too late.

“I don’t suppose your wife would believe that I’m coming down with something and don’t dare see the child, would she?”

“Nope.  Besides it’s your job to hold your godkid once in a while.  And change a diaper, if the timing is right.  Come on, Gold.  Don’t make me pull rank on you.”  David stood as if the decision was already made.  Gabe sighed, knowing there wasn’t anything to be gained from arguing.  David wouldn’t let him stay at work; he was devious, and might even resort to calling Belle.

“Any seniority you have is in name only, Nolan.”  He reached for his jacket, though, and settled for taking a handful of files in his briefcase for later.  He should have time after dinner for some studying, before Belle came home.  Or she might decide to stay at her apartment for the night if she was tired, though that didn’t happen often anymore.

He had to admit, an hour later, that leaving work wasn’t the worst idea.  The smell of pot roast greated him when he arrived just a few minutes before David.  Mary Margaret welcomed him with her usual pleasantness and a hint of relief, and was happy to hand over her burbling son.  In the last five months Gabe had held baby Neal more than he’d held any infant in more than a decade combined.  It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.  In an unusual show of good timing Neal had decided to sleep through dinner, and the three adults had discussed anything they thought of that didn’t involve murder, rape, or kidnappings.  It was a much more pleasant evening than the one he’d originally planned.

Until the phone call.

“It’s Archie,” Gabe said when Mary Margaret looked like she wanted to say something about ignoring it.  Taking some time away from work was an entirely different than from ignoring a team member’s call, especially when said team member was spending time with his girlfriend.  “If you’re calling for a tiebreaker again I don’t know or care which Master is the best one.”

“I was calling to see if Belle was with you.”  At Archie’s response Gabe’s grin faded.

“I haven’t seen Belle since she left work.  She’s supposed to be with you.”  It had been over two hours since she’d poked her head into his office and teasingly invited him to join her marathon.  She’d known he would say no, just like he knew that it was important for her and Archie to have time on their own to relax and bond.  Two hours; even with traffic and stopping for pizza she should have been home almost an hour ago.  “Are you just now getting there?”

“I knocked a little more than twenty minutes ago but she didn’t answer so I waited in my car.  I called but she’s not picking up.  And I think…”

Gabe took a breath before asking, not sure he wanted the answer.  “What do you think?”

“I think I hear her phone ringing from inside when I call her.  She’s not answering, Gold, and there’s no lights on inside.  She had her phone with her at work today.”  He sounded stressed, which wasn’t uncommon but it also wasn’t usually unfounded.

“I need you to lock the doors of your car.  If you’re not in your car you need to get in it and lock the doors.  I’m at David’s; we’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”  Fifteen minutes was too long.  Five minutes was too long, but there was nothing he could do about it except try and make sure Archie was safe.  “I have to go.”

“Archie’s in trouble?”  David was already pushing back from the table, pausing only long enough to kiss his wife’s head as he paused next to her chair.  

“Belle isn’t home and she’s not answering her phone.”  He didn’t even have to look at his phone to hit the speed-dial button that connected him to her.  Four rings and he was listening to her cheerful voice asking him to leave a message.

“Maybe she stopped at a bookstore on her way home.  You know how she gets when she’s in one of those places.”  David didn’t sound confident, but it was a pretty story that he wished he believed.  “We’re taking my car.”

“I drive faster.”  He had more than a few speeding tickets to his name.  The faster they got to Belle’s the sooner they would know something.  There were too many ideas already in his head of what could have happened. Too many images from past cases.

“And I’m more likely to get us there in one piece.  You can call Graham and Emma.”  David wouldn’t accept an argument and after a moment’s hesitation Gold wasn’t about to offer one.

“Call me when you know anything.  I’ll be awake.”  Neal started fussing, and Mary Margaret scooped up her son as they headed for the door.  “Please be careful.  All of you.”

II

The street was lit up with sirens when they arrived, everything glowing in a familiar but unsettling red and blue.  Two police cars blocked off the road in front of Belle’s apartment. Graham had already arrived, talking to a distraught looking Archie.

“Emma’s inside.”  Graham nodded at the open apartment door.  “No signs of Belle but her phone is here.”

Under other circumstances Gabe might have raised an eyebrow over the fact that both Emma and Graham had arrived when Graham lived over half an hour away.  It didn’t even register that Graham hadn’t been at home when the call had come.  Gabe headed straight for the apartment, where all the lights were blazing now.  He tried not to think that their crime scene was being trampled by the local LEOs.  he tried not to think that it could be a crime scene.  

“Emma, tell us what we know so far.”  The moment they entered the living room David took charge, ignoring the cops for his teammate.

“Her phone was in the kitchen.  Her car is in the underground lot.  She’s been home tonight.  Maybe there’s a chance she went out for a run, or took a Lyft somewhere.”  Emma looked every inch the professional despite the fact that she’d changed into jeans and thrown a blazer over a t-shirt.  It was only when you looked at her eyes that you could see how worried she was.  “We haven’t found her keys yet.”

“She and Archie had plans.  She wouldn’t do that without calling him.”  He hadn’t read many of the books on the bookcases that lined one of the walls of the room, but he’d touched them.  Teased her about finding a few of his own titles there, next to Jane Austen as the organization system made no sense to anyone but Belle.  He’d sat on that couch, napped on it, made love with Belle on it.  The room was intimately familiar and yet it felt alien.  Gabe couldn’t seem to focus on what might be different, what might be a clue.  Without Belle it was all different.

For the first time one of the officers spoke up.  “Is she seeing anyone?  Perhaps she’s with…”

“No.”  The cop was wise enough not to push any further.

“Officer, would you all please canvas the neighbors?  We’ll look inside; Agent French is one of ours.”  David, thankfully, was able to clear the room in just a few minutes.  Gabe walked toward the kitchen.  The phone was still on the counter.  Belle’s phone, standard issue except for the bright blue case that she’d found with a rose on the back.  She’d been home.  There was a u-bake pizza in the fridge; she’d stopped on her way home.  There was no reason for her to leave.  Not unless she wasn’t given a choice.

“Gold?”  Emma was close.  Too close, for him not to notice that she’d approached him.

“All I can see is that she’s not here.”  Not where she belonged.  He gripped the edge of the counter as if it was all that was holding him up.

“No, it’s not.  Look, Gold.  No one but Belle knows this space better than you.   There’s something.  Anything out of the ordinary could help us find her.  And we will find her, I swear we will.”  They both knew it could be a lie.  No one was safe from the monsters, but that was why fairy tales existed.

Gold took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment.  He needed to be better than his best.  He needed to use everything he knew.  He needed to find her.  

“She comes through the back door when she parks in the garage.  Only uses the front when there’s street parking.  The pizza is new, and the wine.  We can use that to work a timeline.”  Everything was so neat, no sign of a struggle.  Of anyone else.  It was just as it should be, except there was no Belle.  “I don’t see her purse, that brown leather one.  You said her keys are missing.”

“I did.  The phone was the only thing that told me she’d been home.  That and the food you said wasn’t here earlier.  There’s not much in the fridge.  No milk or creamer, no leftovers.”  Emma opened the fridge again.  The pizza, wine, and a couple of sodas were the only thing on the top shelf.

“She doesn’t eat here much.”  He’d been working up to asking her to make it permanent.  There was no reason for her to pay rent when all her time not spent on the road was spent at his house.

“Any chance she’s at your place now?  You weren’t there tonight, were you?”  

“Mary Margaret made a roast.  She was about to serve dessert.”  For a moment he let himself believe, but it didn’t make any sense.  “Graham can go check, he knows the security code.”

“David’s sending Archie back to the office.  He can do a check on Belle’s credit cards, trace any calls.  Everyone’s working on this, Gold.  The whole team.”  The touch on his shoulder was light, and rare.  They didn’t touch often, the two of them.  

“Not the whole team.”  Gabe wasn’t even sure that Emma was around to hear him.  It didn’t matter; they were all aware of the void.

“She came through the back door,” he muttered to himself.  He’d come in the front, and hadn’t seen anything.  Reaching into a pocket for one of the gloves he always kept handy he slipped it on and reached for the back door’s handle.  It wasn’t locked.  The porch light, however, was not only off but broken.  Unlike the neighbors and their dim yellow bulbs Belle’s light had been a bright white.  And her lock was difficult for even an expert lockpick.  She was a single woman living alone that was far too aware of what could happen to single women living alone.  She was careful.

The light on his phone wouldn’t be enough to search too far, but it at least lit up her back porch.  There was little to see.  Most of the shattered glass had been kicked aside.  There were no keys, no purse, no Belle.  There was something wet on the middle step.  Not rain, as it was a clear night.  Not from the sprinklers, too far away.  Gabe crouched down and touched the dampness, holding it up to his nose.  The smell of cheap rum was distinct.  His knee gave out and he fell back, his head hitting the wall.  He didn’t notice any pain, and wasn’t granted the temporary reprieve of unconsciousness.

“No.”  Please no, it couldn’t be true.

“Gabe?”  David stood on the porch, the lights from inside the kitchen illuminating half his face.  

“He has her.  Killian Jones has Belle.”  He knew without question that Graham would find his house dark.  That Belle was somewhere darker, colder, farther away.  That she was at the mercy of a man that already had seven dead women to his name.  Archie wouldn’t find anything on her credit cards.  They had stopped Jones from taking a victim, so he had taken one of theirs.

[anthony-kate]

***Well... clearly a lot has happened during this on-going hiatus, huh? I mean, I could maybe go on another rant of this absolute nonsense but I believe you are just as tired as me. Besides, there are way better things to spend your time with---reading Malec fanfics, for example. I dunno about you but those fics always cheer me up and put me in a better mood, so I hope this will be the case for you, too.

Anyway, thanks so much for all the love for the previous rec’s and I hope you enjoy this 8th(!) edition of Malec fanfic rec’s as much as the other ones. As always, I am curious to know what you think of it, so let me know. Even more so, leave a comment or/and kudo for the authors---we all need the validation and it is just a nice gesture after their fics kept you entertained for a little while.***

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Volume 5

Volume 6

Volume 7

MR CONGENIALITY by @stupidnephilimlove [ M | AU | 28.7k | complete ]

When a terrorist threatens to bomb the Mr United States pageant, FBI Special Agent Alexander Lightwood is chosen to go undercover. His partner, Jace Herondale, thinks he's doing Alec a favour by choosing him, but Alec's disgruntled. He considers the idea of a male beauty pageant - hell, any pageant - degrading.

As he progresses through the rounds, Alec struggles to fight a growing attraction to pageant consultant Magnus Bane, forms unlikely friendships with contestants, and learns that Mr United States is much more than just a beauty pageant.

But with limited time, can he uncover the person behind the threat before it's too late?

BEST LAID PLANS by @superficialpeasant [ E | 74.2k | WIP | Best Laid Plans #1 ]

When a High Warlock looking to end his celibacy streak meets a Shadowhunter after no-baggage thrills, the two make a deal: anytime, anywhere, no strings attached.

CASUAL WIN by @superficialpeasant  [ E | 6.5k | complete | Best Laid Plans #2 ]

Alec tries new things, and Magnus rediscovers the joy of laughing during sex (a ‘Best Laid Plans’ one-shot).

SET ME IN MOTION by @lemonoclefox [ M | AU | 132k | complete ]

“Is that your way of asking me to cook for you sometime?” Alec says. “'Cause I will.” The moment the words escape his mouth, Alec finds himself slightly panicking. Because he does not talk like that, ever―in a way that might even be considered flirting―and he still doesn’t understand what it is about Magnus that brings stuff like that out of him. More importantly, he has a boyfriend. Magnus, however, just looks mildly surprised as their eyes meet. “My, my. Master chef, good family name, and charming?” Magnus tilts his head ever so slightly. “Careful, Mr. Lightwood,” he says in a low, teasing voice, mouth curving up in a smile. “You’re gonna make me swoon.” ---

One night, Magnus spots a handsome stranger in the elevator of his apartment building – which wouldn’t be a big deal if said stranger didn’t turn out to be dating Magnus’s neighbor. The stranger soon becomes Alec, and their paths end up crossing more than once. A tentative friendship develops as they slowly get to know each other, and they both find that it’s effortless in a way neither of them has ever known. It's only when other kinds of feelings start getting involved that things become a bit more complicated.

ON STRANGER TIDES by @lecrit [ E | AU | 53.7k | complete | A Pirate’s Life For Me #2 ]

Alec kissed him like he had the first time, desperately, but tenderly, with all the rashness of a man in love. It was Magnus who pulled back, thumb gently brushing over Alec’s cheekbone. “I’m going to miss this,” he said, voice pitched low, “when we get back to Alicante.” “As will I,” Alec allowed, bowing his head to rest his forehead against Magnus’. “But I know we can show them how it’s done, you and I.”

As long as he had this, the unconditional love of an extraordinary man, the gift of his passion behind closed doors and the tenderness of his eyes in the secrecy of his mind, as long as there was their burning bodies melting together to express what words couldn’t, Alec didn’t need to worry. What was the worst that could happen?

A TINY SPARK by @magicandarchery [ E | AU | 55.7k | complete ]

As a firefighter for the FDNY, Alec Lightwood and his battalion respond to an emergency call for an apartment fire. After rushing a young, soon-to-be mother out of the burning building and to safety, Alec must deliver her newborn baby.

He never expected the little girl to spark an inexplicable bond between them. After a prior adoption fell through in a devastating way, should he and Magnus even hope they might be able to adopt her?

EXIT POLLING by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ E | AU | 14.7k | complete ]

You can have ambition or love, but you can’t have both. ---

a political au: magnus is a political fixer, and alec is the poor fool hoping to be mayor.

STARS IN YOUR EYES by @carmenlire [ not rated | 2.1k | complete ]

Huh. His door is standing open but there’s no one in his office. He’s about to stand up and close the door when he hears a giggle. Alec smiles, and leans back in his seat waiting for-- Ah, there it is. A pair of big blue eyes are peeking around the corner of his desk. Alec makes a show of focusing on the inventory spreadsheet in front of him. He silently starts counting to five in his head. He barely makes it to three before an enthusiastic body launches itself at him. Alec has help with his Head of the Institute duties.

THE ONE THING (I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF) by @floralegia [ M | AU | 28.7k | complete ]

Alec wasn't expecting to enjoy this summer locked away with his family at a posh resort in the Catskills, just biding his time until he can go home in the fall and then finally, finally move out and escape to college. He was expecting to alternate between bored out of his mind and frustrated with his father's heavy-handed attempts to set him up with Aline, whose parents own the resort, as a last-ditch attempt to pretend Alec didn't come out six months prior.

Enter Magnus Bane.

OR: a Dirty Dancing AU.

I NEED YOU (DO YOU NEED ME?) by discoveries [ T | AU | 6.5k | complete ]

“I am your ex, you are a cop, and I just got arrested for being drunk and disorderly."

THE ANSWER IS “NO” (BUT BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE) by @la-muerta [ M | AU | 9.3k | complete | A Game Of Pitch And Catch #1 ]

It's Christmas Eve, but instead of being home with his siblings watching cheesy television and eating pizza, Alec Lightwood is stuck in a small town in the middle of nowhere because of a snow storm. Worse, he's going to have to share a room at an over-priced B&B with his sister's annoying boss, Magnus Bane. They'll be lucky if this Christmas doesn't end in bloodshed.

OUT OF LEFT FIELD by @la-muerta [ E | AU | 13.5k | complete | A Game Of Pitch And Catch #2 ]

Alec and Magnus didn't expect this attraction between them, but they'd agreed to give it a chance. And if this was going to be more than just sex, then it made sense to take sex off the table for now... or at least that was the game plan.

Well. When life throws you curveballs, there's only one thing to do - knock it out of the park!

WELL AT LEAST SOMEBODY NOTICED... by @the-burning-tiger [ G | AU | 2.7k | complete ]

Alec Lightwood is seriously regretting his life choices. If it weren't bad enough that he was on the blind date from hell, his work nemesis Magnus Bane just walked in.

IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE by @astudyinfic [ E | PWP | 4.9k | complete | Institutional Series #1 ]

When Alec is late for date night, Magnus goes to the Institute to retrieve his workaholic boyfriend.

But it turns out that Alec is cooking up a lot more than dinner.

STUDYING HARD by @astudyinfic [ E | PWP | 5.1k | complete | Institutional Series #2 ]

Magnus wanted a chance to pay Alec back for the kitchen incident, as he liked to refer to it, but work kept getting in the way.

But when Alec gets stuck in the Institute library doing research, Magnus eagerly offers to help. However, it appears very little research will actually get done.

Revenge never felt so good.

HAPPY SHINY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ E | AU | 18.1k | complete ]

Alec emerges from one of the bathroom stalls already fully dressed in a gray suit, plain white dress shirt, and hair neatly combed.

He looks like he always does, which is to say: painfully handsome and angry at the world.

A week into his new living arrangements and Magnus has realized that no matter where Izzy goes, she wears towering stilettos that hurt Magnus just to look at them, Jace is a mostly harmless douchebag, and Alec is a big mystery, their very own Phantom of the Loft.

VITULA by @lightwormsiblings [ G | AU | 1.9k | complete ]

Alec vaguely registers that he’s standing in the middle of the sidewalk and blocking people’s path but he can’t stop staring.

He’s beautiful. Not just because he’s outwardly gorgeous, but because of the way his eyes slip closed whenever he crescendos and the way his body seems to move fluidly to the music he’s creating.

Or the one where Alec becomes particualarily enamored with a street violinist

THE STORM, THE WHIRLWIND, THE EARTHQUAKE by @alecsgideon [ G | AU | 1.4k | complete | Small Town Verse #2 ]

Lightning has a way of changing Alec's life

CALL IT LUCK (CALL IT FATE) by the_crownless_queen [ not rated | AU | 17.5k | complete ]

When Izzy rents out a house in Corsica, the last thing Alec expects it to meet the man of his dreams while running on a beach there.

THREE TO MAKE A PAIR by @like-a-bucky [ M | AU | 47.8k | complete ]

Magnus is a good friend and the absolute best roommate in the world, so of course when Jace begs him to pretend to be his boyfriend for his family's 4th of July barbecue, he says yes. Enters Alec, Jace's gorgeous brother. Aaaand Magnus is screwed.

EVERYTHING HE COULD NEVER BE by @alecsgideon [ T | AU | 21.7k | complete ]

In between jobs, Alec and his son, Max, move to Alec's mother's country home where they meet Magnus and his son, Rafael - the small family Maryse rented the 1st floor out to. As a big city MD and single dad, Alec finds himself fascinated by Magnus' eccentric healing practice, parenting methods and deep brown eyes.

And while preparing for the move to London, finally spending time with his son, and juggling his growing affection towards Magnus, the ghosts of Alec's childhood threaten to disturb the peace he'd found surrounded by his family.

BLUE JEANS AND BLUE SKY by @like-a-bucky [ M | AU | 57.6k | complete ]

Magnus was seven years old when he arrived in Colorado to start his new life - with new parents, a new language, a new everything. Making friends would have helped him, except that his first encounter with the neighbours' kids didn't go too well, and Magnus vowed to hate the Lightwoods forever.

Forever. No matter what.

IT’S US AGAINST THE UNIVERSE, BABY by @la-muerta [ E | PWP | AU | 12.9k | complete | The Universe is Conspiring Against Us #5 ]

Magnus and Alec have been happily married for seven years now. They've started their own law practice, and they have three beautiful children together. They should have known the universe wasn't going to leave them to their happily ever after.

Then again, nobody messes with Mr and Mr Lightwood-Bane - not even the universe.

YOU KNOW WE’RE GONNA DO IT RIGHT by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ E | AU | 26.7k | complete | Happily Ever After, Kind Of #1 ]

"So, like, this is--what? A pity date? Good press? Take the poor college kid out, let people see you mingle with the commoners?"

"No," Magnus says, "I like you."

Alec shakes his head. "You don't even know me."

"Does anyone ever really know another person?"

"Boy," Alec says, fiddling with his napkin, "I love philosophy."

---

A royalty au. Magnus is a prince. Alec is perpetually stressed out.

THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN US by @astudyinfic [ M | AU | 42.2k | complete ]

Izzy's parents will never accept her new boyfriend, whom they expect her to bring home for the holidays. Enter her best friend and colleague Magnus. Sure, pretending to date is a terrible idea in the movies but as neither of them harbors any secret love for the other, Magnus figures this should be a simple weekend in the Hamptons with his friend.

Until he meets Isabelle's brother and Magnus knows they have all the elements of a chemical reaction that is about to blow up in his face.

MIGHT AS WELL by @carmenlire [ not rated | AU | 3.1k | complete ]

The two of them stare at each other for long minutes. Alec doesn’t know if Magnus is waiting for him to speak first but now, laying here with Magnus just inches away and feeling like it might as well be an oceanic chasm, he’s too tired to keep the words from slipping out.

After all, what’s the worst thing that could happen? He’s already staring down the face of his world imploding, just because he was stupid enough to fall for someone who wouldn’t ever be interested in him like that.

GOING DOWN by @lecrit [ M | AU | 6.7k | complete ]

Of all the days in all the years Alec has worked here, and of all the people who work in this building that he could have found himself stuck with, the Universe chose to trap him in an elevator with Magnus Bane on the day his sister is giving birth. Well, fuck you too, Universe.

[dragonleesupporter]

Philanthropy (Paradigm Series)

WARNING: (VERY deep concepts and messed up actions and implications or utter disgraceful morality. Also, VERY GRAPHIC. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.)

“I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! This is all my fault!” Shasta cried into his hands, his mother confusedly rubbing his back in attempts to comfort him.

             “What’s your fault?” His mother asked.

             The prince grew quiet, not wanting to talk anymore, surprising the queen.

             “I… won’t push you, son. You can talk to me when you’re ready. But at least let me say that she’s never coming back here. Hopefully that gives you some comfort. Come to me if you need.” She gently kissed his forehead and walked out, not knowing what else to do as her husband tried to comprehend what was to come next.

             It had been a truly traumatic day. After Shasta had woke up late from his date with Alo out in the pool, he realized that today was special. They had a visitor that day.

 Another queen from a faraway kingdom who stayed a little longer than what she was welcomed to. But Shasta’s parents were confrontational, and couldn’t think of a nice way to make her leave. She was very impolite, and some of things she was saying caused his parents to cover Shasta’s ears, for some reason. Her name was strangely familiar to Shasta, but his brain was foggy from the lack of sleep, and he tried to avoid making nonsensical connections in his dazed state. His parents had at least dismissed the prince early from the dinner table at his request, to go meet his soulmate unbeknownst to them. Alo had showed up on time with some Wishing the Moons, and Shasta had rushed forward to give him a kiss. They were in the midst of their normal playful banter, Shasta about ready to introduce Alo to chocolate, when they heard a commotion from downstairs. Then they heard footsteps thundering up the steps. Before either of them could react, the visiting queen flung open the door to the prince’s room.

             Shasta remembered the shriek of terror that had escaped his lover as the queen locked eyes with him. Her eyes became slits as she started growling.

             “There you are… THERE YOU ARE!” She reached forward just for Shasta to stop her, confusion clouding his better judgment as he only blocked hesitantly. But when Alo whimpered out her name pleadingly, it all suddenly made sense.

             “R- Ritah… P-please no…” Alo covered his head and started to tremble uncontrollably as his high-pitched sobs cut into Shasta’s heart like gnarled quills, twisting and ripping it to shreds.

             “YOU.” The prince’s eyes became equally as reptilian as the queen’s.

             “STEP ASIDE, SERVANT. THAT BOY IS MY PROPERTY. GIVE HIM TO ME!” Ritah clung onto him and dug her claws into the golden one’s shoulders.

             “BACK OFF, YOU VILE BEAST!” Shasta spat in her face. “HOW DARE YOU?!” He threw his head forward and started to bite the hateful queen on her neck.

           By now, two hurried sets of footsteps were making their way upstairs.

             Shasta turned around to see a final glimpse of his love before Alo took off out the balcony.

             “SHASTA?!”

             “SON! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!”

             He heard his parents call from just down the hallway as he could feel the impacts of their feet thud against the floor.

             “THIS QUEEN JUST ATTACKED ME! SHE CAME INTO MY QUARTERS AND LUNGED AT ME!” He heard the footsteps quicken tenfold as he finally calmed down enough to return his eyes to normal, holding the queen in place as she thrashed.

             “I’m sorry, Queen Ritah, but please do not come back or else our guards will spear you.” Shasta’s mother uttered, almost apologetically, as she threw out the pink grecken. “You’ve disrespected us as kingdom, and your actions have consequences. I never thought excusing you to the bathroom would ever intend for you to attack my son.”

 …

             Shasta flashed forward to the present. He was all alone. His parents were off to go notify neighboring kingdoms of the possible threat of Queen Ritah, while his partner was nowhere to be seen.

             “What if he never comes back?!” The prince’s thoughts started to race. “What if he never forgives me for letting his tormentor in MY PALACE?!”

             A third dreadful thought struck Shasta, this one shattering his already-weak heart.

             “What if she finds him again? … She knows he’s here…”

             However, his heart didn’t break completely… He gritted his teeth. Why were his fists clenched? He had to clear his head; he was breathing so hard… A different heat was overtaking him. A heat he didn’t like. Burning coals replaced the organs in his chest, and his skin started to steam as a mind-numbing pain overtook him.

             “I’m going to go find him.” He whispered to himself, taking off his prince attire. “I need to. I need to give something back to him. After all we’ve been through... all the secrets we’ve told... He’s given me so much. I can’t let him down, now.”

             He stiffly walked over to where his makeup stand was. Once an embarrassment of his, now used to his advantage.  

             He hesitated at the balcony edge. He knew he could fly, but he didn’t know how… He could glide at least. With his new grey makeup on, his sword in its scabbard, and a few deep breaths, he jumped.

             Shasta couldn’t have been more right.

             After Alo had run away, pounding the ground until his lungs burned, he was quickly discovered at the abandoned bar. Ritah had seen him flee after she was kicked out. Shortly after, she caught the interest of a few alchemists on the street and asked them to follow her.

             Alo panted, unable to calm his spazzing heart as he entered the bar. He sat, trying desperately to control his breathing. He couldn’t think of anything else… Just those white, narrowed slits of eyes staring at him with so much hatred that pierced and dissolved his heart like paper in water. He still couldn’t believe his mother had traveled so far, and just so happened to find him. Or maybe she was tracking him all along? Was he safe nowhere?!

             Alo shook his head back and forth, trying to force the terrible memories and voices out of the depths of his mind. Everything was crashing down around him, the horrible world opened its mouth to devour whatever sanity he had left.  In the midst of his internal drowning, he hadn’t even realized three figures had entered the bar.

             Before he knew it, he was pinned in a chair and had his wrists and ankles bolted to it as he sat there, shell-shocked.

             “Please…” He whimpered, his cracking, high-pitched voice making him sound just like the scared child he once was. “Please… no…” his numb voice echoed with no reply.

             “Undress him.” Ritah commanded with a smirk.

             Alo’s crying pleas fell on deaf ears as he was forced out of his hoodie and jeans. The alchemists started collecting samples of his blood and tears through painful means, wordlessly obeying the queen. Holding his mouth open, and scraping tissue off of his tongue, cheeks, and the top of his mouth, making it bleed as he cried more.

             “In order to absorb all of what you want us to… we’ll need... even MORE of an adrenaline rush, but he just seems numb at this point.” One of the alchemists put down her gear with a frustrated huff.

             “Oh. I think I know what to do…” The queen began to undress herself.

             “NO!” He screamed, just putting in effort to form the word caused his mouth and arms to bleed more.

             “Oh yes, that’ll do it.” The second alchemist commented with an evil grin as the tormentor got closer.

             Alo had never felt so scared in his life. Dread was crushing him from the inside out, almost as if his insides had been replaced with stones and balls of ice as the queen drew nearer. He also realized one of the alchemists getting a bit too close to his eye with a needle.

             Then it all clicked.

             They wanted his soul. His essence. His own mother was going to force it from him using the same act of torture done to his father… the same way Alo was created… forced bonding. (Or in the human world, rape.)

             The alchemists positioned the needle, ready for the perfect moment to extract. The queen forced herself onto the squirming grecken and started to stimulate him. It was about to start when-

             “NO! DON’T HURT HIM! DON’T YOU DARE HURT HIM!” A red, fuming, grecken stormed into the building and tackled the first alchemist, knocking her out cold before turning to the two surrounding Alo.

             “LET HIM GO. NOW.” His eyes became slits as a demonic voice pierced the air.

             “Or what, peasant?” The queen would not let up, pounding even harder into the helpless thief. “You going to kill me?”

             “OH NO. KILLING WOULD BE MERCIFUL COMPARED TO WHAT I’M GOING TO DO…” The red grecken charged the remaining alchemist who tried to fend him off with a lowly needle, only to fall unconscious like her counterpart after having her head smashed against a brick wall.

             The queen now grew nervous as she silently got off of a begging, hyperventilating Alo.

             The red stranger showed a deranged smile before leaping onto the pink one.

             “I’M GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.” He said, ripping off her crown which was still on her head. “YOU ARE NOTHING��� YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL FORGET YOU… AND IF YOU DO HAPPEN TO CROSS THEIR MIND… THEY’LL LAUGH. AT. YOU. YOU’RE HELPLESS. YOU NEED TO BE GIVEN WHAT YOU’VE DISHED OUT.” Still with a deranged smile, and now glowing eyes with only the slits being visible, the stranger drew a sword from his belt and threw the queen backwards.  

             Alo watched in splitting, numbing, horror as his rescuer reached inside her and ripped out the queen’s tool of forced bonding, her screams never-ending, and her eyes popping out of her skull with a look of intensified desperateness as her reproductive organs were tore apart in front of her. The stranger then took the sword and stabbed both of Ritah’s eyes, the sword going all the way through her head to pierce the floor behind it. Yellow blood went everywhere as he cut off both fins on her arms and used his blunt nails to make more scars on her chest, shredding off her secondary tool of pride; her attractive beasts.

 He then picked her up, and threw her out of the bar to stumble about and blindly cry for help to an empty road. Surprisingly, it wasn’t enough damage to kill her, but it was enough to make her wish it would. Blinded, in immense pain, and with all of her feministic qualities stripped off her, she was now nothing but useless scraps of living flesh. As a finishing touch, the red grecken cast an unholy spell on her that would force her to live on in this agony, unable to die, until he decided her punishment was over.

             The red beast turned to look at Alo, and for a second, the thief thought he might be next, but then the slitted eyes softened and filled with tears. The red went away and left behind shades of grey makeup applied to golden fur.

             “SH-SHASTA?!” Alo cried as the prince fell to his knees.

             For a second, the prince couldn’t hear. All he could do was stare at his stained, trembling hands as he tried to comprehend what he had just done. His terrified expression slowly turned and looked at the hostage. His eyes filled with tainted blue tears, threatening to spill as Alo watched helplessly. The trembling prince fell to the floor, hands covering his head as he sobbed out apologies and desperate pleas for forgiveness.

             “Seah!” He cried. “Seah, forgive me!” His hands clenched tighter and tighter to the point of drawing blood from his head. “I’m sorry!”

             “SHASTA!” Alo suddenly called from behind him. “SNAP OUT OF IT!”

             The lost prince looked up at the thief, eyes and face wet, lip quivering. “B-but… look at what I did! … I’m a monster!”

             “Shasta, you are NOT a monster. I’ve met enough of them to know, and you are no monster.” Alo reassured, voice quaking from the trauma, and saw Shasta’s breathing start to normalize, though still reasonably shaky.

             “But then… what am I? I’m definitely not the happy, gentle prince my parents raised me to be.” Shasta bent over to rub his head before slowly getting up. “What was that burn? It wasn’t like Heat… it hurt more… and had no relieving feeling. It just kept getting deeper and deeper… it hurt so much… I…” Shasta, at this point had unscrewed the purple grecken’s metal bonds in the midst of his ranting and the other had hugged the prince.

             “It’s called Wrath of Dolangs.” Alo explained, caring for his soulmate and rocking him back and forth as he let out the rest of his tears on his shoulder. “It was named by our ancient ancestors. When one must protect another against a great threat in vengeance, or when someone must be punished in general, sometimes, they take the shape of a legendary creature. Dolangs, even farther back in time, were hideous red demons that used to terrorize the lands. After a group of queens begged Seah to take the demons away, Seah explained to them that, as long as there was creation, there must also be destruction. The queens then pointed out that greckens, themselves, destroy things all the time. Seah granted their wish, but legend says that, in return, she took away a great deal of creation from her own hands, including the Chistix; living angels on our planet’s surface... Letting the world have its own destruction and creation. But, as Seah still guides us once in a purple moon with a hidden Chistix, Dolangs still come back from deep inside of us on rare occasions. That redness was not you. It was a Dolang. You unknowingly agreed to let it take control of you, your hatred of my mother being strong enough for it to get through to control your body. But also remember that Dolangs used to destroy as orders of Seah to keep the balance. She controls them. Whatever you did with the Dolang’s power, it was Seah ordering it to. Seah WISHED it. Or else she wouldn’t have given it to you.” This finally got Shasta to stop crying.

             “But I still feel bad…” He sulked.

             “It happened for a reason. Let it be. Come on, your parents must be worried- AH!” Alo cried in pain as soon as he tried to stand up.

             “Oh no… no, no, no… Please don’t tell me she got you…” The prince shivered and looked down at Alo’s exposed vulnerability.  

             “No. She only started to… but it still hurts…” Alo looked up at the golden grecken to realize he was staring at his crotch, where he had been abused.

            “Here... let me help you...” Shasta offered a hand to his soulmate.

…

             “No!”

             “Come on, please?”

             “I said no! I’d throw everything off for you and your parents!”

             “But if you don’t stay here with me, I might have a panic attack!”

             Alo stopped, unable to argue with the prince. He sighed.

             “Fine.”

             “YAY!” Shasta instantly hugged him from behind and started planting small kisses on his neck.

             Alo started to giggle and scrunch up his shoulders. “Hehehehey!”

             “Oooo! Give me more of that!” Shasta pushed his muzzle into his soulmate’s fur and nuzzled him, getting a squeak as a reward. “I love your laugh!”

             “Sh-hahahaha! G- gahahaha!” Every time Alo tried to speak out in protest, Shasta playfully nibbled on him, making him spurt out gibberish through his cackles.

             After a while of playing that game, mostly to get Alo’s mind off of his recent abuse, Shasta saw Alo’s yawn and started to gently pull him towards his bed with no protest.

             Alo fell right asleep in his lover’s arms as he dozed off on the softest bed he had ever slept in, and Shasta, after internally screaming at how adorable his soulmate was, decided to close his eyes as well, protectively wrapping his arms around him.

Despite the traumatic day for both of them, they never felt safer than with each other.

[parkkjiminssi]

Outcast

Kim Taehyung x Reader | social media au

Part 10: How

In a world where superpowers exist, you would think that there’s no such thing as being different. Y/N, however, was branded with that tittle early in her childhood days after almost destroying her school and hurting her classmates. In attempts of escaping her past, Y/N attends to a high school that’s in a neighboring city. What will happen when Y/N meets the Elite Nine? What will happen when Y/N meets a boy named Kim Taehyung?

tag list: @astronomyturtle, @namiiy, @momdancingtomcr, @perseephony, @moonfairyjoon, @vstellarkth, @stephgiriseok

word count: 2.9K

a/n: I’m sorry this is so long 🥺 I just wanted to throw some fluff at you guys. Like always links are on my bio!

Y/N and Taehyung:

Today was just a chaotic as yesterday had been. A lot of questions were left hanging in the air and of course you all were looking for answers.

“Where’s Kay?” Avery asked once all of you, well most of you, were sitting on your usual table.

“She didn’t wanted to come to school today.” Lynn responded as she swallowed the bite she had taken out of her rice ball. “I guess she wasn’t ready to face Jimin.”

“Speaking of Jimin,” Avery continued, now turning to you. “where is he? He’s not with the boys.”

“As soon as he walked into class and didn’t see Kay, he tried leaving but Mr. Shin trapped him into a force field.” You answered. “I’m guessing now that it’s lunchtime and Mr. Shin is no longer on top of him, he’ll be leaving one way or the other.”

“To be honest, it was about time somebody said something. Neither of them were ever going to say anything even if they’re dying of love for each other.” Avery said as she took a bite of her own rice ball.

“That’s just the way Kay is. She’s afraid to get attached.” Lynn said with a sad chuckle. “I guess she’s actually just afraid of going back to that hellhole. As if I’ll let that happen.”

You placed you hand on top of Lynn’s trying to provide comfort. “We won’t let that happen if the time ever comes.”

“Which it won’t!” Avery added.

“But if it does, we won’t allow for anything to happen to her.” You finished.

Avery looked over her shoulder and waved at Namjoon. He returned the wave with a dimpled smile. It made you uncomfortable the fact that due to your disagreement with Taehyung, now the boys were eating separately from the girls.

“Avery, you don’t have to be here with me you know.” You said while sipping on your juice nervously. “You should be with your boyfriend.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay, Y/N. I really don’t mind it!” She said cheerfully. “Anyways, has anyone seen Jinx? She hasn’t arrived yet.”

“I saw her hiding.” Lynn said as she now took a bite out of her dessert. “I’m guessing she’s also avoiding Jungkook.”

“Wow, it’s not like her to miss class. I hope they all fix this, Namjoon will get a stroke. He’s already super stressed with all his president duties.” Avery said in between laughs.

Lynn and yourself joined Avery in the laughter.

Little did you know that a certain blonde haired boy was watching you, wishing that he could be there next to you. Laughing with you.

“Stop starring.” Hoseok murmured without looking up from his plate.

“What are you talking about?” Taehyung asked confused.

“Just go and talk to her. I’m sure she’s forgotten everything by now.” Namjoon added in.

“N-no, I can’t.” Was the only thing Taehyung said before stuffing his mouth with food, unable to say anything else.

More like refusing to answer anything else.

Subconsciously, Taehyung’s graze fell upon you once again. However, this time you also turned to look at him. Your eyes locked for a small moment but as soon the two of you realized what had happened, you quickly looked away.

I’m sorry, Taehyung.

Jimin and Kay:

Jimin was determined to speak with Kay about what had been said in the chat last night. He wanted to know if it was true, he needed to know. He had tried to contact her through any means possible. Text, call, kakaotalk, email, FaceTime, Snapchat but Kay just wasn’t answering. And as soon as Jimin saw that Kay wasn’t at school, his whole plans went down the drain.

He tried his best to leave. To go find Kay. Unfortunately Mr. Shin wasn’t having it, and trapped him inside a force field throughout the whole morning.

“Any sudden movements and I’ll make sure to close this field on you. I’m sure you don’t want to die crushed.” Was the only thing he needed to say to get Jimin to settle down.

“Jimin, calm down. We’ll think of something.” Taehyung whispered to him when Mr. Shin had turned around to write on the board.

“Thank you, Tae.” Jimin replied with a sad smile.

Lunchtime soon came around and there were still no signs of Kay.

As he walked towards the cafeteria, he bumped into Lynn and asked her about Kay.

“She stayed home. I’m sorry, you know how she is.” Lynn said while looking down. “She’s just afraid, you know, of that place.Which has nothing to do with this, but she’s just being dumb.”

“Like hell I’m going to let those bastards lay a hand on her.” Was the last thing he said before taking off running. To where? Well, to the Clearwater’s home. To Kay’s home.

“Wow, Jimin looked so cool right now.” Yoongi finally spoke after a long moment of silence.

Jimin ran. The dumbass could’ve just taken his car, but in a moment of frustration like this, this was the only thing that came to his mind. Later he came to regret this decision when his legs were sore and couldn’t climb up the tree next to Kay’s window. Regardless, he still climbed and knocked on her window.

Kay tried her best to ignore him. To pretend that he wasn’t there but Jimin screaming at her was very hard to ignore and very hard not to laugh at.

“Kay, you better open this fucking window. You don’t know what I’ve been through to get here.” He screamed in between pants, his cheeks red from all the running. “If you don’t open it, I swear I’m going to bust it open.”

“Fine, fine!” Kay eclaimed as she finally opened the window and helped Jimin climb through it. “What do you want?”

“Really? What do I want?! Not even a glass of water or—“

Jimin was cut off by a splash of water on his face, courtesy of none other than Kay herself.

“Kay, can’t you be serious for just a moment?!” Jimin said frustrated, his hands grabbing on to Kay’s arms. “Why haven’t you answered my calls or my texts? Why didn’t you go to school?”

“Why? So you could laugh at me or tease me?” Kay said as she tried her best to free herself from Jimin’s hold.

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Because you’ve only seen me as your best friend and I’m so in love with you.” Kay yelled, tears finally streaming down her face. Thank god that her parents were out working. Otherwise, Mr. Clearwater would’ve busted in to Kay’s room ready to pummel whoever it was that had made his daughter scream like that.

“Kay, all this time I was the one that was in love with you and thought that you only saw me as your best friend.” Jimin sighed, his hands letting go of Kay’s arms and embracing her instead.

“Y-you in love with me?” Kay asked. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I don’t know, Kay.” Jimin said as he gently stroked her back, trying to comfort her. “I guess I was just always scared or had this idea that you’d never see me as anything more than your best friend.”

“That’s just silly. You seriously could never tell all those times that I would flirt with you?” Kay pulled away to look at Jimin in the eyes.

“Well now it does sound silly and no I couldn’t.” He said looking away. “I was just always trying not to think too much out of things so our friendship wouldn’t become awkward. I guess I just didn’t wanted to lose you, it didn’t matter if we stayed friends forever. I was content with being just that.”

“But I know that the moment you started dating someone else, I was most likely going to lose it. Kay, please hear me out.” Jimin finally gathered the courage to look at Kay in the eyes. It was now or never. “I know that you live in constant fear that one day those assholes from the center will come back for you. That that’s why you’re afraid to form bonds and get attached.”

“Jimin, I—“

“No, please let me talk. If I don’t say it now then who knows when I’ll gather up the courage to say it again. Maybe another five years will pass by.” Jimin cut Kay off, causing a soft giggle to escape her lips.

“When I first met you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the entire world. As we started to talk more, I just became more and more entranced with you. From there, our friendship grew and you became comfortable enough to share your story with me. Still to this day, I feel very honored to know that I was the first person you ever confided in about this aside from your family, of course.” The two of them smiled at the memories. Of how close they had gotten in these five years. Of everything they had gone through together. “Kay, ever since that day I made myself a promise to not let those sons of bitches lay a hand on you ever again. I’ve been training and doing everything in my power to become stronger, so when that day comes I’ll be ready.”

Kay was practically sobbing at this point. She always felt like shouldn’t enjoy her life because sooner or later it would be over once again. Oh how she hated that place and the people that ran it. How she hated the fact that she always had to be watching her back and how she didn’t feel like a human at all. That she was only an experiment for them and nothing else.

“Kay, you deserve to live a normal life.” Jimin said as he whipped off her tears. “You also need to learn to depend on others and that it’s okay to show weakness every once in a while. Because unlike before, you have us by your side now. Kay, I love you so much and I won’t let anything ever happen to you.”

“I-I love you too.” Kay said in between sobs.

“I loooove you! Marry me Rebecca!”

“D-did you just quote catbug?” Kay looked up at him, a smile growing on her face.

The two of them started laughing out loud. The sadness and frustration from a while ago were long gone. This is what Kay loved the most about Jimin, he always managed to find a way to make her smile. After a couple of minutes, the two of them finally managed to calm down.

“Jimin, I love you so much. I really do, but I—“

“I know, I know.” Wow, Jimin was surely doing a lot of interrupting today. “I’ll wait for you as long as it takes. Can I ask for one thing, though?”

“Sure.” Kay looked up at him with curiosity.

“Can I kiss you every now and then?”

A slight blush appeared on Kay’s cheeks. She definitely didn’t expect something like this, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like the idea. “Yes you—“

Before Kay could finish, once again, Jimin took her in him arms and kissed her.

How the two of them had been wanting to this for a very long time. How lucky they were to have each other.

Jungkook and Jinx:

To say that Jungkook had looked everywhere was an understatement.

Jungkook had left no stone unturned trying to look for Jinx, but somehow the girl was nowhere to find. It was like she had become invisible or something.

Wait a minute.

.

..

...

“SHE FUCKING TURNED INVISIBLE!” Jungkook shouted in frustration.

How had he not thought about this before? He had spent the whole day looking and he even missed lunch time, which according to him was his favorite class despite what everyone said. How dare they say it’s not in the curriculum?

Jungkook sighed. He was exhausted. He walked over to a nearby bending machine and pulled out a few coins from his pants. Just as he was about to choose his drink, he noticed something odd on the reflection.

A floating school uniform?

Well, it’s now or never.

He selected the banana drink before reaching for his phone in his pocket. Jungkook pretended to click on his phone and then placed it against his ear.

“Hey.” He started saying.

Meanwhile, Jinx was standing right behind him. Hiding in between a fake plant and a wall. She never thought she would have to resort to something like this to avoid Jungkook. This boy sure was persistent and she just wasn’t ready for this.

“No, I can’t seem to find her.” He continued. “I don’t know, dude. I’ve looked everywhere, it’s like she vanished.” Pause. “Maybe she decided that after all I wasn’t such a good guy to have a crush on.”

No, that’s not true. Jinx thought.

“At times I can be too childish and irresponsible. I play around too much and my grades are not the best but my feelings for her are not a joke.” Pause. “Since the first moment I saw her, something clicked inside me. I know I probably seemed pretty weird because I kept on starring but can you blame me? She’s so perfect. She’s so smart and so funny.”

A smile started forming on Jinx’s features. Jungkook’s words made her feel all warm inside.

“She never gets mad when I ask her to explain something to me or if she can help me with my homework. Jinx is so sweet and compassionate.” Pause. “Yeah, perhaps I should leave her alone. There’s a reason why she’s been avoiding me.”

“That’s not true!”

Surprised, Jungkook turned around and slowly started putting his phone away in his pocket. He honestly didn’t think she was going to come out of hiding.

But there she was, completely visible and slowly walking up to him. Jinx extended her arm and with her small hand she grabbed on to his blazer.

“I’m not avoiding you.” She finally said. “I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what?” Confusion evident on his voice.

“It’s just, I’m so used to being on top of my studies. I want to go to a good college and help my family.” Jinx kept her head down. She just couldn’t bring herself to look at Jungkook in the eyes. “I’ve never felt something like this for anyone. When I started liking you I got scared. Scared that maybe my grades would drop and of these new feelings. I also get scared that maybe one day you’ll get bored of a girl like me and leave.”

“A girl like you?”

“A girl that doesn’t know anything about liking someone or how to do anything other than studying and not being—.”

Jungkook placed a finger on Jinx’s lips to stop her from continuing talking. His bunny smile slowly growing.

“Jinx, I like you for you. You don’t have to change anything about you, because you’re perfect for me.” Jungkook removed his finger from her lips and started stroking her cheek. “I could never get bored of you. I learn something new about you everyday, all in all I just can’t get enough of you. But look, if this is going too fast then I’m willing to wait. I will wait for you until you’re ready. No rush, really! I know it’s been a few months since we met and all.”

“You’ll wait for me?” Jinx finally lifted her head to look at Jungkook.

“Of course! Just please don’t stop liking me in the meantime.” Jungkook said nervously. “My heart won’t be able to take it.”

“Jungkook, maybe for the first time in my life I should start living my life in the moment.” Her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour but she knew she wanted this. Jinx had never been so sure. “I like you, Jungkook. When I’m with you, you always make me forget about all my troubles. I forget about school, grades, college and getting a good career. There’s no worries with you and you actually make me feel like a fourteen year old girl. You’re right, it’s only been a few months and it’s crazy but I never thought that I would feel like this for you.”

Jungkook took Jinx’s hands in his and brought it up to his lips. He placed a small, gentle kiss on each hand. “Jinx, would you like to be my girlfriend?”

Jinx threw her arms around Jungkook and bobbed her head up and down in excitement. “Yes, of course I would like to be your girlfriend!”

Jungkook wrapped his arms around her waist and gently picked Jinx up and spinner her around. He then placed her on the ground just as gently as he had picked her up. Jungkook pressed his forehead against hers. 

Jinx closed her eyes and smiled. “Jeon Jungkook, please treat me nicely. You’re my first boyfriend.” 

Before Jungkook could say anything, they heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was most likely a teacher or a hall monitor and if they were caught, they were going to get detention for sure!

Jungkook wrapped his hand around Jinx’s and pulled her along with him. “Run!��

“Where are we going?” Jinx asked. She definitely didn’t wanted to ruin her school record that soon.

“Anywhere! I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Jungkook said and he kept on running with Jinx’s hand in his. A slight blush tinted Jinx’s cheeks and a small smile rugged at the corners of her lips. 

Jeon Jungkook. He surely was going to change her life.

[resbangmod]

2018′s Resonance Bang is a wrap!

We’ve reached the end of posting time, everyone! It’s hard to believe we’ve had six of these events already, but here we are. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your participation, whether you’ve been a participant or a viewer.

Coming sometime in the near future will be a survey for all the participants so we can once again find out what might be improved about the Resbang experience.

Now that everything is complete, you can check out the master post on GrigoriWings, or you can click through the readmore to see all the finished works here!

Dec 8th Book of Eibon: Safe Edition

by author: SleepDeprivedFemale

with artist: Ochotona1liensi

Summary: [POST MANGA] Maka copied the legible parts of the Book of Eibon seeking answers. Instead, she comes across peculiar directories, vague musings, confounding retellings, illegible paragraphs, horrifying prototypes and two simple lists of names.

Pairings: None/Gen

Rating: G

Warnings: Vague cosmic horror stuff

Read it here: [tumblr | ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 10th Why Don’t We Just Dance

by author: DemonRider404

with artist: Soulheart

Summary: Small Town/Preacher’s Son AU. Maka Albarn is a fresh high school graduate, ready to leave the confines of this backwater Podunk town and make something of herself. Nothing can stop her now. Enter Soul Evans, the unmotivated, heathen son of the preacher; a perfect cliché. It’s been a few years since he dropped out, and Maka is surprised to find herself…attracted to him. She tries to talk herself out of it, but eventually gives in to a secret summer fling. But flings never end well, especially in a town like this. Could this brief escape into his arms end up being more trouble than it’s worth?

Pairings: SoMa, very background TsuStar

Rating: E (NC17 | M+)

Warnings: Strong language, mentions of divorce, alcoholism, minor recreational drug use, religious themes, blasphemy, and explicit sexual content

Read it here: [tumblr | ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 11 Wild Hunt

by author: ADdude

with artist: Marsh of Sleep

Summary: Summary: Weddings are meant to be happy occasions. Maka’s mother is getting married and Maka and her adoptive sister Eu are trying to get everything perfect. But there is a storm on the horizon, and a new threat that might end the wedding before it starts with lives in the balance can the growing family stop the Wild Hunt?

Semi-Sequel to Lost Warrior

Pairings: Soma, Tsustar, Marie/Stein, Kid/Liz, Kami/Nene, Eu/Ayumu

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

Read it here: [ffn]

View it here: [tumblr | nickpic]

Dec 12 Snakes, Scorpions, Spiders, and Spreadsheets

by author: Zogulesti

with artist: Bonebagroyalty

Summary: (Office AU) A nice little lab in the middle of nowhere was all she wanted, free to experiment to her heart's content. Medusa Gorgon quickly finds that life doesn't always go her way; recent troubles have left her jobless and stuck in a city she absolutely can't stand, with people she despises. A strange job offering from her estranged younger sibling Shaula leads her into the dull, mostly uneventful, life of an office worker, destined to become absolutely nothing important in the grander scheme of their corporate infighting, not to mention the overly attached secretary she's supposed to babysit. Despite this, she quickly learns that maybe she can accomplish more in this position than she ever had before, and begins her journey to bring her sisters back together again in an experiment to see if the silly saccharine concept of "familial bonds" are worth anything.

Pairings: Gorgon Sisters/Family issues, possible Medusa/Eruka, references to Stein/Marie at one point

Rating: T

Warnings: References to sibling abuse/bullying, family issues, corporate politics, language, possible relationship with unequal power dynamic

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr | twitter | instagram]

Dec 13 Blood of a Lion Cub

by author: ThirteenthMurder

with artist: Baph

Summary: Witcher AU - Maka has lived with the Dryads in Brokilon forest almost her entire life, desperately trying to prevent an ancient prophecy tied to her bloodline. When a chance encounter with a Witcher entangled their fates, Maka must take down the Wild Hunt or watch the world burn.

Pairings: SoulxMaka, Implied TsuStar, SteinxMarie, SidxNygus, brief mentions of SpiritxBlaire

Rating: M

Warnings: Minor and Major character deaths, scenes of murder gore and blood, language and violence.

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr | twitter]

Dec 14 The M-squad: Wes is the Ultimate Heist Man

by author: Kona

with artist: Tilliquoi

Summary: Wes didn’t choose a life of crime, it chose him. A heistfic featuring Soul (surprisingly put together), Maba (the gran with the van), Masamune (makeup magician), and Maka (???).

Wes and Soul set out to steal Medusa Gorgon’s prized gem collection, but first… they need a crew. Enter: Maba and Masa, with occasional cameos from Soul’s neighbor Maka (The neighbor he’s /not/ pining for, right? The same one that maybe-probably-definitely likes him back?) and frequent shenaniganery.

Pairings: Gen, very lowkey background soma

Rating: G

Warnings: nothing except extremely brief anxiety attack in beginning of chapter 5

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 15 Black Water

by author: Sandmancircus

with artist: Marsh of Sleep

Summary: Eruka Frog is a swamp witch who was forced to take an oath to aid anyone who asks for help, a duty she reluctantly keeps - even when a wounded werewolf lands himself in her swamp, begging for her to heal him. Free has lost his immortality due to a curse that began within his own clan and, as the witch and the werewolf grow closer, the identity of the true culprit behind both their curses becomes more and more apparent.

Pairings: Free/Eruka

Rating: M

Warnings: Gore, language, alcohol abuse

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr | twitter]

Dec 18 And They Were Roommates (Oh My God)

by author: Karmahope

with artist: Konoha

Summary: For Soul and Maka, moving in together when their previous roommates ditched them to live with each other was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, this might be more than they bargained for. Love/hate relationships between roommates are common, but there’s more love than hate to this one, and they can only put off the inevitable for so long before it blows up in their faces. No matter what, though, they’re there for each other – through the good, the bad … and the weird. Even when it’s four o’clock in the morning.

Pairings: Soul/Maka, Black Star/Tsubaki (mentioned)

Rating: T

Warnings: Legal alcohol consumption, implied/referenced sex, recreational drug use (mentioned)

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 19 And the Sky Turns to Blue

by author: Flowerpcy

with artist: The-ace-place

and artist: The_noctivagant

Summary: Running an illegal dragon school with the man he’s definitely not in love with is turning out to be slightly more difficult than Stein had previously anticipated. While actively trying to avoid the new High Witch whose main objective is to eliminate dragons from the hands of all humans, Stein and Spirit spend their free time teaching students how to bond with their dragons, until rumors of the High Witch growing her army again begin to circulate. With new variables appearing at every turn, Stein soon finds himself faced with budding relationships, familial tensions, and possible treason, and none of his decisions are looking good.

Pairings: Stein/Spirit, minor Crona/Maka and Blackstar/Kid

Rating: T

Warnings: violence, language

Read it here: [ao3 | tumblr]

View it here: [The-ace-place: tumblr | The_noctivagant: tumblr]

Dec 20 The Sun Under Different Skies

by author: Kona

with artist: The_noctivagant

Summary: In the wake of a break-up, Liz is left unrooted and drifting and very much in need of a new life. If that new life happens to include a cross-country move and two quickly deepening friendships, well… she won’t complain. Friendships that soon start to seem like something more, even as Liz struggles to leave behind the still-smarting hurts weighing on her now.

Pairings: TsuLizStar

Rating: G

Warnings: Liz's depression

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 21 Cryptid II: The Night Of The Return Of The Wolfwalker From Hell

by author: Rogha

with artist: Laylanator17

Summary: Soul Evans was happy enough to live a quiet and unremarkable life with his blind wolf and his roommate and her dog. All of their entire combined friend group and his drunken, treacherous self had different plans. Prank major network television show plans.

Pairings: SoulxMaka, BlackStarxDeath the Kid, Kim/Jackie

Rating: T

Warnings: N/a

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 22 Let’s Trade Mistakes ‘Til They Fade Away

by author: Soundsouleater

with artist: Mak

Summary: Summer is Maka’s favorite season, and not because of the weather.

Every year, she looks forward to seeing Soul Evans, her best friend and summertime neighbor since she was five years old. However, this year is different because Soul desperately needs a fake girlfriend.

Everyone in their friend group turns to Maka, because who else would be more qualified to play the part than his best friend in the whole world?

With Maka’s help, Soul may be able to get out of this mess, even if that means putting his heart on his sleeve for the sake of the act. He just hopes they can get through this with their friendship intact. It’s easier said than done though, especially when Maka starts to feel like her heart is being put through the wringer.

Pairings: SoulxMaka

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: N/a

Read it here: [ao3 | tumblr]

View it here: [tumblr]

Dec 26 Unrequited

by authors: Infantblue and Kallieflower

with artist: Nori-wings

and artist: Soulheart

Summary: Maka is hit with a witch’s curse that compels her to return an unrequited love. It is not in Soul’s favor. Canon.

Pairings: SoulxMaka

Rating: M

Warnings: angst, smut, profanity, minor jealousy on Soul’s part, canon-typical violence, cavity-inducing fluff, Black Star being Black Star, and so much pining that it’s almost physically painful because Soul does not know how to use words. 

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn | tumblr]

View it here: [Nori-wings: tumblr | Soulheart: tumblr]

Dec 27 Out of the Spider’s Web

by author: AceRavenclaw

with artist: Cosmic-absentia

Summary: Arachne Gorgon gets to work quickly after her parents’ murder. With the aid of her hypnosis magic, the cult of Arachnophobia builds quickly, and sets about making its power known and setting Arachne’s experiments in weapon creation into motion. Medusa and Shaula are indoctrinated into this world as well, and Arachne seeks to turn them into the perfect soldiers and devotees to vanguard her forces. But Medusa is prideful and Shaula is fearful, and deep down neither of them wish to be pawns in their sister’s game. However, escaping Arachne’s web may be an impossible task…

Pairings: Medusa/OC, Arachne/Giriko

Rating: T

Warnings: Child abuse, torture, medical experimentation, domestic violence, emotional manipulation, the Gorgon family in general.

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr | twitter]

Dec 28 Unfair

by author: Innocentcinnamonbun

with artist: Sandmancircus

Summary: Marie feels her very own soul get ripped out when she hears the news. The man she loved has been murdered. Wilting away in her own grief, her troubles grow as her partner and dear friend, Dr. Franken Stein, is accused of the killing. She knows he’s innocent, but he isn’t convinced. Together they flee to find the truth of Joe Buttataki’s untimely demise. And what they find is not the conclusion they thought they’d see.

Pairings: Stein/Marie, Marie/Joe Buttataki

Rating: PG 13

Warnings: Minor character death, mentions of self harm, canon typical swearing and violence, mentions of adult innuendo

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 2 The Peace of Wild Things

by author: Fullmetalgrigori

with artist: Peregrine

and artist: Nsart

Summary: Maka Albarn is the last remaining heir of her people, a race of avian shapeshifters who have been at war with the serpiente for so long that the reason for fighting has long been lost. She is desperate to save her people and end the bloodshed, and is willing to do whatever it takes to do so - even if it means accepting Soul Evans, the leader of her people’s enemy, as her pair bond. However, there are forces within both courts determined to prevent peace at all costs. Meanwhile, both heirs begin to learn that the other is not the enemy they once thought they knew, and begin to find friendship and even love with the other. Hawksong AU

Warnings: Minor character death, scenes of violence, description of war, mild language

Rating: R

Pairing: Soul/Maka

Read it here: [ffn | tumblr]

View it here: [Nsart: tumblr]

Jan 3 Bit the Bullet (and Swallowed it, Too)

by author: Dollypopup

with artist: Blinkfl0yd

and artist: Innocentcinnamonbun

Summary: It’s a sunny, beautiful day in Aurora, Nevada the day Marie Mjolnir, 8 months pregnant and glowing, becomes Marie Stein. At least, it would be, if the little chapel in the middle of nowhere didn’t get shot up by the assassination group she was once a part of. Waking up from a coma 4 years later, Marie, labeled a Jane Doe, finds herself suddenly childless, husbandless, and determined to do just what she did when she was a gun for hire:

She wasn’t going to get upset. She was going to get even. Kill Bill inspired AU.

Pairings: SteinMarie, Nyzusa, SpiritKami

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Violence, blood, character death, kidnapping, strong language

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [innocentcinnamonbun: tumblr | Blinkfl0yd: tumblr]

Jan 4 Marked in Constellation

by author: Sojustifiable

with artist: Sigsegv

Summary: Summary: Soul and Maka meet in the wilderness having embarked on solo trips up the Pacific Crest Trail. They're both sorely unexperienced, and a little company and team work never hurt anyone. Between hitch hiking to buy supplies and fending off a bear, the two get close. Very close. The question is, will their relationship survive the stress of city living once the journey is over?

Pairing: SoulxMaka

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Explicit sex, alcohol

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 6 Now the Night Breaks

by author: Lunar-resonance

with artist: Nikowl

and artist: Othernikki

Summary: Weeks have passed since Maka and Soul ventured into the Rift together and only Maka came back. Devastated and still reeling from Soul’s perplexing desertion, Maka struggles to deal with the emotional fallout while balancing her mother’s sudden reappearance in her life and her work in the DWMA. However, discovery of new, disturbing activity from the Rift complicates her journey to find Soul and hints at a much greater threat coming from the other side. Meanwhile, in Abeyance, Soul wanders aimlessly until he crosses paths with a witch and is coerced into entering a deal to protect Maka from their lingering bond, unaware he is the key in an ancient plan to unlock the Rift and bring witches into the world once again.

Sequel to Now the night rises and final chapter in the Ghost Eater trilogy.

Pairings: SoMa

Rating: T

Warnings: themes/discussion of death, mild graphic violence (similar to canon)

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn | tumblr | twitter]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 8 Can’t Fight the Moonlight

by author: GrigoriGirl

with artist: Nsart

Summary: Summary: All Soul wanted was a chance to build a life that was away from his parents and totally his own. So, when a swanky new nightclub sets up shop in a small town in West Virginia and extends a job offer, well, how could he refuse? Of course, all is not as it seems, and the first night in a new town, Soul winds up as some vampire’s dinner; setting off a chain of evens that nobody, including himself, could’ve seen coming. That’s not even including the eclectic werewolf pack with the feisty blonde at it’s help that takes him in, the pseudo-custody battle with the local vampire clan, the return of more than a few people long-since thought dead, and the more near-death experiences than he was comfortable with. Well, that might be over-simplifying things.

Pairings: General, background SteinMarie, SidNygus, JacKim

Rating: T

Warnings: mild-to-moderate blood/gore, canon typical violence, swearing, character death

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn | tumblr]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 9 The Start of Something New

by author: Toooceanblue

with artist: Nyxique

Summary: Sometimes you need to make sacrifices to get what you want. In Soul’s case, this means playing piano for the spring musical if his parents let him attend public school for his last year and a half of education. When stressful circumstances (and okay, a little bit of spite) rope teacher’s favorite Maka Albarn into stage crew, she and Soul must help each other balance extracurriculars and academics while their friendship steadily grows. High School Musical AU.

Pairings: SoulxMaka

Rating: PG 13

Warnings: n/a

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 10 Hot Tub Pop Tarts Are No Way to Live

by authors: Bones and Victoriapyrrhi

with artist: Abbey

Summary: Being trapped in Florida is a special kind of hell, the kind that drives a man to sit in a lukewarm hot tub drinking cheap beer and eating stale Christmas pop-tarts.

It's not EASY finding people in witness protection, but enough money can get you anything -- and now Soul has two assassins who seem to want to be his friends, a neighbor who may or may not have a secret hacker bunker under his trailer, and plans in the works for the kind of heist that sets you up for life AND takes down an internationally-feared crime ring.

Pairing: Soul/Maka, side of Kid/Black Star, Spirit/Wes, and Justin/Giriko

Rating: R

Warnings: canon-typical violence, foul and salty language, murder for hire

Read it here: [ao3 | tumblr]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 13 Found It Once, You’ll Find It Again

by author: Silly Twin Stars

with artist: Macabremermaid

and artist: Sojustifiable

Summary: When Maka goes to visit her grandmother in New England, she’s ready for a summer of relaxation, reading, and fried clams. But when she gets a job at Skully’s, the pirate-themed restaurant in town, she ends up getting more than she bargained for. Between illicit whale watching excursions, attempting to summon demons with pizza boxes, and learning to drive stick shift, it’ll be a miracle if she gets through this summer alive. At least there’s the quiet, musically-inclined waiter at Skully’s who knows his way around a steering wheel to help her navigate the road.

Pairings: SoulxMaka

Rating: T

Warnings: language, alcohol consumption, ouija board shenanigans, stickshift-centric innuendo

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr]

Listen to it here: [tumblr]

Jan 17 Fake News

by author: Whinnie

and artist: KARIN848

Summary: Maka's life is all work and no play. What happens when her new coworker Soul tries to change that? [tech startup / office AU]

Pairings: Soul/Maka, with mentions of Soul/Anya, Maka/Tsugumi, and implied BlackStar/Tsubaki

Rating: T / PG-13

Warnings: mild and explicit language from time to time, occasional mentions of alcohol consumption, major self-esteem issues, discussion of biracial issues, mention of workplace toxicity

Read it here: [ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 20 Whispers from a Dark Corner

by author: BlinkFl0yd

with artist: Ahshesgone

Summary: When tragedy strikes and Soul stumbles upon Death Scythe murdered in his own home, he’s plunged into the aftermath of the fallout, including a hunt for a witch with a troubled past, a strain on on his and Maka’s resonance, and having to watch his meister fall onto a grief-fueled path for revenge. But, it what feel like sick twist in order to make things even more complicated, it turns out that Death Scythe never really left. And the only one who can see or even sense him at all is Soul, who subsequently becomes forced in between Maka and her father as both struggle to come to terms with what has happened, and what it means for their history with each other.

Rating: M

Pairings: maka/soul, minor background stein/marie

Warnings: major character death (obviously), depictions of murder, corpses, troubled family relationships

Read it here: [ao3]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 21 The Dead Tell No Tale

by author: Oblivion-Time

with artist: Darkpurply

Summary: After a charm gone wrong, Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty, Kid and Marie end up at a haunted school. Dead bodies are around every corner and the threat of death looms over them in the shape of three ghost girls, a man with a chainsaw and other unknown threats lurking in the dark. There is no way out. No way to find each other. Only death is certain.

Pairings: SoulxMaka, LizxTsubakixBlack*Star

Rating: R

Warnings: Dark themes, gore, character deaths. Not a story for the weak-hearted.

Read it here: [ ao3 | ffn]

View it here: [tumblr]

Jan 22: Late Entry Day

Works that didn't make their deadlines but still posted before the end of the event!

Caught Dead

by author: redphlox

with artist: macabremermaid

and artist: Addie

Summary: When Maka Albarn takes the fall for a friend’s crime, she is sentenced to Shibusen Juvenile Detention Center in Death City, Nevada. It’s almost bearable thanks to a frustrating - and cute - camper who helps her dig holes under the hot sun. Despite Soul Evans’s reluctance to open up about himself or his past, the two soon bond over investigating the disappearances in Death City a hundred years ago and sneaking out to see each other past curfew. But, it turns out Shibusen’s intentions are far from pure. Will Soul and Maka be able to combat the other rowdy campers, the desert sun, and the cruel warden to discover the secret behind all those holes?

Pairings: SoulxMaka, Wes/Tsubaki, side Stein/Marie

Rating: T

Warnings: none indicated

Read it here: [ao3]

Listen to it here: [tumblr]

View it here: [tumblr]

Honorable Mention Artists

Artists who completed their work even though the stories were not completed.

Mystery Shrouded's Jewelry for Professor Maka's "Fate Loves the Fearless"

[Mystery Shrouded on Tumblr]

Bbbutterfingers' Digital Art for DryWavelength's "Backwoods Beyond"

[Bbbutterfingers on Tumblr]

InnocentCinnamonBun's Digital Art for DryWavelength's "Backwoods Beyond"

[InnocentCinnamonBun on Tumblr]

[bakugou-jpg]

Would you be willing to make a soulmate au scenario about how kirishima told his friends how he met his soulmate? She fell out of a trash shoot while covering her baby ferret friend when he came across a burning building. Why a trash shoot? "it was the only thing that hasn't caught fire around her and if she died from landing on something below at least her furry friend would have a cushion to land safely on" she said. Please and thank you

Kirishima Eijirou

“Dad?”

Kirishima’s head snapped up and he smiled at the set of twins who were standing in the doorway. He put his pen down and quickly took off his glasses, one he only wore when he was doing paper work.

“Yes?” He asked while reaching his hands to the back of his head and redoing the small ponytail, some of the hairs that were at the front just too short to be included so they hand loosely in his face.

The 6 year old girl ran towards him and Kirishima quickly caught his daughter before she crashed into him and fell over. He pulled her on top of his lap and smooched her temple before wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him.

Kirishima looked up at the black haired boy who was still shyly standing at the doorway and quickly motioned him over with a warm smile. He moved the little girl to one of his knees and patted his other one. “I’ve got two knees to sit on!”

Kazeu resembled Kirishima in almost every way. He got his beautiful crimson eyes, his black hair and his sharp shark like teeth but thankfully not as pointy as the one’s Kirishima had. He could also harden his body, but Kazeu also was able to set his hardened body parts on fire by clashing them together for example his hands it had the same effect as fire stones which was a thing he was able to do to because of his other parent.

One thing where he was the complete opposite of from his father, was his personality. Kazeu was really shy, unlike his dad and sister, and had the calm nature of his mom/dad. Although Kazeu was the shy version, he always had a peaceful vibe and never got into trouble. And even though, Kazeu and Kirishima were polar opposites, they still had a close bond and inseperable because of the fact that Kirishima had a lot of patience with his son and refused to force him to do anything he didn’t want to such as introducing himself to new people [which Kirishima would do for him] or go outside to play so Kirishima would either draw with Kazeu in silence or read a book to him.

“Daddy! Daddy!” The little girl sing songed while tugging on his shirt, a big bright smile on her face.

“Saichi! Saichi!” Kirishima cooed with a high pitch voice, copying the girl, as he wrapped his arm around Kazeu who sat down on his lap, immediately kissing the top of his head with a small smile.

Kazeu rested his head on Kirishima’s chest and took his father’s hand into his own, examining his big hand and playing around with his fingers. “How did you meet mum/dad..?” He asked, not taking his eyes away from the hand he was holding. His sister quickly nodded at the question while looking up at her father with admiration, her big (E/c) eyes sparkling slightly that made Kirishima melt.

Kirishima chuckled and softly tightened the grip he had on the children, not wanting them to fall of his lap. “Ohh, that’s what the fuzz was all about. Didn’t you ask them?” He questioned while tilting his head slightly, since his s/o was the parent they would normally go to to ask something to.

Saichi grabbed the strings from his sweater and started playing around with them, tangling them around her fingers and tying them together. She shook her head. “They’re walking Riot” She said while leaning her head back against his muscular arm.

Kazeu nodded at her response and looked up at his dad.

“Ahh, so that’s why. But i can tell you that story, it’s a fun story! Your mom/dad and i were 19, so it’s a very long time again waaay before you two were born. I had just started my first year as a hero..”

“Kirishima, we’ve evacuted everyone from their apartment but there’s still someone missing!” Jirou yelled while guiding the last people outside of the burning building through the emergency doors. An older lady, who looked to be around her late 40s, had her hands folded over her heart with worry written all over her face.

“My neighbor, they were home today but their door never opened and they haven’t left their apartment yet! They’s around 19 years old, their apartment was the closest to the fire!” The woman yelled.

Kirishima quickly nodded and patted the guy’s shoulder that he just helped escape out of the building before turning around and running towards the side of the building. “On it!” He yelled while looking up at the flames that were coming through some of the already burned down apartments.

If their apartment was close to the fire, there was a big chance that it had already caught on fire which meant they were either trapped in there, currently running through the hallways screaming for help while walking through thick smoke or..Something Kirishima didn’t want to think of and wasn’t gonna let happen in the first place.

He quickly turned the corner, immediately running into the parking garage where one of the emergency fire escape ladders were that weren’t getting used since everyone still had time to take the normal stairs.

The parking garage was still fine, since the fire had yet only taken the top two levels. It did reek of something rotten though, which made his nose scrunch up in disgust as his eyes quickly darted around to find the source of the smell.

A big pipe that came from the ceiling hung above a big square hole in the ground that was surrounded by an iron fence, probably to preven any intruders or children from getting in. It was as good as empty though, probably because it had been emptied recently.

Kirishima quickly made his way to the door and grabbed the handles, pulling it open and hurrying inside, a loud thunk making him stop in his tracks. He looked back, taking a few steps back back into the garage and looking at the trash shoor that seemed to be the source of the thunking sounds that kept coming closer and closer.

“Fuc-!!”

There was another loud thunk before something fell out, smashing onto the bottom of the pit. Well, more like someone.

His eyes immediately widened and he quickly ran towards the fence. “Hey! Are you okay? Hold on, i’ll get you out of there!” Kirishima said while looking down at the (H/c) haired person who was laying on their back, their eyes forced shut.

He hardened his arm and smashed it onto the lock of the fence, immediately making it open up. So far, he didn’t get a lot of good vibes from the aparmtent complex and if it followed the safety rules but that was currently the least of his problems.

“I-i’m fine, don’t worry” The person groaned, slowly pushing themselves up while wincing in pain. They looked up at Kirishima and smiled. “..Thank you for asking though”

Kirishima blinked a few times, quickly swallowing and nodding. “Y-yes of course! That’s what a hero does” He said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his neck while opening the gate and looking around for a ladder that he could use to climb down.

Fuck they were cute

“Hey er..This might be a weird question, but why exactly did you take the trash shoot? It’s dangerous you know, you could break your limbs or maybe even your neck if you landed on your head” Kirishima said while tilting his head and looking down at them. “..You could’ve taken the emergency stairs”

They softly chuckled and sighed, looking down at their feet. “Well, my apartment had caught on fire and i was doing laundry when they were evacuating so never heard it, even when they knocked on my door..”

Their eyes widened and they quickly fumbled around with their sweater, loosening it a little and pulling it forward to look at their chest.

Kirishima crouched down and pulled up his eyebrow, slightly confused why they were currently looking at their chest with a smile.

“..And i knew the risks, but i’m fine. I do think i might’ve sprained my ankle.” They said while looking at one of their feet with a sigh. “Besides, even if i did break a bone, he would be fine” They said with a soft smile while looking back at Kirishima again.

Before he could question them, a small white and brown ferret crawled out of their sweater and nestled into their neck. They smiled and cupped their hands over the, what seemed to be, still young ferret. He didn’t seem to be older than 6 or 7 weeks

“He’d have a soft cushion to land on after all, he’s still young so much more fragile than i am”

Fuck they were kind hearted too

A soft chuckle escaped Kirishima’s mouth and he got up. “I’ve never seen or heard about anything like this before.” He said, smiling down at the two of them. He quickly walked towards the ladder and climbed down, hopping onto the ground as he approached them.

“But, it’s very kind of you to think about his wellbeing like that. Let’s get the two of you to safety then” Kirishima said while leaning down with a smile and holding out his hand. “..What’s his name?” He asked as they took his hand.

They smiled softly and slowly pushed themselves up. “Kosmo” They replied as Kirishima hoisted them up, supporting them slightly as they put their weight on the foot that didn’t hurt.

Kirishima’s hand felt tingly, strangely tingly. When he looked down at their hands, he saw (e/c) spread over his hand and crimson spread to their palm. Both of their eyes had widened, immediately letting go of each other’s hands and looking at the bright color that had spread over their skin and started to slowly fade away.

Kirishima’s heart was almost beating out of his chest, his cheeks immediately having burned up.

A soulmate mark. It was a mark that would temporarily spread over your skin at the spot where your soulmate touched you, the color depending on what color their eyes held.

Kirishima slowly adverted his eyes to look at them, his face still shocked after the sudden reveal. His eyes met theirs, the same expression as he held and he almost melted.

A small smile made it’s way onto his face and he held out his hand again. “Kirishima Eijirou”

His s/o returned the gesture and shook his hand, a soft smile spreading onto their dirt stained face. The ferret, who Kirishima had just learned went by the name of Kosmo, crawled onto their shoulder and looked at Kirishima while sniffing the air a few times.

“(L/n) (Y/n)”

“And that’s how me and your mother/father met”

Saichi’s eyes were a bit droopy and she was nodding, fighting against her sleep which was a battle that she was gonna lose in a matter of seconds. She nuzzled her face into his chest and had long let go of the strings, her hands having fallen onto her lap.

Kazeu’s eyes were wide open, since he always paid many attention to any his story his father told because the way Kirishima brought it was a way where Kazeu would fall completely silent of with his imagination running wild. Especially when it was a story that had really happened and was something that had happened in his life some time.

“Do you still have the mark?” He asked softly, keeping in mind that his sister was asleep. His crimson eyes traveled over Kirishima’s hand, hoping to see a small mark.

Kirishima shook his head and softly stroked Saichi’s hand with his own. “No. It disappears pretty quickly afterwards but you’ll definitely know and feel when it’s the right time..” He whispered, his hand still in Kazeu’s who was still playing around with his fingers. He slowly got up and placed both of the children on one of his hips. “..Let’s go to bed okay? It’s been waaay past your bedtime already”

Kazeu nodded and laid his head on top of Kirishima’s shoulder, hooking his hand onto the collar of his sweater. “..Can i get a ferret too?” He muttered, yawning afterwards.

Kirishima chuckled and kissed the top of his head, turning around to push the door to their room open with his back. “Maybe, but you’ll have to ask your mum/dad and they’ll help you take care of it okay? I think a bunny might be a better pick for you”

After having tugged the two of them in bed, Kirishima had turned on the night light and stroked Kazeu’s hair one more time. “Good night buddy, i love you”

“I love you too”

Kirishima smiled and walked towards the door, turning of the lights and slowly closing it. “Love you more”

“Can i also get a dog? The kind that uncle Katsuki has..?” Kazeu whispered, sitting up in bed while looking at his dad. His cheeks were slightly red, probably embarrassed about asking for it.

His dad stopped and turned around again. He looked at Kazeu and tilted his head. “You mean a german sheperd? Explodo is a german sheperd..Aren’t you happy with Riot, riot’s a sweet dog right?”

“Y-Yes he is! I-i just..I thought that be-because of the bun..”

Kazeu fell silent and bit his lip.

Kirishima sighed and smiled. “I’ll tell santa, now go sleep okay?” He whispered, making Kazeu’s smile and nod. He laid down again and pulled the covers over his head. “Night dad, love you”

“Love you more” Kirishima said while closing the door.

Sighing, he scratched his neck and made his way downstairs. Keys rambled into the front door and soon his s/o entered the house with an english bulldog walking next to their feet, licking his nose with a sneeze followed afterwards.

A smile made it’s way onto Kirishima’s face and he quickly hopped towards them, wrapping his arms around them and pecking their lips. “Welcome back, mi amor” He said with a playful grin, making them laugh and shove his face away.

“Oh my god, go away” They said as Kirishima started taking off their coat for them.

He grinned and kissed their lips one more time before sliding the coat off their arms and hanging it on the coat rack, petting the head of the english bulldog that was staring up at him. “You know, i love you right?” He asked while looking up at them with a smile.

(Y/n) smiled and nodded, wrapping their arms around his neck and looking him the eye. “I love you too, Eijirou” They mumbled, running their hands through his hair.

Kirishima grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around their figure, burying his face into their neck. “Kazeu’sgettingagermansheperdforchristmas”

His s/o pulled up their eyebrow and pulled away, tilting their head as Kirishima quickly turned around with a smile dancing on his features. “What?”

“Nothing, my love!”

[primus-why]

Films With Relationships Between Humans and Non-Humans

Romantic + Sexual Visual Media

The Shape of Water - Elisa x Amphibian Creature -  A mute woman with a mysterious past encounters a peculiar creature trapped in her workplace. Turns out, not only is he a live experiment, but also the key to her heart.

Ex Machina - Caleb x Eva - The final steps of this AI’s development process requires a human subject to run a Turing test over the course of a series of sessions. Seems like just another day at the... uh... hidden testing facility?

Avatar - Jake x Neytiri - A man travels to a foreign world, intent on getting some thrills and scouring for precious resources, but finds love with a native female instead-- WAAAAIT, this is just Pocahontas, isn’t it?

Shrek - no really, they had babies--

Hellboy series - Liz x Red - A supernatural creature with hellish abilities and a human woman (with powers of her own) navigate the seedy, paranormal world in which they live in while also navigating their feelings for one another.

Romantic Visual Media

Her - Man x Operating System - A philosophical exploration of how human lives entwine with technology. How far is too far? How weird is too weird? Does it even matter?

Megamind - Megamind x Roxanne -  A blue-skinned alien with a bulbous head grows up inside a prison and is raised by inmates. Is it any wonder his evil-genius antics aren’t appreciated by his wise-cracking, ethically-sound, average-citizen love interest?

Marvel Universe - Vision x Scarlet Witch - Oh yeah, they’ve been a thing for a while. After they fall in with the Avengers, they also fall in love. Aww, who knew the daughter of Magneto and the son (?) of Ultron could make for a cute, Good-Side couple? They even have kids! (Don’t ask me how that works)

The Bee Movie - According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly--

Platonic or Familial Visual Media

A Monster in Paris - Frank “The Monster” / Main Leads & Town - A monster has been spotted stalking the streets of Paris, but will anyone stop to look past the frightening visage to see the gentle soul within? Also take a look at Lilo & Stitch.

The Cat Returns - Haru / The Baron - A girl thinks the life of a cat isn’t so bad, but what about being a cat’s bride??? Hi-jinks ensue as she tries to escape her fated wedlock and her newfound furry friends come to her rescue!

My Neighbor Totoro - Girls/ Forest Spirits - Another Ghibli movie! a sweet tale of two girls moving into town and encountering the supernatural around their rural home. A charming bond forms between the girls and the local forest spirits.

Robot and Frank - Titular Frank is an elderly man who is way past his prime and living alone, but when his son gets him a robot to help take care of him and the house, Frank thinks it might be time to team up with his new metal friend to get up to his old tricks - mainly, heists and robberies.

The Iron Giant - Hogarth/ Iron Giant - When a giant alien robot crashes on Earth, a human boy has to protect their odd (and possibly dangerous) friendship from his mom, the town, and the U.S. government.

Honorable Mentions

Warm Bodies - Julie x R - I only didn’t include this because, come on. A zombie is still pretty human. But you’ve got to admit, it’s a pretty fun spin on the classic zombie apocalypse setting when one half of your leading couple is one of the walking dead; see also: The Corpse Bride.

Beauty & The Beast - titular characters - Take your pick of which version. Only put this down here because the Beast usually turn into a human at the end. Same deal with Spirited Away.

Bicentennial Man - Similar to The Little Mermaid, titular character here slowly becomes more human on the outside to pursue romantic interests, and changes as a.... person (?) as the result.

[vanilla-bean-buttercream]

Broken

Part of the “Illuminated” backstory arc 

Parings: Minor Anxiet but it’s not end game, and one that doesn’t last long but will haunt you forever >w> Characters: Virgil Sanders, Deceit Sanders, Thomas Sanders Chapter warnings: Suicide attempts (yes plural), suicide mentions, self-depreciation, minor character death, emotional abuse, implied physical abuse, bigotry, knives, cutting, lying, I hope I’m not forgetting any sheesh this has a lot going for it Word Count: 3615

Summary:

In a world as cruel and hateful as this, what chance does Virgil have? Everything seems pinned against him, and as soon as he finds a glimmer of hope, fate snuffs it out.

It’s something that left him so broken, no one would be able to pick up the pieces.

Author’s note:

IF. YOU. ARE. TRIGGERED. BY. SUICIDE. OR. TALK. OF. SUICIDE. PLEASE. HEED. THE. WARNINGS!!!!

Seriously guys, it happens twice!! There’s a whole section on the end that is almost a double suicide, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. It’s even describes the planning, so please, PLEASE, be careful :(

I wasn’t kidding when I said Virgil was worse than Patton (still not as bad as Roman though, but apparently that’s up to debate too >w>)

So… without further ado… enjoy~

A child should want to emulate their parents, right?

Virgil, ever since he was little, never wanted to. He couldn’t remember a kind word from them, from the pictures he colored that ended up in the trash to the medal he won for winning the spelling bee placed on a shelf without a word. Nothing he ever did was good enough.

All they seemed to care about was judging their neighbors.

He couldn’t see what the fuss was about. The woman on the end of the street made cookies every weekend. She made lemonade whenever Virgil was hot from playing in the park, and she always waved to Virgil when he walked by the house.

But because she had a fausmark, she was apparently “evil” according to his parents.

Her son was just as much fun to be around, and he had a fausmark too. The only thing evil about Remy was he cheated at hide-and-seek, but that was it.

He’d never forget how angry his parents got when they found out he’d been playing with a devil child.

They must’ve screamed at Remy’s mother for a good half hour, threatening that if she and her son ever came near Virgil again, they’d have them arrested or some adult stuff like that. Virgil was no longer allowed to play in the park either.

Of course, he would sneak out to go play anyway.

Sometimes Remy was there, and sometimes he wasn’t, but he often found someone to play with. Occasionally it was a kid in glasses who always shared his cookies, and sometimes it was two brothers who usually stayed at the top of the slide the whole time, but usually, Remy was there with that babysitter who never paid attention. He didn’t care. Remy and he would always get into some sort of adventure to entertain themselves.

Around Remy, Virgil didn’t worry about his spirit getting broken.

And then his parents found a job at the other end of the state.

Virgil swore it was to keep him away from Remy, but he could never find the proof. They moved to a more rural area, one with more trees than people, and Virgil had no one nearby to play with.

“It’s for the best,” they’d tell him.

Virgil entertained himself by climbing trees as high as he could go. He loved the freedom of standing on a high branch, feeling the wind in his hair, and enjoying the thrill in his stomach from cheating death this high up. Most things scared him, but heights… they held a special fear. Virgil couldn’t describe it. It felt right to be this high up, and with how many times Virgil was told he was wrong, escaping all his problems to a high tree branch filled him with purpose.

At least up here, he could escape his parent’s judgment.

As Virgil went to school, he was horrified to find a lot of his classmates thought the same way his parents did. This left him with almost no friends and a lot of fights defending a poor girl with a fausmark on her shoulder. Cassie was so sweet, and Virgil couldn’t stand how she was bullied.

How many times were his parents called to the office on his behalf? How many times did the teachers tell him to stay away from her, saying she cursed his very existence, and he should forget about her? How many times had he held her while she cried into his shoulder?

Virgil lost count, but he couldn’t let Cassie drown in this broken world by herself.

The two of them would walk home from school every day, even if it was a mile walk from the school to Virgil’s house. The taunting on the bus got too unbearable, and the bus driver either ignored it or didn’t care enough to stop it.

Even the walks home weren’t safe. People would yell slurs from their porch as they walked by. Cassie always held her head high, but Virgil could see the tears lining her eyes.

These people made Virgil sick. How could they be so cruel to a nine-year-old child?

His parents threatened him to stay away from her. They took his phone. They watched his Internet chats. They started picking him up after school and requesting he was put in a different class. However, just like with Remy, Virgil always found a way to sneak around them and be there for Cassie.

“I’m not worth it,” she’d say, noting the bruise on Virgil’s cheek the next day.

“You are to me,” Virgil would reply.

Being around Cassie felt so right. He hated how the world told him it was wrong. She was kind, always sharing half of her stuff with Virgil. She went out of her way to save ladybugs from puddles, pushed him on the swings when he fell and broke his leg, and helped him with the math homework he never understood. She was his best friend.

She was the first one who told him about the markings on his back.

Virgil wished he could see the white, beautiful markings Cassie spoke so highly of. However, with no phone, he couldn’t take a picture. In a way, Virgil felt cheated of his birthright. There was no way he’d be showing it to his parents anytime soon. They kept telling him as soon as he got one, they’d be putting him in a traveling soulmate program to help him find his.

He didn’t want a soulmate. He wanted Cassie.

That’s why he found himself stumbling over a confession when they turned fourteen. Virgil’s heart pounded as he told her, and Cassie started crying, but other than that, it went smoothly.

The two met at Cassie’s house any time they could. He cherished the taste of her peppermint chapstick, how she held onto Virgil two seconds longer when they hugged, and how he wished she had a soulmark that would glow around him.

He wished he’d cherished her longer.

Like his parents, a lot of people said their relationship was taboo, not just because Cassie had a fausmark but because Virgil didn’t glow around her. People could be so heartless when it came to people they didn’t understand.

That’s why, when a gang of teens surrounded Virgil, he wasn’t surprised to see it turn into a knife fight.

He fought as hard as he could. He got cut across the arm, along his side, deep in his leg, and across his nose. They could cut him all they wanted, but it wouldn’t cut the bond he and Cassie had.

At least, that’s what he thought.

As Cassie came to his defense, one of the teens got her in the lung. The choked noise she made clogged Virgil’s ears and suffocated him. The cowards ran off, letting Cassie bleed out on the ground. Virgil held her close. He struggled to pick her and himself up, but with his injuries, every move felt like torture. Still, it couldn’t match the pain his heart radiated.

“I’m glad you’re the last person I get to see,” Cassie told Virgil as she brought him down to her level for one last kiss. “I love you.”

Virgil sat there all night, holding her in his arms and crying. No one came to see what was wrong. No one thought to save the poor child bleeding out on the ground. They shut their windows, locked their doors, and ignored them. One less demon child.

Virgil’s heart was broken, and he was sure he’d never get it back together.

He was the only one besides her parents who showed up at her funeral. He watched them bury the only person who ever truly loved him into the ground, along with a promise to never love someone as much as he did her. The only thing he had left of her was the peppermint chapstick that was in her pocket. He swore he’d wear it every day, just to be a little closer to her, to keep her memory alive.

His parents said her death was for the best. It broke any ties Virgil had to his parents.

Unfortunately, having to go to the doctors after losing too much blood resulted in his parents finding out about his soulmark. They were disappointed it was on his back, but at least he had one. They told him it meant he was an untrustworthy person. They told him people with soulmarks on their back lied, and they were nothing but criminals. It was almost as bad as having a fausmark.

Funny, Cassie spoke so highly of back soulmarks.

Regardless, his parents said if he didn’t find his soulmate within the next year, he’d be shipped off to a traveling soulmate school to find his match. Virgil tried running, but they always found him. He was watched everywhere he went. To school, in school, after school. Virgil couldn’t escape his fate.

Virgil counted down the days to the end of his life. He had a calendar, and he knew exactly how he was going to go. At least this way he could be with Cassie for the rest of his life. She’d be waiting with him with open arms. Of course, she’d probably be upset with how he got there, but hopefully, she’d forgive him. A rope’s mark would probably never fade, but it was better than being roped into this hell.

And then a weird kid with a set of cards sat next to him.

At first, he didn’t want to be his friend. He couldn’t leave anyone to miss him in this world, but the guy insisted.

“You like magic?” he asked. Virgil tried to ignore him, but he was persistent. “Pick a card. Any card.”

He didn’t know what magic overtook him, but Virgil decided against his better judgment to humor him.

The trick took him by surprise. Virgil was sure he knew how it worked, but he could never catch just how the trick was done. This kid was good, and Virgil found himself asking for more.

Trick after trick, he magically wound up weaving his way into Virgil’s heart.

Virgil wasn’t sure when, but he started to develop feelings for this Belial kid. He’d never replace Cassie, but he definitely filled a broken hole in Virgil’s heart.

He found himself forgetting about that calendar.

He also found the mark on Belial’s chest glowing one day.

Virgil rubbed the back of his neck. He wished he could see it, but with its location, it was impossible. Was it glowing too? What color was it? Well, he knew the resting color was black, as it faded from the white color when Cassie died, but he wanted to know his glow color. He wanted to see what his soul said about him.

He waited patiently for Belial to tell him as he lifted his shirt up. He’d never forget the way his fingers ghosted over his back and sent shivers down his spine. Belial spoke as highly of his soulmark as Cassie did, bringing a familiar feeling of warmth through the ice in his blood.

He didn’t feel quite as broken as his parents claimed him to be.

Those three months with Belial were amazing. He felt refreshed! There was now a purpose to this world. Belial would shower him with affection, praising his soulmark and everything about his body, from his protruding ribs to his thin frame to his gorgeous violet eyes. He kissed away every tear, stayed with him during anxiety attacks, and told him no matter what, he’d cherish him forever. They were soulmates, after all, he told him.

Still, with all that beauty, he should’ve known something was wrong.

For some reason, Belial wouldn’t take a picture of his soulmark. He wouldn’t come around his parents, despite his parents wanting to meet him and keep Virgil here. Didn’t he understand they were ready to send him away? Didn’t he know that if Belial didn’t prove they were soulmates, they’d never see each other again? Why wouldn’t he fight to keep Virgil here?

And then, while over at Belial’s house one day, he got his answer.

It was all a lie.

Virgil’s world caved in on itself. He trusted him. He loved him. And here he was, deceiving him like Virgil was one of his magic tricks. What else was a lie? Were all those words just empty whispers? Did he even care about Virgil at all?

Virgil’s trust in Belial’s words was broken beyond all repair.

He stormed out of his house, closing himself off. He should’ve stayed alone. He was better off alone.

Virgil ran. And he ran. He ran until he couldn’t run anymore, leaving his past and everything in it behind him. He was on his own now, lost and trying to survive. Somehow, he made it back to his old town. He had only one place he knew he’d be safe.

Raising a cautious hand, he knocked on the door.

He’d never forget the surprise on her mother’s face, or how she held his too thin frame and stroked his sobs away. He’d never forget how her father fought for Virgil’s custody and eventually won. He never forgot how Cassie’s room looked, or what it felt like to be loved.

He’d never forgot how the home he never thought he’d have would become his reality.

Despite being home, he couldn’t bring himself to go back to that school that disowned him. He couldn’t face those bullies, the ones who took Cassie’s life, or this horrible town. Cassie’s parents home-schooled him, making sure he got the education he needed. He may not have got his diploma until he was 19, but it was in an environment where he was loved and supported.

If only they would stop pitying that black soulmark on his back.

Eventually, that pity pushed him to find his own apartment and live by himself again. He thanked Cassie’s parents for everything they did for him, but he couldn’t stand the idea of being judged anymore. He got a run-down apartment, picked up a low paying job at a local grocery store, and started to make his way in the world.

It wasn’t the best living condition, but it was his. At least the fire escape at his window lead to the roof so he could brood in peace.

Virgil hated how he didn’t trust in or want to be loved in fear that it’d disappear. He wrote about it often, pouring his emotions into poetry and eventually getting the courage to post them online.

He didn’t expect the love and praise he’d receive from it.

Virgil built a strong online community, often getting letters from people who empathized with his story and made them feel a little less lonely. He loved them all. He got advice letters, asking how he dealt with feeling lonely, how to survive after a soulmate died (which he couldn’t help but he could at least lead them to therapy), and what to do when your parents hated you.

He even built a strong relationship with another writer who wrote about losing love so often Virgil felt bad for the guy. The person told him how he lost both of his parents at a young age, and he lost his legal guardian to cancer. He had no luck finding his soulmate or anyone who would stick with him long. Virgil could at least understand that much. He tried his best to support the guy, and their friendship online was well known on Tumblr.

And then at once, his world came crashing down.

The store Virgil worked at started cutting back their employees, as they were going bankrupt. Virgil was thankful he saved money on the side, but it would only keep his apartment for three months minimum. He dropped his internet service, losing the community he worked so hard to build. He cut back on meals, barely getting 500 calories a day, to try for at least one more month of shelter while he searched for a job.

Virgil was losing time, and no one wanted to give him any of theirs.

That’s what had him standing on the ledge of his apartment building, ready to leap into taking back control of his life. He watched the busy traffic below him, his stomach backflipping. The thrill of being up high when he was younger now made him heavy with fear. His foot teetered over the edge, and Virgil squeezed his eyes tight.

Just do it. Come on.

“Hey-”

The soft voice nearly pushed him over the edge. Virgil’s head twisted around. A boy about his age stood with his hands held up in defense, maybe a few feet away.

“Stay away from me,” Virgil hissed.

“Okay,” he replied, “I’ll stay here as long as you stay there. Sound good?”

Virgil’s eyes searched him for any tricks, but he decided to trust him.

“My name is Thomas,” he continued. “I live in the apartment next to you. I think you knocked on my wall when I was singing at 3 am one time?”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I remember you. Don’t you sleep?”

“I have insomnia, so it’s kind of hard. Sometimes singing puts me out, and sometimes it doesn’t. What about you? You have any problems sleeping?”

“Nightmares,” Virgil replied.

“Wanna talk about them?” Thomas asked. “I could help, maybe? I know a pretty cool therapist who works at the coffee shop down the street. He may specialize in soulmark studies, but he’s a great guy, and I’m sure he could help.”

Virgil snuffed. “There’s no help in the world that could fix me.”

I���m too broken.

Thomas shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked away. The lost look in his eyes nearly kicked Virgil in the stomach. He hated seeing people feel helpless.

“Look,” Virgil continued. “You seem like a cool guy, and I wouldn’t want you to get mixed up with me, so why don’t you go back to your room and leave me alone.”

Thomas set his jaw. He started walking toward Virgil.

“H-hey! You said if-”

“I know what I said,” Thomas replied. He stood far away from Virgil and climbed onto the ledge as well. Virgil’s heart pounded in his chest. What was this guy doing?

“Get down!” Virgil yelled.

Thomas took in a deep breath. “Why?”

“Because!” Virgil spoke, but he couldn’t think of a good reason. “Just, don’t.”

“But why?” Thomas’s brown eyes glanced over at him, a sad smile on his face. “My life’s pretty unimportant. No one would miss me either, so if you jump, I might as well too.”

Virgil’s stomach twisted. This was a trick, wasn’t it? He wouldn’t really jump… would he? Virgil swallowed. What a dirty trick indeed. Stupid reverse psychology. Stupid doubt. Stupid will to protect others from suffering the way he did. Two could play this game.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Virgil replied. “You get down, and then I’ll get down too, okay?”

Thomas weighed his options for a moment and nodded his head. “You first.”

Virgil growled deep in his throat. Still, even if he did leave, he could always come back and try again later. But he couldn’t jump knowing this guy’s life was going with him.

“Okay,” Virgil said and stepped back onto the building’s roof again. “Okay, I’m down. Now you.”

Thomas turned. His foot slipped, and Virgil rushed forward. His hand caught a sweaty palm, and he grabbed onto Thomas’s other free hand. The traffic sounded louder than the pulse in Virgil’s ears.

“Hold on,” Virgil spoke as he struggled to pull Thomas up. Thomas’s feet scraped against the brick as he tried to help. Eventually, the two of them collapsed onto the building’s roof. Virgil stared at the sky and took in deep breaths. His heart pounded and shook his body.

“Thanks,” Thomas said as he turned his head to smile at Virgil.

“What was that?!” Virgil snapped. “You almost got yourself killed.” I wasn’t worth that.

“Yeah,” Thomas replied too nonchalantly for Virgil’s liking. “Good thing you were here to catch me.”

The two ended up staying in the same room that night, too shaken to trust the other by themselves. Virgil found himself staying night after night, keeping an eye on Thomas. Keeping some sort of purpose he never expected to have.

After a week, Thomas approached him and asked if he’d split rent for their room.

“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” Virgil replied and looked away.

“You know,” Thomas spoke. “My employer at the coffee shop is looking for help. It’s a library too, so it’ll be quiet, something that might be good for your anxiety. Plus, Logan is pretty good at putting his employees first, so if you need a break, he’d be glad to give it to you when you need it. What do you say?”

Virgil weighed his options. On one hand, it sounded like a nice opportunity. He could get back on his feet. But what if it ended up like his last job? He couldn’t face a second blunder like that, and he had no doubt Thomas wouldn’t be able to afford his company.

The ledge was always there though.

Still, Virgil nodded. He agreed to meet this Logan the next morning before the rush came in, and Thomas said he’d even put a good word in for him. Virgil was thankful, even if he didn’t feel he deserved it. A little normalcy, no matter how little, would be nice.

He’d do anything to feel a little less broken in this life.

The Illuminated AU Master List

[vantemei]

Masterlist

Taegi

Taegi Mama Mia Au

Taehyung’s son is getting married and wants to invite his other father to the wedding. The only problem is that he doesn’t know who his father is.

Flower Shop and Bakery Au

Taehyung owns a cute little bakery right next door to the flower shop Yoongi works in.

Water Spirit Yoongi

Yoongi is a peaceful water spirit who becomes enamoured with the young boy who falls into his pond. As Taehyung grows, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the beautiful spirit that saved his life when he fell into it’s pond.

Forever and Always (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)

In a world where only 20% of the population has a soulmark, and only 11% of that original 20% actually meets their soulmate, Yoongi never thought the small mark of a marigold on his wrist would matter, especially when he’s already met the love of his life, Kim Taehyung. Yoongi had never been more wrong.

My Roommate From Hell (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Extra)

Taehyung never expected to meet a demon. He certainly never expected to summon one with the dusty candles he found under his sink and was even more surprised when he found himself falling in love with one.

Can't Remember I Love You (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)

Yoongi wishes he could take back what he said, wishes he could turn back to the times when Taehyung was in his arms, loving him with a smile as bright as a sunrise. Yoongi wishes he could just forget their whole fight, but Yoongi isn’t the one who forgets.

Papa Bear (Part 1) Papa Bear (Instagram edit)

Yoongi loves his son Taehyung more than anything in the world.

A Prince and His Dragon

Kim Taehyung is a prince who is going to be married off to a neighboring kingdom for an alliance and Min Yoongi is the dragon that finds the prince when he runs away from his unwanted destiny.

Escape

Pirate Taehyung and Naval Officer Yoongi escape together for a life of freedom.

Come Back to Haunt Me (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

In the middle of a bank robbery, the most unlikely of circumstances, Taehyung’s past comes back to haunt him in the name of the love of his life who disappeared without a trace. SUGA.

A Wall, A Puppy, and A CEO with a Soft Heart

Taehyung sees a puppy tangled in it’s leash in the yard of a house right next to his office building and can’t really be blamed for climbing the wall into the yard to help it. He had no idea the puppy, and the yard, belonged to his boss, stoic and powerful CEO Min Yoongi.

"Hyung...What was it like?"

Yoongi comforts Taehyung in the early stages of Bangtan’s debut.

"Oh no, he's hot," (Part 2)

Yoongi is a single father raising his son Jeongguk and Taehyung is the pretty university student who lives a floor below him and babysits his son.

“tae, m'sleepy,”

Taegi cuddles ft. sick Yoongi

A Sleeping Beauty (Part1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Au where Taehyung has Narcolepsy and Yoongi is whipped.

Sweet Dreams

Taehyung talks in his sleep.

Taegikook

Tangled Together

Yoongi thought he didn’t have a soulmate, and he was right. He has two.

Taekook

My Familiar (Part 1) (Part 2)

Blind witch Taehyung and his seeing eye werewolf Jeongguk.

Wanted

Robin Hood Au pretty much.

A Serious Question

Write down your five favorite things. “Who wrote ‘Taehyung’ five times?”

A Bet is a Bet

Taehyung gets his nipple’s pierced by the hottest man he has met in his life.

Lilo and Stitch

Taehyung accidentally lowkey adopts his neighbor’s son but he can’t really be blamed when little Jeon Jimin is the cutest thing ever.

Rest, Recovery, Rehabilitation (Part 1) (Part 2)

Jeongguk gets injured and meets Taehyung, the beautiful, witty nurse who turns his life around.

Autumn Leaves

Sometimes the bond between Soulmates is stronger than intended.

Tattoos and Flower Boys (Part 1) (Part 2) *NSFW

Taehyung is the soft pastel art major and Jeongguk is the bad boy tattoo artist.

Model on Fire

Jeongguk is a poor fireman just trying to do his job and Taehyung is a model who attacks him with a katana.

"A dragon!"

“Sugarplum, what do you want for your birthday?” Jeongguk smiles up at his mother and without hesitation replies “A dragon!”

'Revenge Prank On My Boyfriend!'

Taehyung finally gets back at his boyfriend.

Vmin

Shy Smiles and Soft Promises

Taehyung decides to get a hybrid.

The Benefits of a Boyfriend

Kim Taehyun is literally having the words day but her boyfriend Jimin is there to save the day.

Across the Universe

Taehyung and Jimin roadtrip across the United States.

The Jock and his Prince

Jock Taehyung and Class President Jimin.

Sunlight Through the Leaves (Part 1) (Part 2)

Jimin falls in love with a forest spirit.

Black and White

You’re born colorblind and when you see your soulmate for the first time you can see colors. When your soulmate dies, you’re vision goes back to black and white.

Intertwined

Park Jimin, 17 years old, slytherin, is in love with his best friend.

‘I’m gonna climb that like a tree’

Jimin spills coffee on a hot stranger and doesn’t regret it for one second.

Taejin

My Funny Valentine

Seokjin has known that he wants to marry Taehyung since their second anniversary.

Vmon

My Paradise is with You (Part 1) (Part 2) (Extra: Instagram)

Kim Namjoon is a high end fashion designer and Taehyung is his vacation planner.

Silver Tears and Golden Kisses (Part 1) (Part 2) (Extra: Headcanons) *this au is mostly on ao3 

Vampire Namjoon and Fairy Taehyung are boyfriends.