#he should have never come back. damn it. everyone knew that would happen eventually

[goldenpinof]

putin: *has elections*

putin: *finally kills the only opponent he feared*

putin's regime killed Navalny?! if this is true and people won't do anything-

[logansdoll]

professor

the students are excited to have their old biology teacher back, but you can't be that great... right?

CW: fluffy fluff, the events of Last Stand didn't happen, Logan being Logan, reader is a chlorokinetic (controls plants), love at first sight, Logan's down bad off rip

It was a couple months back when word of your return began buzzing around the mansion.

No one knew where the rumor started, or who started it, but the day wasn't even half over before the entire student body was obsessed.

Whispers muttered during class, lunchtime gossip chains, study group pow-wows.

Many couldn't believe it.

You? Come back?

No way.

Some could've sworn you were supposed to be gone for at least a few more years.

Others thought you weren't supposed to come back at all.

And a small few even believed that your arrival could come as soon as the following month.

But after a week or so of no follow up, eventually, the rumor was put to rest, interest diverted to the next, newest gossip on campus.

...

That is... until the story came out.

Apparently, one of the students—who seemed to have some sort of super-hearing—eavesdropped on a conversation between Scott and Charles, and found out you would, in fact, be returning to the school and your position as the biology teacher.

And that was all the students needed to go absolutely berserk.

It wasn't even a full twenty-four hours later before the first meeting of your welcoming committee was held, the new club already having about twenty-five members.

While they began making preparations and to-do lists for your arrival, another group began going out to your garden on the weekends, trimming the overgrown weeds and planting new flowers in their place, caring for them in the meantime.

Some students even started straightening up your old classroom, cleaning the clouded glass of the greenhouse and redecorating with your favorite blooms.

And, of course, Logan had to return from one of his trips right in the middle of it.

Now, at first, he didn't really give a shit.

But out of curiosity, he asked Rogue what all the commotion was about—especially after some kid ran past him with a trolley full of potting soil—and what he gathered was that you were some professor who left about a year ago to teach abroad.

Apparently, you were nearly every kid's favorite teacher, your fun and interactive lessons, along with your genuinely kind and caring personality, touching the hearts of damn near the entire student body.

Even kids who had never met you before were chipping in, helping out those who needed a little extra manpower.

It was almost unbelievable.

'If this chick doesn't show up, Charles is gonna have a nuclear war on his hands...'

"Guys!" Kitty shouted, running straight through the front door and into the foyer. "I think her car just pulled up!"

The following stampede could've ranked as a 9.0 on the Richter scale.

It was eight in the morning on a Saturday, and half the kids were still in their pajamas, but they all moved with lightning speed, grabbing their signs and noise-makers before running down the stairs.

A boy with super speed sprinted to the lower level dorms and woke everyone else, while a girl with the ability to stretch hung up a welcome banner over the archway.

"Hurry! She's walking up!" Kitty reported, her head halfway through a window.

Quickly, the students formed a crowd at the door, the teachers slowly descending the stairs to join them.

"Mmm. She's here already?" Jean yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she landed on the final step, hand in hand with Scott.

"Still as punctual as ever," he smiled.

"I'll say," Ororo grinned, crossing her robe over her chest, "She wasn't supposed to show up for another week."

Logan was less amused.

No one should have that much energy on a weekend.

Even still, he quietly settled himself off to the side, leaning up against a wall while the others joined the crowd.

'You wouldn't get this kinda reception if the President was the one coming...'

"Y'know..." Ororo started, seemingly out of nowhere, as she joined him on the wall. "I think you'll like her... she's just your type."

He turned to her, raising a brow, "Is she, now?"

Despite his playful tone, he wasn't entertaining the idea in the slightest.

All that true love-soulmate bullshit didn't exist for men like him.

He was 136, going on 137, and had loved and lost enough times to realize that at the end of the day, he'd outlive her.

So why bother?

His life would be one he forever walked alone—a fact he was slowly coming to terms with.

Or at least he thought he was.

Because as you walked through the threshold before him, flashing a heart-stopping grin, he felt all that shit go flying out his head.

You were absolutely beautiful.

And you'd think after 200 years he'd learn...

"Surprise!" the children cheered, proudly holding up their signs and tossing confetti into the air. "Welcome home!"

You gasped, dropping your bags and covering your mouth in shock as you admired the homemade decorations.

"Kids, you shouldn't have!" you smiled brighter than the sun, letting out a small laugh as they all rushed you for a group hug.

And, of course, you were happy to oblige.

"It's good to see you, (y/n)," Scott greeted, he and Jean walking over.

(y/n).

The name sounded like honey on his tongue.

"Logan," Ororo smirked, elbowing her friend in the rib. "You're drooling."

The man cleared his throat, closing his mouth and averting his eyes so they couldn't embarrass him any further.

"Some of you have gotten so big since we last met!" you cheesed, pulling back to examine each of them. "And I see some new faces, too..."

But, against his will, Logan's gaze trailed back to you, Jean's speech going in one ear and out the other.

And when it landed on your face again, he realized he wasn't the only one staring.

Your soft, (e/c) eyes were trained on him as well, their flicker of curiosity and awe completely contrasting your composed demeanor.

It made him feel hot, being subject to your gaze, and he could feel himself thoughtlessly straightening his posture, making himself appear taller, and slightly larger.

You let out a silent laugh, discreetly bringing a hand to your lips to cover it, but not before letting the man get a peak of your smile once more.

Fuck, that smile.

"Can you two quit eye-fucking? It's gross," Scott groaned, joining the two on the wall.

Logan ignored him, looking toward you with a small smirk.

Something about you gave him a good feeling... like things would be different.

Maybe love could exist for him after all...

[devildomwriter]

One Little Thing, A Ring Part IV | Mammon x Reader

1.1K Words | GN! Reader | CW: Angst

You came home late again that night from work and were surprised to find Mammon already asleep. The past few weeks you’d been working extra hard, Mammon had stayed up for you and offered you a rose he’d stolen from a bouquet somewhere in the house. But tonight he was sprawled out under the covers and his cheek was pink and puffy.

You inspected closely without waking him up and felt the skin had liquid beneath. Using your magic you identified the perpetrator and healed his wound, draining the last bit of magic you had in you for the day.

Not bothering to change out of your old clothes you lifted the blanket and fell asleep next to Mammon.

Mammon was practically comatose but he could sense your presence and his pained face grinned as he snuggled closer to you, head on your chest.

You smiled and held onto him as you drifted into sleep.

Mammon was sad the next day to see you’d left early again. He noticed your slippers by the bedside and began to wonder if you’d actually been there or if he’d dreamed it up.

He pulled out his D.D.D. to call you but you couldn’t answer and he gave up after a few tries and sighed.

He scratched his back and stretched, trying to wake up his body before being put back to work. Despite the cheer of the holiday season, Mammon stayed occupied only with work and didn’t enjoy it as he normally did. All he could focus on was money and this time it was for a good reason. All of this was for you.

Mammon’s brothers had all learned what was happening and dealt with it in their own ways. Lucifer’s way of dealing was to occasionally ensure Mammon had more work to do but he remained at the castle a majority of the day to make sure he wasn’t worked too hard.

His brothers began to randomly appear at the castle and soon after some kind of disaster would occur that they’d never be punished for.

Eventually, Mammon caught on and he wasn’t happy. He put up with a lot of shit from them over thousands of years but he wasn’t having it and called for an intervention.

They didn’t listen to him so Lucifer forced everyone to come together and hear him out. Mammon got a pardon from work so everyone could meet up at an acceptable time of the day.

“Okay, why’d you call us here?” Leviathan asked annoyed and focusing more on his D.D.D.

Mammon growled, “Dammit, you know why. All of ya do!” He pointed his fingers at his brothers.

Asmodeus gasped and placed his hand over his chest. “I’ve done nothing wrong, how could you accuse me!”

Mammon glared at him and Satan nudged Asmo to cool it with the theatrics.

Belphegor rolled his eyes at Mammon’s declaration. “What did you expect?” He hissed, in demon form.

Beelzebub put a hand on Belphegor’s shoulder trying to ease his anger but it was palpable.

“You guys know damn well why I’m working and you’re makin’ it harder what gives!”

Satan glared at Mammon now, “as Belphie said. What did you expect?”

Mammon clenched his fists and his demon form slipped out which surprised his brothers. Mammon didn’t often lose control like the rest of them, even when they beat on him, called his names, or won their money back, Mammon would stay calm. But not now, Mammon was beyond pissed.

Lucifer remained silent, he knew what Mammon was going to say and he knew that Mammon would be right too.

“Do ya realize that by gettin’ in my way, you’re really just gettin’ in ___’s way!”

They froze in silence.

“I get that you’re all mad they didn’t date you instead! I get that cause I’d feel the exact same way! Y’know how pissed I got all those times I thought they were dating one of you! Or when they kissed Lucifer that time he got amnesia!”

Lucifer chuckled and earned hateful glares from each brother.

“Anyways, I get it! But this isn’t about me, it’s about ___! And if you really care about them then you should want them to be happy and like it or not, they’re happy with me! And I’m tryin’ to give them a ring they deserve and I’m doin’ honest work! So quit comin’ into the castle and screwing everything up! It’s not cool and you know that!”

Everyone was silent for a while and Mammon finally tucked away his wings and sat on the couch facing his brothers.

Lucifer finally spoke with a small nod. “I know.” He relented. “You’re right. All of us are making things harder on you.”

“Hey! You don’t speak for me,” Belphegor snapped but Satan shook his head.

“Give it up Belphie. We’re too obvious.” Satan looked Mammon in the eye. “Fine. We’ll stay out of your way and we’ll do it for ___ not for you.”

Asmodeus nodded and Beelzebub looked at the ground.

“But know this,” Satan continued. “I’ll be waiting for the moment you slip up and when that happens I’ll be the one by their side.”

Leviathan set his D.D.D. down and glared, “That goes for me too.”

Everyone agreed and Mammon sighed. “Whatever, that’s not gonna happen so you’re all gonna have to suck it up for ___’s sake. You really think they want you guys trying to ruin their relationship the second you can?”

Satan turned red and Beelzebub blushed in some sense of shame. They wouldn’t admit to it but they still intended to romance you any chance they could get. Similarly to Diavolo, they were hoping that after hundreds or thousands of years with Mammon, polygamy might be on the table.

Mammon knew this and stayed wary of his brothers but took solace in the fact they wouldn’t dare upset you, so his relationship was safe as long as you were happy. That scared him at the same time.

The closer Christmas got the more he panicked. Was he really good enough? Could he really make you happy forever? He couldn’t even make up his mind on a ring because everything looked so damn perfect when you wore it and he couldn’t afford to get them all.

Mammon looked at the calendar one more time before collapsing into your bed, “the twenty-third already…” he sighed and covered his face.

He was so close to eternal happiness but at the same time feared letting you down. Mammon had nightmares that night until you shook him awake.

“Huh! What’s happening!” He shouted with a start, his cheeks stained with dried tears.

“Mammon…” you said in a gentle tone and wrapped your arms around him. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part V

[hiddenwritingsintheworld]

My Alpha Ch. 3

 Donations | Share your Thoughts & Feelings | My Alpha Series (coming soon) | Chapter 2

You wrapped your arms around yourself as you leaned closer to the campfire. The quarterly pack camping trip, you hated this damn camping trip and for the last two years, you’d been lucky enough to get your heat during EACH one. But, you should have guessed your luck would run out eventually. “Hot chocolate?” Declan's voice came from above you, looking up, you saw him extending a hand with a small, steaming cup in it. 

You smiled and graciously took the cup, “Thank you very much,” you said sipping the hot beverage. Declan took a seat next to you and smiled nodding, “Of course, you looked like you were ready to throw yourself into the flames to get warm.” he chuckled as you laughed some. “Yeah, I haven’t been on one of these trips in a long time, forgot how cold it gets.” you said quietly. 

Declan stared at the fire for a few moments, just enjoying being near you, before he looked in your direction, “Do you mind if I ask you something?” he asked as you looked at him and shook your head. “Where’s your mom?” he watched as you flinched slightly at the question. “I’m sorry, it's not my business, I shouldn’t have asked.” but you shook your head, “No, it's fine. I just…haven’t thought about my mom in a really long time…” 

You turned more toward Declan, wrapping both hands around the hot chocolate to keep them warm. “My mom and dad were killed by a passing pack. Since I was a baby, pack master became my dad.” you shrugged as he looked on with sorrow etched in his features. “He became my dad after I was orphaned…” you looked from the cup in your hands up to meet his eyes as Declan laid a hand on your arm. 

“I’m so sorry, that sounds awful, did you ever find out who was responsible for their deaths?” he asked as you shook your head, “No, dad just said it was another passing pack, I guess there's some packs that act on wilder tendencies than we do.” you sighed softly looking over at the fire, as Declan nodded, “That’s why I left my previous pack. The Alpha pack master always wanted to fight over all the omegas, he felt he was entitled to “own” them.” he shook his head, “Omegas, I think, are greater than Alphas…everyone looks at them like they’re this weak, timid, mindless, baby making, homemaker machines…but they’re strong…they not only take care of the younglings, they make a home for their alphas to come back to, they hold the entire family together…” he smiled looking down. 

“My mom and dad were true mates, and she used to tell us that Alphas were the biggest and best, because she knew, that one day my brothers and I would become alphas, She was correct by the way, we all became alphas, and last I heard my younger brother just had his 6th child.” he chuckled as you smiled, “thats awesome, congratulations,” you smiled up at him as he smiled back at you. 

Arthur glared from across the campsite, this could not be happening. You were not going to be taken from him, he refused to let you go. His plan may not have gone the way he wanted, but dammit, he’d come too far to lose out now. He had to get you away from Declan. 

“So, I'm sure you believe in true mates and all that?” you asked as he nodded, “yeah, I mean, I know it’s rare but I do, I believe there are two souls that are destined to be together.” he refilled your hot chocolate, and took his coat off, draping it over your shoulders as he noticed you getting colder. “Thank you, it's never been this cold before, but I also don’t remember us ever coming up this high on the mountain for these trips.” you said, shivering. “What’s the point of this trip anyways?” he asked as you bit back a laugh, “It’s supposed to bring us all together, and make us a better pack…but really I think it used to be a way for betas, alphas and omegas to just kinda...hook up, without their parents finding out…and dad just kept it going, but usually the alphas go out hunting, and the rest of us ladies stay here and…as you said “home make”” you laughed as he chuckled, “But it's not all bad, we really get to bond as a pack, which is nice. The guys usually share hunting tips, and they all usually come up with some project, dad usually talks to you guys about anything we need to be aware of, while the women bond, some of us like to sew, so we bring that along with us, others really enjoy books, recipes, even just talking. I think my dad misses how it was when he was a kid, and the women would all kinda….come together to raise and manage the kids, while the men hunted for dinner.” you rolled your eyes as Declan laughed, “your dad is not that old.” 

“Well, what’s got you two laughing so much?” Arthur asked as he stepped in front of you and Declan, “oh, I was telling Declan about why we do these camping trips.” you smiled softly as Declan nodded, “she’s actually given me quite the history lesson of them, I’m really glad I get to experience it this time, my old pack never did anything like this.” he smiled at Arthur who eyed you before nodded and forcing a smile on his features, “yes, pack bonding is important, it’s important we all remember our roles in a pack too. Declan, I wanted you to join us alphas tonight on a hunt. We’re hunting boar…have you ever hunted boar before?” Arthur asked as Declan and you both stood, “I have not, but it sounds exciting, I’d love to join you.” he glanced over at you, and Arthur could feel the time slow right before his eyes. 

An Alpha….checking in with his omega. 

It’s a silent exchange, one that usually happens without either party knowing, Arthur knew exactly what he was staring at and he had to stop it before it progressed any farther. True Mates. He watched as you looked up under your lashes at Declan, blinking once before a small smile crossed your face. Giving permission….to him. He felt his temper growing more and more as each second passed. “Great. We leave in 5 minutes, best go grab your stuff.” he forced out as Declan nodded at him before glancing back at you. “I’ll see you later,” he smiled as you nodded with a smile. “Of course!” 

Arthur watched as Delcan walked over to his tent before grabbing your arm. “Stay. Away. From. Him.” he growled using his alpha voice on you, but something in your eyes, you weren’t entirely buckling before him this time. “I was just being friendly…dad.” you said quietly. “Bonding...as a pack….the whole point of this trip. Declan is part of this pack right?” you asked, raising an eyebrow as Arthur flared his nostrils. “Just stay away from him.” he snapped, growling as others glanced over at the two of you. 

You watched as Arthur stormed off, gathering supplies and others for the hunt. You were standing in your tent, when you heard someone clear their throat behind you, turning around, you smile, seeing Declan holding the tent door open, “Mind if I come in?” he asked as you nodded, “Sure.” you nodded watching him duck and stand hunched over slightly. “I wanted to apologize for earlier if you got in trouble for talking to me…I don’t like seeing you get into trouble.” he said as you shook your head, “Don’t worry about my father, he’s just over protective…he thinks you're going to hurt me or something.” you wave your hand dismissively but Declan nodded, turning his head to listen before looking back at you. “I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed talking with you tonight and I hope we can continue our conversation over breakfast in the morning.” he smiled as you bit your lip, “I’d really like that,” you said softly. 

The small tent caused the two of you to stand closer than you usually were used to. His scent of pine and campfire filled your nostrils. As you looked up at him again, you could feel the blood rushing into your cheeks, “I overheard your father telling you to stay away from me,” he said softly. You nodded, “But I don’t want to, please be careful out there hunting with everyone else.” you whispered as he leaned down and let his cheek graze yours, “I hope you don’t stay away from me,” he whispered as his lips brushed over the shell of your ear. 

You let out a shaky breath as he slowly pulled back some, and pressed his lips gently to your cheek. “I’ll be fine sweetheart, you stay safe too. I won’t go far, so if you need anything, call me okay?” he stared down at you, his eyes soft as he smiled. You pressed yourself against his chest, rubbing your face into his shirt sighing, “I will. Thank you Declan,” you whispered as he wrapped his arms around your smaller frame. “Of course,” he stayed there for a moment before he pulled away and left your tent without anyone seeing. 

You stood with everyone else as the guys loaded up and headed out to hunt for the night, you kept an eye on Declan as he glanced at you, before they all left. “God he’s so fucking hot, Devin would kill me if he heard me say that, but damn what I wouldn’t do to let that alpha fuck me.” Marlene said as she and Christie walked back toward their tents, your father left a list of chores for the women and betas to take care of while he and the other alphas were gone. As the night went on, most of the women finished their chores and laid down in their tents. 

You however, were still sewing on some items when an alpha broke through the trees, “Pack Master has been injured!” he yelled waking the camp up.

Tag List:

@notebooks-of-nonsense @fdl305 @bval-1 @calimoi @syntheticavenger @forgetmenotsexy @mrsjenniferwinchester @chaneajoyyy @mommad @wolfieeebbbyyy @dontbescaredtosingalong @ellen-reincarnated1967 @adriellej @coffeebooksandfandom @patzammit @posiemax @auriel187 @ladybug05 @stoneyggirl2 @fallenoutofrose @mrspeacem1nusone @teamfreewill-imagine @inlovewith3 @auvisanspeur @whiskeytangofoxtrot9889 @leaveitbythewave @sleutherclaw @sandlee44 @aaqua-tofana @nohumanswereharmed @msgrandma49 @seraph-ulysses

[lovely-peace]

Moonlight To Dawn

Summary: A forgotten night is all it's gonna take to mess up a life. A forgotten warning is all it's gonna take to mess up everything.

Pairing: Sirius black x hufflepuff!reader

Warnings: past toxic friendship, past toxic relationship (not with the reader), insecurities, self conscious , fake dating

Masterlist Last Part Part 7

Wc: 4.2k

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first game of this Quidditch season! And for the start, we have the most heated game of all! The golden heroes against the silver antihero! The big lion against the sly snake! Ladies and gentlemen, we are watching Gryffindor against Slytherin!" Loud cheering.

"The Gryffindor who played the moderator this time really had no taste. I mean 'sly snake'? 'Silver antihero'? Between the lines, he's saying we're the bad guys! What a jerk…" whispered Cassie. I tried to listen to her, but I couldn't.

I could only focus on what I was seeing right now. A little Black, glaring at his brother's 'girlfriend.' She stared back at him in disbelief.

How could I have overlooked all of this?

Ohhh, Sirius. You little jerk. You despicable, vile, loudmouthed, disgusting, scheming-

"Now that everyone is on the field, we should start soon! Our dear players must move on their brooms and rise into the air. Are you ready?"

Regulus Black knows his brother well. Even when I was with Sirius, he knew when our relationship was just a pastime. He was never mad at me. At least not that I knew of.

"One!"

He knows much more about me and my friends than I want. Sometimes he scares me.

"Two!"

Sirius and he have quite a few conflicts. They almost never agree. And even when I was with Sirius, they argued about it. But not about whiskey.

"Three!"

Why not? Because Regulus didn't know Sirius liked whiskey. Why didn't he know?

"Go!"

Because it's not real. Holy crap, Sirius.

"There, our heroes rise into the air and battle for the balls! Gryffindor's Seeker James Potter searches the field from high above for the Snitch! Will he find it? Probably not, as the game has just begun!"

~~~

"Come on, it's not that bad! I'll take a glass, and you take the bottle, okay?"

She looked at me with wide eyes. It was just whiskey, after all. Why was she making such a big deal out of it? I smiled at her, hoping she would finally drown herself in the drink.

Carefully, she took the bottle and looked at me uncertainly. "Seraph, are you sure nothing will happen?"

I shook my head, laughing. "What could possibly go wrong, you silly? Maybe you'll feel a bit off for a moment, but so what? You'll have done it, and the experience counts, right!"

She stared at the bottle for a long time. Eventually, Damien whistled loudly. "Come on, or I'll take the bottle!"

He was a repulsive guy, way too loud, with too little empathy in his small brain. Leander, sitting next to him, looked at him frustrated and shook his head.

His hair shimmered in the light, and his eyes had that deep brown color I wanted to disappear into. His lips looked so gentle…

An uneasy feeling spread within me, and I took my glass and downed it in one gulp.

"Seraph!" the girl in the yellow uniform looked at me in shock. "Are you okay?"

My head seemed to spin. The face of this ugly girl spun right before my eyes as if it would never go away. I wanted to hit her. Push her away. I wanted to take the bottle and beat her to death with it-

"Of course!" I snapped at her. "And now, hurry up! If you don't have the guts anymore, it's okay, but say it so we don't have to drag this out unnecessarily!"

She flinched and stared back at the bottle.Her lips trembled and something shimmered in her eyes. I felt something like triumph when I saw her fingers turn white from the firm grip on the bottle. "I told you." Phina said after a while. "She's just too scared-"

With one gulp, she opened the bottle and drank. She paused occasionally and then continued. Until. The. Bottle. Was. Empty.

"Damn, she did it!" Damien laughed loudly, probably at my friend's stupidity. He couldn't stop laughing.

"Stop laughing, you jerk," grumbled Leander, looking almost concerned at her. The look in his eyes disgusted me and I wanted to push her out of there. Had he looked at me like that once? No, there was no need to worry about me. Somehow it still made me angry. I don't know why, but I wanted to hit him. I wanted to pull her out of here and never bring her near my friends again.

My little friend swayed and desperately grabbed onto me for support. "Oh my God, she's gone! I can't take it anymore!" Damien laughed even louder. His laughter rang shrill in my head, like a warning. Get out of here.

"Seraff, where are you? What elshe do I hashe to do?" she mumbled the words incompletely and swayed in my arms. Why was I even holding her?

"Let go of me," I snapped at her and pulled away. Her dirty hands seemed much worse than usual. Her eyes were glazed, and it dawned on me that she probably wouldn't remember this tomorrow. "Go to your house. Now."

Confused, she looked at me, as if nothing in her head was functioning. Slowly swaying, she moved toward the exit. I didn't watch her as she left the room.

"Come back tomorrow, 'Whisky'!" Damien shouted after her. "Dude, shut up!" Leander gave him a little slap on the head, but Damien just laughed.

"Why? The name 'Whisky' fits, right?" I wanted to kill him with my gaze. My head throbbed. I didn't know what was happening to me, but something in me sought satisfaction. Phina looked at me approvingly and nodded. Her smile revealed how much she was enjoying the situation. She looked at me with half-open eyes and that stupid smile, I could puke.

"Or don't you think so, Leander?" I challenged him. Agree with me. Now. Come on. Stop hesitating. You're always on my side, what's wrong? Agree with me. Please—

"Well, yes… But—" he looked away and fell silent. Something in me tightened at this 'but.'

"What 'but'?" I asked with a sugary voice. Come on. Say it already. What do you hate so much about me right now? What? Say it. Say it to my face. I want to hear why you're looking at me like that.

"Cassie also collapsed because of the alcohol. What if your friend collapses on the way to her house now?" he scratched his neck and didn't look at me.

Damien groaned loudly. "Oh, who cares. Then she'll miss the test tomorrow, no big deal."

Leander ignored my glances. He stared into the fire. I wanted to push him into it. He should finally say what I did wrong! What did I do?

"Phina, let's go to sleep." I stood up and finally turned away from this guy who frustrated me so much. "We have an important test tomorrow."

She looked at me bored. Then she looked back at Damien, and I saw out of the corner of my eye how they seemed to silently discuss me.

"Come on!" I said now with a firmer voice and went to the girls' dormitories.

"I'm coming already…" said a very annoyed Phina. I wanted to strangle her.

Phina followed me, and we closed the door to the girls' dormitories behind us. But I stayed for a second before closing the door.

"You guys are such assholes." Black. "Be quiet, kid. It's none of your business." Damien. "You should be expelled from school." Regulus Coward Black. "Where are you going?" Leander. "Somebody has to take her to the Hufflepuff house." Two doors slammed in response.

~~

Late it was that evening when I left the Slytherin common room to search for the intoxicated girl. I didn't know her personally, but I somehow felt connected to her. She had been in our Slytherin common room on several occasions.

I saw it all. Seraph, who always dragged her along, or rather, the one who always followed her. Damien, who mocked her. Leander, who felt pity for her but was too captivated by Seraph to do anything. And Phina, who didn't care about anything as long as there was some drama.

It was disgusting to watch them.

I walked through the corridors of the grand castle, wondering how far she had gotten. But certainly not far, because it was dark, and she had a massive amount of alcohol in her system.

Holding my wand high with the Lumos spell, I hoped not to be discovered by teachers as I heard labored breathing. I scanned my surroundings, but there was no one. No corners, no closets to hide in. Yet, I heard that breathing. What the hell?

Soft steps echoed through the corridor as I turned around, trying to find the origin. Was I going mad here?

I turned around and saw a silhouette at the corner of the corridor and was about to run towards it when—

"Regulus, what are you doing here?"

Sirius.

Startled, I turned to my brother, who looked at me inquiringly.

"How did you—? You—Just a moment ago, there was no one there!" I looked at him suspiciously as he gave me a feigned look of confusion.

"What are you talking about, Regulus? I just came from the Gryffindor tower," he said, grinning crookedly. "What are you doing out so late on a full moon?"

"I could ask you the same thing." His gaze hardened a bit. "Besides, it's none of your business."

I turned back to the silhouette, but it had disappeared. Sighing, I continued, disappointed that my slightly older brother was following me.

"Well, I think I have a right to know what my little brother is up to at this late hour," he murmured as he walked behind me. "My little brother wandering around in the middle of the night… What if something happens to you—"

"Shut up, Sirius," I snapped at him, hoping he would lose interest. I looked around, but 'Whisky' was nowhere to be seen.

"Or…" Sirius grinned now. "You're looking for something." He looked at me triumphantly. "I can help—"

"I said, 'shut up, Sirius!'" I listened carefully to the steps, and it seemed like I could faintly hear them.

"What's actually going on with you? Lately, you hardly talk to me! I'm really worried about you, Regulus. Has something happened?" his voice behind me became somewhat harsh. "Did your parents say something?"

"No, they didn't." Lie. "I just find you insufferable lately." Truth. Recently, he basks in his popularity, constantly putting himself in the spotlight and enjoying the attention, with many girls chasing him like little dogs.

I hated how he acted with his 'friends.' Their 'jokes' were just disgusting. I couldn't understand the senseless joy in it. But how could I.

"Hey, what do you mean-"

"Shush!" I signaled for him to shut up. It was very quiet, but you could hear it. A muffled sob.

"Do you hear that too? That-" I couldn't hold back anymore; I punched Sirius lightly to make him understand he should be quiet. "Hey-!"

Very quietly, I took step after step towards the crying. I was almost at the corner of the corridor when-

"What are you doing here anyway?" A. Much. Too. Loud. Sirius.

The crying immediately fell silent. Now it was dead silent. I flipped my brother the middle finger before turning the corner. An empty corridor awaited me. But unlike just now, there was a small cupboard here. A suffocating little cupboard.

Sirius followed me, but before he could say anything, I knocked on the cupboard. "What are you doing there?" he asked, but I ignored him.

"Hello?" I inquired.

Silence.

I knocked again, but this time slower. "Everything okay in there?"

Silence.

"Do you think someone's in there?" Sirius stood behind me with crossed arms, as if I were the dumbest person in the world. He probably never had to hide in school before.

"Sirius, for the last time, please shut up!" I couldn't hear him anymore. "No one asked you to follow me!"

Sirius just shrugged. "As a big brother, it's my duty to annoy you. Besides, I have to be there when you get yourself into trouble."

"That's funny coming from you. As if you've ever fulfilled your duties as a big brother." He was really getting on my nerves.

"Hey, I've made a real effort in the last 2 years to annoy you properly! Nothing that makes you uncomfortable or anything…" He briefly looked out at the shining moon. "But I also had to take care of other things. But I'm trying!"

"Oh yes, you're really busy not doing your homework and annoying other students with your jokes that sometimes go too far!" He infuriated me. How he stood there as if he understood something. As if someone like him understood how I feel and why I don't want anything to do with him.

He is the one who is leaving me alone.

"Okay, Regulus, I have the feeling that you, how should I put it, are angry. Mainly, that's probably due to the absence of your humor, but that can be fixed, don't worry." He came closer. "Next time, you can join us in Hogsmeade. If you want, we can also come up with a prank together!"

"I don't want to participate in one of your bad jokes, really! I'd rather have detention with Professor Binns, and that says something." His smile disappeared. He looked at me almost desperate. For the first time tonight, he said nothing. And that's why I heard it.

"Pffff-"

Laughter.

Sirius pushed me aside, went to the small cupboard, and pulled out his wand. With a slightly tense voice, he said, "Alohomora!" and with a very exaggerated aggressive jerk, he opened the cupboard.

A laughing girl, seemingly out of her mind, looked out at us. Sirius still pointed his wand at her when she -

"AHHHHH!!!" she screamed and blinked against the presumably very bright light. "DON'T EAT ME!"

"Did you hear all that-; Wait, what?" Sirius lowered his wand in confusion and looked at the girl bewildered.

She looked at him as if he were the devil; he had apparently scared her. But his confused look was priceless. I had to chuckle slightly, I admit it. Sirius glared at me and now completely put away his wand.

"Who are you, what are you doing here, and why are you hiding from us, and why in a cupboard???" With each question, he got closer to her, and eventually, his head was half in the cupboard. "Let her breathe; she really doesn't need your breath in her nose." I grinned at him this time and took full advantage of his confusion.

The girl laughed again. Sirius backed off from her and looked at her almost scared. "I don't have bad breath! Or do I?" She laughed even more but shook her head. He grinned at her oddly. "Come on, that wasn't so funny?"

Somehow, I wanted to puke at the sight of the two. "Just let her out already." He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. But then he grinned at the girl in the cupboard again. "I'm sorry. Here, let me help you out." He held out his hand to her. She looked as if she were thinking about it, like only a drunk person could.

"No, thanksh. I can manashe on my own getting out of here; after all, I manashed to get in. Besidez, I don't trusht you yet! It could be that you actually want to zell me to Professor Shlughorn so he can make a potion out of me!" She slipped out of the cupboard and sat swaying on the floor.

Sirius looked dumbfounded at her. He looked between me and her. Eventually, he looked at me utterly bewildered, and I had to laugh. She seemed not to understand him and shook her head. "You think I'm weird, don't you? No, you're jusht not direct enough; what do you want from me?"

"Me? I haven't done anything! What's your problem, anyway?" Sirius still looked at her confused, but he also started to look really worn out. "Seraph said that every good-looking guy who comes to me just wants to take advantage of me! So, what do you want?" The girl glared at him, and now she also looked at me. Slowly she began to speak normally. "And how did you know where I was hiding-"

"Wait, wait, who is Seraph? And more importantly, you find me good-looking?" Sirius tilted his head and grinned at her. I felt increasingly nauseated. "You can go now." I raised my voice again, eager to take her back to her house.

"No, you're right! Where did you know she was?" He looked at me confused. I sighed loudly. "We heard her footsteps, and the cupboard was the only option where she could hide."

"I mean, why did you go out in the middle of the night and look for her?" He looked at me skeptically.

"How did you come out of nowhere? You can't fool me; you suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind me! How?" Now I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"You just imagined that."

"Then you imagined that I knew where she was. I was just taking a walk and happened to find her."

The girl looked between us and chuckled again.

"What?" we asked simultaneously.

"Sorry." she fell silent and looked at the ground. She stood up, swaying, and tried to walk away but didn't get very far due to the swaying.

"Hey, hey, hey, we must take you back to your house; where do you want to go so late?" Sirius stood up and went to her. I sighed but nodded. "For once he's right; you shouldn't go alone."

But then she took Sirius' hand and pulled him behind her. "Hey, don't you think it's a bit too early for hand-holding?" Sirius asked with that disgusting tone. Confused, she stared at him; alcohol must have taken her mind for flirting. "Where do you want to go? The Hufflepuff common room is in the other direction." I said and pointed her in the right direction.

Uncomprehendingly, she stared at me. "But we have to go to the hospital wing first." She just pointed in the other direction. "And it's over there."

Sirius laughed softly. "Maybe you really belong in the hospital wing, but I don't think you want to be caught there because of alcohol consumption, believe me."

"Not because of me. You're injured." She said to him, looking at him questioningly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked since I didn't notice any injury on Sirius. "His arm. He has a wound there. That's why his uniform is so messy." She shrugged and tapped on Sirius' right arm. He flinched in response to this touch.

Sirius looked at me, attempting to appear confused. "I think we should take her away quickly before she collapses from the alcohol."

"You're much more likely to collapse." She said, smiling at him. "Come on, you don't have to act so tough. Just let yourself be taken to the hospital wing." Again, she walked off, pulling Sirius along with her.

"Is that true? Where did you get that wound?"

"You're not really interested anyway. Anything related to me doesn't really matter for you." Sirius muttered. "You're just on our parents' side anyway."

I glared at him. "Now you're just talking nonsense to wallow in self-pity again."

"Hey, no more arguing! He's injured; that's more important now!" 'Whisky' looked at both of us angrily. Sirius looked at her almost guilty. "Sorry," he said, but she just shook her head. "Apologize to him, not me. He was just worried."

Sirius turned to me. "I'm sorry, Regulus." She nodded at him and now looked at me expectantly. I sighed loudly but finally gave in. "Sorry, Sirius."

Acknowledging, she nodded at both of us. "Good, now let's-" But then she blushed. She looked at Sirius for a long moment and then at her hand that was holding Sirius' hand. Startled, she let go of his hand and looked at him in confusion. "Are you Sirius Black?"

"Would that be a problem for you?" he asked, looking at me questioningly. I just shrugged.

"No, of course not," she whispered softly, putting some distance between Sirius and her. "You can tell the truth; no one would blame you. I would understand it very well!" I said, grinning at Sirius, who just looked annoyed at me.

"Who are you, anyway? Do I know you?" he asked, looking at her hesitantly. But she just shook her head. "No, don't worry, of course not. I'm nothing without Seraph, so it doesn't matter anyway-"

"Who the hell is Seraph? You mentioned her twice, and again, she doesn't seem very likable to me," Sirius said. I laughed at that. "A bitch. She's a bitch. But an interesting one."

Sirius looked at me confused. "Aha." He turned back to her. "Why are you drunk wandering around the castle in the middle of the night?"

"Seraph," I just said, and that explained everything. Sirius apparently didn't understand this simple explanation. He now looked accusingly at me. "So, you did know why she's here and went looking for her!"

"It's not that important now; you need to go to the hospital wing!" a very confused Hufflepuff said. "You're injured!"

"And you need to go to your bed!" Sirius looked at her just as accusingly. "You've apparently drunk yourself to passing out! Probably because you haven't gotten over your friend or something, right? Well, let me give you a tip, drinking doesn't help at all!"

She looked at him somewhat frightened. "That's not how it was… I just did it for Seraph, that-"

"Seraph really seems to be a bitch," Sirius said. I nodded. "Yeah, she's perfect for you," I added.

"Hey!"

"He's right."

Both of us looked at her confused. She looked down. Sirius laughed nervously. "Hey, I didn't mean to be mean or anything-"

She looked at him in shock. "No, no, that's not what I mean! I just mean… she's so nice and beautiful and funny and -" she took a deep breath. And then breathed out again. "She's amazing. And she really just wants to help me."

Sirius looked at me confused. This time I looked just as confused back. "What the hell do you mean-"

"You know what? We should really take you to the hospital wing now!" she quickly changed the subject and went back swaying towards the hospital wing. I followed her, gesturing for Sirius to follow. She probably wouldn't go back to her house until Sirius was treated.

"Hey, what's your name?" Sirius looked at her curiously. She looked at him confused. "(Y/n)"

We stood in front of the hospital wing. When Sirius turned to her again. "Well, (Y/n), firstly, your laughter is really cute, and secondly, I already like you more than Seraph." With that, he disappeared behind the door.

A very confused (Y/n) stood next to me. But upon closer inspection, she seemed to be blushing. Wait, what?!

"Uh… I should probably go to my dorm, right?" she looked at me hesitantly. I just couldn't imagine someone like her… No, that was just wrong.

"Yeah, let's go. I'll take you." I finally said. Awkwardly, we walked down the corridor while my mind was racing.

"What year are you, by the way?" she asked eventually, smiling at me crookedly. Her way too innocent face was killing me.

"Third. Are you in love with my brother?"

Silence.

"How, what, why do you think that???" She looked at me with a red face.

I looked at her for a long time, but I had to sigh. "I don't care about that, but I just want to warn you. My brother is not really known for serious and lasting relationships."

She looked at me for a long time. Then she smiled one of those sad smiles and looked ahead. "I know. It's not like I think I could ever be in a relationship with him."

We walked in silence for a while. Outside, the full moon was slowly going down while the sun seemed to be rising. "That's not what I meant. I just want to tell you that you have to love yourself first. And you have to finally let go of Seraph. By now, you must see that yourself."

We stood in front of the Hufflepuff entrance as she looked at me hurt. "You can go now."

I looked at her for a long time. "Otherwise, you'll always remain 'Whisky'."

I saw her tears and left.

~~~

In the end, I don't know what happened that night. Whisky couldn't remember herself, probably because of the alcohol. I only found her exhausted outside the Hufflepuff house the next day. She didn't come in, must have forgotten the password. We had a test that day.

Everything seemed normal with her, but she was a bit wobbly on her feet. At some point Sirius Black came to her and asked if she was feeling better. At that moment, I was confused as to why he was even talking to someone like her.

"She's fine!"

And then she pukes on her test. Since then, teachers have been looking more at students who look like they have been drinking.

And now this boy, who looked after her that evening, had this mad look in his eyes as he went up into the sky.

Taglist: @theofficialmadman @fanboyluvr @fjdjsiskcjfj @starsval @olkathedestroyer @helloitsmeeeeeee @xamapolax @maripositanoctruna @ancientimes @cloudlst @marina468 @regulus-black-223048 @loving-and-dreaming @tarzanathetumblingwarrior @princesspuffle8@lonely-nerd-sodaholic@lostgirlsstuff@wolken-n@thepunisherfrankcastle@nefri-black@solitarioslilium@briskesby@ropickle@my-current-fandom-is @hawkinsavclub1983@dancingwithreality

[bxd-decisions]

"IT'S JUST THE BEAST UNDER YOUR BED. IN YOUR CLOSET, IN YOUR HEAD" ⸻ RYOMEN SUKUNA

◈ SYNOPSIS︙ Many people didn't survive his wrath. Once he found his way inside of your head, in your dreams. Being in a vulnerable state meant death, whenever Ryomen Sukuna was close by. So many rumors were heard about him being the most terrifying killer out there. God, he didn't even exist, it was just in everyone's dreams. However, no one survived if he made an appearance. And that damned night… it happened to you… and your best friend. You had never seen such terror in your life before. But again, it was your fault in the first place. 

◈ PAIRING︙ Ryomen Sukuna x fem!reader

◈ GENRE︙ dark content, horror, smut, nightmare on elm street kinda AU

◈ WORD COUNT︙ 2k

◈ WARNINGS︙ dark content, horror, blood, murder, smut, monster fucking?, Oral sex (Fem!recieving), Dom!sukuna, sub!reader, fem!bodied reader, rough sex, penetrative sex, incubus nightmare, unprotected sex, scratching?. Let me know if I missed any!

◈ AUTHORS NOTE︙ I need to calm down with the DC💀

REBLOGS & FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!

Many people didn't survive his wrath. Once he found his way inside of your head, in your dreams. Being in a vulnerable state meant death, whenever Ryomen Sukuna was close by. So many rumors were heard about him being the most terrifying killer out there. God, he didn't even exist, it was just in everyone's dreams. However, no one survived if he made an appearance. 

And that damned night… it happened to you… and your best friend. You had never seen such terror in your life before. But again, it was your fault in the first place. 

"I heard that this Ryomen Sukuna… he's hot." you found the whole thing amusing, as if such a killer who haunted your dreams existed. But your best friend believed in it, and took it seriously, the fear present on her face would tell you that, "I-I don't think you should talk about him like that…" she got more nervous by the second, however, you dismissed her fears. 

"Oh come on! I'm sure that son of a bitch doesn't even exist, even if he did, I wouldn't be scared of him. Maybe I'd get a good fuck out of him." officially, you were joking, and the smallest of smiles crept upon your friends face, whereas you burst out laughing at the dumb joke. However, it died down immediately, for the lights… all of them, in the entire neighborhood, had gone off. It was a power outage, and it was already past midnight, you wouldn't lie, it spooked you slightly. Your friend on the other hand was petrified to death, again, you laughed it off and turned your phone's flashlight on, giving her a reassuring smile, "It's okay… it's just a power outage… nothing bad." 

Moving to sit beside her, you pulled her into your side and began to play with her hair in a soothing way, "Maybe we should sleep, you'll see, it'll be okay." Once again you smiled reassuringly and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. She nodded and returned a smile, climbing under the covers with you, "I'm tired… Can you hold me?" your friend was still terrified, and she wanted to be held until she slept, and obviously you obliged, wrapping your arms around her, allowing her to be the small spoon

"I'm here, just get some rest." You made sure to play with her hair, watching over her until she eventually fell asleep. 

You turned your back to her sleeping form, staring out the window for a while, all you saw was pitch darkness, it was like there wasn't even a moon shining. 

"Whatever…"

Your eyes felt heavy, you were tired. You finally allowed sleep to take over you, however, you wished you hadn't.

Opening your eyes once more, you sat up on the bed, looking next to you, your friend wasn't there anymore, "She probably went to the bathroom or something…" you sleepily muttered to yourself as you got off the bed and stumbled over to the door. You opened the door, and were greeted by the dark halls of your home. You knew your way around well. You went downstairs to have a glass of water. On your way to the kitchen, you stepped into a wet puddle of something that was on the wooden floors, instinctively, you turned on the light, wanting to scream at what you saw. 

Blood. You were stepping in… blood, and from the looks of it, it was a lot of blood. Someone clearly lost a lot of blood.

Your eyes filled up with tears and you instinctively covered your nose and mouth with your hands, doing so rather aggressively. You felt as of you lost your ability to breath, or it was stuck in your throat, as you did your best attempts to not scream out in absolute terror.

Slowly and steadily, you managed to gain control over your breath, and you began to follow the trail of blood, it went into the kitchen, and once you were in the kitchen, you saw something that was seriously terrifying. Where there was supposed to be a wall, was darkness, as much as you were telling yourself to not go any further, you couldn't help yourself but to, slowly but surely you inched closer to the darkness st the end of the kitchen, and the moment your stepped in, you couldn't contain your screams of horror, for all you saw was the skulls and skeletons of millions of humans on a pile, and on the top of the pile, was a man sitting there, as if those skeletons served as a throne for him. 

"Oh shut up, stop that annoying screaming." The strange man sighed in annoyance, and not even in the blink of an eye, he stood behind you, "Aren't you a special thing, huh?" he laughed, a deep and sinister laugh into your ear, you could feel his hot breath tickling your skin and it gave you goosebumps. A soft gasp fell from your lips from it, you didn't know what to say to him, all you were able to do was stand there, your eyes widened from fear, your skin paler than usual… it wasn't… him? Right?

"Tch, you know I heard what you said, you brat. You clearly said… you'd let me fuck you… Did something suddenly change?" He once again whispered against your ear, before moving his mouth to your neck, biting down on your skin, followed by kisses all over. You shivered by his touch, another soft gasp escaping your lips, and you finally found the courage to speak, "W-where is… my friend… the girl who was with me?"

He continued to leave kisses all over your neck, letting out another deep chuckle, "What do you think I did? Now shut up, and let me fuck you, before you end up on my pile of skeletons over there." with zero effort, he turned you around to face him, looking down into your mesmerizing eyes. He had to admit, you were beautiful, it would be a waste to kill you, he wanted to have some fun first. 

Your eyes were stained with tears, and Sukuna was so proud of that fact, he let his thumb catch your tears before they spilled, thereafter tasting it, it was an odd taste to him. 

He suddenly snapped his fingers, and again, his odd powers had you teleport to your room. Right, this was a nightmare. Sukuna shoved you onto the bed without any warnings, and in an instant, his hands were all over those thighs of yours, his face between your legs. He was in a good mood for once, therefore, he without any permission or warnings, used his teeth to rip your panties off of you, finding his way where he craved to be. He wasted no time, he licked a long, delicious stripe on your cunt that was surprisingly dripping already, earning a gasp from you, lord, you didn't think this… monster would make you feel so good, but apparently he did. 

Your hands found its way to his pink locks, pulling and tugging on his hair as you let out desperate moans while he licked and sucked your clit, and every now and then, pushing his tongue passed your dripping hole. Your taste was intoxicating and you were able to see and feel just how much Sukuna was enjoying himself. The way his claws dug into your juicy thighs, the animalistic groans, and the way he was eating you out like you were his last meal, told you all you needed to know. 

But the same could be said for you, you were having the time of your life, he really knew how to use his tongue alright, it moved all over your needy cunt, bringing you closer and closer to your orgasm that you were so desperately craving, "P-please… let me cum…" you begged him, your hands gripping onto his locks whilst your thighs closed around his head, keeping him there. He smirked against your cunt, and as a response only sucked harder and rougher on your clit, drinking your nectar like it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. It was time to let you have your release, well, the first one at least.

And finally, you fell over the edge, letting your orgasm wash over you, allowing Sukuna to consume it as if he would die otherwise. Groaning, he licked you clean from all your delicious juices, thereafter teasing your already sensitive cunt with his tongue, however, he also needed some sort of release. Therefore, he could sit up and let your legs wrap around his waist, his hands making his way to his pants, undoing his pants whilst giving you a devious smirk.

"Now I'm gonna fuck you till you pass out." he chuckled sinisterly, finally freeing his heavy, throbbing cock, it made you drool at how big he was. "Fuck me please…" you begged the man again, he was so amused at how effortlessly he had turned you into his bitch, and he didn't even try if he was being honest, but he certainly wouldn't complain.

"With pleasure…" Sukuna lined up with your wet entrance, and in a swift movement, he filled you up with his cock. It felt like you were getting split in half, "Oh fuck…" you gasped, feeling like the air was knocked out of you, but he gave you no time to adjust to his size, he just mercilessly started to pound himself into you, but you weren't gonna complain, he felt too good.

Sukuna groaned, his hands once again gripping onto your thighs while he kept railing you, he moved so rough you heard the bed creaking and your body would jolt from the impact, "You're so fucking tight." Sukuna groaned against your neck, his movements not at all slowing down. He loved how you felt, you were tight and wet, it was thrusting into velvet, and he was certainly having the best time of his life. He would do that forever, well… if he ignored the fact that he was slowly reaching his peak, and the same could be said for you.

Your walls were clenching around his cock in the most delicious way, Sukuna was sure that was the most amazing feeling he had ever felt, and you were making things difficult for him, therefore he growled into your ear, "You better cum for me." he was ordering you, and who were you to deny that? It's not like you could hold yourself back any longer, within a few seconds, your second orgasm would hit you like a speeding train, earning the most melodious and beautiful moans Sukuna had ever heard in his life.

Sukuna kept on pounding into you, he was chasing his own high, and he was getting more and more desperate ny the second, you could tell by how rough he kept railing you, and how his claws pierced your skin which made you wince the slightest bit, but the pain was balanced with the pleasure you felt, and soon enough he would finally break and fill you up, emptying his balls inside of you with a delicious groan, his hips stilling, slowly calming down from his own high.

"That was… amazing." He muttered breathlessly and you couldn't help but to agree, you had completely forgotten that it was all a dream. After a few more moments of feeling your tight warmth, he pulled out and stood up from the bed, fixing himself up and sighing. 

"Well, I got what I wanted now." he muttered, thereafter he glared at you, with yet another sinister smirk on his face, "Guess it's time to finish this off." his statement was filled with malice, and you already knew what was about to happen. 

Would begging him to spare you even be helpful? Probably not. Therefore, you shut your eyes and braced yourself to get torn to shreds, however, after seconds of waiting for your demise, it simply didn't happen. Opening your eyes, you looked around the room, but immediately shut them again as the daylight was blinding.

You finally opened your eyes after a few moments and looked around the room, trying to figure out what had happened the former night.

TAGS: @tokyometronetwork @mxhitos

[flowers-of-io]

Destinytober - Grief, Together

Read on Ao3 with proper formatting

Zavala skims over the report with unseeing eyes. Something Shadow Legion, something something Boaz reassigned from field duty. Something... experimental arc grenades? He shakes his head.

It is a beautiful afternoon (every afternoon is beautiful in the Pale Heart, uncannily so), not-sunlight shining through the trickling stream of tea as his mug, then the one across from him, are refilled. He hums in gratitude without looking up.

"Shouldn't you be takin' some time off, anyway?" A handwave, its shadow flickering over the table. "I'm sure our Hunter Vanguard there can manage on his own for a bit."

"I'm good."

"Oh come on." There is a longer beat of silence, distracting him enough that he moves on to the next report, and then words like a blinding grenade: "If it's about dealin' with grief, that ain't the way to do it."

Zavala's jaw clenches, hard. "I don't need a therapist."

"Not what I'm suggestin'." The faint plop of a sugar cube being dropped into the tea, then the clinking of a spoon against ceramic. "But you could use a talk with someone who has a bit of a different perspective."

Now he does look up from the datapad. He tries to school his tone into something as little bitter as possible and says, "What do you mean?"

Amanda leans back in her chair, mug held in both hands. "Y'know, I never envied you guys--Guardians, I mean--that you lived for so damn long. Berriole once told me of a Warlock she used to date, some Hidden who worked with the Owl Sector or whatnot. They'd been pretty serious about it, but then the whole transmission crisis happened and Shun got sick and all, and I guess that made everyone think harder about their own mortality 'cause they wound up partin' ways. The girl couldn't stand the thought of stayin' involved and then havin' to lose Berriole one day."

Zavala smiles sourly. He'd had that conversation with Safiyah, many lifetimes ago, long before they knew it wouldn't be the death of either that'd part them. Ironically, the stakes seemed lower then, because Guardianship was a high-risk profession back in the Dark Ages, and he retreated into the quiet life in the countryside primarily to protect her from losing him. It was only when Hakim came around that he was first faced with the stark possibility of outliving his own child.

The smile fades, and Zavala's fingers clench around the datapad. Yes, he was ready for eventually having to watch his son die. But not... not like this.

"Are you suggesting I should be glad of my current position?"

"You think I'd ever tell you somethin' like that?" Amanda says this reproachfully, but her eyes are soft when Zavala meets them. "What I mean is there're people 'round you who are... transient, Eris would say. I've had my fair share of watchin' folks I loved die on me, and I can't imagine what it's gotta be like to, you know, see little kids out in the City and know you'll most likely be there after they grow old and die. You can only lose so much if you live only so long." Her kind expression morphs into something impish, something he's recognised since the day she finally smiled months after arriving in the City, all those years ago. "And besides, I know you'd miss me."

[stuffeddeer]

haii deer i hope you are able to get all your assignments done on time! was reading your tags and aro dazai?? big brain.

so how about aro ace darling? never been in a relationship and never really want to, their friends are more than enough for them !! honestly i just wanna be aro buddies with dazai 🥹

but damn just being weirdo coworkers together, im,,, willing to look past many red flags for him 💔

YOURE JUST LIKE ME FR dazai and i are best friends and we are aro you can ask him yourself also weirdo coworkers.. you get it

"Oh, wait, so you were the latest person hired?" Atsushi's head cocked to the side, looking at you with curiosity. "How long have you been here?"

"My dear here has been with the agency for three months! You know, I was the one that brought them on board," Dazai gloated, a smug smirk on his face and a dramatic hand over his heart.

You were quick to play along, throwing a dramatic hand over your forehead as you leaned back. "Oh, my hero! What would I do without my lovely Dazai?" The sarcastic lilt in your tone didn't go unnoticed by the newest agency member, but he decided not to comment on it.

"Was it like what happened with me? Did you find Dazai drowning?" Apparently a common occurrence, Atsushi had pieced together.

Dazai denied, a smile on his face as he replied with a simple, "Nope!" A few moments of silence passed before the junior realized he wasn't going to elaborate.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask for more information, you decided to take pity on the poor soul and fill him in. "I bailed him out of a holding cell."

No one bat an eye. Atsushi looked around the office, trying to see if maybe someone was holding back laughter, but not a single one of his new coworkers were phased. Did they not hear what you said?

"He got detained for public disturbance in the middle of a case. I told Dazai he'd have to find a way to get out on his own, and he shows back up not even thirty minutes later with them in tow," Kunikida explains, frustration evident in his voice. "I was trying to teach him a lesson."

"I was in the area," you shrug.

"Yeah, being detained as well..."

"I was being released from detainment, actually!" You correct Kunikida, a proud grin on your face. "And Dazai said I should follow him, so I did."

Atsushi laughed awkwardly. He knew you seemed similar to Dazai in your hedonistic pursuits, but this was baffling. "And the president hired you?"

"I had an entrance exam, but pretty much! I had just been fired from my old job the day before so Dazai helped me get set up here. And before you ask: I was fired because I told the boss' kid I wouldn't date him. He got all upset and told daddy to can me," you huff in frustration, still annoyed at your wrongful termination.

Kunikida rolled his eyes. "Don't act like some martyr; You also deserved to be fired. You just messed around on the job like you do here. You barely got any work done."

"You want me so badly it makes you look stupid—"

"I told them to sue and say it's discrimination because they're aro," Dazai cut you off, a pout on his lips like he's annoyed you didn't take his advice.

"What's... arrow?" Atsushi cocked his head to the side. He was unaware of the terminology, having never come across it in this context during his studies at the orphanage.

"Oh, it's shorthand for aromantic. It just means, like, experiencing little to no romantic attraction to anyone. It varies, of course..." You try to explain simply.

Atsushi nods, understanding the basic idea. "But it'd be wrong to lie about your sexuality, right?"

"I'm aro, actually," you shrug. Everyone at the agency is well aware, so Atsushi will likely find out eventually.

"Oh!" The younger employee's cheeks turn pink, feeling a little sheepish for assuming. A moment passes as Atsushi thinks before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "I thought you and Dazai..?"

"We're both aromantic," Dazai rests his chin on his hand, elbow on his desk and an amused smirk pulling at his lips. "I've dated a lot in the past, but I realized it's just not for me."

"I've never been in a relationship and never want to," you add in yourself. "Aromanticism is... much more complex than how I explained it. Dazai feels romantic attraction, but doesn't— Is it fine if I tell him this?" You suddenly ask, realizing it really isn't your place to speak on his experience, even as his best friend.

"Oh, I don't care. Saves me the trouble," Dazai waves his hand dismissively. "But yeah, I feel romantic attraction, but lose it when it's reciprocated."

Atsushi nods slowly, beginning to understand. "Oh, okay. So you two are just close friends, then."

"Are we just not going to ask what you were doing in a holding cell when Dazai got thrown in?" Tanizaki asks from his desk.

"I just got too silly, you know how it is."

[aerodaltonimperial]

hello katy. i had just the most fucked up thought about your split jack au and ive never used tumblr before but im learning how to send an ask right now because i NEED to know what you think of this.

does julia… tell jungle boy that he’s going to forget? those five years that he goes back and changes for the better— surely julia knows that when the time comes, the jungle boy that got sent back to 2019 and changed jack’s world for the better will become nothing but a memory that everyone but jack himself will be aware of. and if julia tells him… lets him know that his time is limited… does jungle boy not do it all anyways?

does he make every decision in this new timeline knowing that he’s setting up a life for the jack who deserves it most and not himself? when the days tick down and he knows he’s running out of time… does he leave notes for jack? does he leave notes for darby? how do you explain to the person that matters most in your life that one day you’re going to wake up and be replaced with someone a thousand times more scared and broken, and you need to love him just as much as you love me now, because he’s me, and i love him too?

im sorry you fucked my whole world up and i hate you and ive been crying about it for days. im sending you an edible arrangements. fucking god damn it man

Yo, you just fucking CHANGED MY WORLD with this ask. Like, this.... this is the stuff I legitimately DID NOT LET MYSELF THINK ABOUT when I was writing that because this is so much. Jesus CHRIST. I am... I am sitting with this because I am going to be really honest with you, I don't know the answers. The only thing I can say that I leaned on during this was the traveler's immunity concept: that essentially, the person doing the changing is immune from shifting when everything else does. And it's that immunity that all of this hinges upon. 2024 Jack has the immunity, and he is the original remnant that will remain.

Would Julia tell Jack, the Jack that is going to become nothing once the timelines merge? I presume that, eventually, she would. But what he DOES with that information? Oh my god. I don't even know. This ask has fundamentally changed me as a person LOL. I imagine... in a perfect world, that Jack does leave notes for himself. Because in the end, that's who he is doing this for: a better future, even though he won't be there to experience it once the right time hits. He got a gift. And he is giving one back. A huge, monumental gift that he will never get to see through to the end. But that's what so much of that fic really ended up being about, in the end: forgiving and loving yourself. He would want himself to have SOMETHING to figure his way around, even if it's just important dates. Anniversaries. When events happened. When things DIDN'T happen.

Would he warn Darby? Honestly, I'm less clear on that one. Because at his core, Jack knows that would change them, in his present. And if he had limited time, I don’t know. Would he be able to tell Darby, knowing that it would fundamentally change everything? Would he be able to say, hey, I'm not going to be here anymore, at least not the way you knew me? Man. I don't know. How do you warn someone that you are going to disappear, but that part of you will remain? And that part isn't going to understand that love should be soft? Or that you don't have to fear letting someone in? Or that people, deep down, care about you? How do you prepare someone for that?

This is the most fucking horrible and amazing ask I have ever received. I'm going to frame it on my wall. I'm going to be thinking about this for days. Holy shit, man. As for the notes that Jack could leave for himself, for when he's gone? Let him cook for you, it makes him happy. When you argue, he'll need to go blow off steam before he comes back. I never told him about what happened in that jump, but I also didn't lie when I told him he was all of the firsts.

You told me that love wasn't real. Well, he loves you, and it's the realest fucking thing in the world.

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Writerly Question Tag

Back from my self-mandated social media break to respond to tags from @urnumber1star, @cowboybrunch, @fortunatetragedy and @the-golden-comet :')

About You

When did you start writing?

Damned if I know. My parents told me that I used to tell my toys stories at bedtime back when I still slept in a cradle, though (I started talking at 6months)

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Very different, actually. I love reading sci-fi and almost never touch horror, but I've written tons of horror and only 1 sci-fi. Plus, I hage reading slice of life.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I'm a fan of Mark Lawrence's writing (he's super underrated), and though I'd rather not emulate someone directly, I sure wouldn't mind if someone compared me to him.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)?

The walk to school, the busses and trains I take, walking my dog. Basically on the go.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Go out and live my life. Eventually I'll see something cool and insist upon turning it into a short story.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Yeah, it's basically made me physically incapable of writing anyone other than city ppl.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Err... The horrors persist but so do I is a personal favourite among my one-shots. And platonic male-female relationships is another darling of mine.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

I literally almost never talk about him, but Hans-el, the Spirit Emperor, chews my heart up and spits it out on a regular basis. I'm currently writing a short story from his pov, which I may or may not try to submit for publishing, so I guess look out for that when it happens?

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Err- I think Hash, Dave and I would be buddies. They're probably the only ones, though.

Which characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Everyone else. Iraela would get mocked relentlessly by me, Katherine and I would but heads immediately, and I would cheerfully start a gossip war with Luna. And yeah, I would get my ass kicked in every above fight, but that's never stopped me before.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

They show up whenever the plot demands it, and then headlock me until I write more about them. Alternatively they infiltrate my dreams and haunt me.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

I like people who destroy themselves in blazes of flaming triumph. Also headstrong bitchy women, because I am one.

How do you picture your characters?

I don't lol. My mind just doesn't do the whole 'mental image' thing. I can hear them though.

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I have nothing better to do with my life.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

If they like something I did with my writing (technique, phrasing, etc) and mention it, I will melt with joy.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

I just want to be heard.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Description. I don't really do visual descs, but I love nailing voices to the wall and dissecting them.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

Description, dialogue (or internal monologue), and gore

How do you feel about your own writing?

I go through the five stages of grief with it: 'oh I'm finally done', 'i love it so much', 'hey maybe I should edit it some more to make it better', 'oh fuck it actually sucks', 'okay nevermind let's never think of it again'

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

I'd be dead too quickly to write, honestly. But if I survive, fuck yeah. I'll scrawl my words across a meadow and scream it from the sky.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy?

Every now and then I cringe from how weird my writing is, but it always passes.

Tagging @just-emis-blog, @drchenquill, @novel-nook-blog, @thecoolerlucky, @the-letterbox-archives

@kaylinalexanderbooks, @honeybewrites, @orions-quill, @vampirelover890, @glitched-dawn and open tag!

[ticklishraspberries]

Shameless (Draco/Luna)

Summary: Luna is never embarrassed, which means Draco has to be the one blushing. Neither of them really mind. (Based on a prompt by @itslittlegiggle that I’ve been hoarding in my inbox for god knows how long! Hope y’all enjoy it!)

It had been quite a surprise for Draco Malfoy to realize that he was pining after Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw girl in the year below him, and probably the most teased girl in Hogwarts since Moaning Myrtle had been alive. He felt himself drawn to her individualism, her quirkiness, and how she acted like none of the bullies made the slightest dent in her armor. Not only did she hold her head up with pride when people made jokes about her clothes, her jewelry, her beliefs, or her relationship, but she refused to change a thing about herself to make it stop

Of course, he would come to learn that the bullying did get under her skin, when he found her wandering the halls, searching for her shoes that had been stolen once again. As a Prefect, he should have given her detention. But he was going soft for her, it seemed, as he instead took it upon himself to help her look, and after they found the pair of pink shoes hanging from a suit of armor’s hand, she had given him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you.

And, well, it had sort of spiraled from there, until eventually, the halls of Hogwarts were filled with whispered gossip about how Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood were apparently going out. Most people said that Draco could do better - he scoffed at that, as if those people knew what he wanted. Others questioned if Luna had snuck him a love potion or put him under some sort of spell. He may or may not have hexed a fourth year for implying it. And despite all the rumors, Luna had no issue coming up to him in the halls and wrapping her arms around his neck, ignoring the eyes on them.

If there was one thing about Luna that still managed to surprise him, it was her shamelessness. It was as if embarrassment was simply not an emotion she was capable of. She lacked a filter, and would often say strange and taboo things. The thing that had really proven this was when Blaise had teasingly asked if they were headed off to shag, and Luna had replied: “No, but we will probably be kissing. We haven’t actually had sex yet.” and Draco had gone bright red and pulled her away while his friends laughed. She hadn’t meant to embarrass him, she just simply saw nothing wrong with announcing that.

He had spent so much of his life caring what other people thought of him, it was refreshing to be someone who couldn’t give a damn. While he tried to sit up straight and look put-together, Luna had no problem sitting cross-legged and slouched over, as comfort was her priority. And when he felt something was too silly, too un-Draco-like to do, she would gently push him out of his comfort zone and urge him to have fun.

He realized that he was actually a quite good artist when he allowed himself to doodle, and that he loved cuddling more than he ever thought he would. Perhaps Luna’s favorite discovery so far was the fact that Draco Malfoy was apparently incredibly ticklish, and it flustered him to no end.

“I don’t see why you get so shy,” she mused, her fingers trailing lightly over his neck. “Everyone is ticklish. You just happen to be more sensitive than most people.”

Shrugging his shoulders up, Draco tried to hold back his giggling to no avail. “It’s childish!” he replied, and he could feel the blush rising in his face.

Luna giggled too, and ran her fingers down his spine before moving outward to tickle his sides. “It’s not something you grow out of. And besides, I find it quite cute.”

Draco squirmed, laughing in a way that only Luna seemed to draw out of him, whether it be with this playful torment or her amusing antics. “I am not cute!” he said, trying to sound intimidating and failing miserably.

“Agree to disagree,” she replied, smiling fondly. “Besides, do you think I should be embarrassed for being ticklish?”

He shook his head, not trusting his mouth to form words as she toyed with his lower ribs.

“So then why should you be? I think you’re just being too hard on yourself. You’re allowed to have fun, and I know that you’re having fun, because you never push me away.”

Merlin, this girl was going to be the death of him. His blush had spread down his neck and up to the tips of his ears, and he buried his face in her shoulder as he laughed, hands grasping at her robes. “Please stop talking,” he said, not meaning it at all.

She laughed, a light and airy sound that still pulled on his heartstrings. “You don’t mean that. You love it when I talk. Even when I’m flustering you.”

When her hands went under his arms, his laughter reached a new octave, and he felt her giggling along with him. She was right, that it was normal to be ticklish, and she was also right that he didn’t mind when she tickled him. Maybe it was silly to be embarrassed about it, but he didn’t care. She had enough shamelessness for the both of them, after all.

When her fingers stilled, she snuggled into him and kissed one of his flushed cheeks with more tenderness than he felt he deserved.

Luna was full of surprises, and Draco loved to experience each one, even if it left him blushing like mad. 

[silentwillowwhisperer]

Adam

Guys. What if Adam didn’t die?

I’m just going to pretend that the paladins went to earth after Zarkon, Honerva, and aaall of those other random people are successfully defeated.

There’s cursing in this if that bother youuu.

———-

It has been a long, long time since the paladins set foot on Earth.

There’s so many people they want to see.

But for Keith, there’s only one.

Their lions land steadily on the desertous land behind they garrison. A small crowd of people in orange and gray uniforms come out to see why there are multicolored robotic wildcats in their backyard.

Keith walks out of black’s mouth and tells, “Adam!”

The man looks at him and breaks into a wide grin. “Oh my god. Keith you idiot! You’re safe!”

Adam levels him with an icy glare and slaps him across his cheek. Keith rubs at the spot and pretend to be more hurt than he really is. Adam has every right to be mad, it’s not every day that your little brother runs off without warning and disappears for 5 years.

Then they hug again, and this time they sink to the ground in a tiny huddle. Adam wraps his arms around Keith’s head like he’s shielding him from the world, just like he used to years ago when the first met.

Both of their shoulders are shuddering, and they exchange find words. Keith’s family may be small, but once he accepts someone, he’ll never let them go.

The moment is broken when Shiro shuffles over.

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Umm.. hey.”

Adam looks up, and they both stare at each other. Their eyes are filled with hurt and longing, but neither acknowledges it.

Shiro extends his robotic arm. Adam raises a brow as he stares at the appendage. That wasn’t there before Shiro left Earth. He knows that he broke up with Shiro years ago, but he could never move on knowing that Shiro was hurt, or worse.

And now he had the audacity to waltz right up to Adam and ruin his moment with Keith.

He accepts the handshake, and all of the emotion filters out of his eyes.

Shiro had chosen to leave Adam, and chosen to leave Keith. Both boys had spent long nights under a shared blanket sobbing together over him before.

Keith has clearly forgiven him, because loosing someone as important as Shiro hit him hard. Adam is so angry that Shiro could this to their brother, never mind himself.

Keith is over this already. He hates to see his brothers/parental figures so in love but so wounded at the same time.

He finally speaks up. “Damn, there’s a lot of tension in here.” He wiggles his eyebrows in a way that he knows makes him look ridiculous, but he would do anything for his family to be happy again.

They both death-stare him and start lecturing him. Keith is very embarrassed that this is happening in front of everyone he knows, but at least the gays are working together again.

Just saying, Adam should be a lawyer.

-

They both shoot each other longing glances all day, and it drives Keith flipping insane. They think that they are being subtle, it’s so obvious.

Lance eventually comes to Keith with Hunk, Pidge, and Allura trailing close behind, and asks what is going on between them.

Keith feels slightly guilty telling the story of the ex-fiancés without their permission, but if they’re going to put Keith through this torture, then they have it coming for them.

All he wants is for things to go back to how they used to be. But at this rate, it’s unlikely.

-

Keith finds Adam staring out at the sunset from a cliff. Anyone else would have struggled to find him, but Keith knows that this is Adam’s favorite place to look at the sky and generally relax.

Keith sits down next to the brunette, his legs hanging off of the cliff.

They don’t say a word to each other, but Adam is calmed by the younger boy’s presence.

Finally, he speaks.

“I didn’t want it to end like this. I knew that if I stayed with Shiro, if I had encouraged him to go on that trip even with his condition, and then if he had died, that I would never be able to live with myself. I asked him to stay with me, I made him choose between us and that stupid mission. And you know what? He chose to leave us here to deal with our grief alone. I know you hate blaming him for things, but it’s the truth.”

Keith looks down at the rock below him. The setting sun has turned it a glowing orange, and he is reminded of all the times he and Shiro went racing all over this desert. Not a day has gone by since Shiro left them that Keith has not felt the clawing betrayal in him chest. He used to think that Shiro would never leave him like all of the people in his past, but Shiro had proven him wrong.

It hurt.

Still, Keith defends him. “Well, I left you too. You aren’t mad at me, right?”

Adam looks at him seriously.

“You know I will never be mad at you for trying to save the people you love. I know you would do it for me. And don’t you deny it, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know, even if you try to hide it under thorns and biting words.”

Adam’s shoulders slump from their normally upright posture, like he’s being weighted down by the past.

“I wasn’t ready to move on. 15 guys, Keith. I’ve dated 15 Gus because you know I’m a hopeless romantic, but all I can think about is you brother. Where is he? Is he hurt ? Is he alive? Has he changed? Does he still love me?”

Adam’s voice cracks horribly in the last sentence. It wrenches into Keith’s gut, but the words cannot be stopped once they are released.

“Because you know what?” Adam is yelling now. “I FUCKING LOVE TAKASHI SHIROGANE! I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED HIM, AND I WILL NEVER SYOP LOVING HIM!”

His words echo down the valley before fading away.

Tears flood his eyes and dampen his cheeks. Keith wraps his arms around him tightly and just lets him cry.

In an ideal world, this would have never happened, but dating Shiro always will be a wild ride.

“Let him prove himself, Adam. He misses you so much. He knows you were right, but you know him. He’s too proud to admit it.”

-

The next day, Keith is a zombie. His warring thoughts had kept him up all night, and now he can barely see straight.

Lance’s arm around his waist is the only thing keeping him upright, but he feels so much freer after talking to Adam.

He’s so out of it that he doesn’t notice Shiro approaching him until he’s being wrapped up in a warm embrace.

“You are the best little brother ever. Thank you, Otōto.”

[dokidokitsuna]

Inventor/Invention

-In case you didn’t notice, I’ve been trying to make most of the characters in this AU look like they’re age 50+...which is something I’ve never done before, and it might explain why the designs have been so hit or miss. ^^;;;  Fortunately, Susie seems to be a hit; I like how this drawing came out. ^^ I think this body type + clothing aesthetic + age demographic is a particularly rare combination; personally I’ve never seen a character who looks like this before. And yet, I managed to make it work~.

-Susie (the current ‘President Haltmann’, btw) is basically Magolor’s right hand, and helps him with all the technological aspects of his conquest-- not only did she create Auto-Nightmare, she also had a large hand in cloning Blade, and studies the progression of her disease throughout the story. In return for playing the tech support role, she’s allowed to have the Haltmann Works Co. drain resources from all the worlds that Magolor conquers-- which he would agree to, of course, since it would be an easy way to keep his new subjects in line (read: oppressed and afraid) while he’s off looking for more heroes to murder.

It makes me wonder, though, what would happen if the “player” chooses to have Magolor become nicer over the course of the story…like, if he really does turn himself around, he and Susie would have to come into conflict over this deal eventually. ^^; Maybe I just won’t let him get to that point; maybe the best he can do for the purposes of the story is learn to love Blade and take care of her…while completely ignoring all the evil he’s done to the rest of the universe, and simply not giving a damn about letting the HWC consume everyone and everything he left behind. XD

-P.S. Susie basically has two main designs: she’d appear in this physical form for certain cutscenes, but fight exclusively with her mecha (which I totally will draw at some point…I promise…⚆u⚆; )

-Auto-Nightmare is the result of me wanting to finally use Nightmare in an AU for once, but wanting to do it in an unorthodox way. ^^ Besides, I can’t really see a more canon-esque Nightmare willingly being subservient to someone like Magolor…and in terms of traitors/fickle allies, Mags already has his hands full with Marx. I don’t need another character in the party who plays the same role…

So Auto-Nightmare was born, combining the Power Orb with some of Nightmare’s accessories to create this cuter, more unassuming design. Which eventually informed his character concept.

-”Auto” is not really Nightmare; not even an amnesiac-reset version of Nightmare. Technically he’s just a machine that was designed to force Nightmare’s Power Orb to awaken…but ultimately failed, and now simply draws from its power to create his own identity and abilities. The result is this walking bundle of anxiety who feels inferior to his “former self”, and tries to make up for it by doing everything his bosses tell him to do. ^^; However, over the course of the story, he befriends Blade, and starts to become more assertive. He may not be able to stand up for himself, but he quickly learns to stand up for his ailing friend, even to the point of openly criticizing Magolor for his treatment of her.

-As you might have guessed, this is where his “death” comes in. ^^ Soon after I decided he should be Blade’s only real friend, I kinda knew he had to die, because he would end up getting in Magolor’s way. Isolation is a large part of what makes an abusive relationship work; a victim with a staunch supporter who genuinely wants what’s best for them will escape your control eventually... …Besides, Magolor is terribly petty, and would probably be offended by this ‘magic tin can’ talking back to him…enough to snap and shatter his face while Blade is unconscious, if the "player" so chooses. =T

Because Auto isn’t really alive, he doesn’t exactly die…the Power Orb itself can even reform on its own. But breaking it in the first place causes his whole system to reset: he reverts to a silent, emotionless shell who just stands around and follows simple commands...and this is a devastating, soul-crushing event for Blade. Especially if you go one step further and choose to have Magolor lie about what happened to Auto, and/or imply that she killed him accidentally during one of her Malady flare-ups.

-On that note, if you don’t choose to have Magolor go down ^that sickeningly cruel path and just leave Auto alone, Blade actually does kill Auto accidentally, leading to a similar outcome. But at least then, it becomes an opportunity for Magolor to help Blade through this traumatic experience, and start to form a genuine bond with her. Again, if the "player" so chooses~.

[auwuli]

What happened, is that they switched teams and it had consequences.

Steve teamed up with Dustin to distract the demobats and Eddie went with Robin and Nancy to fry Vecna for good.

My inspiration : Don't go by BMTH ft. Lights

Steve asked to switch position last minute with Eddie because of a strange feeling in his guts. It wasn't fear. He knew what fear felt like. It's something he got to come across a lot in the last four years of fighting monsters and babysitting so many problem magnets. It was more of an intuition than anything, something that told him Eddie shouldn't be here. Over those years Steve learned to trust his guts to keep them alive, alongside swinging nailed baseball bats and throwing (mostly taking) punches. So, since this almost stranger that made him feel all sorts of confusing things was one of his people now, he got him to go elsewhere. Steve would do anything to protect his own. And awkwardly squeezed between Robin and Nancy, armed to the teeth, was the safest place he could think of for Eddie. He felt immediately more at ease. Yes, it was the right thing to do, undoubtedly.

“Don't try to be cute- be a hero or something.”

If Steve hadn't insisted they switched teams, if he could have listened to his own damned words... Eddie should have stayed strong against his worried puppy eyes and sweet tone, “look after the girls for me. Eds, Please.” He should have said “no Big Boy, we stick to the plan.” It was as simple as that. Eddie would have run. He would have. He knew he would have because that's what he did best. But no. “I'll make him pay” is what he boldly said in response before following the girls in the woods.

And then, Steve died in Dustin's arms.

Dustin refused to leave his body, asking him to wake up between strangled sobs.

Robin froze in place, silent, her eyes locked on the blood slowly soaking the ground.

Eddie chocked on a scream, his shaky legs giving out under the crushing weight of guilt.

And Nancy did what she knew Steve would have done. She swallowed down her own tears and screams to drag them out of there, to keep everyone alive.

Unfortunately, Vecna was a roach. Almost impossible to kill and disgusting. He survived. And they had to fight him again.

They erased him from the surface of every dimension eventually. Doesn't matter how. They made sure he paid double for what he did. However, it didn't bring back Steve. This, this is what mattered in the end.

Max woke up a few days after the final battle, blind and filled with so much rage after losing a second brother. A rage they all shared and fiercely kept close to their hearts even after Vecna's death.

The grey of the Upside Down still bled from wounds that may never fully close.

At least, they finally had the time and space to grieve and to attempt to heal those wounds. Mourning this death wasn't like anything they had suffered together until now, but they did their best.

Steve was their protector, a big brother, a hell of a babysitter, a bestfriend, a platonic soulmate, a first love, a something that will never have the chance to grow.

Loss and grief may drive people away from each other. Not them, or at least not forever.

The party split up for a while. Now that the world didn't end and they had a future to look forward to, everyone tried to get their life back. They all did great things and tried to not let the past slow them down too much. Steve would have been proud of his kids, his family.

He would have also understood their struggles.

Eddie and Robin were the ones that had the most troubles dealing with his death. Years have passed, yet, a part of them, and they couldn't really grasp how big it was, was still locked on slow spreading red and kneeling in grey dust.

They couldn't bear to be separated from one another since that day. They clung to each other with everything they had left of strength and love, trying to fight together the storm they were trapped in. Eddie was like the other half of her missing soulmate. And for Eddie, living with Robin was sometimes like experiencing a distorted echo of what could have been. They were platonic with a capital P, but they did everything together. Their bond was beautiful and thrived naturally outside their shared sorrow.

As for Nancy, she did what she knew Steve would have done. She stuck around the ones that needed her the most. She gave Eddie and Robin food when they forgot to eat. She reminded them to take their medications when they were being stubborn. She took everyone to his empty grave as much as they wanted. She tried her best to be there for them because they were her people. And if Steve taught her anything, it's that we take care of our own, no question asked.

Time passed again, Eddie and Robin craved to speak, to be heard. So they poured their fears, their pain, their happiness, and everything in between, in songs that seemed to resonate loudly around them. And when making music together started to become too serious for the duo to handle, Nancy became their manager.

The three of them had really fun days, as much as they had really bad days.

It was life. And it was more than Steve had.

So they made the most of it.

The kids and grown-ups always tried to show up at their shows as often as they could. Slowly, the band grew bigger and bigger, reaching more and more people everyday. People heard them. They listened. They cared. And it helped them heal, gave them a purpose.

Tonight, Eddie stands in front of a black sea of screams and hands thrown in the air. Older, longer hair, more piercings, even more tattoos. He didn't change that much. He lets himself take in this moment, his favorite, when they are blinded by spotlights, covered in sweat and quietly smiling at each other. Robin next to him is older too, hair buzzed, blue, bold make-up, a few piercings, tattoos Eddie himself put under her skin. She changed a lot more compared to him. She had always been beautiful, but she only glowed like that on stage.

The entire family is somewhere in the audience. It has been a year since they were all in the same place together. Even if it was hard to achieve, they always tried to meet once a year for this special day. It meant a lot for them.

It was extra special for Eddie because he was the only one that never got to celebrate Steve's birthday with him.

He is shaking from nervousness about the last song of the night, while Robin is crushing his hand in hers.

They never released it nor played it live until now. It's the song they wrote in spite of every progress they made against their torments and their intent to stay strong for their family. Their music is always deeply personal, but this one is different. This one is an unsung secret. It's something dark, disgraceful, raw and hungry that kept trashing relentlessly inside them.

Eddie was always shameful of the things he felt for a man he would only get to know through the memories of someone else, for a man that wasn't there to witness his love for him blossomed, for a man he would never be able to confess to. Those selfish feelings that he knew he didn't deserve to hoard were not something he was willing to let anyone hear about. Not even Nancy. Only Robin knew about the true colors of his shame and his guilt. But, well, Robin doesn't really count. She's not anyone. She is him. She is him.

Eddie takes a deep breath. They talked about it. He could be selfish and ugly and messy tonight, for the sake of both of them. Robin deserved as much as him to be truly heard.

All of them bare on the strings of his guitar and her violin. All of them bare for those who cared to listen.

“Hi again, we are Sacrificial Hero and we'll close the night with a special song. It's called Don't Go.

Sometimes we can't let go of things we never had.

Can you hear us?”

They hope their love can still reach him.

Until next time, until a second chance in another life.

[hey-that-hurt]

The following Beetlejuice contract au musings brought to you by @rocketonin because they made me realize that if I want it to at least be possible for this AU to turn into something big I should probably figure out what the plot’s trajectory is before I write myself into a corner

Anyway. What would happen long term? Though the circumstances are very messy I still want this to fundamentally be a redemption story.

To me, that means that things have to eventually end on an optimistic note for Beetlejuice. I don’t want him to give up and decide that he’d rather isolate himself than deal with the contract, but I also don’t want him to be worn down to a shell of his former self, to suppress his anger and blunt his teeth so the family will never have any reason to get rid of him.

I think I’d like him to fluctuate between these two points, resenting his situation so much that he’s tempted to leave and accepting it to the point he’s no longer the same person. Both ways to escape the pain of his situation.

Honestly, the smartest thing for Beetlejuice to do here would probably be to leave. He’s effectively trapped in an abusive dynamic where he’s almost entirely dependent on his abusers to realize how awful their behavior is and choose to change it. And that’s what I plan to happen, but he doesn’t know that.

But, as is often the case with abusive relationships, he doesn’t feel like he has anywhere else to go, and he thinks that the messed up love he’s currently getting is more than anyone else would give him.

He might be able to eventually make some friends in the netherworld, but currently the impression he’s getting is that pretty much everyone down there hates him. He could go back to wandering the surface, but then he’s back in the same hopeless, horribly lonely position he started in.

And based on Juno saying “you were so desperate for somebody to love you that you act like a damn fool”, we can guess that she’s said some pretty terrible things about his chances of ever being loved.

Basically his situation super super sucks, and leaving would be a good idea, but I’m gonna say that his relationship with everyone is very unfortunately still one of the most positive relationships he’s ever been in. Lydia actually enjoys his company and wants to spend time with him, the Maitlands are fairly nice to him, Delia is weird with him and not unkind, and Charles… well, Charles isn’t as bad as his mother was, so there’s that at least.

It’s the closest he’s ever felt to being loved and as long as that almost-love is there he’s not going to be able to tear himself away from it.

It’s the same reason he signed the contract in the first place. He knew it was a terrible idea, but the fact that they presented it to him at all meant that, in a way, they wanted him.

So that’s what stops him from leaving. But what’s stopping him from giving up the other way around?

I think it would take a long time for the circumstances to genuinely start to alter Beetlejuice’s personality, but there are still a lot of coping mechanisms he could develop. Coping mechanisms that he developed to cope with his abusive mother and severe isolation could also start to rear their head again.

The main way Beetlejuice seems to react to feeling hurt is anger and violence… except when his mom comes into the picture. With her… I wouldn’t say he’s obedient, but it’s like he turns into a whiny child in trouble with their parent. Interestingly, that’s the sort of behavior I would except from a kid that frustrated with their parent’s actions, but not a kid who was afraid— and Beetlejuice radiates fear when Juno shows up. When she starts insulting him, his face turns distraught, he frantically looks around like he’s searching for an escape route or someone to help. And then he pleads with her again. I wonder if the embarrassment was bravado, in a way. It’s a situation that would be horribly embarrassing, but I think he may be playing up that emotion in order to hide his terror.

In Say My Name, we see him rapidly switch from showboating to begging and back again. It seems like the less power he has in a situation, the more he resorts to pleading, bargaining.

I think that as his frustration with situation grows, the more he would start to jump between anger and pleading— and the anger would likely result in retaliation depending on who he takes it out on, so the pleading would start to win out. I think the pleading would vary in intensity too. With Lydia, yes, he begged, but it was different to how he was with Juno. With Lydia, he was pleading for help, but with Juno he pleaded for mercy.

I don’t think he’d start out afraid of anyone, except maybe Lydia a bit. As time goes on though, the urge to be clever, annoying, or otherwise rebellious might have to fight against the knowledge that any member of the household can force him to stop those behaviors. Pain would rarely be guaranteed, but I imagine that there would be something nauseating about having to suppress yourself to such a degree. He’d constantly have to choose between making himself behave acceptably or being forced to under threat of pain.

… oh god, it would be like wearing a bark collar. Even if he can eventually find people to retract unfair orders, for the duration that the order is active he’d still be effectively getting trained to behave in whatever manner the order demanded.

I decided not to have the contact enforced via mind control/compulsion, but I honestly wonder now if the long-term psychological damage of this method would be worse.

Losing control of yourself due to mind control would certainly be traumatic, but I feel like once the magic was gone so would any urges to behave as you had been ordered to.

But Beetlejuice… he has to learn to adjust his behavior himself. He has to learn to comply almost instinctually, because if he forgets and behaves as he always does it’s going to hurt.

And that means the behavior is going to linger.

… I think that early on, Beetlejuice would be angry a lot, but maybe he’d hold himself back. He chose to sign the contract, he knew what he was doing, and he wants to make a good impression so maybe they’ll actually want to keep him around. This might be when he would be willing to actively annoy Charles— apparently not letting him come back without a contract was his idea anyway. Thus, this would also probably be around the time that the closet incident would happen. He’d probably be pretty whiny during this period too, complaining about the rules being annoying and asking for them to be changed. He’d hang out with Lydia as much as possible, and they’d have a pretty good time.

Before long though, Beetlejuice wouldn’t be able to keep a lid on his temper anymore. Towards the end of this period is probably about where his fallout with the Maitlands would happen. I think he’d also have at least one fight with Lydia, maybe multiple, and she’d order him around more in retaliation. He’d start pushing the limits of his rules as much as he could, trying to upset people, see if he can destroy anything in ways that the contract doesn’t count as destructive, maybe even taking advantage of people being nice and revoking rules, which would cause conflict between other household members. This would result in him being given a lot of very restrictive orders. He’d probably consider leaving at this point, but would ultimately decide he can’t bring himself to.

The aftermath of his angry period would be where his actions would start to reflect fear. Maybe at some point someone actually taught him some grounding exercises for his anger, and he starts to use them to calm himself down so he doesn’t try to break any rules and get hurt in the midst of an outburst. He starts pleading again, but it’s more like how he was with Juno. He starts hiding, reducing the amount of time he spends in places where people can easily see and interact with him (and thus order him around). Orders he’s had for a long time that he used to have to concentrate on obeying become natural to him. He still hangs out with Lydia, plays the part of her friend. Does his job. Makes sure he’ll still be wanted. Lydia notices the downturn in his mood and starts trying to be nicer to him.

The Maitlands, seeing what’s happening, finally decide they need to put a stop to this. Tense discussions are had. I don’t think they’d remove the contract fully, but they’d dismiss pretty much every rule.

Things start to improve. People stop intentionally giving Beetlejuice orders, and accidental orders are quickly revoked. Relationships are improving, and anyone who didn’t fully think of Beetlejuice as a person is starting to now. However, the psychological effects the ordeal has had on Beetlejuice are apparent.

I’m not entirely sure how Beetlejuice would react at this turning point. I think that at some point there would be anger, but it would take a while because of how good at suppressing it he’d be at this point. By this point his mindset of ‘they want me here to be useful, not because they care, but that’s good enough’ would be super internalized. Having the rules be taken away might even be anxiety-inducing, because what if he messes up and they don’t want him anymore and he went through all of this for nothing? He’d keep obeying a lot of rules by himself, which Charles and Delia might see as good while the Maitlands and Lydia might be concerned.

Eventually, there would start to be some mutual trust. Beetlejuce would stop expecting to be ordered around every time he does something that bothers someone. Some behaviors from the orders would remain, but he’d gradually learn where the lines were and his reason for keeping those behaviors would gradually transition from fear and habit to genuinely not wanting to upset people. And one day, the contract would be dismissed, or maybe altered such that Beetlejuice wouldn’t have to live in fear of being forced to leave.

[delopsia]

Del ☕ we know a lot about Rhett's relationship with his father but do we know anything about Robby's? 👀

Now this is something I've been brewing on for damn near a year 💃

The story I crafted isn't pretty, so here is your honorary trigger warning for drug and alcohol use, major age gap relationships, overdoses, verbally abusive relationships, death, and mentions of PTSD.

Here we go

Robby's dad, Glenn, was an ex-Air Force pilot who had served in the Vietnam War; he was 41 when he met Bob's momma, Nellie Floyd, newly turned 19, having run from her small town in Texas, seeking the finer things out in California. At the time, Nellie had her eyes on everyone but Glenn, but they just kept showing up at the bar at the same time, and eventually, that led to conversation. Conversation led to dates, and dates led to something more.

It wasn't meant to last, they both knew that, but they were two lonely people desperate to feel loved. Wanted. So they kept seeing each other. No strings attached, either could walk away when they were reader.

Until Nellie learned she was pregnant. And suddenly, there was a very big string tying them together.

At first, they made it work; their first argument was over Glenn's desire to have Robert take Nellie's last name, Floyd, and by the time her little son was finally born, she was too tired to argue. Robert Floyd, it was.

Glenn made a lot of questionable decisions in his life, but the one unquestionable thing he ever did was love his son unconditionally. Bobby was his entire world, and for a few months there, it was enough to keep him from drinking. They were a happy trio.

Until they weren't.

Nellie and Glenn had absolutely nothing in common; they were so different in every way imaginable. Political views, ages, personalities, experiences. Nellie was a young, free spirit who wanted to explore the world, and Glenn was an old, weathered soul who had seen things no man should see. The last thing he wanted to do was leave his familiarity. His drinking was getting worse, and when Nellie became aware of the drug use, things took a turn for the worse.

They broke up and got back together every few weeks. Nellie would walk away because of Glenn's addiction, Glenn would temporarily clean up, beg for her to come back, and she would return. Rinse and repeat. Over, and over, and over.

During that time, Nellie met another man, one her age but no less toxic, and fell pregnant with twin girls. Where Glenn was a gentle speaker who never raised his voice in front of the children, the father of Bob's sisters had a temper like no other.

And this is where Bobby grew up. Filtering between homes, between being around a hateful man who swore and hollered like no other, and a husk of a soul that turned to the bottle to escape.

Glenn tried to get sober for his son, he really did; he managed to stay clean for the weekend visits. Took Robby to Air Force and Naval museums, even if the very sight of planes made him tremble. He's where Bob learned to love to fly; they got on planes just to turn around and come back right after landing.

They visited ships and built model planes. Glenn was no Navy boy, but he taught Bob to swim better than anyone could. He was the one to get him into surfing. Always challenged him to see who could eat the most dinner; Bob always called him out for letting him win.

Every weekend was an adventure. Bob thought his daddy was just fun like that. Glenn was just trying to keep his son from learning the truth.

But Bobby knew; he was too young to understand at the time, but in time, he would. He saw the bottles and the needles, understood what that funny smell on his dad's breath was.

Glenn passed of an overdose when Bob was eight.

Nellie tried her best to keep Bob from knowing what had happened, but Bobby has always been smart. Not only had he already put two and two together, but he had heard the conversation when the police officer came to tell his momma what happened.

Glenn was supposed to be buried, but before the funeral, Bob overheard his momma talking about moving back to Texas and kicked up a massive fit about wanting to take his dad with them. He didn't want to bury his dad in a place that he could never visit; that wasn't fair!

So, instead, Glenn was cremated, and his urn was sitting in Bob's lap for the entirety of the move to Texas. He has his own shelf wherever Bob moves, some small thing covered in model planes and tiny surfboards.

Bob's childhood was anything but perfect, and it shaped a lot of who he's become. He doesn't drink because of what happened to his father, doesn't swear or raise his voice like his sister's father did. In many ways, he strives to be the opposite of both men, but he's like his dad in so many different ways.

The only reason he ever got grounded was for sneaking out of the house to go surfing at the same weirdly specific hours Glenn did. He shared that love of planes that took him to the Navy; he got into bronc riding because it had always been on his dad's bucket list.

His meal proportions are larger than normal because being a big eater is evidently hereditary. He laughs the same; he wears glasses similar to the ones Glenn did; he unknowingly loves the same books and genres, but he lives his life so much differently.

Bobby is the result of a crippling pattern being broken; he comes from a long line of war-torn veterans on his dad's side and refuses to walk the path created by those before him. He's learned to be strong in all of the places they were weak, and he's far from perfect, but his momma always says he's something close to it.

The only thing he couldn't beat were the sensitive allergies that run on his dad's side of the family 🙄 he's out of commission every spring.

But that's just my two cents 🌼💃