#her whole body is very expressive her fur will puff or lay down at the tiniest things

[crowsyart]

You can tell I had more of an idea happening with these two (I’m sticking with the mouse over the squirrel for shinji)

[secretbangtnn]

Best Of Me| Two

Pairings : →ot7 x reader, poly!BTS x reader

Genre : → vampireau, yandere!au, age gap, gore, obsessive behavior, ddlg/caregiver, poly, fantasy, supernaturals

summary : It’s quite unusual to find a little baby on your doorstep, especially that their area was not of the poorest - you could say that a vampire town was efficient with money and snobby creatures. However over time the first idea of just giving back the little girl seems more and more radical and those moody vampires slowly start perceiving deeper feelings to human they even wanted to kill.

previous | next

notes ~ I did it!!! Omg im so happy I finished it, hopefully the next one are going to come sooner. The first chapters are going to be with a baby oc - im sorry if its boring, but after it we can start with the real plot, the things are gonna get dark. Hope that you will like it, and remeber to give me some feedback - im whore for a comments and ask and beside they motivate me very much

taglist :

@missseoulite @gukkculture @silscintilla @the-falling-star @apollonshootafar @mwitsmejk @lovinggalaxies @b-e-t-x-s-o @jisoosbitch @ariverflowsonthemoon @maboiisuga @peachescream1723 @sichajeon

Cries everywhere. Sobbing so loud that all the birds disappeared from their little birdhouse outside the window. And as funny the view was, a big ball of stress and nerves started collecting itself in the rather calm manor. Reason of all this mess was just one, so easy to notice.

“Jungkook!” Just like a ball of nerves now the big ball of dirty blankets and clothes hit the young vampire, making him stumble a little. Obvious disgust on his face with a piece of distaste on his tongue which just a second ago had been caused by the same thing he now fisted in his hands.

“You didn’t have to throw it at me!” Barked Jungkook staring at the broad shoulders of his oldest brother. Child now a little calmer, however still sobbing slightly, keeping the atmosphere at bay.

“You have brung the kid so you will hold the things he made. Be happy that I'm not forcing you to change the diaper instead.”

Disgust on all of their faces is now being something normal, having kids in the same room as them, definitely does not go well with hundred years old vampires. The only one without a gag reflex seems to be Seokjin, acting like a pro mother, just after her 3rd pregnancy with the next on the road. However all of them agreed with the statement that it was all but Jungkook's fault, which came with consequences for said boy.

Thus now sitting on the couch, five of the ramaing vampires, looked with a bored expression at the panicked and nearly vomiting jungkook. Youngest of them always had a soft stomach, never being the one to clean after disasters, forcing people to basically clean after him, and maybe that's why all of them felt such a satisfaction upon them while staring at the shitty situation.

Literally shitty.

Stumbling a little from the intense smell, Jungkook started to try getting rid of the used diaper in his hands, holding it with his fingers dingling it as far from his face as he could. Maybe the smelly object was not the only thing that should be named like a feces, knowing that a person who should just throw the diaper away, purposefully walked closer than intended to a couch with older vampires, stumbling not that accidentally and making the thing in his hand fly straight to a lap of a reading Namjoon.

A moment of silence, only lasting for a short second. Namjoon was never the one to shout or get mad, rather prefering to act calm and well put together, believing in a peace making and solutions not requiring usage of violence but when the heavy baggage on his lap suddenly started to warm his lap, he completely crushed his persona as well as book in his hands.

“Ups...hehe.” Jungkook laughed awkwardly, knowing well his fate. Doe eyes looked at the tall man, standing a little farther than him, just behind the couch. Jaw tightened so were the hands, keeping the last strings of calmness that were floating on very dangerous water.

“Listen, before you actually do something think of the time when you destroyed my ps4 and

I did not even complain.” Hands just before him similar to the way you would to with a wild animal, and in Jungkook's opinion, it was not that far from the truth, observing how Namjoons jaws nearly crushed from the tension.

“Okay okay, we all need to calm down, It was just an accident.” Cut in red head, standing in the middle of the war zone. It was stupid idea, definetly not the brightes of the sunny vampire, even if it came from the good intentions. Hoseok, just like an innocent child that got stuck in a big people argument, was the one that got hurt in the end.

And everybody knew that when Hoseok gets mad it's the extremity that anyone in this room is scared to experience once again. There is silent agreement between the rest of the brothers that was made after one of Hoseok's outburst, promising that no matter what the devil can’t come out.

The apple of discord laying now upon redhead’s feet, innocent like a little kitten that just waits to be petted, but in this case it wasn neither a fluffy ball of fur and definitely not something that should be touched.

Silence so loud, banging in their ears with an uneven breath. Second after second, rest that were not included in the middle, counted sitting on their heels with nerve wracking feelings.They stared as Hoseok’s shoulders rose and went down with each puff of air from his flared nostrils, neither of them dared to move, preferring to stay in a safe zone.

Just as red headed one wanted to take his first kill, a loud laugh echoed in a room, coming from a little child in Seokjin's arms, that probably just came back from being cleaned up. A fresh smile on its face, eyes sparkly looking straight at the scene.

“What are you doing, idiots?” Asked Seokjin, a visible vein on his forehead, sticking out under his free hand that now pinched a bridge of his nose. His eyes catching a glimpse of the used diaper, right on his favorite carpet. “You had one thing to do, one thing Jungkook.”

“It was an accident I swear on my ps4!” He tried explaining, shaking his arms. Seokjin saw to much lived too long to believe it, everybody knew it but even than they acted like bunch of idiots when something like this happen.

“Namjoon destroyed it, you said it yourself.” Spoke Jimin, sitting on a couch with a happy smile, pleased with himself. Younger's head immediately halted in his way, a look of betrayal on his face.

“You midge…”

“I don’t care, just clean it up, in the meantime me with the little snack are going to cook something, right my little cutie?” Cuted the older while caressing the child in his arms, turning his voice in a baby one. And just like this the scene came to the same point, the only difference was that neither Namjoon or Hoseok were in the room, probably running away as fast as Sekojins came.

Jungkook sighed, squatting down to take care of the said thing. Again the disgust and a feeling of nausea hitted him with a side giggles of his blonde haired brother.

Going into the kitchen he spotted the child that looked at him as soon as he appeared. Little smile and sweet laugh, making him soft and mushy for a while.

“I hope you know that you gave us a big problem with bringing a human child there.” Seokjin spoke, not looking from a cutting board, himself to immersed in said action

Jungkook knew, earlier thinking of it like a mere action, something that they can get rid of as fast as a lollipop wrapper. But it was not, and now looking at the kid, he realized how his careless behaviour could weigh down not only on his family but the whole society of vampires.

“I’m-”

“Don’t just apologize, we need to take care of it as fast as we can, in the meantime doing everything to not harm it. If someone finds out it’s going to be a bigger problem, probably even straining the relationship with human - and that’s something we do not want.” Cuted older, in the end turning around pointing the sharp knife on Jungkook.

It was true, the delicate stattlement between those two societies is still new, fresh and hot, ready to burn anyone's fingers, anyones who is to carless. The today is a better world, something that all of the brothers know, remembering dark times - some of them being not older than mere hatchling then. World was a dangerous place to live in, vampires hunting humans, humans hunting vampires, a competition that never got settled, and they hope it never will.

“Try feeding it and come to the living room after you are done. We will discuss the next actions - good luck.” A little wink at the end, Seokjin wiped his hands off on the way patting the younger's back, harder than normally.

“Wait what?! You are not being serious right now, right?” Asked confused Jungkook, fastly turning around to an already disappearing figure. Cold sweat on his body as he looked at the smooth face of the older, that defended a flying kiss to his shocked self. “Why can’t you do it?”

“I can. But the human seems to take a liking to you.” And how absurd it sounded, the baby really looked at Jungkook like some god, sparkly eyes always following his bigger figure.

“Seokjin! Don’t leave me please, I can’t do it.”He whined, looking for the said man, to his luck he was nowhere to be found. It was going to be alright - he tried to believe in those words now clutching baby spoon, that he was sure they did not have, and a mashed food, looking more like dog food than actual meal.

His Eyes staring right into the sparkly and to obnoxious happy, making him even more irritated. In the end, Jungkook hated little children, being and acting like one himself

Little hands stretching towards him with a toothless smile on the side, getting bigger as Jungkook came closer. That was it, taking a big breath he come to the other side of the table - almost touching the stool where the human sat. Ready and determined to get the task done, treating it similar to a quest in the game, he took the little spoon with some of the smashed food, and started to get closer to the child's mouth.

And as the brothers again started to live their normal life, thinking that at least for now, everything is settled, a very obvious squeal shook the while house.

“HYUNG!...IT WANTS TO TOUCH ME! GET IT AWAY, GET IT AWAY!”

___

All of them now sitting on the couches and armchairs, taking nearly all of the space. Some of the observing the crawling baby with prominent couriousty some of them with disgust even fear, not knowing what future the baby will bring.

Namjoon although feeling the little distaste, knew or better had a plan with what to do.

Smile on his lips not reaching his eyes, however stumbling on the way of eye contact with some of his brothers.

“Okay so, definitely we need to do something with...this.” Said Jimin, look on his face full of distress and disgust resting on the child, that as if it knew of Jimin’s attention looked back full of giggles and reaching hands.

“That is obvious, we can’t keep human child.” Barked Yoongi, the one which rather prefered to stay quiet in those metters.

“Jungkook should take care of it, It’s not my fault he is to stupid to not question a left human on a doorstep.” Smug smile now on Jimin's face, as he gave the side glance to the said male, happy with triggering the younger temper.

“As If you woul…”

“Okay we get it Jimin, it was Jungkook's fault, but still it can affect us all, so try to be at least a little bit helpful or shut up” Interrupted Seokjin staring at both of them in turn. The oldest obviously tired of all of the drama, massaging his scalp, to relieve the tension a little. “Let's start one by one, any ideas?”

Silence, a loud silence throwing the tension to the already burning fire. Seokjin's vein once again appeared on his forehead, making Jungkook nearly knock from a terrifying sight of it. It was pulsating, green and bumpy.

“Maybe let’s put it back?” Asked the quiet voice, Sekojin ready to snap at the stupid idea thinking that some of the youngers don’t know limit of the unfunny jokes, only to find innocent eyes of Hoseok.

“That’s … well that is AN option, thank you Hoseok - keep it up. Any other ideas?” Seokjin’s hands molded into a thump, giving the tired smile to Hoseok, knowing of his still busing nerves.

“Why are we even trying so hard, throw it away i say.” Jimin mumbled while staring at the little child going his way, quickly putting his feet on the couch, scared of a chance of being touched by the human.

Tired sight left mouth of the olders, his vein fading a little - to Jungkook luck, and his hands now clenching his blonde lock. He was helpless, disappointed in his brother's ideas and intelligence. He was sure that, that was indeed an end, his family will be arrested for keeping human, and vampires are going to lose a peace they fighted for.

Everything because Jungkook wanted to take unfamiliar child to their house.

“What about the orphanage that opened like one month ago, can’t we just leave it there?” Cuted Namjoon, making everyone snap their head. Seokjin nearly crying, wanting to kiss his brother as much as choke him for his slow process of thinking.

“Couldn’t you say earlier?!

[minnochu]

Lustrous (pt 19)

Hybrid!Kook x Fem!Reader AU

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5 | Pt 6 | Pt 7 | Pt 8 | Pt 9 | Pt 10 | Pt 11 | Pt 12 | Pt 13 | Pt 14 | Pt 15 | Pt 16 | Pt 17 | Pt 18 | Pt 19 | Pt 20 

(A/n): This has been in my drafts for the past week, debating if I wanna post this or not, ‘cause it’s a bit of a filler but I also gotta feed my readers at some point in time y’know lol! 

The pining is almost endless I feel bad. Just a little. 

 Also the only time my irl knowledge in tkd comes in handy is now, and still shits on my lack of ability to write anything having to do with action lol.

Once again, let me know what you think!! Love you all a bunch <3

.

.

The sun hits your eyes through the blinds the very next morning. As your eyelids flutter open, you reminisce the happenings of last night. 

“Will you forgive me then?” Jungkook’s voice had asked quietly after a moment of silence, the both of you busying yourselves at that time with staring at the night sky. The way he glanced at you in search of an answer stole your breath. 

His eyes shimmered with a glint of his azure glow so quick, you wondered if he’d even shown his true colors in the first place. You admire the way they hold so much emotion, vulnerability. Outwardly, he’s closed off, a defense mechanism after hurting Hyejin and his pack, in order to protect others and himself from going crazy. His gaze that constantly shifted between an earthy cedar and a roaring sea, you loved them all.  In the beginning, they appeared cold and lonely, but fuck all if you didn’t love the way they reflected the light of the moon and the stars. Even the emotions you had yet to witness, it was bound to be as beautiful as what he’s allowed you to see.

“Hm… I don’t know…”  You had answered back with a teasing lilt to your smile. The wolf had visibly been taken aback by the reply, wondering if he was being too indecisive. The panic that crosses his expression is so apparent that you can’t help but find it too cute. The bubble of a giggle soothes him, his shoulders sink with relief, eyes drinking up the beginnings of a smile that graces your lips.

Better than before, the air between you both had finally begun to calm and it felt more serene and secure, just as it was before this whole mess.

“Come back to us, (Y/n),” He said, more like a command than a request, but the way he whispered your name that time sent you soaring. The way the syllables of your name sounded on his tongue seemed almost unrealistic. You almost forgotten that he was fated to another lucky woman. 

Until Jimin interrupted the two of you of course. 

Both of you went rigid when Jimin’s messy brunette hair pops up from the edge of the roof. 

“You both are real loud you know?” His smile is goofy as he wiggles his eyebrows at the two, “You know… ‘cause us were-creatures have enhanced hearing.” He taps his right ear with a smirk before taking his leave when a growl emits from Jungkook’s chest. 

Glaring up at the familiar ceiling, Jungkook’s ceiling, you missed the sense of security you felt laying in his bed. His sheets, dare you say creepily, were drenched in his scent. Vanilla and a twist of floral, not the scent you’d expect of a growing boy, but you grew fond of it nonetheless as you continued to stay with the boys. 

You hadn’t realized it until now, the inexplicable warmth curled around your body. Turning over, you don’t expect Jungkook’s giant wolf form lying asleep behind you. 

How unexpected, you think, despite all this, the hybrid sleeping in the same bed as you was the most least likely to happen after all the tension between you both. If you recalled correctly as well, Jungkook was very adamant on sleeping on the floor last night.

Shades of pink blossom over your cheeks, a warm sensation settling in your chest as you reach out a hand to gently stroke your fingers over his fur. Soft. It doesn’t even feel like he’s a wolf, more like an extremely oversized puppy. His ears twitch at the sudden stimulation, and you’re suddenly aware that his tail had been curled over your hip. The long appendage rises and falls, wagging just slightly as you snicker softly and move to scratch your fingers behind his ear. 

An azure eye peers open, and his tail immediately halts before it can fall back over your side. He seems to grow increasingly aware that he’d slipped onto the bed in the middle of the night and despite his less expressive state as a wolf, he turns away in embarrassment. You, however, take this as disturbing his sleep. Smiling softly, you sift your fingers one last time down his spine with a whispered apology and good morning before getting up to head downstairs for some breakfast. 

A puff of air shoots from his nostrils, mimicking a sigh as he watches you glance back at him one more time before closing the door softly behind you. He’s hyper aware of you bumping into Hoseok at the stairs, no thanks to his enhanced hearing, and feels his tail bristling with jealousy when he can hear Hoseok laughing with you about something he hadn’t cared to remember.

“Are you a dumbass?” 

Jimin stood up from his seat, chopsticks clattering on the ground as his eyes flashed a dangerous gold hue at the hybrid. Namjoon stays steely, taken to resting his chin on his knuckles, eyes watching patiently as Seokjin pries their chairs further away from one another.

“I thought I’d spare her the pain knowing that a disgusting monster like me imprinted on her.”

“Spare her the pain? Are you sure you’re not trying to protect yourself from the possibility that she might reject you? Don’t even try to convince yourself that you’re pushing her away because you want to protect her,” Yoongi scoffs this time, his face doesn’t show it but his eyes swirl with a relentless storm, anger and disappointment as the younger scowls back at him. The hybrid doesn’t have a comeback, because he and everyone at the table knows that Yoongi’s right.

“She’s a mortal,” Hoseok speaks up, trying to lift the tension between his pack mates, although he was also quite upset at Jungkook’s childish and self-deprecating tendencies, “He has some right to being scared, she doesn’t feel the pull like he does, she might run away or have second thoughts about his feelings.”

“You do… like her… right?” he asks a little tentatively this time. All eyes turn to the youngest, eager and curious. He almost feels intimidated like he wants to shrivel up until the floor swallowed him whole. He can’t even bother trying to lie in front of them either, not when there were two vampires and a warlock that could force the truth out of him if need be.

“I do. So much it hurts. Ever since I decided that she and Hyejin are two different people and merely a present and a past, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, she’s all I can think about and I hate it. But I’m scared, I’m so scared, I don’t wanna hurt her. I was angry initially, frustrated, and torn. Why did the stars give me someone I could just as easily kill? I wanted to hate her, but I can’t. 

“She thinks I imprinted on Hyejin and I’m such a big dumbass I can’t bring myself to tell her that it’s her. She’s gonna think I’m playing with her, that I was only forced to like her. But fuck do I like her, it’s ruining me, smelling Yoongi’s scent on her made me so angry, I wanted to hurt you hyung, why does she smell like you when it should be me? I’ve messed up… but I can’t even trust myself around her.”

“Then tell her Kook-ah,” Seokjin smiles softly, “Obviously not that you imprinted on her since you’re obviously not ready yet… just that you’re not ready yet to disclose that part of yourself yet, I’m sure she’ll understand as long as you’re not simply pushing her away without saying anything.”

“Yeah Kookie! She’s a teenage girl, she’ll be more hurt that you continue to shut her out.”

Yoongi catches the teen once everyone had said their fill, motioning him to follow the elder into the thicket until they reached what was once the clearing where you and Jungkook had fought for your lives against the hunters. Seokjin had meant his word and returned to the area and cleaned up, no bodies, no damage from magic or fighting. Trees covered the area as though two meteors did not just come raining. Kneeling down, he sighed at his own reflection in the pond, the vibrant colors of the fish greeting his eyes. 

“I think you make her out to be a lot more weak than she really is, you know?” Yoongi finally says, standing at the top of the hill with his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. His eyes stare down at the water, his gaze pinned on the pond skater racing back and forth on the surface. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed in you, but you’re smarter than that.”

“I’m glad you took my food for thought and finally used your brains to realize what (Y/n) means to you, but I think you’re underestimating her a little too much.”

Jungkook opens his mouth to protest but the withering glance from the older wolf has him deflating and clamping his mouth shut once more.

“I get it, but she’s been taking everything handed to her head on, the girl just found out she was a siphoner, had to fight her dead mother, and she’s just now trying to get the hang of using her abilities. You don’t think she can handle a little confession?”

The hybrid scoffed this time, tossing a pebble into the water. Its inhabitants fled the area as the rock broke past the surface with gentle ripples. “It’s not just a confession. You forget that she’s still mortal with human feelings. Hoseok-hyung said himself. She doesn’t full that pull and it will only confuse her. She’ll start thinking about the unnecessary like what if my feelings are all a lie. It’s not really me who likes her, it’s my wolf.”

“But you do like her?”

“I do! So fucking much it’s tearing me apart!”

Yoongi tapped Jungkook on the shoulder, waiting for the younger to turn before sending him stumbling into the pond with punch to his face. Slipping on the uneven ground, the boy fell backwards onto his rear with a large splash. Water goes flying from his sudden weight and he’s soaked from head to toe, simmering in the pond as he glares at the elder.

“Now that’s a look,” he chuckles, “Cool off a little will you? There’s nothing wrong with telling her, do it at your own pace sure, but you know you’re inevitably going to have to tell her someday. If she questions it, all you have to do is prove that you like her with or without the pull of your wolf.”

“Rejection is harsh, but seeing her move on without you is even harder, but she’s your soulmate in simpler terms, you just need to grow a pair. She can handle you, you just don’t give her the credit she deserves, you ass.”

Yoongi bends down to offer the boy a hand, to which Jungkook relents his glare and clasps his hand in the other’s. He should have seen it coming as the elder is yanked forward, head first diving into the pond. 

“You little fucker!”

“That’s what you fucking get, asshole.”

The two stare at each other pensively before bursting into laughter. Yoongi smiles softly at the younger, eyes warm as he nudges the boy with his fist.

“Still, I can’t believe I get to see the day you get all mushy over your imprintee”

“H-hyung!”

“I know Hyejin was something else, but still, you lucky bastard I still haven’t found my own mate yet.”

Jungkook stretched with a drawn out yawn, bones melding together and steam unfurling from his bare skin. Eyes struggling to stay open, he scratches and ruffles his hair before finding the energy to get up from bed. Looking for clothes, he pondered over the thought.

Was he really underestimating you?

“Glad to have you back,” Seokjin greets when you appear in the kitchen, offering to help as he prepares breakfast for all the boys. The warlock happily lets you set up the table with side dishes as he finished up the main plates. 

“Sorry for worrying everyone,” You say a bit hesitantly when you finally face the warlock. It hadn’t caught up to you just yet, but being around the boys again reminded you of how childish you were for running away like that.

“Don’t be, Kook’s just an idiot,” Taehyung hums when he walks in, ruffling his already messy hair as he yawns and rummages through the fridge. Returning to his full height, he winked your way while dangling a pouch of pork blood in between his two fingers. “If you get tired of waiting on him, I’ll always be an option.”

“There will be no options when I rip your head off,” Jungkook’s growl enters abruptly, startling you as you greeted him warmly. Releasing the vampire from his withering glare, he refocused his attention on you with a soft gleam in his chocolate gaze. 

“How scary,” Taehyung whines in feigned fear, emphasizing a shiver as he pierces the pouch with a straw, “And here I thought you let me off the hook for forcing her memories out.”

“And then shoving them back in you fuckhead!”

The two bicker and you can only muffle a giggle at how lively they are in the morning. You don’t realize the addition of another aura, until Namjoon’s large hand is gently squeezing your shoulder. You turn to look up to him, slightly surprised by his sudden entrance. If you didn’t know any better, the warmth of his smile that matched the gentleness in his dark eyes nearly made you forget that he was the vampiric leader of this rowdy bunch.

“At the very least they’re back to normal,” his deep voice rumbles with the ghost of a pleasant chuckle, “Yesterday was a little… tense… so let’s not run away again, yeah?”

“Y-yes sir!” You gulp, expecting his eyes to flash gold, but he merely laughs at your apparent fear.

“(Y/n), lighten up, I only say that since we are protecting you, the recent attack has us all on edge, you know. Jungkook’s a prick but nothing’s stopped you until now right? He’s just a bit... dumb.”

“I heard that hyung!”

Namjoon raises his hand from your shoulder quickly, holding it up with a cheeky grin when Jungkook turns his glare over to the blatant hand on your shoulder.

“Heel puppy,” Taehyung tsks, rolling his eyes at the youngest’s irritation. The second youngest moves to take a seat at the table when Jungkook elbows him, causing him to momentarily choke on his blood.

“Oh my Gods you children,” Seokjin sighs exasperatedly as the two bicker once more, whispering a silent spell that none too gently shoves them into the dining table chairs. The eldest shakes his head in disapproval as they pout and stare each other down.

The rest of the boys coming bounding into the room, at least on Hoseok and Jimin’s part. Yoongi could barely go a second without his mouth opening wide in a long yawn, dragging his feet and falling onto the chair with a slump.

Breakfast came and went, and you can only think about how fond you were starting to become of this scene. In the beginning, when you had first started staying with the pack, this scene felt weird. Like an outsider intruding on a happy family. But Hoseok was boasting to you about the dream he’d just had, and Jimin was conversing about the recent cartoon on television last night. It didn’t hit you when Jungkook had said it last night that the boys saw you as their own pack member. You didn’t even realize it until Jimin’s voice had melted into concern, blinking at you as others turned away from their conversations and breakfast to regard you with the same confusion and worry. 

“Hey, (Y/n), you’re crying, are you okay?”

You remembered Taehyung’s comforting words on the morning after the first attack.

“Family is Yahiko, family is us. That is… if you see us that way…” He said with a meek smile that day, “A family should be a place or people you can go home to and feel safe and loved. Evidently, the Blackwells do none of that.”

Then Jungkook’s words from last night.

“Then don’t hate yourself for being a burden to the pack, you’re not just a guest in our house now, you’re pretty much a pack member. The boys don’t treat you any differently than they would each other.”

Yahiko had been your only family up until now. Then Hyejin. Then Jungkook and the rest of the boys. Without your memories, you forgot what it was like to have a mother and a father, besides the ever doting kitsune who beckoned you to try liver and intestines, siblings and whatnot. Although you did have your mother before your memories were sealed, your coven brothers and sisters barely wanted to associate with you. Until now, you hadn’t thought about how the pack saw you, and you only thought that they were forced to have to keep you around and protect you because on your own, you had nothing and knew only the basis of what you could do as a siphoner. It all seemed obligatory from the start.

Maybe. Just maybe you found a place to belong with them. 

“I’m okay… just I’m sorry for causing so much panic yesterday…” You smiled meekly, accepting the napkin from Hoseok and wiping away the wet trails your tears had left in their wake. 

Would it be selfish to want to stay? 

“Hey, if you’re up for it, we can start some self defense training after you get home from school okay?” Seokjin says, offering a brief hug as the four of you prepare to leave for the day. You reply with a nod, much happier than you were minutes prior. 

Would it be too much to want to be with them even after all this is over?

“You’re such a cry baby,” Jungkook comments during lunch with Hyejin clinging to your side, the two exchange menacing leers with stuck out tongue from your best friend and a finger pulling down his eye lid from the male’s part. 

“I was being sentimental jerk,” You scoff, forcing your brows to scrunch in mock annoyance. 

“You were sentimental enough last night, quit it,” He frowns. In reality, he felt like he was being torn into two at the sight of tears. 

Hyejin rolls her eyes at them, “Would you two just make out already or something?” 

Heat rushes to your cheeks as did Jungkook’s, the ghost of a blush blossoming over his cheeks as he weakly glared at the girl. Jimin burst into obnoxious laughter, Taehyung looking away to very poorly muffle his own chuckle. 

I would if I could, you both thought, neither having enough courage to look the other in the eye right now. 

No no no, I told him I’d give him time to sort himself out, he has his own imprintee, I can’t just do that, you think to yourself.

What the fuck is wrong with you, you dumbass dog, Jungkook groans inwardly at his own reaction and thoughts. He’d be a liar if he denied wanting to, heavens above he’s wanted to for so long. Only problem was, if he started, he wasn’t sure if he could keep his hands away. Fuck, he was ready to combust right then and there. The image of your lips, their plush pressed against his, setting him on fire the same way he had when he first set eyes on you, stayed engraved into his mind. 

The remainder of his classes were spent distracted, half paying attention when he found his eyes drawing towards your form hunched over the desk beside him or even across the room with Hyejin beside you. By the time Potions had come around, he was ready to smash a flask into his face.

To rub salt to injury, Seokjin asked him to help out in training you. 

“I know we’re gonna be facing witches, who are more likely to attack using spells, but I just want you to be able to defend yourself if something like those bounty hunters happen again,” the warlock explains as the hybrid fidgets in his spot beside the elder, “We’ll keep studying and practicing some defensive and offensive skills, so you can get the hang of using your magic more often.”

Despite the obvious tension between the two of you, Seokjin teaches you how to punch correctly and to specific points like the inside of the arm. Jungkook forces down his heart in his throat and does his best to be your sparring partner.

Using a spell that covers your flesh in a layer of magic that protects you from the brunt of Jungkook’s punch and kick, Seokjin directs you and guides your body into a balanced stance. It helps make sure you don’t get knocked back too easily, as he fixes the awkward angle of your arm in a better block.

By the next day, Seokjin has you moving onto redirection and throws. You’re still a little sloppy at blocking and dodging, but he smiles and assures you that with more practice you’ll start getting the hang of it. He has Jungkook throwing punches your way for you to use your hand to push it aside. 

“Chances are, your attacker might be just a large as this brick wall,” the warlock grins as the hybrid frowns, “And I don’t expect you to be able to lift him with just brute strength, but you can use his weight to your advantage and be able to flip him over your shoulder, as well as knock him down.”

Jungkook can barely concentrate on what the elder is explaining, his senses overwhelmed at the close proximity with his arm around your neck in a mock choke. Your scent invades his nose, the beginnings of a blush crawling up his neck as your fingers curl over his forearm, pulling him down as you spread your feet into a base stance. Your right hand twists around the shoulder of his sleeve, pushing your hips back into his. 

“Good good, he’s off balance, now take use of that to step forward with your right and throw him.”

The hybrid is too distracted to realize what’s happening, when his world goes flying and suddenly he’s on his back and you’re on your knees beside him, hands still curled on his arm and shoulder.

“Perfect! Just don’t fall with him too!” Seokin chuckles as you bow in response and offer the wolf a hand. Not wanting to be rude, he gives in and clasps his hand over yours, wincing when his heart pounds at the simple touch of your skin on his. Your skin retreats from his, but the skin of his palm is still tingling with what’s left of your lingering warmth. 

Damn the mutt inside him. 

“A-are you okay?” You ask worriedly, noticing how spaced out he was.

“I’m fine, that was one helluvah throw though,” He says with a tight lipped smile, knowing he was very well distracted by holding you close like that. 

“Alright you two, if you’re done chatting, we can do a few more throws and try some leg sweeps.”

True to his word, you have your left arm splayed across Jungkook’s chest, holding his left arm with your right. Pressing against him, your leg moves forward before swinging back against Jungkook’s, swiping it from the ground. The pressure of your left forces him down, moving your hand the way Seokjin had instructed around his head and guiding him down. 

It was exhilarating, although in a controlled and safe environment, you felt confident being able to take down Jungkook. Although he obviously wasn’t putting that much resistance, you felt a little more safer being able to know such techniques. 

“How you feeling?” He asks nonchalantly when you get ready for bed that night. The hybrid made it routine to sleep on the floor in wolf form now, only to always end up crawling onto the bed in the middle of the night right after. Despite knowing his clothes were only going to be kicked under the bed after he turns, he settles on the foot of the bed to chat for a little.

You offer him a smile, drying off your damp hair after a much needed shower, “Muscles a little sore, but I’m glad to be able to learn how to defend myself when the time finally comes, you know.”

“That’s good,” He mumbles, unsure what else to say without sounding weird or desperate. Hey I really like the way you slammed me into the ground today or wow you looked so fucking hot standing above me. Oh heavens what even was that last thought? 

“You seem pretty versed in fighting, I mean you were always good… not that you were ever bad or anything… you held your own against those two hunters really well… and er… okay I’m gonna shut my mouth now.”

He couldn’t help his own sputter, a small pfft passed through his hand covering over his mouth. The attempts to muffle his amusement failed and he noticed the way you weakly glare at his reaction.

“I enjoyed Taekwondo when I was younger, they were wary of me as a supernatural, so I mostly practiced by myself or with Junghyun, and… after that…” His voice faltered momentarily and you can guess what he was referring to, “I practiced with Namjoon and Hoseok sometimes. Times are peaceful now though, so I never really had a reason to fight seriously until your dumbass came around.”

“Okay, listen, I did not ask to be attacked like this,” You frown at his jab.

“You played yourself for even breathing,” He cracks a subtle smile that you take in greedily. This was good. This was very good progress. You both were talking, and he even showed just a minuscule of emotion. Something was better than nothing at all. 

“For someone who’s never had to fight or protect themself, you’re doing pretty well,” He says after a moment of silence, eyes peering over to you, “A little more practice and I might actually feel a pinch when you hit me.” He cracks a mischievous quirk at the corner of his lips with a subtle twitch of his eyebrow. 

You however, puff out your cheeks and launch one of his pillows at him.

When Jungkook has long curled up in his wolf form, lying at the foot of the bed while you take up your usual spot on his bed, he’s abruptly awoken by the heavy musk of distress. Marine eyes fly open in alarm, darting back and forth within the darkness of his room. His dry nose twitches in recognition of the obvious discomforting scent. Ears flicking, he raises his head to glance towards the bed where you lay. 

As he thought, you’re tossing around, curling into a fetal position. Your breath hitches, eyebrows furrowing from what he can tell in the dark. 

Knowing himself, he can’t just leave you alone. Not like he was able to stay away anyways, always waking up curled beside you on the bed for the past few mornings. The lack of self control was astounding. 

And just like those nights, he rises from his position, shaking his head briefly before stepping onto the bed. The frame whines at the added weight, mattress dipping as he crawls to your side. Silently letting his large body curl around you, tail swishing in excitement before falling over your form, he settles comfortably. His azure gaze is hooded, watching as you toss once more before finding his warmth and relaxing against him. 

What were you dreaming about? He wonders as his mouth opens in a long yawn. 

What has you so antsy at night, even when you were long unconscious and deep asleep?

Maybe he’ll ask tomorrow.

Morning falls over the cabin once more, the day passing as you attend school and return to another day of training. 

“Alright, hope you know how to clench your teeth, a lot of physical fights end up on the ground, so we’re gonna practice some falls and then some ground fighting.”

Some what?

“Clench your teeth Kookie-ah!”

.

.

Tags!! (Let me know if you want to be added or if I forgot you!!) 

@twilight-loveer​ @reinyrei​  @mistytail​ @mygukandonlyficrecs​ @xanny91​ @unpocodesoledadywisky​ @xxqueenwxtchxx​ @lildemonangele​ @gukworld​ @sunnyoongles​ @serendipity-secrets​ @ilaria-np​ @jules-park​ @treetops68​ @mischiefmakerliesmith5​ @jeonkooksgirl​ @coffeeismylife28​ @nshitae​ @bookoffracturedescapes​ @ellsbells72​ @zamirayinyue13​ @hannahdearr​ @tiredjedi @sushibunn​ @perrshian​ @lovinggalaxies​ @ditttiii​ @cookies-are-done​ @mintyrae @blackravena​ @lilacdreams-00​

[nukyster-blog]

Changing course chapter 17) under the skin

.-.-.

Communication was out of the question. Overnight, Ivar’s embarrassment had grown to the size of a boulder and that huge rock of sweltering shame rested upon his chest, making it rather difficult to breathe. 

Ivar was glad he’d been dragged back into the mud of the pigsty, as he could not bear to be around Piglet. With both their secrets stripped bare, neither were able to look the other straight in the eyes. 

Amongst the pigs, Ivar tried to recollect his damaged ego but managed it poorly. A form of hopelessness took hold of his shoulders and hindered him from keeping his chin up. 

The mundane labour and damp wind kept Ivar’s thoughts from spiraling down, the Dietsch autumn was merciless; losing her beauty and warmth faster every day. It would not take long for frost to claim the soil and turn the entire pigsty into a shallow lake of muddy ice. 

Ivar wondered how he was going to survive, once winter announced itself with snow and freezing temperatures. His clothes were no match for the upcoming cold and the way he scraped through his makeshift knee pads, during his day to day odd jobs, made him dejected. Because how on earth was he going to move through thick layers of snow? He’d freeze to death, with his poor rags for clothing, soaking with icy water. 

Piglet quite literally shoved him out of his thoughts. The young woman dashed over the wooden fence of the pigsty and crawled her way towards the pigs enjoying their breakfast. She managed to squeeze her body alongside the fat bellies and disappeared from view. 

Almost simultaneous to Piglet’s free dive between the grunting animals, a carriage arrived. The tough Lancewood shafts were carved; decorating the sides with elegant flowers and biblical images. The transport device was the size of a decent house and had windows made of actual glass. 

The imposing carriage stopped near the well, it’s driver scratched the back of his head and looked around a little lost and anxious. 

“Ivar,” Piglet hissed and threw a clump of mud in his direction splattering one side of his face. Before he could yell at her, she indicated very firmly to get his head down and mouth shut. 

Curious, Ivar did what was told but instead of hiding, he crawled through the pigsty and peeked through the missing border of the fence. 

By then, the driver had managed to spot one of the linen maids, the girl made a small bow and started pointing with her hand, giving him the proper directions to the main entrance. 

Intrigued by the whole incident, Ivar sat up and traced the glass windows. What type of master would be sitting on the other side? By the imposing impression of the carriage, it was not a commoner. Would it be an Earl? A famous healer? A king? 

“Hamar!” Piglet sank her nails into his shoulders and dragged him down. Ivar let out a harsh breath of frustration and gave her a hard shove back.

“Just because I’m no longer planning on murdering you, doesn’t mean you can treat me like a scurvy dog,” he growled and plucked on the collar of his shirt to fix it before craning his head back towards the carriage. 

A young fair maiden had stepped down the iron footplate of the carriage and seemed just as lost and puzzled as her driver. She was nervous too, although she managed to keep a blank expression, her fiddling hands gave it away. Her fingers played with the embroidered laces of her long, fur coated cloak. 

Oh, she came from wealth, with her pale cheeks that have hardly been kissed by the sun. 

Her fingers found a new distraction, they played with a loose lock or her long blonde braided hair as soon as master and mistress de Haar approached her carriage. 

To Ivar’s surprise and annoyance, Piglet’s tormentor tottered behind them, sour-faced and in a black mood.   

Between the four aristocrats, came a stiff introduction in which the fair maiden gave a brief bow towards the master and the mistress. Piglet’s tormentor managed to lisp a few words and hastily placed a clumsy kiss on the back of her hand. 

As the four of them strode back to the wealthy part of the castle, the young man gave his arm for the fair maiden to take and Ivar realised the purpose of her arrival; an arranged marriage. 

“Ludolf de Haar,” Piglet whispered closely to his ear and dug her nails into Ivar’s wrist with the strength of a wild cat. Her act was not provoked due to Ivar, no it was an extension of the fear she held for that particular young man. 

“Bad man,” she pointed to the young couple, “bad man…” 

.-.-.

From his warm lungs, came white puffs of clouds with every breath he exhaled. Ivar tried to brace himself for the night as the cold started to set into his muscles and bones. He’d managed to hide most of his body underneath a thick layer of hay, but without a proper bed, the cold crept up on him from the flooring. Knowing that in the morning, his legs would cause him agony, made it hard to fall asleep. 

And with the dreadful event of last night still fresh in his memory, sleep seemed completely out of the question.

Although he created the illusion of being fast asleep, his whole body was on edge and his ears wide open. If that croaked-lipped bastard decided to come back, he wanted to be wide awake. His companion must feel the same, usually she was the first one to drift asleep, indicated by her calm deep breaths and occasional snoring. 

Ivar overheard her tossing and turning, all while her breath remained shallow and fast. Both were destined for a long sleepless night while being plagued by the penetrating cold. 

Approaching footsteps made both their breaths catch in their throats. Ivar’s eyes narrowed and for a moment, he closed them completely. The footsteps had the wet sound of someone walking in mud, someone who hadn’t learned to walk quietly and instead, relied on verges to muffle their steps. Each footfall was chaotically spaced from the last, no rhythm at all. They lacked confidence and cunningness. 

The footsteps most definitely belonged to Ludolf de Haar.

Piglet was aware of this too and before the keys could click inside the lock and open the door, she flung herself over the fence that separated their boxes and sought shelter alongside Ivar. 

It felt strange, for her to be so close in the twilight. Never before had she willingly crossed her makeshift line, but with such a predator on the verge of walking in, all rules were fairly broken. Ivar hastily crafted a plan. Without a word, he tucked Piglet’s body underneath the hay and crawled close to the trough.

The second Ludolf set a foot in their doorway, Ivar shoved his middle and index finger in the back of his throat and started hurling. Tears burned his eyes as partially digested chicken spewed out of him. His unwilling stomach contracted as he forced its entire content up and out. His fingers crawled around the edge of the trough and turned his knuckles white. Lurching forwards once more, Ivar choked and coughed. The pungent stench invaded his nostrils as he heaved until there was nothing left. 

He knew he was a mess, a dirty, sweaty, smelling, disgusting mess. He’d learned from the best. When he flung his head up, his heart leapt as he watched Ludolf’s lop-sided lip curl up from repulsion. 

Continuing to his act, Ivar clumsily crashed onto his stomach and in the process knocked over the trough. 

The youngest descendant of de Haar did not know how fast he could flee from the shed, as splatters of vomit rained down onto his leather boots. 

Although his entire stomach was empty, Ivar felt content and victorious. He’d conquered the enemy without lifting a finger and saved Piglet’s virtue, at least for another night. 

Indecisive, he turned back to the quivering pile of hay. Piglet had morphed back into a sniveling mess and that form of a woman was foreign and appalling to Ivar. He much rather fight the Giant with both his hands tied to his back then to retreat to the end of his box. 

But he was cold and damn exhausted from being in a continuous state of alertness. So even though Piglet’s soft weeping was off putting, he crawled back, stole half of her hay and lay down beside her. 

“Shut up Piglet,” he growled at her, shifting on his side with his back towards her. Although the warmth of her body was rather welcoming, he did not want to give her the impression he was growing soft on her. Ivar could cope with blood, pain and violence, but any form of gratefulness coming from a woman, chilled him to the bones. Such gratitude might give her the impression she mattered something to him, which evidently would give her power over him. And he did not want to be used simply for being a longing weakling, because he did not crave her approval nor care. 

Ivar certainly did not want to feel loved. 

“Shukraan,” she thanked him soft and humble and draped her arm over him, pulling herself tightly to his back. Ivar’s body stiffened by her uncharacteristic forwardness and bit the inside of his cheek so hard he drew blood. Her upper body fitted perfectly against his and he could feel her heartbeat jitter rapidly. For a moment, he wondered which one of their hearts galloped faster.

Ivar inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly: “shut up piglet,” but his words lacked its intended venom. 

She reeked, she had absolutely no respect for him and Ivar tried to think of many other reasons why he should not find so much relief in her embrace. But the truth was, her warmth and closeness gave him more comfort than any blanket or fur coat ever could.

And so he clenched his jaw over and over, sucked on the inside of his bloody cheek and remained stiff-backed and wide awake, because he could not swallow the fact that a reeking savage managed to continue getting underneath his skin.  

.-.-.

A/N: ok I know this was a ‘preventing a rape’ chapter, but I think those two together are cute af. As I mentioned before, I really like to torture Ivar and I think Piglet’s embrace comes pretty close to the many times the Giant beat the shit out of him. He simply cannot deal with kindness. I’d like to thank a few readers in particular: @youbloodymadgenius, @xbellaxcarolinax, @shanntgoatgruff, @pieces-by-me, and @readsalot73. Who’ve all been so motivational and I can’t thank you enough for all your kind words<3 My personal life is very time consuming, so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to update this story, but know I’m doing my very best to continue! 

Xoxoxo Nukyster 

The tagged ones:

@youbloodymadgenius

@xbellaxcarolinax

@saldelys

@shannygoatgruff

@pieces-by-me

@apenas-mais-uma-pessoa

@readsalot73

@lauraan182 @conaionaru

@sarahh-jane

If you’d liked to be tagged, please let me know:)

[apictureisapoemwithoutwords]

Be Careful That Which You Request.

“Eat the damn food!” Ӓr’kān’s growl is low, tone gravelly. 

Ears and connecting fins pull back in her impatience, as he thrusts the plate with a fish across the bar top. At the hungry, stubborn moron sitting beside them. 

“Bought it ‘so you’d fuckin’ eat an’ quit gawkin’ at my supper.” 

Ӓr’kān speaks, before going on to chow down on their own Giant Redlina, about almost done. As she observes Śhadō who is quiet again. 

This time peering at the extra plate. Like the dead aquatic, grew two more head’s. Right before those beautiful shiny black faded dark emerald green and peach-pink eyes.

It’s taken Ӓr’kān a moment to figure out the differences in their species’ ways of expressing things. More so than it was even close to hard trying to understand the Lepíspterón language, with no working translation between their species. 

Again, just another of the million reasons to love being an Aquatic, Ӓkˈtäˈpəd. It took their species little to learn unfamiliar languages, and almost all of them were pronounceable through their speech.

The Lepíspterón Tribe, Pectō Victima, or at least this single-member named Śhadō wasn’t doing half bad himself. He still stumbled on Ӓkˈtäˈpə words that had no equivalent translation in his dialect or any dialect or primary language known to their species; as far as either was aware of...

Śhadō’s antennae pulled up in alert, then drew backwards towards their false feather scale pony. Before he pulled them closer to his head, in mock anger; antennae almost now hidden in the feathers.

The period of silence broke between them as he spoke up in his native dialect. “Śhadō will take no such-”

… Making it even more fun for this Aquatic when their Insectoid attempted to mimic whatever Ӓr’kān attempted to say. And what she’d said was uncivilized. Something about the Lepíspterón or his thieving Moth subgroup or even his war made siblings and Śhadō; even as  stuck up and nasty hearted as he’d described his culture as did not have in their native tongue. 

“- fuck’ing actions!” and finished in Ӓkˈtäˈpə, with his upper lip stretched up over sharp, serrated black teeth; to bear his annoyance, rather than any genuine anger directed at Ӓr’kān. 

Which reminded him of the species Se​la​kē; whose Kiŋdəm had been to the right of her own. A best friend in honourment of their species they’ve not seen since forced to flee their home and all those she loved.

Looking as the Pectō Victima’s stunned silence in the wake of being thrown off by the show of affection and hospitality’s had warned off. Ӓr’kān prepared for the shit storm he will throw in its wake. 

Affection had been something shocking to learn Śhadō nor any of his species held a previous history. It was just everything Ӓr’kān grew up on had been about devotion, tenderness and the respect between family and for your people. She had felt as if he had been the only one of their species to have an ugly and dark side.

Even with her Octopade parents not being as prevalent within his life. They’d always had her older Octopade sibling to love him, and then she got to love a wonderful little codling sibling. When everything Ӓr’kān had ever held, gone. It was the Ratz who had taken that job of comfort and affection. Before that dark hole devoured everything, creating this being, this them they called, Bounty Hunter Ӓr’kān.  

Although, after having learned about what Lepíspterón’s siblings were like, what one had done to him and with all the stories forced fed into making Pectō Victima who he is today. On top of Śhadō's personality, engraving betrayal, from his own family. It was no wonder the chaotic, nasty, fluffy gremlin did not understand what it was like to have anybody genuinely care about them. Or to sprinkle you with pleasant things without needing that suspicion of ulterior motives connected to keep you alive.

Though, in all the time that this Ӓkˈtäˈpəd had known them. Never stopped Śhadō from being someone with an abundance of love to give. And for somebody who’d never known it existed or experienced it. The crazy bastard’s reverence and care for his insect pets were some of the deepest of ties. 

Ties, Ӓr’kān has only ever seen between Ӓkˈtäˈpəd Ŕȯiəl siblings. It went beyond the willingness to die or live to protect and love them and to think this overgrown moth did it all for these tiny squishy unintelligent creatures.

It is too bad for everybody else. - Notably, those Śhadō defined as Humanoid, which was everything and anybody. Something Ӓr’kān is slowly trying to fix, as they had no idea what that species is. Outside, the fairy tales told in space of a horrible cryptic race that as far as anybody knows doesn’t even exist. - Were not worthy of that love, them being included it seemed for some universal awful reason.

So it is a splendid thing Ӓr’kān, thought, she defied all common logic and universal truths and could be just as stupidly obstinate as he ~ or just plain stupid, depends on whoever you asked. That he knew the two of them would work. If nothing else, she’d become the only friend this grumpy killer thief has ever or may ever have to trust.

Snarling back at Śhadō; which is not a normal sound for a Ӓkˈtäˈpəd, and had been something she’d picked up aboard Ratz. Ӓr’kān spoke up, “Fine, starve, I’ll eat yo’r food too,” and turned away to do just that. As he bluntly ignored the most adorable sound Ӓr’kān’s ever heard. 

An offended high pitched squeaking or squeaking for any reason should be illegal. They should have the right to arrest, detain and devour Śhadō in -

Thoughts of unholiness screeched to a halt. As a large, warm, looming body shoved Ӓr’kān aside. Forcing her to grip the other side of the bar top, to keep from falling off the stool. 

“HaA’A~” 

Their voice pitching high, choked off mid surprise, as three cool metal digits from the thief’s prosthetic arm wrapped around their wrist, moving her hand away from Ӓr’kān’s mouth. 

All eight of their eyes attempted to see what the other was doing. But Śhadō’s magnificent form blocked their view. He could only sense a heavy rhythmic heat ghosting over her hand for a split moment, before. …

The noise of flesh and tendons being torn, bone being crushed covered the atmospheric sounds of the shady Bounty bar they were in.   

Alerting not only the other living things, but Ӓr’kān. Before the sickening splosh of blood pouring over-the-counter cuts off the rest of the room, daring to continue on with what they’re doing. 

At first, the Aquatics whole being is in shock with the actions of Śhadō. The pain hasn’t really caught up to him, and then it does, and the scream sticks to the rear of Ӓr’kān’s throat. Along with the failure of words, at having a piece of themselves stolen, with the fish she’d been holding.

It’s not until Śhadō’s noisily devouring his meal filters in. That Ӓr’kān’s wide eyes dart up from the missing extremity to glance at their companion. Whose lightly furred black cheeks bulge with his fresh mouthful. Lips, chin and parts of the omnivorous moth’s cheeks stained in the purple essence of a Ӓkˈtäˈpəd’s bodily existence, that she snaps out of their stunned silence.

“THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” The screech of vocals a decibel close enough to shatter glass.

Śhadō jumps, large four wings spreading out slightly as their chest puffs out to make them look larger, as their eyes widen in shock, antennae now laying across their head and tucked away in their plumes in aggression. Looking close to jumping right through, Ӓrˈ’kān; who craves nothing more at this moment than beat the other into a gory pulp, before revising that plan.

She brought this upon himself challenging a being as twisted up inside like this.  

Instead, they concentrate on the original issue. 

Vocals low and gravely again, yet still yelled in anger. “GIVE THAT BACK!” All thoughts to why the Bounty Hunter would not wish the piece back far from their thoughts.

The six-foot beast towering over their barley 5’11 height, even standing a stool away, is back to chewing contentedly. Looking so very proud of himself at the moment. That has Ӓrˈkān rendered speechless, again. Before reeling back, repulsed. As Śhadō takes the fish and their extra webbed finger bits. Wrapped in his long tubular tongue and rolls it out to reveal to all those who are observing.

“Y’r’an animal.” The words are, however, tainted with affection rather than any anger or disgust that should rightfully be there. But . . .

Ӓrˈkān understands. Not only is this like some adorable display of pride, that knows no term of interpretation for, but it’s also a display of glory to this war created creature. 

Of course, there’s no reaction to her words. As they place the meal back where it belongs and promptly swallowed; as earlier demanded of Śhadō.

It’s twisted, they know, to consider Lepíspterón’s display as a form of love. Expressing that now Ӓr’kān belongs to Śhadō, as well.

Putting information down here again, to keep above clean. 

We are not even going to pretend we are going to make the prompts for Halloween, anymore. Just no time. 

So, today’s pretend prompt is Fights, Food, Shady Business, Moths and Octopus. ;)

There are my IZ created OC’s for my Au’s. They both have detailed species bios. More so for my Moth child.

Meet X Prinˈses Ӓr’kānia, known now as Bounty Hunter Ӓr’kān - Of the species Ӓkˈtäˈpəd from an Aquatic planet called, Süər. Using She/Him/Them pronouns. Affiliated with The Resisty, The Resistance & The Bounty Association.  

And their trusty Moth menace Śhadō, of the insectoid species Lepíspterón, born within the War Bred Tribe Pectō Victima. Off their homeworld forest, Hālünä on a rainforest planet called Tsəlaveh. Refers to self as Male. Affiliated with nobody except Bounty Hunter Ӓr’kān and Folk Healer Green Witch X-invader Kravis. Occupation Thief and Murder.

Thinking of adding a short character bio for them here, and a summary of their species.

[incorrectwarriorcatquotes]

Lost Stars - Barnes & Noble Exclusive Scene

Posted under here

Chapter 1     “Have you been eating crowfood?” Jayfeather asked suspiciously.     “No,” Finleap replied from where he was crouched in the medicine cats’ den. “I know better than that,” he added.     Jayfeather let out a snort. Then he’s been stuffing himself with too many mice. As if I didn’t have enough to do, now that—     He cut off the thought abruptly. “Have you eaten anything unusual today?”     “No!” Finleap protested. “I just know that my belly hurts. I have no idea why.”     Jayfeather gave Finleap’s pelt a good stiff, picking up the sour odor of vomit. Laying a paw on the young warrior’s side, he could feel an unnatural heat rising from his body.     “He will be okay, won’t he?” Twigbranch was crouched beside him. Jayfeather already knew this because, more than once, his pelt had brushed against the she-cat’s as he tried to work.     He bit back the gentle growl that formed in his throat. Ever since she was a kit, she’s been cluttering up this den. I thought we’d finally gotten rid of her, but here she is again, getting under my paws.     “Of course he’ll be okay,” Alderheart mewed soothingly. “You know cats get bellyaches all the time. Jayfeather will find the right herb, and I’ll go to fetch some moss and soak it in water to cool him down.”     With these words the younger medicine cat whisked out of the den. Jayfeather didn’t try to stop him, though he knew it wasn’t water that Finleap needed. He rose to his paws and padded to the herb store at the back of the den.     Rustling through the piles of leaves, Jayfeather tried to sniff out what he wanted, but he found it almost as hard as when he had been a new apprentice.  It feels like everything’s out of place, ever since—     Jayfeather tried to stop the memories from rising into his mind, but this time they were too strong. Leafpool, you shouldn’t have died like that, he thought. It wasn’t your time. And now . . . it’s like the whole world is somehow wrong.     He gave his pelt a shake, as if he could dismiss his grief like it was a bug crawling through his fur. There’s no time for this. I’ve got work to do.

    He snatched up the herb he needed, then hurried back to Finleap. “Here’s some watermint,” he meowed. “Once you get it down, you’ll feel better in no time.”     He set the leaves in front of Finleap, but before the young warrior could lap them up, Jayfeather heard Alderheart brush past the bramble screen at the entrance to the den.     “No!” Alderheart yowled. “Finleap, stop! That’s coltsfoot, not watermint.” Jayfeather opened his jaws to tell his former apprentice not to be a mouse-brain. I may not be able to see, but I wouldn’t mistake coltsfoot for water. And this is . . . He bent to give the herb a thorough sniff.     Coltsfoot.     Alderheart was right.     For a moment Jayfeather was at a loss for words; he felt as though his head were spinning. A kit would know the difference. What’s wrong with me?     He heard Alderheart pick up the coltsfoot and retreat with it to the back of the den, then return a moment later with what smelled like a sprig of watermint. “Here you go, Finleap,” Alderheart mewed. “Swallow this down. You’ll be soon right as rain.”     “I don’t know how any cat can find the right herb, the way Leafpool organized the store,” Jayfeather snapped. “It makes no sense.”     “Then why don’t you change it?” Twigbranch asked. “You can organize the herb store any way you like, now that Leafpool is—”     She broke off, but Jayfeather knew exactly what she had started to say. Now that Leafpool is gone. He knew that Twigbranch was only trying to help, but a spurt of annoyance shot through him. Does she think I don’t know that?     Twisting his head around, Jayfeather turned to face Leafpool’s old nest. He inspected it every day, to remind himself it was still just as she had left it. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like she’s dead, he thought.     He would walk into the den they had shared and still expect to find her there, or to hear her voice. There were times I found her irritating—he could admit it; he found most cats irritating—but somehow the den feels empty without her.     “Twigbranch, you don’t give the orders around here,” he hissed, swiveling toward her again. “Why can’t you mind your own business?”     He heard a gasp from Twigbranch. “I—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”     Before he could respond. Jayfeather felt Alderheart’s muzzle close to his ear. “That was a bit harsh, even for you,” the younger medicine cat whispered. “All Twigbranch ever wants to do is help.”     Here we go again! Jayfeather thought. According to Alderheart, he had been snarling at a lot of cats lately. But even if that’s true, they all deserved it!

    As if he could read Jayfeather’s thoughts, Alderheart leaned closer still and added, “Twigbranch didn’t deserve that. After all, she’s right. You can organize the herbs any way you see fit. But you’ve got a problem, Jayfeather, and I don’t think Leafpool’s herb stores are the cause of it.”     Jayfeather whipped around to face him. “Problem? What are you trying to say? That I’m just bad at my job?” He turned back toward Twigbranch and Finleap, his pelt prickling with resentment that Alderheart had started this conversation in front of them.     He could sense Twigbranch’s awkwardness as she murmured comfortingly to Finleap. Jayfeather would have liked to pretend they weren’t there, but he couldn’t ignore Alderheart, who pressed up close to his side again.     “That’s not what I meant at all,” Alderheart mewed. “It’s just that lately you’ve been bit . . . distracted. Maybe if we just talked about it . . .”     Jayfeather dismissed his words with a whisk of his tail. “You’re softer than your own fur, Alderheart, so you might need all these heart-to-heart discussions, but I don’t. I’m fine.” Alderheart sighed.     “No, you’re not fine,” he grumbled. Jayfeather whisked his tail again and turned away. He knew exactly why Alderheart felt the way he did. I should never have skipped the last half-moon meeting, he told himself. I never do that. But I was busy—some cat has to do the work around here!     Alderheart had told Jayfeather that it was a silly excuse. In his opinion, Jayfeather was reluctant to go to the Moonpool because he was afraid he would have to meet Leafpool in StarClan and face the reality that she was dead.  Not that Alderheart has seen Leafpool in StarClan yet.     At least, Jayfeather reflected, Alderheart had been sensible enough not to repeat any of that in front of the two young warriors. I’d have clawed his ears off!     “Fine,” Alderheart sighed after a moment. “Have it our own difficult way. But you owe Twigbranch an apology.”     “Sorry,” Jayfeather grunted in Twigbranch’s general direction.     Too bad if that’s not a good enough apology. It’s the only one she’s going to get!     Alderheart padded past Jayfeather to the nest where Finleap was lying. “I’m sorry about all that, Twigbranch,” he murmured. “Things have been difficult around here since the Clan lost Leafpool.”     A sad silence seemed to spread out from the young cat, enveloping the den. Twigbranch broke it a few moments later.     “Maybe it’s time for one of you to take over the nest,” she whispered. “It might help you move past her loss a bit. Besides, it’s the nicest nest in the den.”

    Jayfeather’s pelt began to bristle. He couldn’t see, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hear. And if Alderheart and Twigbranch thought their low-voiced conversation was private, they could think again. Words exploded out of him.     “So now you’re going to try to tell us where to sleep?” He took a breath, ready to release all his irritation, but Alderheart interrupted before he could say any more.     “Calm down, Jayfeather,” he meowed. “Twigbranch is giving us good advice, though I don’t want to follow it myself. I think you should move into that nest; you’ve been a medicine cat the longest.”     Jayfeather let out a disdainful sniff. “There’s nothing wrong with the nest I have, thank you very much. Why should I have to go to all the trouble of moving? You can take the nest if you want.”     “No thanks,” Alderheart replied. “I like sleeping near the entrance, so I can hear if a cat needs help.”     Jayfeather doubted that. If a cat needs help around here, they can hear the wailing over in RiverClan! He suspected that Alderheart’s real reason for refusing the nest was that he didn’t have the heart to take it, either. Moving into Leafpool’s nest would be just one more paw step toward accepting that she was gone forever.     And Alderheart has always been sensitive—too sensitive, if you ask me.     “If you don’t want the nest, don’t expect me to take it,” he snapped.      Alderheart sighed.  “Whatever you want.”

    That night, when the two medicine cats settled down to sleep, Leafpool’s nest remained empty. But Jayfeather couldn’t help thinking about Twigbranch’s suggestion that he move. He still felt it wasn’t necessary, but the idea kept pricking at him like a thorn in his bedding. Alderheart was deeply asleep in his own nest, his gentle snores riffling his whiskers. Quietly, so as not to disturb him, Jayfeather rose to his paws and crept over to the thick swirl of moss and bracken where Leafpool use to sleep.     The nest still retained a faint trace of Leafpool’s scent, and the bracken stems were neatly arranged, just like her herb stores, to give her the most comfort possible. His paws still dragging reluctantly, Jayfeather climbed into it and curled up. At once he fell into sleep, as sudden and all-consuming as if he had plunged into a dark pond.     He was roused by something stirring, like a soft puff of air caressing his face. Blinking his eyes open, he saw a faint glow hovering above him, shimmering around the edges. As he watched, the sparkles formed into a familiar shape.     “Leafpool!” he choked out.

    Jayfeather’s mother was standing over him, her amber eyes full of sympathy as she gazed down. Her mouth was opening and closing as if she was speaking, but the sounds didn’t reach him. She was leaning forward, her expression urgent, as if she was trying to tell him something important. Jayfeather writhed in frustration. It was as though because he wasn’t blind in his dreams, he had gone deaf instead.     He rose to his paws in the hope that if he could draw closer to Leafpool, he would be able to hear her words. He stretched out one foreleg, but his paw passed right through her glimmering shape, and the vision began to dissolve, spiraling away like smoke.     “Leafpool!” he yowled.     Instantly Jayfeather startled awake, realizing he had been calling his mother’s name out loud. He was even standing in her nest, exactly as he had been in the dream. Shaken by what he had seen, he turned toward where Alderheart still lay in his nest.     Blind again, Jayfeather could tell by the younger cat’s breathing that he was awake, and imagined him staring across the den, concern in his eyes.     “Jayfeather, are you okay?” Alderheart asked.     “Of course I’m okay,” Jayfeather growled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”     But he wasn’t sure that he was telling Alderheart the truth.     Was it just a dream? Or did Leafpool really come to visit me?  And if Leafpool really had been there, Jayfeather asked himself, what was it that she wanted to say?

Chapter 2     Two nights had passed since Jayfeather had seen his mother in a dream. On the third morning he was digging through the fresh-kill pile, muttering to himself that he’d never come across a scrawnier collection of prey, when he picked up the sound of a cat charging into the stone hollow through the thorn tunnel. Turning, he heard paw steps bounding across the camp and drew in Alderheart’s scent.     “What’s the matter?” he demanded as his former apprentice skidded to a halt beside him. For a moment, all the reply he got was the rasping sound of Alderheart’s breath.         “Jayfeather!” he panted at last. “You have to come with me. There’s an injured cat at the Moonpool. Hurry!”     Shock and dismay briefly froze Jayfeather’s paws to the ground.     “What cat was fool enough to wander to the Moonpool?” he snarled. “I bet it was one of those nosy apprentices, always sticking their whiskers where they don’t belong! How many times have I told them that the Moonpool is off-limits except for medicine cats?”

    “True,” Alderheart agreed. “Apprentices always have bees in their brains and the Moonpool isn’t that far from the WindClan border. Anyway, you’re needed there, now.”     Masking his concern with an irritated flip of his tail, Jayfeather followed Alderheart out of the camp and through the forest until they reached the moorland slopes that led to the Moonpool. They kept up a brisk pace, and there was still some time before sunhigh when they climbed the last rocky slope to the top of the hollow. Jayfeather took the lead in pushing his way through the line of bushes that screened the Moonpool. When he reached the top of the path that spiraled down to the waterside, he paused, listening. He had half expected to hear the wails of the injured cat; instead, beneath the noise of the water cascading into the pool, he could make out the movement and murmuring of several cats. He drew in a breath, tasting their mingled scents.     “Kestrelflight,” he rasped, fighting confusion. “Mothwing and Willowshine. Puddleshine. Frecklewish and Fidgetflake. And Alderheart,” he finished, glaring at his Clanmate as the younger cat slid through the bushes to stand beside him. “What are all the medicine cats doing here? And where is the injured cat?”     “I asked them all to come,” Alderheart explained calmly. “And the injured cat is you, Jayfeather.”     “What?” Jayfeather was so outraged that he could barely speak. “How dare you lie to me? You told me there was an injured WindClan apprentice up here.”     “No, I didn’t,” Alderheart asserted, still in that infuriatingly calm voice. Jayfeather thought back to what Alderheart had told him in the ThunderClan camp, and realized to his annoyance that it hadn’t been a  lie. He’d just pointed out how close the WindClan border was to the Moonpool. Crafty . . .     “Well, you let me believe it,” he grumbled.     Alderheart nudged his shoulder. “Come down to the pool and talk to us,” he mewed.     For a few heartbeats Jayfeather resisted; then he began padding reluctantly down the path to join his fellow medicine cats at the water’s edge. “I don’t know what you’re meowing about,” he protested. “Alderheart, you have bees in your brain.”     “No, Alderheart is right,” Mothwing told him. “You’ve changed, Jayfeather, and not for the better.”     “I’ve noticed it, too,” Kestrelflight pointed out. “Do you remember, Jayfeather, when we met the other day, foraging for herbs beside our border stream? You said you were looking for chickweed, but you were gathering elder leaves. And when I tried to point out your mistake—”

    “Let me guess. He bit your head off,” Willowshine put in, and when Kestrelflight agreed, added, “How did I know that?”     Jayfeather clenched his teeth in an attempt to keep back an angry retort. He and Willowshine had never been best friends, and he hated being embarrassed in front of her. It was bad enough being reminded of an error that even the greenest apprentice would never make. Listening to Willowshine address him with a mixture of amusement and compassion was enough to make his anger spill over.     “Listen, you stupid furball—” he began.     “You’ve never exactly been pleasant,” Mothwing interrupted, before Willowshine could retaliate. “But lately it’s been worse than usual, and we all know why.”     “You’re hurt over losing Leafpool,” Puddleshine stated. The ShadowClan medicine cat had once been shy and nervous, but now his voice was level and full of certainty. “We all miss her,” he continued, “but you’re the only cat who hasn’t come to terms with it.”     Jayfeather felt offended to the tips of his claws at the way his fellow medicine cats were ganging up on him. At least Frecklewish and Fidgetflake hadn’t joined in; he guessed that they didn’t feel like they knew him or Leafpool well enough. “How do you know I haven’t come to terms with it?” he challenged Puddleshine.     “You cried out her name in your sleep the other night,” Alderheart pointed out quietly.     Jayfeather’s throat closed up with grief at the memory, and he bowed his head. “Maybe you’re right,” he murmured, every word forced out. “But what am I supposed to do about it?”     “There’s only one way to deal with this,” Puddleshine meowed, resting the tip of his tail on Jayfeather’s shoulder. “You must talk to StarClan and see what they have to tell you. You can’t avoid it any longer.”     Jayfeather’s belly twisted with sheer terror at Puddleshine’s words, but he knew that the ShadowClan medicine cat was right. He couldn’t speak, but he gave a grudging nod.     “Good,” Mothwing mewed briskly. “Come on, let’s give him some privacy. Jayfeather, we’ll wait for you at the top of the path.”     Jayfeather heard the departing paw steps of the medicine cats; their scent began to fade. Alderheart was the last to go, but before he was out of earshot, Jayfeather called his name. Alderheart halted. “Yes?”     “Don’t go far—please,” Jayfeather choked out, disgusted at his own weakness. “I don’t know if I can do this alone.”     “Of course you can,” Alderheart reassured him, his voice full of affection. “But I’ll be nearby if you need me.”     His scent strengthened again, and Jayfeather pictured him sitting at the bottom of the spiral path.

    Do I really have to go to StarClan’s hunting grounds? Jayfeather asked himself, padding up to the Moonpool and settling himself at the water’s edge. And see my mother among all those spirits? I don’t know if I’m ready for that.     He bent his head and touched his nose to the water, concentrating on Leafpool.     At first there was only darkness. The icy touch of the Moonpool spread throughout his body, and he was no longer aware of the ground underneath him, but the sunlit forest of StarClan did not appear.     For a heartbeat Jayfeather began to panic. Am I blind in my dreams now, as well as when I’m awake?     Then a star appeared in the darkness, a single, glittering point of light. A voice spoke.     “Jayfeather?” But it wasn’t Leafpool’s voice.     “Hollyleaf?” Jayfeather responded.     The star expanded into a shimmering path of light, stretching down to where Jayfeather crouched in the void. His sister came padding down the path toward him, her black pelt lustrous, with a frosty glimmer around her paws.     “It’s good to see you again,” she mewed as she approached Jayfeather.     Jayfeather nodded. “You too.” His shoulders tensed as he waited for Leafpool to follow her daughter, but no other cat appeared. “Does this mean Leafpool couldn’t be bothered?” he demanded with an offended scowl. “Everyone is on my pelt to talk to my dead mother, but apparently she has better things to do.”     “No, no, that’s not true,” Hollyleaf assured him. She came close to him and touched her nose to his before sinking gracefully to the ground and beckoning with her tail for Jayfeather to sit beside her. Now he could feel fresh grass beneath his paws, and the light folded itself around him and his sister in a shimmering bubble. On its edges he could make out dim shapes of leaves, as if StarClan had created a tiny forest clearing for this meeting to take place. Letting out a sigh, he settled himself beside Hollyleaf, taking comfort from the warmth of her pelt.     “Leafpool wants to speak with you very much,” Hollyleaf continued. “But she knows that you still have sore feelings toward her and seeing her again might be a shock. So she sent me to talk to you first.”     “I can manage the shock just fine, thanks,” Jayfeather muttered, then added a heartbeat later, “but I’m glad you’re here.”     “I have issues with Leafpool too,” Hollyleaf told him. “We all felt like we’d been abandoned, and we were hurt by the way she deceived us. But since Leafpool joined StarClan, we’ve finally had the chance to really talk about what happened, and now I feel like I understand her.” She let out a purr. “Now that we’re both in StarClan, we can be mother and daughter at last, the way we never could when we were alive. It turns out Leafpool is a wonderful mother. She just never had the chance to be one until now.”

    Jayfeather wanted to believe that, but something inside him remained unconvinced. “She could have been our mother all along,” he growled, “but she was more concerned with protecting herself.”     The leaves at the edge of the clearing rustled, and Leafpool stepped out into the circle of light. A gentle radiance surrounded her, and starlight touched her paws and the tips of her ears. Jayfeather’s belly clenched at the sight of his mother; he didn’t know whether to lash out, or to run up to her and nuzzle her as if he were still a kit.     “I’m sorry if it seemed that way,” she responded, dipping her head to Jayfeather. “But what I did was as much for my kits’ sake as my own. It tore me apart to give you up. But if I hadn’t, the Clan might never have accepted a litter of half-Clan kits. I couldn’t bear to have you pay for my mistakes.”     Jayfeather didn’t know what to say to her. Leafpool paused for a heartbeat, as if waiting for a reaction, but when none came, she continued.     “I knew Squirrelflight would protect all three of you as if you were her own kits, and Brambleclaw would be a great father. If I couldn’t be a mother to you myself, I could at least give you to my sister—my kin, who would care for you just as I would have.” Her gaze suddenly grew brighter. “Given how wonderfully all of you turned out,” she added, “my decision couldn’t have been all bad.”     For once Jayfeather didn’t snap to judgement and respond immediately. Instead he took his time, considering her words carefully.     “But you left me. Twice,” he murmured at last.     “It may seem that way,” Leafpool replied, her voice full of love. “But I didn’t. As part of StarClan, I’ll be with you always, watching over you and guiding your paw steps as much as I can . . . if you’ll let me.” She stepped forward and nuzzled first Hollyleaf’s cheek and then Jayfeather’s, and Jayfeather didn’t draw back. He felt as if he was understanding for the first time what it meant for the Clans to have the StarClan cats with them: how strange it was that, in death, Leafpool might finally get to be a mother to him, in a way that she could never have been in life.     He had never felt more grateful for his connection to StarClan.     “I love you,” Leafpool mewed.     On the last word her voice began to die away, and before Jayfeather could respond, she and Hollyleaf dissolved into a glittering mist. Each separate point of light hovered for a heartbeat, then winked out like sparks from a fire. Jayfeather found himself in darkness again, crouching on the ground at the edge of the Moonpool. Sighing, he rose and began to stretch cramped legs.

    After a moment he heard Alderheart’s approaching paw steps.     “Are you alright?” his former apprentice asked anxiously.     Jayfeather nodded. “I finally saw her in StarClan,” he replied.  “And everything’s all right.”

Epilogue      Jayfeather padded out of the herb store, a dock leaf in his jaws, and dropped the herb in front of Berrynose. “Rub that on your pads,” he instructed. “it will help the soreness. And next time watch where you’re putting your paws.”      “Thanks, Jayfeather.” Berrynose picked up the leaf and limped out of the den. When he was gone, Jayfeather settled himself in Leafpool’s old nest, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “Come to think of it,” he mewed, “Leafpool organized everything really well. Her system makes perfect sense now.”     Alderheart’s voice came from Jayfeather’s old nest, where he was giving himself a thorough wash. “I’m glad to hear it,” he murmured between vigorous licks.     The bramble screen at the entrance to the den swung back as Squirrelflight entered. From the erratic sound of her steps, Jayfeather could tell she was tottering on three legs.     “Look at this thorn!” she exclaimed: Jayfeather imagined she must be holding up one forepaw to show them an enormous thorn sticking out of it. “If I’ve told the apprentices once to check the fresh bedding, I’ve told them—”     She broke off, startled: Jayfeather guessed she had noticed that he had taken over Leafpool’s nest. He pictured her glance flicking from him to Alderheart in his old nest. For a moment she stood silent; then she let out a long, peaceful purr.     “Yes,” she mewed. “This is the way it should be.” Squirrelflight is exactly right.     Jayfeather mused, a purr rumbling in his throat. He bit it back. Not that I’d ever tell her so!

[mint-yooxgi]

[2] - Belonging - Wolf!Junmyeon X Reader

Wolf AU - Part of the EXO Trails of Moonlight Series

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Mature

Pairing: Junmyeon X Reader

Words: 2,505

A/n: Next part is here! I think it’s cute, but let me know what you guys think! Enjoy!

Previous ~ Next

The whole walk back to the pack house is silent, and you can feel the tension rising with each step you take. You can tell your uncle is upset, but not as pissed as Yisung is. Before you made it two steps out of the clearing he made that very clear, ramming into your side quite harshly, and unexpectedly. You’re sure you’ll have a bruise when you shift back.

You all make it back to the house, shifting and walking inside.

“I still can’t believe we had to go rescue your ass,” Yisung grumbles, stomping his way upstairs.

“I didn’t call for you specifically,” you roll your eyes. “Not my fault you ran out of the house.”

“(Y/n)!” Your uncle’s condescending tone has you snapping your head over to his direction. “I thought I told you not to go too far out!”

“I didn’t! I made sure to steer clear of packs that I could smell,” you defend yourself. “I had no idea they would be there.”

“You should have been more careful,” Max scolds. “How did they sneak up on you anyways?”

“I-“ you stop yourself before continuing, “-I was resting by the water and I didn’t hear them approach me.”

“Resting? (Y/n), do you know how dangerous that is? Especially doing that on your own in an unfamiliar territory,” your uncle yells, making you shrink back slightly at his loud tone. 

You can hear Yisung’s snickering coming from up the stairs, and Dani has completely disappeared, not wanting to stick around for the confrontation. Your own temper flares at this.

“Well, maybe if you had gone to the first territorial meeting when we got here, this wouldn’t have happened!” You snap, but your movement aggravates your bruised ribs, causing you to clutch your side in slight pain. Your uncle takes notice immediately.

“Are you injured?” He asks, expression immediately becoming worried. “Did those other wolves hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” you spit. “And just for your information, this injury isn’t from them.”

His eyes narrow slightly in confusion until realization crosses his features.

“Yisung!” Your uncle bellows, heading towards the stairs.

You close your eyes and let out a puff of air, successfully calming yourself down. You can hear your uncle and Yisung arguing upstairs as you make your way to your bedroom at the front of the house. You walk in and close the door behind you.

Your bedroom isn’t anything too special, consisting of a bed, dresser, mirror, and a small desk in the corner. Two windows sit on the wall to your left, small, but big enough for a body to fit through in case of emergency.

You let out a sigh, and fall onto your bed. A hiss escapes your lips as you land partially on top of your arm where your bruise is beginning to heal. Burying your head into your pillow, you let out a groan. 

Turning onto your back, you lay on your bed, staring at the ceiling. You think back on the events that have occurred this evening, and you can’t help but think of the alpha of the other pack.

A smile tugs at the corner of your lips as you feel your heart race in your chest. He has the nicest coat of fur you’ve ever seen, such a rich dark brown, and he looks strong too. He’d make a great protector, he’s probably an ever greater fighter.

One thing that you can’t stop thinking about though, is the way he smelt. He smells like strawberries and vanilla, your favourite scents. A content smile appears on your face, letting your eyes flutter closed as you recall how you felt in his presence. You felt safe, like you belonged.

You let your thoughts wander, allowing them to be filled with this mystery wolf’s presence, and one thought has your eyes flinging open in surprise.

Mate.

Is he really your mate? Was he as affected as you are now? What do you smell like to him? All these questions, and more, race through your head all at once. What you do know is that you cannot wait to see him again, and the next time you see him, you hope he’s in human form.

***

The next two days pass by agonizingly slow for Junmyeon. Besides being bombarded by questions from his pack when he and the three others got back, it’s been pretty uneventful. 

He hasn’t mentioned anything to the rest of them that you’re his mate yet. He figures it best to wait until the two of your packs are on better terms with each other, considering you were just fighting with each other not that long ago. That, and he wants to be one hundred percent sure that you’re his mate first, and that you accept him. He doesn’t think he could take the humiliation of denial if you didn’t.

Finally, it’s Friday. The Friday where the town hosts the territory meeting for all newcomers to the area of the supernatural variety. Each of them get their own separate section in the atrium to discuss things with their own kind, and the witches cast a spell to make sure no humans enter at this time.

He’s currently standing at the front, discussing formation tactics with two other alphas of different pacts when he smells the all too familiar and comforting scent of hazelnut and caramel drift into the room. On the outside, he looks visibly unaffected. On the inside, his wolf lets out a hum of content.

Seeing as the arrival of your new pack has caught the attention to the other two alphas, Junmyeon takes this opportunity to turn his head and look as well. Immediately, his eyes are drawn to you, and he knows right away that it’s you, his mate.

You don’t even look at him, instead looking around at all the others wolves present, as if you’re sizing them up. Something one of your male pack-mates says makes you frown, turning to glare at him.

“She’s cute,” one of them states, pulling Junmyeon out of his thoughts as he tears his gaze away from you.

“Who?” he asks.

“The unmated one,” the other alpha mumbles, nodding his head in your direction.

Junmyeon’s brow furrows in discontent, his wolf letting out a involuntary growl, turning around once more to stare at your group. He looks over at the two other females that are with you, noticing their marks on their necks signifying they’ve been mated. He then turns his head to look at you once more, and this time, he catches your gaze as you’re already staring at him.

“You don’t know that for sure,” he comments, starting to feel uncomfortable with them talking about you, his mate, like this. “She’s also wearing a turtle neck, which could be hiding her mark.”

“Nah, you can tell it in the way she holds herself,” the one goes on, “she’s not mated.”

He grits his teeth, and before Junmyeon can say another word, Kris, the co-alpha of his own pack, comes up to him.

“Junmyeon, come on, the meeting is about to start,” Kris says, motioning for them to take a seat.

Meanwhile, you hang out near the back of the room with the rest of your pack. They’ve all chosen to move in slightly while you decide to lean against the back wall. Yisung and Woosin have already managed to piss you off, so you don’t want to stay with them any longer than needed.

The only upside to coming to this meeting is that you finally can see what your mate looks like in person, and if you’re being honest with yourself, he’s really cute. You both caught each other staring at one another earlier, so you know he knows you’re here. You’re just not sure if you’re ready to face him yet, for you fear rejection being the first thing to come out of his mouth when the two of you come face to face.

You’re pulled out of your thoughts as the wolf leading this meeting mentions what happened between your pack and the other one a few nights ago.

“I think it would be appropriate to go over territories at this time,” he says. “Kris, Junmyeon, since this happened on your territory, would you like to go over the boundaries?”

With a nod from the man sitting beside your mate, they stand and head to the front. He’s taller than your mate is, and he does most of the talking, going over the areas of each pack’s territory. Once he’s done, your mate starts talking.

“This area here is unclaimed, so I’m assuming that’s where you’re all staying,” he says, directing this at Max, who nods in confirmation. “Then that area shall be your territory as of now, and as a good will gesture from one pack to another, the clearing that borders our territory is also yours.”

At his words, your eyes widen slightly in surprise, a small grin coming to tug at the corner of your lips. That means the clearing where you finally felt at peace is yours, you can go back to it without worrying about being attacked.

You can also tell his partner is shocked by his words, turning to look at him quickly in confusion, before shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. They both move to sit back down.

Junmyeon can feel your eyes on the back of his head as he listens to the final words of the wolf leading the meeting. He knew giving that part of their territory to you would make you happy, and the slight smile that tugged at your lips proves it. Also, based off of what Minseok, Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol told him when they found you there, he knew you’d appreciate it. Now, he won’t have to worry about them attacking you again if you decided to sneak back there.

Soon enough, the meeting is over and everyone moves to leave, or stay behind and talk with neighbouring packs. You just want to get away from Yisung and your pack for a while, wanting to be left alone.

Your uncle turns to look at you questioningly as he notices you lagging behind your group.

“I’m going to stay and explore the town a bit more,” you say. “I can handle myself.”

He gives you a look, “are you sure? I can get Dani to stay with you.”

“No, it’s fine,” you reply.

“I don’t know, (Y/n),” he says warily. “I don’t like leaving you on your own, considering what happened a few days ago.”

This time, it’s your turn to give him a look, “Max, I know you’re only trying to look out for me, but I can take care of myself. What happened the other night was a one time thing. Besides, they said the town area is a communal territory, so I don’t need to worry about being attacked like I was then. Even if someone tried something, do you really think I’d let them get a chance?”

“You’re right,” he sighs, bringing his hand up to rub at his eyes. “Just don’t stay out too late, please. You’ll kill this old man from worrying to much.”

“Oh, shut up, you’re not that old,” you chuckle, shaking your head.

Waving goodbye, your uncle heads after the rest of your pack who have all continued on without you. You look after him with a small smile on your face. You’re happy he’s not one to linger on the past, and he knows he can trust you. One slip up every now and then is expected, and it is technically his fault for not going to a territory meeting earlier, so he can’t hold it against you.

Letting out a small puff of air, you take in your surroundings fully. Deciding to head left to start, you begin your exploration. You cut across the field that lies beside the atrium, but before you can get very far, you hear the familiar sound of someone running after you, and the scent of strawberries and vanilla becoming stronger the closer they get to you.

“Wait!” He cries out, reaching out for you with his right hand.

However, you sense his movement, and out of reflex, avoid his hand. Turning around, you grab him by the wrist, but he isn’t expecting this, so his natural reaction is to jerk his hand back. This causes you to go crashing into his chest, and your momentum sends the both of you tumbling to the ground. You land on top of his chest and his arms naturally come to wrap around your waist.

Both of your eyes are wide as you stare at each other, your heart racing in your chest. Junmyeon’s wolf purrs at having you so close to him at last. You feel so perfect pressed up against him, your body moulding to his like two puzzle pieces fitting together.

“This is not how I imagined our first meeting to go,” he laughs nervously. But I like this outcome much better.

“Me neither,” you breathe, hands still resting on his chest.

You both stare at each other for a few more seconds until you both are snapped back to reality. Reluctantly, he unwraps his arms from around your waist, his wolf letting out a whine in protest. You reluctantly remove yourself from on top of him, missing the comfort his warmth brought you. Your own wolf lets out a whine.

Standing up, the two of you face each other once more.

“Well, I guess this is technically the second time we’re meeting, although I wouldn’t count the first as formal,” he jokes.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” you grin, sheepishly. “You really didn’t have to give us that part of your territory.”

“It’s nothing, really,” he smiles, and god, if that isn’t the best thing you’ve seen in your life, you don’t know what is. “Like I said, think of it as a good will gesture. Besides, I thought you would appreciate it.”

“But you don’t even know me,” you reply, slight furrow to your brow.

“Well then, let’s change that,” he grins. “I’m Junmyeon.”

“Junmyeon,” you whisper to yourself, as if testing the way his name sounds, and the way his name sounds coming from your lips makes a shiver of pleasure run down his spine. “I’m (Y/n).”

Now, it’s his turn to test how your name sounds, “(Y/n).”

His wolf lets out a content howl as he sees you smile at him saying your name.

“Well, (Y/n), a little birdie told me you’re new to the area,” he smiles, and you can already tell where this is headed.

“I am,” you nod, smile beginning to tug at your lips.

“If you’d like, I could, uh-” he clears his throat, “I could show you around.”

A full on smile pulls at your lips, “I would love that.”

[inhodear]

* long flight ( solo )

WRITING TASK #001: music prompt! ↳ taeyong -- long flight 

dance in a swimming pool called sky, in that space, my lips are tingling in the cold air

TW: anxiety, animal death, emetophobia, (implied) violence, (implied) gore. last but not least: Furry Shit 

[  SPRING 2018, TUESDAY NIGHT, THE FOREST BEHIND GRANDMA’S HOUSE. ]

inho’s recent growth spurt hit him like a truck. 

while the extra height is worth celebrating, his arms and legs feel too long, making him even more awkward than he was before. he’s too clumsy now -- wider shoulders making him bump into his classmates in the hallway, bringing more attention to himself than he ever wanted. it was his grandma who pointed out the difference to him, complaining lightheartedly about how quickly he grew out of two shoe sizes.

the changes do bring him some relief; being mistaken for a high school freshman all the time is getting tiring. it’s about time he caught up with everyone -- most of his classmates have sharpened up, filled out, started growing facial hair, etc., so inho is grateful that he’s at least the same height as the other boys now. 

he’s not completely happy, though, in fact his clumsiness has made him very frustrated -- more so because of the contrast between how his teenage body feels compared to... this one. 

how cruel is it that he can only feel comfortable when stuck in the body of the thing he hates so much? how he feels the most himself when he’s not even Himself? 

this Big Ugly Grey Thing moves with more grace and purpose than inho ever could. this body is filled with a level of energy and awareness that the sleepy, lazy inho has never been able to achieve. it feels upsettingly, terrifyingly good to be like this, as much as he tries to forget that feeling for three weeks every month. 

as he makes his way over prickly shrubbery and stones, the Big Ugly Grey Feet don’t miss a single step. the water of the local creek glitters beside him, reflecting the cold light of the moon, but he doesn’t stop to admire it yet. he races up the path he’s familiar with until he finds the tree that marks his section of the forest and slows, sharp eyes taking in the area to make sure it hasn’t changed since he left it last month. 

his log is where he positioned it, covered in soft moss and laying on its side a few yards away from the creek. the cover he made using dead branches painstakingly layered over each other is also intact, blocking the little clearing from view on all sides except for the one facing the river.

and, most importantly, his books are still there. 

inho sighs with relief, in a puff of air that comes from his nostrils. he walks over to perch himself on the log in what must look like the most awkward seated position ever. 

it’s bare, dirty and ugly, but this has been his home away from home for so long now; it’s been especially comfortable since he managed to teach his Big Ugly Grey Fingers to turn pages without ripping them, and he learned that he can kind of read most of the words if he squints hard enough. these past few moons have been more peaceful than any of the other ones -- it’s much easier to convince himself to stay still if he can focus on someone else’s story, instead of wasting the whole night wandering around and being melancholy. 

getting brave about his improved dexterity, he’d also tried to bring his phone out with him last month. but it didn’t go as well - tapping in a password doesn’t work when your fingertips are claws and Siri does not parse weird wolfy noises. smashing his phone so easily was a nasty wake-up call, reminding him that no matter how much he tries to make things feel normal out here, they never will be. 

oh... did i finish this book already? 

he squints as he carefully reads the last paragraph of his novel. he recognizes the words on the last page of both of the other books, meaning that he’d read them all and then forgotten.he groans audibly, but immediately cuts himself off as the sound comes out too loud, too... scary. 

he’s always hated to re-read books, so he resigns to settle in for another night of Nothing. 

he supposes he can’t complain that much, because being bored and alone for 12+ hours is much better than any alternative. the pros of being in his own mind far outweigh the cons (even if his inner monologue tends to hurt him sometimes.) 

he gets up to wander after a little while, knowing that being under the moonlight is the best way to calm down his mind.

he walks up the side of the creek for a while. his usual daydreams start to take over as the moon slowly angles herself higher over his head, cool light washing him and almost soothing his nerves. 

there’s one daydream that he sees often. 

it changes from time to time, but the gist is the same: a too-perfect scenario in his head where his best friend is out here with him, where he’s not too afraid to tell her the truth, where she’s not too afraid of him, where he can finally show her this forest and everything he loves about it and share with her all that love he feels pouring down from the moon. where he doesn’t have to be alone out here and left with only his thoughts to keep him company. 

of course he knows it’ll never happen. his eunji is brave about many things, but inho is not -- at least once a week he finds himself in a thought loop where he’s just terrified of losing the only person other than grandma who makes him feel safe. 

as often as those pretty daydreams play out in his mind, the Bad thoughts paint pictures in his mind too, uninvited -- though none of them are things he’s ever seen in person, there are horrible visions. visions of eun looking at him in an expression of disgust -- a mirror of that of the teacher who once tried to get him taken away years ago. visions of her looking at him like he’s a stranger. visions of her looking at him with fear in her eyes. her running away from him. and even worse, her-- 

inho knows where the Ugly part of his brain tends to go next, and he knows he’ll end up spiraling if he lets himself go there. so he shuts it down quickly, stopping to vigorously shake his head as his stomach churns with nausea and a sour taste fills his mouth.

don’t think, don’t think about anything, he tells himself as he looks up. there’s nobody else out here to worry about. just me and the moon. yeah... 

he inhales deeply, and then breathes out slow, closing his eyes as his anxiety slowly starts to drain out of him, the energy from the moonlight filling the empty space left behind. like this, he starts to feel okay. to let himself feel okay.

but that doesn’t last very long.

he jolts as a familiar hunger rips through him, and he lowers his head again, a hand coming up to press down on his abdomen. it hits so suddenly that it’s alarming. mostly because inho knows exactly what it means. oh no no nonono.

he crouches in the bush, heart racing. he stares towards the sound of rustling with wide eyes, fearful, but not for himself.

hey - HEY, no! not this way!

he starts shaking the bush in front of him, stomping his feet, growling pathetically, doing everything he can to scare off the whatever-it-is, even as pain stabs his stomach when the earthy scent of an animal enters his nose without his permission. 

panic spikes in his chest as he watches as a little white bunny hop out into the open.

don’t, he thinks, taking an unsteady step back. don’t be stupid! there’s a monster here! go away!

inho is definitely making a racket now, but the bunny is too far away to hear it. it’s upwind and apparently incapable of smelling him, either, stopping to groom its fluffy fur in the moonlight. inho drags his claws down his face, groaning, pulling on tough skin as if he could just take it off.

after a moment of this, he gets an idea. in desperation, he tears a large green leaf from the branch in front of him and stuffs it in his mouth.

he chews aggressively. there. salad! this is fine. i won’t be so hungry now. yeah--

it only takes about five seconds for the Wolf to spit it all back out in a fit of dramatics, inho’s brain taken over with BLEGH VEGETABLES NO VEGETABLES EW EW EW on loop as he frantically scrapes the horrible taste off his tongue. 

when he looks up, he doesn’t see the bunny in that ray of moonlight anymore, and relief floods him as, just for a second, he thinks that it smartened up and ran away. he eases a little, shoulders sinking, until that scent hits him much stronger and every hair on his body stands up. 

it’s only a few yards away now. 

are you serious!? dumb stupid idiot bunny, just run away! please run away --

the anger and frustration he feels towards the little thing only serves to ramp up the other, more feral, feelings. chest heaving, he can feel his own mind slipping from him a little, as the one Big thought shoves itself to the front --  

HUNGRY.  

there’s enough of inho left in there to feel despair, though -- the voice in his head crying out not again not again in time with the loud thumping of his heart. his body tenses, and though he wants to run in the other direction more than anything, his eyes remain fixed on the rabbit, his feet rooted to the ground. 

this has happened too many times for inho to not know what happens next. 

i’m sorry... i’m sorry... you’re so cute... i’m sorry... 

the next thing he feels is the wind whipping past him as he jumps out of the bush.

[ WEDNESDAY, GRANDMA’S HOUSE. ]

“i’m sorry--” 

-- it’s that phrase that he says again and again into the toilet bowl the next day, shaking uncontrollably, hunched over like that until every trace of rabbit is out of his system. 

he’s inconsolable for the remainder of the weekend, sitting there in the bathroom alone except for when grandma sets down a cup of water or his wolfsbane flask on the sink next to him, or gently brushes fingers through his hair. he eventually takes a shower, then passes out and wakes up a day later in his own bed, slowly feeling himself again as he gets ready for grandma to drive him back to school the next day. he’s all smiles for grandma after, but his heart hurts.

i’m too tired, grandma, he wants to say, but he knows she’ll just get sad that she can’t fix it for him, so he stays quiet. 

[  FRIDAY, HIGH SCHOOL MESS HALL. ]

it’s usually only eunji who will notice when something’s off, as good as inho thinks he is at hiding it. but it’s a little more obvious this time, he guesses, as their whole lunch table stares at him pulling Green things out of his lunch bag for the first time since... ever.

“uh, inho? where’s your real lunch?” eun asks. 

“this is my real lunch,” inho replies, not looking at her. 

“oh...” he can feel her gaze, the attention making his own cheeks warm. “even that... is that just a leaf of lettuce...?”

inho meets her gaze now as he nods, breaks off a piece, and places it on his tongue. ugh. he chews for a painfully long moment, swallows, then gives a very forced smile. “oh, i forgot to tell you... i’m vegan now.” 

eun seems to choke a little on her food (a very delicious-looking piece of stir-fried duck that her mom no doubt prepared for her today... inho tries not to salivate.) 

she blinks several times. “that’s new,” she seems like she’s trying to be nice about it, but he can see the utter confusion on her face as she’s no doubt remembering that inho had five(5) hamburgers the last time they went out. 

“yes,” inho says, dumbly, unsure of what else to say.  this is so awkward... of course she knows this isn’t normal.

eun is looking down at her own lunch box, and inho can’t help but to follow her gaze to the duck. his stomach gurgles, but the feeling is nothing like the agony he feels during the full moon so he can handle it. and he will -- no matter what, he’s done with eating animals. he’s sick of how gross it feels. and if he gets used to vegetables, maybe he’ll be able to control himself when he’s out there next month. maybe one day he won’t have to crave bunnies or squirrels or deer or humans ever again. 

“okay, but can i ask why? do you... like vegetables now or something?” 

he doesn’t answer the second question, because his lie would be far too obvious. he takes another bite of his Nothing Sandwich, and eun waits while he chews. he answers after a moment with a shrug: “i think i just need a change.”

eun peers at him. “we’re about to graduate, and then start at college soon... those are big changes already, don’t you think?” 

he thinks about his reply for a second. "maybe i want to start at pocheon as a new man?” he keeps his tone light, but there’s a note of sadness there that he hopes she doesn’t notice. 

eun takes a sip of her drink and then speaks. “being vegan isn’t going to make you a different person, inho...” 

inho looks down at his gross, ugly, stupid rabbit food. “i know. i mean, i’ll change other stuff too.” he wants to, at least he thinks so. as much as he’s felt content having eunji as his Number One all these years, he knows he should start to branch out a little if he wants to actually experience all of the things that he hasn’t yet. things that he can’t experience with eun... 

“well, i support you of course, but...” 

there’s a pause, long enough for inho to glance back up at eun, who he catches looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face. she looks away quickly, and swallows. her voice comes out a little hushed, almost too quiet for him to hear. “i don’t think you need to change. you’re fine just like this.” though her face is turned away her expression makes it seem like she’s saying a little more than that. like it’s something closer to i don’t want you to.

inho blinks once, twice, and then his eyelashes flutter a little as he looks away, pretending to stare at something else to the side.  something stirs in his chest -- something weird and sad, but there’s something else too?

“um,” he stammers and rubs the back of his neck, scrambling to find words. “i-- i mean, we’ll still be best friends, no matter what. yeah?” eun still doesn’t look at him. “we’ll still go out to eat, i just  won’t be getting barbecue... unless they barbecue vegetables? that might taste good, actually,” (he does not believe that.) “-- and i can still eat fries too, i think. so it won’t be that different. and they make vegan ice cream now...”

his attempt to babble to her until she’s comforted seems to work somewhat, because she offers him a smile with her nod. 

gradually, they ease back into regular conversation about exams and girl groups and the usual things, as inho very obviously struggles to keep down the lunch he packed for himself. 

yeah, i'll change a little, he thinks, even as a piece of broccoli almost triggers his gag reflex. you’ll see, he affirms in his head, though he doesn’t know who he’s talking to.

[the1rei]

Bloomin' Ross pt23

Rose plays away her sorrows.  Sadly Cass can’t help, but the Queen can!?

<<< First Post  <<Prev Post - Next Post >>

Pyrepy found Rose sitting on the lip of Corona's fountain, the water cascading behind her as she sat slumped against her knees, her violin case secured between her feet.  Pyrepy whined as he got closer to his mistress, but she didn't move.  Moving right up to her he stood up and was just tall enough to put his paws on her leg; he whined again pawing at her shoulder to get her attention.  

Rose looked up revealing perhaps unexpectedly that she wasn't crying, her expression was dull and little light danced in her eyes.  Looking down at the pitch black dog Rose scooped him up and much like her sister, hugged him to her chest burying her face into his short, glossy fur.  Pyrepy's eyes flicked to the water of the fountain, and he squirmed a little with discomfort.  

"What was I thinking Pyrepy?  Of course I couldn't really be friends with the Princess and Cass and Eugene, I'm just a blacksmith.  I'm not royalty or a hero or an adventure I'm just plain old me; there's nothing heroic or daring about me.  They've escaped witches, and foiled terrorists, the most daring thing I've ever done was put my sisters to bed.  They're all so much more than I'll ever be, I can't believe I was so stupid over reaching like that.

"Oh goodness, and they've been humoring me all this time.  I mean, I bet all kinds of handsome, beautiful and exciting people fall in love with Cass all the time, she could be with anyone she liked, and here she is humoring a blacksmith with a crush who sneaks into the castle to spy on her."  Rose buried her face into Pyrepy back with a defeated moan squeezing him tight to her.  

The puppy let out a whining growl and seemed to have had enough.  With an effort, he struggled fiercely until she managed to slip from Rose's grip.  He jumped to the ground, stumbling a little on immature paws, and turned to face Rose who was giving him a piteous look at his sudden escape from her.  Pyrepy barked up at her a couple of times before stepping up to her violin case and pawing it a few times.  Being so close to it he gave it a few sniffs then lolled his head drunkenly and drooled, which flared and sizzled as it dropped from his mouth.  

"What?"  Rose asked with a sniff reaching down and pulling the violin case onto her lap.  Pyrepy watched it go with a pained whine his pink tongue clench between his fiery teeth.  "Do you want me to play?"  

That seemed to snap Pyrepy out of his dazed disappointment, and he shook his head.  "It might make me feel better..." Rose muttered reluctantly.  Her hands seemed to move on their own, flipping up the clasps and lifting the lid to reveal her father's shining violin inside.  The sight of it was an assurance, her father's tired voice almost seemed to waft up from the strings telling her everything would be alright if she just played.  Rose's eyes slid from the violin her hands clenching as if she were trying to resist it.  A sudden bark from Pyrepy made Rose jump and nearly fall back into the fountain, saving herself perhaps more for the violin's sake than her own.  Looking down at Pyrepy Rose gave a relieved sigh and then a soft smile, "All right, All right, I'll play something for you."  

Pyrepy's tail began to wag, and he sat down not even looking at the delicious case, his nose twitched eagerly, as Rose lifted the Violin from the case.  Lifting it to her Rose closed her eyes, and her hand moves the bow across the strings of its own accord.  

Rose didn't think about what she played the music, born of her emotions, just came of its own volition.  It began low and somber, a sad goodbye to the friends she had only just recently made.  As they moved on to greater adventures, she was left behind to remember them.  She remembered Cass, lamenting how she had come so close and yet had never captured her lips.  She remembered Rapunzel, kind and giving even to those below a mere blacksmith.  She remembered Eugene, funny and intelligent, someone, who'd come from nothing, who had no one and found his great love.  She remembered running the captain obstacle course to prove her ability to fight alongside Cass, shopping with her, eating with Cass and her family, and finally meeting her face to face for the first time, the thrill, the terror, and the quiet relief of the distance between them finally closing.  

As the last note sounded and Rose lifted the bow from her violin's strings, the silence was filled with applause.  Rose gave a start and opened her eyes to see a crowd of people gathered around the fountain clapping their hands vigorously, a pile of coins lay in open case in front of her.  All of that was forgotten, however, as Rose looked up and there standing in the front of the crowd a hand rubbing the moisture away from the corner of her eye was Cass.  The rest of the crowd fell away as their eyes met and Cass smiled wide at Rose, her eyes beaming with pride.  

---

"I never heard such an emotional piece before, did you write it?"  Cass asked as they strode back through the streets towards the castle.  Rose head the violin case in both hands in front of her, her pouch swollen with coins.  

"Ah, n-no,  I just played it."  Rose shook her head blushing and not really able to look Cass entirely in the face remembering what her music had been about.  "I don't really know how to read music very well; I just make it up as I go along."  

Cass gaped wide eyed at Rose silently for several seconds before remembering herself and shaking away her shock.  The proud smile returned to her lips, "That's so unbelievable, you have to be one of the most talented performers in the Seven Kingdoms.  Trust me I know, lots of them have played at the Palace."  

"You're just being nice," Rose blushed hotly.  

Cass opened her mouth to protest, but a flash of black interrupted her, and she glanced down to see Pyrepy rushing around their feet.  "I see you didn't give up on the idea of finding a pet huh?"  Cass knelt down and was about pet Pyrepy when he stared up at her with his molten orange eyes and barked releasing a puff of fire from his flaming teeth.  Retracting her hands cautiously Cass glanced uncertainly between the puppy and Rose.  "Unn Rose, you did realize your dog's teeth are made of fire right?"  

"That's nothing, watch this,"  Rose grinned and kneeling down, smiled at Pyrepy, "All right Pyrepy just like in the fireplace."  

Cass gave a confused look as Pyrepy nodded then sudden his whole body burst into flames.  Cass was so startled that she fell back onto her butt sputtering in confusion.  Rose just reached out without fear and before her hand reached the puppy the flames died away, and she safely scooped him up.  

"What is he?"  Cass finally managed after picking herself up.  

"I don't know, I thought maybe you guys could figure it out,"  Rose shook her head, but as she spoke her face fell, and she hugged Pyrepy closer.  "But the guards at the gate wouldn't let me in, and they didn't believe I was a friend of the Princess."  

Cass' face fell now as she watched Rose look away in shame, Pyrepy whined, and Rose put him down.  "Sorry," Cass reached out to take Rose's free hand and gave it a small squeeze.  "That's just what it's like living in a castle, everyone who's not a royal important person gets the cold treatment, even me."  

Rose sniffed and looked up at Cass with dejected eyes, "So I can't ever come visit you guys there."  

Cass reeled at the question and glanced away unable to meet Rose's gaze for a moment.  "It's boring there anyway," Cass forced a laugh as she tried to wave off the problem.  "And Raps loves any excuse to slip out, so it's not like you'll never see us."  

Rose tried to force a smile, but she just couldn't hide her disappointment.  Cass' face fell, and she moved in closer giving Rose a short hug this time.  "Sorry, it's just regulations."  

Rose nodded in silence, and the pair continued their trek back through the streets towards the oppressive castle.  Once outside the gate again Cass looked over at the two guards still standing at attention, one had distinctly less mustache than that morning, and his face was blackened slightly.  Cass giggled and looked down at Pyrepy, "I suppose that was your doing."  

Pyrepy barked and wagged his tail,  Cass' smile dipped a little as she looked from the puppy to Rose.  She chewed her lip a little, "I'll tell Raps about what happened and your little friend.  She can send you a royal invitation and then we can go to the library and look into it, all right."  

Rose did a much better job smiling this time, but the disappointment was still plain on her face.  "Thanks, Cass, I'd like that."  She didn't seem to know what to say, and neither did Cass.  

As the silence hung between them, Cass readied herself to leave Rose when a carriage came through the gate.  That wasn't so unusual, but this one slowed as it drew near to them and stopped.   They looked up at the opulent vehicle with awe; even Cass rarely saw them up close in use, when the door curtain pulled back and revealed Queen Arianna was the carriage's occupant.  

The pair's eyes shot wide at the sudden appearance of the Queen and bother young women bowed their head respectfully.  "Cassandra I'm glad I ran into you," The Queen began, and Cass looked up to meet her eyes, "Would you please remind Rapunzel that her lessons have been moved to tomorrow, but she still needs to spend some time studying today."  

"Of course my Queen," Cass nodded her head and gave a respectful curtsy.  

The Queen smiled gratefully and was about to call her driver to continue when her eyes fell upon Rose.  She glances the up and down the young woman knitting her brow in thought.  Cass looked from the Queen to Rose, she gestured to rose with a hand and was about to introduce her when the Queen's eyes grew wide, and she pushed open the door of her carriage.  

As the Queen stepped down, Rose became stiffer wondering if she should excuse herself from the exchange between servant and Queen.  Then the Queen's hand reached out to Rose and took hold of the clasp of her pouch.  "I see you still have the medallion I gave you... Rose wasn't it."  

Rose eyes grew wide as the Queen's hand went from the medallion to her chin and gently lifted Rose's eyes to meet hers.  Did the queen actually remember giving it to the scruffy little girl she had been all those years ago?  

"Ah yes there, I recognize you now," The queen smiled pushing a lock of hair from Rose's face.  "You've made good use of it; I'd heard you had become an apprentice blacksmith, is that ccorrect?"  

"Y-yes ma'am.  I mean, your majesty."  Rose stammered remembering that when she had received the medallion she hadn't even known it was the Queen, she had called the woman who gave it to her, her Fairy Godmother.  Rose told everyone that it would grant her one wish, though not too big of a wish for some things were impossible even for magic.  When she grew up and stopped believing in such things she assumed it was just a kind gesture from a woman who had lost her own daughter.  

"I imagine Cassandra could use a good blacksmith in her life,"  The Queen smiled knowingly and looked over at Cass, both young women blushed hotly.  Arianna gave a satisfied grin and withdrew her hand from Rose's chin, "You must have a hard time seeing each other, being so busy and Cass being stuck in the castle most of the time."

"Umm, yes ma'am."  Rose nodded and winced at her own mistake, but the Queen spoke again before she could correct herself.  

"Well that won't do, Cass, tell your father that as this young lady is a personal friend of mine, she may come and go from the castle as she wishes."  

"Yes, of course, your majesty," Cass bowed curtsied again bowing to hide her delighted smile.  Rose couldn't manage such formalities; she was too occupied staring and babbling up at the Queen.  

Arianna gave another satisfied smile and nodded to the girls before retreating into her carriage, "I hope to see you again sometime Rose."  

Again before Rose could manage an answer, the Queen called to her driver, and her carriage started off.  

Rose didn't manage to snap out of her daze until Cass took her by the hand and gave her a triumphant smile, "Shall we."  Cass nodded to the gate and the two stunned guards who had witnessed the whole exchange between the girl they had laughed away and the Queen.  Rose, realizing her wish had been granted, beamed back at Cass and nodded.  

[twoteaspoonsofsuga]

An Open Book (Thommy Fanfic) Chapter 23

AN:I've no idea how good this is. Ughhh. Sorry for the lateness sweet angels, I've been ill. But here it is, shitty or not. Thomas returns in the middle of the night and he reunites with Ella who shatters the world as he knew it. Previous Chapter, Next Chapter, A03.

Jimmy thought he was imagining it at the start, and very familiar it had felt when he was pulled from his bed by the tinkling sound of a piano. Very surreal too, as if he were in someone else’s body. The melody was clunky, less practiced hands across the keys. A broken rendition of Fur Elise. It could have only been him. But Jimmy didn’t cease to wonder about him. “Yer back…” Thomas’ body didn’t tense as one would expect it to, he drooped instead, as if half of his weight had been shifted to Jimmy from his voice alone. Thomas stood without a word from the bench, crossed the room in five long strides and plummeted into Jimmy’s waiting arms. “Lord I missed you…” he breathed. Jimmy melted into his shoulder, eyes closed and breathing in the familiar scent. At this point it was mixed with something stale and that didn’t belong to Thomas, but Jimmy would fix that with time. “Did yer miss me?” “You ask such daft questions sometimes.”

“That isn’t an ans- “ “Course I did, you great buffoon.” He shoved him backwards lightly, then, after searching the area for any colleuages, he pulled him down into a hard kiss by his cheeks, knocking the other man breathless. He pushed him back against the wall by the bells and Thomas couldn’t help but chuckle against his lips. “Someone has their strength back.” “Come ter bed with me.” I was more a demand than a question, but Thomas would be a fool not to oblige.

/ They lay together in heap, heaving chests and beads of sweat and it had been intense to say the least. Jimmy held Thomas to his chest, kissing his temple and shielding him from the world. “You aint allowed to leave me again. You hear?” “Is that a request or an order?” “Does it matter? You’ll agree to most things I want if were ter make me smile.” “That’s a true thing to be sure…” “I don’t want ‘em to see yer.” Thomas tilted his head up as Jimmy said it. “I don’t want t’share you again…” There was such misery in his expression it hurt Thomas somewhere deep. “What’re you on about, I’m all yours.” “You are here, in this room, or in mine…but when we leave here you’ll be Thomas the lone wolf and you belong to yer employers and the higher ups...” Thomas leaned up, palms pressed to the mattress and looked down on Jimmy with a sort of queer bemusement. “I don’t need to be penetrating you to belong to you sweetheart. Belonging isn’t about what is said or done, it’s a mutual and unspoken feeling. If you were here and I were in Timbuktu working for a king, I’d still belong to you. His Lordship and his old butler would get a knife to the back the second you asked for it. They will never truly have me while you live. So, stop worrying. Everything I’ve done for the past two and a half years had been for you.”

Jimmy rested on it for a moment, hands caressing the other’s biceps where they bracketed him. “That makes a good line that; ‘If you were here or in Timbuktu, no matter the mile I’d belong to you.’ Hm, I’ll play with that one.” “Thief.” “You’re rollin’ around with a writer, it’s in my nature to steal.” “Hearts too.” “Aye, but the difference being, I kept yours.” “Why?” “Some things you can’t put a price on. What would you give to have yer Mum back?” Thomas buried his face back into his neck. “Anything. Aside from you or…” Jimmy tilted his head. “Or what?” But Thomas shook his head. Jimmy was right that had to cling to these moments. Who knew if they had but one or one million left? “I’ll tell yer soon…” “You can’t just…” It was that moment that Thomas learned the best way of keeping Jimmy quiet was to kiss him till he forgot how words worked all together. / Thomas was the first to rise in the morning. He had almost too much sleep in that cell, there wasn’t much else for him to do. He rose before the sun and slunk downstairs. It felt nice to be alone a yet know Jimmy was within a reachable distance, when he filled the kettle for the tea, it was his comforting thought, his boy still tangled in his sheets upstairs. There was a click of heeled shoes and he didn’t even turn around. “Morning Mrs Patmore. I’ll be out of your way in a- “ As he turned he was stunned, paralysed on the spot. The woman staring back at him didn’t flinch, merely angled her head to the side as she considered him. “Lord you got old.” Ella chuckled. “You’re lucky we was pretty like Mum.” Thomas shook his head. “No…” he laughed. “No… I just…” he smoothed his hair back. “That cell must have got me all loopy. He’s wrong you…you’re not you…you’re not…” “Thomas...” As she made for him he flinched back knocking a copper pan and sending it clattering to the floor. She cringed. “Just listen to me I’m-“ “You’re dead…what you are is dead and I’m going loopy and I have to leave before I scare Jimmy off or mess with his head because I’m-“ “For god sake get a hold of yourself!” she hissed grabbing him by the shoulders. He froze in his spot and that was when Jimmy entered, brow furrowed and eyes still clouded by fatigue “Jesus Thomas, what the hell is…” then he spotted Ella who turned to him slowly. “Oh shite! I forgot to warn you about her!” he covered his face with his hands. “I’m a dunce I’m so sorry.” Thomas turned to him dazed, head bobbling like it was barely being held up by his neck. “You see her?” “What’re you on about? Course I can see her , she’s Ella aint she?  She knew you when you were a littlen right?” his eyes flickered between the two of them. Thomas stoic and faint looking and something more behind Ella’s eyes that made Jimmy conclude he was missing something here. He decided to bypass her in favour of Thomas and he approached him carefully. “Maybe yer should sit…yer looking pale. More than normal, I mean.” Thomas nodded and blindly let Jimmy guide him from the kitchen to the dining area. He took a seat and Jimmy one next to him. The younger shook his shoulder gently. “Oi...come back to me yeah? What’s wrong?” Thomas had a furrowed brow, he shook his head, face twisted up painfully. “She’s dead…she’s supposed to be dead.” “Who is? What’re you talking about Thomas, c’mon, get it together.” One hand came up to the elder’s cheek. It soothed Thomas. He closed his eyes. “You remember I told yer…my mother died when I was little, her and little sister, hit and trampled by a wagon.” “Yeah, course I remember…” “Oh come on now Thomas, I’m only younger by eleven minutes.” Jimmy turned to her slowly and she saw it all come together behind his eyes, that snapped back to Thomas. “No…no you…she was hit, you saw her dead. How…” Thomas shook his head. “I-I..I dunno she…I don’t know what…” his voice was barely audible. Jimmy realised he was just as nonplussed and he was. “Okay…Okay…” he shushed him when his arms began to tremble and placed his palms over the underbutler’s whitening knuckles. He took a deep breath and his eyes travelled to Ella, who was watching them in a sort of melancholic curiosity. “I think some sorta explanation would be appreciated here.” She nodded and came forward. “Yes…but not here. Lets get out this house, lord knows he looks like he could do with the air.” / Jimmy felt his head spinning just looking at the two of them. A carbon copy of Thomas she was. In a female body. There were differences. Her face was rounder, her body was curvier, her eyes had just a hint of green in some lights. Not the grey blue of Thomas’s eyes. But god were they similar. “This is so strange…” Jimmy murmured from where he perched in the storage shed. “Not half.” The twins chorused. Two pairs of eyes met and Jimmy almost felt as if he were intruding on a special moment. Two halves of a whole coming together. “Should I go? If yer both need a second or two…” Thomas shook his head swiftly and held out a hand, Jimmy took it after a moment. “No…but you could light me a cig.” Jimmy chuckled and produce three, he handed them out and lit them one by one. First Thomas, then Ella , then himself. They supped a first drag together. Perhaps, Jimmy remarked to himself. They were three parts of a whole. “You have a lot of questions.” Ella presumed. Thomas gave her a pointed look. “You are as ever blessed with common sense.” “Oh, still a brat I see…” “Don’t you bloody-“ “Dear Lord, get on with it, both of you. I’m growing old here.” Jimmy rolled his eyes and took his second puff. Ella sighed. “You were led to believe I died. That were true. I did…or at least, I did for the moment.” The men shared a dubious look. “I did die.”  She explained. “Technically, my heart stopped beating. Thing is twenty minutes after you left it started again.” “That’s impossible.” “It seems it, don’t it?” Thomas leaned forward and ran a hand through his hair. “Thing is…even if it did go as you said, why didn’t you come back?  Why did you let me grieve you?  I weren’t never the same again after seeing you on that slab.” “This is the part where you’ll hate me.” “I…” Thomas sighed heavily. “I can’t hate you and you know it.” For the first time since Jimmy met Ella she hadn’t a shred of confidence left in her expression. “I was selfish Thomas, that’s the simple answer…I daren’t go back there with him…” “With Dad.” “With Dad… I left you there I left you alone with him. When the guilt finally got the better of me, I found out you’d already gone.” Jimmy watched Thomas mull it over, the smoke from his cigarette crowding him. “But the doctors…they didn’t…” “I ran the first chance I got. Moved to London got picked up by a nice little rich couple and told em my name was Ella Hill.” “Hill… like Barrow. Clever.” “We were always rum like that.” Thomas laughed and spared Jimmy a glance when the man squeezed his hand. “Yeah we were.” “When I saw you and this one in the papers…I got down here as soon as I could. It were by chance I met Lady Rose on the bypass down here. I knew it must be you they were on about.” “Yeah…”he thought on her words for a moment. “You were dead…” he repeated. “And I were sure you’d be down in the cells by now. Perhaps we’re luckier than we think.” Thomas let his thumb run over Jimmy’s knuckles. “Maybe yer right.” “I knew you’d end up with a pretty boy.” Jimmy straightened up and Thomas laughed. “Put your pride away sweetheart, we both used to argue over the pretty ones in our classes at school. If anything she’s complimenting you.” “Hugely. Yer uncommonly pretty for a servant. You’d think the Earl would pick men that didn’t stand out so much…” Jimmy tilted his head to her. “I stand out?” “Not really the cleverest, is he?” she sighed. “Watch your tongue! His testimonial put a Duke behind bars, he’s clever enough for the both od.” Jimmy smirked and took a drag of his cigarette. “I can also make yer brother bend to my every whim. I wouldn’t test me on that.” The siblings didn’t know whether to be impressed or intimidated. / The three kept their revelations hushed. And Thomas greeted his colleagues like nothing had happened beyond his imprisonment. The Crawleys descended from above with George and Sybbie in tow. Thomas was almost as happy to see the babies as he was to see Jimmy. It was endlessly endearing to Jimmy to see Thomas with children. Ella sidled up close to him. “Thinking of popping out a few of your own.” “You know…your brother is capable of some pretty nasty thing when people are ter rub him up the wrong way. I’d keep it in mind.” “Is that a threat?” “Yep.” “A Barrow through and through you are.” She chuckled. Jimmy played with the name in his mind. James Barrow didn’t sound half bad. / Palm to palm and the mirror image ripples, rings of water pulling her in. A duo becomes a triple and a forever begins. The singer, the writer and the creator of the divine. And if you are her then you are both all mine.