#he was a boy… he was a wolf. can i make it anymore obvious?

[muzzlemouths]

Well, I can't refuse an excuse to indulge lmao. Some of these explanations will have to remain very brief/vague in an attempt to tiptoe around spoilers, but I'll say as much as I can!

Honorary mention to Killers Walk which won't make it onto this list with an explanation because you know I just put it on here for sillies.

Be prepared for this to get pretty long!

(Don't Fear) the Reaper

This one's obvious, but I do want to mention that the change of parentheses placement was purposeful. (Don't) Fear the Reaper as in do, as in you should, as in you have every reason to fear them, but that "(don't)" is meant to imply a whisper from the reapers themselves. A plead. Please don't be scared of me.

One Way or Another

Also pretty obvious, but this one especially made it on to the playlist because I am struck with visions of an animatic of Sun going ham with his axe/knife on the counselors, montage style, every time it plays. It's just so fitting to how giddy and enthusiastic he is when getting his hands dirty. Then there's the final chorus, "One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya, I'm gonna give you the slip, I'm gonna trick ya," which will be especially relevant in these coming chapters.

Wolf Boy

The first appearance of a modern song! I normally like to keep my au playlists to the era they take place in (take the Dead Mall Dare playlist, for example), but I had to break that habit for this au because there were just too many songs that fit too well to pass up. This being one of them!

The lyrics feel play a play-by-play of the experience thus far. Y/N has many bones to pick with them (murder being just the start), and they would give anything to just forget about this whole event and go back to how their life was before, but it's never that easy. I think "I ain't gonna play the same" touches on Y/N's refusal to look the other way. They had an opportunity to save themselves if they only played along, but they're playing another game entirely, and they don't intend to lose.

"Wolf boy" itself is undeniably clear (I mean, I literally made a Wolf Among Sheep reference last chapter), especially with the line about a puppy becoming a beast. They've seen how Sun switches on a dime, the way he puts his amicability up on the shelf like a prop, and now that you've made your decision, it's your head on the platter.

"Can you dig what I found?" reminds of moments where they first started putting the puzzle pieces together, and most especially when they discovered Jenn's drivers license. They won't be left alone anymore because they can no longer be trusted not to stick their nose where it doesn't belong.

"You think you're some tough stuff, I hope you're happy now," said after three of their friends have now been put to the blade, one way or another. They still don't understand why Sun enjoys their suffering so much, why it makes him happy to see them panic, and with how smug he's been about it all it's really starting to piss Y/N off. There's only so much empathy one can share with a serial killer before it becomes motive.

"If you're gonna huff and puff, I gotta save this town" because they've finally reached their breaking point, and they're prepared to drive the wolf out of town if they have to do it all on their own.

My favorite part about this song is how the vibe of the final chorus changes — and how sudden the change is. To me, this is the musical version of the moment the Final Girl decides it's time to fight back.

Shout

This one, to me, feels like a one-sided conversation between Sun and Y/N. "These are the things I can do without" being his implications of what he is willing to risk, and what he is willing to lose to get the job done. Because he has nothing left to lose, and that makes for a very dangerous person.

"I hope we live to tell the tale" The fish metaphor. The fish metaphor. You understand. "And when you've taken down your guard, if I could change your mind, I'd really love to break your heart" It bears repeating that he is still convinced he can change your mind, and you'll one day see his side of things. He would love nothing more than to wrap things up here and then live out the rest of your lives together as besties. But both of you know that's not going to happen.

Eyes Without a Face

The first song mentioned in the fic! (Actually, the only song actually mentioned in the fic so far. I gotta remedy that.)

"I'm all out of hope, one more bad dream could bring a fall."

"I spent so much time believing all the lies to keep the dream alive"

"Now all I can do is love what was once so alive and new, but it's gone from your eyes. I'd better realize." What can I say except that this guy is depressed and delusional. I hope you pick up on the themes of this one on your own because I keep trying to come up with ways to articulate why this one is important but I just look like a guy with his theory board and red string. Please tell me you understand. please. please. plea

Hungry Like a Wolf

This one is just for funsies. Something something Wolf and Rabbit dynamic. "Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme" something something he be flipping on that dime again. You get it.

Private Eyes and Somebody's Watching Me

I'm not explaining this one. They're both about stalking and seeing through each other's facades it's not that deep (it is).

Psycho Killer

Come on man.

Dead Man's Party

Oingo Boingo beloved. This one is one of those songs that is a mix of Vibe and Lyrics. Sun would kill somebody to this. It's just bouncy enough to match his vibe perfectly. The lyrics themselves are pretty obvious:

"I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder"

"Waiting for an invitation to arrive, goin' to a party where no one's still alive"

"Don't run away, it's only me"

There's more to it of course but alas, spoilers. You'll figure it out.

Dancing With Myself

If DFtR au were a movie this would be on the soundtrack, and yeah, Sun would kill someone to this one too. It makes me think about the times they've made their own company with the forest animals after being made outcasts, and especially when he extends an offer for you to join him— but, ah, that hasn't happened yet, has it?

Personal Jesus

What can I say except that this guy is too smug for his own good, and that kind of self assured vanity can only bring further tragedy. Sun and Moon are convinced that what they're doing is righteous, that it is justified retribution, that they are the heroes of this story. And Sun is personally going to do everything he can to convince you of that.

Bigmouth Strikes Again

"Sweetness, I was only joking when I said I'd like to smash every tooth in your head"

"Sweetness, I was only joking when I said By rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed"

"Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, as the flames rose to her Roman nose and her Walkman started to melt."

This guy is not joking. And his martyr complex is showing.

Tear You Apart

I pointedly look away from the camera. Anyway—

Y'all Want a Single

This one is so self indulgent. I just like to imagine Sun beating the shit out of somebody to this song I'm so sorry. This is the song where he stops playing with his food and just goes balls to the walls.

Who is She

Hey, I drew that vhs poster to this song!

There's just something so eerie about the vibe of this one, and I really enjoy the mental picture it draws of Sun and Moon's opinion of Y/N; how conflicted he is about their presence, how intriguing they are, how their antics are equally exciting and frustrating. This song is about them losing you. You, who they never had to begin with.

#4, Portrait of Mr. Boogie, AHS 1984, The Quarry

Skipping ahead on the list a bit so I can save the best songs for last. These four songs are nothing but atmosphere music for me. They don't personally relate to the story in any way (I mean, they're instrumental, so yknow), and are just songs that I keep on the playlist because I've repeatedly written scenes to them.

#4, specifically, was played while writing out the discovery of Chet's body (for real this time), and I'd like to think it's the song that would play during that scene were this a true slasher film, too.

Run Rabbit Run

Yeah yeah rabbit is in the title. Yeah yeah Moon made reference to this very song in his rhymed threat about a hunter coming for a trapped rabbit. But also this song is immediately relevant to the next chapter :) and I can't say more than that.

Now we're getting into heavy spoiler territory. These next three songs will be kept purposefully vague, but I hope you'll remember them when the time comes that all of it is laid bare.

Disenchanted

This song is about the tragedy. The tragedy that befell the campgrounds, yes, but more so about the tragedy that Sun and Moon endured as a result.

"Well I was there on the day They sold the cause for the queen And when the lights all went out We watched our lives on the screen I hate the ending myself But it started with an alright scene"

"It was the roar of the crowd That gave me heartache to sing It was a lie when they smiled And said, you won't feel a thing And as we ran from the cops We laughed so hard it would sting"

Sun and Moon were never given a chance to prevent this. They were always doomed from the start. When tragedy struck, they could only stand back and watch as decisions were made for them, as their very life was tossed around in conversation like it meant nothing. So they took matters into their own hands, and decided to flip the script.

The outcome has been miserable, but the beginning — their life before that point — was wonderful. It was home.

There's more that has to do with the lyrics further down, but you'll have to wait for the explanation on that until more has been revealed.

Dead Come Talking

Ohhh this one gets me Emotional every time. I can't say too much about it because this song and the one after it are both entirely about Sun and Moon's personal hardships, of which have not yet been properly addressed or revealed in the fic. I will say that the haunting they've forced upon the counselors is a shared experience, something they've personally been enduring for years, already. Sun and Moon are haunted by their past, by their grief, and in that way they themselves are the ghosts haunting the campgrounds.

Spring Break 1899

This is it. This is the most important song on the playlist. This is the song that plays at the end of Act 3. The song that plays when Sun takes in all that he's done, when the carnage sits before him and he's made to face every wrongdoing, every decision and path that has brought him to this point, and come to terms with whether or not he still wants to continue. Whether he has the strength to continue. This is the song that plays when he makes one final choice.

Echoes

The aftermath.

Do you perhaps... have a playlist for dftr?

As a matter of fact, I do 😌

It's a little on the short side at 2 hours because I am very specific with what songs get put on my au playlists, but that means each and every song has been picked with purpose (and I'm still adding more every day).

Also — you're right on the money with that song choice, anon. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say it'll soon be very relevant.

[coincasual]

anyone else liking their love story? 😭🫶✨

[blorbocedes]

For the trope mash-up: didnt mean to turn you on + innocent physical touch for franco 'milf-hunter' colapinto and checo/lewis

okay hear me out. what if checo was a woman instead 🤭🫣

Checo's had a fucking year.

The car is shit. She's been saying for so long but now they finally believe it as even Redbull’s wunderkind Max struggles in it. Every other interview, news cycle is about her retiring, her being unceremoniously kicked out as drivers salivate for her seat, her middling performance due to early pre-menopausal hormones? Just 2 years ago, she was the Mexican Queen of Defense, and now it's 'is she Redbull’s DEI hire?' The stories have become outlandish, announcing her second pregnancy and retirement at Mexican Grand Prix. That's why after Daniel, who had very clearly been brought in to replace her, was switched mid season she posted the Wolf of Wall Street clip on her instagram to make it clear: I’m not fucking leaving.

So forgive her if she's been seeking a little respite elsewhere.

There's a hot, young Argentine at Williams that's been eyeing her. Checo’s a woman on the F1 grid, she's been eyed like that thousands of times, most of it unwanted. Although, it fell off after she birthed the twins and her tits never returned to their glory days. So it's a little flattering reminder she's still got it. Being able to speak in the same language also helps, not having to translate everything for doublespeak. They have rapport.

“How old are you?” Checo asks at the club. She's not there to celebrate, she just needs a drink. Franco’s at the stage where finishing a race is cause for celebration.

“Twenty five.” Franco replies in her ear entirely too quickly, with a grin.

Checo raised an eyebrow. She didn't keep track of the rookies but she sure as hell knew they weren't doing twenty five year old rookies anymore.

A group of tourists seem to recognize her, probably fans and she's in no autographing mood so she pulls Franco in closer in front of her, to block her five foot four self from the world. He misreads the signal, but is all too happy to step in closer; personal space be damned.

“Okay. I lied. I didn't want to freak you out.” Franco confesses sheepishly.

Checo drinks her whiskey, assessing it. “I was winning karting races while you were in diapers, yes?”

It makes her feel old just saying it. She doesn't know how Fernando does it.

Franco nods, pupils going dark.

“And…” she raises her left hand, eyes pointing to her wedding ring.

Franco smirks. “I don't mind if you don't.” He leans in for the kiss, and Checo leans back denying him. Too public. She's learned from that mistake. She does put her left hand on his nape, stroking it and praising the boldness. It's dangerous, sleeping with another driver. When you're a woman, it gives them too much power. That's why Checo never acted on Max's obvious interest. But Franco doesn't have a seat next year yet... as temporary and harmless to her prospects as it gets.

“Come on,” Franco’s voice betrays the frustration underneath the trying hard to be suave, “I know you're thinking it too. You'd rather be on a boat with me than this totally lame club. And what I might lack in experience, I can make up for in stamina.” He practically purrs in her ear.

“A boat? Williams is not paying you that much.” Checo laughs, even as she entertains the line about stamina. James is a penny pincher to a fault. And Franco might get F1 groupies impressed with that line, but as the primary breadwinner she knows a little better.

Franco’s undeterred. “Your boat then. I can be your yacht boy.”

Now wouldn't Checo love to be sunning on a boat, no kids running around, being waited on hand and foot by an eager, younger man who can go for round two in ten minutes. God, she hasn't been filled up in a satisfying way in so long, her cunt throbs at the fantasy, aided by the tall, warm body in front of her.

Checo bites her lower lip, and looks around. Nobody around them in paying attention to the dark corner they're in anymore. She takes Franco’s hand and places it over her breast, holding his gaze. For all his smooth-talking, Franco seems momentarily stunned, mouth parting in surprise. He has naturally red lips, Checo wants to bite on it. He tentatively squeezes her breast, and after seeing her nod, starts kneading it, thumb trying to find her nipple through the layers of her polo shirt and sports bra.

“Can I please eat you?” Franco’s voice is husky as he begs.

[taevbears]

To Be Loved - 03

Please be our guest

⤑ pairing: namjoon x reader (a bit of reader x jungkook) ⤑ genre: hybrid au, romance, hurt/comfort ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 6.3k ⤑ warnings: hybrids are seen as sub-human, brief descriptions of abuse throughout the chapter, a bit of angst, the boys are very guarded and kind of mean toward the reader, reader is stress lol ⤑ note: sorry for the delay in this chapter, it's been really hectic these past few weeks being sick and super busy. i'm curious what your thoughts are and what you guys think namjoon is! also, i hope you all have a safe and warm holiday full of delicious food!

Chapters 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 (End)

Dinner is served.

Laid out across the table is a small feast consisting of homegrown vegetables from their garden, hand-picked fruits of the season, grilled fish caught from a nearby river, roasted poultry and cooked eggs, and homemade brew that’s been aging in their cellar. Food that’s clearly been hunted and gathered from around the manor.

“You two are our guests,” Rap Monster says to you and Jungkook from the head of the table, sitting directly across from you. “Please feel free to help yourselves.”

He glances over at the wolf hybrid and gives him a tiny nod. The eldest among the pack picks up his utensils and begins to put food on his plate, and the others soon follow suit, reaching for whatever appeals to their appetites. Even Jungkook begins to pile up on the food he’s been eyeing since they’ve been set down before him, and then passes the dish to you, starving after everything you’ve both been through since you’ve ventured off the main roads.

“This is seriously so good!” Jungkook praises between bites. His eyebrows are furrowed together, as if he’s angry at how incredibly tasty everything is.

“You’re just hungry,” the leopard hybrid remarks, shoulders raising a bit as he puts some fish on his plate.

“Thank you for cooking,” you add softly, though you’re not really sure who to direct it to. Jimin had mentioned that someone named Seokjin and someone named Yoongi prepared tonight’s meal. The deer hybrid only stares at you with a frown, the leopard hybrid doesn’t even bother to make eye-contact with you, and the wolf hybrid merely nods his head without saying anything back.

The table is relatively quiet, but you can tell that it’s a level of silence they’re not used to. Although the pack of hybrids try not to make it too obvious, you can tell they’re all observing you closely.

It starts to make you feel self-conscious as you bite into an apple, not really tasting the food but going through the motions of it.

You hate attention. You’ve always had.

The pressure of everyone’s eyes on you, watching your every move, and judging your every word and action makes your skin crawl, constricts your breath, and knots your stomach. Whenever you’re forced into the spotlight – Kangdae dangling you around like a pretty thing to envy – you keep your gaze on the ground. Your voice starts to tremble. You hear people asking what’s wrong with you.

As your eyes burn on the plate, you realize that’s what’s happening now. The hybrids are making you as nervous as you’re probably making them.

Humans, after all, are the most dangerous threat to them.

“My name is Jimin.”

To your right, opposite of Jungkook, the swan hybrid speaks. He seems to sense your uneasiness and then gestures for the others to follow.

Next to him, the bear hybrid grunts, “Taehyung.”

“Seokjin,” says the wolf hybrid, gnawing on a bone.

“I’m Hoseok,” the deer hybrid pipes up from the other side of the table, across the wolf.

“Yoongi,” the leopard hybrid calls himself, sitting between Hoseok and Jungkook.

Across from you, at the other end of the table, the one you know as Rap Monster merely smiles. The dimples on his cheeks are deep as he looks at his pack fondly before his colorful eyes meet your gaze. “I don’t go by Rap Monster anymore, so you can call me by my real name. It’s Namjoon.”

Namjoon.

Finally, you have the name of the mysterious rapper.

You tell them your name, and Jungkook finishes the round of introductions with his. With one question answered, another one pops up. This time, from you. “How do you all know each other?”

The air shifts with a sudden tension, and you instantly regret the words leaving your mouth. It feels like you’ve come across a taboo topic. Information that, perhaps, none of them feel comfortable sharing with a human. You can see, by some of the emotions that cross their faces, that it hadn’t been easy for them to get here.

“The short story is that I took them all in,” Namjoon explains lightly. “Society isn’t exactly kind to creatures like us. Humans only see us as abominations. A lot of them can be unnecessarily cruel to the things they’re afraid of. To the things they don’t understand. I found them and I offered them a place in my home.”

“Which brings us to question,” Seokjin interrupts, his yellow eyes practically glowing when he looks at you, “what brought you into our territory?”

It’s a question they all seem to be wondering. Even before the car accident in the woods.

The words get stuck in your throat. 

Taehyung crosses his arms. He looks broader when he does that. More intimidating. “We don’t allow humans to come anywhere near this place.”

“But she’s not like other humans!” Jungkook speaks up on your behalf, eyes wide as if that would help convince them of his plight. “She’s really nice, and she’s my friend.”

“Jungkook,” you start, your voice barely above a whisper. You want to stop him. To tell him that he doesn’t need to defend you. That you understand their hostility, and that you swear you’ll be gone as soon as the storm stops.

His ear twitches toward you, showing that he’s heard you, but he decides to ignore you.

“I was in bad shape when I met her, but she helped me. She treated my wounds after my owner nearly…” He shudders, unable to finish his sentence. Given the bruises and cuts on his face, and the welts and scars on his body, it’s not hard to imagine what could’ve happened. Or how far his owner would’ve gone to hurt him. “She fed me too. And bought me ice cream and banana milk.”

Seokjin snorts at that. For a brief second, Hoseok and Taehyung look a little amused by his last comment. Whereas Yoongi and Jimin visibly frown as they look more closely at Jungkook’s wounds. Namjoon’s eyes meet yours for a moment, and you feel your heart flutter before he turns to Jungkook and gives him a nod, encouraging him to go on.

“And she’s been trying to find a safe place to take me to,” he continues, turning to look at you. There’s gratitude in his eyes when he does. “We were trying to take a shortcut through the woods, but it was raining so hard and we could barely see where we were going. We’re both just trying to get away from our bad humans.”

By the silence that follows, you’re not entirely sure if they believe you’re a good person yet. That, despite Jungkook trying to defend your honor, there’s still a bit of skepticism over a human helping a hybrid out of the goodness from their heart. After everything they must have gone through by the hands of those who try to control them, you can’t blame them at all for feeling jaded.

“I believe it,” is all Namjoon says. His gaze is fixed on you now, and again, you start to feel nervous at the attention. But… not in an entirely unwanted way. “You were kind to me once before, too.”

For years, the old manor has been something straight out of a storybook. A beautiful, old home, stuck in time, untouched by humans. Deep in the woods and hard to find unless you know your way to it. Forgotten, but with a timeless and enchanting charm.

It begins with Namjoon, who discovers it. And then Yoongi, who helps him rebuild and restore it. Then, they find Hoseok, and for a while, it’s just the three of them. But that all changes when they meet Jimin and Taehyung and take them in at the same time. And finally, Seokjin joins their pack.

One by one, the hybrids have contributed and worked together to make this abandoned place their own. You see the way they protect each other, how they take care of each other. Humans haven’t stepped near their secret haven for years, and yet, here you are – an intruding threat to their sanctuary. A walking reminder of what they’ve run away from.

Yoongi, captured and thrown into a cage, about to be sent overseas in cargo to be auctioned off had he not managed to escape from his captives.

Hoseok, left for dead by the hands of hunters, antlers forcibly cut by the time Namjoon and Yoongi find him barely breathing.

Jimin and Taehyung running away from a shelter that was abusing the hybrids, starving them out, depriving them of basic essentials, and throwing them into tiny, cramped spaces before they’re next in line to be euthanized.

And Seokjin, forced to become a lone wolf after violently losing his home, family, and everything he knows to the greed of humans until he finally found the others.

“If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask,” Namjoon assures you, clearing the plates away from dinner to wash. “I want you to feel comfortable while you’re here.”

“I appreciate it, Namjoon. Thank you,” you tell him sincerely. He grins at you, practically beaming as his name rolls off your tongue. You can’t help but smile back at him, although shyly.

It’s strange how flustered you feel around him.

“Can we look around?” Jungkook asks, coming up between you and Namjoon. He looks at him curiously as the two of you finally look away from each other.

“Of course. Jimin? Mind showing them around?” Namjoon asks the swan hybrid, who just finishes up wiping down the table.

He looks a bit surprised, but nods his head. “Oh. Sure. Let me finish this up and I’ll be right with you guys.”

“I’ll go with you guys,” Taehyung offers, glancing at you for a brief moment before he finishes up sweeping.

“What about you?” you ask. Not that you don’t mind Jimin. He’s been nice to you. Taehyung as well, though out of obligation.

You were just hoping to spend more time with Namjoon.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” he promises as he looks at the other hybrids, all pretending they aren’t listening to the conversation. “I need to make sure no one else followed you here.”

As requested, Jimin and Taehyung show you and Jungkook around the manor.

The east wing is where you’ll be staying. The room that you woke up in is yours, and Jungkook has his own room near you. Dinner is at the same time every evening, and it is expected that the two of you will join the rest of the pack. There are many rooms that make this place feel like a modern castle: a ballroom with a grand piano, a lounge room with board games, puzzles, a pool table, and old gaming consoles, a conservatory with curtainless windows, table tennis, a seating area, and a greenhouse.

You can see that Jungkook is fascinated with the manor as much as you are. Maybe even more so. His eyes practically sparkle with excitement when he sees a familiar game that he played as a child, or that cheeky smile on his face when he asks if you can dance or play any instruments in the ballroom. You see Jimin and Taehyung eager to show him the cool stuff around the manor too, and you suspect that at one point, they’ve forgotten you’re on this tour as well.

Still, it’s so nice to see Jungkook smiling and laughing. Despite everything he’s been through, there’s still an endearing, childlike innocence to him. A shy, friendly aura that makes him so approachable and well-liked.

You can see him being very happy here. Even if you’re not in the picture.

“What’s over there?” Jungkook asks, curious as he nods toward the west wing.

“Oh, that place is off-limits,” Taehyung explains without giving it a second glance. “No one is allowed to go there.”

You’re a bit surprised by that. The west wing looks completely normal from where you stand. “Why not?”

“It just is,” Taehyung cuts in a little harshly as he glares at you. Your mouth immediately snaps shut, a bit hurt and taken aback by the outburst.

“You’re free to go anywhere else in the manor,” Jimin adds, trying to drop the topic. His voice is gentler as he shoots his companion a warning glance. “Just not the west wing. Understand?”

You merely nod your head, not trusting your voice at this point.

While the hybrids like Jungkook, it’s clear that they don’t feel the same about you. And you’re not certain they ever will.

As the tour continues, you can’t help but notice the other hybrids’ reactions when you come within their personal spaces in the manor. Yoongi stares at you from the high wooden beams on the ceiling. His spotted tail slowly swishes back and forth in distrust as his glaring, feline eyes never leave yours. Hoseok hides from you whenever he hears you approaching. He’s so scared, he’s trembling as you catch his wide-eyed, petrified gaze, and the guilt of almost hurting him weighs more heavily on you. Seokjin covers his mouth to hold back a low growl when you come near his room. His body is tense and his lips are curled back into a snarl. Even Taehyung is only accompanying you to make sure that Jimin is safe. That you won’t harm his dear friend.

Rain continues to heavily pour outside. You wish that the storm would die down already. Clearly, you’re not welcomed here.

A hand touches the small of your back, and you raise your head to see Jungkook giving you a tiny, comforting smile. Just like at the motel stop with the scary men, he subtly assures you that he has your back.

You give him a wry smile back, squeezing his arm in appreciation. It’s a silent exchange that doesn’t go unnoticed by the other two hybrids with you.

“This is our last stop,” Jimin announces as he and Taehyung open the double-doors. Your eyes widen in awe at the sight before you.

A library.

There are two levels, and both have standing shelves full of books. Art pieces that look like they belong in museums decorate the room as well, from busts of philosophers to exquisite paintings hung on the walls. In the center is a large couch that looks cozy enough to sink into, curled up with a good book. It’s a place much bigger and prettier than the tiny book nook in your town.

“Wow…” You step inside, mood instantly lifting as you marvel at the sight before you. You could spend months here, just trying to read through the massive collection. “This is amazing!”

Jungkook looks surprised. “You think so?”

“Is it okay if I look around?”

Jimin and Taehyung exchange looks with each other, but they nod their heads. You disappear into the nearest aisle, browsing around. Your fingers run across the spines of books and their printed titles before landing on the ones that catch your interest. Things that were in your to-read list, things that you’ve just discovered now, things that you fondly remember reading before.

To the two residential hybrids, it’s probably one of the more boring parts of the manor, yet you’re absolutely enthralled by the room.

“Are there any comics?” Jungkook shyly asks, and Taehyung’s eyes brighten a bit as he takes his wrist and shows him where they are. The two leave Jimin alone as he watches you with curiosity.

“That’s funny,” he says to himself before he follows after the other hybrids. “This is his favorite room too.”

Sleep doesn’t come easy for you. Not tonight, at least.

After everything you’ve been through – running away from Kangdae, being on the road for days, looking for the perfect home for Jungkook, being careful to cover your tracks and not get caught, and finally ending up here – you’d think you would’ve been knocked out by now, exhausted from everything.

But as you turn to face the window, the relentless storm outside seems to reflect the turmoil you feel.

The storm won’t last forever. You’ll probably be here for two or three nights. Maybe a week at most. Then, as soon as the rainy days clear up, you’ll be out of here.

But Jungkook should stay.

As you toured around the manor with Jimin and Taehyung, it’s so clear to you that this place could be exactly what you two were hoping to find for him. A place to call home.

The hybrids provide for each other. They take care of each other. And they’ve clearly taken a liking to Jungkook. He’ll have his meals, a warm bed in his own room, plenty of fun things to do, friends to talk to. He’ll be happy here with them.

You turn to face the ceiling, already dreading the inevitable conversation you’ll have to have with him. He’s become your friend, and someone you care a lot about. You just hope he won’t be so stubborn and make it harder for you to let him go.

Especially since the other hybrids don’t like you as much. Or rather, at all. In fact, you’re pretty sure they’re eager for the storm to pass as much as you are so that you can leave their secret haven.

The mean looks some of them give you. The way they snarl and hiss and tremble at your presence. It feels like there isn’t anything you can do about it. Even if Namjoon allows you to stay, even if Jungkook is there to vouch for you, they’ll just hate you no matter what, simply because you’re human.

You sigh. You can’t force them to like you, of course, and you don’t blame them for being weary of you. But the bigger problem seems to be how you’re going to get out of the woods without a car. With your face all over the news. With Kangdae’s family exhausting all their efforts to look for you.

And as you roll to face the door, you think about Namjoon.

He’s as much of a mystery to you now as he was back then. He has a charisma that commands the room, that makes it obvious that he’s the leader of the pack. That alone has all the hybrids respect him and look up to him. And to top it off, he’s also so kind for letting you and Jungkook in, for making you both feel comfortable in his home.

You can’t remember the last time Kangdae treated you as nicely. He was always so selfish and cruel, and you feel foolish to think that’s what love was.

When in reality, ever since you finally left him, you realize you know nothing about love at all. You thought, if you stayed with him long enough, you could learn to love him. That you could learn how to be loved back.

But the pitiful ache in your heart only makes you realize that, at least with Kangdae, there was never any love at all. 

And yet, Namjoon…

With a finality, you throw the covers off of you. Since you can’t sleep, you decide to do something else to force your thoughts away.

You try your best to avoid the creaks on the floor as you quietly sneak out of the room. The halls of the east wing are dark, but luckily, you aren’t met with any grumpy hybrids just yet. As quietly as possible, you shut the door to your room and try to navigate through the shadowy hall, trying to remember where exactly the library is located in the huge manor.

However, your endeavor is halted when you hear voices at the end of the hall.

“You could be a little nicer to her,” Jimin begins, standing near a window where the moonlight illuminates his face. The tone in his voice sounds like he’s disappointed.

Standing before him is no one other than Taehyung. “She’s human.”

“She could be—” Jimin starts, but lowers his voice. You barely hear him as he tells Taehyung, “I think she’s it.”

His eyes widen a little, seeming to know exactly what he’s talking about.

“You think she’s—” An abrupt silence follows when they sense they’re not alone. Both of them turn to you. Even in the darkness, you think they can still see you. Then, Taehyung confirms they can when he asks, “Little human, where do you think you’re going?”

“I can’t sleep,” you reply honestly. On cue, the rumble of thunder ominously rolls in, sounding like the roar of a beast. You’re vaguely reminded of the sound that spooked Jungkook right before the accident, and you wonder if whatever it was is still out there.

“Are you afraid of the storm?” Jimin asks with a tilt of his head.

“It’s not that.” You don’t mind the rain or the sound of thunder, especially if you can stay safe and cozy indoors, sheltered from the bad weather. Under other circumstances, you might even enjoy the ambiance it brings in the background of a good book. “I think I just want to read something before I go to bed.”

“Are you afraid of us?” Taehyung suddenly asks you. His eyes glowering as he waits for your response.

But you look confused. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think we’re monsters?”

“Taehyung,” Jimin warns with a frown. He turns back to you, opening his mouth as if he’s about to tell you to just forget about his friend’s question.

“You’re not monsters,” you tell him seriously, without hesitation, without looking away. Your answer surprises not just the two hybrids before you, but also the ones in the shadows, listening in. “None of you are.”

You love books.

From the stories that your parents would read you to sleep, to the short stories full of childlike adventure and wonder, and later opening up to genres of drama, horror, fantasy, and romance. Even now, you love immersing yourself in the worlds of writers, escaping and overcoming trails that aren’t your own, and imagining yourself as the main character with every page you turn. It’s something that you can’t get enough of.

You love the weight of a book in your hand, the smooth texture of paper beneath your fingertips, and the earthy, musty smell of aged and worn pages that’ve been sitting on their shelves. You love being so captured by a story, you forget everything else around you, hung to every inked word across the page until the final conclusion.

Entering the library for the first time, surrounded by one of your favorite things, brings you a comfort that you haven’t felt in a long time.

Kangdae never understood your fascination with books. He couldn’t relate to that interest at all, finding it boring and a waste of time. It got harder to indulge in reading when you were with him. There were always chores to do after a long day at work that he never bothered to help with, or spontaneous trips and outings that he’d drag you to just so he can ignore you for his friends and other pretty women throughout the night. Even the books you do own, Kangdae never respected them – he never did with any of your belongings – throwing them when he was mad until the pages were bent and torn from the bindings, or using them as coasters or to spill his drinks on.

Finding yourself in a place like this brings you back to a time before you ever met Kangdae. Where no one really knew you, and you could quietly indulge yourself in the stories you’ve always loved.

Of all the books in the library, one of them catches your eye.

It’s your favorite one. The one about a far-off place with daring sword fights and a prince in disguise.

Your eyes widen in disbelief as you hold the book in your hands, flipping through the pages. It’s been well-kept, as have all the other books here. Unlike the copy you had at your home, ruined beyond repair. As you skim through the pages, the story immediately jumps out at you. The descriptions make it easy to imagine, and the flow of words make it hard to put the book down.

Even though you’ve read this story countless times, it never gets old. Because within the pages, entwined with all the action, adventure, and drama, is a love story.

To be loved and to be loved in return.

You’ve always wished for something like that for yourself.

All you’ve ever known about love is from Kangdae. The misery, the arguments, the fear, the anger. You think that’s just the reality of what love is supposed to be. But at least in this story, love seems nice. Even if it’s only fiction.

“That’s a good one.”

You’re startled when Namjoon appears beside you, looking at the book that you have in your hands. He looks wet, as if he’s been outside. Water drips from his soaked clothes, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it at all.

You smile at him sheepishly and admit, “It’s actually my favorite.”

He returns your smile. Those deep dimples pop up on his cheeks as he offers, “If you want it, it’s yours.”

“Oh! Thank you, I appreciate it, but I really can’t,” you decline, although very touched and almost tempted by the gift. “I don’t know how I can repay you for letting us stay here until the storm passes.”

“You don’t need to repay me anything,” he assures you sincerely. Perhaps to him, he’s just returning the favor you did for him years ago.

“I should at least give you money or something.” You don’t have much on you, though. Just whatever is left of what you’ve been secretly saving up.

Namjoon seems to consider it, but then, almost a bit shyly, he asks, “What about a date instead?”

You’re not entirely sure what Namjoon is thinking when he asks you on a date.

It’s still raining outside. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, and all. Even if you could leave the old manor, there isn’t anywhere to go. You’re surrounded by a thick forest in the middle of nowhere.

Still, Namjoon has you close your eyes.

His big, strong, and incredibly warm hands take yours in his, as he guides you to wherever he plans to take you. He smells like rain, and his clothes are still slightly damp from patrolling outside.

Your footsteps echo together in the quiet manor as he leads you out of the library. You can feel his gaze on your face, making sure you don’t ruin his surprise, and taking in all your features up close. And you bite back a giggle when you hear him bump into things every now and then before quickly assuring you that he’s okay and reminding you not to open your eyes yet.

“Watch your step,” he warns as he takes you somewhere colder. You clumsily stumble over the step anyway, nearly falling if it isn’t for his hands steadying you.

“Namjoon, where—?”

“Okay,” he says with a baited breath. “Open your eyes.”

Connected to the curtainless sunroom with the tennis table and the comfortable seating area is a greenhouse. You noticed it when Jimin and Taehyung showed you around earlier, but you didn’t have a chance to look inside. Namjoon smiles eagerly as he shows you his private, indoor garden: the bonsai trees that are starting to bloom with flowers, monstera plants standing tall with giant leaves, and bundles of flowers like roses, snapdragons, and lilies.

“Wow, Namjoon,” you say in awe, looking around. It feels like walking into the library for the first time, marveling at the magic the room brings. “These are beautiful.”

“I grew them myself,” Namjoon proudly states, rubbing his neck shyly. “They’re nothing compared to Hoseok and Jimin’s garden, but I thought I should still show you this place. I like coming here when I have a lot on my mind.”

“I can see why,” you remark. It’s nice here. All the flowers and plants look like they’re well-taken care of, healthy and thriving despite the ominous weather conditions. You come across a flower that you’ve never seen before. It looks like a cross between a lily and a rose, iridescent in color but with a thing of blue and purple. Their leaves and stems shine green like emeralds. “What are these?”

“Pretty, right? I call them smeraldo flowers,” he explains. His eyes light up with the way you admire them. “In the language of flowers, they mean non potevo dire la verità – the truth that couldn’t be told.”

“I’ve never seen anything like them.” You carefully touch the soft, delicate petal of the flower. They almost look like they’re made of magic.

“They’re beautiful like you.”

You look up at Namjoon just then, a bit surprised by the compliment. He seems a bit embarrassed, trying to hide his face as if he hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.

You’ve been called beautiful before. Sometimes, you think your natural beauty is all that Kangdae sees in you. It’s the only reason he ever tried to pursue you. But hearing it from Namjoon, who seems sincere with his words and intentions, it feels different.

It feels nice.

“I don’t know about that. These are very beautiful flowers,” you reply with a shy smile. “But thank you, Namjoon. You’re really kind.”

“I know the other guys are having a… difficult time adjusting to you. We haven’t had a guest here in a long time, especially a human one,” Namjoon tries to justify on their behalf. “They’re not bad, though. None of us are. So, you don’t need to be afraid while you’re here. But if you ever feel lost or scared, you can always come here. This place, these flowers, they bring me comfort. I hope they do the same for you.”

“Thanks Namjoon,” you repeat with a small smile. He really is so kind to you. “And I get it. Don’t worry. I don’t know what any of them have been through, but I don’t blame them for being cautious of me.”

Although you haven’t had many encounters with hybrids before, you know of the mistreatment they’ve endured from humans. How they’re treated like outcasts, and are constantly on the threat of being enslaved as laborers, entertainers, or pets. You see them protesting for their rights, and how laws constantly change to their disadvantage. 

But if you’ve learned anything while being with Jungkook, it’s that he isn’t too different from you. He likes to sing and dance to music while you’re driving, he snores in his sleep, he loves the taste of banana milk and ice cream.

It hurts a little, but you understand why they’re weary of you. Why the hybrids aren’t able to easily trust you the way they can trust Jungkook, even though he’s just as much of a stranger to them as you are.

“You really are different from other humans,” Namjoon states with intrigue. The look in his colorful eyes is full of warmth and sincerity.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything different than what any decent person would do.”

“It’s because not a lot of humans treat us like decent people,” Namjoon explains again with a sad smile. “You know, you humans are so fascinating to me. You build grand cities with tall skyscrapers, you create beautiful art pieces that evoke feelings and different interpretations to your work, you write countless moving stories of wisdom, fantasy, and poetry. I wanted to be a rapper because I felt like I needed my voice to be heard in this world. All the anger I felt about being born a hybrid, all the sadness and loneliness I felt from being shunned away, all the fear of never being able to be heard or accepted. I went to the underground to prove that I can be as good as the humans are. That my voice is just as worthy to be heard as theirs.”

“It is worthy,” you tell him firmly. “I still remember the night I saw you perform so clearly. You were the best one out of all of them. Even better than some professional rappers in the industry these days.”

He looks away bashfully, but quietly replies, “Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”

“After the incident,” you start, both of you recalling that night when people discovered that he was a hybrid, “I was hoping that I’d see you again.”

“I had hoped to see you too.”

The confession is soft, but you still hear it over the sound of rain and thunder. In the greenhouse, standing in the garden where loneliness is in full bloom, you feel something stir inside you. Something warm. Something real.

You can’t place your finger on why. But you start to think about the meaning of love.

And you have to wonder, has Namjoon been thinking about you this whole time? Does he remember that night he met you as clearly as you do? Is that why he’s so welcoming to bring you into his home? Is that why he’s been so kind to you?

“Namjoon?”

“Yes?”

His eyes are so mesmerizing, you don’t realize the rain has stopped. That the roars of thunder and flashes of lightning have suddenly died down. That all you can hear is your own heartbeat in your chest as you look up at the handsome man before you.

“What kind of hybrid are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

For the other hybrids, it’s obvious what they are: Seokjin is a wolf, Yoongi is a leopard, Hoseok is a deer, Jimin is a swan, Taehyung is a bear, and Jungkook is a bunny. But Namjoon, who mostly looks human, you have a hard time figuring out what he could be.

“I’m a beast. A miserable, ugly beast.”

Your brows furrow slightly. “I don’t think you’re—”

“But I am,” he interrupts with a frown. He looks at you seriously. “Trust me. You don’t want to see me in that form. You’ll be scared.”

You want to disagree. But you can tell that he doesn’t want to talk about the side of himself that he seems to hate so much, so you drop it. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, it’s okay. I knew you’d be curious.” He sighs and rubs his neck again, seeming a bit torn with himself. A clash of thunder sounds from the distance, as if the storm is about to pick up again. As if the anger and sadness in the skies reflect Namjoon himself. “It’s just… if I had it my way, you’d never have to see it. You’ll always remember me the way that you see me now.”

You nod your head in understanding. Perhaps that’s why you’re also forbidden to go into the west wing. Maybe the truth of what kind of beast he is lies in that area.

Your gaze turns back to the smeraldo flowers. Under the moonlight, they almost look like they’re glowing with an ethereal and tragic beauty Flowers that mean an untold truth. Somehow, that makes you feel a little sad.

“Whether you’re a beast or a human, you’re not a monster, Namjoon.”

He smiles at you sadly. “I wish I could believe that. But thank you.”

The spontaneous “date” comes to an end, and like a gentleman, Namjoon walks you up to the east wing and stops in front of your bedroom.

Before you go inside, you turn to face him. “I had a nice time, Namjoon.”

You mean it, too. Quiet nights in, looking at beautiful flowers in the garden, sharing book recommendations in the library. It’s the perfect night for you.

“You don’t have to go after the storm ends,” Namjoon suddenly tells you. “You can stay here if you want. Both you and Jungkook.”

“I don’t know, Namjoon. Your pack—”

“I’ll talk to them. I’m sure they’ll come around to the idea,” he starts, looking like he wants to add more to it. Because, for some reason, you’re very special to him.

“It’s not just that.”

He’s already done so much for you already. There’s no way you’ll be able to repay him.

“How about we make a deal?”

You pause, looking at him with hesitance. “What kind of deal?”

“I don’t want your money, or do anything that you won’t feel comfortable with,” he quickly assures you. “The woods are dangerous, and the storm isn’t going to stop anytime soon. At least here, you’ll be safe. You’ll have your own room, you can have dinner with us, you’re free to wander the east wing and use the common rooms. All I ask is that you go on another date with me tomorrow night. And the night after, if you still decide to stay.”

You think about it. It seems like the best option for now.

You’ll still be hidden from Kangdae and the people looking for you. You’ll be safe from the wolves and other predators lurking in the deep, dark woods. You won’t have to say goodbye to Jungkook so soon, and you can spend another night like this with Namjoon.

“Why would you want me to stay when I’m human?” you ask him.

“Humans are fascinating. You’re fascinating,” Namjoon admits with a shy smile. “I just want to get to know you more.”

“I don’t think I’m that interesting of a human.” You can’t build skyscrapers, you can’t create masterpieces, and you can’t write stories the way your favorite authors do. “You’ll be disappointed.”

“I won’t. Because you’re you.” He seems so sure of that.

You smile a little at that.

“I’ll consider it,” you decide, heart fluttering as you half-joke, “I feel like you’re trying to make me fall in love with you.”

“You won’t,” Namjoon softly says, also just as sure. The way he looks at you makes your heart ache. “Why would someone as beautiful as you ever love a beast like me?”

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

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[miupow]

soobin's first rut [crave-verse drabble]

╰┈➤ werewolf!soobin x fem!reader (kind of) x werewolf!beomgyu

NSFW, MDNI! dark content warning, dubcon, free use, in rut/heat cycles, werewolf!txt, poly!txt mention, mean dom!beomgyu, dom!soobin, not much actual smut am sorry 😭

words. ~800

Soobin is… a late bloomer, compared to the rest of his pack. He was the second oldest, yet still hadn’t had his first rut— he hardly had any wolf in him at all, if he had to be honest. no rut, no overbearing instinct, nothing that set his brothers apart from normal humans. he was starting to think that maybe there was something wrong with him.

And then you came along.

It was like Soobin had been possessed by some demon, influence overwhelming to the point he would nearly act without thinking; he was haunted by the need to claim, to protect, to own. It frightened him, made him want to keep his distance from you, keep you as theirs and never his— you were for his brothers, not for him. he had no instincts to fulfill.

Yet why was he waking up at night in a cold sweat, groggy and lightheaded, flushed skin burning hot and everything smelling so overwhelmingly of you.

His first instinct was to pretend that everything was completely fine. He holed himself up in his room, was the first to volunteer for hunting trips or supplies runs— anything to keep away from you, your pretty face, your delicious scent.

He caught himself growling at Yeonjun when he went to grab for your hand. Soobin had never growled at anyone before, let alone his elder. Beomgyu’s near-constant demand for your attention was met less with Soobin’s usual annoyance and more with genuine, possessive aggression. Soobin had never acted like this before— Soobin had never felt like this before. Teetering on the edge. Just seconds away from losing control.

Soobin decides that he can’t take it anymore when Yeonjun uses you one night, and Soobin can smell your dripping cunt from all the way in his bedroom. Your arousal so thick in the air he could nearly taste it, unable to hide from your moans and whimpers even with his head buried in his pillows. He finally fell asleep after he had coated his hand, belly and sheets in his cum.

He goes to Beomgyu about it.

“You’re going into rut, hyung.” he snickered matter-of-factly, like it was obvious. It probably was to everyone other than Soobin himself. “Finally, jeez. I was starting to think you’d never have one.”

“What… do I do?” Soobin asks, jittery. He’s never been this out of his element in his life. “I can’t be out like this.”

“What do you do?!” Beomgyu guffaws, annoying maniacal laughter making Soobin’s head hurt. “We have a toy for a reason. Make her your bitch for a few days.”

Soobin blanches. He hadn’t even done so much as touch you before, too scared of intimidating you with his size. You seemed so small and frail… so easily breakable. “But what if I hurt her?”

“She can take it.” Beomgyu sneers. “It’s what she was made for.”

“Put your cock where it belongs.” Beomgyu spits, nasty, grabbing hard at your hair so you arch your back more, present yourself to Soobin— Soobin who can’t tear his eyes away from your drooling pussy, who is trying his absolute hardest to breathe through his mouth, not lose himself completely in your scent.

Soobin hesitates, but he’s just a man— he fumbles with his belt, presses the fat head of his cock against your quivering entrance. “Too big—!” you whimper when Soobin begins to push himself in, causing the older boy to stop completely, only having pushed just the tip inside of you. Soobin’s hands flutter around your hips like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

“Shut up and take it,” Beomgyu hisses into your ear, pulling harder at your hair. “Soobin, don’t listen to her, she’s being a whiny bitch. Just fuck her already.”

You whine pathetically when Soobin’s grip on your hips tighten considerably. It’s taking every bit of him not to push himself balls-deep in one thrust. “I’ll hurt her…” Soobin repeats, out of breath like he’d run a mile.

Beomgyu tsks. “Y/N, tell him to fuck you.”

“Soo— bin…” you warble, pushing your ass against Soobin’s hips, causing his cock to slip further inside of you. “Soobin, please, want it…”

“A-are you sure?!” Soobin’s hips are twitching like they have a mind of their own, fighting against him to push even farther into your wet warm cunt.

“She’s fuckin’ sure—“ Beomgyu butt in, but was cut off by your pretty high pitched moans.

“Go ahead, Binnie! I know you want to~” even with Beomgyu’s hand tangled in your hair, you manage to turn around to give Soobin a pretty, wobbly smile, “You can let go now.”

So Soobin does.

And you end up not being able to walk properly for a week.

[justxtalking]

my thoughts on this hxh ABCD mess

Being a Togashi fan is such a roller-coaster of emotions. I think I went through all the stages of grief in only one day.

Half of me believes he's trolling.

To be honest, it's better to just take it with a light heart. Togashi is known for joking around about himself, his health and his own story. (I wasn't in the fandom at that moment, but I wonder how everyone reacted when he said everyone was going to die). I consider ending D to be so uncharacteristically him for so many reasons I could talk for hours about it. I find it ironic how he gave a stereotypical-shonen-like ending when he talked several times (even in this interview) about how he likes to surprise himself (and his readers) when he writes. Some other times he explained he likes to play with these shonen stereotypes and just do something different. I mean, he's been doing it since the beginning of his career.

And I'll be honest, ending D sounds like a mockery of shounen.

(And I feel a bit dumb taking this so seriously if he's joking.)

(Though, this also may be the case of "the boy who cried wolf" and he's actually saying the truth this time.)

The other half of me thinks he's being honest.

If he is actually giving us a back-up ending, I find it incredibly sad. Not only because of his health, but also because he felt pressured enough to give us an ending, no matter its form and no matter if it's an ending he doesn't even consider anymore. He shouldn't have been on that position.

It is important to take into account that this is not an ending he wants or even considers anymore, it is an ending we can take if he's not able to finish HunterXHunter. We need to realize there's a lot of circumstances we don't know about or may not be considering for him to give us this ending as an option at that moment. And what type of ending too.

I seriously want for him to be able to finish Hunter X Hunter the way he truly wants, not worrying about anything else. He's thinking about three plausible scenarios that may see the light of day or not. And no matter what he ends up choosing, he should choose whatever he wants. It's his story, no ours. And it may even be his last story (I know it's sad, I want him to keep on writing forever, but it's true). Honestly, a part of me wants him to choose the A scenario because that's where seems to be less drama, but actually I want him to choose the C scenario. Even if that ending is Gon married to a lizard with beautiful lizard-babies in the Dark Continent. And that's because that ending is what he would actually want to do with the story.

(I really am curious about it, though. I know I wouldn't be able to guess even in a million years, but I'm still curious. And I so want to read the whole interview and see the whole episode, since there were more questions about other things.)

For the shippers

I know this feels like a punch in the gut or something even worst. I felt it too. And it's totally valid to feel like we do and not agreeing with ending D. Even as a non-shipper because what do you mean, Gon did what?

Everyone who follows me knows I'm a proud Killugon and Leopika shipper. And I will keep on being one even if Hunter X Hunter transforms into Boruto and I have to see Grandpa Gon (the more I say it, the more it sounds like a joke).

Honestly, I always considered the gay ships were never going to be explicitly canon.(Kishimoto traumatized me). Not because of lack of material, but because there's a whole context and a lot of external circumstances we sometimes forget about (and Kishimoto traumatized me). There was a reason why Togashi couldn't make his queer manga in the 90s, which, I'm sorry, I don't consider it to be that long ago. And there is a reason why he can't explicitly say that characters like Pouf or Hisoka are gay (despite being totally obvious and them being villains).

I still find it admirable how Togashi included so many queer elements in his stories and got away with it. And he's a mangaka that does shonen. And not just any shonen, a battle manga in Shonen Jump. (He included a trans man in Level E and made him transition. The way Togashi explains some things about this character may be a bit problematic, but Togashi still did this). And those queer elements are still there and are still as canon as when he wrote it the first time. Pouf is as gay as he is dramatic. And Ging and Pariston still have that sexual tension (and I'm 100% sure they fucked or they are going to fuck in the near future or both). And Killua is still the queerest boy I've seen in the longest time.

Sometimes, I think there's a possibility of Killugon being canon. But only because of Togashi's history and tastes. He may feel a bit rebellious and just go with it, he's so unpredictable that I'm always expecting anything and everything from him (I mean, he did what he did with Hisoka and Illumi and so many other things). However, he's an introvert, I'm not sure if he actually wants the attention he would get if he actually goes with it. And that is something we should also respect. (I do think the most plausible option is Killugon to be as ambiguous as they are now.)

In relation to ending D, I don't think we should worry that much. At the end of the day, it is an ending he doesn't consider anymore. (At least we can sleep well knowing that the ending he wants to do doesn't have to do with Grandpa Gon). What's important is what he writes and does in the manga. That is what speaks louder than anything.

Though, I do think it's going to be a pain in the ass interacting with other fans. I'm not looking forward to it. (At least they are going to stop saying that Kurapika will die, I hope!). What I'm looking forward to is the new Killugon content in the fandom.

My personal take

Gon =/= Ging. I could say a lot about this, since one of the things I love the most about Hunter X Hunter is what he did with these two and Gon's arc, but I think this is clear enough.

So!

After saying all of this, I think the only thing we should consider as canon is the manga. If he doesn't write it, it didn't happen.

If he's saying the truth, he may be thinking about how to finish Hunter X Hunter sooner or later. Even though so many fans say that they want an ending, I feel like we are not ready. Not even for Gon marrying a lizard and having beautiful lizard-babies in the Dark Continent.

I hope I was coherent enough. I have no answers, only thoughts and thoughts! I feel like we can only speculate and ending D is so confusing because how did we even get there?

I may be going through all the stages of grief again tomorrow, but I wanted to share my thoughts (at least partially). I may erase it if I feel too uncomfortable, but yeah!

Conclusion: Let's just take it with a light heart and wait to see what happens! (I know it's hard).

[allwormdiet]

Sentinel 9.4

Back in the saddle again

You know, I'm not sure if tinkers actually are "supposed" to be smart. The other examples we have to work off of besides Kid Win are Bakuda (constant state of fucking around and finding out until it killed her), Armsmaster (he of the dumbfuck raid boss solo plot), and Dragon (actually no notes on Dragon's relative intelligence), plus Chariot in just a minute here who literally only succeeds at being a mole because the Protectorate allows him to succeed as a ploy

I'll concede that they're adept engineers and scientists, sure, but you can know how to build a nuclear reactor and still be dumb enough to build it in your backyard. There's no single measure of intelligence that everyone measures high on, that's just not how it goes.

Then again like two-thirds of this chapter are lowkey about Kid having self-esteem issues so like, I get that he's being hard on himself. I feel like half the cape POVs we've gotten so far have self-esteem issues, never mind Taylor Hebert Queen of Self-Image Problems

I'm gonna skim over a lot of this fight like I had in 9.3, but while this can't feel good for one's confidence, honestly I'd mostly just be relieved. Like, yes, let the villains whose powers are Railgun and The Fucking Sun take it easy on me, that's fine, I like my body parts staying in the configuration they have.

Thank God he actually has a chance to feel like he's contributing, without the horror of accidentally killing someone

Wow, Trickster sucks. Why do they put up with this guy?

So, somehow I doubt he's somehow lacking in a specialty, but from the description of his apparent focus issues (plus the fact that taking medication to help with focus nearly took him out) I wonder if the way his tinker stuff goes involves having a bunch of little things, if the lack of focus is somehow a sign of what his specialty actually is.

Oh fucking boy

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay (sarcastic)

Also I don't know why they specifically would go to cities that have already been Endbringered but there's a real "kick them while they're down" energy to it that I do not care for. Goddamn jackals.

Is it the "another tinker" thing or the "that wasn't Armsmaster" thing that he's more excited about lmao

Weld's adapting a little better to his role, and Clockblocker is able to keep his mouth shut and play along, so things are improving.

I dunno man, it's a citywide apocalypse, does bedtime matter anymore?

Hey what the

Fuck

is going on here

Tinker-to-tinker communication

Y'know, now I'm curious what the wages are for a non-Tinker Protectorate member. Obviously Tinkers can have it made if they've got something the higher-ups want, but is Miss Militia making enough to own a house? Is your income tied to merch sales?

Think this is the first time someone has outright said triggering as a parahuman rewires your brain to some extent. Curious to see further elaboration on that.

I think if you're gonna hire a mole, you should make sure they can lie convincingly. That feels like step two.

(Step one is "make sure you can trust this person to be a mole for you")

Fucking gottem

Well hey Kid, looks like you're pulling your weight after all

Current Thoughts

I do think Sentinel is a neat arc but I'll admit, in recounting and rereading this it lost me a little bit. That might just be the Travelers fight though, I could feel the lack of stakes to the fight like a gap between my teeth.

Kid seems like a solid character, classic impulsive inventor with an actual exploration of what that impulsiveness does to his work ethic and self-worth. I'm glad he gets a chance to shine here and I hope he figures out his exact specialization so he can stop being so down on himself

The Wards do seem to be coalescing into more of a team as things progress, sure would be a shame if the resident lone wolf was to fall for obvious bait and disrupt that or something.

[maxinemeows]

The Furry Kingdom and its attack, Marshall's scar and his fall from grace

✧SO! Time for a rundown and some theories!✧

First off let's talk about the Furry Kingdom!

I am not gonna go into a ton of details here cuz there isn't much to talk about but we can say the obvious stuff: It's a monarchy reigned by King Magnus filled with anthropomorphic animals, the majority from what we've seen are females (the exceptions are: Marshall, King Magnum and the bartender that Marshall was sitting in front of,) also there seems to be a royal guard that Marshal is apart of and the princess was captured by the trolls.

Now that I mentioned the trolls, they seem to be from another kingdom in this world, (cuz Prince Britishimo has that title and also he said "the king says he's here." referring to Danny, that also makes me wonder how does the Troll King know? Was he the reason why Danny is trapped in this new world?) anyways this troll kingdom is probably near Furry Kingdom and because of it, it was easy for them to take the princess and run away with her.

They also took her to Furry Mexico, a place that doesn't sound like a place where the trolls live! So they took her to a more faraway and dangerous place than the "Troll Kingdom" (we don't know if that's the name of the troll's kingdom but it's probably that.)

Oh my that was a lot- uhm anyways-

Marshall and his backstory!

So, imma talk about everything we know about Marshall and add on it:

He lives in the Furry Kingdom, his village though was burned down lets say a couple of years back in the present by the Troll king and got a scar, he is part of the royal guard and knows how to use a sword and shurikens, he has a lot of internalized homophobia because he might be queer and maybe has a crush on the "The Hairless," he had a dad that was most likely killed by the King of the trolls (I don't think prince britishimo was the one who did it because Marshall didn't have a visceral reaction when he first saw him, but it makes sense that Prince Britishimo could've been told by his father about Marshall's dad just so he can piss him off instantly.)

Now let's first talk about his dad's death, he died when he was very young, killed by The Troll king. After this Marshall decided to train his entire life to protect his Kingdom and avenge his father, so he joined the Royal Guard, (maybe his dad was a guard too, so maybe he followed his steps) and he excelled at it and became King Magnum's number one guard and warrior...

Now that's interesting, Mary the fox, the one who told Danny and the audience about his scar story said "he used to be King Magnum's number one guard and warrior" so he isn't that anymore?

My theory is that when the Trolls attacked, Marshall failed to protect his village, also leaving the kingdom without its best warrior. He failed, and King Magnum doesn't like failure. (the only interactions between Magnum and Marshall was literally Magnum screaming at him and Marshal complaining.) So after this Marshall fell from grace, became just another guard and truly became a lone wolf...

OH yeah and his scar (that btw prince britishimo has two in both of his eyes), is very interesting, he has heterochromia (ironic cuz there is nothing hetero about this boy) a blue and a pink eye, and now yall might wonder "okay, where is this scar? His left or right eye?" good question! NO IDEA! Danny's style is inconsistent which makes sense but we can decide ourselves pfgjhgh.

From my observations, the most frequent is the left eye, usually blue, but in the flashback when he got the scar it was in the right blue eye- So yeah- pick your fave I guess.

I think this is all for today- Bye!! ^^

[whump-place]

Bad to Worse to... Comfort?

4-We'll make it work.

Masterlist.

"Hi! Again... Huh. You..."

You can do this. You can do this Breathe!

You've dealt with worse, why are you stuttering now? It's not you the one that needs to be comforted, it's he!

It's half of your duty to help him, you got yourself into this, now take the responsibility!

You remember your practice, the way you were instructed to introduce yourself anytime you meet a civil. There isn't any fire, nor a obvious threat for public safety, but you can as well use that, that'll help you get yourself together.

"Hi. My name is ... I'm an agent of the U&H corporation, I'm in the public security department. I apologize for I haven't introduced myself properly since the beginning. May I know your name?"

You did it perfectly! No stuttering, and your voice wasn't filled by the previous panic and nervousness that got you before, you did it well.

Even so, the boy at your feet seems confused at best. Did you speak too fast? Maybe he's still scared?

Whatever it is, you can handle it! Maybe.

"Good morning, master"

His voice makes your body jump. His voice is... Well, calmer than yours. For some reason you feel like he's the one that's calm and you are the one panicking.

"Good... Good morning"

The stuttering returns to your voice, what are you doing?!

"Did you...? Ehem. Do... Do you have a name...?"

The reply is instant. He even tilts his head a little, almost as if he was the one worried for you.

"I do, master"

You wait a moment, praying for him to continue. To say his name, or anything at all, so you don't have to take the lead in the conversation, but he doesn't. He stays still, not saying another word.

His palms rest against his thighs, straight back, head bowed. He's... surprisingly well trained.

"Oh, good! Good. And what is it?"

"It's 'Mutt', master"

Okay. Now he's shaking.

"No, I mean... your name. Not... Not that."

What looked like an easy talk at first soon became an almost impossible task.

In a blink, the boy that seemed quiet and easy to talk to, became a sobbing mess. What was wrong? What happened?

"I... I...- I'm sorry? Is your name something, huh, personal? For you? I-I won't ask for it again!"

You look around the room, looking for anything that could help you. You can't spend another day without knowing his name, you need a name to call him, now that you know he can listen and speak correctly, but if his name -or the way he was called-, is a sensitive matter to him, then you need to come up with a solution soon.

In the corner of the room, on the nightstand, you spot an ashtray that you forgot was there. You don't even smoke, it was mostly a decoration. It looked elegant, for some reason.

"Ash! Ash! How about that? We can use it! Please, please, just- just don't cry, please?"

Was that the first thing you can come up?!

Well. It can work, right? A short name. A real name, at least for now. Something to call him. Okay.

Now that you are calm, you turn around, praying to find the boy- Ash, a little better now.

Surprisingly, he does look calmer now. Was his name that triggering for him?

It doesn't matter, you can work with that.

"Ash?"

"Master... Master... Master..."

He curls up on the floor. That's... No, that's okay. He isn't crying anymore, and he's doing his best to calm himself, or at least that's what you think he's doing.

Idk if you liked the nickname, honestly that was the first thing I had in mind 😭

Taglist:

•@whumpsday

•@thethistlegirl

•@wishiwaskidnapped

•@mylovelyme

•@winged-wolf-s-collection-of-arts

•@hadihaz

•@foresttheblep

•@rainbowsandwhumperflies

[bluxb3rry]

❝𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟!❞↳෴੭˚ ༘♡·˚₊˚ˑ༄ؘ 💙

Hwang hyunjin x male reader!

he/him pronouns!

english is not my frist language!

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

Hwang Hyunjin was someone you could call "perfect" guy, he has the looks, the notes, the charisma, etc, etc. Any girl and boy loves him and drolls for him, everyday having a confess message in his locker, or if the person was confident enough, confess him in person.

In one way or other, it always ends the same "sorry, but no, bye!"

I mean is kinda obvious since everyone that has a crush for him, is mainly because of his looks and Hyunjin is the romantic type, he want to be with someone that know him more than himself, and the only time that it happened, it ended quite......um.

-Yoh! Hyunjin! when we are gonna meet that boyfriend of your's?

It ended quite well, fucking good to be honest, two years, since he had said to his friends "oh, i have a boyfriend btw".

Oh yes, the mystery boy, the man that made Hwang fucking Hyunjin fall in love, some friend that he knew since he remeber.

-oh um, im not sure, i promise you guys are gonna meet him! i promise-

Main reason of why his boyfriend didn't want to be know, is only because he want to keep the relation ship a secret and Hyujin understood that, who really cares when you get 1000 kisses after school?

-uuugh, is been two years already and i haven't meet the guy, is he some mafia guy? that's why you don't talk about him?-Han joked while drinking his coke

-is not that! he just want to keep it private and i respect that-

-is he even real?-

-Hey!-

-c'mon Hyung, if he is from our school we would have noticed that you looked at someone more than normal, yet it didn't happend-Jeongin said beside him, stealing Han coke and drinking it, hearing a "hey" from the guy

-you guys are a pain, i can tell that's real-

The silence in the hall was more noticed when the students started to mutter, the three friend just looked to were the mutter where reffered to, and two of them look suprised to see "the bad guy" walking in the hall, his uniform looking informal, the tie wasn't even tied well, and the loose shirt make look some of the tattoos underneath the clothes, he looked normal and had just some piercings, two in his lips [snake bite] and one in his eyebrow.

-Damn he back-Han said-the bad wolf

-okay, why bad wolf?-said Hyunjin looking at his friend for the dumb reference

-Why? Why not? he litteraly fought with a lot of people, making them have nose blood, some of them needed stitches and a lot of them never came back, he also just ignores all the classes and people but still has good grades-jeongin said finishing the coke

-and he is hot as fuck-a new voice appeard

-Minsug-hyung, ew-said Hyunjin kinda disgusted

-what? oh c'mon, we cannot deny that maybe he IS one of the hottest guys in this god damn school-

-he got suppended for hitting a teacher!-Han replied trying to make sense into the guy

-yeah the teacher kinda deserve it-Hyunjin said

-what?-Han asked surprised

-yeaaah he kinda did, that teacher was a son of a bich, you're just too young-minho replied

-he is still scary to-Jeongin murmurs and Hyujin just looked at him

Yeah scary, he heard all of that, the scary guy with a mistery life, the cold heart, the ice prince, Hyunjin knew about y/n, to be honest he was called a lot of times to the principale office just to take care of him.

With that being said, the y/n walked towards him a smirk in his face.

-the old man said that i have to share all my classes with you now-he said ignoring all the looks from the other guys

-mh really? well, lets get going-Hyunjin said with a small smile and started walking, the "bad wolf" following behind him.

-oh shit-Han mutters looking at his perfect friend leaving with the bad guy

-oh shit indeed, have you looked to that ass?-

-MINHO-HYUNG!-

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

-you know i can't save you anymore from classes, right?-

-as if you want to hear the son of a bitch talking again and again of dumb shit-

Hyunjin laughed a little while hugging his boyfriend, then just looked at him making eye contact.

-stop cursing! at this point is just a problem with you-

-c'mooon you heard me cursing since i remeber-y/n said with a smile in his face

-yep, as bad as i remeber-he kissed him with a small smile

Yeaah in case you havent notice, you, you are his boyfriend, y/n, the bad guy, the mistery guy, blah blah, in a relationship of two years with mister Hwang

-we should tell them-y/n said after the kiss

-them? oh you mean the guys?-Hyunjin asked surprised

-yeah, at this point is a pain being unable to kiss you anytime i want-he looked at him again-only if you want to

-i would love to, honey-

They just hugged for a couple of seconds in silence

-Han called you bad wolf by the way-

-ha, thats a fun one-

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

[princecharmingwinks]

Sterek Fic Rec - December 2022. Is it still December? Yes, for about 5 more hours, oops! Here is the final monthly rec list for the year. I hope everyone is doing something nice to bring in the new year (snuggling into bed absolutely counts!). 

Many times, Many ways by Jmeelee (1/1 | 3K | Mature)

He turned around and stormed toward his Jeep. Derek called out his name, but Stiles flipped him off over his shoulder. He jabbed the key into the ignition, roared the engine, and smoked the tires as he peeled out of the parking lot, but not before he cranked down the glass and screamed at Derek from the driver’s side window, “Merry Christmas, motherfucker!”

OR

Five times Stiles and Derek ruined Christmas, and one time they fixed it.

Build A Wolf by PalenDrome (nerdherderette) (1/1 | 5K | Teen)

Derek is a romantic. He dreams of finding his mate, of connecting with that special someone who will make his heart swoon.

[Excerpt]: "Who says I need to be in a relationship to be happy?" Derek asks, his hackles rising. Besides, Boyd has it all wrong. Derek has Die Hard on his Christmas queue.

Yippee ki yay.

Boyd holds up both hands. "Not me. If you want to be a bachelor forever, I'm not one to judge."

"But I am," Erica says. "You don't date anymore. Hell, when's the last time you even got laid? Which would also be fine, except it's not, because you're miserable and it's obvious that's not what you really want."

Sometimes Derek has a hard time following Erica's logic. Unfortunately, this is not one of those moments.

"It doesn't matter," he says, digging the excess rice out from his wrap. "I'm better off alone."

Mint Condition by fairytalesandfolklore (1/1 | 955 | Teen)

He checks the clock, frowning in concern. Stiles had said he was going to change and that he'd be right back, but that was over twenty minutes ago. He's about to get up and go check on him, when the all-too-familiar tune of his least favorite song in the entire world starts playing on the stereo, and out comes Stiles wearing nothing but a jauntily perched Santa hat and a pair of the tiniest shorts Derek has ever seen — bright red satin to match his hat — and when Stiles twirls around to give Derek the full effect, he can make out the words naughty elf emblazoned across his asscheeks. Derek can do little more than stare open-mouthed as Stiles saunters toward him, sucking on the end of a candy cane in what he probably imagines is a seductive way, shaking his ass in time to the music — which, ugh. (As far as Derek is concerned, if hell had a soundtrack, it'd be an endless loop of Santa Baby…but it's Stiles, so he'll make an exception.) Overall, the effect is actually quite charming, and Derek would be lying if he said it wasn't doing something for him. And then Stiles starts talking.

lube and determination by bleep0bleep (2/2 | 4K | Explicit)

It's a holiday classic: homesick boy wants to make a pumpkin pie while studying abroad, boy realizes the only place to find vegetable shortening is a sex shop, and boy makes fool of himself in front of other boy.

Little talks by Vendelin (1/1 | 5K | Mature)

“Your favourite is here,” Danny says, smirking. “I tried to steal him away by giving him some extra attention, but he just looked uncomfortable.”

Stiles snorts, though he’s secretly pleased by his regular rejecting Danny. “He always looks a bit uncomfortable. I bet he’s married with a kid and a permanent guilty conscience when he’s here.”

It had been quite the surprise for Stiles to realise that he had a regular. A pretty young, hot regular, on top of that.

In which Stiles is a stripper, and Derek is the always-polite regular at the club where he works.

Depth of Field by midnitekween (1/1 | 7K | Explicit)

Stiles loves taking pictures of his pack.

Kiss It Better, Kiss It Back Together by crossroadswrite (1/1 | 3K | General)

For the tumblr prompt: stiles is cursed by a witch to forget the person he loves the most so everyone thinks it's Lydia but it's not and the only way to get the memories back is through a kiss

i see forever in your eyes by hufflepuffbaby (1/1 | 1K | Teen)

Stiles looked at his big bad Alpha, with his blush and his thumbhole sweater, and Stiles found he didn’t care if it was a bad idea, he was going to relationship the fuck out of Derek for as long as he was allowed.

Flufftober Day 5 : "Oh, no, you're a morning person"

Make You See It by sparkandwolf (thatnerdemryn), thatnerdemryn (1/2 | 2K | Mature)

Stiles didn’t say anything and Derek was grateful for leaving him speechless.

“Your mind, the way it pieces together every last puzzle piece, the way it connects dots that the rest of us didn’t even know were there, it’s--” Derek let out a breath against Stiles’ ear and reveled in the chill it sent through Stiles. “You are the most powerful of all of us.”

no matter how far away you roam by elisela (1/1 | 2K | General)

Stiles regrets not getting a tree.

He hadn’t been feeling very festive—decorations were reminders that he was spending the holidays alone, so he’d decided not to put them up, but now it’s Christmas Eve and there’s not even a strand of lights around the room to cheer him up. Watching Die Hard hadn’t worked, neither had The Grinch, and Derek hadn’t answered his phone the last three times Stiles had called him today.

It’s 7:34pm on Christmas Eve, and Stiles is ready to give it up and call it a night.

princecharmingwinks special mention (Oh my gosh I love the smut in this and the humour and everything else.)

Come Fly With Me (Or Don't) by stilinskisparkles (1/1 | 15K | Mature)

Stiles is overworked and stressed out when his flight home gets delayed due to copious amounts of snow. He finds entertainment with one Derek Hale, whom he hasn't seen since high school but really doesn't mind getting reacquainted with.

Especially when it turns out Derek is surprisingly hilarious and will reluctantly play snap with him. And can walk on his hands.

Made it through another year team, well done one and all. Happy holidays and see you in the new year ;)

[thek1ngtalks]

Meeting...

PT 1. @writerofthewinds asked and I shall answer

Jason Grace

You meet Jason Grace before he leaves Lupa's training.

You were only 6 when you had found your way to Lupa. You were being chased by monsters, scaly and sharp-toothed, when she had leapt into it's path and she single (pawedly?) handedly destroyed them into golden dust

You were taken back to her den, a little sniffly and injured, and she began training you immediately.

You weren't the only one she was training though. There was another boy with blond hair and a thin scar on his lip. He growled at you when he saw you, like he was a real wolf like Lupa

He didn't seem very nice but he was the only other person there so you still talked to him, even though he'd only respond in snarls.

You'd fight together and against each other often and it quickly became obvious just how stronger he was. You couldn't beat him in a fight but you two at least worked damn well together

You had asked Lupa once how old he was only to find out that he was a few months older than you, which felt like a stab to the gut. How dare he be older than you on top of being stronger

You only worked harder to stand on the same level as him, which seemed to please Lupa

Eventually, though you're not sure when, he had stopped snarling at you when you talked to him. You were succeeding in domesticating him! Now he was actually talking in broken sentences, though it was mostly to Lupa, occasionally he would respond to you

Of course he had started training under Lupa far earlier than you and one day she had taken him with her on a hunt and came back without him. You weren't allowed to ask where he went, she'd only reveal it when you passed your own training.

For the next year you had trained until finally gotten as far as Lupa could take you and she guided you toward Camp Jupiter.

You're greeted to Jason Grace, the Praetor instead of Jason, the feral kid. He is still quiet but there is no sharp snaggle-toothed snarling, though his stare is still as deep and menacing as a wolf's. He's,,, different.

You're unsure how you feel about that until you watch him for the first time standing as an imposing figure watching over the Field of Mars, lips pressed tightly together. He is the perfect praetor and you hate it.

You manage to meet him face-to-face after a good two weeks. He was alone for once, which meant this was a your only chance unless you wanted to wait another century for this miracle.

He had recognized you immediately and then there was a hint of the same kid who was more wolf than boy. His tense shoulders roll back and he stand in a more familiar stance, one much looser and relaxed.

His jaw loosens and you greet him first, following Lupa's way of greeting. A ducked head, pressing nose to cheek before half-stepping back. Jason follows like second nature even though your centurion told you that no one used that greeting anymore.

You spend an hour talking the same way you used to, where you did all the work and Jason responded in huffs, growls, one worded replies. It was familiar to you even after so much time.

You continue to chase after him even though he's so busy.

Actually, the reason you keep bothering him is because he's so busy. He is so young, he is barely older than you, and you know you couldn't do half of what he has to so you do the only thing you can.

You're there for him.

For a kid whose entire life has been abandonment, change, danger, you offer yourself a pillar of stability. If a rope snaps on a suspension bridge the whole thing falls down so you took up the job of fixing the ropes, protecting the bridge.

You both quickly developed an almost codependency on one another but admittedly, you're both stronger together than apart.

And years later, when you're both 18, Jason goes missing. One day he's there and the next it's like he disappeared.

You make quick work and pick up his slack. After so long of shadowing him you've almost subconsciously learnt the job of a praetor, so even though you lack the credentials you've assisted Reyna through it all.

More than once you've acted as each other's crutch, a large part of both of you missing— trying to forcibly mend the gap with meetings and paper work. It doesn't work well but you both manage to last, albeit haphazardly.

And when a boy with windswept hair and sea green eyes comes into the picture, things look up. You start learning to be independent, to be a leader, and then a giant war ship arrives. You see Jason, his new friends, and his girlfriend Piper, a lovely girl you're sure but it all feels like a betrayal. When he looks at you, it is with the same Praetor Jason Grace stare. There is no snaggle tooth, not even a nod.

And then he's off again with a fiery exit and you and Reyna are left to pick up the pieces again. You're both working to stop Octavian from pulling any cheep tricks when Reyna has to break the ancient law to chase after Jason and now it's just you.

You work hard against Octavian but there's not much you can stop without being a Praetor yourself. When he dies though, you do feel a little better.

After the war cools down and everyone starts licking their wounds, Jason is the one to go and find you. He talks low and smooth, asks why he can't seem to get you out of his mind, asks what you meant to him. When you tell him you were best friends, he shakes his head and says there has to be something more.

He tells you his plans to leave Camp Jupiter and how Piper broke up with him. You can't help being mad at him for abandoning you again but you're proud too because this, this is the Jason you had met all those years ago, feral and unashamed.

After a month of working to bring his memory back he kisses you, cradling your face between two scarred hands, and you wonder if this was something the old Jason would've done. You stop wondering when his eyes meet yours and you know, maybe this has always been inevitable for you two.

When you meet his friends as partners the only thing they do is get on his case about taking too long. Piper, who you've since learned is a bad bitch, whole heartedly approves and things are looking bright.

And happily ever after, no other books after that. It ends there. Shoo Apollo, go away.

{《☆》}

[This is,,, longer than Percy's and Nico's combined idek how brainrot maybe]

[Anyways hint for what I'm working on next because I can't keep my mouth shut: ✨️ soulmates ✨️, do with that what you will (aka what i mentioned last time i just never got started on it ngl)]

[L0v3, k1ng]

[prettyhobii]

LITTLE LOVE CH-5

Prev

Ayana felt her heart pulsate in her throat as she locked eyes with a now fully transformed wolf hybrid, both Jimin and Jungkook sat back in shock as they watched their alpha stalk his way up towards her.

"Hyung! Just stop," Jimin grabbed onto the black fur on his spine, only to be met with a low growl, which echoed its way over to Ayana. "She's nice. She's the one that helped us!"

Namjoon shook his head in frustration, keeping his slow pace, the girls sickly sweet scent overwhelming him. The same scent that infested itself upon his two mates. HIS mates, and he was damn well not sharing them.

Namjoon knew the cruelty of humans, he knew how they were and how they treat hybrids. He was at the brunt of that treatment for seventeen years. There was no good human.

Jimin and Jungkook were just in trouble, this girl had them captive and she manipulated them into thinking they're safe.

The government argues hybrids are the monsters, especially hybrids like Namjoon. A predator.

Namjoon hated humans. And this girl was no exception.

"Hyung please don't do this!" Jungkook yelled out, rushing over to the stalking wolf, moving infront of him, shielding a frozen Ayana who stood there confusion and concern carved onto her face.

"Who's this?" She asked, her voice low and shaky, "Jimin?" She looked over at him, who quickly pulled himself back to reality, rushing forward to usher her inside.

"Just let us deal with it," He muttered, "he's harmless he just."

"Looks like he's going to kill me."

Jimin nodded, "I'll try calm him down, and I'll."

"I'm gonna call Seokjin," Ayana mumbled, rummaging in her pocket to take out her phone.

Panicked Jimin snatched it out of her hands, "please don't. I'll deal with it." He bowed his head, stuffing the phone into his pocket. "I can't risk you or him calling hybrid control on him."

"But," she stuttered, heavily taken aback. "I wouldn't do that, I told you I wouldn't I just-"

"I know, but I can't risk it." He frowned, "I'm sorry."

"Jimin!" Jungkook yelled before he was thrown to the floor by a furious Namjoon.

"I tried to stop him, he just."

Ayana backed away slowly, not taking her eyes off the wolf.

His growl echoed off the walls, making the girls hands shake with nerves.

"I'm not going to hurt any of you," she whispered to the wolf, staring into his beady eyes which narrowed at every word she spoke. "I know you're sacred. But I'm not ever going to hurt you," she kept her voice soft but trembling. "Just don't hurt me."

"Hyung really, she's okay." Jungkook mumbled, walking over to his side, switching the wolf hybrids focus for a split second before he locked his gaze back on Ayana. "She did this," he showed the alpha his arm which was littered with pink and blue bandaids, "she put these on so my cuts don't hurt anymore Hyung."

"And she made us warm food, and gave us a bed," Jimin spoke quietly, "Hyung she really didn't do anything wrong."

"You all can leave, I won't keep you here," her shaking voice echoed around Namjoon's mind. "I can give you guys some food for your journey and you can-" Ayana was interrupted by another growl.

Namjoon had no idea what this girl was doing to him. He felt like he was being put into some sort of psychological trance.

He looked back at Jimin who was anxiously pulling at the sleeves of his jumper.

A jumper he didn't recognise. One that was covered in that girls scent.

He hated it.

He turned his attention over to Jungkook, his youngest mate and watched in a fit rage of jealously as he looked at Ayana with his big brown eyes.

Namjoon could smell his fear, and for once in his life he couldn't read Jungkook.

Normally the boy was so easy to read, but now he didn't know what he was thinking.

It's obvious the boys aren't scared of this girl; his eyes darted back towards Ayana, who he had backed up against a wall.

She hadn't hurt them yet, that was clear by Jimin and Jungkook's new attire and bandaged up bodies.

But she will.

Namjoon knew what humans were capable of. They were cruel, haunting entities that preyed on hybrids. Used them as entertainment or experiments.

Namjoon could see straight through her. She was going to gain his packs trust and keep them as pets.

Make them do horrible things, things he warned them about before.

This is all an act.

Namjoon's eyes narrowed towards Ayana before he slowly turned and exited out the back door.

"Hyung?" Jimin called out, peeking his head out of the door. "Ayana stay here," Namjoon heard him mutter.

"Hyung;" Jungkook sighed, "she's okay-"

"You'll never learn," Namjoon sighed, throwing his shirt over his head, eyes rolling in frustration. "It's all an act Kook," he huffed, "she's going to hurt you. And I won't let that happen," he put a hand on Junkook's head. "I'll kill her before she lays a single finger on you or Jimin."

"Joonie she won't hurt us, I know she won't."

"You've known her a day Jimin," Namjoon snapped, standing up onto his feet as he paced around anxiously. "You can't trust her," Namjoon felt betrayed as he stared at his two mates.

He didn't want to be selfish, he never considered himself to be a selfish person, but he couldn't help himself. They were his mates, and he didn’t appreciate someone else swanning in to take them from him.

"I'll give you a choice."

"Joon we're safe here, Seokjin and Ayana said we can stay as long as we want!"

Namjoon simply ignored the younger boy and continued on with his ultimatum.

"You both can stay here and suffer at their hands. They're human, deep down you know what they're like. You know what they actually want." He couldn't help himself but throw more insults out about Ayana. Jealously flowing through his bloodstream. "You can stay with that," he struggled to find the words, stuttering with upset at the idea of his mates leaving him behind. "That thing, or you can come home with me. I'm your home." He mumbled, "not her. Me."

Jimin's eyes softened as he looked up at the man he admired the most. "Hyung, you are our home, but if you just hear me out."

"No. Jimin you need to make a choice, it's me or her."

"It'll always be you." Jimin sighed, "you know it'll always be you." He grabbed ahold of Namjoon's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he gave him a small smile. "If you want to leave, I'll go with you."

"But Jimin," Jungkook whispered, "we can't just leave."

"Yes we can," Namjoon glared, "you owe her nothing." He spat out angrily, "you'll never owe her anything."

"But they helped us when we were hurt, they got rid of the men who attacked us."

"Kook it's all a plan, it's all apart of her sick plan to lure you in so she can do whatever she wants to you. Humans are evil," he grabbed Jungkook's hand. "That's how they took me remember?"

Jungkook nodded, his heart thumping with guilt as he watched his two older pack mates get ready to leave.

"I found a new place for us to stay. It's close to. Resturant so we can grab whatever they throw out at the end of the day." Namjoon smiled, "come on." He transformed back into his Wolf form, before trotting further into the garden.

He was soon followed by Jimin, who had a nervous Jungkook hastily behind him.

After around thirty minutes, Ayana the worry in her stomach bubbled up too high. She couldn't take standing here not knowing of Jimin and Jungkook were okay.

She slowly made her way outside, being careful not to scare the hybrids, with her sudden appearance.

But they weren't there.

"Jimin?" She called out, looking out for the small boy, "are you okay?"

The garden was quiet, the occasional chirping off the magpie which guarded her apple tree.

"Jungkook?" She asked after no response from Jimin.

Her anxiety got even worse as she received no response from Jungkook.

Her attention was quickly diverted into a small sparkling object in the grass. She rushed over to the mysterious object, only to find her phone laid facedown on the ground.

Ayana felt her eyes water as she realised the two hybrids were gone.

She knew this day would come, legally she had no right to keep them here, although a big part of her wanted them to stay.

She felt a little bit more whole having the company. Someone to look after, to take care of. It felt good for her and Seokjin to have someone rely on them.

Maybe she was selfish for wanting that, instead of wanting them to be free.

Her heart felt divided.

With shaking hands, she clicked on Seokjin's contact information and hit the call button.

Like always, he answered after three rings.

"Jinnie," her voice cracked as she swallowed back a small cry. "Can you come home please."

"Are you okay darling?" He asked, his tone full of concern.

"Jimin and Jungkook are gone," she mumbled into the phone, anxiously tugging on a long strand of her hair. "They didn't say anything, their friend came and I think he got angry at me, so Jimin took my phone and I couldn't call you," she rambled, her hands shaking with both adrenaline and anxiety. "And then I went to go check that they're okay and they're gone."

"A friend?"

"I don't know," she panicked, "but he didn't like me very much."

Seokjin's heart broke hearing his fiancé's choked up voice, sniffling back tears at the other end of the line.

Seokjin could hold grudges, especially to those who hurt the people he loves most.

But for some reason he felt it hard to find any bad feelings towards the two little hybrids they helped. He still felt that sense of longing; and now a lingering hope that they'd return and join their little family.

But until then, he had to comfort his fiancé. And he had no problem doing that.

"Okay, I'm coming home."

[zephyrrr101]

OMG OMG OMG!!! HOTD SEASON 2 EPISODE 1: BLOOD AND CHEESE!!!

Okayyyyyy! Boy! I just saw it and I have so much to rant and talk about!!!

But before we go into it, for those who hasn't seen it yet,

this is a spoiler! Below the cut

So don't venture if you don't want to loose your fun.

The first and foremost thing we see is Wolf Woods and Winterfell. And man! Did I not feel nostalgic!

Cregan Stark is carrying a sword through out the journey to top of the wall, probably Ice.

I really like the way they have changed Jace here. The hairstyle, the words, the way of talking to a Lord. This Jace is what I connect to, the one we know about in books.

Emma D'Arcy! You woman! I love you! I love you so so so much. Rhaenyra doesn't has more but one dialogue in the whole episode but through out it all I can see her speak. Every scene made me cry. Rhaenyra stands at the edge of castle, looking to anything she could, I would say to even hold a false hope of Luke being alive. Her desperate climb through the stones when she hears fishermen yell about the Dragon wing (Arrax's), her clutching Luke's clothes, looking at last memories that she has of his. It's lovely.

We finally also see Mysaria. Her interaction with Daemon is brilliant. She is shown as who she is. A woman who works for gold. I have no disappointment here.

Larys, you foxxy bastard, look at you trying to put Otto out of his position. Filling both Aegon and Alicent's ears with poison against him.

Aemond, struts into the council room, you cunty little bastard. I loved Ewan every moment of him. That is exactly how I expect Aemond to be.

Aegon. Loved it too. We see him in more than just a sorry ass drunk. Fine-fucking-ly. I like how he takes control of the throne room the second time Otto tries to tell him what to do. I'm really ready to see Otto get kicked out of his position. But boy. You sweet not to sweet anymore summer child, what are you doing. You can't call your unhinged brother loyal as a dog when he's planning war behind your back, something even your granddad is pointing at.

ALICOLE!!! Woohoo you people! Yes they are fucking! They are fucking right the moment when Blood and Cheese come and kill Jaehaeyrs.

While speaking on the matter, (Please don't attack me, this is only my analysis of show and somethings I compare from the book). Blood and cheese is disappointing. To me atleast. Child murder, of course it's not right, very, very, very bad. But I rather like the book part. We have no Maelor up until this stage in the show so it's basically making Helaena choose between her twins which, I'm sorry, looks stupid. The whole point of it was making a choice between two sons. The Greens basic usurpation is based on the fact that Rhaenyra is a woman. So why the hell would Helaena be forced to chose between her daughter and son. It would have been obvious that she would have chosen Jaehaera to be dead over Jaehaeyrs. She is not an idiot. We know.

And if we talk about the show sow why she did it? My reason, perhaps she doesn't wants her son to see or face what is coming. Or maybe she had seen what he doesn't wants it.

Helaena at the start in the first scene when Aegon comes looking for Jaehaeyrs tells him "What if he doesn't want it?" It feels like a call back to times when Aegon didn't want it. But still, she knows a woman's life is much worse in Westeros specially in time of war, so why save a girl who would lead a bad life instead of the son who actually had a chance to get out of that. Is it a call back to Viserys choosing Rhaenyra over Aegon? Wouldn't know until next scenes.

Rhaena. We see her on the council table and while they are burning Luke's and Arrax's remains. I wanted to cry just seeing her. She looks so distraught.

Daemon wearing his MURDER CLOAKKKKKK!!!

YAYAYAYAYAY!!!

I love how he paid that Gold Cloak to do his bidding and how that man went "Commander" and "Fuck the Hightowers". We see the loyalty of the Gold Cloaks to Daemon that we know from books and the first season. Loved every moment of that.

Well, that's what I think about it.

[sunnyie-eve]

30 | Confident

Series: Indispensable | Teen Wolf

Paring: (Stiles Stilinski x OFC Martin)

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: None

| MASTERLIST |

~~~

"Where's Julia?" Scott asks Stiles as he pulls up with Kira at the station.

"She's helping set up Danny's party with him and the twins." Stiles rolls his eyes getting the keycards ready for him.

"That's a first she's not with you. It's crazy how she's with them." Scott laughs knowing it was bugging him at the moment since it was obvious.

"Can we not? Now, listen." He gives Scott the run down on the keycards.

While Stiles waits for the two inside he still wonders why Julia decided to help the twins. Yeah, she had no plans but still. What if he and Scott needed her and it was serious?

Meanwhile with Julia and the twins, Aiden wouldn't leave her side bugging her about how to win over Lydia, "Will you please give me space dude?" She whines as the loft started filling up with party goers.

"But I could use advice from you."

"I already gave you advice Aiden. Show you care about others, help others. If you want Lydia and in the pack... show you changed and mean it. Don't fake it." She gets a little face paint done.

"What if..."

"Aidan!" She glares at him.

"Fine, I'll give you space till Lydia shows up." He walks away from her and she gets the sense someone was watching her so she look over to the dark corner to see no one.

When Aiden goes back to find Julia a little bit later, he sees her drinking in a corner alone dancing, "I didn't invite you to party..." He crosses his arms as she spins around making her neon green mini skirt twirl.

"No, but Danny did." She smiles taking a sip of her beer.

"Are you a light weight?" He laughs at her.

"A bit yeah. I wish I was a werewolf so I couldn't get drunk." She sees Lydia walk in, "She's here by the way." She nods her head over at her.

"Not yet. I don't want to seem desperate."

Julia can't help but laugh, "But you are." She walks off to join the crowd of people to party.

At the moment, Isaac and Allison show up and he tells her Derek can never know. She looks at him then at the party with wide eyes, "And if he does?"

"We're all screwed."

Allison scans over the crowd and sees Julia dancing with a guy who was all over her, "I think Julia is drinking a bit too much." She points her out so Isaac could see her.

"Oh hell." He rushes over into the crowd to get Julia away from the guy, "Hey, Julia." He naps in her shoulder.

"Hey, Isaac." She smiles still dancing.

"Excuse me, I just need to borrow her." He grabs her arm making the guy pissed off.

"Dude, we're having fun here."

"Well, I don't care. Now, Julia." Isaac pulls her away cause her to complain that she just wants to have fun, "You can but not with him."

"Why not?"

"Why not? Julia, I'm trying to save you from doing something stupid with him. What if you get too drunk and sleep with him. You told me you have to earn it." He holds her by the shoulders so she would listen to him.

"It doesn't matter anymore since I already slept with Stiles. So I don't care if I hookup with other guys now like Lydia used to." She explains to him not meaning to slip up.

"When the hell did that happen?" He shouts surprised.

"Last night." She says then walks off as Allison joins Isaac.

"Everything good now?"

"I have no idea honestly." He shakes his head just standing with Allison while they watch Julia party with guys.

When Scott, Stiles and Kira show up, Stiles talks about a new key he has that he had no clue where it came from. As Scott asks if he wants to leave to figure it out, Stiles spots Julia with the group of boys.

Scott looks at where he was looking and chuckles a bit, "Aww she's growing up."

"Not on my watch." Stiles rushes over to her causing Scott to laugh at his best friend.

"Stiles!" She gets a big grin on her face seeing him, "Excuse me, boys. My boy is here." She leaves to go to his side, "Wanna dance with me?" She holds his hand.

"How much have you drank?" He asks as she moves to the music.

"Not much but I am a light weight." She laughs, "Now, dance with me or I'll go back to the group of good looking guys." She smirks walking backwards.

"Let's dance!" He shouts so she grabs his hand again dragging him to the middle of the dance floor. "You know, I've been through your closet so where the hell did you get this outfit?" Stiles eyes her.

Her mini skirt was so short that the bottom of her cheeks were peaking out and her top was basically a bikini top with dangly beads.

"Because it was in my dresser, dummy. Do you like it?" She spins around for him.

"It works for you." He tries not to stare at her too much.

"Should I have wore my light blue instead?" She says knowing that's blue was his favorite color.

"You know what, yeah. I would have liked it more."

As the two continue to dance Aiden tries talking to Lydia but she was still not giving in to him pissing him off. Walking off from him she looks out at the crowd to see Allison and Isaac together then Julia and Stiles.

"Just get together." She groans watching her sister.

"Wanna get a drink?" Julia asks Stiles to they walk off to go sit and drink. "Bottle opener, please." She puts her hand out for his keychain so he gets it for her. "Stiles, why would one of your keys have phosphors on it?" She shows him.

"Huh... So when did you become more outgoing with boys?" He changes the topic.

She giggles looking at him, "Alcohol makes me more confident."

"Oh, I've noticed that."

"How so? Besides from the boys?" She raises an eyebrow with a slight grin.

"Your body language speaks loudly." He eyes her lips.

"And your eyes speak loudly as well, Stiles." She makes him look up at her, "How good I look tonight, how you want to kiss me again." She leans closer to him.

"Fuck it." He closes the gap between them kissing her before pulling back, "Exactly how drunk are you, first?" He wanted to make sure.

"I would say I have a buzz so I know what I've been doing, what I've said, and I'll remember it all the next day." She explains so her places his lips back on hers again.

As the kiss gets a bit intense he pulls back again, "Sorry, I am but what are phosphorus?" He asks curious.

"Oh, They're any substance that luminesces. It's in our teeth, fingernails, laundry detergent, and also in this." She wipes the paint that was smeared on his face. "It reacts to the UV light, that's why it glows."

"How did I get phosphorus on my key?" He asks so she thinks looking at his keys.

"This one is new."

"Yeah, I just saw it this morning. I have no clue where it came from or goes to." He huffs.

"You could have got chemicals in it from school." She states so they just look at each other thinking the same thing, "It couldn't be right?"

"One way to find out. You stay here while I go to the school. I'll update tomorrow, I promise." He gets up rushing off to come back with a bottle of water, "No more drinking incase you accidentally do something you will regret." He gives her a quick kiss before rushing off again.

"Hey, Aiden! Have you seen Lydia?" Julia walks over to him as he looks around.

"Not for a while, no. Have you seen Ethan? Danny and I don't know where he is."

"I haven't seen him in like an hour." She thinks back as they look around for the two of them. They find Lisa outside on the ground shaking, "Lydia!" Julia gets down by her, "She freezing. Get her inside, please." She tells the guys so Aiden carries her in taking her by the heating vent.

Aiden holds her close to his chest with his arms wrapped around her to help give her warmth, "They came out of the dark." She tells them.

"Who did Lydia?" Julia rubs her hands on her to help warm her up. "Aiden, I had a feeling someone was watching me in the dark corner earlier."

"I couldn't find one !" Danny comes over as Derek shows up making everyone leave just for the guys in black come out.

"Get her out of here. Julia go with your sister." Aiden tells her.

"No, wait. I want to know what's going on first. Go Danny. I'll see you at home Lydia."

"Be careful, Julia. Aiden, please." Lydia tells them as she leaves with Danny just for the guys in masks turn to Aiden and Julia.

"Guys, they're all looking me and Julia." Aiden says stepping a little closer to Julia as they take a step closer to them.

"Why are they all looking at us?" Aiden asks everyone again and no one answers as they step forward to the two again.

"Guys?" Julia says this time.

Scott and Derek try to intercede. Derek even breaks one's neck but it recovers and both are beaten back. Isaac steps up to help but the warrior he faces pulls a sword from inside his body and spins it around like a pro making Isaac backs off.

The warriors make it to the two and two of them hold Aiden still while one walks up to Julia, "Don't touch her!" Aiden tries to get free while one brands Julia, "Julia!" Aiden shouts as she falls to the ground then the same happens to him.

Derek jogs over to Julia holding her in his arms rubbing her shoulders to warm her up while Ethan helps his brother.

"What the hell were those things?" Scott asks so Isaac looks at Allison.

"Your dad's 24 hours are up." He tells her going over to help Derek with Julia, "Derek, don't have a jacket to warm her up?"

"Yeah, let me get it." He passes Julia to Isaac to hold.

Isaac tries he's best to give Julia warmth while Derek gets a jacket for her to put on. Once they help her put it on Derek takes her an again to warm her up. When she's was warmed up a bit, Aiden said he would give her a ride home and Ethan would accompany them:

Dropping her off at home she thanks Aiden, "I'll be sure to let Lydia know that you did good." She hands him his helmet.

"You don't have to, Julia. She'll never forgive me."

"She'll start to when she knows you cared about me with those guys. Plus you gave me a ride home." She tells him, "Believe me you two, you're working your way up on being trusted by everyone." She tells both of them.

Inside she goes by Lydia's room to check on her, "Are you okay?" Lydia gets out of her bed.

"Yeah, I got branded as well. But Aiden did his best and was worried about me. He gave me a ride home."

"I'll be sure to thank him next time I see him." Lydia hugs her, "Now how come you got a jacket." She laughs.

"Derek got it for me since Isaac told him too."

"Damn, you really had everyone helping you while I just got three people. You, Aiden and Danny." Lydia playfully shoves Julia.

"I had three people too. Aiden, Derek and Isaac." Julia walks towards the door to go to her room to get some rest.

[hannibalzero]

Disabled Arthur Morgan au.

Charthur 🦬🦌

Tw: mpreg, talks about grief. Caretaking

Cool shit: disabled. Mobility tools/accommodations.

Wipppppp

Leaving Colter in those goddamned frost-bitten mountains, the Van der Linde gang looked worse for wear. The caravan was forced to change direction to the west instead of the east that Dutch had originally planned, thanks to a gang of O’Driscoll making camp in an old logging camp.

Taking on the O’Driscoll camp? Without Arthur Morgan? It would have ended in a bloodbath. The gang had already lost so many people, the Calendar boys, Jenny, Arthur…it was best to keep away and take another path.

Hosea slumped into Silver Dollars saddle, he didn’t speak much anymore, not like anyone asked.

Dutch Van der Linde paid little to no attention to Hosea’s input anymore.

Cold to his old bones, the wet freezing clothes stuck to his skin as he rode behind John and Abigail's wagon. The slush fell from the sky just to make a miserable journey unbearable.

The yips and growls of a pack of starving coyotes were following the gang. drawn to the smell of blood from Hosea’s youngest son’s wounds.

just as hungry as the Van Der Linde gang was.

Hosea pulled his scarf around his neck tighter, burying his nose in the thick wool.

First, it was that stagecoach job up near the town of Strawberry that Micha went on with Arthur. It should have been a straightforward job, one Arthur had done many times before. knocking over a stagecoach.

Hosea didn’t worry, he had slipped a chocolate bar and a ginseng elixir into Arthur’s bag and told him to get some money ruffling his hair.

Micha came back a week later with two saddle bags full of money, loudly bragging about how much money he had gotten away with.

At first Hosea didn’t worry. Arthur had a habit of galavanting around the country. His eldest son had a love for exploring and nature. admiring flowers, animals and little treasures that were worthless but impressive nonetheless.

time went by like it should, a month had passed. Micha claimed to Hosea that the cow-poke would come home eventually but…

Hosea had sent John, Javiar, and even Bill after his son…

but everyone came up empty handed.

This wasn't like Arthur, just leaving like this. Hosea started to worry, it wasn't like it was when John had up and left, being scared of being a husband along with being a father.

Hosea at least didn’t mourn for his youngest son. He knew John was alive and well if not scared out of his mind.

Shaking his head, trying to clear his poor taxed mind. Hosea looked to the wagon in front of him, John was bundled up in the bed of the wagon like a squirrel in a nest. face stitched up but healing, John was lucky surviving the wolf attack, Javier getting to his youngest son in the nick of time.

he coughed into his hand gripping Silver dollars reigns in his other hand.

Secondly, Dutch and Micha got a bee in their bonnet about that god damned riverboat, an obvious lure for robbers. ignoring Hosea’s profitable real estate scam he got cooking for cheap fast blood money.

Causing the gang to flee Blackwater and leave behind the money they so desperately needed.

What Hosea lost his eldest son over…

Micha riding proud on the back of poor tired baylock, rode up to the party. “This way! Just down this trail leads into West Elisabeth.” He called out in that annoying swagger that grated on Hosea’s poor nerves. “About to be out of the damn snow!” He cackled but not earning a sound for the gang.

“Very good son! Can feel that sunshine already.” Dutch praised Micha.

Hosea snap his head up and found his voice. “Dutch Van der Linde, he ain’t no son of mine.” His voice boomed startling the poor gang, all heads swishing back to one furious Hosea Matthew’s.

Dutch was stunned into silence for a moment, having to swallow and laugh. “Easy old girl, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just a slip of the tongue.” He held his hands up trying to sooth the older man, that damn cigar still in hand.

“Our sons, our sons Dutch.” Hosea’s hands gripped the leather reigns as his hands shook with rage. “Both abandoned by this-“

”hey old man! Don’t be blaming this on me!” Micha growled while moving Baylock behind The count. Hiding behind Dutch like a spoiled child needing a good spanking.

coward.

“Hosea, Old girl. Calm down now-“ Dutch added.

Hosea turned Silver dollar, to the left now with a sharp pull. “Abigail, y’all come with me. I ain’t leavin my son with these people.” He shot the young women a look who nodded. “Anyone else? Come on!” He ordered heading down another trail, leaving the gang finally.

Rage turned into tears, Hosea wiped at his eyes as he rode. Not bothering to look back now.

Dutch has what he wanted.

Loyal mindless knights for his round table.

Hosea just wanted his sons.

“Hosea-“ Abigail called out.

Giving a nod of his head showing he heard her. “Yes, my dear?” He called out not looking back. He didn’t want to show the young women how deeply he was hurting.

“Where we goin?” She asked softly, not wanting to push that man on what just happened.

“Home.” Hosea replied, keeping his head forward.

The sun slowly disappeared the farther down the trail they rode. the cold hard ground warming away into tall lush green grass.

hardly passed lunchtime judging by the sun. when they rode into the green lush valley. a nice spring-like breeze in the green valley, full of purple sage flowers blowing in the breeze. Deer, elk, all sorts of wildlife.

Hosea watched a rabbit run by as he started to notice little groups of plants in the tall grass of growing, ginseng, lilly root flowers and big berry bushes. Raspberries, blackberries, even blueberries too.

This was a nice area, surprised there weren't folks living in the area?

If memory served this area was pure wild, hidden in the shadows of the mountains.

Hosea could remember riding with Bessie all those years ago, talking about settling in an area like this. Possible children and the dreams of a young married couple. Bessie teasing Hosea about making her a collar with something pretty on it. A covered wagon with two big oxen and starting a fresh new life together…

Life simply changed into another season like it dose, times got hard. Money got tight, Bessie fell ill. Hosea needed quick money and Dutch had come to help him.

Just one last job….

Hosea sighed, shaking his head, what was it about long rides that brought back painful memories? Hosea was blaming those purple sage flowers swaying in the wind. The same one Bessia had favored.

Looking ahead now, Hosea spotted a person with a horse just near the little stream. A fawn and white mustang mare, following a man to a berry bush. Nipping at the man’s poor hat, making the man laugh and reaching out with his right hand to stop her, petting the mare’s face lovingly.

A familiar laugh. Like a ghost of the past seemed to rattle poor Hosea to his core, slipping off of Silver Dollar.

Making the horse neigh in annoyance.

“Hosea!” Javiar called out in shock, getting tangled in his own saddle in the hurry to get to the old man.

Boots hardly touched the ground as the old man bolted to the stranger, wheezing and coughing in his hurry but not stopping until he got to the man in that ratty old gambler's hat.

“Ar-Arthur!!” Hosea bellowed like a war cry, falling into the man's arms.

The man caught Hosea, one arm around his chest to support the wheezing man. The other arm was around Hosea but there was a lesser grip, like it was weaker.

Head at the man’s shoulder, Hosea took the person in. He was in a deep green poncho with a pattern of triangles , hiding a large beer belly and full chest. A layer of healthy fat now but no doubt the man was strong.

There was a mating collar around his neck, a sign that someone was joined body and soul to someone special. deeper than marriage, a soul bond almost. common in fairytales more than real life but sometimes folks still bounded like this.

fine dark brown leather with three glittering stones clustered together in the middle. In the center of the cluster was an opal: the size of Hosea’s thumb. The start of something new, beloved.

Moonstone was on the left of the cluster.: new beginning, supports new mothers during child rearing. Acceptance.

A deep purple azurite was on the right.: protection, awareness and understanding.

The three stones were protected by a pair of shining panther teeth and backed with gold.

Hosea prayed that this stranger was Arthur, someone found his beloved son. who loved his son so much, that person had kept him, spoiled him in ways that Hosea never could.

holding his breath, gathering his courage. Hosea looked up into the face of his beloved son. Arthur Morgan, smiling down at Hosea holding him, looked like he was about to cry himself.

Arthur almost looked younger, happier. Same crooked noses and cocky smile but a lot of those worry lines that plauged Arthur so had mostly faded away. His hair was long, curling at the ends under his hand, face clean shaven too.

“My word boy! been gone almost two years!” Hosea chided hands gasping Arthur’s shirt tightly. “speak ta me will ya Son!?” he demanded.

Arthur nodded but in a weak voice. “Howdy pa, it’s been ta long.” His voice was damaged but healing, at least Arthur could speak now. Feeling his bad knee starting to hurt now, Arthur moved them to the patchwork quilt he had laid out.

“Sorry, I get tired easily now..” he apologized to Hosea, moving oddly as if he couldn’t get onto the ground so easily anymore. His movement was stiff but practiced like he had to re-learn his movement.

“Hosea?!” Abigail with John, Jack and Javiar hurrying over together.

“Easy boy, what the hell happened to ya?” Hosea helped Arthur sit down on the quilt. He looked up at Abigail and waved her over. “right here my dear, just…found something I lost.”

Marching through the tall grass, holding her skirts as best she could. Abigail approached with her little pack behind hers.

She was the alpha wolf after all.

“What could you have los-“ Abigail’s words died in her mouth, a hand covered his mouth and tears started to prick at her eyes. “Arthur? That you?” she held her hands close to her chest.

“Brother! We thought you died.” Javiar fumbled out, pushing up his hat to look the outlaw over.

John hardly raised his head, feeling stronger knowing his brother was there. “What happened Arthur? two years? aint like you to up and leave without a reason.” He wheezed out.

“Yeah it’s me.” Arthur greeted his voice, surprising the group. Softer and weaker, still manly like it always had been but much different. “should ask you the same thing Marston.” Arthur reached up with his left hand to push his hair back, it was odd his fingers didn’t move but there was a tight metal bracelet cuff with a u like hook on it.

Hosea felt his worry grow, what had happened to his strong son?

Jack, ignoring the adults like usual, running to his favorite Uncle gripping the man in a tight hug. Giving Arthur a kiss, blinking when he couldn’t hug like they used too.

Jack couldn’t get as close as he wanted. Jack always loved Uncle Arthur’s big arms and soft chest.

almost as safe as mama’s arms.

Something was in the way?

“Uncle Arthur, why do you have a belly like uncle?” Jack asked in confusion, feeling the man’s large belly feeling the movement in awe.

Arthur looked to the worried faces of his family, giving a look that said he would explain later. But for Jack, he looked down at the boy and nodded with a smile. “My husband. Give me some fruit to eat. Ate a seed.”

“Husband? I didn’t expect you to go for men, brother?” Javiar teased before not understanding what Arthur’s saying was suggesting. The desperado’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “What seed could have done this?” He gestured to Arthur’s swollen state.

Hosea wheezed into the crook of his arm, the shock making his lungs contract. “Y-you married? You have a baby coming?!” He got out through coughs. “Two years! I thought I lost you, boy! Why didn’t you come back?!” He demanded, tears pricking at his eyes.

Javiar looked more confused, not by the fact that Arthur was pregnant. more of the strange saying.

Looking down in his shame, Arthur fiddled with the hem of his poncho. “Was hurt, real bad. I was asleep for two weeks stright. Can’t really use my left hand no more, just recently healed enough ta talk again. Walk without a cane too. Can’t ride in a saddle to long anymore. I got about a hour in ta saddle before I start hurtin’.

Arthur worrying the fabric in his hands more. “Charles is’a saint of a man. findin’ me ina ditch near Strawberry. patchin’ me up…took care of me. hell had ta tie me ta the damn bed to keep me from hurttin’ myself by mounting up.” Arthur laughed softly, still such a nervous man, even after all this time.

“I wanted to send a letter but the mailman wouldn't allow Charles in ta help me. it was about two months inta my healing and I couldn’t speak.”

taking a breath, Arthur looked up to Hosea.the same way he would look at Hosea when he was a boy. “I ain’t run off…I’mma so sorry Pa.” he said quietly. “But I can’t, do what needs ta be done. can’t pull a gun, can’t chop wood, can hardly ride a damn horses.” He rubbed his eyes trying not to cry.

“Dutch would probably put’me down like a horse witha broken leg.”

Hosea pulled Arthur close to him in a tight hug. “easy, ya are my son. hell I would have shot Dutch myself before he even thought of putting a hand on ya..” he swore to Arthur. “just like I would do for John.” he pointed out,

Arthur hugged his Pa for a good while, gathering his emotions with a sigh. pulling back now and taking in the state of his family. Arthur’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“….all of yall are so thin? dirty too. was the gang doing that badly?” Arthur asked tilting his head. “I’mma bein’ rude ain’t I? Still ain’t use ta having a home ta be all welcoming like.”Arthur softly admitted while adjusting his hat once again. “why dontcha come home with me? get some food in ya and clean clothes on ya.”

with a click of Arthur’s tongue, Peaches his mare. mossied over to her owner and allowed Arthur to use her as a support to get up. Arthur’s bracelet with a ‘u’ hook on it, hooked onto a metal ring that dangled from her saddle and Arthur was up on his feet.

“I’mma so hungry I can eat a bison!” Jack squealed, smiling when Arthur picking up the boy with his strong right arm and placed him on Peaches back before he gathered up the quilt.

“a whole bison? Uncle Charles will be so impressed. he is hunting, lets hope he and Eagle flys finds something good.” Tucking the quilt into the saddle bag, Arthur with the help of his brace pulled himself up into his saddle.

“ya’ll follow me, my home ain’t ta far away.” Arthur gustred up ahead with a tilt of his head.

Abigail finally spoke. “that's mighty generous Arthur, but won’t we be to much for your homestead?” she pointed out, “with the baby coming and winter…it’ll put stress on your homestead.”

“I still can’t believe you're alive.” John admitted now sitting back in the wagon.

“I have some money, we can pay.” Javiar offered, earning annoyed looks from Hosea and Abigail. “….what? I simply kept my share.”

…..right.

“ya’ll will see, come on.” Arthur waited for Hosea to mount up.

mounted up on Silver Dollar, Hosea rode beside Arthur.

just watching his son, afraid that Arthur would disappear before his eyes. it was strange to see Arthur look so happy and at ease. reminded Hosea when Arthur was a boy learning to read with him and Dutch.

eyes taking in Arthur, Hosea couldnt help but to look at Arthur's large belly and back to his son's face.

“This Charles feller, is he good to you? didn’t force himself on ya or nothing? how far along are ya anyways? until the baby comes” Hosea couldn’t help but to worry about the type of person that married his eldest son.

now if he could get his youngest son to marry…

Arthur snorted a smile tugging at his lips and gave a small laugh.

“nah, ain’t nothin’ like that. Charles is’a good man, a kind man. better than I deserve. just kinda happened? we get along.” he promised. “sometimes I think I’mma gonna wake up in that ditch and all this is’a dream.”

Arthur looked down at his belly bashfully, “any day now? should have come last week. Been taking big spoonfuls of caster oil, ain’t done nothin’ but make ma feel sick.”

”…..and Charles let ya go out here, alone?” Hosea stiffened, shoulders back already reaching for his shotgun.

Arthur was in that delicate of a state?

“well…I kinda talk’d him into it. said baby wasn’t comin’ and Eagle flys needed his help on this hunt. promised I would stay close ta home.” ducked his head looking sheepish now. “said I would go ta the stream, pick some blackbarried and draw a little. He wants me to rest so no chorin’. I’mma about ta pull out ma hair. still ain’t used ta not working.”

Hosea sighed and shook his head, gripping his reigns he looked to his son now.

“What happened Arthur.” Hosea demanded now.

Arthur was quite for a moment, giving a pleading look to Hosea.

“Please, not now, Jack is with us. here a little later tonight I will tell ya all everything.” Arthur promised before adjusting his hat and looked back to the road.

The small party rode in the soft quite, Arthur leading away just like he had always done in the gang. suddenly everything seemed a bit better, they weren't gonna die in the snow. no wolves attacking, full bellies and no O’Driscoll attacking them.

this ride was almost pleasurable at the leisurely pace.

coming up to the goodsized ranch, the big wooden gates welcoming them. The sign read ‘Sage Stream Ranch.”

Javiar was the first one to speak.

“Ey’ I know this place!” Javiar blinked in supirse. “Hanging dog ranch, this is that big O’Driscoll camp?! no way you’re with one of them are ya, Brother?” he asked Arthur. “I came past here a few weeks ago! right up under my nose Arthur.”

Arthur shook his head no. “naw, we cleared’em out with ma snipper riffle off of a clif. well…Charles pulled the trigger I aimed the rifle. now its my home. paid the twenty dollars and now its mine. legal like” Arthur informed in his now quite voice.

Riding into the large barn, Arthur stiffened at a hard mean kick, rubbing his belly for a moment. trying to sooth the kicks of his excited baby. “easy there, not till daddy gets home.” he reminded his baby, Arthur couldn't help but to smile a bit. Hard to stay mad at his little one.

Arthur talking to his belly caught Jack’s intrest once more, the little boy looked up at his favorite uncle.

“who ya talkin’ too?” Jack asked with a tilt of his head.

“ma baby.” Arthur with a bit of effort dismounted off his horse, before reaching up with his strong arm scooped Jack off Peaches.

“can the baby hear in there?” Jack, watching his clever uncle with his left hand brace and hook, was able to unsaddle Peaches. Brush her coat and pick her hooves before allowing Peaches into her stall.

Arthur started to reply but stopped, rubbing at the scar on his chin in thought. “rightfully? I ain’t sure. I mean…the baby is in me…baby tends ta move when I speak to it.” he gave a small smile to Jack.

“I like ta think so? likes it when their daddy speaks to them too.” he ruffled Jack's hair before walking out to the wagon and started to help untack the horses.

Arthur hardly reached out for the reigns, only to ne shooed away by Hosea and Abigail while Javiar helped john.