#how the moon looks when she’s full and peeking through the trees

[mommalosthermind]

Hey psst, yeah, you, reblog and tell me one good thing about your existence— there’s no wrong answer, nothing too small. What is one beautiful, peaceful, worthwhile thing, one source of contentment, one immediate mood lift, special just for you?

[sir-walton-goggins]

The Ties That Bind Us

Arthur Morgan x fem OC

1.7k words

Summary: Arthur is back to camp way earlier than expected. His wife wonders what possibly could have him back so soon... and in such a bad mood.

Angst + Fluff

Tw child death, tw death

Credit for the header goes to @raevennsge

It had been a long day, and Kris was exhausted when she rode into camp at sundown. She lugged her heavy body straight towards the campfire, where she noticed the silhouette of her husband sitting around it.

‘Is he back already? That’s weird’ the woman thought, perplexed. Arthur usually stayed out for days, even weeks at a time, but now he was back after just a mere day. Something was off.

As she approached from behind, he leaned forward, head bowed, hands conjoined together as if in prayer. There was a dark aura to him that made Kris nervous. She could tell he was upset even before seeing his face.

“Hey,” she cautiously greeted him before laying her hands on his shoulders. Arthur didn’t move.

“Hi.” His tone was tired, forlorn.

“Are you okay, honey?”

No response. Instead, Arthur sighed and sniffled, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the fire. Kris waited patiently, rubbing his broad, tense shoulders.

“I need to be alone” was his lapidary answer. His wife nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be in our tent when you’re ready” she murmured, exhaustion getting the best of her.

While Kris got undressed and laid down to get some rest, Arthur remained perfectly still, sitting on the log alone. The fire was burning into his clear eyes, broadcasting his internal turmoil. He observed it like he wanted to part it and walk through it, to disappear forever. He desperately kept the pain inside his chest, and it jabbed at him mercilessly, slicing his breath short. He refused to let it out at the risk of breaking down, losing his composure. He couldn’t afford it: his composure was all he had now; he was the solid rock upon which everyone in the gang could count on. There simply is no time for weakness, when dozens of people depend on you to survive.

But he wanted to talk. Desperately. He wanted to tell Kris how much he was hurting. But his mind bounced back and forth between doing it and thinking it was stupid. After all, he had no reason to be that upset. It had been long enough now, hadn’t it? He was just being a big baby.

The outlaw had lost count of how long he’d been staring into the crackling flames, inhaling their smoke. The full moon peeked through the naked trees, stars glistening like tiny gemstones on a black evening gown. Everyone else had already turned in.

He should’ve gone to bed, but his eyes were wide open, his chest and shoulders too heavy. He missed Kris.

Arthur poked his head in their shared tent. His wife laid on the cot, sleeping peacefully. She looked like an angel: an halo of dark, wavy hair circling her head on the candid pillow. His chest temporarily felt a bit lighter in front of such a peaceful sight.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, Arthur undressed and climbed into bed next to Kris. He cuddled up to her, nuzzling his face into her shoulder and inhaling deeply. She smelled like home, like his safe place. It was so comforting, he almost forgot all about-

“Arthur…” she protested, making him curse under his breath.

“Sorry, dear,” he whispered. “Didn’t mean to wake ya”. His grip on her waist tightened and he pulled her into a hug. Kris exhaled, melting into his embrace and stroking his forearm. She has missed him, too.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on?” she asked, sleep still heavy and low in her voice.

Silence. Just rhythmical breathing, Arthur’s heavier and more disjointed. He exhaled, burying his face into Kris’s hair.

“Something happened yesterday…” he began. Nervous, he fidgeted with the stitching on Kris’s underwear, pulling at it and twirling it around his fingers.

“Wanna tell me about it?” Kris encouraged him softly.

“Not really…” His mind at fought a dire war between the effort of bringing up something painful and the temporary comfort of burying it down with the rest of his past.

“Okay,” she took his restless hand in hers, squeezing it lovingly. “But I think you should, honey. You’ll feel better after”.

She moved her head so she could look at him in the eyes. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

The blond nodded. He knew.

Kris smiled and kissed him on the cheek, cupping it and rubbing the coarse stubble with her thumb in a circular motion.

Arthur now felt reassured enough to open up, but he still hid his face in Kris’s thick hair.

“I was passing through this small village…” Arthur gulped, doing his best to spit the words out, where they wouldn’t rot him from the inside out. He paused to recount the scene.

Arthur rode in from the west side of the village, passing right in front of the tiny graveyard. He noticed a bunch of people gathering around an open grave, mourning the loss of a fellow citizen. What struck him the most was the utter silence and reverence in such a big crow: must’ve been someone important. He felt compelled to stop and watch from afar, like pulled into place by an invisible thread. The priest was the only one speaking, sending the poor soul off to their final rest.

As the clergy man droned and read from the Sacred Scriptures, Arthur got off his horse and approached, keeping at a safe distance from the funeral. Curiosity got the best of him, so he leaned out to have a look at the dug up hole in front of the tombstone.

His heart sank down into his stomach. That was too small of a grave.

“Today we lay our dear Ishmael to rest. His life was taken from us too soon, but when the Lord calls, we shall answer, and so now he sits next to His throne, in Heaven, forever safe from earthly suffering.”

Arthur felt all blood drain from his face. He desperately wanted to run, but he couldn’t bring himself to just turn around and leave. He felt like he deserved to sit through this. Like he had to.

Once the priest finished his speech, the undertaker began shoveling dirt on the casket, and it wasn’t long before the tiny body was hidden from mournful eyes forever, six feet deep.

A young woman, who had to have been the little boy’s mom, threw a red rose on the coffin, her face a veritable mask of pain. Two other women had their arms linked to hers, the only force holding her up and preventing her from falling on her knees, wracked by grief. And fall she did; she began to wail desperately, a sound which pierced right through Arthur’s chest and sent a wave of white hot pain straight to his head. Before he even noticed people were staring at him, he was bolting back to his horse and taking off at full speed.

“Oh, Arthur…” Kris sighed, the picture he painted way too real and raw.

Arthur swallowed the knot in his throat. He opened his mouth to speak again, but nothing came out.  

“I…” he paused, feeling his eyes sting unbearably.

“I miss him. Every day” he closed his eyes, tears that had been locked away for too long wetting his face.

Kris held him closer, squeezing him into a hug that she wished could’ve healed all his pain. Arthur wept in his wife’s arms for the first time ever, his deep sadness spreading to her. He never talked about Isaac, ever. It left Kris feeling so shocked that this was even happening. She froze, unable to come up with anything to comfort her grieving husband. She silently embraced him as tight as she could, caressing his hair and waiting for his sobs to settle down. With each one of them erupting from his chest, Kris felt a sharp knife stabbing her heart. Oh, there’s nothing worse of the sound of your beloved crying.

As Arthur calmed down they laid there for a while, entangled in each other’s arms, without speaking a word.

“Y’know,” he broke the silence, voice still broken. “I think this was punishment. I couldn’t save ‘em, and now I’m paying for it.”

“No, Arthur, this wasn’t your fault. Please, don’t blame yourself.”

He insisted, pain permeating his every word. “If I was there, I could’ve protected them.” Kris had never heard a sentence spoken with so much regret. She listened, heartbroken by all the guilt he carried, and felt so utterly powerless in the face of it.

“And now I’m scared I’ll ruin things again” he confessed, pressing his palms against his eyes to erase that poor mother’s face from his memory. “I don’t deserve a second chance.”

“Arthur.” Kris removed his hands away from his face. “Look at me.” She intertwined their fingers together.

“You do deserve a second chance. And you won’t ruin it. Because we are in this together, and I’m not backing down. Ever.”

Arthur looked up at her, unconvinced. “You should be with someone better.” he whispered, breathing it out with all the melancholy left in his lungs.

Kris laughed softly and shook her head. “I probably should, but I won’t” she brought his hand to her lips, “because I wanna be with you.”

Arthur smiled, eyes filled with unshaken love. Here stood his wife, his family, the finest woman he ever met, his second chance at life, at love. A day hadn’t passed where he didn’t feel grateful to be with her, even if guilt and conflict sometimes clouded his judgment. He wouldn’t let his past ruin the precious thing they had together, in the present.

He leaned forward, meeting her lips and rubbing his nose against hers gently.

“Afraid you’re stuck with me, Morgan” Kris joked, actually making him laugh for the first time in who knows how many days.

He cuddled into her shoulder. “I think it’s the other way around, Mrs. Morgan.”

“Mh. We shall see” she snarked, closing her eyes. “Goodnight, dear. Try to get some sleep.”

Arthur obliged, finally feeling lighter. What do you know, Kris was right. Again. He closed his eyes and Morpheus’s gentle embrace lifted him off the Earth, giving him some respite.

[fandxmslxt69]

Loki (TV) - Speak Now(TV): Enchanted

Loki Laufeyson x f!asgardian!reader

Warnings: some swearing, few thoughts of insecurity, but that';s it. Bad writing lmao. horrible plot too. lazy makeouts too.

Synopsis: You escape to the royal gardens after a shitty start to the ball, but running into an enchanting stranger turns your night for the better. Based on Enchanted by Taylor Swift. Part of a series In The Works.

A/N: Wow this is so bad lmaooo I'll fix it another time but I'm posting it now so I can get into the schedule and be done with!! This is my little very rushed entry for @sarahscribbles Birthday Celebration I LOVE YOU SARAH and you deserve SO MUCH BETTER than this lmao i had so much more planned for this but sadly it all failed with having no wifi this entire vaca, so this is the best I can do. I do promise a part two some time though.

Tags: (I';m tagging everyone who asked to be tagged for this part AND part 2 so I have everyone in one place <3) @divine-knight-hand @the-fox-den @nyxlaufeyson @under00s616 @mischief2sarawr and ofc @sarahscribbles

Word count: 3.5k

There I was again tonight

Forcing laughter, faking smiles

Same old tired, lonely place

The night, in conclusion, was an utter failure. You had been truly excited as the weeks neared to tonight’s ball. You had hoped for an evening full of dancing and laughs, twirling around in the arms of a handsome guy and enjoying light conversation, maybe even some good food.

So far, the food was the only thing that held out. 

You watched from your corner as pairs danced across the floor as music and easy chatter filled the room. Women in dresses of all colours of the rainbow, and men in nicely fitted suits and uniforms. Everyone wore masks, elegant and with elaborate designs that complemented each person’s attire. “This is a waste.” You grumbled to yourself as you tugged at your mask to adjust it in place.

“Perhaps,” One of your friend’s slid into the vacant seat beside you, face flushed from dancing. “You should go ask someone for a dance,” “What?” You snorted. “That’s an ugly look. It’ll seem like I’m desperate,”

“But you are,” She pointed out. 

You rolled your eyes, picking at the plate of fruit delicacies in front of you. “It’s alright. I don’t feel like dancing anyway,” She raised an eyebrow, “Were you not talking about how excited you were to spend all night dancing just this morning?” You threw her a look, getting up without bothering to finish your plate. “I think I’ll go for a walk in the gardens,” You said as you quickly fled out of the room.

Being out of the stuffed ballroom should have made you feel better, but you couldn’t help but feel as if you were still caged. 

Tonight was meant to be fun. It was meant to be an opportunity. For..for socialising, and meeting people, and making friends and, funnily you thought, perhaps meet someone for the night. 

Instead, you walked further through the gardens, trying to ignore all the giggles you heard from lovesick couples as you passed them. When you got further enough from the palace, you slipped off your mask, huffing as you carefully sat down in the wide fields, surrounded by blooming flowers and trees basking in the moonlight. 

You took a deep breath, trying to ease the sense of disappointment that grew like an ugly beast in your chest. Caught up in your feelings, you hadn’t realised someone snuck up on you until you heard a soft crunch from behind you. Your head whipped around immediately, assuming a danger perhaps, until your eyes fell on the man. 

Good gods. 

The man smiled briefly, his mask dangling from his fingers as he seemed to look you over. His hair rested in dark curls on his shoulders, and with the way the moon peeked lightly through the trees and shone on him, he looked heavenly, with a perfect jawline and flawless skin, cheekbones that looked sharp to cut, and eyes that shone with curiosity and mischief.  He fit nicely into his suit, with a lean frame that filled the clothing perfectly. 

He was, as mortals said, a work of art. A being artists and sculptures would surely sell their homes and families to try and capture his beauty. 

I need to calm down.

But he’s gorgeous. There was no hiding it, and you were absolutely sure you stared too long because he raised an eyebrow and the corner of his lips twitched upwards.

Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy

Vanished when I saw your face

All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you

“Sorry,” You muttered quickly, turning your head back to stare holes at the vast openings of the field. This had to be a joke, but a little part of your brain couldn’t help but get excited. 

Handsome young man, a moonlit gorgeous garden, at a ball. 

Could it get any more romantic? 

But that was stupid- the man probably found you a little pathetic, out here all alone rather than enjoying the ball. And you firmly reminded yourself that there would be no making out and naked activities in the royal gardens. And maybe your friend sent him, and if you were too eager you’d seem truly desperate and it would be oh so humiliating and you’d never be able to show your face again in public and-

“I see you’ve found my secret place,” His voice interrupted your spiral of thoughts. 

“Sorry,” You said quickly again. “I wasn’t aware that people could own areas of the royal garden,” You covered your hand with your mouth in horror, refusing to look at the man behind you.

What the fuck was that? 

It was quiet and then you heard him chuckle, as if amused by such a rude remark. He made his way to another part of the garden and took a seat. “You’re right, forgive me, it is open to everyone during the balls,”

You didn’t answer him, or even acknowledge him. Your cheeks were blazing red with horror. From the corner of your eye, you could see him sitting under a tree a little away from you, head ducked low as he…

Is that a book? Is he reading? At a ball? 

You looked behind you to the sound of the light music and chatter coming from the palace, then back at the man by the tree. “Why aren’t you inside?” 

“Why aren’t you inside?” He replied, not even looking up from his book. 

“I asked first,”

He looked up slightly then, raising a perfect eyebrow. So? He challenged silently. 

You rolled your eyes, turning away from him to watch the leaves dance lazily in the evening breeze. You folded and unfolded your hands in your lap. “I got bored of dancing,” Right. 

He didn’t answer right away, a few beats passed as soft music and gentle wind filled the space. Then, he said slowly, as if entertained by all this, “Liar,” 

Your head whirled back to stare at him. “Excuse me?” “Liar,” He said, shrugging like it’s no big deal.

“You’re calling me a liar?” “Is there anyone else here to call a liar?” You could see the small twitch of his lips, and how a little smirk forms as he watches you.

Shit. You had to fight down your own little smile. Perhaps he’s an ass, and maybe a little suspicious- but he’s got a lot more banter and brain in him than everyone else back in the ballroom. 

“And why are you calling me a liar?” 

“Because,” He closed his book dramatically, leaning forward and you could feel trouble radiating off of him. “No one comes to a royal ball to ‘get bored of dancing’,”

“You don’t know that,” “I absolutely do. It’s the biggest event of the year, people come specifically prepared to dance until they can’t feel their feet,” “Fine,” You huffed. “It was getting stuffy, and I was tired of all the war talk and gossip, so I came out here for fresh air,” 

Again, that stupid smirk. “You’re lying,” He said in an overly annoying sing-song voice. “I’m not!” You glared at him. “You are horribly rude,”

“Yet you find it amusing,” “I absolutely don’t,” Childishly, you stuck your tongue out at him, and he laughed, throwing his head back lightly and filling the space between you with such a warm, delightful sound. 

The playful conversation starts

Counter all your quick remarks

Like passing notes in secrecy

You really couldn’t stop the smile that broke across your face. “Alright then, if you suddenly know everything, why do you think I’m out here?” You asked after his laughter died down. 

“Hm…” He tapped a finger to his chin. “No one wanted to dance with you,” You gasped loudly. “Are you calling me undesirable?” “No m’lady,” He had that awfully cute smile again. “You said that, I just said I think no one wants to dance with you,”

You shook your head. “You are unbelievable! You know what, you’re terrible company,” He shrugged. “Then go back inside, perhaps get a chance to dance with the prince,” He said it easily, like he could care less if you stayed or left, but you had the strange feeling that he was challenging you to stay. 

You hummed, pretending to think it over. “You know what, I don’t want to go inside,” “But I thought I was terrible company?” “You are,” You smiled innocently. “But I like the gardens,” He’s too funny to pass up on. 

“Or perhaps you like me,” He had that shit-eating grin, and something in your chest started tingling, secretly hoping you could get more of his smiles. “Besides, you’ll pass up the chance to catch the crown prince’s attention just to sit in some garden?” “Blond isn’t really my type,” Stop talking stop talking stop talking. 

He frowned, staring at you weirdly, clearly taken aback but such a dumb statement. 

“Blond…isn’t your type,” He repeated, and you simply nodded. “So…you’d give up the chance at marrying the next ruler of this realm…because he’s blond,” “Exactly,” Like it made perfect sense. “What can I say? It’s less competition for the other women. I’m being kind,” 

“You’re insane,”

“You asked!”

“Yes but come on, it’s the crown prince,” He raised an eyebrow. “Would you rather marry the farmer’s son? The baker boy, perhaps?”

You rolled your eyes. “No, stupid. There’s other royalty around, obviously. But it’s not like anyone has a chance,” “Other royalty?” He got up then, gracefully making his way over with his book and mask in hand. He sat down beside you. “Do indulge me, what other royalty is there?” Holy. Shit. 

It took you a second to properly process his question. Maybe you lacked romance in your life, maybe you were too isolated, or maybe you were just really desperate for some decent conversation tonight, but you felt like you were losing your everloving mind.

He was breathtaking. You thought from afar he was beautiful, but now this close? You felt the air die in your throat as you properly looked over his face, your eyes catching on every detail. 

His sharp angles.

The exact green of his eyes- emerald, pretty much identical to the jewel. 

And the way he looked when the light shine of the moon hit his face? And the wind gently combed through his hair? He looked heavenly. 

Godly, even.

And it was enchanting to meet you

All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you

You were definitely staring (again) and he turned to look at you, those pretty lips forming another stupid smirk. “Yes?” You looked away. “Nothing. What was the question?”

He chuckled. “What other royalty is there?” “Oh, yes,” You frowned. “Are you new around here?” “No, why?” “There’s two princes. Prince Thor, and prince Loki,” “Ah right,” He pursed his lips. “But only one is looking for a bride,” “Yes well, all princes must eventually find a partner, no?” He shrugged. “I suppose so. So, if you won’t go for the blond, you’ll go for his brother? Woo him with your snarky comments and strange conversation habits?”

You smacked his arm lightly. “You really do not know how to talk to a lady. And no one ever said I’m “going for” anyone’s brother. I don’t want to marry a prince,” “That is the biggest lie I have ever heard,” He pointed at you accusingly. “Everyone wants to marry royalty,” 

“Nope,” You shook your head. “Not me,” But you could tell from the way his eyes shone with mischief and the smile on his lips that he could so easily read through you. 

“So you don’t have epic fantasy daydreams about marrying a handsome prince and gaining status, riches and power and living in the palace? Absolutely none about becoming royalty of Asgard? Nothing?” 

“Weeellll,” You smiled wide. “Perhaps,” “Was he blond, your prince?” “I just told you, I’m not into blonds,” He nodded, like this was absolutely serious and he was understanding it better. “Right, so you had dreams about prince Loki then,” “What?!” Your eyes widened. “I didn’t say that!” “You hinted at it,” He pointed out.

“You- I did not! You are so arrogant, thinking you know everything!” You glared at him, face flushed from his accusation. I don’t even know why I’m even having this conversation with a strange man I met less than 10 minutes ago,” You plucked a flower from nearby and started plucking off the petals one by one, watching them slowly fall onto your skirt. “You think you’re so smart and you make horrible accusations-” “Why are you getting so defensive?” He sounded amused by this.

“I’m not!” You definitely were. “You’re just getting on my nerve,” You turned to glare at him again, but he had a funny look on his face, he didn’t even look upset, or confused, or insulted. He was simply…..looking at you. “I think you need to work on your manners,” “And I think you’re beautiful,” He said suddenly as he leaned in, the words a soft whisper, a secret shared between two strangers hidden away from the world.

You felt your face heat up, and your heart started beating faster. A swarm of butterflies erupted in your stomach, and you suddenly had the urge to fall back and kick your feet in the air while giggling. 

Oh. Oh. Oh. 

“Oh..um, oh,” You laughed nervously, looking down shyly. But you could still feel his eyes on you, his face close enough that you can see his bottom lashes brush his cheek lightly, and the small movements of his face. “Thank...you. Thank you,” You swallowed hard. “You’re…uh, really beautiful too,” You rushed the words out. You looked up a little to see his green eyes widened a fraction, a little smile tugging at his lips, and then the faintest colour red dusting his cheeks. 

“Thank you,” 

You nodded dumbly and looked away again, biting your lip to keep the laugh bubbling inside of you to stay down. 

“What’s so funny?” He whispered. 

Fuuck. You could feel yourself panic a little. He was so close. So pretty too. How could a man be so pretty? He had to be magic, right? He’s too gorgeous to be anything less than ethereal. 

“Nothing,” You paused, biting your lip harder before a smile broke across your face, and a light laugh escaped you. “Sorry, sorry nothing’s funny,” His face broke into a smile. “You know, it’s rather rude to laugh at someone and avoid eye contact. It insinuates that you’re laughing at me,” His tone was teasing.

“I’m not!” You laughed again, shaking your head. “I’m not. Laughing at you, that is,” “Then look at me,” His finger lifted your chin up, and you sucked in a breath at how close you were. A few hairs apart, his pretty eyes looking at you in a way that made your heart flutter and insides melt to goo. And that smile. 

You felt your chest squeeze with a sense of familiarity. That smile…it’s familiar, like you’ve seen it before a million times but yet, you can’t place where. 

“I…” You started, and his eyes fell to your lips. “I want to kiss you,” He declared suddenly, and you swore the earth danced faster. 

“Kiss me then,” You replied, and just as fast, his lips fell lazily to yours. 

This night is sparkling, don’t you let it go

I’m wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

There were no good enough words that could describe how his lips felt against yours. In the back of your mind, you grabbed desperately at the languages you know, mortal and beyond, to find something to put this in words, a phrase, a string of letters, to explain the feeling of melting completely at his touch. 

His soft lips moved slowly against yours, his hand moved up to cup the side of your face and pull you closer. It wasn’t a heated or lustful kiss, nor overly passionate. More of…a gentle caress, a lazy press of plush lips against yours in a pretty garden under the moonlight. He pulled away just as fast, his eyes searched your face.

You were…breathless. It was the most simple kiss and yet, it seemed to have turned your world upside down. Your mind was empty, yet at the same time it spun a million miles an hour but with no coherent things.

Just the thought of him. His lips. His kiss. His pretty eyes and perfect face and gentle hands. Your heart stuttered. You couldn’t help but think, if you went a lifetime without another kiss like that? You might go insane. You’d rather him kill you. Death would be better, more merciful than knowing you’d never experience this again. 

There it was. 

“Ya’aburnee,” You muttered softly, and when his eyes snapped up from staring at your lips to your eyes, you realised you said that out loud.

“What?” “Nothing,” You shook your head. “Nothing,” “Not nothing,” He moved closer, your knees now touching and you felt the renewed need to kiss him. “What did you say?” “A word,” Your eyes fell to his lips. 

“Mm,” He leaned in, eyes fluttering shut and brushing his lips against yours. “What does it mean?” “Um,” You felt a hazy rush course through you, and you couldn’t form proper words. “I don’t know,” You lied quickly, chasing after his lips. 

A look flashed across his face, as if he knew you were lying, before it disappeared. He pressed his lips against yours again and you sighed happily. He kissed you deeper, his tongue slipping into your mouth and suddenly, you were both all over each other. 

He pulled you onto his lap, your dress bunching up at your thighs as you straddled him, your kisses growing sloppy as your tongues tangled together and your breathing got heavier and turned into heated pants. His hands tugged at your hair, and yours ran through his soft curls, making their way down over his shoulders and down his chest, searching and feeling the clearly built body underneath. 

You pulled away after a few minutes, eyes searching his face. His now slightly bruised, and the flush of his cheeks and the wildness of his eyes. He smiled softly and your heart did another flip. He opened his mouth to say something before snapping it shut, a frown forming on his face as his eyes wandered to stare behind you. 

You shifted around to turn. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” His hands fell to your hips. “Just…do you hear that?”

You frowned then too, straining your ears to listen. 

“No…? What are we-...oh.” You heard the soft ticking of the palace clock, and the soft slow instrumental signalling the last dance of the night. “Oh. I guess we lost track of the hour,” He hummed. “Yes, it does seem so,” He paused, as if thinking something over before smiling. “Dance with me,”

Your eyes widened. “What?” “Dance with me,” He repeated again. “You didn’t get a dance tonight, did you? Well, let’s fix it.” “But we’re all the way out here,” You stated dumbly. 

He raised a perfect eyebrow. “And?” “I-...well…I mean-...” He stared at you intensely, his emerald eyes searching your face. You sighed, shaking your head. “Okay,” You finally gave in, because with the way he looked at you there was no way you could’ve said no anyway. 

You got up off of him, dusting off your dress and patting back into place. When he got up and you caught his face in the light of the moon, your heart soared at the smudges of lipstick on his lips and on the corners, you couldn’t help but give a satisfied smile. His hair fell in messy curls now and he needed a minute to adjust his suit. 

You softly patted down your hair, trying to fix the hair do and your appearance despite the lack of mirrors. 

He took a step towards you, holding out his hand. You took it and he pulled you flush against him and you had to strain your neck full up to meet his eyes. He grinned that same wicked smile and placed a hand on your waist as he carefully began dancing through the music with you. 

It was a magical experience, to be in this gorgeous garden and have the chance to dance away under the stars with a beautiful stranger. It felt straight out of a fairy tale. 

All too soon, the music faded and you could hear the faint sounds of clapping and cheers from the party guests. You looked around, then back up at your pretty stranger with a small smile. “That was fun,” You whispered, as if scared that too loud of a noise would shatter this delicate moment. 

“Mm, very much,” He smiled back softly, his other hand dropping to rest on your hips. He leaned down, his lips ghosting over yours and you felt that lazy hazy cloud over you again. “We should get back,” He mumbled between kisses. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing your lips to his. His smell was intoxicating, and the feel of him so close made you dizzy. “We should,” You muttered, before kissing him again. He fumbled with the fabric of your dress, but before he could even think of getting further you pulled away quickly, straining your ears to hear the far away noise of horses and loud chatter. 

Right. End of party. Oh god.

You looked back at him, a mournful ache coursing through you. “I have to get back,” He frowned. “What? Why? Stay here,” He pulled you closer but you only shook your head. “I can’t! I came with my family, they’ll be looking for me soon,” You reluctantly detached yourself from him and quickly worked to fix yourself up. He looked like he was about to argue, but he simply nodded. “Very well. I’ll…walk you back?” You grinned and nodded back. “Thank you,” You quickly grabbed your discarded purse and mask before linking your arm to his as he began to lead the way back, his mask swaying back and forth in his free hand. You snuck a few glances at him as you neared the palace, and you swore in the light of the surrounding palace area he seemed to almost…stiffen, and something slipped over his face. He looked so damn familiar, you cursed yourself for not being able to piece it together properly. You still felt dizzy from the eventful evening, and who could blame you? 

When you made it to the carriages and turned to face him, smiling a little nervously. “Bye I guess,” A small smile ghosted over his lips as he let go of your arm, his hands now resting behind his back as he stood in all his beautiful glory. You basked in his beauty for a few seconds more, before something in your mind clicked. 

There’s no fucking way. Your eyes widened, but you tried to keep your mind from spinning out of control. The way he stood now, the expression on his face- empty- but with eyes as wild as a storm, no wonder you thought he looked familiar. He held himself like royalty, he was regal and elegant and majestic in a way no other person could ever be. 

He was, in every sense, magical. 

You felt…enchanted by his presence, and you were sure you were staring. 

You swallowed hard, mentally calming yourself down from the fact that you’ll probably never experience this again. 

“Thank you for the dance, your highness,” You said as quickly and politely as possible. You caught sight of the way his eyes widened and his expression went from emotionless to absolute shock. You turned around and practically ran for your life towards your carriage, already spotting your friends waiting by. 

As you got into the carriage, greeting your friends and ignoring their very obvious questions, you felt a pang of sadness hit through you at the thought of the night ending, but then a bit of joy, because you just got to dance with the prince, and nothing would get more magical or enchanting than that. 

I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you

[altf4d3lete]

Femslash February Day 10

Day 10: Love is Devotion

Word Count: 1.1k

With Thing securely in her hands, Enid started running into the forests that surrounded Nevermore. There was only one thing on her mind. Wednesday.

She felt nauseous thinking about what could have happened to her already. It had been how long, maybe an hour? Two? Since she’d been kidnapped. Tyler and Thornhill could have done anything in that amount of time. 

This was a bad idea. She knew that it was. After all, what was she going to do against a Hyde? How was she supposed to protect Wednesday when she couldn’t even wolf out? Her lungs were already burning as she sprinted through the trees, trying desperately to remember the way to Crackstone’s crypt. She’d figure out what she was going to do when she got there.

Why couldn’t someone else have come? Someone more useful. Someone who knew how to use their powers and could use them efficiently. Maybe it would have been better if Ajax had tagged along. Better than a werewolf who could only use her claws and couldn’t even shift. 

She could see it now. Stepping in front of the Hyde to try and stop him from killing Wednesday, only to be torn apart herself. Enid slowed down at the thought, biting the inside of her cheek. She wondered if she should go back and ask for more help. The thought sat in her mind for a moment before she made a decision. She’d do whatever it took to save Wednesday. Even if that involved her being hurt in the process.

Enid began running again. It was smooth sailing for a few minutes, before she looked up and saw the full moon, a pale red, peeking through the trees. She felt something snap in her body and cried out, falling to the ground. Thing went rolling.

Enid groaned, able to feel the bones in her body reshaping and reforming, her skin stretching to accommodate them as she grew fur along her body. Her nose extended into a snout, her ears stretching into points. Shock passed through her body, electrifying her mind as she realized what was happening.

“Thing! It’s happening!” She called out, speaking around the pain that she was currently feeling. Her limbs began lengthening as she grew to be twice her size. The whole process took about thirty seconds.

Once she was finished, she settled down on all fours, turned her head to the moon, and howled.

She’d be lying if she said it didn’t feel amazing. If she ignored all of the pain it took to transform, it felt incredible to finally free a primal part of herself, one that she hadn’t been able to access for so long. Her instincts were finally able to be released.

In this form, she was easily able to pick up Tyler and Wednesday’s scent. She could smell that prick from a mile away. Coffee beans, a faint whiff of wood. And then there was Wednesday’s. Ink and new paper. Easily traceable.

Enid began running, following Wednesday and Tyler’s scent. In this form, she had a fighting chance against Tyler. Maybe she’d even be able to take him down. Either way, she was ready to do whatever it takes. She was ready to fight for Wednesday. To kill for her, even.

As their scent got stronger, this primal urge, this need to protect Wednesday began getting stronger. She could feel it in her chest, growing with each passing moment. She had to save Wednesday. She had to protect her. There was no other option for Enid.

She jumped through the brush, her eyes settling on the Hyde. He had Wednesday pinned to a broken tree, his arm raised, ready to slice into her and leave her in the dirt like he had with the rest of his victims. Enid refused to let that happen.

She tackled him, her force sending the both of them tumbling multiple feet. She threw him into a tree, landing on her feet, the satisfying crunch bringing pleasure to her. That was when she whipped around, snarling, and her eyes landed on Wednesday.

Enid immediately stopped growling, her eyes visibly softening. Wednesday looked utterly shocked, confusion in her eyes as she stared at the werewolf that had just saved her life. “Enid?” She uttered softly.

Enid’s heart leapt in her chest. She felt an urge grow in her, an urge so strong that she had to do everything in her power to resist it. She wanted to go to Wednesday, wanted to completely envelop the girl, wanted to make sure that she would never be hurt again. She had such a strong urge to protect Wednesday from anything that could cause her harm.

She huffed softly, raising her head in a show of acknowledgement. Her eyes were trained on Wednesday. She wanted to never leave Wednesday’s side again. No matter what happened between them or around them. She wanted to stay with Wednesday, wanted to be the one to keep her safe.

Wednesday’s eyes suddenly shifted to something behind her, a flash of concern crossing her face. “Enid.” She said firmly, urgency in her voice. A warning.

Enid didn’t turn around quite fast enough, only turning to see a large arm swinging her way. She found herself sent flying, but she managed to land on her feet, sliding across the broken leaves and sticks. Her claws dragged through the ground, slowing her down.

She raised to her full height, snarling at the Hyde standing in front of her. At this boy who had taken Wednesday and manipulated her, who had hurt her both physically and mentally, who had erased all of the progress that Enid had made with Wednesday in terms of opening up and being vulnerable to people.

And all she could feel was pure hate.

What he did to her was unacceptable. What he did to her deserved punishment. He deserved to be on the ground, gasping, wondering how he had gotten himself in that situation. He deserved to be locked up, to be hospitalized and chained to the bed. The more primal part of her thought that he deserved worse than that. A predatory instinct was growing in her, one born out of the need to protect Wednesday.

In her peripheral vision, Enid could see Wednesday take a few steps back, then turn and run back towards the school. She turned her attention back to the Hyde. Good. Wednesday got away. Now it was just the two of them. Enid saved Wednesday, and now Wednesday would save the school.

Enid snarled, running towards Tyler. She would make him pay for everything he had done to Wednesday. She would make him bleed. She would make him suffer, the way he had made Wednesday suffer. 

And she would enjoy every last second of it. And once Enid saw Wednesday again, Wednesday would know just how much Enid cared. And she would know just how much Enid would do for her.

[amorficzna]

hiiii a prompt for you: galeheart + reaching out with their hand without saying anything, wanting the other one to grab it

yayay thank you for this one rowan, it really got me writing, and I ended up folding the prompt I haven't yet (completely) filled for @kvella into it as a shorter, completed story. I hope ya both like it <3

(alternatively, read on ao3)

The first time she is downed - too busy making sure Lae’zel can handle the goblin charging after her - she reaches out; for what or who, she doesn’t know, and assumes her body remembers the rites the way her mind can’t. She is no doubt reaching out for Shar, as penance, as the blood slips past her ribs and into the ground below, into the dark of the dirt.

The morningstar slips through her fingers, and it could be nothing more than her body crumpling beneath the heavy swing of the bugbear, but there’s more to it than that: her fingers stretch, and wait, and she feels the distinct prickle of something missing, though it isn’t her armament. 

There are muffled cries around her, and she blinks at the bleary image of a purple mass coming towards her; beneath the numbness of her skin she feels the warmth of a hand in hers. 

She doesn’t remember much after that, doesn’t bother to, until she awakes in camp. The hem of Gale’s robe is torn and there is a purple rag soaked with brown blood that lies at the edge of her tent. 

Her fingers flit across her palm. 

—

There are years of memories between that moment and this one, yet of all their time spent together - years and years and years of a life she can claim to remember now, with no uncertainty to it - seems condensed into that one moment; one that she cannot remember more than half-fully. 

Her Gale is old now; truly wizened, with his soul to match. He is grumpy, though in a light-hearted way that usually doesn’t match her on some of her best days. His face is alight with scars and wrinkles that she caresses in the evenings, when he snores and the winds of Waterdeep are too cold for her to wander onto the roof and look at the stars; to contemplate those celestially long lives, and remember an old friend. 

She is old now too, but not old enough.

Tonight the winds die down as she makes her way to the rooftop, Gale’s form sagging harshly against their mattress. The clouds are clear and she knows what omens are, how they manifest, like the way they did before Morena passed. The night sky was clear then, too, and the snow falling across city was so gentle it kissed her skin where it landed. 

She looks down upon her garden from her perch on the roof, for it really is hers. Her trees are ripe with blossoms and early spring fruits. The moon casts shade upon a sprinkling of every kind of flower and bush she could find, once upon a time; anything that would grow lies scattered haphazardly in the small thicket Gale once gifted her. 

In the middle of the lush of nightshades and crocus and night orchids peeks through the stone grave of Morena Dekarios. And beside her, the dirt still clinging to her nailbeds, lies another empty plot. 

She draws her knees up close to her chest, and looks upon the stars. 

Gale told her once of a tradition among Waterdhavians, or so he claimed. He less told and more performed, his hands whisking the Weave around them as an empty bottle of wine rolled haphazardly towards the edge of the roof, their lips stained plum, his smile bright. It was about wishes and falling stars, and how the Gods, who looked so fondly on those doomed celestial bodies, found it within themselves to grant wishes for even the lowliest of mortals. 

Now, as she looks at the sky, a piercing blue streak crosses past, just below the heavy full moon. 

The ache in her chest tightens anew as she wonders on it - if she should test her luck with some erratic half-formed tale from a night of drinking. But her children and the last of their friends will be here tomorrow, and her Gale is old, and she has spent many years with him, on this roof, in their bed, out in the garden; it will have to be enough. 

As the night turns golden with the rising sun she slips back inside. He is already awake, his eyes bright and warm as he sees her come in, his hand equally so as he wipes the dried tears from her cheeks. 

“My love,” he says, “My dear heart.”

“It’s been a good life.” 

“And it will be.” 

She runs her hand against his chest and the thin skin there; where his skin indents like an old scar, or a burn that never healed quite right. She spent many nights rubbing oils and balms into the skin there, out of sheer spite or blind stubbornness she isn’t sure, but the mark stayed, and they learned to grow around it instead. 

She wonders, in this last morning together, if she should bring up this half-formed memory of a life long ago. 

Instead she reaches for him, and he meets her halfway, their fingers entwining, his knuckled and swollen, hers a bit spotted and soft but still much the same, and that is answer enough. 

—

The sun is barely cresting over Deep Harbor when the first of their children appear - Marino and Arianell, their own families in tow. Shadowheart sends a mage hand to greet them, their light steps creaking against the old staircase as they make their way towards their parent’s bedroom. She runs her fingers softly against Gale’s forehead, his hair long and wispy and starkly white. 

His smile deepens the wrinkles and lines of his face, and he welcomes his twins with open arms. 

“Father -” Marino cries, but that is all the boy can say before the three of them are swept up in sobs and cathartic laughter.

Shadowheart rubs her hand against her daughter’s back, and sees so much of Gale in the both of them. Below her children’s partners and her grandchildren await, and she knows she will need to see to them soon as the day becomes long and the night will be upon them, but for now she feels the warmth of her son’s arms around her, and the hot trail of her husband’s tears, and she allows herself this indulgence.

—

Ama arrives before noon, her youngest daughter holding herself together with stark calmness as she wobbles up the stairs to see her father, always closer to him than Shadowheart. 

Shadowheart will speak with her later, and they will share their grief in their own ways, but now she holds one of her granddaughter’s close, and looks at her garden and the way its snaking vines slip through the open kitchen window and into the small cracks of the wizard’s tower.

—

The sun is casting orange and purple streaks across the walls of their bedroom once Astarion and Halsin arrive. They are quiet as they make their way to the bedroom, where the rest of the Dekarios clan sit upon the bed, sharing in stories and laughter, Gale’s presence the center of their small orbit. 

Halsin is like her, and she knows she will make a pilgrimage to Reithwin once her husband’s bones are settled into the ground; she will have to speak with him on this grief that is slowly twining around her heart like the mark upon her hand once did, though this one is not born of any malice. But it will still hurt, and it will hurt long, and hard, and she knows Halsin will share the wisdom of hundreds of years to guide her through it. 

But for now Gale is here, and he is so lovely, with his hair as white as her own, and his smile still so wide and warm, and his laugh coming out in soft, rumbling huffs. 

The night is coming faster than she thought, and there is the sharp slice of panic that rips through her as the sun continues its gentle decline into night; the moon is near, and between them lies her three children, and Astarion, and Halsin too. 

They all stay like that, long into the night, all of them crowded onto their bed. Even with so many of them, it doesn’t feel cramped, as if by some magic it stretches to accommodate all of Gale Dekarios’s loved ones.

Even with so many years and so many memories between them, he feels so far away in this moment, as if she will never be beside him again, her body never pressed against his, their hands never fumbling to pull the other close. She doesn’t mean to cry, and she doesn’t, but as they continue to swap tales - each more outlandish than the last that Shadowheart wonders if they are weaving the legend of the Great Wizard of Waterdeep as he still yet lives - she feels it; it is the gentlest of pulls that guides her hand open, palm up, reaching out towards the infinite space of night. And in response there is the turn of her husband’s head to meet her eyes, and across that infinite space she feels his hand in hers, like a gentle tickle against her palm, and she weeps.

—

Her children and friends stay for another tenday to help her with the funeral rites, to help her carve the stone and set the grave, to put his body to rest and to celebrate his life with rich wine and well-spiced foods. 

Her children hold her close, and she promises to visit them - and she will, in her own time. 

But once her house is empty once more, and her bed is missing its best half, and the hallways are too silent, and the mage hands have died away, she slowly makes her way to the roof. She wonders, as the wind whips against her face and hair, which of the stars her celestial husband has become to watch over her. 

“I miss you,” she whispers, “I already miss you. Wait for me,” she pleads.

A bright streak of blue answers her.

[xuchiya]

so innocent: so not pure 01

—--------------  ₊˚.༄ [chapter: 01] ₊˚.༄ —------------------

[i decide to not make it supernatural au, i'm sorry] words: 2.0k warning: childhood flashbacks, mentions of astrology, cursing, smut (public sex) and fluff with maltese yeosang ₊˚.༄ [chapter: 00] ₊˚.༄ - ₊˚.༄ [chapter: 02] ₊˚.༄

   summer 2002

   the morning summer sun was spent perched in their kingdom atop the old oak tree, a poorly excuse built tree house, whispering secrets like dandelion wishes on the wind. moonjin, a wisp of a girl with eyes that mirrored the summer sky– her presences resemble what an angel would look like, so innocent, and yeosang, a whirlwind of freckles and mischief– full of adventures and unpredictable. 

                they were inseparable. they were pirates on stormy seas, astronauts soaring through stardust, their imaginations painting vibrant worlds within the creaking confines of their wooden haven, “did you know that billions of galaxies together, trillions of trillions and trillions of stars in our universe?” her soft pitch voice made yeosang giggle but shakes his head upon hearing her trivia.

          “no that would be impossible …” 

             “but it’s true! stars would look like diamonds on the night sky. it will look beautiful.” moonjin’s admiration to astrology made yeosang curious about what so good about a ball of fire yet he didn’t interfere– seeing the sparkle in her eyes, the same as how stars glow. 

      “why did they name you moonjin if you like stars?” yeosang asks, tilting his head to the side. moonjin shrugs, having no clear explanation about his name, “my parents said i was born on a full moon … but-- i don’t know, they don’t have a special meaning to it.” yeosang watch her reaction carefully until he looks up to see the full moon already peeking from the 5pm sunset, his eyes settled on the moon above then back to the moon beside him, “maybe because there’s only one moon.”

   moonjin looks at him, confused “huh?” yeosang smiles at her, eyes showing his honesty, “you said there’s billions of stars in our galaxy, right? then even if there’s trillions, quadrillions of them– there’s only one moon that shines the brightest amongst them.”

  that moment there, the swirl of cold breeze of the summer night brought two hearts as one. their bond deepened with sticky fingers and shared laughter. building precarious towers of legos, devouring stolen cookies beneath the watchful gaze of a disapproving grandma, their days were a tapestry woven from shared adventures and unspoken promises.

   it was daisies and sunshine but when adolescence came, with its clumsy limbs and hormonal earthquakes, it had a way of shattering childhood castles. sophomore year arrived, cloaked in an awkward silence that settled between them. yeosang's smiles, once as bright, became tinged with a hesitant shyness. his eyes still held those same mischief, though now there’s something more that flicker of something moonjin couldn't decipher– longing, perhaps, or hesitance,  she couldn't name.

      the treehouse, their sanctuary, stood witness to their fractured friendship. conversations, once free-flowing rivers, became stuttered streams, punctuated by long, aching pauses. yeosang still talked to her, of course, but their interactions remained tethered to the surface, ghosts of their vibrant past echoing in the hollow spaces between them.

   moonjin, ever the observer, retreated further into her shell. her quiet whispers seemed magnified by the newfound distance, her words swallowed by the chasm that had blossomed between them. yet, beneath the shyness, a flicker of longing mirrored yeosang's – a yearning for the carefree days of shared secrets and sticky fingers, a silent plea for their laughter to find its melody once more.

     2024 brought more than just a new year for moonjin and yeosang. it marked the dawn of a new era, fueled by yeosang's determined push for change. gone was the lanky boy whose smile masked a flicker of uncertainty; in his place emerged a young man radiating newfound confidence, sculpted by hours spent in the gym and fueled by an unyielding ambition.

  that did not go unnoticed by moonjin, ever the keen observer, became an involuntary witness to yeosang's metamorphosis. the shy glances he used to steal in their freshman year were replaced by a steady, unwavering gaze that sent shivers down her spine. his once hesitant laugh boomed to a contagious one to other people near him, a vibrant symphony that drew surprised smiles from everyone around. including moonjin.

   “have i fuck you so dumb now that you can’t talk, eh?” moonjin was pulled out from her thoughts when her hair was pulled back at the same time, yeosang’s hips thrusting back. they were still on the same position as yeosang continuously slams back harshly, hitting the spot that sent moonjin squealing, moaning under his hold. yeosang lets go of his hold on her hair, grabbing her cheeks mushing them together, tilt her head to the side, “use your words, star.”

  the table keeps screeching each thrust yeosang makes as he picks up his phase, gripping her hips with one hand to keep her on place. moonjin nodded, “yes– yes you fuck me so good!” even if its inaudible, yeosang’s cock twitches from the immense look moonjin was giving. those doe innocent eyes fill with tears everytime his tip reaches her g-spot, mouth gape open struggle to keep her moans on bay, clothes wrinkle her skirt hike up to her waist exposing her milky ass that was now red with yeosang’s handprint.

   yeosang crosses his arms, gripping her waist tightly his veins popping out as he grinds his hips softly then pulling back and thrusting back in swiftly, edging moonjin close to her climax. he repeat the same actions when he felt his high coming, yeosang crawled his grip underneath her uniform to her covered chest; pulling down the bra as he started kneading her breast, pinching, circling her tits in his fingers knowing it takes her to her climax and on queue, he heard her cursing repeatedly, pornographic moans leaving her lips, “fuck fuck yeosang i’m cumming–!” yeosang leaned down pressing himself on your back, hips picking up its speed, going smoothly and swiftly as his mouth ajar broken moans, his breath close to her ears, “yeah? –shit did you just–” just like she mention a while ago, yeosang pull himself up,  his pants were now dripping with her arousal as her juices kept squirting out her cunt, her hips shaking as she chased after her high. 

   yeosang watches her unfolds in front of him, chest heaving, sweat trails down on her foreahead to her chin, her knuckles white from the intense climax. he chuckles, “you did great star … now its my turn.”

   he look behind him to see the chair in the same place, he pulled themselves down on the chair as he squeezed her ass in his hands, “make me cum.” moonjin, still recovering from her high, looks behind her as yeosang leaned back down on the chair; waiting for her to move. She sat between his legs,his cock still resting inside her. Her hands each side on his thighs as she started to pick up her pace. 

   she started bouncing herself on yeosang, hips moving effortlessly to meet his. the view was what yeosang dreamed, watching her ass jiggles each time she comes back down–best part? Seeing how her hole swallow his cock down to the base made him throw his head back, gripping her waist before bucking his hips up, stammering by the pleasure running down his veins as he pump his seeds inside her clamp walls. 

  when yeosang came down from his high, moonjin gradually remove herself; bending over with one hand spreading her ass to expose her puckered pussy which slowly spewed his cum. yeosang bit his lip, cock laying on his stomach twitch at the sight, “i– fuck that’s so hot, star.” 

   moonjin stood up, pulling her skirt down fixing her uniform, turning around to look at yeosang; her face red as a tomato not from the compliment but from the tiresome exertion to the extent of wanting to sleep on the spot but they have to clean up, “yeo come on, let’s clean up.”

   yeosang look at her as his chest, heaves still in his post-nut clarity, “5 minutes …” moonjin shakes her head, grabbing her littered panty on the floor when she felt a hand smacking her ass causing her to yelp, spinning to see yeosang smirking at her. he was leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, tongue moisting his lips, “nice ass by the way.” 

   moonjin scoffed,“yeah thanks to you, my butt is probably sore tomorrow.” she mumbled, directing the blame squarely at him. yeosang laugh at her amusedly, “you should be used to this by now.” 

   she pouts at him, rolling her eyes dramatically, “yeah so does the slapping my ass whenever we bump into each other …” he extended his hands out with a ‘what’ look, “at least they know i can only tap that ass.”  “shut it doberman!”

  their ruckus continue as they clean up their mess, yeosang has to run back to his locker to change his pants which moonjin covered her embarrass face but yeosang praised her for that. the playful bickering dissolved into comfortable silence, the setting sun casting long shadows over the silent classroom. they idle near the open window, letting the cold breeze whish its way in, blowing their hair gently.

   yeosang leaned against the chair, mesmerised by the celestial canvas unfolding before him. the whispers of the wind carried the scent of salt and sun-kissed sand, weaving a lullaby around him–  the soft blush of the clouds, the swaying symphony of cherry blossom dancing against the fading light. he turned, gaze landing on moonjin, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. she stood a few feet away, leaning against the wooden table with an air of quiet contemplation. her hair, a cascade of sun-kissed gold, seemed to catch the last rays of light, turning her into a radiant silhouette against the fiery backdrop.

   yeosang's breath hitched, his heart suddenly doing a double take in his chest. the scene – moonjin, framed by the fiery sunset, her quiet silhouette exuding an ethereal beauty – struck him with the force of a tidal wave. it was as if the world had paused, painted in vibrant hues just for his eyes, with moonjin as the captivating centrepiece. 

    He knew how beautiful she is–heck he witnessed how she went from being the nerdy looking limp kid back in 4th grade then evolving to an athletic appealing young woman she is today.  his gaze traced the line of her neck, the way it curved gracefully where it met her shoulder, her figure down to her milky skin. each detail, bathed in the golden hour's glow, amplified his admiration, sending a tingle through his fingertips.

  he wanted to capture this moment, freeze it in time like a precious butterfly caught in amber. he wanted to step closer, whisper her name into the fading light, and bask in the quiet magic that seemed to swirl around them. but his feet remained rooted to the spot, his words imprisoned in his throat. the fear of shattering the delicate bubble of their shared stillness held him back, a silent observer in his own unfolding dream.

  as the last whispers of the sun faded, moonjin turned, her eyes catching him in a fleeting moment. there was a surprise in her gaze, a flicker of something unspoken that mirrored the storm brewing within him.

     and then, just as quickly, her lips curved into a soft smile, the warmth reaching his eyes even before her words did. "what is it?" she murmured, her voice a gentle echo in the twilight, yeosang swallowed, finding his voice at last. "noth–" he breathed, his gaze never leaving hers. "you–," he hesitated, a soft smile curling his lips, "you look beautiful"

  moonjin's cheeks flushed a delicate pink, the setting sun mirroring the blush on her skin. but her eyes, sparkling with amusement, held his gaze unflinchingly.iIn that moment, under the fading light of the setting sun, yeosang knew that these feelings he had to her were not just any infatuation– they’re more than that and he is sure of those feelings. 

     and he hopes that maybe one day or someday when the time is right, he gets to express those bottled up feelings to her and maybe a pinch of hope if she feels the same way. 

         with moonjin as the captivating muse to his every whispered verse, he’s willing to do more than this.

taglist: @jonghostie , @tigressnamsoon

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

Natural Satellite [ch 4]

Siffrin tries to sort through their feelings. (He isn’t very good at it.) You can start from chapter one here.

Loop is waiting for you under the Tree, like they knew you’d come. When you catch their eye, they give you a sympathetic smile. “Trouble in paradise?” Right. Paradise. That’s one word for it. “This is why I didn’t want to tell,” you mutter. Isa is—was the last source of warmth in this whole miserable charade. If even he’s mad at you—and not just for this loop, but for all of them… Stars. You can’t even bear to think about it. It's funny how, even without a mouth, you can always tell when Loop is smiling. You can even sort of tell what kind of a smile it is—if it’s mocking or sarcastic or, once in a blue moon, genuinely fond—even though you normally can't. Right now, it is definitely not fond.

You can’t understand why he’s acting like this.

It’s barely his second loop. Keeping a low profile was easy, back then. Fun, even! On your second loop—your 22nd!!—your bones didn’t creak like an old house. Saying your lines didn’t make you want to throw up. You were barely even tired. So where does Isabeau get off, throwing a tantrum after two relatively successful loops? He hasn't even had to fight the King yet! This is the easy part!

It just isn’t fair. Isa was the last good thing. Teaching Bonnie to fight takes almost an hour; and as soon as Mira opens up about her feelings, she just goes on and on and on. Odile is even worse. Because of her, you can’t take a step out of line without fielding a full-fledged interrogation. But lying in the field with Isa was… nice, sometimes. It wasn’t real, but it was nice.

And now it’s gone.

No more play-pretend. No more second chances. He can see you now, the real you. Of course he’s horrified. You’re the stuff of horror! A monster from one of Mira’s awful voyeuristic books, pulled off the page and gifted one eye and a lying smile.

You peek at him through your lashes. At least while he’s asleep, Isa looks the same as always. When he’s asleep, he can stick to the blinding script.

You can’t sleep. But that’s in the script, too. You never sleep. You can’t remember the last time you could.

There’s no point wasting time here, not when looking at him still makes you so angry. You slip silent out of bed and pad soundlessly across the floor. You’ll talk to Loop. It’ll be easier to think without an audience.

* * *

Loop is waiting for you under the Tree, like they knew you’d come. When you catch their eye, they give you a sympathetic smile. “Trouble in paradise?”

Right. Paradise. That’s one word for it.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell,” you mutter. Isa is—was the last source of warmth in this whole miserable charade. If even he’s mad at you—and not just for this loop, but for all of them… Stars. You can’t even bear to think about it.

It's funny how, even without a mouth, you can always tell when Loop is smiling. You can even sort of tell what kind of a smile it is—if it’s mocking or sarcastic or, once in a blue moon, genuinely fond—even though you normally can't.

Right now, it is definitely not fond.

“Stardust,” Loop says firmly. “First thing’s first: I’m not going to be your relationship counselor, so don’t ask.”

“My—what? What relationship?”

Their smile gets even less fond. “Wonderful. Yes. Naturally.” They heave a sigh, looking enormously put-upon. “Alright, stardust. I’m only going to say this once, so you’d better listen.”

…You’re listening.

“I know you’re not very smart, so I’m going to make this simple for you, alright? Your Fighter isn’t upset about the loops.”

“Huh? Then why—”

“He’s upset that you keep hurting yourself. Obviously.”

But… why? “But it goes away when I loop back.”

“Are you a baby?” Loop demands. “Did you never learn object permanence? Things don’t just go away. Or have you already forgotten what happened when you tried to touch him, back when—”

“Stop.” You don’t remember putting your hands over your ears but you must have, because there they are. You don’t want to hear this. You made it so it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen so it doesn’t hurt, why would it hurt, it doesn’t make any sense to hurt over something that never even happened.

Loop’s expression sours. “You know what, stardust? Never mind. I’m here to help with the loops, not some ridiculous schoolboy crush. You can figure this out on your own.”

You frown at them. They’ve never refused to talk about something before. Just one more casualty of Isa’s disruption, you suppose. Why does everyone insist on rewriting their roles? And why did they have to wait until now? A hundred loops ago, you might’ve been glad for some company. But it’s much too late for that. You’re already all emptied out. You don’t remember how to feel anything but tired. “But why?”

“None of your business,” Loop snaps. “You know, you could try being a little less selfish for a change. You’re not the only one who’s tired.”

“But—”

“Oh, for Stars— Do I have to spell it out for you? Go away!! It’s the middle of the night!”

“...Do you even sleep?”

“Do you?”

Ha ha! Yeah. They do have you there.

* * *

When you get back to the Clocktower, you’re surprised to find Isa sitting up in bed, pulling on his boots. He’s not supposed to do that here. He’s supposed to sleep through the night. (You would know. You haven’t slept through a night in your entire life. Or, if you have, you can’t remember.)

“What are you doing.”

“Sif!!” he whispers, eyes widening. “I—um. You were gone…”

Something in your chest seems to flutter, the flicker of an ember you thought had long gone cold. You diligently stamp it out. Unpredictability is a risk you can’t afford. Besides, you already know what he thinks of you. He wants you, but not enough to touch you. He wants you, but not enough to tell you. Which means he doesn’t really want you at all.

You saw how he looked at you today. With revulsion. With disgust. But you knew that already, didn’t you? Of course he never wanted you. He wants the stupid little puppet you’ve been waving around. Cute, silly Siffrin, with the jokes and the winks and the chipmunk cheeks, always hiding a bashful smile under the brim of their hat. A stupid little squirrel who can’t even remember their own stupid made-up name. Someone small enough to make him feel big. Useless enough to make him feel useful.

If that Siffrin ever existed, they’ve been dead for a long time. Now there’s only you.

“Went for a walk,” you tell him, slipping out of your boots without looking up.

“O-Oh. Were you… talking to Loop?”

It still throws you, hearing Loop’s name on someone else’s tongue. Loop is supposed to be yours, just like the loops are yours. Your prison, your warden. “Does it matter?”

Isabeau shrinks in on himself a little. “Um. I guess not. I was just, um, curious.”

“If you don’t sleep, you won’t fight as well,” you inform him. Even if he’s thrown away the script, the other actors need him. “You’ll be clumsy. Slow. You could get someone hurt.”

“Oh,” he mumbles, scrunching down a little more. “I guess so, yeah. What about you, though?”

“You don’t have to worry about me.” You can take care of yourself and everyone else. You’ve proven it a hundred times over. And anyway, you don’t sleep.

“Oh. Um. I’m… probably still gonna, though.”

You roll your eyes. “Do what you want. Just move over. I need to lie down.”

Even with your eyes closed, you can feel his gaze on you. Sure enough, when you glare through your lashes, you catch him staring. “What.”

When his face twists with hurt, something tugs at your— Oh. Not your stomach. Your chest. Your chest feels tight, like there’s something expanding inside. Your ribs creak. Your sternum aches.

A hundred loops ago, you might’ve thought about reaching for him. With your words, if not your hands. Isa, you look so sad… Are you okay? Is there anything I can do? If I make a joke, will it make you happy? If I pretend to be a real person, will you believe me?

You don’t say anything.

“Just… um.” Isa chews his lip, his face all scrunched with hurt. He looks tormented. Pained. (But of course he does. He’s grieving someone he thought was still alive.)

It’s better this way, you remind yourself. Better to tear off the bandaid in one clean jerk. A blade through the throat might sting, but any idiot would agree that it’s better than dying by inches, in pieces. “Is this going to take long? I’m tired.”

“Oh,” he mumbles. “Um. Y-Yeah, you do look pretty tired. It’s… nothing, I guess. Sorry. We can talk about it tomorrow. Or, uh. Yesterday? Haha.”

You don’t laugh. You don’t smile for him, either. There’s no point playing your role anymore. All you can do is sink your teeth into the inside of your cheek until the sting in your mouth is louder than the one in your chest.

When his smile falters, you find that you can’t look at him anymore. You roll over and look at the ceiling. But you don’t sleep. You can’t remember the last time you slept.

You stare at nothing and wait for the sun to rise.

* * *

Isa doesn’t make the bread joke.

Your lines are so practiced that you almost just say yours, out-of-context. But of course you don’t. You’re not stupid. You don’t care that he’s ruining everything. At least one of you is a professional. After all, the show must go on!

You loot the pantry. You pick up the key. You keep moving.

* * *

You don’t find what you’re looking for in this loop, either. You still can’t understand why. Surely an article about the King should be in Euphrasie’s office, or the secret library. But it isn’t. It isn’t anywhere. And there’s no point charging in to fight the King if you don’t have anything new to ask him. You already tried that the last six times.

You need a fresh start.

You dart a glance at Isa. You still remember what he asked, about ending the loop with your dagger. But Tears don’t count, surely. They’re so gentle. Like plunging into a cold stream on a hot day. Sometimes you use them even when you aren't stuck: to change the scene, or just to catch your breath. Though you probably can’t get away with that anymore. (Just one more thing that’s been taken from you.)

Still, you should probably be sneaky about it, this time. Not a problem. Going unseen might be the only thing you’re really good at. You smile at Mira. You sidestep Bonnie. You slink down the hallway—

—and then Isa scruffs you like a kitten, yanks you back, and flings himself face-first into the Tear.

You’ve seen your friends Stopped in battle a hundred times, at least. It should feel normal. Just as nothing as everything else.

It—doesn’t.

Maybe it's the shift in focus, attention undiverted by the chaos of combat. Or maybe it’s just that Isa is so much more alive than you are. When it’s you, using a Tear is a scene-change. Stage directions. It’s nothing. But to see the light draining out of Isabeau feels—different. It feels different than when it’s you.

Isa flings himself into the Tear and his smile goes utterly still. The time-stop seeps down his throat, washes over his chest. You’re still dangling from his grip as his arm turns to stone.

“No,” you gasp, scrabbling at his wrist, “No, you—”

[ f e e l   a   t u g   a t   y o ur   s t o m a c h ]

—and you wake up.

* * *

Isa gets to the field even faster this time. “Hey, Sif.”

“Why would you do that?” The anger in your voice surprises even you. You thought that sort of thing had all been burned out of you.

“Just testing a theory,” he says distractedly, pulling out a notepad and flipping through it. “I’ve been making a list of things we need to—“

“You shouldn’t have done that!” You can feel heat building in your gut. All the blood you’ve swallowed, coating your throat like bile. “You don’t know the rules! What if we didn’t loop, and Bonnie had to watch you— Or if you stayed dead?? There’s too much at stake, you can’t just go around testing stupid theories that we don’t even need!! We already know how to loop!! That isn’t the problem!!”

“Well, it’s a problem for me.”

(What.)

“And, I mean… I’m not trying to be rude, but it kinda seems like you don’t know the rules, either. Like, what if you only had a set number of deaths? What if one day, you tried to loop and just—stayed dead?”

Haha!! Wow. What a nice idea. But of course you could never be so lucky.

Isa holds out both hands, palms-up. “I’m just saying, we’re still figuring this out! What’s wrong with me trying, too?”

Your pulse hammers in your ears, screams in your veins. “What’s— Everything!! You’re not even supposed to be here!!”

“But I am here, though?”

“But you shouldn’t— You don’t deserve this!! You can’t just run around trying things!! I— We all need you to play your role. We can’t do this without you.” You probably could, if it came to it, but it would take a lot longer.

Isa shrugs. “Then you’re gonna have to do it with me.”

…Yes. That’s the idea.

“Oh. No. Not just the King,” he says firmly. “The loops, too. Or else I’m just gonna keep trying to figure it out on my own.”

Your lips peel back from your teeth. You can’t help it. He’s being ridiculous. Why can’t he understand that you deserve this? “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re trying to control something you couldn’t even begin to understand.”

“Well, maybe we can figure it out together?”

He sounds so reasonable. So calm. For some reason, that’s the last blinding straw. He’s still talking to you like a person, like he can see you, like you’re still—

It doesn’t matter. You put on your coldest glare. “I think I liked you better when you didn’t remember.”

That one lands. You can see it go through him like a sledgehammer. Bullseye! Finally, a clean hit!

“Um,” he mumbles, looking at his hands. “I, uh. Haha. I mean… yeah. I get that. It’s easier to hide.”

You bark a wild laugh. Well!! He’d certainly know about that!!!!

“But I really think—!!” Isa hesitates, looks away. “I know you probably think I’m, like, kinda dumb, but I’m actually pretty good at thinking through stuff like this.”

This again? “I don’t think you’re stupid.”

He startles. “You—oh? Uh? I-I mean, that’s, hehe, it’s—I appreciate you saying so, but I guess I mean, I might sorta be better than you—”

“I know you’re a huge nerd.”

“—Hwuh?”

“We talked about it.” Saying it out loud sends a strange sort of thrill down your spine. You’ve never talked about a past loop before. “A bunch. You were a huge nerd, but you wanted to be different, so now you are.”

“Y-Yeah…”

“But mostly on the outside.”

He winces. “Yeah.”

“Because you’re still a huge nerd.”

“Pffft— Sif!! You can’t just call a guy a huge nerd!!”

Your forehead furrows. “I thought you wanted people to know you were smart.”

“Oh,” he says, a little distantly. “Yeah. I guess I kinda do, huh?”

You shrug. He’s the one who said so.

“W-Well— I just mean, I think I could help! Probably! Maybe not right away, but if you tell me what you’ve figured out…”

You chew it over. He’s… not exactly wrong, is he? Isabeau is sort of unnervingly smart. He figured out a bunch of things even when he didn’t have any context. And you can’t really protect him anymore, since he’ll just keep remembering, so… maybe it would be… fine? “Um. I… guess so?”

To your surprise, he bounces on his heels, beaming. “Yes!!! Okay!!! Yes!!! Let’s crabbing do this!!! Okay, okay, okay, we gotta start with the basics, right?” He whips a pen out of his pocket and uncaps it with deadly seriousness. “Tell me everything you know.”

You can follow the series on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53412649/chapters/135189547

[jedipoodoo]

Hi 👋!!! Omg I love your writing and stories ❤️, they always make me smile, and I absolutely loved the Crosshair werewolf au story. I was just wondering if I could request one with Hunter x fem reader and he’s nervous about how she feels about his new appearances, but she still loves him. If you are busy or if you don’t want to write it, you can just discard this request.

Hi! 👋👋👋 Thank you for your sweet words! I did get busy, as you can probably tell, but the thought of this request consumed my every waking moment. @giganonyx I know you'll enjoy this one!

Hunter's Moon (Werewolf! Hunter x GN!Reader)

Notes: Werewolf au, insecure Hunter, established relationship, Dividers by @djarrex.

Warnings: wolf fighting, blood and injuries, a wolf (not Hunter) tries to eat the reader.

"Where's Hunter going?" you asked. You just barely managed to spot the red of his bandana before he disappeared into the woods. The sun had just set, why was he going exploring now?

"He said he had a headache and was going to release some of his pent-up stress. He warned me not to wait up," Tech recited almost boredly.

You were more than slightly miffed that your boyfriend told your brother what he was up to, but not you. You grabbed one of your first aid bags and tossed in a few first aid essentials before marching down the ramp with a singular focus.

"I would not recommend following him!" Tech warned hastily.

"It's too dark out, he needs to come back!" You misinterpreted Tech's warning, and a few moments later you were enveloped on all sides by the trees.

There was a dirt path, covered by more and more grass the farther you went, but by watching Hunter in his element you'd learned enough to tell when his tracks took a sharp turn off the path and into the ever-darkening woods.

"What-?" You shook your head to clear your thoughts and followed his trail.

"Hunter, come back here!" You demanded, shouting into the woods.

As you rounded a large tree trunk, Hunter stood before you. You smacked against his chest and he grasped your arms, shaking you.

"Why didn't you stay on the ship?" He asked. He sounded, nervous, more terrified than angry.

"You're hurt," As if that was an answer to his question. You reached for his forehead, but he jerked away, as if you might burn him.

"I'm fine, I deal with this all the time."

"Then let me help you-" You reached into the bag for painkillers and bacta.

"You can't help me!" He screamed. His grip on your arms were starting to bruise.

Before you could snap at him for shouting at you, Hunter turned pale. He looked up at the sky, where the full moon was just beginning to peek over the distant mountains,

"You have to run," he rasped, unable to look away from the hypnotizing white light, "Get back to the ship, now."

You gulped nervously, "Hunter, what's going on?"

But Hunter couldn't answer. He'd let go of your arms and shoved you away, leaving tiny tears in the material of your sleeves. He stumbled just a few steps away, and when you tried to approach him and help him back to his feet, he screamed. It was a mix of pain and a battle cry, like he'd done this before and knew it would hurt, but was determined to make it through this anyway.

Hunter bent over, coughing on something in his throat like he was about to throw up. He'd told you to run, but you stayed stuck where you were, rooted to the spot as you watched in horrified fascination.

You thought it might be his hair growing longer, but it was hair growing out of his shoulders and down his arms, a rich reddish-black like his curls. A cracking noise echoed through the woods as his bones bent all out of shape, rearranging themselves in his arms and legs while a large tail grew out of the base of his spine.

Then, silence.

Hunter was bent over on all fours, his new body shaking as he took deep breaths to mitigate the pain he'd just endured.

"Hunter," You gasped. He was at least twice as big as he normally was, covered in fur, and his face elongated into a narrow snout with tall, pointed ears. He would have been completely unrecognizable if you hadn't watched his transformation yourself.

When you spoke his name, he looked up at you, slowly blinking his large, yellow eyes. He growled softly, a warning. You backed away slowly. If this wolf that had taken over Hunter, what would it do to you?

You turned and ran.

Was it stupid to run? Yes, even before he turned into a giant predator, Hunter was much faster than you and you knew it. But what else could you do? No wonder Tech wanted you to stay on the ship when you went running after Hunter.

But where was the ship? Each of the gangly-limbed trees looked identical to the next, and the shadows covering the forest were thick, even with the help of the full moon.

When you looked back over your shoulder to see if Hunter was following you, you were plowed over onto your back, looking right up at the jaw of another wolf.

This wolf was brown, with its right eye and ear missing, replaced by a terrifying jagged white scar. You chest heaved as you struggled to breathe, and the strange wolf bared it's teeth, drool dripping from its lips as it leaned in closer.

It's breath smelled of blood and raw meat, and your nose wrinkled on its own. The wolf's jaws opened wide to take a bite and you closed your eyes, unable to help the whimper in your throat.

Out of nowhere, The wolf that was about to bite your head off was wrestled to the ground. It yowled in surprise as Hunter's dark form pinned it to the ground.

You knew you should run, but you were frozen in terror. The strange wolf with the scar was smaller than Hunter, but just as vicious. It swiped a paw across Hunter's snout. Hunter's head jerked to the side, and you saw something dark drip off the tip of his nose and into the grass.

He snarled, and the scarred wolf barked back in challenge. It leaped at him, and Hunter swiped at its neck. The scarred wolf appeared to relish the challenge, the injury had made this personal now. He wrestled with hunter, forcing both of them onto their hind legs as their front paws grappled for the upper hand. they were a dark silhouette of jagged fur, their teeth and claws glistening in the moonlight.

The scarred wolf managed to get the upper hand. He bit into Hunter's exposed neck and threw him to the ground, where he lay still.

"Hunter?" You whimpered.

The scarred wolf looked at you and licked its lips.

"Hunter, get up!" you begged.

The wolf jumped at you again.

"Hunter!" You screamed. The scarred wolf got its teeth around your ankle and bit down. You heard the sickening crack of bone before you could feel the pain shooting up your leg. Your breath was ripped from your lungs, and your whole body froze as you tried to figure out what to do.

It was like watching a holofilm, or something happen to someone else. The wolf tugged on your leg again, trying to tear your leg off, or at least bring you closer to where he could get a bite of something meatier.

All you could do was lie there, waiting for something to happen and praying that it would be over soon. You should have listened to Tech. You should have listened to Hunter, and you didn't even get to say good-bye to him.

You closed your eyes, waiting for it to be over, but then there was a snarl. The tugging on your leg disappeared, but the pain was still there. You opened your eyes, blinking away the tears to see what was going on.

Hunter was on his feet again, and with his whole body weight, he threw the wolf against a tree, and then placed himself squarely between you and the wolf. While the wolf stopped to catch his breath, Hunter moved to stand over you, forming an odd, furry tent as he planted his legs on all sides of you. You could feel the growl reverberating in your bones as Hunter gave the wolf one final warning. If he tried that again, he wouldn't last the night.

The scarred wolf stood, calculating for a moment, then turned and ran off into the trees with its tail between its legs.

Hunter was breathing heavily, staring after the other wolf. He stood over you, legs and body tense and defensive. You looked up at him, noticing the scars torn across his snout and neck, and gently reached out to comfort him.

He inhaled sharply as you placed your hand on the side of his snout.

"Shh, shhh," You whispered, slowly reaching into your pocket for the tube of bacta. You scooted closer, dragging your broken leg behind you.

"It's okay, I'm just gonna help you here," You spoke softly, calmly, trying not to make any sudden moves while you applied the bacta to the angry red lines.

Hunter whimpered at the slight sting, but he didn't flinch away.

"Good boy," You cooed. It felt ridiculous saying that, knowing that this was Hunter you were talking to, but it felt appropriate. A dog was a dog, even if they were bigger than you. You pondered briefly if Hunter was the one in control inside the wolf's mind, or if something more animalistic took charge during this transformation.

Either way, the moment you put away the bacta, Hunter rubbed his head against your shoulder. It nearly knocked you over, but you recovered quickly.

"You're welcome," You said, "And thank you."

You dug your fingers into the fur behind his ears, trying to give him the scratches dogs always enjoyed. He made a sound that could almost be a chuckle if it were more human.

Tears stung at your eyes, and when wolf-Hunter tried to look at your face, you buried it in the thick fur at his neck. You wrapped your arms around him, holding tightly as the adrenaline faded, leaving nothing but fear and terror in its wake.

You shook with sobs, struggling to keep your breathing even, and focused on the huffs and puffs from Hunter's big wet nose that cascaded down your back. Hunter's snout rested against your spine for some comforting pressure. Even as a wolf, he remembered his calming techniques.

With you arms still around his neck, Hunter gently lowered himself to lay on the grass. You could feel the powerful muscles in his legs as he curled them around you, like a big furry blanket.

You whimpered as he nudged your leg, and Wolf-Hunter studied your injury with interest.

"I guess that needs some bacta too, huh?" You sniffled lamely. You didn't have anything to set it with, but you could do that in the morning once the ship found you. for now, you lathered what was left of your bacta onto your wounds, until finally wolf-Hunter was satisfied.

He lowered his head to your chest, forcing you to lay back in (what would be) his arms. He shook out his tail, finally laying it across your lap as a makeshift blanket.

You dug your fingers into his fur again, scratching those hard-to-reach spots to keep your hands busy.

"Can you help me find the ship?" You asked.

Hunter huffed.

You sighed. "Yeah, I guess I can't really go anywhere at the moment."

Hunter crooned, leaning deeper into the scratches.

"Will you stay with me?" You whispered, "Keep me safe?"

He made a huffing noise that reminded you of Tech's signature "I thought it was obvious".

You buried your face in his fur again. "Thanks, Hunter."

You woke up with the sun shining in your eyes. Not the best rude awakening, but you felt more rested than you had in years. And then the throbbing in your ankle set back in.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-" you hissed under your breath. You fidgeted, trying to get comfortable, but two distinctly human arms tightened their grip around you.

Your face flushed with heat as you recognized the skeletal tattoo on the left arm that was holding you, keeping you pressed against a firm chest at your back.

The fleeting idea came to you to try and wriggle out of his grasp before he woke up in order to avoid an awkward conversation, but with your broken ankle, you knew that wasn't going to happen.

The next best thing to do was just to rip the band-aid off.

"Hunter?" You gently nudged his arm, then his ribs, and even poked his cheek. all recieved varying levels of reaction.

"Hunter, we're lost in the middle of the woods."

"Huuuuntaaaaaaa!"

"HUUUUUUUUUN'ERRRRRRRRRR!"

"And it sounds like your siblings are trying to find us."

Finally, Hunter groaned, pressing his face into the back of your neck. He flexed his muscles, one by one, to try and stretch himself out, but he kept his arms around you.

"Mornin'" He yawned.

It was then that he realized he had been spooning you all night.

On the bright side, you were still fully clothed, and he still had his pants. But not very much of them. The rest of his clothes had been torn in last night's little "adventure"

"Are you alright?" He sat up immediately, taking your face in his hands as he checked you over, making his way down your body until he caught sight of your mangled foot.

"Osik did I do that to you?" he didn't even wait for an answer, muttering curse words under his breath.

"No-no, Hunter that wasn't you," You touched his arm as softly as you could manage, but he still flinched, "It was something else, another wolf."

"Another-?" Hunter glanced at your ankle again, then gave a sigh of relief. He pulled you back into his arms, kissing the crown of your head as he held you.

"I'd never be able to forgive myself if I ever hurt you like that."

You wrapped your arms around him tightly. "I know that you would never hurt me, Hunt," You whispered.

Hunter picked up on the hesitation in your voice.

"You deserve an explanation," He said, resting his forehead against yours. You kept your arms around him tightly, as if the wolf from last night might emerge from the trees and rip you from his arms. But Hunter held you tightly on his lap as if he would never let you go.

"It started during the clone wars. I got cursed when I accidentally stumbled upon a Nightsister's grave while we were scouting the planet Dathomir. Whenever we're on a planet during a full moon, well, you saw what happened."

You nodded as Hunter's hands made their way up and down your spine in soothing motions, helping you relax deeper into his arms.

"As you can probably tell, I've never been able to fully control what happens when I transform, and I've never really remembered what happened after I transform back. All I know is what my brothers have told me when I wake up in the morning, and not all of it is pretty."

"Okay," you said softly, "But why keep it a secret?"

"Because I know you," Hunter said. He took your face in his hands again, "I know that you'd pull some kind of stunt like you did last night to try and "save me from myself" or whatever. But I could never risk losing you like that."

You mustered all the energy that you could this early in the morning to slug him in the shoulder.

"And did you ever think that I might be able to help you?"

Hunter smiled sheepishly, unable to look you in the eye.

"Maybe?"

You laughed softly, and pulled him in for a kiss. Hunter relaxed against you, gently caressing your hair so that your wild locks moved out of the way. There was a different kind of transformation that occured whenever you kissed him like this, the kind deep inside that made his chest swell with courage, and his heart beat stronger. He felt like he could take on the whole galaxy, wolves and all, so long as you were in his arms.

A bit farther away now, you heard Omega and Wrecker calling your names. Hunter unceremoniously broke off the kiss and gave you an apologetic smile.

"We should get that set before it tries to heal itself," He nodded to your leg.

Knowing what was coming, you wrapped your arms around his neck and braced your body for the pain, but that didn't stop everything from hurting whenever your leg was jostled even the slightest bit.

"Easy, cyare," He cooed, his voice low against your ear, "We'll take it nice and slow."

Just like how you had managed to calm his wolf-form last night, Hunter's words now had a soothing effect on you. With every step that brought you closer to the Marauder, you were able to relax a little bit more.

But you couldn't resist playing with fire.

"You know, I think your wolf-form might have had a crush on me."

"Oh did he now?" Hunter smirked, his grip on you tightening ever so slightly.

"Well, he'll have to get in line."

[missacidburn928s-heathenhideaway]

Moonlight & Fang Ch. 3

Divider @firefly-graphics

Selene

Blossoming fields spanned the entirety of the land, broken up by a gently flowing river with several branches in the distance. In the heart of the green grasses, colorful flowers peeked out above and dazzled entire bee queendoms and brightly colored beetles. Above them birds soared high and far while a group of deer ran through the field in search of food or a place to rest.

A serene panorama with soft, floral scents accentuated by the warmth of a late spring's sun. Fortunately unbroken by the wispy clouds drifting by, provided any wolf with a perfect opportunity to rest both the body and the mind. The sight at night, both with a full moon and without, would certainly be worth waiting for.

But that was not why I was in the meadow today. I was foraging for herbs, which is a typical occurrence, for a tonic I needed to replenish. In doing so I seem to have stumbled upon a stranger wandering my land. Looking lost.

No, not just a stranger, but a wolf. Male and recently turned, as it may. As in the last 3 moon cycles or so. He smells vaguely familiar and quite delicious. But there is something about his scent that has my wolf growling in my head. Just a hint, but it smells of one of the hunters that murdered my father. 

But that can’t be. I killed them all and feasted on their flesh to fill my little pup belly. Their bones do in fact decorate my greenhouse and entry way stairs. 

Could it be a relative, a son perhaps. There is only one way to find out. I must scent and taste of his blood myself. But first I must lure him home where I may seek my answers with my mate at my side. Where my power is strongest and I have a direct link to the moon and her goddesses.

Dean

I swear there was a woman standing in the middle of the meadow but a moment ago. Did I dream her up? Have I been in the woods too long? These woods are cursed after all. 

“Hello there.” A woman's voice whispers in my ear.

I spin on my heel, surprised someone got the jump on me, and grab the culprit. Slamming them against the nearest tree.

“Quick, reflexes. A bit jumpy though aren’t we?” 

It’s the woman from the meadow. She’s smiling up at me as my hand is wrapped around her throat pinning her in place. Looking the least bit scared of me.

“You snuck up on me. I don’t like surprises.” I grit out.

“Hmm. Well I thought it only fair, since you were watching me from the shadows, to introduce myself. It’s not my fault that you were caught unawares.”

“You knew I was watching you?”

“I could smell you, long before your feet touched the ground a 100 yards out from my meadow. And what a wonderful scent it is. Alpha wolf isn’t always so pleasant.”

She can sense that I’m a wolf. She could only know that by being one herself. I need to be careful with this woman. No matter how tasty she smells. I came here to get answers about what happened to my father all those years ago. When he went on a hunt and never returned from these woods.

“Your meadow? These woods and everything that resides within it belong to a Hag. You look of no such hideousness.”

“Good to know you don't find me hideous, as you are in such close proximity. You know, since you're pinning me against this tree.” She chuckles. “For your information, to which I’m choosing to divulge, these woods did belong to the Hag. Upon my mothers passing they transferred to me.”

I grit my teeth and squeeze her soft throat. “So what are you then? I can smell you’re more than human. But there is more there than just Omega wolf.”

“Well, aren't you a curious thing? Wandering around in my woods and demanding answers from me. All while your hand is wrapped around my throat. A threat of violence just waiting to pass your lips.'' She tilts her head. “For now I will give you this one answer. To receive any further from me, you will need to follow me to my manor where my mate is waiting for my return.”

“Give me the answer first. That will determine my next steps.”

She sighs. Clearly annoyed by my antics. “I am a hybrid. A witch of Fae blood and wolf shifter. Unlike you, I was born with both thanks to my father being a strong Alpha. A witch I may be, but a hag I am not. Do not get that confused. Understand.”

“Noted.” I nod my head. “How can I trust that you mean me no harm?”

“Oh dear boy.” She lifts her hand and with the flick of a wrist is out of my hold and standing beside me. “You had no hold over me. I could have slipped your grasp at any moment. I chose to oblige your curiosity.”

I stare at her, mouth agape. 

“Now. Are you going to come along peacefully to gain the answers you seek or will I have to do this the hard way.” She wiggles her fingers, nails transformed into claws and smiles. Showing off her sharp fangs. “I kinda hope you choose the hard way. I do love getting to exercise my power on more than just tinctures and healing.”

She clearly could have killed me many times over by now. I did venture here searching for answers. I am unsure about her mate, and my wolf is a bit growly about it knowing she is already claimed, but I am confident in my abilities to get myself out of the situation if it turns south.

“While you ponder over the risks. I’m going to gather my basket of herbs. Meet me in the meadow when you have decided to trust the fates or forge your own path.”

She winks at me and then saunters off. The sway of her hips is captivating, as her scent envelopes me. I could only catch a faint whiff of it earlier when I was making my way through the trees. Was she cloaking it from me? Not wanting to possibly influence my actions? Could she tell I barely have a handle on my wolf?

She is a mystery that I want to unravel. Mated already or not. I was a strong alpha male before I was bitten. So I know the Alpha wolf that resides inside me now is just as strong if not stronger. Who says I can’t challenge him and claim her for myself.

That settles it. I need to set my eyes on this mate. Plus I need to know more and she may be the only one that can help me find out what happened.

I hurry into the meadow. She lifts her basket from the ground, pulls her red hood forward and begins walking. Not sparing me a glance back. Confident that I will follow. “I’m not going to waste my energy teleporting us. So put those long bow legs to good use and get a move on before my mate starts to worry and comes searching for me.”

Selene

He follows behind me dutifully, as I make the familiar trek back home. I choose to hold off any conversation and hum a little tune. Remaining vigilant in my awareness of my surroundings. I still was unsure of this man’s intentions. What questions he was seeking answers for. Would the information make him a danger or something else? I have to assume this is the fate’s doing once more.

Why else would I find him in my woods, smelling good enough for my wolf to take notice. It’s not like we are not satisfied at home. On the contrary, our lustful appetites have been more than sated these last few months.

As we step through the trees into the clearing that houses the manor I hear a subtle intake of breath come from behind me.

“This is where you live?”

“Yes.” I respond. “Did you think I lived in some small little hovel in the big bad woods? I’m a powerful supernatural being. I have magic literally running through my veins. Of course I live in a manor fit for a Queen.”

“My apologies. I just…” He’s at a loss for words as he tries to fix the perceived slight.

“Am a simple man who has no need for extravagances. I get it. But not everyone lives like a hunter with only the things they can carry.”

“I never told you I was a hunter.”

“Didn’t need to, dear. It’s in the way you carry yourself. Not to mention your display of quick reflexes in the woods earlier and the weapons you have hidden on your person. The main thing though is the talisman hanging around your neck. It’s clan specific.”

“How do you know that?”

“To obtain that answer you are going to have to head inside with me. I need to put these herbs away and I’m quite over being on my feet.”

I make my way onto my porch where I am greeted with the door opening before I can reach it and Jax stepping out. He reaches forward, placing his hands on my cheeks and pulls me into a deep kiss.

He pulls away and runs his thumb along my bottom lip. “Bringing home strays now, are we little red? Newly turned ones at that.”

“What else was I supposed to do? He smelled divine and he found his way to my meadow while I was in it. Almost as if he was destined to.”

“Mmm. Alright, darling. So you brought him home instead of just claiming him in the woods because…”

“He has yet to be truly tested. There are answers he seeks, that I may be the only one to give. If they are what I think they are, I want to be protected in case it takes a turn. Plus it didn't feel right testing him without you present. He would be an addition, not a replacement. He needs to know that.”

“And where are we conducting this test?”

“The library of course.”

“Ahh. Where you are most powerful. Need I prepare anything?”

“Just make sure our strongest chair is available.”

“Oh this is going to be good.”

Dean

I watch her converse with who I can only assume is her mate. Not only because he kissed her, but by the way he looks are her like she is the entire moon and stars. I thought it would make my wolf angry seeing such a display, but the asshole practically purred in my head. 

He didn't feel threatened. He wanted to join in. The word pack being repeated over and over in my head. Listen asshole, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but I’m still in control and as much as that looks like a fun sandwich to be a part of, I still  need answers. And she clearly has them. After I get what I want, then you can have a chance to get what you want. Understood.

He growled a bit but agreed to my terms, for now, and settled down. 

Sensing their moment was over, I make my way over. Taking in the haunting beauty of the all black manor. Much like the haunting beauty of its owner. Who’s name I am yet to know. 

As I make my way up the porch stairs she speaks. “This is my mate Jax. Like me, he was born a wolf. So please no Alpha funny business. For now at least.”

I nod my head in his direction. “Dean.” He nods in return and I turn my head in her direction. “Am I ever going to be graced with your name?”

“And here I was enjoying being mysterious.” She teases. 

“Red.” Jax admonishes her. A hint of warning intoned.

“Okay, okay. I get it. Playtime is over for now.” She removes her hood from her head, a cascade of curls fall down around her. “Nice to formally meet you Dean, the hunter. I am Selene.”

“Your mother, the Hag, named you after a goddess?”

“It’s a long story. Better to be shared at a later date. Unless you are willing to wait on those answers you seek.”

“No. I have waited long enough.”

“Alright then. Let’s head inside to the library where we can get more comfortable.”

She walks off into the house. Removing her red cloak in the process. Revealing a midnight black dress that hugs her generous curves like a second skin. My wolf purred in my head once more and this time I had to agree with him.

I shook myself from my lustful thoughts just as I heard her Alpha chuckle. “Come on. I’ll show you the way.”

I followed behind the blonde man with a physique that rivaled my own. He clearly was a man used to hard labor and carried himself with a natural confidence. I can see why she chose him as her mate.

I scanned my surroundings as we made our way through the manor. Taking note of the skulls that adorned the handrails of the stairs. Upon making it to the library, I come to find even more macabre items scattered among the walls of books. As well as more bones of varying species.

It clearly is a special and well cared for room. I assume it is where she spends the most time.

She stands behind a large ornate black chair . “Please, have a seat.”

Without second thought I place my large frame on the armless chair. Before I have a chance to adjust and get comfortable, vines begin to sprout up around me. I start to fight them, but the more I struggle, the tighter they become. My arms and legs are bound. I am at the mercy of Selene’s magic.

“I apologize for using my magic against you. But I needed reassurance for this talk. You understand don't you?”

“I understand that you better have a good reason for it. It will be your only saving grace when I get out of them.”

“Tsk tsk, hunter. Always with a threat upon your tongue. Let’s hurry this along then shall we. Ask your questions.”

“How long have you lived in these woods?”

“My entire existence so far.”

“Have you ever encounter a group of hunters in the woods?”

“Of course. Numerous times. You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”

“In your youth, did you happen upon a group of hunters wearing this same talisman?”

“Yes.” She calmly states.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “They never returned home from that hunt. My father was with them that day. Do you know what happened?”

“I do. Vividly.” She states with a hint of anger laced in.

“Care to elaborate sweetheart?”

She relaxes her face and looks off into the stained glass windows surrounding the room. “My father and I were foraging for supplies that day. Something we did weekly. The group of hunters you speak of happened upon us. They sensed that we were other and attacked us. Killing my father right in front of my very eyes.”

She turns to face me. Locking her dagger like gaze on me as she divulges the rest of the story. A wicked smile on her face. “I was but 9 years old. A pup, who had only really shifted in play. Watching your father bleed out in front of you and perish would leave anyone in anguish. But I am not just anyone. My wolf took over that afternoon. And I tasted human flesh for the first time. I tore through the entire party. Leaving no one alive. Justice was served by my fangs and I have no regrets. I keep their bones within these walls to remind me of how quickly life can be taken away.”

I stare at her with gritted teeth. Rage coursing through my body at the truth that she just revealed. “You killed my father?”

“Yes.” She succinctly states. “Only after he aided in killing mine first.”

A growl erupts from my chest. But it was not my wolfs doing. That was all me. 

“Now, now. See why I needed the restraints. You’re not thinking clearly. I was, as a young child, just doing what you as a fully grown and newly turned wolf were looking to come do. To find answers and dole out justice. You, the man, may be particularly unhappy with this cruel turn of fate. But how does your wolf feel?” 

“What does he have to do with this?”

“Everything.” She looks me deep into my eyes. “He’s what brought you to find me in the meadow. You may have been in my woods searching for answers, but he felt drawn here.”

“And you're sure of that?”

“Deadly.” She says with confidence.

We sit in silence for a moment. Never once breaking eye contact. My wolf paces back and forth in my head. But not from anger or bloodlust. No, he’s mad at me for not understanding her position. She is strong and resilient. The perfect mate for us, he says.

As my wolf and I argue, Jax walks over to where Selene has been perched on a desk. “Your body is practically vibrating with pent up energy, darlin. It’s not just rage either. I can scent the lust in the air.”

I watch as he runs his fingers along her cheek and throat. She leans into his touch, as if it's a soothing balm. “I can’t help the way my body reacts to the Alpha pheromones in the air. Try as I might to stay in my right mind until he decides his fate.”

That gets my attention. “Decide my fate?”

“Yes. It is no coincidence you are here, in my manor. Especially being such a newly turned wolf. I assume you no longer have ties to the world as you knew it before. Coming from a family of hunters, whose sole purpose is to eradicate supernatural's, you becoming one is not welcome. No matter how that came about. I’m surprised you’re still alive to be perfectly honest.”

“My brother.” She tilts her head, waiting for me to elaborate. “He helped me regain my health and escape before the first full moon came and my death was sealed. I can never return home.”

“Home is wherever you make it. You are not beholden to one place, Dean.”

“Seems as if you are beholden here.”

“I have always been able to leave these woods. I choose to stay. Not just because my magic is powerful here, but because this is where I took control of my own life and set in motion what was destined for me.” She turns to Jax and smiles. “And what a destiny it has become.”

“Red, if you keep looking at me like that, that dress will be gone and your legs will end up wrapped around my shoulders. Caring not of our audience.” He growls out.

“He’s not going anywhere.” She looks at me. “Besides, he seems the sort who might need a visual demonstration of what it’s like to be mated.” A devilish smile adorns her face.

“You wouldn’t dare.” I challenge.

“Oh, but she most certainly would.” Jax imparts as he grabs the center of her collar and rips her dress down the middle. She has not a stitch on underneath. Glorious, sun kissed skin is exposed to our greedy eyes. I can feel my wolf licking his chops as we peruse the soft flesh with our keen eyes. Making note of every dip and freckle that decorates her body.

Her thighs are soon thrown over broad naked shoulders. Her crimson colored nails tangle in his blonde locks as he pulls the most sinful of sounds from her throat. 

She doesn’t even try to resist. She just succumbs to the pleasure and lays back along the desk. Her free hand skimming her torso until she reaches her heaving breasts. I bite back a groan as I observe her nimble fingers teasing along the goose pimpled flesh. She takes a hardened peak between her pointer finger and thumb and pinches. A pinch isn’t enough for this vixen though. With her firm hold she pulls on the flesh.

Throwing her head back, she moans. I notice movement in my periphery, and shift my eyeline to where her Alpha’s head is set between her legs. It is his wrist that is causing the movement. Clearly his fingers are aiding in making her come undone.  

Unlocking a crescendo of moans to expel from her throat, that grows so loud it echoes off the walls with her climax. It is a magical sight. As I bask in the intoxicating pheromones suffocating the room, Jax rises.

He divests himself of his pants and lifts Selene off of the desk. Turning he sits atop its sturdy surface and spins the Omega to face me. He kisses her throat, as he spread her legs wide and slowly lowers her onto his large cock.

I can’t hold back the rumbly groan that escapes as I watch her tight little cunt stretch to accommodate him. I wish it was my thick cock splitting her open like that. I’m surprised to find that I’m not jealous of him touching her. It oddly feels right watching her Alpha worship her. If anything I just want to add to it.

She starts to squirm when he bottoms out. "Uh uh Omega. Don't rush me. You'll get what you want when I'm good and ready to give it to you."

She whines but stills. Her heavy lidded eyes make contact with mine. My already tight pants grow even more uncomfortable. If only I could get some relief.

She is completely at his mercy.

"There's my good girl." He whispers along her throat. She preens at the praise. "Your pussy is gripping me so tight. Don't want to hurt you, but I don't know how much longer my wolf can hold back."

"Do it Alpha." She pants. "Don't hold back. I can take it. I was made for it."

Pleased with her response, Jax purrs so loud that I can feel it vibrate in my own chest. Making my cock twitch. That’s a first. Before I can think too much on that, Selene is lifted up by his two large hands, and slammed back down on his dick.

“OH FUCK!” She shouts. Those are the last coherent words she utters before all that escapes her mouth are whimpers and guttural moans. 

She gives in. Allowing him to control her body as he shows me just how much she can take. My eyes are transfixed, watching her tight little snatch swallow his cock whole. Her slick leaking down his heavy sack.

The next thing I know, she’s digging her claws into his thighs as she comes once more and his knot pops. But he doesn’t slam it inside of her. No, he leaves it right at the entrance. Close enough for her to feel it but not for it to catch as he fills her full.  

The sight alone almost has me coming in my pants. I have to bite my cheek to refrain from making a mess of my own. 

He slowly pulls out and places her on her feet. She leans into him, weak kneed, as he kisses her sweetly. A mix of their essences trails down her thighs. A whine escapes my mouth as I have the sudden urge to clean the mess with my tongue.

She or her wolf, maybe both, must like the sound because her demeanor changes from submissive and sweet to wanton and thirsty. She saunters over to the chair I am still bound to.

“Enjoy the show?” She teases, as she stares straight at my throbbing dick confined in my slacks.

I don’t even attempt to put up a front. I want this woman as much as my wolf does. “Yes. Very much.” I try to wiggle out of my bindings. “Untie me and let me show you just how much.”

She gets, what I can only describe as a twinkle of mischief, in her eye and pushes the top of the chair back so that I am now prone on the floor. She comes to stand above me, legs on either side of my chest and unbinds the vines holding restraining my torso. 

Before she has time to pull another trick, I reach up, wrapping my arms around her thighs, sit up as best I can and latch my mouth to her clit. Fuck she tastes even more amazing then I imagined. I don’t even care that it’s mixed with her Alpha’s seed. I pull back, run my tongue across her thighs and make sure to clean up every last drop of essence that escaped before going to town on her messy pussy. 

I’m quick to sink in two fingers and find that sweet little spongy spot that I know will have her seeing stars. It’s not long before she is screaming out, legs quivering and digging her claws into my shoulders as she falls apart.

Before I can continue my onslaught, she grips my hair and pulls me away. I give her the biggest smile as I lick my lips. I can feel just how soaked the lower half of my face is and I couldn’t be happier. 

She releases my hair and with a twirl of her fingers, my chair begins to levitate back into a seated position. 

She bends over and pulls my shirt over my head. Her fingers ghosting along my torso until she reaches the waist of my pants. She unlaces them and places her hand inside. Her small fist wraps around my rock hard length. Fingertips barely able to touch each other. She gives me a few strokes and then finally pulls me out. Exposing my heated flesh to the cool air of the library.

She straddles the chair and places herself on my thighs. With a look over her shoulder she leans forward, presenting herself to Jax. He licks his lips and makes his way over. His dick rock hard once again. 

He takes two of his fingers and runs them along her cleft. Gathering up her slick and proceeding to use it as lubrication for her exposed puckered hole. He teases her before slowly sliding one and then two digits inside. Testing how ready she is to take him. 

Clearly she was primed to go as he removes his fingers, coats his dick in more of her slick, notches himself at her tight ring of muscle and slips inside of her. She moans sweetly against my chest as he takes his time taking her apart once more.

I am not content to just observe this time around and my fingers find themselves playing with her nipples. It doesn't take long for her moans to escalate and just as I think she is about to explode she whispers, “Stop.”

Jax immediately stills at her words. I look for any signs of distress in her eyes. I find only lust.

With a panting breath she speaks. “Do you want me to ride you Dean?” 

I swallow and nod my head. “Please. I’m dying here.”

She smiles. “Jax, be a dear and slide me down onto his dick.” 

“Is my Omega not full enough with just my cock?”

“Why settle for one knot when I can have two stretching me opening?” she wiggles her ass.

“As you wish.”

He pulls her back against his chest, still remaining buried within her cheeks, and takes a few steps forward until her glistening folds are lined up perfectly with my cock. He lowers her down onto my thick girth.

We all gasp. The sensations of being joined together getting the better of us already. I can feel as Jax pulls back and slams himself forward. He fucks her so hard that she doesn't even need to move her hips to ride me. Jax is in control of both of us. 

I’ve been on a hairpin trigger since I watched them come together on the desk. I can tell that she can feel the ring around the base of my dick begin to thicken. A signal of my knot getting ready to pop. 

She grabs my jaw and makes me look her in the eyes. “Do you wish to be mine? A part of this pack. Even with everything you now know. Will you accept my bite?”

Whiney but still coherent, I answer honestly. “Yes. I want your bite. Make me yours.” 

That’s all the permission she needs as she lets go of my jaw and bites down on my shoulder. Her fangs breaking the skin, laying her claim to my soul and setting off both our climaxes. 

Instinctually I lean forward and sink my teeth into her collarbone, completing the bond, as my dicks paints her womb white. Not to be forgotten, Jax pulls out, strokes his dick and cums. Covering the both of us in his seed in a claim of his own. 

She pulls away from my shoulder. Lips stained with my blood. Hair a disheveled mess.  I have never seen such a beautiful creature in my life. 

“Son of a bitch.” I blurt out.

“Feels good being bonded to her huh?” Jax asks.

“I feel more powerful. Like I could run all night without getting tired.”

She looks me in the eyes once more. Her amber orbs staring straight into my soul. “Do you regret it? Tying your life to the one who murdered your father?”

“Not as much as I thought I might. It’s like you said. He did kill yours first. You only did what I would have and was trying to do.”

“So we’re even then Alpha?”

“We’re good, Omega.” I give her my most charming smile. “We’ll be even better if you let me fuck you and be the one in control next round. I don’t even care if blondie over there participates or not.”

“Oh I’m not leaving you alone with her just yet. Once that knot of your deflates she’ll be stuck on mine next.”

“Now, now. There’s enough of me to go round. I am destined for 5 mates after all.”

“There’s 3 other assholes I have to share you with.”

“Well technically for now you just have to share me with Jax. The other 3 are yet to be found. So enjoy the peace and quiet. Because at some point that will all change if I am to restore balance to this land.”

“So there’s no getting around it then.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Alright then.” I shrug.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. I am but a simple man to please. I’ll take what I can get.”

“Lucky me.”

“Most certainly.” I pull her down and finally get to taste her lips for the first time. “Fuck, I could get addicted to that.”

“Wait until she uses that mouth on your cock.” Jax adds in, biting his lip and grabbing his semi erect dick. “Wicked with her tongue this one is.” 

She just throws her head back and laughs. 

[pastelraccoons]

SuleMio Week Day 4: Supernatural/Mortal

(If you’d rather read this on AO3, you can read it here!)

Miorine hummed as she moved around the kitchen. Low music played from her phone in her pocket while she worked on dinner for Suletta and herself. She wanted to impress her and show that she could make something with the produce she grew in her garden. In a way, she wanted to prove it to herself too.

When she started to chop the tomatoes, she noticed Suletta hunched over in her seat at the dining table with an intense look on her face as she stared at her phone.

“And this would be the only time I forget to check,” Suletta mumbled to herself.

“Forget to check what?” Miorine asked.

Suletta yelped and nearly dropped her phone at Miorine’s sudden voice. Suletta held the device close to her chest when she turned to look at her.

“Everything okay?” Miorine raised an eyebrow.

“Yep!” Suletta answered a bit too quickly. “Everything is totally fine!”

Suletta let out a nervous laugh until Miorine put down her knife, marched over to the table, then leaned in close to her face. It stopped her cold. Miorine immediately noticed the sweat beading on her forehead.

“You really suck at lying, you know that?” Miorine frowned.

Suletta gulped then heaved a sigh.

“Nothing ever gets past you, huh?” Suletta chuckled. “Okay, okay. I’ll come clean. But I can’t tell you about it yet. Not until it gets dark.”

“Huh?” Miorine crossed her arms. “Why not just tell me now?”

“It’s… Complicated.”

“How complicated?”

“Trust me. It’s very hard to explain.” Suletta scratched the back of her head. “So, tonight?”

Miorine’s frown deepened, but she soon let out a sigh of her own.

“Fine. Tonight.”

-----

Silence filled Miorine’s house. Ever since her dad went off on business, it was just her in the large home. It felt tense to Miorine, but Suletta seemed to pay it no mind. She honestly wasn’t sure what was going on in Suletta’s head at the moment.

Either way, the quiet only made it more awkward and strained. They had just finished dinner, and the light outside had started to grow dim. Suletta seemed distracted as she stared hard out the window.

Miorine’s chair screeched against the floor and cut through the silence. She stood from her seat then approached Suletta with an outstretched hand. Suletta gladly accepted it and pulled herself up.

“Now, are you ready to tell me what’s going on?” Miorine asked.

Suletta looked back out the large windows nearby. She immediately seemed deep in thought. Miorine followed her gaze in case she had been looking at something.

The sky had completely darkened, and the full moon peeked over the trees outside. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary to Miorine. That was, except for Suletta. She looked back at her and all Suletta did was give her a shaky smile.

"I have something I wanna show you." Suletta's voice shook a bit. She took a deep breath, held it briefly, then exhaled loudly. "Can you promise me that you won't freak out?"

"Okay?" Miorine raised an eyebrow, now more confused than ever. "I promise."

Suletta grinned then took a few steps back from Miorine. She squared away her shoulders with the windows behind her.

Moonlight lit up her features from behind. The full moon shone brightly in the dark sky. Miorine’s eyes flicked up towards it, if only for a moment. Yet while Miorine was distracted, Suletta turned to face the window. She took another deep breath before it suddenly hitched and caught in her throat. She gasped and choked until she curled in on herself.

Miorine took a step forward on reflex, concern making her eyebrows knit together.

"Suletta? Are you-"

"I'm fine!" Suletta interrupted past gritted teeth. "Stay back for a minute, please?"

Suletta looked back over her shoulder with a strained smile. Miorine was instantly able to tell something was off though.

Sweat clung to Suletta's forehead and made her bangs stick to it. Something about her eyes simply didn't seem right, and Miorine swore her teeth looked sharper in her smile.

A cry of pain snapped Miorine out of her thoughts.

Suletta suddenly doubled over. The sounds of popping joints, snapping bones, and clothes tearing flooded the room. Her body shuddered as her form started to change.

Her body started to double in size. Red fur that matched the color of her hair sprouted from her arms and any exposed skin. Large, hand-like paws clawed deep gouges into the floor. A snarling snout slowly began to cover her face. Two pointed canine ears sprouted out of her head. Finally, a tail sprung forth from her lower back.

Miorine could only stand in stunned silence as the horrific sounds ceased and were replaced by exhausted panting coming from what she assumed to be Suletta. A hunched over mass of fur and muscle now stood where Suletta did moments ago.

"Suletta, you're-" Miorine paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "You're-"

"A werewolf?" Suletta cut in. Her voice sounded deeper and not quite natural, but somehow still like her. She chuckled. "Yeah."

Miorine blinked, rubbed her eyes, then blinked again. Sure enough, the werewolf was still there, and it was Suletta. There was no doubt in her mind about that. She ran a hand through her hair while trying to process it.

“I don’t believe this. This is insane.” Miorine slowly dropped to floor. Her legs felt too weak to hold her up anymore.

She tried to apply logic and deny it, but Suletta clearly had turned into a werewolf right in front of her. She pinched her cheek as hard as she could. Miorine winced, but like before, Suletta was still there. A whine interrupted Miorine’s frantic thoughts.

Suletta timidly moved closer. She kept her body low to the floor in an attempt to make herself look smaller. Her ears were pinned against her skull. She sat down in front of Miorine, a large leg on either side of her, then placed her hand-paws in between them palm side up.

“You’re not scared, are you?” Suletta asked.

“What?” Miorine vigorously shook her head. “No! I’m just… In shock. It’s a lot to take in.”

Miorine shifted herself so she sat on her legs. She leaned forward on her knees and started to reach out towards one of Suletta’s hands. Her fingers twitched when she faltered for a moment, then she eased her hand into Suletta’s palm.

Suletta’s hand was now huge. Miorine’s entire hand comfortably sat in her palm. Large claws shone dully in the dim light at the tips of her fingers. Miorine looked up to get a better look at Suletta and finally take it all in without the shock of surprise.

Her fur really was the same color as her hair that Miorine was used to seeing. Familiar blue eyes stared at her past her snout. Suletta’s ears had perked up and were alert.

“Can I touch your ears?” she found herself blurting out. Embarrassment made her face flush pink.

What looked like a smile appeared on Suletta’s face before she silently lowered her head.

Miorine reached out and gently stroked the back of Suletta’s ears with her fingertips. The fur wasn’t extremely soft, like she expected, but not unpleasant either. She gingerly rubbed each ear between her fingers. A content sigh came from Suletta when she did.

“You’re just a big puppy, aren’t you?” Miorine chuckled. She cupped Suletta’s face and reflexively scratched under her chin.

She realized that could have been rude shortly after she did it, but Suletta seemed to pay it no mind. In fact, she thought she noticed Suletta lean into it. Another chuckle escaped Miorine.

She leaned up to press a light kiss against Suletta’s forehead.

Immediately, a rhythmic thumping came from behind Suletta when her tail started to happily wag against the floor.

“So,” Suletta paused. She fidgeted in Miorine’s hands. “You’re really not scared of me?”

“No, I’m not scared of you, Suletta,” Miorine said. “Like I would be scared of a big softy like you.”

“Thank god. I was so worried.” Suletta’s shoulders drooped with a relieved sigh.

“No more secrets with me though!” Miorine scolded. Despite that, a small smile pulled on the corners of her lips.

Suletta leaned down and carefully bumped their foreheads together.

“No more secrets. I promise.”

[liviavanrouge]

Wings of Twisted Fire Prologue

The sound of running filled a tree filled area, Lilia's eyes widening as he raced down the path. He ducked down, setting a little bundle underneath several bushes, pulling ferns over it. "HEY!! LET'S MAKE THIS EASY PAL!!" Lilia looked back then took off at full speed, leading the cloaked figures away. The bundle sniffled then wailed, a figure stopping beside the bush.

The figure crouched down, swiftly sweeping the ferns aside with their wing. Dart smiled, staring at the moon shined down on a sniffling baby. He lifted her up and lifted into the air, his wings flared wide. "Sorry Lilia"Dart mutters, looking guilty.

Lilia rushed back to the bushes, freezing in shock when he found the spot completely empty. No baby in sight. "Livia!?" He started tearing the bush apart, looking panicked. "LIVIA!!"

~~~

Scrounge and Robin walked through the desert, their eyes narrowed as they searched for the baby that would be hidden among the dunes of the land. A third member rushed towards them, a triumphant grin on his face. "What is it, Umbre! Spit it out or I'll rip your face clean off!"Robin snaps, already annoyed to be out here in the scorching heat.

Umbre simply laughed in response and pointed away to a basket nearby, looking quite pleased with himself. The trio made their way over with Umbre in the lead, hurrying to the basket, hoping it was what they thought it was. Robin peeked around, finding a baby laying inside fast asleep.

"Robin, take the brat back, me and Umbre are gonna check to see if anyone saw us." She glared at the man but obliged and grabbed the basket, taking off into the air. Umbre and Scrounge hid among the dunes, watching silently as a woman ran up.

The woman looked around for the basket, looking alarmed. "KALIM!!?"

Umbre looked at the man beside him, the two slowly creeping away, leaving the woman there panicked and searching for the missing boy.

~~~

Running echoed through the forest, a nature fae rushing full speed towards the meeting spot so he could pass the bear cub beastman off to his fellow Peace Speaker. The sound of growling made his eyes widen, feeling fear fill him from head to toe. He shot into the air without thinking, carrying the baby in his arms as the growls got distant. Pain suddenly struck him, his eyes wide as an arrow flew into view from his chest.

Hitting the ground, he tumbled to a stop, shielding the baby causing blood to cover them. Someone landed in front of him, a pleased chuckle following as they kicked him over onto his back, seizing the bear cub from his arms. "She's a baby..."The fae mumbles, shakily lifting his hands.

The wolves claw pierced the cubs neck, causing the wailing baby to fall still, a grin on the generals face. He kicked the fae over the edge, sending them plummeting into the ravine below them. Bird stared with wide eyes then turned and rushed away before they could find her.

"Need to get a replacement!"

~~~

A shark merman sighed as he swam down to a familiar home, his eyes narrowed when his childhood friend came out, carrying her child. "Will Azul be safe?" Scar stared at her silently then gave her a swift promising nod, planning to do what it took to make sure the child wasn't harmed in any way possible. She handed Azul over to him, his eyes widening at how small the baby was in his hands.

Azul's cheek squished against his hand, making his heart do flips. He perked up, noticing her smiling at him in amusement then quickly cleared his throat trying to hide how amazed he was with how small babies could be compared to him. "He'll be safe, I promise"Scar swears, backing away. He turned and swam to the surface, moving half speed towards land.

Dart flew overhead with a baby in his arms, making him guess he got the moon cursed child. Robin followed carrying a basket with sand still falling from it, the trio heading towards the beach.

~~~

A bat beastman hung upside down, picking at the lock of a window. Opening once the lock was flipped, he pushed the window open a gentle breeze filling the room as he glided in as well as he could. He approached a bed, staring at the green haired boy. "Hello, Trey." He picked the boy up, smiling when the child seemed to lean into him.

Footsteps came from the hallway, his eyes widening as he stepped back the moment the light outside the door switched on. "Trey, I hope you didn't open your window, somehow!" The man turned and leaped to the window as the door opened.

A shriek of surprise sounded behind him, startling him and waking the boy in his arms. He took off into the air, Trey reaching towards his mother who had rushed to the window in an attempt to grab him. "Sorry kid.." He turned around, changing directions heading towards the meeting spot.

~~~

Dart sighed, flying full speed back to the Valley of Thorns after dropping Livia off, having forgotten to grab the Zigvolt child. He angled his wings, noticing a search party had been formed, Livia's name being called as lanterns moved through the woods searching for the baby.

Landing on the roof of a house, he leapt down, going through a window. A smile made its way onto his face when he saw the baby, chuckling as he poked Sebek's cheek, causing the baby to wriggle around.

"I have to check on Sebek, whoever took Livia might come for him too!" Dart's eyes widened and he scooped up Sebek, rushing to the window. The door flew open, Dart throwing himself into the air narrowly dodging an ice spell. "DART!!! YOU TRAITOR!!"

Dart looked back, giving Baul a guilty look. He looked away and shot through the air, flying full speed to the meeting area, hoping Bird arrived with the bear cub.

~~~

"Finally, you nitwit! How do you get one Valley of Thorns brat but leave THE OTHER ONE!"Robin snaps, slapping him outside the head. Dart grumbled, really sick of the old lady hitting him for really no reason. He set Sebek down with the other kids, smiling as Trey stared at the children. Trey looked at Azul then over at Sebek curious. "I got them!"

Bird landed with a child in her arms, looking worried. "YOU GOT ANOTHER BRAT FROM THE SCALDING SANDS!?" Bird dodged a smack to her head, her eyes wide. "He was all I could get! Rath's wolves have the entire Bear Tribe surrounded and killed all of the cubs that were babies!" Bird flinched when Robin hissed at her, trembling as she set the child down.

Kalim started to stand up, hanging onto Trey who wobbled at the extra weight on him. The boy stared, his eyes glinting slightly before shoving Livia off the nest.

"HEY! Stop that!" Robin snatched Kalim up with one hand, her eyes narrowed at the boy. "Look at his eyes, he's a little monster"Robin smirked, looking quite amused, Bird soothing the crying baby.

Robin plopped Kalim back down, chuckling at the assortment of kids they had, looking quite pleased to see how they'd turn out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{A Few Years Later}

Kalim yelled in alarm, his hands flailing about, sputtering and spitting out water. "OH STOP! I HARDLY TOUCHED YOU! DRAMATIC BRAT!" He quickly hauled himself out of the water, coughing as he shook himself off.

Hardly touched?

Did she mean when she tossed him into the water or when she used her wing to swat him into the water?

Either way, he couldn't agree when she said she hardly touched him. She practically tried to MURDER him this ENTIRE TIME.

A shriek erupted from Kalim when Robin grabbed his ankle and swung him around, throwing him into the wall. Kalim slid down and staggered as he brought himself to his feet. "FIGHT! COME ON!" He sighed and lunged at her, readying a lightning spell only for Robin to dodge, grab his wrist and slam him into the ground pinning his arm behind his back.

"OW OW OW OW! I GIVE UP! ROBIN!!!" Robin snarled at his pleas then screamed in alarm, leaping off the pale haired boy. She whipped around, looking at her tail then glared at the figure that dared attack her. Sebek snarled at Robin and spit out feathers, making sure to add extra saliva to the spit. A silent insult and challenge.

Both clashed in a heated fight, Sebek blocking Robin's claws. He ducked and placed himself behind the parrot woman, kicking her right in the spine. Another dodge came from the male the moment a claw came at his face, his arm hooking around Robins and spinning her around.

His hands slammed her chin first to the ground, feet pinning her wings. "TOUCH Kalim again and IGNORE his pleas once more and WATCH me throw beetles into your soup!"Sebek snapped. Robin tapped Sebek's knee, letting out a low snarl.

"You won't be able to protect them forever, you annoying rat!"Robin snapped, getting to her feet. She stormed away, ruffling her feathers to make sure no loose ones stayed. "WATCH ME!"Sebek yells after her.

He turned to Kalim, offering him a hand. Kalim smiled, grateful for Sebek and grabbed the younger boys hand, getting hauled to his feet. Sebek had always been protective of them all, fighting Robin and Stork whenever either of their guardians had decided to try picking on him. Should he mention that Sebek has the BIGGEST most FATTEST crush on Livia.

No? Wait, oops, he shouldn't have really said anything cause now the secrets out. Mostly anyways.

"Kalim, Trey said it's time for lunch! Come on!" Kalim beamed, having been hungry since this morning because he gave most of his food to Livia due to her having gotten up late and there were mostly scraps left for her to try and dine on.

"FOOD! HOORAY!" Laughter came from Sebek, the two racing down the hallway to see the other four kids. He didn't find being here so bad because he had Sebek and the others by his side to get through this.

He couldn't wait to introduce them all and see everyone joke around more.

@queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @zexal-club

[missmungoe]

I know you’re still recovering from Mnemosyne (BEAUTIFUL HEART WRENCHING AMAZING WONDERFUL WORTH-THE-WAIT CHAPTERS BTW SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EXISTENCE) so please don’t feel pressured b u t… if you have any snippets of the next Moon and Her Maiden chapter you feel comfortable sharing ..🥺👉👈 IM SORRY BUT THAT LAST ONE ENDED SO AMAZINGLY AND IM DYING TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

HI, please know how happy this made me, and of course I have a snippet! I'm actually very close to finishing this fic, so here's a little peek:

It comes with a price

He followed the road inland, the same path he’d walked the night she’d been taken, although this time he wasn’t searching blindly, following instead the trail of her presence, like a moonlit thread through his mind and the dark.

She’d followed the road out of the village, past the darkened windmills where they loomed, before she’d climbed one of the fences and crossed the field into the forest. If it hadn’t been for his haki, Shanks didn’t think he would have been able to follow her, with no obvious path or tracks to guide his way, and with the canopy blocking out the moon it was almost too dark for him to see.

He was starting to wonder if he should have brought a lantern when the canopy suddenly opened, allowing a shaft of moonlight to pierce it, right onto the still surface of a forest pond, and he paused in his tracks, seeing the small figure standing before it.

Her back was turned towards him, her clothes in a heap around her ankles and her slender frame outlined by the moon. It spilled over her skin, the silver spots across her shoulders apparent, and the still-pink scar where it cut like a sickle moon between her shoulder blades.

He knew she’d already sensed him coming, and saw her turn towards him where he’d emerged from the shadows of the trees into the clearing. She had her sealskin in her hands, the supple pelt shimmering like her skin.

She’d removed her kerchief, her short hair gently tousled where it brushed the tops of her cheekbones. The eyes beneath were bottomless, although for once, he couldn’t discern if the feeling in them was surprise or trepidation, finding him there. But then this wasn’t like waiting for her by the shore, his eyes shut in offering. He’d come into her realm now, eyes wide open, as brazen as the sailors from the songs, who stole the maidens of the moon for their wives.

“The old girl told me where you were,” Shanks said, and saw her brows knitting in surprise.

“Suzume-san did?”

He nodded, before he looked at the pond, and coming closer, “Going for a midnight swim?” he asked, hoping his smile might ease some of the tension that had crept between them.

Makino didn’t answer, and his heart sank, wondering if he’d overstepped when he’d kissed her in the storeroom earlier.

But looking up from the sealskin in her hands to him, it wasn’t fear he found in them, or at least not for him as Makino said, “I was going to try to change.”

Something about the way she said it struck him as odd, and frowning, he was trying to figure out what was off about it when realisation hit him, without kindness.

“You haven’t tried,” Shanks said.

She shook her head, and his heart constricted when she confessed, “I don’t know if I still can.”

The beat that followed was heavy, holding the weeks that had passed since her capture, a full moon cycle, and the nights he’d waited by the docks, hoping she’d show. He’d thought she’d been nervous about seeing him in her seal-shape, or that she wanted to wait until her stitches had healed. He hadn’t thought she’d been afraid she couldn’t do it anymore.

“Your stitches are perfect,” Makino said, dragging his eyes up from her sealskin, as though his silence had suggested that they might be the reason. “I don’t even have evidence that there’s anything wrong, I just…haven’t been able to bring myself to try.”

Her eyes lifted from her pelt to his, and the fear in them struck him as hard as it had, that moment outside her bar when the bandit had tried to slice it open. “What if I can’t?” she asked, the slight quaver in her voice making his hands clench. “I don’t know who I am without my pelt.”

His look softened.

Crooking a knuckle, Shanks tipped her chin. Her eyes were as dark as the pond, unearthly in their depth and beauty, and yet there was nothing but human feeling in them, open and vulnerable.

“You’re you,” he said. His eyes roamed her face, but for all that the fae were hailed as coy, cunning creatures, he’d never met anyone as guileless. “With or without your powers.” His thumb brushed her chin, beneath her bottom lip where it trembled. “But I understand why you’re scared. I don’t know how I’d feel if I lost something so deeply connected to who I am.”

Her eyes hadn’t let go of his, and he saw the tears brimming in them, even as she didn’t let them fall.

He watched as they lowered to the sealskin, held between them. He could see the place where the bullet had torn through it, the moonlight illuminating the scar, twin to the one on her back. He’d spent a whole day mending it, trying his best to make it as seamless as he could, but even then his stitches had left a mark.

“This is one of my favourite places,” Makino said then, looking up from her pelt to the still pond. Flowers grew thickly by the riverbank, blue forget-me-nots gleaming like stars against the mossy undergrowth, and a slender river cut through the clearing, gurgling quietly where it crawled between the stones to feed the pool where they were standing, the surface like a black mirror to the moon’s round face, although it wasn’t the one that held his eyes captive, her gentle features painted by the light.

“It’s beautiful,” Shanks said.

Her smile tilted, a little sad, and he didn’t understand why until Makino said, “I was going to bring you here.” Dark eyes met his, as gentle as her words. “To show you.”

His eyes widened, but of course―she’d mentioned a pool, that sunny day with Luffy on the docks when she’d asked him to go walking with her.

He didn’t know how he would have reacted, if the incident with the bandits had never happened, and the way she’d revealed herself to him had been here, on her own terms. And while she’d told him why she’d hidden it for so long, it said something about how much she’d trusted him even then, to want to bring him somewhere like this. Like the hidden cove, it was an offering; a part of herself shared with him that no one else had seen.

But while he couldn’t change what had happened, or make it so that her powers still worked, there was one thing he could control. Like the blindfold, he could even the balance between them; a barter, if only to put them on even ground.

“What are you doing?” Makino asked, as he shrugged off his cloak, before he reached to unbutton his shirt, until it joined it on the ground next to her clothes.

Toeing off his sandals, “Stripping,” he chirped, and her eyes sprung wide when he reached for the waistline of his pants, flashing her a rakish grin. “Fair is fair.”

Shucking them with characteristic panache, the fierce blush deepening her cheeks banished some of her otherworldliness, her beautiful features reshaping with an unmistakably human mortification as her eyes darted away from his naked body, and his cock, cheerfully erect where he’d propped his hands on his hips, but before she could object, he’d dived into the pond.

He cut the mirror surface smoothly, the freezing cold water hitting him like a thousand needles, before he resurfaced with a gasp, swearing, “Fffffucking hell, that’s cold! Oh my god, I think my balls just retreated back into my body.”

The startled laugh that blurted from her was muffled by the pelt, her cheeks fairly glowing where she’d pressed it to her face, but it couldn’t hide her grin where he found it in her eyes, as helpless as his own, seeing it.

Pushing his dripping hair back from his face, he swam towards the bank where she stood. The pool was deep enough that he was only able to stand towards the shallow edges, the middle like a black hole, sucking up the moonlight where it spilled through the branches.

Smiling, Shanks held out his hand. “Are you coming in, seal-maiden?”

He saw her eyes darting to it, indecision shaping her beautiful features, so wonderfully expressive, he still couldn’t believe she’d kept her identity a secret from him for so long, even with his eyes shut.

But they were open now, and he watched her shifting expressions hungrily, and saw when she decided, her soft mouth firming, before she drew her sealskin around her shoulders.

Then Makino placed her hand in his, and closing his fingers around it, Shanks drew her into the water.

It pulled her in, as though welcoming her, and he wondered, transfixed, how he hadn’t noticed it the time they’d gone swimming, how naturally she held herself in the water. Or rather, how unnaturally, an otherworldly grace that even a girl who’d been swimming her whole life couldn't have boasted.

Of course, there’d been other things distracting him that night, like how she’d looked in the rain, her soaked chemise clinging to her body, although looking at her now, the pale silk replaced with moonlight and her silver pelt, he was hard pressed to say which was more captivating, but then maybe it was just her.

He’d reached out before he could stop himself, his fingers brushing the pelt where it covered the top of her head, as soft as he remembered, but Makino didn’t withdraw, only let him touch it.

It dipped into her brow, and lifting it enough to bare her eyes, “You don’t have to try tonight,” Shanks said, observing her where she floated, too short for her feet to reach the bottom, but then she didn’t even need to tread water. “But if you want to, I'm the only one here.”

Makino watched him, the pelt pushed back enough to see her face, unchanged from how he knew it, but even then there was a feyness about her that left no mistake now about what she was, wrapped in water and moonlight.

He watched as her eyes slipped shut, and she seemed for a moment to retreat into herself, a calm overtaking her as she let her breath go. Shanks felt it in her presence, as still as the pond around them, not even a ripple to disturb the mirror surface.

Then her eyes opened, meeting his, and this time they were so dark they’d swallowed the white around them. And he’d seen her transform, that terrifying moment on the deck of his ship after she’d been shot, but it was something else to see her change now, not out of necessity but because she wanted it.

Her skin glowed, first silver, then a bright, brilliant white, as though she became for a moment moonlight in its purest form, illuminating the whole clearing, before she changed, her slender frame shrinking, reshaping into a figure he’d only glimpsed a few times before, in the cove and through the underwater shadows.

The brilliance dimmed, leaving her in her seal-form, the tiny, sleek creature that bore no resemblance to her human shape, even as Shanks still found her, in the dark, bottomless eyes and the way she floated in the water, and her presence, unchanged now that she wasn’t concealing herself.

He heard her voice within, the unbridled joy in it rippling through him like laughter.

It worked!

His grin widened, hearing her whooping delight within him, and his chuckle was softer than he was known for as she vanished under the surface, darting around him once, and with such breathtaking grace it left him unable to do anything but watch as she resurfaced further out, a sleek shadow, before she dived under again, and so silently she barely stirred the pond.

He felt her brush against his thigh as she circled him once, before darting between his legs, and so swiftly it took his haki just to keep track of her, and even then she was faster, as the little seal suddenly resurfaced right in front of him, the transformation releasing her, and so quickly it was only a split second before Makino was there, her voice aching with joy, “It worked!”

She threw her arms around his neck, and his eyes widened, caught so off guard he nearly forgot they were swimming.

Startled, his arms wrapped around her, the sudden and intimate contact jolting through him like he’d been shot.

His heart held, feeling her in his arms, her delicate figure flush against his and nothing but water between them, and knew she could feel his reaction, rock hard where it pressed against her, but she didn’t draw away.

Holding her, his hand shook where it spanned the sickle scar between her shoulder blades, covering it whole, and his chuckle was soft as he tucked his nose into her neck, hugging her close. She was so small, but then he knew her shape with his eyes shut, every delicate line and curve, had charted it with his hands, and found it now as he remembered, that first night on the docks, and in the cove, and his cabin.

He felt as the slender arms loosened from around his neck, and fought his instinct to pull her back, but she didn’t let go, as small hands cupped his cheeks. Water clung to his lashes, but he saw her clearly, the moonlight spilling down her body and his, and her eyes were as dark as the water, but this close, the tips of their noses brushing, Shanks found the gentler brown in them.

They slipped shut, and drawing his face down, as gently as the first time she’d done it, Makino kissed him.

Above, the moon watched them through the branches, her marble face as impassive as ever, but if she was upset with him for stealing one of her maidens, Shanks didn’t care.

And feeling the smile that shaped the soft lips under his, thought the maiden in question didn’t much mind the theft.

―

“Red-Hair?”

The deep bow made the collar around his neck fall forward, the heavy metal yielding a soft clank. “Our investigation proved fruitful, Your Excellency,” said his advisor. “We have eyewitnesses placing him in Goa that night, and he fits the description of your brother’s killer. A swordsman in a black cloak, wearing a straw hat. We did some digging, and he is apparently quite renowned. In fact…”

The rustle of paper drew his gaze, as a wanted poster was proffered, slid across the table towards him.

His eyes widened.

“One billion?”

His advisor bowed deeper. “In addition to his own deeds, he is a former crewmate of the Pirate King.”

His eyes lifted from the wanted poster, and the scarred face above the row of numbers. “Gold Roger?”

His advisor nodded. “His crew, too, is quite formidable. His first mate in particular.”

He considered Red-Hair’s wanted poster. “And he’s been here this whole time?”

Another nod. “It appears he has made a base of sorts. A port on the other side of the island. Fuschia is the name.”

“That backwater dump?” When his advisor nodded, “What does a pirate like Red-Hair want in a place like that?”

“Perhaps he is seeking to usurp the throne,” his advisor suggested. “He would not be the first pirate to attempt a coup.”

“I couldn't care less about Goa Kingdom or its so-called ruler,” said the Celestial Dragon. “But we cannot have it getting out that a pirate killed a Celestial Dragon. It would give the people ideas that just anyone can harm us, and that we can be usurped as mortal kings. We are not mortals; we are gods.”

Another deep bow, his brow nearly touching the floor. “Indeed, Your Excellency.”

Turning to the window, the dark sea looked back, and the full moon. To think that even the filthy commoners in this part of the world could see her splendour, and as clearly as they could from the Holy Land. Truly, a jest of the gods.

“Is Red-Hair still in port?” he asked, and heard him nodding when his collar shifted.

“His ship has not left, Your Excellency.”

“Good,” he said, his eyes on the full moon where she bathed on the horizon’s edge.

“See that it never does.”

[inafieldofdaisies]

Either 1. In hand holding or 50. In touching for John x Sabrina :3

50. Putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up / Prompt from this post.

Minutes ticked by where Sabrina found herself wide awake and unable to shake off the stress caused by the dinner Joseph had insisted on. Beside her, John was fast asleep, and after trying and failing to follow suit, she lifted his arm off her waist and got up. She quietly tiptoed over to the door leading to his bedroom's balcony, slipping on the shirt he was wearing earlier that night and stepped outside after a final look in his direction while he instinctively felt around the sheets in his sleep, no doubt searching for her. A sigh escaped her when the cool air hit her bare legs and she leaned over the railing as she took a deep breath, willing for the heavy feeling in her chest to subside. Her eyes initially focused on the moon and how it peeked inbetween the gathered clouds, then moved down to the dark tree line and faint lights in the distance before eventually shifting to the set of patio chairs by the side door of the house. To her surprise, one of them wasn't empty as expected, instead she could make out the faint outline of a woman wearing a white dress lounging in it, the overhead lights on the porch making her fair hair stand out as she stared off at the greenery surrounding the ranch. If it wasn't for the knowledge that they had a guest staying over, Sabrina would have described the sight as ethereal, concerning to a degree and slightly reminiscent of the youngest member of the Seed family, Faith. The decision for Mercedes, as she had introduced herself to her, or Mercy, as everyone else kept calling her, to spend the night there instead of returning to the Compound with Joseph was made last minute. She was the woman 'The Father' kept looking at throughout dinner as she led the conversation and charmed everyone with her easygoing personality.

The woman whose existence Faith refused to acknowledge from the moment she stepped a foot in the house, instead choosing to embrace 'John's Deputy' and whisper to her how she had always wanted to have another female around. "We will be just like sisters.", she had added with a small laugh while twirling a lock of her hair. The woman that as John insisted was strongly despised by Jacob, yet Sabrina had seen otherwise when her fork decided to take an embarrassing dive under the table. The signs were there, no matter how much the Seeds refused to admit it. After the tense and frankly strange evening, she couldn't help but wonder how they found no issue in having a feast while the County did its hardest to overthrow them. She took somewhat of a comfort in the fact Mercedes at least seemed to be struggling with something as well and maybe wasn't as unbothered as the rest if she was sitting outside at such late hour. The time passed in silence only filled by the low buzzing of insects around the house, then as Sabrina finally talked herself into heading back inside, a sight below stopped her in her tracks. She squinted her eyes, trying to better make out the dark figure that had passed through the trees as unease took over her system in anticipation of potential danger. "I thought you left.", Mercedes' voice carried over, taking a strange note when she addresses the man that had emerged from the shadows. "I did. Then I changed my mind halfway to the Whitetails.", Jacob eventually uttered out as he remained standing up and a couple of feet away from her, hands stuck in his jeans pockets. "Why? And you can sit down, you know. I will be on my best behavior, brother.", she said slowly, adding a bite to the last word that made her sound nothing like 'Mercy'. "Do we have to talk about you using that word again, Mercedes?", his tone was full of warning when he finally lowered himself in the chair next to hers. "No, I'm just pulling your leg, though, I certainly enjoyed the last time we had to.", a laugh left Mercedes just as footsteps sounded behind Sabrina. "You're going to catch a cold, Deputy.", John called out way too loudly, and plastered his body to hers. Before she could think better of it, she spun around and cupped a hand over his mouth, effectively muffling his next sentence. He stared down at her in amusement as he gripped the railing and caged her in between his arms, seeming completely oblivious to the two people below them and how close he had gotten to drawing their attention. Sabrina rose on her tip-toes, breath fanning over his skin when she whispered in his ear, "Don't talk. Just…listen." His nod made her remove her hand from his mouth and he grasped it in his, bringing it back to his lips to place a kiss to her palm. "So, you missed me?", Mercedes remarked playfully, causing John's eyes to widen as Sabrina faced forward again and snuggled into his body and the warmth it was offering her. "No, I just felt like trekking back to the ranch for no reason. What do you think, sweetheart?" Jacob's question was loaded, and it seemed like his younger brother was holding his breath as he waited for a response to it. "I think I'm going back to bed.", Mercedes got out of her seat and came to a brief stop in front of him as she added, "Are you coming too or planning on camping out in the woods?" Jacob held her gaze in silence for a couple of beats, then stood up too, the side door of the ranch slamming shut behind them as he followed her in. "What did I just witness, Deputy?", John muttered out quietly, no doubt shaken by the new revelation. Sabrina swiveled around again, smirking his way when she whispered, "Do you believe me now?"

[russicnroses]

RUSSIAN ROSE | VOLUME ONE | PART 7

CHAPTER FIVE: [N/A]

PAGES: 161 - 188

TRANSLATION TOOL: Chatgpt

CONTENT / WARNINGS: long post, blood, death mention.

Saya shivered and snapped back to reality. She remembered heading to the porch to escape the noise. She had crouched down with her eyes tightly closed, trying to shut out the flood of memories, and had apparently ended up in the shadow of the bushes. As she came back to herself, a sudden chill hit her.

In the garden facing the canal, there were snow sculptures that appeared to have been crafted by Felix's household. They were illuminated by several lamps, casting multiple layers of blue shadows. The surface of the snow piled on the trees glittered with a fine light, like powdered sugar.

Beyond the canal, the Isaac Cathedral, visible from anywhere in the city, peeked out from between the rooftops of the houses.

Earlier, she hadn't heard the orchestra's music at all, but now it reached her ears with clear definition.

"I have to go back."

Saya remembered leaving in the middle of a conversation and picked up the hem of her dress. She was about to head back to the porch, admiring the large snow statue shaped like a goddess, when she sensed someone's presence on the other side of the statue and instinctively stopped.

(――I don't need to hide.)

She reconsidered and stepped forward.

Then fragments of a conversation between what seemed to be two guests floated into her ears.

"Tonight..."

"The Empress..."

(The Empress?)

Someone was talking about the Empress. It wasn't unusual, but since she had just been talking about her as well, it piqued her interest a bit.

(Huh?)

(What are they talking about――)

As Saya frowned, the area was suddenly enveloped in darkness.

For a moment, she couldn't comprehend what had happened. Just a moment ago, the brightness had been amplified by the snow's reflection, making it even more blindingly bright.

The lights in the garden, house, and even the windows of the other mansions visible from the garden had all gone out. Unluckily, even the moon was now hidden by clouds. In the darkness, Saya's senses dulled, and she slipped.

(...!)

Preparing herself to fall onto the cold snow, Saya closed her eyes.

In the next instant, someone grabbed her wrist.

"Haji――?"

(No, it isn't.)

From the cold feel of the fingers, she realized it wasn't him and tensed up. At that moment, the wind cleared the clouds overhead. The full moonlight that emerged brightly illuminated the long hair of the person who had offered their arm.

(Hair...) that reached down to the waist. Saya was captivated by its shine. (Silver...)

Just like the moon behind him, his gray-blue eyes, piercing even through the mask, were cold and clear. His expressionless, cruel lips. (This person――)

Saya shivered again.

(Scary.)

While she stood frozen, the lights came back on as abruptly as they had gone out. Instantly, the buzz from inside grew louder.

"Another blackout," Someone said.

"But today, it was restored quickly."

"Black...out..." From the murmurs around her, Saya finally understood what had happened and muttered blankly. The lights had been out for just a moment, but it had felt like an eternity.

No, it felt as if time had stopped.

The young man smiled slightly at the still half-dazed Saya.

"...Be careful."

He released Saya's hand and, with his long hair flowing behind him, ascended the stairs leading to the hall, which had already regained its former splendor. At the same time, Haji descended the stairs and draped the cloak he had been holding around Saya's shoulders.

"I was looking everywhere for you. Are you alright, Saya?"

"...It was just a blackout," Saya replied, and Haji gave her a puzzled look.

Realizing he was asking about something else, Saya raised her voice, somewhat deliberately.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This dress is just a bit tight around the waist."

It felt like the time that had stopped was finally moving again. Saya took a deep breath and said, "That was surprising, how suddenly it went dark."

"Yes. I just heard that the war is dragging on, causing a chronic shortage of fuel for power generation. It seems to be happening frequently lately."

"I see," Saya said, recalling the young man from earlier. Although she couldn't see him well because of the mask, his composed demeanor suggested he was older than Haji and Felix. Despite it being a ball, he wore a pitch-black cassock.

(That person...)

(There are all kinds of people outside the zoo...)

Unconsciously, Saya rubbed the arm where he had grabbed her.

(He was somehow beautiful and scary...)

Seeing Saya fall silent, Haji frowned.

"Did you hit your head?"

"Do I seem that out of it?"

He was still concerned about her odd behavior.

"Well, I did almost fall."

Saya made a deliberate grimace, and Haji looked relieved. He decided not to pry any further.

(Now that I think about it, how did he know my position so well in the darkness?) With that thought in mind, Saya climbed the short steps to the porch and entered the room, where everyone was buzzing, watching the young man from earlier leave.

In particular, Dmitri was angrily confronting Felix.

"What is the meaning of this, why is he here?!"

Felix, spreading his palms, responded while averting his gaze.

"Well, he's the Gray Cardinal that everyone is talking about lately. I just thought it would be interesting to meet him, so I sent an invitation. I never expected him to actually come. Maybe he had an eye on some lady."

"You are...!"

Dmitri, seemingly losing the will to argue further with Felix's usual demeanor, hung his head in defeat. Meanwhile, Felix casually adjusted the collar of his jacket and nonchalantly replied,

"I just can't resist my curiosity."

(The Gray Cardinal—)

Many of the female guests were captivated by his figure as he briskly crossed the wide hall. The Gray Cardinal—Gregory reached the hall's door and, as if it was no longer necessary, nonchalantly removed his mask and dropped it onto the tray held by a nearby boy.

As he brushed back his long hair, his almond-shaped eyes were revealed. The color of his pupils was that grayish blue. Even though his elegant features were now visible, the cold impression he initially gave off did not change.

"Saya, what's up?"

At some point, it seems she had been intently watching. The light-hearted voice calling out to her was unmistakable, even with the mask on. It was Rodion.

Following Saya's line of sight, Rodion spoke.

"Oh, that guy. The Grey Cardinal? What's up with him?"

"I heard he has a lot of influence over the royal family..."

Despite having received his help, for some reason, she felt afraid of him—Saya didn't mention this and instead said,

"I heard there's a princess around my age who’s confined to the palace. Isn’t that strange...?"

Unconsciously, Saya's gaze fell to the luxurious dress she wore. Rodion replied nonchalantly.

"That’s got nothing to do with it. Saya's job is to defeat the Chiropterans. It’s our job to investigate those kinds of things."

After awkwardly putting on his gloves and thinking for a while, he announced.

"Alright, tomorrow morning we’ll have sword practice. When you’re feeling restless, physical activity is the best cure."

When she first arrived, she never imagined Rodion would become this familiar. Saya couldn’t help but smile.

However, the next moment, she realized and composed her expression.

(That’s right. I can’t be distracted by other things.)

Lowering her voice, Saya said,

"It seems it's true that people have been attacked by Chiropterans in the suburbs. I heard it from Sir Felix."

Rodion, now with a serious look, responded with a genuine expression. His usually bright, curious eyes seemed wise.

"Ah, it seems those who were summering out there only heard rumors."

Furrowing his brows as if to confirm his thoughts, Rodion continued.

"But didn’t you encounter them in this city just recently? If they were moving, it took too long, and there weren’t any sightings in the meantime."

"Perhaps they have a collaborator," Haji, who had been standing by, said. Rodion raised his voice in surprise.

"A collaborator? But Chiropterans are violent monsters, right? They don’t have wills, do they? And cooperation?"

Not noticing the slight change in Saya's expression, Rodion continued.

"Well, at best, they could be used. But who and why? I have no idea."

"It’s your job to find that out."

"Yeah, you're right."

Rodion smiled wryly, then suddenly looked up at Haji and furrowed his brow.

"—Are you angry or something?"

"No—"

"I'm thirsty!"

Suddenly, Saya shouted.

"Aren’t you thirsty, Haji and Rodion? I'll go get something to drink!"

"Hey, Saya—"

Ignoring the voice trying to stop her, Saya grabbed the hem of her dress and strode through the hall.

'—A collaborator?'

'A violent monster?'

(Rodion isn’t to blame for anything.)

She knew she was being watched, so she didn’t look down. Surrounded by lady guests, Kiril was watching her.

Saya carried his coat as she stepped into Kiril’s main house room for the first time. She saw sweat beading on his beautiful forehead and asked with concern.

"Are you okay, Kiril?"

"But..."

Although it was already past midnight, they were on their way back from the ballroom when Kiril suddenly felt unwell.

Always composed, seeing him in a weakened state made Saya extremely worried and uneasy, prompting her to stay by his side.

Supported by Eduard, Kiril lay on the bed, breathing heavily but finally starting to feel somewhat better. Saya placed his coat on a chair with his monogram and asked,

"Should I get you some water? Medicine—"

"…You don’t need to fuss over me. You can go back."

His weak arm motioned for her to leave, but Saya found it hard to go. Kiril glanced at her, brushing back his wavy ice-blond hair, revealing his pale neck. He narrowed his amethyst eyes and spoke languidly.

"I’m just a bit tired, and the wine didn’t agree with me. Don’t make a fuss about it; it’s annoying."

Hearing his usual sharp tongue, Saya felt slightly relieved. She thought it was strange, but she now felt more at ease when Kiril was being caustic.

(Eduard is here too—)

"Well, I’ll go back then. Oh, wait."

Saya remembered the necklace she was wearing. She looked down and removed it, feeling its weight again in her hand.

"I’ll return this. Where should I put it?"

"Ah... anywhere is fine."

"No, it’s valuable. I can’t just leave it anywhere."

Saya didn’t really know the value of jewelry, but she recalled how the Duchess at her first champagne party wore a diamond-studded necklace as if to show it off, and how every woman at subsequent events wore elaborate jewelry. Even though they were inside the estate, she couldn’t just leave such an intricately crafted necklace lying around.

Kiril, lying on his back, casually remarked,

"It’s not really that important. Besides, we’re the ones who set the price."

"Eh—"

Saya didn’t immediately understand what Kiril meant. As she stood there puzzled, Kiril signaled Eduard to help him sit up. Leaning back on several pillows arranged on the bed, he clasped his slender fingers over his abdomen and continued wearily.

"It’s not really us, but the foundation of Red Shield. Do you know why diamonds are expensive in the first place?"

"Uh..."

Saya, not understanding why he asked, thought hard and replied hesitantly.

"Because they’re rare?"

That answer didn’t fully satisfy Kiril. He furrowed his brows but patiently asked again.

"Why are they rare?"

"Well... because there aren’t many of them, right?"

Saya thought back to the zoo she grew up in. Joel always arranged for plant hunters worldwide, and he was delighted when he obtained something rare, especially mutations. Things that were scarce were valuable.

Kiril nodded. "Exactly."

Kiril smiled faintly and continued, "It's not that there's a shortage. In fact, there's an abundance."

Saya, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean by setting the price?"

"In this country, which covers about one-fifth of the world's forest area, there are vast reserves of natural resources hidden beneath the ground. Lead, oil, and, of course, diamonds. Yet, we import them from India."

"Why?"

Saya, not understanding what Kiril was trying to convey, asked in confusion. Kiril responded with a mischievous smile.

"Because the foundation—we—are manipulating the information."

He didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his words.

"No one has realized yet that diamonds can be mined in this country. The aristocrats, you see, are a foolish breed that appreciates the value of goods based on how expensive they are. The quickest way to raise prices is to reduce the supply. We're deliberately keeping the existence of diamond mines in Russia a secret for now, adjusting the supply so that people will pay more for them. Naturally, the foundation's Indian branch controls the mines in India as well."

Kiril paused for a moment and gazed at Saya, his cold expression making him look even more beautiful.

"In other words, we control the price of diamonds circulating in the world. The same goes for gold and coal. As for oil, the foundation has already discovered vast reserves lying beneath the seabed off Petrograd."

"Then why don't you extract it? We even had a blackout today."

Saya recalled the events at the ball earlier that day. Haji had mentioned that there was a shortage of fuel.

"It's said that the prolonged war is causing shortages—wait."

Saya felt a sense of unease, similar to the feeling she got when sensing the presence of the Chiropterans. It was a rough, uncomfortable sensation, like a chill.

Gathering her thoughts, she carefully formed her words.

"I don't understand complicated matters very well, but wouldn't it be better to have fuel if you're fighting a war? The fact that you're deliberately hiding it means—"

"Valery said your intuition isn't bad."

A smile played at the corner of Kiril's lips. Edouard watched him with a calm expression.

"That's right. The foundation doesn't want this country to win. Not yet... We still need other countries to profit first. That's one of our main tasks alongside the search for DIVA."

Saya recalled that Rodion had mentioned their work involved intelligence gathering. At the time, she had been too preoccupied with her own concerns to consider the implications deeply.

Kiril continued, "In parallel with the search for DIVA, we've been gathering information on aristocrats seeking asylum. Of course, we've exchanged it for money and other interests. The foundation's influence extends worldwide, so we don't suffer losses no matter which country wins or loses. It's not just about diamonds; it's no exaggeration to say that the foundation controls the world."

Kiril's breathing became irregular. Despite this, he roughly brushed aside Edouard's outstretched arm.

"The existence of DIVA and what happened at the 'Zoo' are the only blemishes on the foundation. So, while they created DIVA, they're now using you to cover it up. They're leading this country to defeat behind the scenes, while also aiding in asylum efforts. You understand the nature of the foundation, don't you?"

Saya finally felt she understood what this beautiful boy was trying to say.

Kiril, with a cold gaze, continued, "The world is controlled by a handful of powerful individuals. Fools don't realize this."

Kiril grimaced as if his head hurt.

"Kiril, that's enough."

Ignoring Saya's concerned words, Kiril didn't take Edouard's offered arm. Instead, he spoke through ragged breaths.

"You're just another cog in the machine. Even if you defeat DIVA, the Red Shield—no, the foundation—will just breathe a sigh of relief afterward."

"How you’ll be dealt with—who knows what will happen.” He murmured.

Saya lowered her eyelids. Then, she walked over to the chair where she had placed her coat earlier and carefully placed the necklace on top of it.

Kiril's words did not strike her as particularly harsh. In reality, she had never doubted the visible world, even while being manipulated. She had always thought she was loved in that world. The place she could never return to was eternally beautiful.

"I know," she murmured, forcing herself to look up. "Take care, then."

Saya left with a lonely smile, leaving Kiril and Eduardo alone.

"You talked too much. Why did you say such things now?" Eduard said, scolding him.

"Shut up. I'm drunk right now. I can't help it." Kiril turned his pale face away. He wasn't actually drunk.

Knowing this, Eduardo gave a bitter smile and helped him remove his jacket. From his unusually relaxed chest, a thin silver chain peeked out. Eduardo's eyes followed the chain. At the end of it was a ring, the same as the ones worn by the other four. As Eduardo silently stared at it, Kiril, still facing away, murmured.

"...That guy is so earnest, it's annoying."

When they were sent to Russia a few years ago, it was actually Kiril who first suggested they match rings. It was proof that they were comrades who grew up in the same circumstances.

No one explicitly said they didn't want to, and even though they had long outgrown the promise they made as children, they continued to wear the rings without any agreement. Though, Kiril himself had stopped wearing the ring at some point. It happened when they learned the truth about their mission and the reason they were kept alive.

His harsh tone towards people had escalated since then.

While Eduardo was lost in these thoughts, Kiril, who had been looking away, now looked directly at him. His amethyst eyes, unusually uncertain, shimmered as if with a fever.

"We work for the Foundation, and then what?"

It was not uncommon for Kiril to fall ill. He wasn't drunk today either. The countless experiments conducted on their bodies had started to show signs of strain, defying nature. Kiril was aware of this. He was desperately trying to hide it from everyone, but Eduardo alone knew.

Perhaps he told Saya everything out of a creeping fear—fear of death.

Silently, Eduardo tugged on the chain at Kiril's chest and kissed the ring. "Goodnight." He spoke briefly, knowing there was nothing else he could do for him.

"Oh my..."

At the same time, Saya had returned to her room alone.

Tanya's voice made her realize she had been collapsed on the floor in the dark. Tanya turned on the light, and the room suddenly became bright. Saya blinked and said, "Tanya? It's late."

"What are you talking about? If you don't take off your clothes soon, they'll wrinkle. Come on, stand up, stand up."

Tanya seems to think that Saya’s weariness is due to her first masquerade ball.

"Were there any charming gentlemen?"

Opening the door to the adjoining makeup room, Tanya expected Saya to follow, but Saya only managed to lift herself enough to lean against the sofa, staring blankly. Seeing this, Tanya returned with a wry smile on her wrinkled face.

"Well..."

"I sent Haji away because I thought you should change first. Would you prefer to have some tea to relax first?"

Saya's indifferent reply made Tanya exaggerate her tone. "Saya!"

"Huh, what is it?"

Saya finally snapped back to reality and looked up. Tanya, who seemed ready to scold her, saw Saya’s face and crouched in front of the sofa.

"Did something happen?"

Saya was confused by the unexpected gentleness in Tanya's voice. Saya knew she couldn't let the maids suspect anything about the Red Shield. She forced a smile as usual.

"I'm fine! Just a bit tired. I need to change quickly."

"Saya..."

Tanya sighed as she said Saya's name, a slightly lonely smile on her face.

"It's not whether you're okay that I'm asking, is it?"

"Well, I suppose you're telling me not to pry. But you can share what you can. I've worked in many mansions. I have some discretion."

With that, Tanya took Saya's hands in her wrinkled but warm ones. The warmth reminded Saya of Joel, making her feel unsettled.

(I need to be stronger. I can't rely on Haji. I need to find DIVA quickly.)

(It's the only atonement allowed to me...)

Even as she thought this, memories came back to her—of the days spent in the sun with Joel and Haji, days she yearned to return to despite knowing it was wrong.

"It's all my fault," Saya couldn’t hold back and blurted out, overcome by the warmth of Tanya's hands.

"Everyone who gets involved with me ends up unhappy." Maxim said she deserved to be forgiven, but Saya still believed that was wrong.

(He doesn't know. He doesn't know the kind of sins I've committed.)

"I..."

Saya started to speak but stopped, fearing that if she continued, she would start crying. Tanya, who had been silently watching Saya, gently patted her knee through the dress.

"I might not be able to ask what's causing you so much pain, but I can't ignore you saying everyone becomes unhappy. At least for me, having you here makes every day so much more enjoyable."

Tanya continued, "I absolutely love making girls beautiful with my own hands. Sure, regular housemaids do it because it's their job, but thanks to you, Saya, I'm never bored. I'm glad I met you, and I'm glad you came here."

"Now, let me enjoy my work," Tanya said as she stood up and headed back to the makeup room, her round back swaying.

"After all, whether you make others happy or unhappy isn't decided from the start. It's something you choose along the way. Ultimately, everyone makes their own decisions. Mistakes and all."

"What's with that face?"

Tanya stood up, looked back at Saya who couldn't start walking, and frowned deliberately.

Saya didn't know what kind of face she was making. She was just desperately holding back tears. Tanya sighed, raising and lowering her shoulders, then took Saya's hand again.

"It's troubling when you make such an ugly face even though this Tanya is taking care of you. I'll have to prescribe some special lotion for you today."

Jokingly saying this, Tanya pulled Saya into the makeup room. Saya asked:

"Why do you say such things to me?"

Saya couldn't understand why Tanya, whom she had just met, was so kind to her. The animals in the zoo and the other servants, except for Haji, who she occasionally met, were very distant.

Tanya sighed and looked back.

"Why, you ask? There's no reason to treat someone you like well."

Then, after thinking for a moment, she added,

"Well, I guess I just can't leave you alone. I used to have a daughter too."

She used to have a daughter. Saya looked up at the past tense of Tanya's words. When their eyes met, Tanya shrugged.

"I've been fortunate to take care of children at various estates."

"Tanya, you are strong."

Saya couldn't help but say. Tanya smiled a bit sadly.

"Well, who knows. But as I said, happiness and unhappiness are not anyone's fault; they are actually choices we make ourselves. I always choose the happier path. It's something anyone can do."

Saying this casually, Tanya left Saya and entered the makeup room. The sound of filling the washbasin with hot water could be heard from the adjoining washroom. Her voice, sounding particularly joking, echoed.

"Now, hurry up and do something about that sour face."

As Eduardo stepped out into the hallway from Kirill's room, the moonlight cast shadows of large windows onto the velvet-covered floor. The clouds were moving fast tonight, and the moon kept appearing and disappearing. Maxim stood by the window. This hallway only faced the courtyard, so there wasn't much of a view. On the other side was the wing where Saya and others were staying.

When Eduardo tried to pass silently behind him, he heard the sound of Maxim closing his pocket watch. A voice followed that sound.

"Don't spoil someone too much. We have to go wherever the nature of our work takes us."

"No,"

Eduardo stopped. Maxim continued to look out the window.

"If you get too attached to someone, it will cause trouble later."

Maxim said. It was indeed a face of a Red Shield member that he rarely showed to Saya and the others. However, he had never removed the ring from his finger. Perhaps he had simply forgotten the original circumstances and kept it on.

"Because you were once like that too, right?" Eduardo asked.

The fickle clouds hid the moon. Eduardo saw a flicker of agitation in Maxim's face reflected in the window glass.

But it was only for a moment, and he quickly returned to the gentle face of a colleague. Valeri had come running towards them, having spotted Maxim.

Eduardo bowed silently and left the scene.

"Eduardo? I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"It's over now. What about you?"

Valeri, who was asked again, stammered. He didn't have any particular reason.

Valeri stammered, "It's just that, with all the recent turmoil, we haven't had much chance to talk..."

"Oh, I'm sorry for all the trouble. Aren't you having a hard time with Rodion?"

When Maxim apologized, Valeri hurriedly shook his head, not wanting him to think sh was struggling with anything.

"That's not it. It's just..." Valeri hesitated, worried that Maxim might dislike her for saying this, but she decided to speak up. "Kiril mentioned you've been acting alone a lot lately."

Even as he spoke, Valeri knew that this was her own frustration and anxiety. Since Saya arrived, he felt something was off. Even before that, Maxim had been increasingly busy, and although they lived in the same estate, they were crossing paths less often. It wasn't unusual for him to be away from the estate for days at a time due to work.

Despite nothing significantly changing, Valeri couldn't shake off his unease.

"Are you worried I'm plotting something nefarious?" Maxim said with a laugh. Valeri looked up sharply.

"No, that's not—!"

"When you get so defensive, it seems like you don't trust me," Maxim said.

"No, it's not that—" Valeri was flustered, unable to explain the anxiety weighing on his heart. Would he laugh at him for being too worried or weak?

Suddenly, Maxim reached out and deftly took Valeri's glasses. "Ah!" Valeri gasped, even more flustered. Maxim placed his hand on his chin, turning her to face him directly, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Whatever you're worried about, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all."

Valeri snatched back his glasses and put them on, feeling like a child being treated that way. Maxim was indeed older, but it hurt not to be treated as an equal. This distance was likely why his vague anxieties wouldn't go away. Even though they were comrades, he couldn't understand what Maxim was thinking lately.

After thinking for a while, Valeri silently extended his hand to Maxim, showing the ring on her finger. His voice was hoarse with determination as he asked, "Is it true?"

"It's true." Maxim replied.

[epistrefei]

butterflies. our muses doing something new in bed. / rosie. go fuckin nuts

There are some nights that Artemis is more of a Wild Thing than she is a woman. Could be the silent shine of a full moon upon the quiet Earth. The impenetrable darkness of some nights under the forest canopy. Maybe it was her innate nature calling to her after so long stationary, so long tamed under Zahrosa's roof. Regardless, it had to escape somewhere, somehow.

This night, it is so dark that the stars do not even cast a twinkle in the broad sky. It is eerily quiet, no wind to speak of, not even the chirp of some chatty birds. It was quiet. Eerie. The site of a beautiful, horrible hunt, with the sorceress at the epicentre of it.

She runs so quickly through the forest that her legs can barely keep her skinny body upright. Zahrosa navigates the dark like a shadow, so familiar with it and yet darting about in a strange, whimsical wood. It is the type of place that would strike a chill into anyone who had an inkling of survival instinct. Here, predators lurked. They thrived. And for tonight, Zahrosa was prey.

The only hint that she is being chased is the faint crackle of twigs not far behind her. There, flashing through the smallest rays of light, blurs a body. Human-shaped but not acting with an ounce of humanity in the slightest. It runs on all fours, barely visible to the human eye with the speed it moves. Another flash of light—sharp, sharp canine teeth peek out from bloodied lips. A third—silver eyes narrowed into the skinniest feline slit. A growl, deep and guttural.

Zahrosa's breathing quickens, though a spike of fear-arousal flashes through her quick as a bolt of lightning. How dreadfully familiar this scene was, this chase, nearly like nights centuries ago.

Instead of villagers, a feral, unpredictable Goddess, stalking her and eyeing her like the next meal.

In the clearing ahead, it looks to be bright, open field below the breaking moon from the clouds. An escape. Almost to the end. So obvious and blatant, it was never a place to be slaughtered. It was too much on the nose, too vulnerable a place to feast. That is why Zahrosa promptly careens into the muddy ground.

It is so simple a strategy it is maddening. A makeshift snare perfectly sized for a foot—wire cutting into black flesh to let blood warm the ground in sickly sweetness. A chain reaction of other more elaborate traps sprung by the first until jagged wire and rope loop and tighten around each of Zahrosa's limbs. Artemis—some part of Artemis—drops from high in the trees and stalks low towards Zahrosa. She stands over Zahrosa silently, so stock still that it almost looks like she is going to help the sorceress.

No.

The carnal Goddess drops flat to the ground on her hands and knees. Dirt flecks her naked body as it comes into view. Her knees, feet and hands are grass stained and streaked in flecks of gold like little skinned wounds from the tree bark and rock. She crawls up and her mouth meets the hard black of Zahrosa's ankle. It resembles a kiss—but it turns into skimming sharp teeth hard enough to scratch. She licks where the snare had cut into, pressing into the thin wound with no mercy.

When she tires of that, her silver eyes flash menacingly. Rearing back once more, Artemis pounces onto the other woman and dives straight for the neck. She bites ferociously into it, seeking out the taste of her blood warm in her mouth and the crush of flesh under her jaw. It is safe to say that the blonde's dress does not survive much longer—she rips it off of her body into shreds, ribbons, and soon the sorceress is crying out the Goddess' name into the night.

[lemonluvgirl]

The Effect (Part 2)

Katniss waited for the mixture to steep, forcing herself to take deep, steadying breaths as she waited to enact the last part of the recipe. 

She poured the whole thing in a clear bottle and fixed the stopper on top, slipping silently through the house and out the back door. 

She walked unseen through the dark, narrow, muddy paths until she reached a certain tree. The large black birch loomed elegantly overhead, its finely spread branches and leaves swaying lightly in the breeze. 

Katniss stole up the tree on quiet feet, climbing to almost the very topmost point, knowing that the higher she went, the better chance of catching the moonlight peeking through the clouds. But the higher up she went, the weaker the branches and the less chance of them holding her weight, insignificant as it was. 

Still, she managed to climb quite a ways, and held the clear bottle out to absorb the silver hued rays of the night’s moon as it winked at her, half hidden behind a passing cloud. 

Tonic of dread, mixed in the dark Mixed with your secrets and willing heart Held high above, and tinted with light  From the silver mother who rules over night

Remember your fears, and remember your stars You can never truly deny who you are

But with this you may hide in plain sight

Until you are ready to step in the light

Katniss recalled the words her mother taught her to speak over the potion, when she held it aloft at the stroke of midnight. She watched as the chunky mixture of odds and ends began to glow faintly, gaining intensity until it winked, like a flash from a tiny star. 

She closed her eyes instinctively against the brightness and when she opened them, the contents inside the bottle had changed. Gone was the chunky, viscous looking liquid and in its place was the tiniest sliver of moonlight, trapped in the vial, winking at her when she tilted the glass container this way and that. 

Katniss smiled to herself at a job well done, slipped the container between her teeth, and began to shimmy down the birch tree. 

Because while she was her father’s daughter in all things, she had been taught by her mother about the secrets of mountain medicine and what some folk called white witchcraft. 

Katniss had grown up knowing that her mother was a gifted medical practitioner and apothecary, but when she was fourteen she found out her mother was also the fifth daughter of a fifth daughter, someone with a special affinity for the earth and all growing things. Someone who was trained in generational knowledge of old and hidden truths. She knew which plants must be harvested during a full moon and which patches of forest to avoid during a new moon, based on how many honeycomb webbed sorrels Katniss brought home with her from a foraging expedition. She knew when a bad blizzard or a thunderstorm was coming in, from the entrails Katniss brought her back after dressing her kills. 

And she had known the exact minute her husband died, that fateful day in the mines. 

Katniss’ father had relied on her mother for many years, to mix the herbs that helped him hide his Alpha abilities and disposition. So when Katniss presented at the age of fourteen, Aster Everdeen put all her skills to use to help her oldest daughter conceal her status. 

If Katniss had been found out, she would have been removed from her family’s custody and sent to another district, or even perhaps the Capitol for experiments or training for the Designation Games. 

So they hid her scent with strong herbs like Rue and washed her clothes with harsh soaps. She also hid little satchels of flowers in her pockets and went out to hunt every morning, giving her an extra excuse for the strong pine, morning dew, and windswept wildflower scent that always seemed to cling to her clothes. 

But her best defender was the tonic. 

It was a suppressant but it wasn’t harmful if taken in small doses. 

So when she got to the bottom of the tree, Katniss popped off the stopper and tilted her head back as she let the contents slide down her throat. 

A cool, light, almost insubstantial liquid tricked over her taste buds, leaving just a hint of numbness. She swallowed and closed her eyes. 

Drinking the tonic had the intended effect in a matter of seconds. It dulled her senses and flattened out her instincts and abilities. It made her feel muted and slower, slightly weaker, especially the Monkshood, that she had taken two days in a row. 

In other words, it took away the things that made her special, turned her into something less. 

Something more plainly human. 

Katniss opened her eyes, her vision dimmed and slightly blurred. 

On slower, heavier feet she made her way back into the house, hating the slightly off-kilter effect the tonic always left behind after she took it. 

She knew she shouldn’t mourn the loss of her extra-heightened senses, but she couldn’t help it. 

Taking the tonic left her with a feeling of wrongness that lasted several hours. 

But because she took it at midnight, she at least could sleep off the majority of those first few hours. 

As she slipped back inside her house, and back into the room she shared with her blissfully ignorant little sister, who was quietly dreaming in their bed, Katniss reminded herself why this was all necessary. 

She had to suppress her nature. She couldn’t get caught. 

Prim needed her. 

So Katniss laid down beside her and willed herself to sleep, despite the aching emptiness she felt deep inside her bones.