#heart of thorns was creepy and i like it

[lordprettyflackotara]

Follow You || Chapter One || Eyeless Jack

syn:Eyeless Jack has found himself becoming more isolated over the years, distancing himself from everyone and everything. He considers himself an unforgivable monster, one that shouldn’t be a burden to anyone else. After leaving Slender’s mansion and wondering aimlessly through the woods, he stumbles upon a drunken girl in danger. After saving you, he finds himself completely infatuated with you. You’re strikingly similar to him, even attending his old college. He battles an internal debate as he falls for you, deciding whether or not to burden you by staying. While Jack fights his internal turmoil, old enemies from an all too familiar college come out to play. Will Jack be able to defeat his oldest enemy? Will he be able to overcome his self conscious fears to save you? You’d better hope so, since the cult for Chernabog is back and you seem like the perfect sacrifice.

tw: reader has common sense, mostly

a/n: not me writing a mc whose not a hopeless simp lmaoo

The sun was too mother fucking bright. 

You groaned, squinting in disgust at the suns rays beaming through the window. Your thoughts were  cloudy, your mind in a dazed state. Your vision began to settle, your heart racing as the gears in your brain began turning. You didn’t recognize your surroundings at all. With your heart thudding against your chest you sat up, alarmed as you climbed out of the bed. Panicked, you looked down at your body. Thankfully you were still fully clothed, bandages covering your sore knees. What the hell did you get yourself into? You swallowed as your bare feet hit the floor, those bandaged as well. You were surprised to realize you weren’t being physically restrained, the bed you were laying on quite neat compared to the rest of the room.

Unsurely you looked around, grabbing a nearby lamp. It looked questionable, possibly over a few decades old. You yanked the cord out of the wall, bracing yourself as you stepped towards the bedroom door. Your escape was interrupted, Jack happening to walk in at the same time. He could hear your heart racing a mile away, so naturally he came to check on you. You stared up at him in terror, your eyes darting back and forth as you stared up at the ominous black empty holes of his mask. Jack awkwardly cleared his throat, his eyebrows raising at the sight of your knuckles turning white from gripping the lamp so hard. “Hello, how are you feeling?” He asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice even. You looked absolutely bewildered and although the situation not ideal, Jack couldn’t place why. “How am I feeling? What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are you?” You hissed. 

Jack raised an eyebrow under his mask at the sight of you bouncing your weight back and forth on each foot as you stared at him defensively. You appeared to be ready to attack, although Jacks hands were shoved in his hoodie pocket. “My name is Jack. You passed out drunk in the forest last night. I brought you to my cabin to ensure you wouldn’t be devoured by local coyotes,” He answered honestly. Your face softened for a moment, your grip on the lamp loosening. Jack tilted his head to the side as he pointed at the lamp. “Would you mind putting that down? Its quite sentimental to me,” He asked. Sentimentality meant a lot to humans. In this instance it was a thorn in his side if it was broken and he needed to get another. The last thing he desired was to live off of candlelight. You slowly set down the lamp, your gaze fierce as you refused to look away from Jack. 

“Don’t you think it’s kinda creepy and off putting to live in the middle of the woods and wear that mask?” You asked bluntly.  Jack couldn’t quite understand why this was your question. You were a lot more feisty and logical sober. “Dont you find it quite unsafe to become so intoxicated you wander into forest miles away from civilization?” He quipped, matching your energy. This seemed to humble you a bit, your shoulders dropping as you crossed your arms. “You’ve never been to a Mark Wilder party I assume. Everyone gets trashed. I followed some guy into the woods, I don’t remember where he went. I think I was trying to follow him or something,” You explained. While intelligent you seemed to lack ‘street smarts’. You placed your hand on your head, rubbing your temple. Your head was relentlessly pounding, your eyes squeezing shut. Jack wondered if you felt as awkward as he did.

“Would you like tylenol? I have some down in the kitchen,” Jack offered. You rubbed your eyes, overwhelmed. “Wait so i’m not like, trapped here or anything?” You questioned. Jack turned around, anticipating you to follow him. Curiously you did so, ignoring the stinging from the wounds that rubbed against the bandages. You followed him down a dusty staircase, each wooden slab creaking under your weight. You couldn’t help but let your eyes wander around, noticing the mountains of dust that coated the paintings that covered the walls. “This is your cabin?” You asked slowly. Jack could hear the disbelief and fear lacing your words. You followed closely behind Jack as he turned into the tiny kitchen. To your dismay it looked like it hadn’t been used in ages, the stove rusted and fridge humming so loud you anticipated it to explode. “Mostly. I visit often, but never stay for long,” Jack answered honestly. His explanation may have been vague, but he couldn’t violate too many of The Operators rules. 

He handed you a bottle of tylenol as well as a bottle of water. Both of which he had stolen from a nearby gas station before the sun came up. Jack had studied alcohol and its affects to the human body. While he couldn’t become intoxicated as easily, he was forced to study it due to Masky’s temporarily alcoholism. He had stolen saltine crackers (just a sleeve, not the whole box), a bottle of water, and tylenol. The cabin was just lucky enough to have faint electricity, he knew anything a fragile human girl would need would not be readily available. Hesitantly you took the bottle, satisfied to see it had been unopened. You popped two of the pain killers like candy, chugging the bottle of water. You leaned against the rusted dishwasher, opening the sleeve of crackers. “So, aren’t you going to ask me my name or anything?” You asked. You weren’t buying the whole savior act. You weren’t aware Jack wasn’t attempting to sell you any sort of act. Underneath his mask he was feeling extremely awkward, unsure how to interact with you.

With each passing second he could hear your heart beat, the blood flowing through your veins. It became hard for him to focus, the demon thrilled you decided to begin a civil conversation. “I don’t need to. Your backpack provided that for me,” Jack explained. He reached over the counter, grabbing your backpack from a dusty bar stool. Dust particles floated carelessly in the air as he held it up. Your name had been stitched onto the front pocket, courtesy of your mother. You felt heat flush to your cheeks, mumbling a thanks as you took it from him. Popping a cracker into your mouth you grabbed his wrist, stopping him from concealing his hand. Jack froze under your warm touch, your eyes curiously examining his skin. “Argryia,” He stated dryly. He silently hoped you wouldn’t recall your own theory.  Your eyes seemed to flicker at the word, a sense of recognition igniting them. “That’s absurdly unlucky. Do you know how rare that is?” You asked curiously. It was as if your interest had peeked, Jack analyzing you as you studied the color of his hand. 

“All too well unfortunately,” Jack responded. He watched you stroke your thumb over the harshness of his skin, before pulling away. “Well if it makes you feel any better I understand the whole cabin in the woods mask thing now,” You sighed, resuming your attention back to the bottle of water. Jack was mesmerized as he watched you gulp down the bottle as if you were dying of thirst. “If I may ask, how do you know what argryia is?” He asked you. It was irresponsible for him to engage in anything beyond a mild conversation with you. Slender would be far from happy if he found out. You swallowed the cracker you were nibbling on, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. “I’m a med student at Harvard. I’m gonna be a doctor some day,” You explained, taking another sip of your water. Jacks interest was peaked. You were attending the same university he did ages ago for an identical major. “Speaking of medicine, how did you bandage me up so well? If I didn’t know any better i’d think you were a doctor yourself,” You said. Jack couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat at your flattery. 

“Medicine is my pride and joy. I’ve studied it for years,” He answered. While he was answering honestly he was beating around the bush. While you seemed harmless, he knew humans were prone to gossip. Sharing stories with one another formed stronger bonds. He had no doubt this would be one you would be sharing. “Well Dr.Jack, as fun as this has been I think it’s time for me to bounce,” You say, shoving your backpack over your shoulders. Jack anxiously followed behind you as you turned towards the front door. “Do you know how to get back?” He asked unsurely. Maybe he was hovering too heavily, but he felt an odd urge to look after you. The sun may have provided some form of a safety net, but Jack knew what creatures lurked in these woods. One wrong turn and you could cross the threshold into Slender’s forest, where The Rake would have a field day with you. You dug into your backpack, taking out a cracked iphone. It was on a smooth five percent, multiple missed calls and text on your lockscreen. “I have GPS, i’ll be fine,” You assured him. 

You stepped onto the porch, the wood rotting from age. You looked over your shoulder at the demon, his eye sockets wide. “Thank you for everything Jack, i’ll see you later!” You said cheerfully, biting into another cracker before stepping down onto the forest floor. Jack tried not to hover too much, truly. He was sure you were uneasy from being in a cabin with a stranger. Even if his intentions were pure, he knew what monsters lurked in the shadows that loved to prey on a pretty face like yours. So Jack said nothing, waving goodbye as you traveled into the forest alone. Jack would’ve loved for that to have been the end of it. He would’ve thought that he would never see you again, allowing you to be on your way. That’s how it should’ve gone. 

But it didn’t.

As stealthy as he could he followed you, from a safe distance of course. You appeared to be studying your phone, the sun rays blocking out whatever was on your screen. Jack opted to use the trees above as leverage, jumping from each branch with ease. The crunching of the previously fallen leaf’s would be a dead giveaway, traveling by tall trees much safer as to not be caught. From what Jack could tell you were blissfully oblivious as you traveled, carelessly heading north. Jack sighed as he watched you. Did humans have no sense of awareness at all? Although he didn’t expect you to catch him following you, he did expect you to look around every once in a while. Instead your attention was glued to your phone, as a majority of humans were. He knew most of them spent their time focused on their cellar device but he couldn’t help but question how any humans had made it this far if this was the base level of survival skills. He silently trailed behind you, attempting to not stay on one tree branch for too long. If he did the leafs were bound to fall, exposing him.

Jack wasn’t proud of himself for following you. If anything your hesitance to trust him was proven correct based on his behavior. Although the demon inside of him was purring with satisfaction of stalking, Jack fought his primal urges internally. He knew his intentions were pure, even if the demon lurking in the depths of his being craved something more sinister. Jack was pleasantly surprised to find that you had found your way back to civilization, the Harvard campus attached to these woods. He was slightly impressed that a human of your stature had traveled miles without complaint or sign of slowing down. He managed a small smile as he watched you join the hoards of students, disappearing in the waves of students traveling every which direction. The sounds of voices, heartbeats, and pumping blood began to feel overwhelming, causing the demon to turn away. 

Slender wouldn’t be happy, he knew that. But he felt a sense of ease for the first time in a long time. He had spent his time doing something good. Something morally good. Something impactful. Meaningful even. He walked back the rest of the way, a certain weight slightly lifted off of his shoulders as he strolled. He could feel his stomach growl, the demon cracking his neck at the sound. For once his hunger wasn’t the priority, but an afterthought. He gleamed with a sense of pride as he made it back to the cabin, making sure he had locked it. Slender had multiple run down cabins littered throughout the nearby forest, just in case a creep or proxy was injured. It was meant to look run down and abandoned, so no nosy humans would investigate. Jack’s footsteps echoed throughout the hollow cabin as he checked the back door, a surprise gasp escaping his lips. He had nearly tripped over your heels, his eye sockets widening.

Shit.

Well, if Slender was pissed now he knew this would send him into a fit of rage. Jack didn’t know much about fashion but your shoes looked expensive, even if he didn’t recognize the name brand. He was going to return them to you, putting his and all the creeps' risk of exposure on the line. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but he had an odd sense of relief wash over him knowing he would see you again.

[yanderecrazysie]

ARACHNOPHOBIA (Yandere Gojo)

I'm literally so embarrassed, I posted this on the wrong account. I'm such an idiot lmao

As promised by the poll. Glossophobia coming eventually lol. All characters are adults.

Please don’t request any phobias. I just felt like making this for fun.

I’m not great at writing Gojo, so take this as is XD

Title: Arachnophobia

Pairings: Gojo Satoru x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, drider Gojo, NSFW, NON-CON, virgin reader

Phobia: The fear of spiders

“I’ll be right back, Papa.”

Your elderly father sat up in his bed, staring at your retreating figure, “You’re getting your herbs from the village, right?”

“Of course, Papa,” you replied. 

A lie - there were no herbs that would heal him in the village.

The old man laid back down, weakly waving goodbye to you. You felt badly about lying to him, but there was no way you could tell him the truth.

The forest had a reputation for being dangerous, especially as twilight settled in. The tall, ancient trees caused long, crooked shadows across the overgrown paths. Mysterious disappearances and reports of strange creatures made these woods well-known, and not in a good way.

You had always been one for adventure, but even you felt apprehensive about entering. It wasn’t like you really had a choice. If you wanted to heal your father- the only family member you had left… Well, you could only find those herbs within the infamous forest.

As you walked along the burr-covered path, the dirt barely able to be seen under the waist-high grass, you found yourself tripping over vines and wincing as thorns caused stripes of blood to cover your legs. The trees grew thicker as you traversed deeper into the forest and the leaves above you began to obscure the already-fading light.

There were no sounds other than the occasional snap of twigs underfoot. No owls, no bats, no signs of life whatsoever. You took a deep breath and steadied your nerves. 

You felt like you were being watched.

Eventually, you came across a clearing, bathed in the soft glow of the full moon. You dropped to your knees and sifted through the underbrush, finding the herbs you had told about immediately. Three dark, sharp-edged leaves and red berries, only made difficult to get by the thick cobwebs that stuck to the branches.

A soft rustling sound behind you caught your attention. You paused, hands full of leaves and berries, and you held your breath, ears straining. There it was again… closer this time.

You stood up slowly, scanning the treeline for movement. It was strange- you hadn’t noticed the copious amounts of spiderwebs in the trees before. Giant silvery strings that stretched from tree trunks to sagging branches.

“Lost in the woods, are we, butterfly?”

The voice was smooth and playful. It sent a chill down your spine- a voice like that didn’t belong here. You turned towards the source and backed into the bush as a figure emerged from the shadows. At first glance, he was a tall, handsome man with striking blue eyes, pure white hair, and a charming smile. 

The moment he stepped into the moonlight, that illusion was shattered.

His lower half was the body of a giant spider- long, segmented legs covered in white hair and a sleek, white abdomen. The contrast between the handsome human and creepy spider was jarring, making him some mix between beautiful and terrifying.

“Wh-what the fuck are you?” you stammered, tripping backwards over the bush and landing on something soft.

He chuckled, “My name is Gojo Satoru. And you, little butterfly, have ventured quite far from safety.”

Your heart was pounding so hard you thought it would beat out of your chest, “I’m just here for herbs. I’ll leave right away.” 

You tried to stand up, only to realize the soft thing you’d landed on was an intricate spiderweb. Panic set in as you struggled against the sticky webs.

“Oh dear, is the little butterfly stuck?” Gojo asked with a mocking laugh. You glared at him, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “Ahh… so cute… to think I finally get to see you up close.”

It took you several seconds to process what he had said, “You know who I am?”

Gojo’s grin widened, “Let’s just say I’ve been wanting a moment like this for a while. Any other human that wandered into my territory, I’d eat. But not you, little butterfly.”

“So what are you planning to do to me?” you demanded.

If it was possible, his grin widened even more so that you could see two long fangs among his human teeth, “Guess.”

Your gaze traveled over his body before catching sight of something throbbing under the spider’s body. Suddenly, something slid out of the white- something long and thick and flesh-colored…

“Oh no- no no no no NO!” you screeched, fighting against the stubborn strands that entrapped you.

Gojo let out a loud laugh and carelessly took ahold of your shirt with two spider legs and lifted it over your head. You tried desperately to escape the web, but it was useless. The back of the shirt and the sleeves remained stuck to you, but the front was ripped off with the force of Gojo’s strength.

“No bra?” Gojo laughed, “It’s like you wanted this to happen.”

Tears sprang to your eyes as his human hands groped both breasts, his bright blue eyes glued to the way they moved under his hands. Spindly spider legs tore your jeans off, breaking the web off your legs in the process.

Unfortunately, you were still stuck from the waist up, the sleeves trapping your shoulders in place and your arms splayed like angel’s wings. Gojo leered at your underwear, snickering at the pure white color and the little pink bow on the front. 

“It’s like you knew this was going to happen,” he said before tearing that off of you too.

Your naked body trembled in fear and cold as your nipples pebbled in response to the chilly air. You tried to look away from the half-spider creature, but you felt something slimy and hard begin to grind against your thigh.

Slimy? You risked a glance and immediately wished you didn’t. Attached to the pure white belly of the spider was a mostly-human-looking cock. It had a strange texture and it was covered in a weird wetness, but otherwise it was pretty normal. Except that it was absolutely massive.

You began to shake your head frantically. There was no way you could take that thing in you. You’d never even been with a human guy before, much less this giant spider creature!

Gojo’s laugh echoed through the forest as he took in your terrified expression. “Don’t worry, little butterfly, I’ll be gentle.”

Gojo’s spindly spider legs held you firmly in place as he mounted you and positioned his monstrous cock at your unprepared entrance. His human hands reached up to cup your breasts, teasing your nipples into harder peaks as he slowly pushed inside of you.

You let out a gasp as the head popped inside and let out a cry of pain. The slimy texture allowed him to push inside farther, despite your lack of arousal, but it was still agonizing.

Gojo let out a satisfied groan as he gave a rough shove of the hips and bottomed out inside you. You let out a scream as his massive cock filled you completely, stretching your cunt to its limits.

It was painful and uncomfortable, but Gojo didn’t seem to care, nor did he honor his promise of “being gentle”. He began to thrust in and out of you with abandon, his legs pinning you down as he took what he wanted from your body.

Your body shook with each powerful thrust but, slowly, the pain began to fade, replaced by an unfamiliar sensation. 

Gojo’s human hands continued to tease your breasts, sending waves of pleasure through your body. Despite your initial fear and disgust, you began to respond to his touch.

Your hips began to roll in time with his, your body seeking more of the strange pleasure he offered you. Gojo let out a low growl as he felt your body respond to him and increased his pace, driving into you harder and faster. Wetness spread between your legs, your mind betrayed as your body gave into the pleasure.

With one final thrust, Gojo let out a triumphant roar as he came deep inside you. Your body shook with the force of his release, your own orgasm following closely behind.

You lay against the web, panting and spent, as Gojo slowly pulled out of you, sliding a hand gently against your cheek and smiling. “You did a great job, little butterfly.”

Shame immediately flooded you and tears leapt to your eyes. How could you enjoy being fucked by a spider? Gojo pouted at the sight and pulled you from the web.

“You’ve had your fun,” you spat, trying to ignore the cum starting to drip out of you, “Now let me go home.”

“Oh little butterfly,” Gojo laughed, “The fun’s only just started.”

[screamintoad]

TWST oc Blanche Primrose

“I believe we’ve met before. Perhaps…once upon a dream.”

Voice claim: Nobara-Jujutsu Kaisen

Character info

  Blanche is a typically headstrong girl. Her temper isn’t as bad as some of the other students but she’ll call out others wrong doings. If she’s not doing anything too important or tedious then she’ll often be found day dreaming. Now as a second year she is fully herself and many of the students see her as a sisterly figure as she always checks up on people and make sure they’re taking care of themselves.

  The summer before she started attending NRC, she was told by her grandmother that Blanche is expected to be enrolled at a stuffy all girls private school that her grandma attended. Later that night a raven delivered a letter to her windowsill that spoke of how she was recommended to be a student at NRC by a few upperclassmen. She knew that night that she was going to choose her own fate rather than a path that her grandmother curated for her. As she pretended to be a boy at NRC she chopped her hair into a pixie cut and when Vil first saw her he wanted to faint but understood what she was trying to do. Eventually her grandmother found out about the ruse but allowed her to keep attending NRC since it made her so happy. 

Fun facts: She used to live in the same town as Jack and Vil and they’ve been friends since they were kids. She spent her first few months at school pretending to be a boy since, as far as her grandma knew, she was at that stuffy private school. Her red sweater was originally her mother’s. She’s half wolf beastfolk. That same summer before coming to NRC she would frequently dream of meeting a young man with silver hair. 

Basic info

Age: 17

Height: 179cm, 5’8

B-day: September 7th (Virgo)

Dominant hand: Right

Family: Hazel (her grandmother), Amelia (her mother), unnamed father

Nicknames: Petit Rouge (Rook), Harp seal (Floyd)

2nd year

Class B

Club: Film studies

Best subject: Herbology

Hobbies: Baking, Tending to plants, Writing short stories which is why she joined the film studies club to fuel her inspiration

Pet peeve: Selfish people

Favorite food: Berry muffins

Least favorite food: Seafood

Talent: Quick thinking (does not equal smart thinking)/Singing

Unique Magic: Thorny Heart, she can grow thorny vines around her and even grow various plants from the vines. Such as ones that are just pretty or ones that have medicinal values. Sometimes when she’s startled she just SPROUTS the thorns and freaks everyone out for a second. 

Character dynamics

Vil: Childhood friend number 1. He’s like a mother hen towards her, constantly fretting over her grades and appearance. It drives her up a wall but she knows he means well. These habits are especially prominent when she first starts attending.

Jack: Childhood friend number 2. They first met when Jack was playing outside and he found her picking berries in the forest while she was wearing a hooded red cape. As schoolmates they’re both striving to help the other. That could be helping each other study or timing track runs.

Rook: Creepy dorm mate. Honestly, she doesn’t like him, like at all. She knows he possibly means well but he still unnerves her. They have lots of debates in French. 

Ruggie: She didn’t trust him at first, his scheming made her nervous every time she heard him giggling. Now as second years and in the same class, she scolds him when he steals stuff but she always makes extra food so he can have some as well. 

Silver: Love interest. Despite the dreams during summer, they didn’t recognize each other until way later, like Book 5 later. After that it was nothing but sweet sweet slow burn but one thing’s for sure. Everyone loves silver and gold.

Malleus: They both get a weird sense of deja vu when they’re first getting acquainted. They met one night when they stumbled upon each others walking routes. Neither could place it but they felt as if they had met before. Maybe in a dream, maybe a different time entirely. They get along and teach each other a lot, eventually Malleus joined in on Lilia’s teasing when it came to her and Silver together.

[valiwrites]

ENEMIES IN THE NIGHT

pairing: joao felix x reader

type: fluff, enemies to lovers

warinings: creepy guy at the club

MASTERLIST

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Friday nights in London always had an electric vibe. The club was packed, lights flashing, the bass thumping in sync with the pulse of the crowd. Y/N had come out with a few of her closest friends, hoping for a fun, carefree night. She hadn't expected him to be here—João Félix. And, of course, he was surrounded by a group of his Chelsea teammates, occupying one of the VIP tables.

Y/N’s stomach twisted the second she spotted him. There was no escaping their history, no matter how far away Barcelona seemed now. She and João had never seen eye to eye. He had always been a thorn in her side back when she was dating Pedri, his former teammate. Even after the breakup, the disdain between them remained. João’s cocky attitude, the teasing jabs that always felt a little too personal—it grated on her nerves. She hated how he could be so calm, always smug, like he knew something she didn’t.

Her friends had noticed him too, one of them even whispering, "Isn’t that João Félix?"

Y/N rolled her eyes, sipping her drink. "Unfortunately."

“Let’s just stay on this side of the club," her friend suggested with a wink, knowing full well how much Y/N despised him. The last thing she needed tonight was a confrontation, especially when she was just trying to enjoy herself.

But João had already noticed her. He was leaning back in his seat, drink in hand, and even from across the room, she could feel his eyes on her. That same irritating smirk pulled at his lips, as if he was already plotting the next snarky comment he’d throw her way.

She ignored him and focused on her friends, laughing at their jokes, trying to lose herself in the music. But as the night wore on, things started to shift. A random guy, someone she didn’t know, had appeared at her side. At first, he seemed friendly enough, striking up casual conversation. But soon, his presence became more insistent. His compliments turned too flirty, and he began edging closer, leaning in far too close for comfort.

Y/N’s polite smiles quickly faded into discomfort. She took a step back, but the guy followed, persistent and oblivious to the clear signs she wasn’t interested.

“Come on, just one drink,” the guy pressed, his hand brushing her arm. “What’s the harm?”

Y/N was about to push him away when a familiar voice cut through the noise.

“She said no.”

She turned, eyes wide, to see João standing right behind her, his expression hard, no hint of the usual playful arrogance. For a moment, the guy looked between them, clearly unimpressed.

“And who the hell are you?” the guy shot back.

João stepped forward, not even fazed by the question. “Someone who isn’t going to let you keep bothering her. Now, walk away before this gets embarrassing for you.”

The guy muttered something under his breath but seemed to realize João wasn’t someone to mess with. He slunk off into the crowd, leaving Y/N standing there, both shocked and confused.

João’s gaze flickered to her, his expression softening slightly. “You alright?”

Y/N blinked, her heart still racing, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the guy or the fact that João Félix had just come to her rescue. “Yeah… I just—thanks,” she managed to say, still reeling.

João nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary before he turned to walk away. But Y/N couldn’t just let it end there. Her curiosity—and confusion—got the better of her.

“Wait,” she called out, catching up to him as he headed toward the exit. “Why did you do that?”

He glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t even like me,” she said, crossing her arms. “Why would you step in?”

João looked away for a second, as if gathering his thoughts. Then, without another word, he nodded toward the exit. “Let’s go outside. It’s too loud in here.”

Against her better judgment, Y/N followed him out to the parking lot, where the noise of the club was muffled by the cool night air. They stood near the cars, the tension between them suddenly more palpable than ever.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to expect. She couldn’t figure out what was going on in João’s head. He had always been so hard to read, always playing some kind of game.

Finally, João turned to her, his gaze intense. “I never hated you.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Could’ve fooled me, João.”

He took a step closer, and she could see something different in his expression, something more vulnerable than she’d ever seen before. “I didn’t hate you. I hated that I couldn’t stand seeing you with Pedri.”

Y/N froze, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at him, not sure if she’d heard him correctly. “What?”

“I hated seeing you with him because I…” He paused, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with the words. “Because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Y/N’s mind was spinning. “Are you serious right now?”

João laughed, though there was no humor in it. “I know I acted like a jerk. Maybe I thought if I kept pushing you away, I’d get over it, but I never did.” He met her eyes, his voice softer now. “That’s why I hated being around you when you were with him. I didn’t know what to do with how I felt.”

Y/N’s heart was pounding, her mind racing to catch up with what he was saying. João Félix—the same guy who had annoyed her for so long, who she thought couldn’t stand her—was standing here, confessing that he had feelings for her.

She didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet, her eyes searching his for any hint of a joke, any sign that he wasn’t serious. But all she saw was sincerity.

“I don’t expect anything from you,” João added, stepping back slightly, as if giving her space. “I just thought you should know.”

Y/N exhaled slowly, still processing. She had spent so much time convinced that they were enemies, that they couldn’t stand each other. But now, standing here under the stars, the weight of the night pressing in on them, she wasn’t so sure anymore.

“You’re right,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You were a jerk.”

João smirked, but there was a softness in his eyes. “I know.”

“But,” she continued, hesitating for a moment, “I guess I didn’t hate you as much as I thought.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that your way of saying there’s a chance you don’t want to slap me right now?”

Y/N laughed despite herself, shaking her head. “Maybe.”

João took another step closer, closing the distance between them. His voice was low, almost hesitant. “Can I make up for being a jerk?”

Y/N looked up at him, her heart still racing, but for a completely different reason now. “You can try.”

He smiled, and before she could say anything else, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that was soft, tentative, but filled with all the tension that had been building between them for so long.

And just like that, everything between them shifted.

[phantom-thieves-official]

look i know I talk abt pegoryu all the time BUT there's so much to love about Ryuji outside the context of ships. Like, there's plenty of good characters in p5 but Ryuji steals the show, no contest. He's so kind and selfless. He's the first to give joker a chance. He's not even on particularly good terms with Ann and is pissed off at Kamoshida's creepy behavior on her behalf. When they enter the palace and get attacked, he tries telling to joker to run even though Ryuji himself is being attacked by the guards - he wanted joker to leave him there and was okay with putting himself in harm's way to allow joker an escape. He's not moved to take down kamoshida by his own potential expulsion, or his own anger about their history, but is moved by seeing what kamoshida is doing to other students, particularly shiho. After the kamoshida arc, he doesn't say anything about his own trauma or history with kamoshida, he's just happy that things will be better for Ann. He's the first to forgive makoto after she gets kidnapped by kaneshiro and has generally been a thorn in the phantom thieves' side for weeks. In fact he jumps in front of a moving vehicle to get a taxi to follow the people who took her. He fights with mona and gives a half-hearted apology, but all that animosity is out the window when the group finds mona and haru being harassed by haru's fiance. His entire confidant is about him trying to help the track team, which benefits him in absolutely no way, even after they turned on him for standing up to his abuser. even after the track team themselves physically assault him in an early social link rank. he wanted to get a track scholarship for his mom's sake, not his own. He puts himself in danger to get the lifeboat when shido's palace is sinking. he puts himself in danger and takes an attack from possessed cendrillon in maruki's palace. he gets angry when hearing about joker's past, but doesn't actually seem to have much anger in regards to his own - in fact, consistently through the game he gets angry and moved to defend others while not mustering that same righteous sort of anger for his own sake. Everyone else is his priority. he's the only character who has mistakes in the plot of the game that he owns up to and apologizes for - for getting mad and scaring futaba, and for being preccupied by their fame. he's a momma's boy. he's joker's best friend and right hand man, and more than anyone else he opens up to and confides in joker, to the degree that he has moments like that which occur outside of his confidant whereas nobody else really does (he calls joker through the story several times and confides in him about things like his apprehension abt the current events or how he is sorry he got mad and yelled earlier or even just that he's worried about the kamoshida plan.) the world has been so cruel to him and he still finds so much compassion and selflessness within himself. he's similar to his drunk, abusive dad, with a temper and a reputation for outbursts. but he's a twisted, funhouse mirror representation of that. his anger is justified and sparked by seeing others mistreated. his outbursts were just him standing up for himself and his whole team. and for it he got abandoned and shunned. he's a deconstruction of the people who've hurt him; he's similar to them while also standing for the exact opposite of everything they stand for. he's selfless and kind and driven to protect others even at the cost of his own safety, social standing, or well being. he makes mistakes and owns up to them, then tries to be better. he trusts joker so much. he's been hurt and abused and kicked while he was down and he still wants so badly to help others. as cruel as the world has been to him he doesn't let it embitter him or make him cynical and mean.

tldr; your honor, I love him

[minzart]

[Vignette + rambling of the design bellow]

Will: Grim has been really interested in this museum, I thought he would whine more to be honest, but I guess not, the great seven are something he really is interested in....

Grim: HENCHMEN! Come take a look!

Will: hm? What is it?

Grim: are you seeing this guy, he was the thorn witch henchman! It says here he was the only capable being of her army, and he's just a raven!

Will: hm... he found someone she was looking for 16 years, her goons didn't take in consideration that said person ages as time goes on... so he got one more braincell than normal?

Grim: exactly! I heard from Tsunotarou he was extremely loyal too! He is a great role model to you

Will: me?!

Grim: if course! You are my henchman after all! You gotta step up and learn from good examples hehehe

Will: why does this feel like you are mocking me...

Grim: aw don't worry, you are already plenty smarter than one bird brain we know of :)

Will: .... the bar is that low to ya isn't it?

---

Grim: what a weird corridor.... it isn't as fancy as the rest of the museum

Will: I think we shouldn't be here

Grim: nahhh you are just scared! We are benefactors! We gotta see all that the museum has to offer right?! Comon' it's a special year! It's 100 anniversary don't be a scared kitty

Will: says the talking cat

Grim: I AM NOT A CAT! - ohhhh who's that?

Will: the plate says "the dark mountain demon, a being once said to rule over the night and it's spirits, he slept by day and reighned caos by night"

Grim: he looks like he's the size of that mountain! Do you think I'm gonna grow that big?

Will: I hope not or else not even a truck of tuna cans will satiate your hunger

---

Will: I think we should get back Grim, it doesn't look like we should be here

Grim: yeah... the lights are really week here... FUGNYA! WHO IS THAT!

Will: that's just a... ohhh... ok yeah the red eyes are kinda creepy, but it's just a painting... a... very old painting... and unkempt too....

Grim: no wonder they don't want to put it were everyone can see, he's ugly.... and scary- NOT THAT I'M SCARED OF COURSE!

Will: "the caudron king"-Deuce's rival got it- "once a powerful magician with a caudron that could rise the dead..." I can't read the rest the plate is too damaged

Grim: powerful magician? Do you think he was that strong? He's just bones

Will: Epel said the same thing of Vil's physical power and look were that got him

Grim: hey... will... doesn't the eyes of this paint look... that... they are following us....?

Will: .... WHAT A NICE PAITING OVER THERE IN A LIGHTER CORRIDOR I THINK IT'S THE QUEEN OF HEARTS LET'S GO OVER THERE

Grim: right behind you!

----------

Wil's pose was based on this scene of the official 100 year anniversary art were the characters are in a "disney" artstyle

Grim looks like he was tossed into the air and is looking at carter's camera like the heartslabyul crew, so one of Will's hand looks like it's tosing something up and the other a peace sigh

[tangled-wires-and-a-dead-heart]

gonna shoot 18, 20, and 3 ur way for stp ask game >:)

Thanks for the asks!!!! :D ask game here!

(there's light spoilers(? I think they're pretty light anyways) for the new pristine cut content under the cut!)

---------

3. (Explore) Who's your favorite Vessel?

I really like a lot of the vessels! I'd even go as far as to say that I love the vast majority of them! But, if I really had to narrow it down to just a few of them then I'd probably say…

Wounded wild (the first vessel that I ever found, she'll always have a special place in my heart <3)

Thorn (I'm pretty sure that you could've guessed that from looking at my Tumblr’s layout lol but I'm just totally in love with thorn and her route)

Spectre (I love spectre a lot and I just can't find it in my heart to not let this sad little ghost possess me (actually heartbroken when I had to try and slay her for the new spectre chapter 3))

Nightmare (she's really creepy and I'm totally in love with the vibes of her and her route)

and the Cage (she's actually so cool I love her. She's new so I haven't really had much time to properly articulate real thoughts about her but. She's just so cool to me.)

18. (Explore) You are an Echo of a man long gone, how would you deal with the events of the game?

I can't really think that I would be much different from the narrator in the actual game. If I was in that exact same situation as the narrator in the original game I don't think that there would really even be anything that I could/would do differently lol.

20. (Explore) What's your favorite ending and why?

I really like the ‘and? What happens next?’ ending!!! I honestly just find it really sweet and I feel like it's a very nice wrap up to the game as a whole. It's my go to ending that I get whenever I play through the game! I love just being able to walk out of the cabin, hand in hand with the princess after everything. Lowkey cried when I got it for the first time.

[just-animaxiz]

Ok thanks to the 6Teen! RC9GN crew by @lsd-ink, I'm now thinking of funny/cute headcannons (Mostly about Punk Bots, Randy, and some of the other characters) SO IM DRAGGING YOU ALL WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

Starting off with my favs.

To pay off for their jail time, The Punks decided to work at the McMall (Cuz McFist owns 80% of the places), but somehow, Spike is not too keen on working so he decided to take a part-time job as a mechanic in a local station. Luckily it's not a product of McFist.

While Spike works at a mechanic, Thorn works as a bookstore worker and Skewer works in a Claire's type of store! Despite their appearances, they're really decently well with their jobs!

Thanks to @destiny-in-the-universe I do hc that the Punks do go to Randy's school to finish education, and surprisingly, they're really good at a few subjects! Most definitely, they're really skilled at creative writing, shop class, and gym!

Like always, Spike is envious when he first meet Randy. Seeing him have this normal life, with a loving parent, normal home, and everything. Though, Spike can't bully Randy because it doesn't make him feel better. They eventually bond over music, get to know after awkward moments, then eventually, the two got closer like brothers!

Spike got his attack dog moments not only to Randy but to Thorn and Skewer as well. He's been their provider ever since they escaped, and he doesn't want ANYONE to hurt them.

Doesn't matter if you're a girl, guy, nonbinary or anything - Spike will judge you when you're dating Randy or his brothers. He wanted someone who's good for them, and if they ever break a brother's heart, the wolf will bite.

While working at Claire's, Skewer gets asked by a little girl on why he's dressed like that. To humor her, he told the girl that he's the guard of the store, protecting anyone who tries to ruin the princesses' jewels and presents. His looks is a warning sign to anyone who tries to steal them. Astonished, she assumed he's a knight, along with Thorn and Spike, and she gave him the loyal knight ceremony where she tapped a toy wand over his shoulders and deemed him, "Sir Skewer!"

That encounter made Skewer happy in the inside, and if anyone makes of that, they'll know why his name is Skewer.

Thorn, meanwhile, loves working at the bookstore because he loves reading. He entertains the audience by reenacting the scenes, especially in manga books, and got the store a very good attention gain!

He does wonder about Japan and is always ecstatic whenever Mrs. Cunningham includes them on holiday trips to Japan.

Usually, when Randy's group comes together, Spike comes to visit with the other Punks on their breaks, and they have a good time hanging out!

Spike calls Heidi wrong names just to annoy her like how she annoyed Randy by calling him the wrong names.

Skewer and Howard have a chess battle, even though Howard thought it would be lame at first - The reason why he changed is because Skewer claimed Howard can't win.

Thorn have a little gossip fun with the girls, and sometimes would tease Randy over the girl he likes.

Now I heard Randy is the Ninja in this au, and if so, Spike would 100% know it's him. Why? Cuz he's his brother. The others will know eventually.

One thing to note is how Spike's face changed whenever he passes by a McFist product or even a poster of McFist.

NOW TIME FOR OTHER RC9GN CHARACTERS

Bucky, Steven, and Flute Girl all work at the music store. Bucky is very happy and friendly - Flute Girl is cynical and annoyed - Steven is [Trombone Music]

Bash is the local bully and thinks he has power over everyone because 1. His stepdad is the owner of everything, including the mall and 2. Cuz he's big and powerful. Some of the only people who aren't afraid are The Punks and Mrs. Cunningham.

Remember the Creepy Swamp Wizard, CatFish Booray? He has a food truck outside of the mall and it... Well you decide.

Mrs. Cunningham, in my book, is a lawyer that is often not present to the boys. She's been working hard to pay off for everything, but when she does have time, she wants to get to know each of her boys well and hang out with them.

When she needs alone time, Mrs. Cunningham usually either reads novels or practices fighting at the gym. It gets the stress from work out of her. People saw her as agile and skilled, which is how they saw Randy being talented at athletics.

Morgan is one of the popular girls and she is the queen of dancing. She leads dancing mobs at public places for the popularity.

McFist is occasionally seen at the Mall during grand openings or new product advertisements; however, one time he spotted Spike in the distance and he can't help but feel like the punk's familiar to him.

[mythicalartistx]

Opinions of KH2 novels that happen that are funny/interesting

I saw a lot of sections recently

Riku Axel & Namine are a trio

Their interactions are nice

It's something I didn't know I needed

I love seeing them do stuff in the background while Sora does basic (game moments), instead of focusing what happens in the games during Disney worlds, it shows them

Axel being a grey character

He doesn't know himself if he's bad or good

But some of the others noticed it and gladly call him their friend.

Also when Goofy "dies" he helps him to see if he's alright and even gives him a potion

Instead of initially kidnapping Kairi, he does so with good interest in mind, thinking she's in danger because the organization is after her— Riku and Naminé were going to her but got caught up in a battle with Saïx.

Then Saïx fought Axel and won, obtaining Kairi.

Also Naminé helps heal Axel after he lost to Saïx.

I love his banner with Riku

At one point Mickey is like, I'm glad you're not alone Riku, Riku responds, He's my friend, but then Axel says, Nobodies don't have friends, it's not exactly word for word, but similar.

Axel comments to Riku

Riku eating ice cream and Axel is like is it good, You're like a little kid even though you look like a mean old man. Then Axel steals his ice cream and Riku like bruh really dude there is plenty of ice cream in there.

After Land of Dragons, Axel tells Riku, Seeing Sora made you that happy, and Riku is like I don't feel like telling you. Then afterwards he's like it's creepy how you smile with Ansem's face.

Mickey and Goofy can smell

So Pluto is in the novel sometimes around Axel and of course Kairi. When Mickey first sees Axel after Riku leaves, he sniffs him and is like oh it's you I thought it was Riku but you smell like Pluto.

Then later when Axel helps Goofy after his "death" he is like you smell like Pluto and at this point Axel is like AGAIN!?!?

Maleficent and Riku

Honestly I find this kinda charming and kinda nice.

At one point she calls Pete useless and how Riku was so much helpful and even got him what he was trying to do and gave him Kairi. She then admits that she was using him, but it made her kinda sad or a "thorn in her heart" that he left her without hesitation.

Then at one point Riku goes to see Maleficent and Maleficent is like oh you're alive and he says I see you came back from the dead. And it's great exchange.

He wanted to see if she'd fight the nobodies/ organization 13. But when he goes to her he wonders if he is betraying Mickey by doing that and he thinks it's all for Sora.

Riku opinion of DiZ request

So DiZ got Riku to do some things... that isn't great and afterwards he wonders if that was right.

After seeing how DiZ treated Naminé and views nobodies he is like Should I have fought Roxas? He was thinking Should I have destroyed him for him to go back to Sora? What if there was another way so he could still be here?

And I wanted to point it out that he obviously questions whether it was right and he was just following DiZ because he wanted Sora back and thought it was the ONLY way and much would have rather Roxas to stay as a person too.

DiZ offers Naminé ice cream

At one point Naminé goes back to the mansion in the middle of KH2 and she finds DiZ which she is surprised by. DiZ was harsh and mean to her at the beginning of the game and is weary of him,

But this dude straight up offers her sea salt ice cream like he didn't want her destroyed or want Riku to get rid of her (which Riku was like NAHHH I won't because he saw them as people and Sora was waking up). And then he says there are plenty more, you can share with friends 😀😁 LIKE COMPLETE SWAP

Saïx fight Riku and Naminé

First when Riku and Naminé is fighting Saïx while Axel gets Kairi, Saïx slaps Naminé and causes her to fly back.

Then he is like oh you're trying to protect your home from darkness (assuming he might corrupt it or by getting Kairi) and then he's like but you did that once before. LIKE 😭😭😭 THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR

And then he tells Riku he sold his Soul for Power. JUST wow, great character but man is he cold sometimes.

I never want Saïx to touch Naminé again though... Saïx over here hurting Axel and Naminé.

Donald and Goofy no longer tease about Kairi

So... In KH2 there are moments where Donald and Goofy tease Sora about Kairi with possible romantic implications

(though I'm not exactly sure since that is the English version which could have some transaction errors and there's a lot of added romantic moments because of English version)

In Halloween town, Sora also imagines himself dancing with Kairi when Jack and Sally dance, but in the novels none of these things happen. Donald and Goofy don't tease him about Kairi.

Shang and Mulan = Sora and Riku

So in land of the dragons when Sora sees Mulan and Shang he tears up and thinks of himself and Riku cause he missed him.

This does happen in the game, but it's more explicit here that he missed him and thinks of Riku and himself when he sees Shang and Mulan.

Sora always wanted to fight by Riku's side

In the novels throughout the ending battle Sora is so excited and is just glad to fight by Riku's side and he had always wanted to have him as an ally.

He states how he always hoped and dreamed he'd be able to.

He feels so excited and just glad to be able to do so.

Also want to point out that they feel better together and they're okay in the dark realm because they have the other

Sora doesn't care as long as Riku is okay

At one point Sora says, so what if he's in organization 13, it's fine.

Donald is like it's not they're a bad group of people.

This just shows how much he cares about him.

Axel pretends to betray Riku and Naminé to help Kairi

He told them he was going to and would give them their location and reassures them that he doubt Xemnas would come over.

And Xemnas ends up being the one going over....

[medicus-mortem]

[💀] - It is official. I am now canon divergent. The main points where I diverge from canon are as follows:

> The Rocky Port Incident was an incident during the two year timeskip that took place in a port city called Rocky Port. Law instigated a riot that lasted several days. Many people were killed in the violence, but that was all a distraction, so Law could torture and murder the Flevance royal family that was living in luxury in the wealthy port town after fleeing Flevance and leaving it to its fate. Coby was in Rocky Port at the time and was a huge thorn in Law's side, saving many lives and figuring out some of Law's plan. It is how Coby earned his title of "Hero".

> The 100 hearts Law took were from pirates he hunted down personally during the two year timeskip. Some of the pirates were based on Pirate Island and were under Blackbeards' protection and control, which brought Law into conflict with him and boosted the notoriety the hearts provided Law.

> Doc Q doesn't turn Law into a woman during the fight on Winner Island. Instead, he creates a disease that is similar to Amber Lead Syndrom and inflicts that on Law's crew, forcing him to heal his crew very quickly and expend a large amount of his energy. All the while, Law is fighting off a panic attack.

> Kikoku's gender is female, and if she was human, which she'd hate, she'd look more like a creepy Japanese ghost. A bit like Sadako.

[storys-from-eli]

As I was driving out of town I saw a bright object flying over me. It had already become very dark in the forest, but this light illuminated everything so much that I drove off the road. The car was stuck and there was no cell phone reception to my location, so I started to go back on the road, the city wasn't that far away.

As I did this I thought about how I would get back to my car, what the light was and how cold it got in the forest. It was getting darker and darker, so I turned on the light on my phone. It was spooky in this forest, at the edges of the flashlight it seemed as if the forest was moving.

After 15 minutes I started to wonder where the city was? I should be able to see it slowly shine in the distance. My spine felt cold as I wondered whether I might have gotten lost, but that was actually impossible on a straight road, right? So I walked further down the street but after another 15 minutes I found nothing but more street.

My heart felt very anxious, it was hard to breathe, just the idea of ​​being lost here. But something shone in the forest, very brightly. Maybe the city? I got off the road and started walking directly through the forest. The closer I got, the denser the forest became. This forest has always seemed incredibly creepy to me.

When I arrived the light suddenly went out. This wasn't the city nor a building, it was like a big tree. A tree that lights up? Suddenly I lost my footing and my phone fell to the ground and shattered. I started screaming, but no one heard. Something snaked its way along my body, thorns pricked my skin. From my leg it completely tore my leggings and started moving further and further up. It easily tore my clothes with its thorns until it came up to my mouth and started pushing into my mouth with its tentacle-like tendrils.

These went deeper and deeper into me without any consideration, a sweet scent went into my nose and my eyes went black, the pain disappeared. The feeling changed, it felt good as it wrapped around me, it felt like it was inside me, part of me. At some point something came into every one of my openings, I couldn't understand it anymore before I…

The next morning, police found the driverless vehicle and began searching the forest. They had no success finding anything except the phone, which seemed broken. The search for the missing people continued, but they would probably never find out what really happened, what true horror goes on in this forest.

[ryttu3k]

Posting a list of Astarion-related plotbunnies I'll probably never get to so I'm setting them loose upon the internet.

If you decide to write any of these please let me know, I'd love to read them <3

1) Cazador gets sick of waiting for Astarion, and also what fun is being the Vampire Ascendant if you don't have anyone to subjugate? As Dufay feared, he gets scarred and used in Astarion's place for the ritual, and Ascended Cazador shows up in the middle of a bright sunny day at the Elfsong to try and reclaim his errant spawn, easily overpowering basically everyone. Gale, who's in the midst of a sweet slowburn romance with Astarion, basically goes, okay, look, we're currently the only ones who have a hope to defeat the Netherbrain, and you won't be Vampire Ascendant for much longer if mind flayers take over Toril. Side with us against it, and we'll give you Astarion after.

He's lying through his teeth and is very quick to tell Astarion that as soon as Cazador leaves, because once he has the Crown of Karsus :) he'll be able to take Cazador out :) no problem :)

The real struggle isn't just fighting a desire for power, it's fighting against something that will permanently change him but also give him the best possible chance to save his lover, versus giving up that power and staying Gale Dekarios, not losing his identity, but also now having to fight the Vampire Ascendant without all that power...

2) Astarion stays in the Underdark to assist with the spawn, and ends up striking up a friendship with Gandrel, who wants Astarion's advice on how to raise his spawn daughters. Fluffy slow-burn romance with his former enemy ensues. Could tie in with this delightful epilogue detail.

3) Short version: Astarion tries to do A Scheme only it backfires due to the fact that he's starting to experience Emotions like 'self-worth'.

Longer version: Astarion sets out to deal with (read: seduce) Gortash - gives him Ketheric's stone, says the others have gone off to fight Orin and get [x] back, and it'll be easy enough to get Orin's stone from them once they've done the hard work, telling Gortash that the others lack ambition or have other plans. Lae'zel wants to give the Crown to Raphael to free Orpheus, Gale wants it for himself, etc. Only Astarion can see Gortash's point - that they can run the Absolute cult, they can use the stones. Gortash, Astarion, and a certain Bhaalspawn who Astarion is fairly certain would be amenable…

His actual plan is to seduce Gortash, kill him when he's not expecting it, and take the stone and return to the others, because he's good at seducing people for a purpose, so why not just do what he's best at? Except he's suddenly realising that, huh, he actually doesn't want to just… be used any more, he likes the person he's becoming with resist!Durge, and it all feels a bit… icky, now…

4) Astarion + trust issues + being touch-starved for non-intimate touch. Astarion gets some kind of back injury (thorns or little shards of glass or splinters or something, not something terribly lethal but just painful to deal with) and has to confide in someone (Halsin would be good here) and let them see and touch his scars to help get himself fixed up. Bit of whump, bit of hurt/comfort.

5) "Oh, I tried them all. None of them answered." Astarion has Issues with the gods. Gale catches him vandalising the Open Hand Temple / Stormshore Tabernacle, and they talk about gods and their fickle attentions.

6) Astarion can't swim. Karlach offers him and Shadowheart swimming lessons (and promptly goes heart-eyes a bit over her white-haired elven boyfriend and girlfriend).

7) AU where Ulder isn't a Complete Garbage Person who disowns his teenage son, and instead accepts and helps Wyll as much as he can. The Blade of Baldur's Gate instead focuses on helping his city, and it's time to do something about that creepy gothic monstrosity known as the Szarr Palace…

[dat-town]

careful what you wish for

never seen circus masterpost

Characters: fae!Yeonjun & female reader

Setting & genre: magical realism au

Summary: You had grown up listening to stories about the power of love and you ached for a love story like that. Yet, you are only granted tragic ones. Little do you know that it’s because of the fae that granted your wish.

Warnings: general creepiness of an eerie circus, emotional manipulation, heartbreak, curses

Words: 2.5k

For @restlessmaknae, happy D-1 <3

Many people came to Yeonjun with their wishes.

Hearsay had it, he had the power to grant humans what their fragile hearts desired. In a way it was truer than most rumours about the circus but being benevolent wasn’t in the nature of dark faes. Treachery was though, so he smiled pretty, promised the naively hopeful people that their wishes were going to turn true but didn’t warn them about the consequences. About every wish having a bitter pay-off. How else could it have been fun to him? Watching a man win the lottery wasn’t nearly as entertaining as watching him losing the money almost as fast. He had never granted a wish out of the goodwill of his heart as it was cold and full of thorns.

Although Yeonjun missed living in a forest, he had the time of his life in the circus. Faes liked chaos and riddles and challenges, they liked twisting their words and playing with humans’ emotions. And the circus boasted an abundance of desperate visitors each and every time. Some wanted to know about their future, about their fortune or their love. Others wanted to watch magic happen and take their future’s matters into their own hands. Or so they thought. Yeonjun wasn’t the only one at the circus who enjoyed the suffering of humans, after all.

It was a day like any other when you walked into the circus. You were in awe watching the acrobatics and fire show in the main tent and won a teddy bear at ring tossing only to lose it a corner away before you walked by him. You brought the scent of books and roses with you and the spirit of someone genuine and full of hope. Yeonjun’s favourite kind of victim.

He was sitting on top of the wishing well, engulfed in darkness, watching your every move with a sinister smile. He saw the way you faltered, glancing at the deep well and the sign encouraging you to toss a coin and make a wish. He could tell you wanted to but something was holding you back. After some pondering eventually you turned your back to the attraction and the fae boy you couldn’t see. Yeonjun pouted, disappointed, and sent fireflies after you, hoping they would lure you back. He wasn’t allowed to coerce you into making a wish but there was nothing against something as innocent as that.

The parade of the circus was still going on when you eventually found your way. Yeonjun tilted his head as he watched you approach, tentative and shy, almost as if you were unsure whether you should be there at all. Interesting. Most people who visited the circus just wanted to have fun, they didn’t think more into their actions. It was a kind of part of the enchantment as well, one that could unravel people’s true feelings. They didn’t know they wouldn’t remember it at the end of the day, that they could only live the consequences of their actions but there was something in the air, something that helped humans put down the mask they wore. So why were you so careful?

Still, you slowly stepped to the well, golden coin trapped between your slim fingers. The light gleamed upon the metal piece the same as stars were reflected in your doe eyes. You turned the coin a few times between your fingers then lifted it to your rosy lips, kissing it goodbye with hushed, bashful words.

“Please, I wish to fall in love,” you whispered barely audible even to the fae’s amplified hearing. Then you tossed the coin into the well and let out a little sigh when you heard the money hit the water with a little splash.

Even as you walked away, Yeonjun could tell the genuine desire in your heart to finally find a love everybody was talking about. You wanted to feel devoted, to be cared for, to have a love you would have given up everything. Such a naive little thing, the boy thought with a wicked smile in the corner of his mouth.

It was no question he would grant your wish, oh he will! He would give you a love story, or even love stories, you would never be able to forget. Because you forgot the most important thing when it was about wishes: the devil was in the details. Or in this case, a dark fae was.

You had grown up reading fairy tales about princesses and knights, poor girls and princes, good daughters and loyal soldiers. You ached to feel that kind of fluttering feeling in your chest, to be held, to cook for somebody, to just be someone's. You knew the stories always had some kind of obstacles in front of the lovers, if not dragons or similar dangers then class difference or politics, so realistically speaking you knew that not even those love stories were easy. Yet, if it meant that you could find the one, the one for you, you believed you would have endured everything in the name of love.

However, you would have never imagined yourself visiting a wishing well, pleading to fall in love. Somehow it felt like cheating but on the other hand, it was just a harmless little wish, wasn't it? That's what you told yourself as you turned the coin between your fingers before letting it drop into the well.

Then you forgot about it. But unbeknownst to you, something changed.

You had always fell in love with the idea of people but being too shy, you had never initiated anything. Now, the people you had interest in suddenly noticed you and the more you interacted with them the more it felt real, like love. Until your heart broke.

First, it was the boy from the bookstore. He had a lovely smile and always greeted you kindly, but now he even remembered your name, asked how your day was and talked with you for minutes (what felt like hours) about the books you were currently reading. He felt like a soulmate, making your heart flutter with his genuine curiosity and like-mindedness but then just after he proposed having a coffee together some day, it turned out that he had to move away.

You were quite saddened but around that time you met the newbie barista at your favourite coffee shop who remembered your order and tried to make you smile when you were having a bad day. You fell in love because of the heart next to your name on the cup.

Then the old high school classmate whom you accidentally ran into on the street and told you that you should catch up and reminisce about nostalgic memories.

And it continued like that:

The helpful stranger at the supermarket picking up your rolled away oranges.

The neighbour who brought over the letter that had been mistakenly delivered to him.

The clumsy tourist on the metro asking you for directions.

You felt your heart flutter with the hope of love with all of them. One after another. But it all inevitably led to heartbreak. Without fail. They all left. Or weren't available. Or it just wasn't the right time.

But you truly believed that it would change some day, that you would find true love, one that was worth waiting for. You didn't give up, didn't lose hope. You wiped your tears away as a firefly flew by you.

Yeonjun watched your heart break time after time. It was a wicked game he played, fueled by the darkness he had grown accustomed to. But he also watched you smile at the old lady the next day, asking about her granddaughter or taking out your sick neighbour's dog for a walk. He knew that your heart had been shattered and patched and yet you still showed kindness to everybody around you. He told himself that the reason why he found himself being drawn to you was because he didn't understand it: how you had so much love to give when your heart was so fragile, when none of those whom you had fallen in love with loved you back truly or not enough. He couldn't break you and he just couldn't comprehend how. What kept you going?

It felt like fate when you walked back into his web. Not remembering your last time he wondered whether you were about to make the same wish or you had become smarter since then. However, this time he didn't want to leave it to luck, to just watch you from afar, through firefly eyes. So when you walked by his well, he stepped out of the shadows and shoulders straight, eyes sharp he called after you.

"Miss. You dropped this," he held out a golden coin to you, a cheap trick but it was worth seeing the embarrassed blush on your cheeks as you checked your pockets and purse after spinning around. You were so lost, so clueless, he couldn't help but smile, sickeningly sweet. "Were you about to make a wish?"

You glanced at him briefly, taking in the sight of a lean boy in a silken white shirt tucked in brown pants, his skin glittering under the stars. His dark locks were long and messy but not unkempt, rather artfully styled and the accessories he wore seemed like having little stories to them each. But with his human features and pointy ear hidden, the fae was sure you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between him and a simple boy.

"No, I– I'm not sure," you mumbled, shy, but oh with centuries behind him Yeonjun was nothing but a patient man.

"About what?" He asked, tilting his head curiously, watching your reactions closely.

"About what to wish for."

Oh. Well, he didn’t expect that. Humans were greedy little creatures after all, almost as much as his kind, they always had wishes. Even if they had all the riches of the world and all the power, they always wanted more.

“Isn’t that supposed to be easy? You should wish for what you want,” he explained, confused, but you just smiled, kind.

“What I want is something simple but it’s not just about me. If it’s supposed to be, it will happen anyways, won’t it?” Your words were nicely phrased and thought out, but Yeonjun wasn’t sure whether you were trying to convince him or yourself. Either way, who could have trusted destiny so much when they had a chance to have a say in their lives? 

“Keep it. You can use it to make a wish yourself,” you pointed at the coin in his hands and turned back around, ready to go, leaving the flabbergasted fae behind.

It had been so long since he had last been treated so kindly even if it was such a simple gesture, even if you didn’t know anything about him that he couldn’t just let you leave like that.

“Hey, wait up,” he caught up with you on long legs, slowing down only next to you, flashing you a charming smile. “What if I want to use it to have an excuse to stay by your side?”

Yeonjun watched you blush pretty and try to hide your smile. You didn’t say anything but let him tag along. You told him your name once he introduced himself as well and you talked a bit while walking around in the circus, him making sure you saw the most stunning parts of this mystical realm. He told you there were better things out there than the illusionist’s performance as he urged you to follow him. He summoned fireflies when you walked in the dark and watched your eyes widen in wonder upon seeing them. He watched a smile tug on your lips when a raven sat on his shoulder and nipped at his ear. The closer he lured you to the borderland of his world, the more entranced you looked and oh, still it was him whose heart skipped a beat when you grabbed him by the wrist before he could have tripped in tree roots he hadn’t paid attention to. Watching you get shy once again, his once-immune heart began to thaw.

“Can you tell me what you would have wished for?” He asked in a whisper, his fingers playing with the dark hair strand obstructing your view.

“Love,” you said, simply, with a nostalgic smile of somebody wiser. “I used to want to fall in love but I realised that’s the easy part. Keep loving is harder.”

Now, that was a lesson learned, but Yeonjun wasn’t satisfied.

“Why is that?”

“Isn’t it always so easy to find and lose something? Keeping things requires constant care,” you said matter-of-factly and the fae boy thought of how he believed it was how things were supposed to work: nothing ever stayed. He also always took back what he gave. It was vicious and selfish but things had always been like this. Not for you though. “You know, for a long time I thought I was unlovable. But then I realised that if even I didn’t love myself, how could I have expected others to do so? I finally learned to accept myself like this, with my flaws and all, and now I feel like I have love to give to others too. Love isn’t a limited resource, it multiplies.”

The more you spoke, sincerity and goodness in your words and beliefs, the more Yeonjun lost his grasp on reality. He thought he knew how the world was: cold, harsh and full of terrible, fallible people. But the way you saw the world was so strikingly different. He used many human emotions to manipulate them: hope, trust, love… He only saw how it made them weak and vulnerable. He hadn’t seen the side when these things could make somebody strong. He thought he had lived like this, in a realm where intentions were never simple and never selfless, too long for things to change, that he was always going to live a life in which people either hate or fear him. Yet, the way you looked at him as if you knew his secret and it didn’t scare you, Yeonjun didn’t know what to do with it.

He stumbled backwards, yanking his arm out of your hold as if you burnt him. He looked at you in horror as he felt his heartbeat pick up its rhythm. He knew this feeling all too well even if he hadn’t felt it himself before.

You had wished to fall in love but deep down, you wanted nothing less than a love like in fairy tales. The kind of twisted, forbidden love people fought wars for.

And Yeonjun granted it to you with inevitable subsequent heartbreak without knowing that he himself would fall victim to this vicious cycle of love and heartbreak.

It was his own doing, the consequences of his cruel actions, and now both of you were going to pay the price because it was not easy to cast aside the curse of a fae, to untangle the threads of his dark magic. But if he didn’t find a way, he knew that he was going to love you.

And lose you.

[emotionalsupporthufflefluff]

fancy excuses that shed some light

Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader (MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor) part seven of the fancy series - [ToC]

Summary: Eliza has something she needs to show you- but could what she has to say really make up for her wrongdoings?

“You know, I got to thinking,” Eliza said, roughly manhandling you down the deserted path away from the Beasts’ class. “See, at first I was just going to avoid you for the rest of the year. There’s not much time left, after all, and once we graduate from Hogwarts I doubt that I’ll ever see you again.”

Your heart was pounding wildly and your spare hand was down the pocket of your robes, twirling your wand in hand. You probably would’ve done something about this situation already, but you could feel the hard poke of Eliza’s wand on the side that she pressed herself against. Your mind raced, trying to come up with solutions. Poppy was most likely, if she turned around and noticed you gone then she would definitely go looking. Ominis was currently in a Potions tutoring class, not even nearby a window that you could pass by. You weren’t sure what class Sebastian was in- if he even was- but you figured if not he was likely to be found in the library. No, you’re only solution here would be to fight her yourself if you had to.

“Then, I realized that since you were the reason I lost my friends,” It was almost painful to hold back your scoff, but you managed with the hard press of her wand against your ribs, “Then you could also be the one that restores their confidence in me.”

“How could I do that?” You were confused, shaking your head blandly, but Eliza pulls your arm roughly and the wand digs into your skin.

“By following me and shutting up, actually.”

The rest of the walk was done in silence, arm in arm as if you were the best of friends. You didn’t pass by anyone until you were long past Hogwarts, halfway down the path to Hogsmeade. You had already passed the main entrance to the forbidden forest- thankfully- but Eliza still seemed bent on following along the side of it. As the path you traversed bends away from the forest, Eliza pulls you off the road toward the trees and your heart begins to race. Your breath starts coming in pants, and you hear Eliza’s annoyed sigh next to you.

“Oh calm down. If I’m here nothing will happen to you. There’s just something I need to show you.”

The forest was creepy. It was dark, crowded with trees, and full of spiderwebs. Every so often you would hear a spooky, sourceless noise emanate from the surrounding area and you’d pull yourself tighter against Eliza. At this point she wasn’t dragging you along anymore, you were willingly following her because she was your way out of this place. You tried to keep track of the steps you took, but after five minutes the entire place looked the same. You could’ve sworn you passed that white, skeletal tree once already- you picked it as a landmark because it looked unique, but you spy another down the way and now realize it was anything but in this place.

“Here, get down,” Eliza’s voice was quick and whispered, pulling you down by the hood of your robes. She finally lets go of you, pushing her way forward through a bunch of brambles before turning around and waving you forward. With Eliza pushing the way through, you were barely poked by the thorns that grow among the brambles, wondering how Eliza was standing it all. She eventually stops and you bump into her back, her hand flying backwards to stabilize you before taking hold of your robes in her fist and pulling you up next to her. You hiss in pain as a stray thorn scratches your cheek, and Eliza shushes you in response.

“Look, there. Just inside that tree- oh, she’s walking out.”

You look where she’s pointing, into a glade ahead of you. There was a large tree in the centre of the glade, hollow in the middle in a large arc that likely acts as a den. Sunlight was dappled through the leaves above, shining down in dots and swaying leaves onto the floor of the glade. As you watch, a brilliant pearlescent unicorn walks out of the tree, entering into the sunlight and kneeling down to eat some grass. You’re in awe, holding your breath at the sight. This was something that most people went their whole lives without seeing, and Eliza just brought you straight to this place.

You felt Eliza slowly slip her arm around your waist and tighten her hold, and you begin to wonder why. It wasn’t like you wanted to disturb the unicorn at all, you were thankful just to be able to be graced with its presence. But then- that’s when you heard the noise.

A group of men were laughing boisterously, pushing their way loudly through the brambles that surround the glade. The unicorn neighs loudly in alarm, turning around to run before suddenly a spell is shot through the air, pausing the unicorn in mid-stride. Three men burst into the glade, laughing and pushing against each other. No, they were going for the unicorn!

You tried to push forward but Eliza held you down, practically climbing on top of your back to hold you still. “Just watch, you’ll see.” Her voice was whispered with hatred into your ear, and you cease struggling once it seems futile.

“Let me save her, we still have time. We can surprise them-”

“Just. Watch.”

One of the three men restabilized the spell to hold the unicorn still, another pulled out a dark, gleaming blade that reflected prisms onto the ground below it. The last one, laughing, pulls out a pouch and sets it atop the unicorn, flipping the front flap open. Right in front of you, they begin to harvest the unicorn’s blood. The gleaming blade is used multiple times, the cut healing itself after one small vial is full and they move to the next. Their mumbles were unheard by you, but they seemed to be having a good time. They had an ease to their movements that showed how often they did this.

“I don’t want to see this,” You whisper, tears burning your eyes.

“Watch. This is what you need to see. This is why I do what I do.” Eliza’s voice felt sinister, sending shivers of dread down your spine. You begin shaking your head, trying to break free from her again with no success.

“I’ve seen enough, I get it.” You pull again and Eliza pushes you down farther, the thorns poking into your stomach. She keeps you down on the ground for another long while, until the mumblings from the poachers fade away to nothing. When she finally lets you back up, the unicorn is laying on the ground of the glade, breathing but exhausted. Tears fall down your cheeks and Eliza begins to crawl away. “Shouldn’t we do something? Heal her?”

“If you want to give her a heart attack, sure. Do you really think she wants a wizard with a wand near her right now?”

You sigh and turn, following Eliza out of the crawlspace she made. You followed behind her steps as she led the way out of the forest, your mind racing with the horrible scene that you just witnessed.

“Now do you understand?”

“I’ve always known poachers were horrible people, Eliza.”

“No,” She stops, turning to face you with a serious and concentrated look. “Do you understand why I do what I do? Why I cast those spells on them?” You were quiet, eyes darting back and forth between her own, and she raises her voice when you don’t answer. “They deserve it! They harvest blood from a unicorn, the most majestic and good being in this entire world!”

“Eliza,” You begin, but she cuts you off before you can even begin to speak.

“No! You can’t tell me that they don’t deserve it! You saw it, you watched the whole thing! They do that every day!”

“Why haven’t you stopped it then?” You furrow your brow, tilting your head in confusion. You see her face begin to turn red from rage, stepping forward and poking your chest roughly.

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing, I just wondered-”

“I was waiting. Watching. I want to know where they came from so I can destroy them from the source. If I kill two ants trying to steal a crumb, ten more will appear.” You draw in a breath, trying to understand her reasoning.

“How long has this been happening that you know it happens every day? How long have you sat there and just watched a unicorn be tortured?”

“It’s not my fault!” Eliza screeches, disbelief colouring her voice. “I’m not the one doing it, they are! I’m working on it, I’m planning! You can’t tell me that- no, it’s you! You’re the horrible one, twisting my words and actions around to seem evil.” She sneers at you, poking your chest roughly once more. “It’s you, with all of it!”

“Eliza, I didn’t even know this was happening.” You huff angrily, the overwhelming feelings from watching the unicorn bubbling up once more. “You’re the one that’s been watching this for so long that you know how often and when it happens. You’re the one that didn’t do anything to save that poor unicorn, you’re the one casting unforgivables on people, and you’re the one that lost your friends. None of this is my fault, Eliza, I did nothing to you! You didn’t even know I existed until my friends gathered you to save me from those damn poachers! You’re just looking for an easy excuse, anything or anyone to blame so that you’re not the one at fault!”

“It can’t be my fault!” Eliza screamed back, turning and marching away. You follow quickly, not wanting to be lost, but Eliza keeps up her rant as she walks. “None of this can be my fault because that would mean every single decision I’ve made was wrong. That everything I’ve chased my whole life was for evil and I can’t handle that, I can’t allow that to happen.”

“Eliza, it’s never too late to admit your mistakes and do better-”

“I’ve made no mistakes!” She threw her hand out, turning her head to glare at you before pushing forward again. “I can’t afford mistakes. I can’t have someone coming into my life and pointing out every single flaw I have. I have responsibilities, I have people that count on me!”

You were quiet after that, unsure what to say. Maybe the stress was getting to her? ‘She still cast Crucio…’ Your mind supplied, and you shook your head while staring at the leaf-littered ground. There was no excuse good enough for that one. No matter what she showed you, what she believed her reasoning to be, she had willingly and joyfully cast that curse. Tortured someone for her own pleasure. Nothing can change that.

You finally break through the edge of the forest and you gasp in a sigh of relief, rushing forward away from the trees. The sunlight on your face felt nice, and you close your eyes with your face skyward to feel the heat sink into your flesh once more. You hear Eliza approach next to you, then stop. You halfway hope she would disappear like she did before, but when you opened your eyes she still stood next to you, studying you intently.

“So, are you going to tell them?” You tilt your head again, crossing your arms.

“I’m sorry?”

“Tell them. Tell Natty what you saw, that I was justified in my actions.” You drew in a breath, thinking it over. This woman was dangerous and already threatened you once. Saying no to her, especially here when you both stood alone, was a death sentence. You bit your lip, then nodded once, your shoulders relaxing at Eliza’s obvious relief. You’re quick to speak, unsure if you want to lie fully to her.

“I’ll tell them what I saw. I’ll let them draw their own conclusions.”

“That’s all I ask,” Eliza assures, a smile crossing her face finally. Her smile was soft, almost gentle if you didn’t know any better. You could easily see how she fooled people into believing she was good, it was hard to argue with that face. “We should get back to the castle before we’re missed.”

“Right,” You agree quietly, walking next to her down the path. Close to Hogwarts, Eliza pulled a broom from seemingly nowhere and turned toward you.

“I have an errand to run, but I think you’re close enough to the castle now.” You nod, watching her wearily as she mounts her broom. “Remember what you said.”

“Of course.”

You were unsure where to go when you finally returned to the castle. Your class had long since been over and you couldn’t find Poppy anywhere near the pens. You stopped by the potion’s classroom on the way inside, but it was empty aside from Professor Sharp in the back, and you walked on. You checked the main areas, but they were too crowded and you found yourself doubting you’d find your friends there. The library was a bust as well, and you checked the small area above the transfiguration courtyard where you first spoke to Ominis, finding it in much the same state as everywhere else. You let yourself walk down the bridge slowly, entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower.

You hum to yourself, wondering if they might be in the Undercroft. Ominis might, at least. You knew you could always just leave and search somewhere else if they weren’t, so you began the descent to where you remembered it was. Approaching the cabinet you hesitated, lifting your wand and looking down the hall to make sure no one was watching. You were unsure which places to press, but you tried your best to replicate what Ominis had done the night before. Thankfully, the door swung open.

“No one can find them anywhere,” Poppy exclaims, and you smile hearing her voice. You try to hurry your feet to meet with them, listening to their conversations.

“I couldn’t find Eliza, either. She wasn’t in our common room or any other place I could think of in the castle.” That was Natty’s voice, and you were halfway surprised to hear her there.

“Y/N is powerful and knew that this was a possibility. I’m sure they’re okay,” Sebastian assures, and you turn the corner to finally enter into the room. A group of five were huddled around a table, half of them leaning on the table while one person paced back and forth.

“No, they thought it was empty threats,” Ominis challenged, turning to continue his pacing. Sebastian stood nearby, anxiously watching his friend. “They didn’t think anything would happen, especially so soon. They would’ve been open, vulnerable- Salazar, I should’ve been there. I should’ve watched them.”

“It’s not your fault, Ominis,” Natty tried to assure, Poppy’s head lowering farther toward the table.

“I’m sorry,” She whispers, pain evident in her tone, and your chest clenches. You begin walking forward, wanting to reassure the group of them. Ominis immediately stops, turning away from your direction and toward Poppy.

“Hey, don’t be. We’ve been over this Poppy, it’s not your fault at all. We just need to work together to find them-”

“Found them,” Garreth interrupts, raising a hand to motion toward you. You didn’t realize the ginger had seen you, though, granted, you were watching Ominis and Poppy closely. Everyone spins to face you, and Ominis lifts his wand immediately to show his pulsing light.

“Y/N!” The group of them called out, and you smile in return. You were about to respond when Ominis takes long strides forward, practically tackling you into a hug.

“Merlin, Y/N,” Ominis’ voice was heavy with emotions as he buried his face into your neck. “We were so worried.”

“Ominis was ready to tear this castle apart,” Sebastian adds helpfully with a smirk, walking back toward the table and circling around to where Poppy stood. You finally see a large grin across her face, but guilt still coloured the edges. Sebastian’s hand raised to her back, rubbing back and forth in a comforting manner. Your arms wrap around Ominis, holding him close as you speak to the rest of them.

“I’m fine now, sorry to worry you all.”

“‘Sorry to worry’-” Garreth repeats incredulously, crossing his arms. “Are you trying to say you wandered off on your own accord?” The group fell quiet, confused. You shook your head the best you could, smiling toward the bunch of them in an attempt to reassure them. Your eyes lock with Poppy, trying to send her, specifically, a reassuring look before you spoke your next words.

“No, Eliza found me.”

“What?” Natty called out, immediately taking a step forward before hesitating in her movements. She crosses her arms, a stubborn look crossing her face. “Well, what did she want?”

“Did she hurt you?” Ominis asks, pulling back and waving his wand down your form. You could feel the tickle of a diagnostic spell that you were surprised he knew but shook your head in response once again.

“No, I’m not hurt. She just…” You trailed off, eyeing each of them with an unsure look. Ominis raises his hand to your cheek and trails his thumb against your skin, then when he pulls away you spot blood. You had forgotten about the scratches you received from the brambles, but as Ominis raises his wand and mumbles something, your skin knits together like nothing had happened in the first place. “Well, she just wanted to show me something.”

“Show you something?” Garreth repeats again, and you nod blandly. Natty studies the ground in front of her, unable to meet your eyes.

“She wanted to show me her excuse. The reasoning behind her actions.”

“The reason she cast Unforgivables?” Natty spat out, turning to walk a few steps away from the group. You could tell she was hurting and you begin to wish you knew her better if only to comfort her now.

“Yes,” You answered, watching the back of her head. She stiffened in response but said nothing. It was Sebastian who ended up breaking the silence.

“So what was it that she showed you then?”

“A unicorn.” Your answer brought a gasp to the lot of them, aside from Natty who only blandly turned to face your direction again- still unable to meet your eyes. “She brought me into the forbidden forest. Led me directly to a secluded glade where a unicorn’s den lay. The unicorn walked out, and she-” You breathe through the pain, the memory of those poachers flickering through your mind.

“You can’t tell me she did something to the unicorn?” Poppy calls out, her momentary guilt suddenly vanished. You couldn’t help the smile you threw towards her at her obvious interest. She was bouncing on her heels and her hands fidgeted as she waited for an answer, and you were quick to reassure her.

“Oh, no. We didn’t go into the glade at all.” You looked up to the ceiling, thinking. “In fact, she created this little space among the bramble that we could sit in.” You begin to tell the story, every detail that you could remember. How Eliza held you down before the poachers came, what they did and her excuses for keeping the both of you from stopping them. You watched the faces of your friends sour as you told your story, stopping your tale before the screaming had happened, before you had argued with her.

“Why didn’t she stop it?” Natty finally asks, meeting your eyes with a watery gaze. “If this has been going on for so long- so long that she knew the exact time that the poachers would be there- why hasn’t she stopped it already?”

“She said she was watching, waiting to follow them back to their hideout to strike them at the source. So they couldn’t regroup and go back.” You were repeating what you had already explained, but you tried to reason with Natty. The Gryffindor’s face just sneers, taking a step closer to you.

“That’s no excuse, she could’ve followed them the first time she saw the lot of them!”

“Hey,” Ominis interrupts, moving a few steps to stand between the two of them. He held his wand up in front of him, the end pulsing with his usual charm. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m sure Y/N doesn’t agree with Eliza’s excuses.”

“They certainly haven’t said as much.”

“I was just trying not to colour your guys’ opinions with my own,” You reply gently, pushing past Ominis to approach Natty carefully. “Eliza asked me to tell you all the story. She believed that what she showed me, mixed with me telling you, was the key. She just wants her friends back.” You bite your lip, feeling a bit sorry for her. “I’m not excusing any of it. In fact, we had this very same fight right after the poachers had left.”

Natty’s aggression drained out of her and her shoulders visibly slumped lower. “Oh,” She whispers, shaking her head as her tears finally begin to fall. “Yeah, she would. She always had a habit of thinking everything was a game.”

“I’m sorry, Natty,” You whisper to her, swallowing roughly. The girl’s eyes shoot up to you in surprise, confusion marring her features. She roughly wipes her tears away with a fist when she responds.

“Whatever for?”

“I know you two were close-”

“None of this is your fault, Y/N,” Natty reassures, reaching forward to place a hand on your bicep, squeezing it in reassurance.

“I told them as much,” Ominis mumbles behind you. He had approached sometime during your conversation, taking the last few steps to close the distance and place a hand on your lower back.

“I know,” You say with emphasis, eyeing both Natty and Ominis, “That it’s not my fault. Eliza has made her own choices, and something like this was bound to happen sooner or later.” You lock eyes with Natty, expression falling. “I was apologizing out of empathy, not guilt. I would hate to lose a friend like that.”

“Well, thank you.” Natty nods, taking a few steps back toward the table. “So, what are we going to do?”

“Do?” Garreth questions her, placing his hands on the table to lean against it. “What do you mean? Y/N was found, safe and sound.”

“I mean about Eliza,” Natty continues, eyeing him before approaching the table fully, turning to the rest of the group. “She’s going to be upset once she realizes her little stunt didn’t work. She might target Y/N again- or she might even go after one of us, ourselves, if she feels threatened enough.”

“And what are we supposed to do about all of that?” Poppy questions, leaning back into Sebastian for comfort. You take Ominis’ hand, leading him closer to the rest of the group to participate in the discussion. “We’ve all seen how powerful she is- and she’s not afraid to use Unforgivables. How are we going to compete with that?”

“Well,” Sebastian inserts, tilting his head back and forth, “There does happen to be six of us, and only one of her.”

“One of her, and her big, all-consuming, ancient and most-powerful magic,” Garreth replies sarcastically, leaning back to cross his arms. “Yep, seems like a fair fight to me.”

“We just need to plan,” Ominis finally inserts, one hand holding his wand out while the other slides from your back to your hip, pulling you against his side. “Even the largest foe has a weakness, we just need to find hers.”

“What are we even trying to get done here?” Garreth questions once more, throwing his hands out. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a plan to fix everything, but what is the ultimate objective? Get Eliza to stop using Unforgivables? Get her to leave us all alone?”

“The objective, Garreth,” Natty inserts, looking him in the eyes, “Is to get her put into Azkaban where she belongs.”

[unfoldingrose]

Datura’s Daughter

Reading Key 🔑

OPEN & LISTEN/READ ALL LINKS. THIS IS FOR UNDERSTANDING.

ALL LINKS ARE UNDERLINED RED

I had briefly read about Datura as a late teen/20-year-old. The plant intrigued me and was always in the background of my walk (studies). She wasn’t of utmost importance to me regardless of Her ever presence. I simply wasn’t ready...until I was.

My stumbling upon Datura in real life was serendipitous and so so unexpected.  

August 2019, I was having a full moon stroll with a beloved musical genius. We will call him FireBird.

FireBird and I were discussing the Andromedin star system, and the Arch(acnid)s of Time. He and I tended to get deeply esoteric with each other. He kept up with me AND expounded upon conversation to the point where I found myself having to keep up with him. Despite the craziness of our connection, he and I were kin in that way. Hearts that sincerely sought to be One with Mystery.

Selene in Her fullness beamed down on us. Crickets sang their song, and East Atlanta’s humidity cloaked our skin.

We’d came across his neighbor’s house like we did a million times before, but I guess this night the neighbor’s Datura blooms were at peak ripeness just for us to see.

The flowers held their faces up towards the moon. Their sentient, Gramophone petals bellowing out Her intoxicatingly quiescent aroma. I gasped. Literally. In awe.

FireBird was off put, but I told him it was Sacred Datura, and he trusted my giddy response. Omg FireBird, I read about that plant before, see! Come on!

I innocently went over to the neighbor’s yard and inhaled with my whole lung. I picked a flower and nectar spilled over my fingertips. I eagerly put the flower in his face for him to inhale and experience Her as well.

I was ignorant that an inhale + nectar absorbed through skin alone will send you on a trip- though not nearly as deadly as ingesting the seed. Things got creepy, crawly, hilarious, scary, and <<*~FreaQQy~*>> (freaky::frequency), to say the least. An unplanned Datura encounter is an initiation in and of itself. This animalistic plant tends to stay with you. Your shadow is the humectant, and Datura is the moisture. I have learned that it is possible to come across certain plants and be inside their vortex…indefinitely.

Four years have passed, and I have been inside Datura’s Fib0nacci ever since- with less intensity as time goes on.

Here is some of what She’s revealed to me…

Vision Quest & Flying Ointment 

Datura (Thorn Apple, Jimsonweed, etc.) belongs to the Solanaceae family- the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. She is a weedy perennial, with large trumpet blooms, and stanky, menacing leaves. Solanaceae is unique in that several species contain the presence of strong alkaloids. Alkaloids are multifaceted organic plant compounds, and can be toxic to humans in even low amounts. Within Datura are three tropane alkaloids: atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine. Of the tropanes in Datura, hyoscyamine tends to have higher concentration; however, depending on the species + time & place of harvest, tropane concentration may vary. Datura’s alkaloids (as with all Solanas) effect the body in a host of ways, but the most common are pupil dilation; reduced secretions from respiratory, urinogenital, salivary, and other mucosal glands; effects on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system; rapid increase or decrease in heart rate. 

Datura is a deliriant under the hallucinogen umbrella. In the offshoots of reddit, one can find the r/Datura community where users describe their Datura horror stories. Deliriants (aka derailments) trigger erratic behaviors that can endanger others or self, strong hallucinations, hysteria, an inability to realize that one *is* hallucinating, vivid dreams, memory loss, true dysphoria, and more. Unfortunately for most...Datura’s hallucinations are that of a waking nightmare. Ain’t nothing cute and lighthearted about Her. 

Despite Datura’s terrifying association, She has been recorded for medicinal and spiritual purposes amongst various groups throughout the world. I find, as with most toxins and venoms, that the cure is hidden within the poison. It is painfully clear that earlier generations were aware of this knowledge when compared to modern people’s haphazard use of Datura. It seems as though, for the same effects tropane alkaloids cause, they can also relieve them as well.

 Datura (+ Her other tropane containing sister flowers) assist with: easing migraines, pain, & muscle spasms; curbing mucosal excess; rectifying cognitive problems stemming from spine injury; settling motion sickness & nausea; regulating cardiac arrythmia; unraveling violent PTSD and sexual traumas; and even calming asthmatic fits (when smoked). Speaking of smoke, ain’t it funny how Datura is in the same family as Tobacco? A common hallucination people report is that cigarettes appear out of thin air- and they have a smoke. Once they’re done smoking, the cigarette reappears again, and they are compelled to do it over again. Is it that during this hallucination, the body is attempting to regain control over respiratory function? Who knows...

 According to Kymia Arts, fire neutralizes tropane alkaloids, and ol plant lady Emma Dupree states here (@ minute 13:13) that dried Datura leaves “help em get they breath.”

In homeopathic practices, specialists name those who could benefit from Datura as a Stramonium person.  In extreme cases, this person has a deep fear of the dark, fear of danger, homicidal tendencies, an aversion to water, reflective surfaces, and being alone. They can be epileptic, manic, rageful, and schizophrenic. In mild cases, they can be dyslexic, have poor speech, or muscle ticks. I intuit that Datura heals these ailments because spiritually, this person is already in Her realm...and only She can reclaim & set you free.  She allows one to overcome their fears by *leaving* it at Her doorstep. For She eats fear and all arcane things for dinner...

On the inverse, Datura intoxication causes extreme dry mouth/throat, extreme thirst, speaking in tongues/babble, auditory phantoms, incoherence, loss of motor function, inability to read, inability to *perceive* danger, and (hopefully) temporary madness...

As I said before, Datura has been used worldwide by a wide range of groups. According to Pharmako Gnosis, the Tsonga of South Africa “use Datura fatuosa in girls’ initiation ceremonies for exorcism. After the ingestion of a decoction of Datura root, the ceremony is marked by dancing, rapid drumming, disrobing, and the invocation of a blue-green pattern of the ancestor spirits” (p. 248). 

One of Kalifornia’s indigenous tribe Chumash were known to use Datura ritualistically as well. For them, the main purpose of Datura consumption was to receive the gift of a dream helper. The Chumash chose the female Datura plant, dried Her root, and chewed the dried root during winter [Saturn’s season::Datura’s planetary ruler]. It is reported that their ceremonies with Datura were called Vision Quest (in Chumash Mother Tongue of course). One can even find the term Vision Quest in modern media; a prime example is in the suspense-horror film “Us” directed by Jordan Peele. There is a reoccurring scene where small girl is sent to a creepy mirror filled “funhouse” with the banner Vision Quest over the top. That “funhouse” is akin to a Datura trip...

In India, the powdered seeds were mixed with butter and taken internally for impotence as well as being applied to genitalia to obtain sexual vigor (Lewis 1977:330). Referred to as the tuft of Shiva, the god of destruction, Datura was also used in the form of a liquid extract by thugs - worshipers of Kali, the goddess of fertility and death - to stupefy sacrificial victims. The plant was also given to young girls in India to bring them Into prostitution as well as on their clients (Siegel 1989:21). The leaves were smoked as well in that country to relieve asthma (Lewis 1977:395).

Datura metel. Phytognosis.

In European traditions, plant women were known to create flying ointments containing Datura or another tropane containing Solanas. It is possible that the creation of flying ointments are a part of why women during that time were accusing of “flying on brooms.” It is said witches would apply flying ointments to their brooms, or even to their vuvlas for aphrodisiac effects. 

“All of the tropane plants were major ingredients in various “flying ointments,” along with sundry other dangerous and nefarious substances such as water hemlock (Cicuta virosa), hemlock (Conium maculatum), monkshood (Aconitum napellus), opium poppy (Papver somniferum), soot, baby’s fat, bat’s blood and poplar (Populus spp.) Pharmako Gnosis. (245).

Another hallucination people have reported is a feeling of flying, or the sight of levitating beings. I attribute the flying sensation to an increase in heart rate. Interestingly, I have a hunch that users may also be experiencing the essence/spirit Datura’s primary polliantor, the nocturnal Sphinxmoth. 

Now I want you to take the time to read this. Below is an instagram caption from artist and chemist Bryan Lehto of Bio Temple Hawaii.

This amino acid (Tropane) plays a critical role in a variety of biological processes, from the formation of bird feathers to the synthesis of tropane alkaloids and the production of polyamine spermidine. The presence of ornithine in nature is a reminder of the intricate connections. Birds are perhaps the most well-known source of ornithine in nature. This amino acid is a critical component of the keratin that makes up bird feathers. Ornithine is an important precursor to the synthesis of the amino acid arginine, which is used to make the keratin that forms feathers. Without ornithine, birds would not be able to maintain their distinctive plumage and would be unable to fly or regulate their body temperature. Interestingly, ornithine is also a precursor to the synthesis of tropane alkaloids. These are a class of organic compounds found in a variety of plants, including belladonna, henbane, and jimson weed (Datura). Tropane alkaloids are known for their psychoactive properties and have been used for medicinal and ritual purposes such as flying ointments for centuries. The presence of ornithine in these plants that underlie their pharmacological effects. Their poisonous berries are spread by birds. Ornithine is a precursor to the synthesis of the polyamine spermidine. This compound is found in all living cells and plays a crucial role in a variety of cellular processes, including DNA replication, protein synthesis, and cell division. Spermidine is involved in the growth and development of plants, as well as the maturation of sperm cells in animals. An intermediate in the biosynthetic pathways of both tropane alkaloids and spermidine are the compounds of putrescene and cadaverine, the odors of death. If we look at the metaphors present in the biological processes of the amino acid ornithine, we see not only the metaphor of flight but the leitmotif of death, the underworld, and the resurrection of new life.”

Cool rite? 

Let’s keep going...

Vampire Squid from Hell

When Datura (or any other powerful plant) takes you into its vortex, intel about its occulted aspects finds its way to you without overt searching. She made it clear soon after our encounter that She is a land-dwelling expression of a cephalopod named Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, or Vampire Squid from Hell.  Vampyroteuthis Infernalis hasn’t had many extreme changes over the course of its 350-299 million year existence. It is considered a living relic, which means the genetic wisdom of this creature is still intact for us to observe and understand. 

One can detect the energetics of Datura in the location, and physiology of Vampire Squid. 

Vampire Squid dwells in the Mesopelagic Zone of the Ocean where oxygen becomes sparce. This deepening end of the Ocean is coined the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The Mesopelagic is also attributed the phenomena of twilight. Lingering sunlight wanes rapidly into darkness, and temperature sharply declines as depth increases. The lines between the surface waters and the abysmal deep begin to transition here. Let’s consider the Ocean’s surface, or Epipelagic Zone as Datura’s inviting flower, and the abysmal home of Vampyroteuthis (OMZ) as Datura’s Lethal Alkaloids. Dawn. Dusk. Twilight.

Organisms that live in this level begin to display bioluminescence. Their eyes & physical form take on an…alien, strange appearance. 

Vampire Squid reportedly has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, an adaptation needed to capture any glimpse of light in the endless black seas. It’s 8 arms are webbed and tipped with bioluminescent photophores. The underside of its webbing is decorated with fleshy spikes. When irritated, Vampire Squid will cloak itself in its arms, exposing these spikes. It not only takes on the shape of Datura’s inflorescence, but also Datura’s radical seed pod. 

[Photo Credit: Pinterest; Bing Images]

This blue-blooded cephalopod lives primarily in a resting state. Due to such low oxygen levels, it must maintain a low metabolism to conserve energy, and even possesses certain enzymes associated with anaerobic metabolism. The likelihood of Vampire Squid coming across live prey is rare- and so it feasts on detritus (decay, feces, mucus, “marine snow”) that sink from the Ocean’s surface. 

When reading about Vampire Squid, one fact that stood out to me is that they have “weak musculature but maintain agility and buoyancy (in the OMZ) with little effort due to sophisticated statocysts (balancing organs akin to a human's inner ear)(Wikipedia). Recall Datura’s aforementioned Gramophone petals? And Vampire Squid’s webbed arms? Don’t they look like triplets? What’s the connection?

Here are some field notes:

Oxygen Minimum Zone::OMZ::Ohms::Ω::OM:: H0me:: The Highly Contagious Viral Realm of Shadows:: Consequence of Datura’s toxic alkaloid scopolamine that causes respiratory failure [OXYGEN IS SPARCE]. Alchemist Kymia Arts states that the plant can cause one to suffocate themselves, as they drift off unconsciously into delirium. You won’t realize you’re drowning.

Gramophone::Grandma Phone::Recordings of the Crone [Saturn; ruling plant of Datura]. Hell’s Record Keeper.

Download:: Datura somehow has a mechanism on the human inner ear (statocyst, Vampire Squid buoyancy) causing auditory hallucinations… the intoxicated victim is finally able to hear the sounds of their own inner hell. Their internal Oxygen Minimum Zone.

Datura’s Daughter Short Materia Medica

Planetary Ruler: Saturn, Venus, and Mars

Energetics: Extremely Drying & Bitter; Drying action Causes Heat 

Z0diac: Capricorn, Scorpio, Libra

Organ Systems: Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nerves, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Neuromuscular, Urinogenital 

Properties: Deliriant, Hallucinogen, Shamanic, Poison, Anodyne, Antispasmodic

Associations: Death, Rot, Blood, The Devil, Decay, Madness, Hysteria, Fear, Trauma, OMZ, Gramophone, Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, Flight, Levitation, Sphinx Moths, Animalistic Urges, Indigenous, Folklore Traditions, Thugges of India (Datura shows who Thugs *really* are), Queen Toloache, Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts, Smoking, Lord Shiva, Chumash (California Condors), Initiatory Practices of men & the young. 

WARNING: Datura no longer respects or trusts 99.9% of humans. This is why so many Datura abusers don’t learn any lessons from Her as they would Psilocybin. Approach Datura with the utmost respect, sincerity, and innocence and you *might* be spared...

One night, a long time since that East Atlanta evening, I was tending to my garden. I had my playlist on shuffle. The song Throw Yo Sets in Da Air by Three 6 Mafia came on. I peeped my little Jimsonweed Datura dancing to it, specifically to the first verse given to us by the late Gangsta Boo, the Devil’s Daughter, and my inspiration for Datura’s Daughter. She gave me a wink and said She liked that verse! Haha. And so, from that day, Gangsta Boo’s verse has become what I call Datura’s Chanting Prayer. Linked below. 

RIP Gangsta Boo 

The Devil’s Daughter::Datura’s Daughter Chant Prayer

I think I finally have located the Gates of Death

Lie awake at Night to hatch my Evil plots I find Myself

Stumbling thru the Dark up against the f*ckin Verge of Sins

Bodies in my yard- Oh My God the Demons came again

People don’t you worry cus Datura’s Daughter got a plan

Ho, eternal burning you will have if you don’t comprehend

Understand this sh*t a Gangsta Bitch is sayin to ya Dawg

Lock you in the trunk mob thru the Night within a Mist of Fog

Never Fear a Nigga callin himself a Killer- wassup Bitch?

Boy you claim you so gahdamn Buck Wild wit that weak ass sh*t

Chillin at the hideout, smokin out, not worried bout a thang

Ballin through Black Haven deep as hell in that Suburban mane

Always watchin my back cus Niggas will jack you for your f*ckin sh*t

Female I am but don’t give a damn if I split some bustas bitch’s wig

Three 6 Mafia Niggas including one Female that’s bumping so Hard on you hoes

The only one talking that shit is these jealous ass niggas && all playa hatas you kno...

DISCLAIMER: I do not promote or recommend ingesting Datura AT ALL. Datura CAN and WILL kill you. Datura can cause PERMANENT psychosis/schizophrenia, blindness, and damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. If ingested/applied topically, it must be done with the assistance an EXPERIENCED plant professional in THERAPEUTIC DOSES ONLY. Therapeutic doses are EXTREMELY diluted or combined with other alkaloid balancing compounds. 

DO NOT INGEST DATURA. She is not a psychedelic. She is a DELIRANT in even moderate doses. For experiences similar to mine, sincere and respectful communing with a live Datura plant is all that is necessary. You can still be impacted (spiritually) by Datura without taking that risk...

DO NOT work with Datura if you are not ready to mature and deal with the recesses of your unconscious mind, the places you don’t touch...where oxygen is low...and detritus is nourishment. 

[sailor-brunette]

Disney Mirrorverse: Pure of Heart novel review:

Hey,y'all. So last night,I finished the Disney Mirrorverse: Pure of Heart novel. It's the first novel style book I've finished in awhile. Hopefully,I'll finish more soon. Anyway,I thought I'd post my thoughts in a review. I've only done one review before this,so I'm still pretty new at this. So sorry if it's not great. Lastly,this review is dedicated to @twisting-echo

Because thanks to her,I was informed about the book's existence and started reading it and other Disney novels. AND she and her blog got me more into Disney in general. So,without further ado,onto the review! Review and spoilers under the cut:

Okay,so the plot of the book is the plot of the now shut down Disney mobile game,Disney Mirrorverse. But this particular book has Snow White as the main character. Basically,Snow White's wprld is being infected by the evil magic from the Fractured Mirror. And the dwarves have been captured by the evil queen. So Snow White joins the Steller Guardians,gifted good magic by the Stellar Mirror to save the Dwarves and her world.

The good:

First of all...I LOVE that Snow White and the other Disney heroines in the book are basically magical girls now. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE magical girls. So it was great basically seeing Disney princesses being magical girls. Second,I love How Snow White's character was written in the book. I haven't watched the movie since I was really little. (I need to watch it again) But I feel her character was more fleshed out here while still keeping her core personality. Third,I love how each of the guardians got focus and faced their own challenges individually. It makes it feel more like this is a story about all of them.

The bad:

Once again,there really isn't much bad I can say about the book. I really enjoyed it. But if I had to pick something...it'd probably be...Snow White's prince...I'm sorry...I just did not like him and he rubbed me the wrong way...I'm a shoujo fan,so normally,I melt in a puddle when male love interests give flowery declarations of love to the heroines. But when he did it...it just felt cheesy...and kinda creepy...but that's really my only real complaint...

Overall:

Overall,I really enjoyed this book. And plan to read more Disney novels in the future! I have The Disney Prince novel: Prince of Thorns and Nightmares,as well and two Twisted Tales novels: Almost there and So This is Love. Not sure which one to read first,but I'll figure it out. Anyway....really enjoyed the book. And I hope they make more Mirrorverse novels,even though the game is shut down. Hopefully they will. We'll see.

Anyway,that's all for now!