#im in love with this tree trunk and demon

[randomingoftherandomness]

Im thinking this hc ✨

Zyc being flirted with zyz so he fools himself that its just banter, holding his breath, thinking that its not really romantically motivated(!!!)

until both cant hold it back (zyz w his flirting n seducing, zyc with soft blush n caring nature) and so they kiss

(or made out or more)

Then wx found em both in the position and just… smiled that they finally happens

Btw enjoyed ur writing sm sm sm sm, so glad i watched FoF at the same time w one of my fav writer✨

He's trying not to read into it, but Heavens above it is as if Zhao Yuanzhou has made it his personal mission to make it anything but what it probably was -- banter, the kind of joking around you do with your team members, friendly exchanges, or something of that sort. Anything, at this point anything would be better than what it could be.

Because at this point, it would be easy to fall for the great demon's charms.

Simple, in fact, to just throw common sense to the wind and give in to the way Zhao Yuanzhou lingers a beat too long when their hands touch or when their gazes meet over the dinner table. It would be child's play to call him to his private rooms, share a pot of wine under the moon, and ask him outright what he meant when he said this or that.

And if giving in meant he doesn't have to sleep in a too big bed alone? Would that be so bad?

Xiao Zhuo reels those thoughts back with decisive viciousness and buries them six feet deep. There's no reason for him to indulge his heart like this. Not even if logically he can read between the lines when Wen Xiao gently cautions him to be careful with his affections and Ying Lei breezily tells him that his eyes are the most transparent things he has ever seen.

No. Easier to believe that Zhao Yuanzhou means nothing more than friendly banter than to risk getting it all wrong.

Xiao Zhuo would happily live a long forever just basking in the warmth of the demon's gaze. Would have been content with the unspoken thing between them always hanging in the air above, never resolved but never unspooled.

Would have, had it not happened.

Zhao Yuanzhou sits on the soft grass, robes splayed out. Serene, leaning against the tree trunk, looks like a handsome, rich master taking a rest in the middle of his day. Xiao Zhuo allows himself to admire him, committing the way the sunlight dapples over his eyes, the way the breeze undoes his hair at the temple.

In a way, Xiao Zhuo could fill entire libraries with what his heart wants to say about the demon. All the poetry in the world fails to even measure up to a single drop in the bucket of all the things he feels in his heart about Zhao Yuanzhou.

"Are you here to scold me or are you here to invite me for a drink?"

The great demon's voice is soft in the quiet, but it rings in Xiao Zhuo's ear, sending a flurry of butterflies flying in his belly. Looking over at him again, the demon is blinking slowly at him, lips a soft curl of amusement.

"If you're here for the former, come closer. If you're here about the latter, well." Zhao Yuanzhou lifts his bottle, shaking it. "I hope you brought your own."

Xiao Zhuo feels his feet move his body before he even registers to do it. "I..." He starts, then falters. In his searching for the right words to string together, a hand comes to rest over his own. Gentle touch sliding over his wrist, tugging him down to where the great demon is three parts amused, three parts fond.

"Here." Xiao Zhuo hands over the jade pendant he kept in his lapels. "For your replenishment."

"Ah, our Xiao Zhuo-daren cares for me that much." Zhao Yuanzhou laughs gaily. "If I were a lady, I would have taken this as a love token."

Impossibly, Xiao Zhuo's heart skips a beat at that. Looking down at the fine jade that he had chosen with great deliberation from his family's collection in Zhao Yuanzhou's elegant palm, he swallows tightly. "What if I wanted you to? Take it as a love token, I mean."

A stunned silence falls through the hush of the courtyard and Xiao Zhuo immediately regrets saying anything. Making to pull away, he quickly thinks up an excuse, not daring to meet the demon's gaze. He has a palm's width of space between them, when Zhao Yuanzhou tugs him back.

"What if I accept?"

Xiao Zhuo's mind blanks out. Head snapping up, he makes contact with Zhao Yuanzhou's eyes. Despite everything, hope springs in his chest.

"What if I accept your love token? This one and every single one that comes after?" Zhao Yuanzhou asks. His voice pitched low and gentle as if trying to get him to understand something he's still not quite getting.

"Do you... Do you know what it would mean?"

"I do." Zhao Yuanzhou answers. Smiling, the demon's eyes searches his face. "Do you?"

Xiao Zhuo turns his sight on their hands. A surge of affection burns through him like a sudden summer storm. Bringing Zhao Yuanzhou's palm to his lips, he kisses his lifeline and turns it over to kiss over his knuckles. With a shaky exhale, he nods. "I do."

The demon's smile falters at that. "Everything in me tells me I shouldn't reciprocate. That I should protect you from the pain of what's coming next." Zhao Yuanzhou murmurs, almost sadly "I feel like I've dragged you into my pain."

Xiao Zhuo cradles him by the cheek, bringing their brows together. Licking his lips, he summons his bravery and tilts his head for the softest brush of their mouths. "I got here just fine on my own." He whispers into the seam of the demon's little smile. "But I appreciate the company."

The bark of laughter they share is swallowed up in the kisses they trade between breathing in each other. Vaguely, Xiao Zhuo is aware of the presence of another at the edge of the courtyard and a surprised little, "Oh my!"

Distantly, he thinks someone else says, "Took them long enough." But contentment in how he has his demon in his arms, the feel and the weight of his body being held so securely against Xiao Zhuo's, makes him heavy-hearted to pull away.

And so, he doesn't. Happy enough to drown under the thicket of kisses he shares with the one who makes his heart beat.

[maletofujoshi]

elden ring shadow of the erdtree really is like. the end. like its literally it. there probably maybe idk won't be a game in the same style again- both in its gameplay grooves borrowed from ds3 and developed from demon's souls, and in this repeated narrative of a land diminished, and spurned.

okay so this leans on what seems to be cut dialogue- but im only using that to further support things that do actually exist in release.

"Now comes the age of our eden." is a line that in my mind confirms parallels between elden ring and that story of original sin- original sin being referenced in game as something miquella wishes to "bury". We are shown that original sin in the trailer. Marika takes a few golden strands of hair, hair that does not seem to be her own, and holds it up towards the gate of divinity- a golden sky and wind appears to bless her, as the held up hair forms the shape of a rune arc.

This is the moment where marika receives the bounty of the elden ring. It is also the betrayal, following the seduction. what marika goes on to do is creating "gold" and "shadow" (is this true? what of the crucible?), with the birth of the erdtree and the scadutree existing as a necessitated inverse.

there's this idea of two trees- the erdtree is obviously a tree of life. the scadutree... is probably a tree of knowledge of good and evil. To see the land of shadow, and to see what is rejected is to understand "morality", and it is also a realm of learning. Marika seems to be Eve, but is maybe also the serpent that "seduces" Eve (why did marika give birth to a serpent? why is there shed snake skin near the shaman tree in bonny village?), but here- rather than eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge (maybe an act committed long ago by someone else), Marika eats the fruit of of life- becoming like god, becoming god. This act is a betrayal of the hornsent, and the keepers of the tower/enir-ilim. in fact the gate of divinity is first obscured by another sealing tree, veiled in shadow, and once seen... it's no longer the grotesquely majestic thing that marika once stood facing. It's dried. the once fresh, bloody and flowing walls are white, and seem to be disintegrating into sand. for as much as miquella is following in the footsteps of marika- he can't be as marika was. her circumstances are gone and any attempt to recreate them is defined by what marika went on to do. this is seen in the very clear image of an erdtree- branches of light, a trunk, and roots, seen in the negative space of the gate and by miquella's hair

by embracing the whole of it, miquella wishes to become a perfect god, ruler, and mother. to deny nothing. but his age of compassion rests on him abandoning everything- including his love. and his charm manifests as this suppressing thing. ansbach describes a vexing fog, he literally places a spectral golden circlet over you if you get grabbed, one that allows for your "heart" to be "stolen" if you are grabbed again. He wishes to embrace but in that embrace dissent and conflict is simply suppressed, held down, agency is taken away... it's literally a return to the cradle, the halcyon days of the age of plenty. "loved" but not allowed to grow, or to truly exist. as a dissenting lord, you refuse to be embraced, and miquella loses to the first powerful opponent he and his consort face.

what does miquella want here? well- okay miquella the character we know is different from miquella the god- but miquella the empyrean was terrified by his destiny, but felt that he Had to become a god- that he would become a god. to this end, and to amend the sins of marika, the mother, he divests himself of everything- his flesh, his fears, his "love". and yet he wants an age of compassion... how does he square this? firstly there seems to maybe be two types of "love" here. I think there's a division between "godly" love, of including all within paradise without discrimination, and then the love trina feels for miquella, or the love miquella felt for malenia. for now i'm going to call one compassion and the other love. "love" as it exists, in miquella's mind, might be no different from discrimination (in the same way when prompted, a person may choose the life of their loved one over that of a stranger). if he held onto it, as a god, his love may have once again redefined gold, and then redefined it's subjugated inverse, shadow. to "embrace the whole of it" (i.e. take power without creating disparity) would require compassion without love. in order to create an "eden"- a walled garden, a cradle humanity dwelled in before rejection. burying original sin so you can go baby mode, essentially. Miquella wants to become a "perfect" mother, where Marika was unhinged from the start

Ranni stands as the obvious parallel here- rejecting the divine, embracing the self, solving the issue of power by upending it entirely- leaving the world in it's state of disrepair, but also leaving behind nothing to trust in... it's acceptance of being out of the garden of eden, and into the cold night, without the guiding light of god, or the hand of a mother. Ymir and Miquella are going about it the wrong way, you don't need a "perfect" mother, or "perfect" roots, you just ought to grow up.

Extending the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree is """about""" being a mother, and being a child to a mother- and there's a conflation between parentage and the development of societies and cultures. The one thing miquella is incapable of divesting himself of is his lineage as "the true golden child", by leda's account, much like any culture or society can not be free of its history. Miquella will always be Marika's son (daughter maybe actually? okay "child" is the important thing here.) just as Marika carried lineage from the grandmother. Though, maybe there was a chance, roads not taken, ways in which miquella could have helped others and himself. But he abandoned all of that. Sad! A tragedy if there ever was one and such, should've gone blue mode.

...theres more things i wanted to integrate but i still have to sort things out in my head. the crucible and "normalized crucible currents" or whatever, the grandam, nanaya and midra, the erdtree and the moon as carriers of memory... but aghhh! this game is hard! as in this part of the game is hard! images fall together but finding the coherent elements from connection is. Hard. why is there no easy mode for thinking

[rillils]

im at the beach with my family and the sun is setting, and i can see the silhouettes of that couple on the tree trunk, this grandpa and grandma wrapped up in layers and layers of clothes, that girl reading on a chair she'd brought, this woman sitting on a blanket watching as her husband plays ball with their son by the sand, and two men cuddled up under a tree

AND LIKE

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THOSE TWO BOYS (WELL ANGEL AND DEMON) FELL IN LOVE WITH, THE /WORLD/ THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH, THE WORLD THAT TAUGHT THEM WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE HUMAN, TO LIKE THINGS SIMPLY FOR THEIR BEAUTY AND NOT FOR THEIR USE, THE WORLD THAT TAUGHT THEM HOW TO LOVE, HOW TO FEEL, TO APPRECIATE FOOD, TO HAVE FUN LITTLE HOBBIES, TO LISTEN TO SONGS, TO MOVE TO THE RHYTHM, TO MAKE A JOKE, TO BE SARCASTIC, TO GO ON A DATE, TO MAKE FRIENDS, TO THROW A PARTY OR A BALL, TO RIDE A CAR, TO DO SO MANY THINGS THAT THEY WOULDNTVE DONE IN THAT EMPTY VOID THAT IS HEAVEN

THEY LOVE THE WORLD SO MUCH, THE PEOPLE HERE, THEY LIKE BEING LIKE US HUMANS

i am once again not Okay

honey you've really decided you must make me cry, huh 😭😭😭😭

this is so beautiful 🥺🥺 and absolutely true!!! and it's what makes you love them even more, isn't it? how close they have come to feel to humanity? how they must have realized that truly, they're not so different from us after all, not when they too can love and mourn and laugh and pine, just like any mortal human being can 🥺 they're not human, but they love people so much, and the world they have shared with humans for so long, and they don't want to see it destroyed for a whim, just to see how loud it will be when it goes 'boom' 😭😭😭 and I think they love it even more because this is where they really found each other, you know? if it hadn't been for Earth, as a sort of no man's land, they wouldn't have been able to see each other anymore after Crowley fell 🥺 this is the place that let them nurture that love that sparked before the beginning of time, and how do you ever let go of something that holds so much meaning to you???

[hippo-dog]

“Oralech pressed his face into the larger nest of blossoms around Volfred’s neck. His breath was hot, and each exhalation is like a bolt of energy through Volfred’s whole trunk.” - from this lovely fic by Moonsheen  @thelastdogfighter

[bruciemilf]

im obsessed with the idea of like. people who dont know the bats watching Batman, Terrifying Shadow Demon With Tree Trunks For Arms going completely soft for his kids. like. “IM VENGENCE!!!!!! IM—hold on i have to take this call. hi jaybaby how are you? i love you. did you brush your teeth?” meanwhile everyone else is just standing there like….👀

im just a sucker for outsider povs i guess lmao. have a nice day!

PLEASE. If anything, give me Bruce who'll stop mid fight to converse with baddies who happen to be parents. Like, a dealer shouting PLEASE I HAVE KIDS or something, and Bruce immediately. Does.

"So do I. What school do they go to? What? Oh, that's ridiculous, that's barely a school. No art program, no afternoon clubs, - this institution is way better. Of course I'll pay for it."

[duckymcdoorknob]

HELLO DUCKY HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! could i req a box decorated with painted hearts, with white chocolate marbled with milk chocolate(ler Mitsuri and lee Obanai), all square shape, with peppermint and strawberry jam. ty in advance!

oh this?

This sounds beautiful

I will be starting right away

Thanks for the order!!!!

CW BELOW THE CUT: this do be a tickle fic so like if that’s not your shit, kindly scroll past ❤️🐸

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑥 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 ❤︎

As a hashira, there’s no guarantee for a person’s safety. No one is guaranteed to come home from their missions, and no one is certainly promised to survive a battle with a demon. As used to it as he was, this unspoken fact is the reason for poor Obanai’s lack of sleep.

The sudden appearances of the Upper Moons meant that more and more of his teammates would leave the mansion frequently. He’d never tell anyone, but it absolutely ate him up inside that he had no contact with the ones he practically calls family.

With heavily lidded eyes, dark gray insomnia lines painted under them, Iguro waited anxiously for Mitsuri to return from her mission. It was a basic one, but good gods anything could happen and-

“Obanai?”

Perking his head up from the tree trunk it rested on, only calming when he saw the love hashira’s signature pink hair. “Welcome home.” He murmured, rubbing his eyes.

“Obanai, why are you awake?“ Mitsuri asked, sitting beside him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Not important,” the black-haired hashira replied, pulling her into a sleepy hug. “Im just glad you’re home safe.”

The girl chuckled gently, returning the hug. “You haven’t slept a wink in days, have you?”

“Mm-mn.” Obanai whispered, leaning into her shoulder.

His sleepiness caused him to abandon all of his rational thoughts. “I couldn’t fall asleep knowing you were out there all alone. I was worried if I fell asleep something bad would happen to you.” He murmured, head limply resting on her shoulder.

“Im here, and I’m safe now. Thank you for caring so much about me, Iguro.”

Usage of the snake hashira’s first name caused him to flush slightly. He buried his head in Mitsuri’s neck as his embarrassment grew.

“Awww you’re so precious” the love hashira cooed, “Are you blushing, Iguro?”

“Don’ call me that.” He whined.

Mitsuri chuckled as she stood up, slowly. “Let’s go inside and go to bed.”

The two hashira walked inside the mansion to their bedrooms.

When he tried to settle down and sleep, Obanai found it impossible to do so. He was so worried that another hashira may be sent on a dangerous mission and he wouldn’t even know that they were gone.

So, he swallowed his pride and knocked on Mitsuri’s door.

The love hashira was still awake as well, unpacking her things that she had brought along on her journey. “You can’t sleep, can you?” she asked, placing an extra haori in her closet.

Iguro shook his head. Though bandaged, the pout on his face unmissable.

“You can stay with me for tonight. Go grab your things.” As Mitsuri finished packing her bag, the serpent hashira did just that.

Mitsuri couldn’t help but gush over how truly precious a sleepy Obanai was. His movements were slow, words few, and overall just adorable.

When he arrived once more, Iguro placed his futon on the floor and laid down. When he closed his eyes, he felt nothing but burning insomnia. He just couldn’t stop his worries.

“Iguro, can I try something that always works on little Tanjiro?” the pink-haired hashira asked softly, resting her hand on her teammate’s hip.

“Normally I’d say no to anything involving Tanjiro, but as you said I haven’t slept decently in days. So, be my guest.” Obanai replied like his usual self.

“Okay, I’ll be very gentle.” She replied, letting her fingers prod softly at the black-haired hashira’s stomach.

Oh… that. Well, if it works on Tanjiro, he might as well try. Sleepy giggles emitted lowly out of his lips as Mitsuri continued to prod around the area. “Do you feel tired yet?” She asked

“No.”

After examining the male’s state, and taking some educated guesses, the love hashira deduced that Obanai had to be more ticklish elsewhere. Her hands moved downward to gently squeeze at his hips. Though his laughter slightly increased, it didn’t seem to be his most ticklish spot.

“Mihihitsuhuhurihihi. Whahahat ahahare yohohou dohohoing?” He asked as she gently traced circles into his sides. “Thahahats awfuhuhuhul.”

Her playful side couldn’t help but emerge, “What? You mean… this?” She asked before squeezing at aforementioned spot.

“HNGH- Yehehehes!” Obanai whined as he squirmed a little under the touch.

“Awww. That’s too bad, Tanjiro lasts much longer.”

The hashira’s face warmed up. Whether it be from the teasing comment, or the sudden shift from Mitsuri to prod at his rib bones, the world would never know.

“Wahahahait! Mihihihitsuhuhurihihi!” He whined, “Thahahahat tihihihicklehehes! Bahahahad!”

“Oh good! This should tire you out quickly then!”

The serpent hashira threw his head back and covered his eyes with his hands. Perhaps if he couldn’t see it, it would go away… right?

Wrong.

It actually increased tenfold when Mitsuri teased him for hiding from her. She suddenly changed her prodding to firm squeezes, and after about five of them, Obanai’s hands shot down and grabbed her own.

The love hashira stopped her “assistance” and chuckled as she leaned close to her teammate’s side. “I’m home safe, Iguro. It’s okay to rest.” She whispered as she ran her fingers through his tousled black hair.

And within minutes, she smiled softly as Obanai finally got the rest he needed.

❣︎𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡❣︎

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

[faeroviolet]

IMPORTANT NOTE:

I'm not in the mood to do this with the original characters. That's why I'm doing this with their versions of my AU: MargeantAU. So each work won't be just a art, but a plot part. Although this ship is not canon.

Day 1: "There’s a first time for everything"[FNK week(MG edit)]

Credit: challenge by @help-im-a-gay-fish Nightmare by jokublog Ccino by black-nyanko Killer by rahafwabas MargeantAU by me

Fluffynightkiller is not a canon, but it's cute.

Once... I'll write a fanfic about how they met. It will be such angsty blood angst, and I have already thought out its plot uwu

And for today's prompt, I have not only art, but a story to it.

(I want to warn you that I am not responsible in any way for what is written below. So read, don't read, I don't care. There may also be some mistakes here, because I wrote this right now.)

This is the story of how Nightmare and Killer decided to have a picnic for the shitty Ccino, who hasn't slept for a whole week. They should have kicked his ass for treating himself so badly, but his health is already bad, so they decided to scold him later. Now it was important to help him get some rest, maybe even he would get some sleep.

Interesting, but this will be their first time together after entering a relationship. Despite the fact that Killer and Nightmare were already in a relationship between each other, this didn't interfere with them. They were both madly in love with Ccino, he sunk into their souls. However, this wasn't so surprising considering who he is. Although his abilities didn't affect this. It was just love. Delicate and strong. Able to make them do anything for a fragile miracle.

Now they were just passing near the hometown of their beloved. They decided to have a picnic in here because it would be difficult and suspicious to do near Sunapple. Having found a suitable field and a place near the tree(so that there was a shade if it gets hotter), they began to unfold. Nightmare, who carried a purple velvet carpet with yellow fringes all the way, laid it out here. And Killer, waiting for him to finish, then put the basket on it.

You ask: why a carpet? It's just that nothing else was found in the castle. And Nightmare didn't want to ask Dream to help in this.

"Do you think he will like the food?" Killer asked, sitting down next to the basket.

"Hmm... maybe he'll eat the cheese and ham sandwiches." Nightmare said thoughtfully, leaning his elbows on a tree trunk. "As for souls, I don’t know. He rarely talks about this, as well as about his preferences, trying to avoid difficult topics."

"And that's true. But... we took different variations." Killer nodded. "I hope Horror won't be offended that we robbed him like that."

"He won't dare." Nightmare said seriously. "I am your 'patron' and you have no right to contradict me. So if he is unhappy, he will not be able to do anything."

Without answering, Killer only directed his gaze towards the forest. They have already informed their loved one that they will come. And oddly enough, he agreed to a meeting. Therefore, all that remained was to wait.

They didn't wait long: a familiar face appeared from the trunk. Although the face was familiar, this face only wished for the best. The huge gray spots didn't adorn this skeleton much. But the guys didn't know how to make him stop torturing himself like that, but they could only help to heal. Even so.

They went to meet Ccino, who decided to please them with his smile. Although with "something" under his eye sockets, this smile could hardly please them. But Nightmare and Killer weren't angry, they just took him and led him to their picnic area. When he was just grabbed and dragged to the tree, Ccino became a little embarrassed and covered with a faint blush.

"Here, Cсino, we brought sandwiches and some fruit." Nightmare said, pointing to a basket containing said foods. "Only... we didn't know what kind of soul you wanted..."

"S-soul?!" He roused himself, displaying horror on his face. Ccino didn’t like it, even though he was also a demon, but he didn’t like to feed on souls. After that, he always feels bad. Well, as if he didn't use them either. Such a tangled loop constantly comes out. "I...I...I..."

Cсino began to breathe quickly and covered his face with his hands, hiding the tears flowing from his eye sockets. And Nightmare, very frightened, just froze in place like a statue, not knowing what to do. Just not that - to upset him. He didn't expect that this is such... a deep and painful topic for him.

However, there was still a way out in this situation. And Killer found him. While Nightmare stood like an idol, he walked a little further into a field where many flowers grew. He collected a couple of flowers and weaved three wonderful wreaths. Yes, he could do it, and there was nothing surprising in it. After all, he learned this from his mother, whom he loved very much.

When he returned, Killer tried to bring the guys to his senses. First, he lifted Ccino, who didn't resist at all, but still was not fine. He brought Night out of his stupor by patting him on the shoulder.

"Wear." In a commanding tone, Killer turned to his Lord, holding out a flower decoration.

"A-are you... kidding me?!" Such insolence pissed off Nightmare. Forgetting about what was happening, he was ready to commit a rash act, but...

"For Ccino's sake."

Only this made the Lord of Dark senses, startled, to stop raging. He turned his gaze to Ccino, who was nearby, and gritting his teeth agreed.

"Okay." He took a cute little wreath and decorated his skull with it, blushing like a tomato, and then, pouting, sat down on the carpet. Oh, it was even cutier than the wreath itself! Was Nightmare so embarrassed by such simple gifts, Killer thought. But now is not about that. Ccino should have been reassured.

"Ccino, look at Nightmare." Killer shook him and looked into almost empty eyes. Still, Ccino paid attention and looked in the direction in which he was indicated. "Isn't he handsome? Especially in this wreath! Do you want the same? Do you like flowers?"

"The w-wreath?" He quietly raised his voice. "I love flowers, collecting them, they're beautiful. And, unfortunately, I don't know how to weave wreaths, and-"

"O! Then I can teach you later. Now... would you mind sitting next to that glowing mean bean, and I will reward you with the most beautiful crown in the world?"

"Umm... O-okay." Ccino staggered a little to the indicated place and settled down next to another skeleton.

Killer jumped up to him like a bunny, and he was already holding a wreath prepared especially for Ccino. He put it on a cute skeleton that blushed very hard in the process. It was amusing.

Killer didn't deprive himself either. Now all three were in flowers. Together. They will have something to remember. But the main thing was that Ccino liked it.

Это история о том, как Найтмер и Киллер решили устроить пикник для чертова Чино, который не спал уже целую неделю. Им бы следовало надрать ему задницу за такое плохое отношение к себе, но его здоровье и так плохое, поэтому они решили отругать его позже. Сейчас было важно помочь ему немного отдохнуть, может даже он и поспит хоть чуть-чуть.

Интересно, но это будет их первое времяпровождение вместе после вступления в отношения. Несмотря на то, что Киллер и Найтмер и так были в отношениях между друг другом, это не мешало им. Они оба безумно любили Чино, он запал им в душу. Однако это было не так удивительно, учитывая, кем он является. Хотя его способности на это и не влияли. Это была просто любовь. Нежная и крепкая. Способная заставить их сделать все ради хрупкого чуда.

Сейчас они как раз проходили около родного города их возлюбленного. Они решили устроить пикник в здесь, потому что это было бы сложно и подозрительно делать возле Санапли. Найдя подходящую полянку и место возле дерева(чтобы был тенёк, если станет печь), они стали раскладываться. Найтмер, который всю дорогу нес фиолетовый бархатный ковер с желтой бахромой, разложил его здесь. А Киллер, ожидающий того, как тот закончит, потом положил на него корзинку.

Вы вот спросите: почему ковер? Просто в замке ничего более не нашлось. А просить Дрима в этом помочь Найтмер ��е желал.

- Как ты думаешь, а ему понравится еда? - спросил Киллер, усаживаясь рядом с корзиной.

- Хм... может сэндвичи с сыром и колбаcкой он съест - задумчиво проговорил Найтмер, облокотившись на ствол дерева. - А по поводу душ - не знаю. Он редко говорит об этом, как и о своих предпочтениях, пытаясь избежать тяжелых тем.

- И то верно. Но... мы же разные взяли - кивнул Киллер. - Надеюсь Хоррор не обидится, что мы его так обокрали.

- А он не посмеет - серьезно сказал Найтмер. - Я ваш "покровитель" и вы не имеете право перечить мне. Так что будь он недоволен - сделать ничего не сможет.

Не ответив, Киллер лишь направил свой взор в сторону леса. Они уже сообщили их любимому, что придут. И как ни странно, тот согласился на встречу. Поэтому оставалось лишь ждать.

Ждали они не долго: из ствола показалось знакомое личико. Хоть личико и было знакомым, но вид у этого личика желал лишь лучшего. Огромные такие серые следы не слишком украшали этого скелета. Но ребята не знали, как заставить того прекратить себя так истязать, но могли лишь помочь исцелиться. Хотя бы так.

Они пошли на встречу Чино, который решил их обрадовать своей улыбкой. Хотя с "кое-чем" под его глазницами эта улыбка вряд ли могла их обрадовать. Но Найтмер и Киллер не сердились, они просто взяли и повели его к их обустроенному для пикника месту. Когда того схватили просто так и потащили к дереву, Чино немного засмущался и покрылся слабым румянцем.

- Вот, Чино, мы принесли сэндвичи и некоторые фрукты - сказал Найтмер, указывая на корзинку, в которой хранятся указанные продукты. - Только... мы не знали, какие бы ты души хотел...

- Д-души?! - встрепенулся тот, отобразив на лице ужас. Чино не любил это, хоть он тоже был демоном, но он не любил питаться душами. Ему поcле этого всегда плохо. Как и если бы он не употреблял их. Постоянно выходит такая запутанная петля. - Я... я... я...

Чино начал часто дышать и закрывать лицо руками, скрывая выступающие из глазниц слезы. А Найтмер, сильно перепугавшись, лишь застыл на месте как статуя, не зная, что и делать. Только этого не хватало - расстроить его. Это он совсем не ожидал, что это настолько... глубокая и больная тема для него.

Однако все же нашелся выход в этой ситуации. И нашел его Киллер. Пока Найтмер стоял как истукан, тот отошел чуть дальше на полянку где росло множество цветов. Насобирал парочку и сплел три чудесных венка. Да, он это умел, и в этом не было ничего удивительного. Ведь научился этому он от своей мама, которую очень любил.

Вернувшись, Киллер попытался привести ребят в себя. Сначала он поднял Чино, который совсем не сопротивлялся, но все ещё был не в порядке. Вывел из ступора Найта, похлопав того по плечу.

- Надень - приказным тоном Киллер обратился к своему повелителю, протягивая цветочное украшение.

- Т-ты что... издеваешься?! - такая дерзость вывела Найтмера из себя. Забывшись о происходящим, он был готов совершить опрометчивый поступок, но...

- Ради Чино.

Только это заставило Повелителя темных чувств, вздрогнув, прекратить бесится. Он перевел взгляд на Чино, который находился рядом, и, скрепя зубами, согласился.

- Ладно - он взял миленький веночек и украсил им свой череп, краснея при этом, как помидорка, а потом, надувшись, сел на ковер. О, да это было даже милее, чем сам венок! Неужели Найтмера так смущали такие простые подарки, подумал Киллер. Но сейчас не об этом. Надо было успокоить Чино.

- Чино, смотри на Найтмера - Киллер потряс того и заглянул в почти что пустые глаза. Но все же Чино обратил внимание и посмотрел в ту сторону, в которую ему указали. - Правда он красивый? Особенно в этом венке! Хочешь такой же? Тебе нравятся цветы?

- В-венок? - тихо подал голос тот. - Я люблю цветы, собирать их, они красивые. А венки я не умею, к сожалению, плести, и-

- О! Тогда я могу тебя по-позже научить. А сейчас... ты не против сесть рядом с вон той светящейся букой, и я тебя награжу красивейшей на свете короной?

- Аамм... л-ладно - Чино немного шатающиеся поплелся в указанное место и расположился рядом с другим скелетом.

Киллер прискакал за ним, как зайчик, и уже держал приготовленный специально для Чино венок. Он надел это на милого скелета, который очень сильно заливался румянцем в процессе. Это забавляло.

Киллер не обделил и себя. Теперь все трое были в цветах. Вместе. У них будет, что вспомнить. Но главное, что Чино понравилось.

[betawooper]

rating every demon fight in kny bc i can

non-biased, completely objective rating (more or less) of every significant demon fight in kny based on a number of factors, including:

cleverness of fighting tactics

placement in the story’s timeline

integration of character backstories

cohesive themes between characters

etc

by non-biased and objective i mean i’m not skewing the rating if a death felt fair or whatever

everything past where the anime ended will be under a read more so anime onlys who havent watched mugen train, youre safe lol

oh and i reread the manga like 20+ times (reread the latter arcs at least 40 times, haha hyperfixations am i right?) so be rest assured im not pulling these ratings out of my ass

also ill randomly be bolding certain phrases just to improve readability

anyways let’s gooooo

VS NEZUKO

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and Nezuko. Tanjirou is fending her off by putting the axe handle in her mouth, keeping her from eating him. End Image Description.]

10/10

i like how realistic it is, because yeah tanjirou would react the way to he did with zero fighting skills against a demon

very clear why tanjirou is fighting nezuko and shows a bit of worldbuilding on how normal people react to their family becoming demons

always nice to see worldbuilding

giyuu is the perfect example of a seasoned demon slayer who’s good at his job, and he juxtaposes tanjirou very well in that aspect

my only complaint is not directly in this fight itself but how nezuko is handled throughout the story as a whole

like bro, it is literally never explained why nezuko is different from demons

could have been easily explained if maybe her family’s ghosts like slapped her hand every time she wanted to eat a person but nope

she’s just built different lol

so yeah youll see future ratings get points docked off bc nezuko unlocks some secret power with no prior explanation other than she angy >:3

VS TEMPLE DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of a demon. The demon has a sharp-nailed hand over his neck and there are four text bubbles around him saying “But a wound like this... will heal in no time! See? The bleeding already stopped!” End Image Description.]

10/10

may be more forgettable compared to like rui but still good

tanjirou did exceptionally well in this fight and his ability to think on his feet is once again beautifully illustrated here (trapping this dude’s head against the tree trunk with the axe)

very clever

again, establishes more demon worldbuilding regarding regeneration and still being able to move without their head

and the demons burning in the sunlight thing since nezuko wasn’t able to show that

the ending where tanjirou hesitates to kill the demon also serves to show his sympathetic nature towards demons that will last throughout the entirety of the first 60-ish chapters

:)

we’ll talk about what the hell happens to tanjirou after that

or not, it could honestly be its own post

VS HAND DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of a many-handed demon. He has six hands around him, three of them covering his mouth while he chuckles, two of them grabbing his cheeks, and one holding on to the top of his head. There are two text bubbles saying “That’s how many of Urokodaki’s students I have eaten! I’ve decided to kill all of his students!” End Image Description.]

10/10

ooooh probably the first big fight against a demon in the series

oh yeah not doing the two random demons tanjirou one shot in a single blow bc eh

anyways hand demon’s pretty goddamn scary, considering the fact that this is the 5th demon or whatever tanjirou has had to face so far

very nice way to show us how much tanjirou’s innate intuition and all his other random abilities (sense of smell, hard forehead) can come together and help him decapitate this guy

i liked the mini history with urokodaki this dude had and why he had beef with our favorite mentor figure, it establishes that urokodaki was in fact a super good demon slayer and its cool to see that actually shown

i also liked that small moment of compassion tanjirou gave this demon, staying consistent with tanjirou’s established kindness

the demon’s sad tale with killing his own brother very much humanizes him when all the reader has seen up to this point is that this guy is a monster who eats people

sets up the theme of demons just being humans but being victims of circumstance that unfortunately doesn’t hold up as well in arcs past mugen train

VS SWAMP DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou fighting off three horned demons as they appear from below. There is a spiky text bubble saying “Three of them!!!” End Image Description.]

10/10

not my most favorite fight but it still portrays everything alright and im not allowed to let my personal opinions mess with the rating so

i like how tanjirou mentioned the fact that he trained in conditions similar to the bog and explains how he pulled off the whirlpool form

using past experiences to aid him in the present, nice nice

tanjirou and nezuko dont quite work together very well but its yknow the first mission so ill chalk it up to simple inexperience

also the way the muzan curse thingie was hinted at here? fantastic way of showing that little bit of demon worldbuilding

...

oh god, it mentions nezuko being stronger than normal demons

ok its not a problem here per say since i can still suspend my disbelief, but later on it just becomes a glaring problem that gets worse over time

VS SUSAMARU AND YAHABA

[Image Description: Manga panels of Susamaru and Yahaba. The first one is a joyful Susamaru about to throw a temari ball. There is floating text saying “Is she one of Kibutsuji’s minions?!” The second image is an annoyed Yahaba, holding one of his eye-hands to cover himself. There are two text bubbles around him saying “My kimono got all dusty. Tch!” End Image Description.]

9/10

why dont these bitches have a good looking panel together dammit

anyways amazing entrance, the way yahaba used his hand eyes to track down tanjirou is really neat

the synergy yahaba and susamaru have is incredible, its awesome dude, they work extremely well together and it shows

tanjirou actually mixing his water breathing forms together is a god tier move and i absolutely love how he can show off his ability to think on his feet once again

establishing how yushiro’s bda works early on is really well done

establishing tamayo as a fugitive this early on is also super well done

not to get into spoiler territory but both these things pay off

how tamayo ended up defeating susamaru is literally awesome in so many ways

shows off both how smart she is by exploiting the muzan curse

and speaking of the muzan curse, we actually get to see what happens to demons who even say his name, back when it was hinted with the swamp demon

tamayo is amazing dude, and we get some real evidence of the horrible suffering demons go through if they even accidentally attempt to betray muzan :D

...

now heres what keeps this fight from being perfect

nezuko somehow grew stronger against susamaru’s temari

with no explanation

which could have been easily explained if tamayo was like “oh yeah the drug also boosts a demon’s strength temporarily”

but nope

god, i just dont like how gotouge handles nezuko’s power boosts throughout the series bc like i said before

no explanation is given anywhere

this is a huge issue, this isnt a pokemon game, you cant just kill demons and get exp at the end of every battle, level up, get some sweet stat bonuses and move on

(actually if gotouge established that this is how nezuko grew in power, than all my complaints about this would be gone, im not even joking)

anyways i get that nezuko is supposed to be “special” but thats too vague of a descriptor

how the hell is she special? ya gotta be more specific and stick with that explanation or that suspension of disbelief is going to disappear

VS TONGUE DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of a four-eyed demon with horns and a long tongue. He is crawling in an awkward position, one foot in front of his tilted head. There are two text bubbles around him saying “Heh, heh! I’ll slurpy slurp your brains out through you ear!” End Image Description.]

10/10

not much to say, showcases zenitsu’s true abilities really well

nicely done

VS HORNED DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of a big, single-horned demon. There are three text bubbles saying “You dodged! You’re awfully lively for a human! It’ll be a treat to carve away your flesh!” End Image Description.]

10/10

would have ignored this fight if not for the fact we havent seen inosuke fight before

it definitely shows how very fast-paced and wild inosuke is

no complaints here lol

VS KYOGAI

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kyogai, a demon with tsuzumi drums attached to his shoulders. There are four text bubbles around him saying “Why?! Why does everyone keep sneaking through my house? It’s so aggravating. It’s my prey! It’s my prey! Found in my territory!” End Image Description.]

10/10

establishes marechi blood pretty early on, once again expanding the worldbuilding of kny which is always cool

interesting terrain where it’s always shifting, tanjirou once again proves his ability to adapt really quickly by altering one of his forms to work with the turning room

(man, i wish the form mixing/form modification thing carried on throughout the rest of the story, but it really didnt which is just a shame)

the injuries tanjirou had prior to this mission actually affecting him was a nice touch

oh yeah, kyogai gives us more worldbuilding (which is always nice) regarding the 12 kizuki, and the aspect of him being cast out due to being weak shows a lot about muzan’s indifference towards his own demons if they arent strong

his backstory being a failed writer once again humanizes kyogai as a former human being and not just a monster

tanjirou shows his sympathy and compassion again by not stepping on his written work and complimenting his bda

well, tbh tanjirou’s actions kinda came out of nowhere but its a very minor thing and not enough to dock a point off, like it didnt affect the outcome of the fight that much if at all

(so if you see future battles where points are docked off for things not logically making sense, its bc whatever nonsensical concepts were integrated into the fight actually turned the tide of the battle and thats a big no-no)

very good fight and if you remember how kinda bad tanjirou was at accurately slicing the swamp demon, you can see that he’s already improved leaps and bounds

im so proud of him

VS MOTHER SPIDER DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and the Mother Spider Demon. There is a light shining down from the top right on to the demon as Tanjirou slices her head off, rain following in his wake. There is floating text saying “Water Breathing: Fifth Form - Blessed Rain After the Drought!” around them. End Image Description.]

10/10

i mean does anyone disagree?

all the demon slayers getting their necks snapped by her threads was pretty horrific, probably more horrifying than anything else we have seen in the entire series if im gonna be honest

the death scene is probably the most beautiful one in the series

it reveals a water breathing form that we havent seen before thats the 5th form

as far as i know, no other breathing style has this merciful sword stroke so it shows a lot about the original water breather and what they might have been like

but enough about them, really the focus is on tanjirou bc this is like the best example by far of how kind and sympathetic he is to demons

dunno what else to say, its perfect

VS SON SPIDER DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of Agatsuma Zenitsu performing Thunder Breathing 1st Form: Sixfold on a spider-like demon. Zenitsu is crashing through the roof of a shed, and a zig-zag path is left behind. There are sound effects all over the panel, saying “Bam!” in large font. End Image Description.]

10/10

chose a picture without a huge spider on it bc i would like to not scare myself half to death

anyways extremely amazing fight, showcases zenitsu’s immense talent and skill, adapting the 1st form of thunder breathing to be a more versatile move

theres a moment where his backstory with kuwajima and kaigaku were revealed and his hidden insecurities are out in the open which is super nice and further develops a character weve only considered as comedic relief until now

the anime made the backstory scenes and the killing scene so much cooler

while there is no thematic connection between zenitsu and the demon, it really isnt necessary to keep this fight interesting

anyways another pretty much perfect fight

VS FATHER SPIDER DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and Inosuke slashing at the Father Spider Demon. The demon has blocked Tanjirou’s sword with his arm, and Inosuke is slamming both his blades down on the demon’s other hand. End Image Description.]

10/10

again, not my most favorite fight but it does everything right

i do have to say it was excellent how gotouge hyped up the father spider demon to be the big bad, only just so the plot twist later takes the readers by surprise

nicely done

VS DAUGHTER SPIDER DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kochou Shinobu and the Daughter Spider Demon. Shinobu’s back is seen and her haori looks like a butterfly’s wings keeping her afloat as she holds her stinger blade out to the side. The demon looks surprised as blood gushes from her side, arm, shoulder, chest, neck, and forehead. There is floating text on the panel, saying “Insect Breathing - Butterfly Dance - Caprice!” End Image Description.]

10/10

first time weve seen shinobu and her fighting style

what i love most about this is how much it shows her true character, appearing as a carefree and naive individual so she seems underwhelming

then bam, reveals exactly how dangerous and uncaring she is of demons, listing out the specific ways she would torture the daughter spider demon in grotesque detail

her using poison to take demons by surprise is also super clever and brings back the worldbuilding established way earlier about wisteria being poisonous to demons

amazing integration of that concept

anyways this fight really encapsulates who shinobu is as a character and thats why it gets a perfect score

VS RUI

[Image Description: Manga panel of Rui holding his hand out directly towards the viewer. There are two text bubbles around him, saying “Give me your sister. If you hand her over quietly, I’ll spare your life.” End Image Description.]

8/10

not only is it a super scary fight but there is a deeper conflict between rui and tanjirou, what it means to be family

they are opposites in the sense that while tanjirou believes love is what makes a family, rui’s subconscious desperation for an unbreakable bond drives him to use fear to keep his “family” together

excellent juxtaposition of their values, and this is only further emphasized when rui expresses out loud what he was going to do to nezuko

i also like the symbolism regarding rui’s bda, how he uses threads or the “familial” bonds to cut up his fake family with it if they act out of turn or annoy him

super neat detail

alright what i dont like about this fight is nezuko (again)

mostly her unlocking her bda to turn the tide of the battle bc her mom was like “yo, wake up, your brother is going to be killed”

feels... forced ig

her bda in general is confusing and not consistent

man, i wish i could make a stronger argument for this but i do believe the problem stems from the fact that we dont ever know what nezuko is thinking, and what she thinks of tanjirou specifically

if she even cares for him as a sibling or if shes only going along with what her family is saying to her, things like that which would have been fixed if gotouge actually gave her thoughts some screen time

so the action feels pretty shallow

im also conflicted over tanjirou somehow remembering how dance of the fire god works

on one hand, hes using past information and applying it in the current setting so he doesnt die, which is understandable

but on the other hand, this was a teeny bit random?

i think what could have fixed this is if there was a scene in the beginning of the series where tanjirou was performing it himself, like practicing before he actually had to do it for new years

so that when the rui fight rolls around, it would have felt less like throwing dry spaghetti at a wall

but yeah

overall super good fight, giyuu ending up having to kill rui instead of tanjirou was super good in that tanjirou didnt become a pillar this early in the series and to show how strong giyuu is

there are some odd bits regarding the ultimate “beheading” of rui using nezuko and tanjirous supposed bonds but it doesnt kill the fight entirely so it deserves its pretty high score

***under read more is manga-only fights so beware***

VS ENMU

[Image Description: Manga panel of Enmu holding his hand out directly at the viewer, with a mouth on the back of it. There is floating text to the top right of Enmu that says “Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis!” End Image Description.]

9/10

id say this fight is definitely overshadowed by the dream stuff prior to this but its pretty good in its own right

enmu fusing with the train was kinda confusing, like when was it established that demons could fuse with objects?

this worldbuilding element doesnt even appear again so yeah thats why it loses a point

how the kmbk gang end up defeating enmu is pretty sweet though, tanjirou using dance of the fire god to sever the neck bone was really nice and shows that him using the breathing style in the rui fight wasnt a one time thing

while kyojuro’s role was smaller in this part, the next part makes up for it so i cant complain

anyways ye, almost perfect score but its pretty good

VS AKAZA (MUGEN TRAIN)

[Image Description: Manga panel of Akaza holding his hand out to the viewer’s left. There is a text bubble saying “Why don’t you become a demon?” End Image Description.]

10/10

this encounter is literally amazing okay?

after the crew kills the big bad, it seems like everything is fine

but plot twist, upper moon 3 appears out of nowhere

this is the first time the reader has seen an upper moon, let alone the 3rd/4th strongest demon in existence and the way gotouge handled this twist is fucking amazing

kyojuro’s death scene really shows just how human even the strongest pillars are against demons with incredible power

its just

amazing

VS OBI DEMON

[Image Description: Manga panels of the obi-like demon. The first image shows the obi hung in the air and strung over each other like decorations, with women-shaped patterns in its folds. The second image is Hashibira Inosuke fighting the Obi demon which now has lips and eyes. There is floating text in that panel saying “Breath of the Beast: Sixth Fang - Jagged Gnaw!!” End Image Description.]

10/10

on to red light district

this fight is admittedly super forgettable and not very interesting at least compared to the main fight with daki and gyutaro

but it wraps up the sub plot of the women and uzui’s wives going missing so it gets a perfect score for not messing that up

oh and it establishes the stretchy neck thing daki has going on which is very good

VS DAKI AND GYUTARO

[Image Description: Manga panel of Daki and Gyutaro. Daki is sitting on Gyutaro’s shoulders. There is a text bubble on the top right that says “The two of us are one, after all.” as well as floating text that reads “The power of the irregular siblings...!? Next issue lead color and the fight reaches its climax!!” End Image Description.]

8/10

love how this battle challenges tanjirou’s sympathy and kindness towards demons, just simply bc daki and gyutaro are horrible people

(too bad nothing came of this, which ill explain in the hantengu portion)

daki and gyutaro are very good villains and kept this fight super interesting from start to finish

uzui acting as a foil to gyutaro is nicely integrated and properly shown with how jealous gyutaro gets over seeing uzui’s perfect form and stature

tanjirou not only mixes forms but mixes breathing styles as well, which is so fucking awesome

(too bad it was only used like once throughout the entire series, its quite unfortunate)

the super high tension right after inosuke gets stabbed and tanjirou wakes up was expertly portrayed and handled, it felt like the kmbk gang and uzui were actually going to lose

super awesome

the tanjirou and gyutaro parallels are expertly portrayed, with how gyutaro taunts tanjirou over failing to protect his little sister, and the more visual thing where tanjirou imagined his own neck underneath his blade, that was super duper nice

the ending is extremely tense and emotionally gripping, gotouge did a really good job with that artistically too

the demon mark acquisition scene was surprisingly not frustrating, considering that it wasnt really explained prior to the battle

i do think it has to do with how it was explained later just exactly how they worked so its not just some random thing gotouge pulled out of their ass

so pretty good

/

what i dont like is nezuko and her full power demon form

first of all where the fuck did that come from? she just got angry and suddenly shes as powerful as an upper moon

like

how?

that doesnt make sense???

her extremely quick regeneration makes no sense

her ability to manipulate her blood’s properties makes no sense

and it doesnt even appear again so what was the point of that existing

none of this is even explained later which annoys me

that one part where tanjirou sings a lullaby to her to calm her down was alright ig but nezuko in this fight makes me extremely irritated and frustrated

just ugh

VS HANTENGU

[Image Description: Manga panel of Hantengu opening a shoji door. He is crawling inside, his hand in a gnarled, unnatural position. There is a text bubble saying “Eeeeeeek.” End Image Description.]

1/10

swordsmith village

this fight can go fuck itself /j

no but seriously it has so many problems that it would be shorter to name its redeeming qualities (which ill do later)

first off, the nezuko full power form thing again

i hate it so much with a passion

again, where did her ability to regenerate instantly even come from???? this is never explained, ever

and why did she cut herself on tanjirou’s sword anyway

did she somehow know that it was going to turn red if she burned it?

gotouge what the fuck, there is literally no reason why nezuko would do that and we cant even read her mind to see her thought process

gotouge hates nezuko, i swear

/

remember when i said uzui is meant to be a foil to gyutaro in the rld fight? its pretty obvious that those two are opposites, it was nicely done

... what the hell does mitsuri’s insecurities about strength have to do with whatever the fuck hantengu has going on (which is basically nothing)?

so no meaningful connection between mitsuri and hantengu

theres no meaningful connection between tanjirou and hantengu other than tanjirou getting pissed off for like the second time

also tanjirou’s thing with being kind and sympathetic to demons was entirely dropped at this point

but instead of it leading up to a corruption arc of some sorts, it just doesnt

like honestly if something actually came of that anger he exhibited in this arc and from red light district from this point forward story-wise, i would have counted this as an amazing writing decision

but it literally doesnt so who cares

(god, i really start to hate what happened to his character after this )

and genya’s revealed motivation also doesnt fit at all with hantengu’s thing, he’s not a foil, not a parallel, nothing, there is nothing

/

tanjirou being the catharsis for development for mitsuri and muichirou, who he has only talked to like twice

theres definitely a better way to handle those two’s developments without his help

like gotouge, you have a big cast of characters, use them lol

/

i want to kick hantengu in the face for being boring as fuck (at least his clones have cool looking weapons)

doesnt even have a proper backstory, just a single spread of him being blamed for shit as a human

like... thats it? this is upper moon 4 what the hell

/

theres no clever form mixing here at all (regarding tanjirou) which probably would have helped with foreshadowing the 13th form for dance of the fire god/sun breathing better

also gotouge established that as tanjirou’s thing and now he doesnt do that stuff anymore which sucks

/

oh hey remember when tanjirou actually learned how to do zenitsu’s speed boost thing?

if you didnt, i dont blame you bc it literally doesnt appear again, ever

you could argue that he adapted it into his “waltz flash” technique or whatever the fuck that is but the way it was integrated into this fight was like throwing dry spaghetti at a wall

which is just a shame bc its meant to be representative of how tanjirou and zenitsu are good pals but the way it was utilized is forgettable as hell

/

i absolutely loathe the crimson blade concept as a whole and im mentioning this now bc its going to come into play why future instances where this goddamn thing comes up again causes points to be lost

its inconsistent as fuck ill tell you that

/

at least some yoriichi stuff appeared here and not shoved into the final battle with everything else

so the yoriichi stuff later didnt come out of absolute nowhere

genya and mitsuri’s unique fighting styles expand the kny worldbuilding just a little more which is always nice

tanjirou got a cool sword out of this which would have been cooler if him and yoriichi had a deeper connection that was actually explored

but we didnt get shit so whatever

other people getting demon marks being revealed here is also okay so that again, the final battle isnt filled with absolutely everyone getting their marks at once

demon marks have their own slew of problems but its not as bad as the fucking crimson sword shit

god i hate the crimson sword shit

...

dude this section needs a tldr, even i cant sit and read through my shit

TL;DR - this fight sucks and crimson swords are bullshit (more on this later)

VS GYOKKO

[Image Description: Manga panel of Tokitou Muichirou and Gyokko. Muichirou is looking to the left while Gyokko is looking to the right, both with their backs to each other. There are mist clouds billowing in the foreground and background, as well as a slash mark going across Gyokko’s neck. End Image Description.]

7/10

this fight suffers from the same lack of cohesive themes through characters like the hantengu battle bc the antagonist is given nothing

but its better

we havent actually seen mui fight before so theres no consistencies that the reader has to keep track of for now

and there arent like 10 characters in the fight so this fight gets a lot of points just for being a lot more coherent

i do like that this fight shows just how good mui is that he can defeat an upper moon by himself

mui’s backstory is neat

gyokko’s bda is very interesting too

... thats pretty much it lol

ye, anyways not the best fight but not the worst fight either

VS KAIGAKU

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kaigaku holding the hilt of his blade with one hand. There is two text bubbles around him, saying “...As usual, you’re still shabby. It’s been a while, Zenitsu.” End Image Description.]

9/10

alright on to final battle arc

theres some good fights and then some really sucky ones, but this one was pretty incredible and very emotionally charged

theres a clear reason why zenitsu and kaigaku are battling each other (kai betrayed the corps and inadvertantly caused the only parental figure in zenitsu’s life to die, and zenitsu is rightfully pissed off about that)

the visual yin-yang symbolism is awesome too

zenitsu winning due to using the 7th form he created himself (which i have reason to believe was inspired by tanjirou) was the perfect ending to the fight, really couldnt ask for anything better and is a perfect example of how much of an effect tanjirou has had on zenitsu

the 7th form is what tanjirou’s waltz flash should have been lol

/

what keeps this fight from being absolutely perfect is lack of development prior to this conflict

(since the final battle arc is basically a culmination of all the hinted developments through the series, im going to actually factor in how much and how well these conflicts were foreshadowed)

anyways if we had actually seen zenitsu, kaigaku, and kuwajima actually interacting with each other and showing how they were essentially a family (not just through flashbacks), it would have made zenitsu placing the responsibility of killing kai onto himself a lot more tragic

but like, apart from brief flashbacks where zenitsu actually met kaigaku off screen and that one thing all the way back in natagumo where both kuwajima and kai were introduced, thats pretty much it in terms of thunder family development

so yeah its underdeveloped for sure

also one random thought, i personally think zenitsu should have gotten his demon mark in this fight, it would have been cool to see

VS AKAZA (INFINITY FORTRESS)

[Image Description: Manga panel of Akaza’s face. There are two text bubbles around him, saying “Okay, let’s get started. It’s time for the feast.” There is also floating text saying “The inspection of the strong has begun...” as well as a simple box on the lower left, denoting its the end of chapter 147. End Image Description.]

6/10

oh god please dont hate me for this

ill list the good things first how about that

this conflict was foreshadowed perfectly in mugen train, you bet the readers were expecting a tanjirou vs akaza battle after the death of kyojuro and gotouge delivered

akaza’s power is shown extremely well with how many close calls tanjirou and giyuu had while fighting him

akaza eventually giving up on his own volition was really nice and fit into the context of the battle very very well, like sure tanjirou and giyuu wouldnt understand why he gave up but us readers do know

akaza is a really good character and a good villain

/

now notice how im only mentioning akaza and not giyuu or tanjirou in the good aspects

bc those two are eh

no form mixing at all from either tanjirou and giyuu

i know i said form mixing was kind of tanjirou’s thing but you’d think giyuu would have gotten more creative with his moves once akaza said that he was getting predictable

(well he said he “ran out of water breathing forms” but same thing)

so its kinda bland lol

speaking of giyuu, his whole thing with his insecurities of being weak wasnt handled well (it was sort of immediately brushed off in pillar training, and its unclear what part of his character arc he was in)

like sure him announcing that he’s going to protect tanjirou is cool but it feels like he was haphazardly dropped into the tanjirou and akaza conflict

isnt he supposed to be both their foils? that wasnt really explored that well in this fight and theres no deep meaning behind him even being here just analyzing what he did in it

he could have been handled better or even given more focus is what im saying

the anatta state came out of nowhere, im sorry okay? just bc inosuke like barely hinted at not being able to sense grandma hisa bc she had no fighting spirit and tanjurou magically taught his son how to achieve this state doesnt mean it was properly integrated into the fight

if the anatta state was actually explored prior to this battle, i would have given it a pass but it just feels like a cheap and poorly developed trick to get around akaza’s technique development (which is overpowered as fuck might i add)

gotouge should have just given akaza a plausible weakness to his technique development instead, especially since they dont use or even mention the anatta state after this

the transparent world shit makes no sense but ill elaborate on that in the koku battle analysis

oh and this thing doesnt affect the score but why wasnt there a “yoriichi visage overlapping” moment when tanjirou was fighting akaza? hes an upper moon, he should have gotten those visions but he didnt

for some reason

anyways this battle was alright and has good set up but the middle and end parts didnt hold up as well bc random concepts were thrown at us without prior explanation or development

VS DOUMA

[Image Description: Manga panel of Douma licking Shinobu’s butterfly pin. There are two text bubbles around him saying “Anyway, tonight is a good night. Such fine feasts keep showing up one after another.” End Image Description.]

9/10

damn, such an amazing fight

the build up to this was properly foreshadowed

shinobu finally showing her true anger after hiding it for so long is amazing

douma is a super interesting character and fantastic villain

shinobu showing off her true power and determination against douma was sooooo nice

shinobu’s poisonous body plan is so clever and so interesting

if i was to rate the shinobu part of the fight alone, it would have gotten a 10/10 no question

the reason why its knocked down a point is because of the kanao and inosuke part

dont get me wrong, the way kanao is able to hold her own against douma by herself is pretty cool, how shes meant to parallel douma with their similar struggles surrounding human emotions and demonstrate how she has grown as a person, how she regains the ability to cry

that shit is cool, inosuke also getting in touch with his emotions after learning what happened to his mom was super neat as well

however

bc this battle takes place in the final arc with everything else, there wasnt proper build up regarding many things, the kotoha reveal especially

so inosuke feels kinda forced into the kanao shinobu and douma conflict, similar to how giyuu felt forced into the tanjirou and akaza conflict

its quite unfortunate bc if the kotoha stuff was actually explored prior to the confrontation, this “forced” feeling would have disappeared

i know some people have suggested that the douma fight should have just been its own arc, and i very much agree, it would have certainly helped fix this problem regarding inosuke and kotoha

last random thought, i wish shinobu, kanao, and inosuke got their demon marks

VS KOKUSHIBOU

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kokushibou looking directly at the viewer, holding the hilt of his blade as if he’s going to pull it out. There are text boxes around him saying “This... is Upper Moon One... He’s so different compared to the other Upper Moons. He looks so dignified and majestic.” The text boxes are narrated by Tokitou Muichirou. End Image Description.]

5/10

this fight is... mediocre

at least theres a more tangible connection between muichirou and kokushibou

even though that was handled kinda poorly

tbh there really was no point to revealing that mui is koku’s descendant like at all, it just had no significant bearing to the plot of the fight

sanemi’s backstory being here is... okay ig?

idk the whole shinazugawa conflict has fundamental problems that i just cant think of any other place to put it without changing the entirety of canon

the marechi blood concept coming back was nice though

genya is there

him getting his bda was cool and helped turn the tide of the battle in a satisfying way (before kicking the bucket but thats not the focus here)

gyomei is a hollow husk of a character who barely got anything at all

but his fighting style is extremely cool and conveys his immense power very well

oh and him and sanemi are amazing at working together, like better than giyuu and tanjirou, and better than kanao and inosuke

theyre that good yet pretty much nobody acknowledges it which is sad

koku himself is pretty interesting and pretty tragic, very nice villain

but everyone together?

gonna be honest but this is such a random collection of characters, there was basically no foreshadowing that these four were going to go up again kokushibou, they are not that connected very well

i know there was this one post that focused on the theme of family that was common in all 5 characters in the fight but its just not enough

it would have been more cohesive if gotouge emphasized gyomei, mui, sanemi, and genya being like different aspects of yoriichi coming together to kill kokushibou hundreds of years after yoriichi failed to kill him

lmao its not like the 4 of them defeated koku with the power of family or friendship, they just smacked him over and over with a flail, shot him with magical bullets, and stabbed a crimson sword into his abdomen

wouldnt have been too hard to switch over to koku’s pov and go “damn these bitches are like my stupid brother”

...

speaking of crimson swords

i fucking hate the crimson sword concept oh my god can i complain about it now? im gonna complain about it now

unlike demon marks, the crimson blades werent even given any proper conditions, you just hold the stupid thing hard enough and it somehow imbues it with magical properties with no logic behind those properties

what part of crimson swords completely destroys a demon’s body in an instant? even muzan didnt go through that process when he was almost killed by yoriichi so where in the goddamn fuck did it come from

it could be explained bc the sword was left in the same spot for a long time but this tactic doesnt even appear again in a meaningful way (didnt kill muzan when tanjirou and giyuu held the sword together) so what the fuck was the point of having this even exist

its so underdeveloped and confusing and i hate it

the transparent world stuff is also confusing as shit and its pretty much never explained how they work aside from the vague “close your mind” advice, like why did it exist, it did nothing to help the present day demon slayers

its just so... poorly integrated

yeah anyways this is around the same rating as the akaza fight but a little worse bc there wasnt that strong set up beforehand

VS KOKUSHIBOU (SENGOKU ERA)

[Image Description: Manga panel of a bag getting ripped open, pieces of a wooden flute tumbling out. End Image Description.]

10/10

easily 10/10

this fight shows the tragedy of kokushibou giving in to his envy and hatred, when yoriichi cries over seeing his own family commit terrible attrocities against the people he wanted to protect

and yoriichi dies, now carrying the fact that he couldnt even save his own brother from the influence of muzan on his conscious forever

what a sad ending for yoriichi

and after koku angrily slashes apart yoriichi’s corpse, having him find and keep the flute he gave to him when they were kids to the present day gives him a small shred of humanity in the midst of his monstrous anger

VS NAKIME

[Image Description: Manga panels of Nakime. The first one shows a low quality version of her playing her biwa. The second one is a close up of her eye. There are spiky text bubbles saying “It’s Upper Rank... 4!” End Image Description.]

0/10

no nakime backstory

not even a goddamn fight

forgettable

useless

VS MUZAN

[Image Description: Manga panel of Kibutsuji Muzan in his white-haired, mouth-covered form. There are text bubbles around him saying “Not a single one was of use to me. I will crush the demon hunters tonight. I’ll massacre them all right now.” End Image Description.]

1/10

._.

i have many complaints but ill try my best to not make this another hantengu rant section lol

first off, obanai deserved better

im serious, this poor dude was forgotten until pretty much the end when we finally get a backstory out of him

and then he died

what a waste of a potentially amazing character

mitsuri getting taken out early was ehhh

pretty sure someone else made a post about her supposedly being extremely strong but she was nerfed in this battle which i agree with

literally none of the pillars work together very well, like remember how i praised sanemi and gyomei for being super coordinated? lmao that doesnt exist anymore

you could say this is caused by desperation though and you wouldnt be wrong, its just boring to sit through

that causes issues bc this now basically requires the crimson sword and transparent world concepts to be there to spice things up

but in this fight, they do nothing in the long run (except for tanjirou using the crimson sword at the very very end)

youve already heard me talk about why those two things are super shittily integrated and i cant be bothered repeating myself so moving on

kanao, inosuke, and zenitsu

they... exist? they didnt do much tbh, which i guess is the point but like, now its boring again

nezuko could have been used as a potential way to raise the stakes and make things interesting again (like “ah shit, muzan might actually be unkillable if he gets nezuko but its okay bc shes not here- oh fuck shes here this is not good”)

but nothing came of her running off except confirmation that she became human again so whatever

uzui and shinjuro are useless, why werent they at the fight?

like they could have followed nezuko and contributed to the battle even a little but they just didnt and now theres literally no point to them appearing in this arc at all

wasted potential

tanjirou

i wish him going absolutely apeshit had actual substance behind it, like it being a part of his character arc or something

i remember having this one theory that he had a corruption arc (due to dropping his kindness thing towards demons) and i wanted this to be true so badly

but it doesnt exist

not with how the series ended

god

the only thing that saves this fight from being complete trash is tamayo’s poison thing being amazingly executed

and the part where everyone got blasted away, losing limbs and shit, that made things a little more interesting again

but thats it

VS MUZAN (SENGOKU ERA)

[Image Description: Manga panels of Kibutsuji Muzan, Tamayo, and Tsugikuni Yoriichi. The first one has Muzan and Tamayo, while the second one has Yoriichi pulling out his sword. There are text boxes saying “And the moment I met him, I understood that I was born into this world to defeat this man.” End Image Description.]

9/10

finally something good again

while short, that’s just the nature of all of yoriichi’s battles with demons

anyways pretty nice, theres a clear reason why this battle exists (shows the scenario that made the original breather get super close to defeating muzan in detail)

adding tamayo here was a nice touch

my only complaint is that it seemed extremely coincidental that yoriichi somehow developed a breathing style specifically countering muzan’s multiple organs without even knowing prior that he had all those brains and hearts floating around freely in his body

like thats kind of ridiculous, even for yoriichi whos supposed to be “blessed by the gods”

could just be me though

VS TANJIROU

[Image Description: Manga panels of Kamado Tanjirou in his demon form. The first image has his eyes closed. The second image has his eyes opened and the tumor on his face almost completely faded. There are text boxes around him saying “You will destroy the demon hunters in my stead.” End Image Description.]

1/10

hoo boy

ok first off, demon tanjirou lasted for 2 chapters

thats it

2 chapters

so thats already a problem

i am aware its meant to parallel the beginning of the series but also its ridiculous how completely vague and rushed this entire thing was

nezuko doesnt do shit through not just this battle but this entire arc which i already explained so not gonna go into it further

kanao magically having a demon cure on her made very little sense

the scene where tanjirou leaves muzan in purgatory is pretty but if you look at it in the context of everything else, its ambiguous and confusing

(if someone could explain it and see how it connects to the original theme of “demons just being victims of circumstance,” i would love to hear it)

/

actually you know what makes me so mad about this “fight” as a whole? there was so much potential to do more with this concept

and im not talking about him escaping and nezuko becoming a demon slayer roleswap au (even though its a pretty cool concept)

him becoming a demon could have been a metaphor for his lost kindness and sympathy towards demons halfway through the series

it could have been a punishment for letting his anger towards muzan cloud his judgement

it could have symbolized literally anything about him losing his humanity as he got stronger

but those three things are just scenarios from my head, they dont exist in this series just based off of what weve seen from these two chapters

its disappointing

the only thing keeping this from getting a 0 is the one part where inosuke couldnt chop off tanjirou’s head bc he cared about him too much

that at least shows inosuke had grown as a character

everything else is just meaningless and convoluted garbage and “convoluted” is not what you should be aiming for if this is supposed to be the ending of your series

IN SUMMARY

early kny is very good, later kny is questionable and the ending is just a mess of wasted potential and disappointment

i get why gotouge had to have the transparent world ability, crimson blade ability, and the demon marks appear before they all appeared on yoriichi but theyre all just so underdeveloped and terribly handled in the battles they are used, it makes me want to kick a wall

like lmao, i could literally think of so many ways they could have been properly integrated, hell, im even writing a whole goddamn rewrite using my ideas for these three things (link to that is in my pinned)

just, god

if you want to debate over these ratings, my ask box is open ig? idk

[your-daily-dose-of-fandoms]

i know you just wrote that sanemi one for me and it was super stressfull for you but your writing is amazing! i hope its not a problem for me to request again but can you do something where he has a crush on an oblivious reader? im always a sucker for the fluff leading up to a relationship.

Oh god I'm sucker for fluff too, so I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!! (Seriously, I was giggling through the entire time like a little girl xd) 🌪🌌

Sanemi x Oblivious! Reader

Gosh, you were so annoying.

No matter where did Sanemi go, he was always seeing your face or hearing your name, whispered like a spell from between others' lips. He felt trapped, like he had no escape from you. He hated your stupid pretty face, annoying bright laugh, oblivious personality and gosh he hated the way you made him feel. That's what he hated the most. He could list on all the things he hated about you, but that would take a whole day, or even more.

And even now, he was thinking about you. Whether it was a day or night, in his mind or in public, you seemed to find a way to pop into his life like out of nowhere. It felt like the world was revolving around you, and it probably was, as your bright smile would attract probably every goddamn male in the 5-mile radius, like herd of wasps battling for a flower. And even then, you were so oblivious about it. He hated that you didn't know what that stupid smile did to him, he absolutely hated it. At first, he was sure that you were doing it on purpose, trying to break his emotional walls to let you in like many other girls have tried before, that there must be some kind of michievous mastermind behind all this, but after a while of observing, he came to the horrendous outcome. You had no idea what you were doing to him.

Sanemi had never been the one to be interested in relationships, he didn't want to let something as stupid as love to cloud his mind. But now he had fallen so deep into it, that even seeing your irritatingly beautiful face made his heart skip a beat, made him lose his sense of time and any bit of common sense he had left. He felt so weak, but at the same time, you made him feel so good. At first your compliments were just hollow words to him, meaningless, he had absolutely no interest in them, but when he realized how you were not scared of him, how you still talked to him like normal, kept complimenting and supporting him even after seeing him on his worst, it gave butterflies in his stomach.

At first they were just words, but then they got a meaning.

You started with compliments, it escalated to watching him train daily, and ended up you being Sanemi's first ever crush. He started to be more relaxed around you, he would let his guard down, even though he didn't let it show. Of course, you hadn't known him long enough to notice it, but his insults weren't as harsh as before, and his hits were not as hard on you than everyone else. Of course you wouldn't notice it, but the other pillars sure did.

He kept silent about it, his heart breaking a little every time you talked to other guys, totally oblivious to their flirting tone. But he was too stubborn to make a move, ready to watch you to slip away from his reach and start a life with someone else who would treat you better. And he kept his mind, until this day.

"Oyakata-sama wants you to go on a mission with (Y/N)", Rengoku spoke to Sanemi, as he was sharpening his blade. Sanemi stopped his hands, and turned his head to look up at Rengoku with a furrow on his face.

"Like hell I would", Sanemi said, returning back to his nichirin blade, nodding at it, being satisfied with the outcome. He sheathed it in the saya, resting on his waist. He stood up, crossing his arms over his scarred chest, and turned to look at the flame pillar without blinking an eye. He was clenching his jaw, observing the flame pillar's face for any signs of him just trying to make fun of him.

"It's not a request. It's an order", Rengoku told, still the unnerving smile never leaving his face. There was a glint in his eyes, and Sanemi closed his fist, resisting the urge of hitting that smile off from his face. He was about to insist on talking to Ubuyashiki by himself, but at that moment, a familiar small figure jumped off from behind the flame pillar. Your (h/c) locks swaying in the wind, as you sent him a wide closed-eyes smile.

"Oyakata-sama, said it's urgent! He gave me the directions!" You exclaimed, and gave Sanemi a friendly wink. What you didn't know, that his heart was racing in his chest, wanting to get out of the cage he had set up for himself, as he unclenched his fists, and ran a hand through his white hair.

"Okay, fuck it, let's go on this mission or whatever" He started flicking your forehead with his index finger.

"But we better be back by morning", He continued, grunting as he saw from the corners of his eyes that Rengoku was grinning widely at the interaction of you two. You giggled, and to Sanemi's surprise, you flicked his forehead back.

"Gosh Sanemi, quit with that stubborness, you remind me of my little brother!" You announced. And ouch. That hit his heart. He could hear Rengoku stifle a laugh. He furrowed his eyebrows and humphed, turning around. Without noticing, he brushed the spot on his forehead your fingers had touched.

"Whatever, let's go", He muttered under his breath and started to walk away, without waiting for your answer. He could hear you giggle, bidding your farewell to Rengoku, as he was wishing a good mission for you two. Sanemi could swear that he heard a little bit of michief in his tone of voice as he let out his goodbyes. He could only grunt under his breath, waiting for you to catch up on him, as he had no idea where you two had been even sent to. He was just praying that this mission would end soon, so he could get the irritating image of you out of his head for good.

As you finally caught up with him, you skipped happily alongside him, while talking about whatever came up into your mind. Sanemi bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the nasty remarks he could come up with in his mind. He wanted nothing more than you to shut up and never talk again, but at the same time he could listen to you talk away with no worries for the rest of the day. He was furious.

As you finally made it to the place Ubuyashiki had ordered you to keep a guard at, he gave it a look. It was by a peaceful pond, cherry blossom trees around it almost giving it a magical aura. It was like its own world, and now the two of you were part of it.

The dusk had already started to settle in, and you turned to look at Sanemi with a smile.

"Oyakata-sama told us to keep a watch here for the night", You told, as your eyes ran around the place, excited glint in them. Your eyes reminded him of galaxy, like there was a whole little universe living inside them, as you vividly twirled around, continuing your speech:

"Apparently there has been demon sightings lately, and we wouldn't want them to get near our headquarters, right?" You continued, and all Sanemi could think was to repeat a curse word after curse word in his mind, watching the wind take up on your hair, as the last rays of sun were almost shining from your eyes. He forced himself to turn around.

"Like the fuck there's been any sightings. Those bastards just wanted to get rid of us", He said, his sharp words cutting the air and ruining the mood. He just couldn't take it how oblivious you were. To everyone and everything. Especially to him. He started to walk away.

"Oi! Where are you going?!" You called after him, reaching your hand towards his extending back, as the stubborn man didn't turn around, not wanting you to see the blush across his face.

"Well what do you think? I'm getting some firewood, you dumbass. We're spending the night here after all", He told, his voice ringing in the air, and with that, he was gone. You sighed and sat on an old wooden trunk, gazing at the spot he just moments ago was standing at. He was so stubborn.

*

When Sanemi came back, now calmed down, firewood in his arms, he didn't see you anywhere. He raised his eyebrow, letting the firewood fall next to the yet to be light up campfire, as he carefully stepped forwards, unsheathing his sword. Instead of finding your dead body and demon eating it, as he had feared, he saw your clothes folded up in a neat pile on a big rock, laying next to a cherry blossom tree. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, as he slowly made his way towards the pile. He continued taking his steady steps, up until he heard your scream. But this scream wasn't one of a horror, it was more like a childish, happy go lucky one. He ran to where the scream was from, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw what you were doing.

The moon light was illuminating on your face, making it seem like the small pearls of water were shining on your skin, bringing out your beautiful features. There you were, giggling like a maniac, as you dove deep into the pond, with only your undergarments on. You seemed to have no shame, as you came up to the surface and broke the tension, your wet hair flying over your head, with a pretty little pearl in your delicate hands. Sanemi had frozen in his place, and it was like he woke up from a trance when you called out at him.

"Sanemi! Look what i found!!" You shouted, raising the small pearl in your hands, as the moon light shone on its surface. You laughed that stupid laugh of yours, that made his heart skip a beat. Did you seriously have no idea what you were doing to him?!

"Come here to swim! The water is warm!" You shouted and dove once again under the surface as if to prove your statement. Sanemi was shaking, and before he knew it, he started to walk towards you, not caring to take off his clothes. He didn't say a thing, as he started to quicken up his pace, and soon he was in the water too, right next to you as you came up in the surface to take some oxygen.

"Sanemi yo-", before you could even finish your sentence, a pair lips was strongly pressed against yours. You froze, but soon melted into the kiss, as the man in front of you moved his lips against yours with such a force, and skill and lust, that you were taken from your feet. A hand grabbed your upper-tight, as the other one pressed you against his bare chest. You ran your hands in his hair, as he playfully then bit your lower lip, ending the kiss. You were left gasping for air, as none of your toughts made any sense anymore.

Sanemi looked at you with hungry eyes, a ghost of smile on his face, as he then bent down to whisper you a simple sentence that you would never forget:

"You have no idea how crazy you've been making me"

~~Meanwhile At The HQ~~

"Master" Rengoku spoke to Oyakata-sama, standing in the line of pillars.

"We made it. Sanemi finally confessed, the mission was a success" He told, whilst everyone could hear Mitsuri squeal in delight. Oyakata-sama, nodded, satisfied with the answer. After countless of attemps, they had managed to succeed.

"Good, finally"

[destielstuffandthings]

For @to-ship-or-not #15- Shouldn’t you be with him? Destiel angst and with a happy ending

“It’s not that easy, man. You don’t get it,” Dean grunted. He hacked his way through the bushes with his machete, ducking out of the way as a branch whipped over his head. “It’s complicated.”

“More complicated then gettin’ our asses handed to us every day ‘n night?” Benny reached up and snapped the branch off and tossed it to the side. “Come on cher, fess up. You got it bad for the angel.” He held his hand up in defense as Dean turned to glare at him. “It’s obvious, Dean. You ain’t exactly subtle. Goin’ ‘round here yellin’ at anyone who’ll listen ‘Where’s the angel?’ and choppin’ their heads off when you don’t get the answer ya want? Look, I get it. Killin’ is necessary down here but, buddy, you’re goin’ straight up feral lookin’ for the guy.”

Dean balked. Not even Sam was ever this blunt about whatever was going on between him and Cas. He shook his head and whipped his machete into the dirt next to his feet.

“You don’t get it, man. I owe Cas everything. He pulled me outta hell.”

“I get that brother. Been in a tough spot with a few good men before. I owed ‘em my life.”

“No, Benny. Literal hell.” Dean squatted down and balanced on the balls of his feet, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I was torturing souls when Cas came down into the pit and yanked my sorry ass out.” Dean closed his eyes and sighed.

“Well, shit, cher. I didn’t know nothin’ about that.” Benny sat up against a tree trunk next to Dean and let out a groan. “Hell,” he huffed. “Can’t even imagine what that was like.”

Dean sighed. “It was better than here. Didn’t know Cas back then so I didn’t have to worry about the asshole gettin’ hurt. But now, he’s out there somewhere and I can’t find him.” He ran his hand down his face and over his mouth, looking off into the woods. “If he’s hurt---”

“I’m sure he’s alright, Dean. Guy’s an angel after all. He knows how ta take care’a himself.” Benny patted his friend roughly on the shoulder. “Does he know?

“Know what?”

“That you’re in love with him,” Benny said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Dean huffed and shook his head. “Yeah,” he stood and rolled his shoulders, “pretty sure he does. Been goin’ at this for ten years.”

Benny’s eyes widened as he stood. “Ten fuckin’ years? The hell is wrong with---” Benny scoffed, “Shouldn’t you be with him by now?”

Dean nodded. “Probably. If I ever find him and get outta this place, I’m gonna tell him. No more hidin’.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~One Month Later~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Fuck,” the demon screamed, it’s voice echoing throughout the canyon. “I told you I don’t know! God, p-please!! Stop!”

Dean’s eyes were bloodshot and his face was spattered with blood. He pressed his knife harder against it’s throat. “Why the fuck don’t I believe you? Your pal over there,” he tilted his head to the other side of the river towards a demon Benny had just finished sucking it dry, “said you two were trackin’ him. Tell me where you saw him last an’ I’ll let you go, s’long as you don’t try anything stupid.” His eyes narrowed as he sliced the demon just enough to let a drop of blood trickle out.

The demon shook underneath him, searching Dean’s eyes for any sign of lying.

“Ok,” it breathed in relief, nodding it’s head. “We saw him up river just a few hours ago. We were headed that way when---,” it looked over to see Benny wiping his mouth, stalking towards them. “He can’t be far. He’s weak, he didn’t even care that we were following him. He looked like---like he wanted to get caugh---”

His last words were cut off by Dean plunging the knife into it’s throat. It gargled and spasmed until Dean felt it take it’s last breath.

He stood and wiped the blade clean on his pants, never taking his eyes off the demon.

Benny walked up behind Dean and looked over the mans shoulder. “Anything?”

“Yeah. He knew where Cas was. Up river a few hours. Let’s go.” Mechanically, Dean turned and headed north. Benny sighed and followed close behind.

They hacked and slaughtered their way through the woods until they came to a clearing. The water pooled into a small pond that was surrounded with brush and vines. The small makeshift beach was littered with body parts and used weapons, blood soaked into the dirt turning it an eerie shade of red. In the middle of the chaos stood Castiel, breathing hard and staring at the carnage around him.

Dean’s breath caught in his throat as he laid eyes on him for the first time in months. He dropped his weapon and started running towards the battered angel.

“Cas,” Dean called out, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

The angel raised his hand to his forehead, squinting to block out the sun.

“Dean?”

Dean slowed down a fraction before running into the angel, wrapping his arms around his solid frame.

“Fuck, Cas I never thought I’d see you again,” Dean whispered, nuzzling his face into the angels shoulder.

Castiel wrapped an arm around Dean and held his weapon tight with his other hand. “Dean,” he brushed his lips across the mans ear and squeezed him tightly, “don’t move. You were followed.”

Before Dean had a chance to speak, Cas moved Dean behind him with a sweep of his arm. He held his angel blade chest high and pointed it at the person in front of him. “Leave. Or you can join your brothers fate,” he growled, gesturing to the bodies strewn on the ground.

Benny laughed and raised his hands. “I’m guessin’ you’re Cas?”

Castiel felt Dean grab his forearm. “Cas, this is Benny. He helped me get to you.”

The angels arm fell to his side as he frowned. “My apologies. I’m used to---”

“Killin’ anything that gets within spittin’ distance?” Benny huffed and smiled.

“Yes,” Castiel said bluntly. He turned to Dean and looked him over, noticing a gash on his side. “You’re hurt.” He reached out yo inspect it before Dean smirked and batted Cas’ hand away.

“M’fine. Just glad we finally got to you, Cas. I missed you. I thought---”

Castiel glanced at Benny before returning his focus to Dean. “I also thought the worst. It seems as though your new friend kept you alive, for which I am grateful,” he said in Benny’s direction without taking his eyes off Dean.

“I’ll uh...I gotta---,” Benny pointed to a hedge of trees in the distance, “I’m just gonna go over there and---yeah.” He awkwardly made his way out of earshot and settled against a tree, closing his eyes as he smirked.

“I don’t like him,” Castiel scowled, staring off into the trees.

Dean scoffed. “You don’t even know the guy, Cas. I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for him.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Now or never he thought. “He uh, probably glad to get some peace and quiet now. I kind wouldn’t stop talkin’ about you.”

Castiel nodded. “Yes, I suppose it did take some time for us to be reunited. I assume he knows what I am?”

“Yeah, yeah he knows. But that’s not what I’m talkin’ about, Cas.” Dean moved his head so it was in Cas’ line of sight. He locked eyes with the angel for the first time in months. “I told ‘im how much you meant to me, and that I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you. Told him---,” He sighed and twisted his fingers into Cas’ sleeve, “I told him how much I love you.”

Castiels eyes widened. He looked at the man in front of him, watching the blush grow heavily on his cheeks and ears. He reached out and rested his palm against Deans cheek, sweeping his thumb over the thick hair on it and sighed.

“If I had known that getting lost in Purgatory was the answer to you finally saying that, I would’ve----”

Dean pulled Castiel in flush against his chest. They were both still covered in blood and dirt and God knows what else, but nothing had ever been more perfect than when their lips finally touched.

It was a soft, careful kiss. No rush or urgency behind it. Testing the waters, Dean held the back of Cas’ neck and brushed his tongue across the angels bottom lip.

Castiel sighed into the kiss. With a roll of his jaw, Dean opened willingly and took what Cas gave him. They held each other close as before pulling away for air.

In the distance, they heard a deep chuckle and a twigs snapping as Benny wandered off into the woods, leaving them to get properly reunited.

[thelordstears]

If writing were breath, I imagine my lungs would implode

“ If you surround yourself in love you're bound to go great places, and though my life has been one of rich soils and silver platters I have found that a life of rich hatred is no life at all. Real royalty is found in the heart not the crown nor jewels.” - Katerine Von Roy

“ We're sparkling stars in a vast eternity of pitch black shadow shining even though the world wants our lights to go dim and our candles to be snuffed by dark waters.” - Katerine Von Roy

"The ashes of ones soul is often created in the fire of another's hatred, the fire of another more often than not will burn another to ash if not contained. I have found you have to control the fire raging inside of you, or everyone around you will suffer the consequences of you striking a match to feel the flame.” - Asbury Hobkins

“ I don't understand why we have to pick up our guns and fight, but our lives are on the line, and when peace isn't an option, bask in chaos to make peace the only damn option available.” - Asbury Hobkins

 "If dreams are the very foundation on which we stand then tell me why it is nightmares rule over this land. Light can not prevail without darkness, shadows can't exist without the sun, dreams can't soar without nightmare so tell me why you ignore the foundation of dreams?” - Algonul

“ I will destroy faith and hope with my existence alone.” - Algonul

“ I have dipped my fingers in a river of blood, and just because the man I drowned hurt me so, it gave me no reason to bury him with my pain. But I didn't bury my pain, it only rose from it's coffin and burst from my chest.” - Valarie Forbes

“ If you fear for your life, it's often you'll take another to regain your sense of safety.” - Valarie Forbes

“ I am a beast shackled by nuthin' more than my fucking rage. It beats inside my chest day after day, month after month, year after year, it is an ugly beast, but when did I ever say I was anything but a god damn monstrosity?” - Bernard

“ You wanna be a hero? Kill yourself and spare yourself of the pain I'll inflict ya. The only thing you can change, is how you fucking die." - Bernard

“ I'm in no ways a good man nor am I rich in heart all the money in the world couldn't save me from the sins at my back.” - Sam Dellwotfire

“ "Of all the bullet wounds I've inflicted the ones I shot into my heart are the most painful. I have learned peace is simply an intermission, it's between chaos and sorrow, and I imagine this pocket of peace will never last.” - Novella Delemonte 

“ "Bravery ain't not bein' scared, bravery is bein' frightened down ta your very core, feelin' that fear in your bones, and doin' the right damn thing despite the cold shiver of fear runnin' up your spine. I have found that despite the fear in my old heart, I'm runnin' inta the battlefield regardless.” - Walter Hemmington

“ Life is a battlefield, it's a good thing I'm a damn soldier.” - Walter Hemmington

"The weight of a thousand moons weight down on my heart, but I've found a single sun, can make that weight as light as a feather. Emma is my only guiding light, the singular star in the night sky, the sun on a cloudy day, and somehow I've found warmth when all I ever was, was cold.” - Jen Dallinvritz

“ The world tries to keep me down, but I just fly higher, the sun may be in view, but a flame can't burn fire.” - Jen Dallinvritz

“ The pain I feel is nothing compared to the peace I've found.” - Jen Dallinvritz

“ I've been basked in horrors, covered in shadows and told ta be a monster because it's what orcs do. But just because it's what we were made ta be, don't mean we can't re-write our definition.” - Ashgarn

“ You can call me a monster for my heritage, but if you look a lil deeper you'll find that I'm not like other orcs. I'm just an orc in a human's world.” - Ashgarn

“ I have claws meant only for beasts, but you need not be covered in fur and own claws to be a beast. Most of the beasts I've slain are mortals draped in the fur of a wolf. I will gladly graze on the grass of their hunting grounds to be the wolf in sheep's clothing that puts them down once and for all.” - Vivian Swain

“ I shalt redeem us in our final hour, bathe in the darkness only to drown the monsters around me. I'm the last thing you'll see, in the blink of an eye your life will flash before your eyes, and it's final moments will flash before mine as you've seen so many times with the innocent blood you've spilt.” - Vivian Swain

“ To get acceptance I've found you have to go through the struggle of accepting who you are. There'll be nights you can't find any shred of light, nights you scream into your pillow and bat your fists against the wall in frustration. But it's worth it in the end, it is. If you can call yourself beautifully you, than you've succeeded in life.” - Martha Vendowister

“ If you're different, welcome to the club, here we accept everyone no matter what gender they are, no matter who they love or the battle they fight. You can fight depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and if you've won that battle, you're strong as fuck, don't let anyone tell you ya aren't. Because you wake up tired just to fight the same demons that left you tired the night before, and that, is true bravery.” - Martha Vendowister

“ I find that life is worth it despite the scars in my heart, just because my heart aches doesn't mean it's not whole. Just because my mind is scarred, doesn't mean it can't bring me tranquility.” - Octavia Blackroad

"I'm curling back from the recoil of damage done and shots fired into the anomaly of my own heart. It's as vast as the oceans, and I drown in it's depths more often that not. I'm a mystery to even myself, I can't figure out the emotions in my own heart, and I fear I'll be gone and forgotten before the sun rises on the horizon.” - Stefania Saines

“ "You could live your whole life in a cage without once realizing it, or you could find the door was open all along if you just believed in yourself. The only cage you're in is one of doubt, if you doubt everything you can be, there's no key to the cell you've locked yourself in except for belief.” - Avirine Winning

“ You can't make a perception of me reality when it's just a deluded fantasy of your mind.” - Avirine Winning

“ How is it that I've dipped my fingers in the ashes of my family tree and all I find is old rotted bark and a hollow trunk? I find the flame of corruption and sin tore the dying tree asunder, rotted the families history in the most sinful of deeds.” - Merida Calico 

“ I've been in the trenches my whole life, but never was I the one hiding, always was I the one pulling the damn trigger.” - Merida Calico 

“ I've slaughtered innocent men and women, my lips taste of death and a desire to be loved.” - Merida Calico

“ I've been fightin' all my life, ain't no peace ever found in world war me, but I've found as long as I hold my head high, and soldier on, I'll breakout of the heart of darkness and find the light I seek.” - Alec Crabill

“ I've been through every fight imaginable, fought drug lord's in Bangladesh, rescued women and children from odds you don't wanna face unless you got a damn death wish. But here I am, beckoned by death yet bathed in life.” - Alec Crabill

“ I've been faced with many battles, the loss of my mother, ones fought with words and gunshot lullabies and serenades of violence and bloodshed. But here I am, singing a melody of love despite the hatred drowning out everything else.” - Jade Falls

“ I look into his eyes, I see pain, I see love and I see the world. He's everything I've ever wished to have, and here he is, loving me deeper than the ocean.” - Jade Falls

“ I once believed my parents house was a cell with no key, and yet my sister Emily, and her wonderful wife Lacey didn't need no key. They blasted a hole through the walls and broke me the fuck out.” - Alice Everest

“ The world ain't gone cold, we've just forgotten how to start a damn flame and ignite a spark. So live damn it, live." - Alice Everest

“ "I have been so consumed by shadow I imagine I've grown an appetite for it. I have found in the coldest of nights, I dance upon star dust and twirl through the ashes of planets I once called home.” - Night Sparrows

“ All I have are bad thoughts soaked in bad intentions. I often wonder how it is I ever survived when my mind wishes me to die. I fight, I scratch, I tear. And yet still I find only shadows.” - Night Sparrows

“ I dance in the blood of myself and bleed dry the girl I was.” - Violincia Bloodwort

"Here I am, choking on the numbness I feel, singing gunshot lullabies and serenades of nothingness. I in of myself, am a vacancy of everything my mother thought I'd be.” - Varkos Shevelwix 

“ I'm not quite righteous, not quite cruel I'm the grey area in-between. Somedays I'm colder than ice, others I wish naught to harm even a fly. I'm a duality of good and evil and I ponder on which shall win the war I wage with myself." - Varkos Shevelwix

“ Here I stand, in the ruins of Atlantis, swimming through the tide of lost life and spilt blood.” - Lawrence Gallagher 

“ That man ain't human, far as I'm concerned if you don't got no humanity you're a beast, and here, we put down beasts who god damn bite.” - Lawrence Gallagher 

"Ya know, I've learned the world don't much got sympathy for the living, and the living don't much got sympathy for the dead. We disrespect those that have passed, and destroy their legacy with rifles loaded with cruel remarks.” - Benedict Collins

“ It takes a lot 'a bravery ta accept yourself, let alone trust another ta accept you.” - Benedict Collins

"I ain't no saint, I've fought everything I ain't and I imagine somewhere along this broken path I found who I am. I've tasted one too many lips against mine, let too many cigarettes burn my lungs ta ash, but who said ya oughta be a saint to make it in the world huh?” - Becky Winters

“ Life is a constant struggle, but you don't succumb to it's damn riptide.” - Becky Winters

"All my life I imagine I've been told to be who I'm not, I find it impossible to find yourself if all your life all you've ever been was a spectacle of someone else.” - Sarkelus Johnnson

“ Karma is bound to catch up with me eventually, a man such as myself can't outrun her, only delay the inevitable.” - Sarkelus Johnnson

“ Oh how I wish I was strong. I could lift a blade, but I could not bring it down.” - Ashel

“ I don't believe in blood spilt for a good purpose. If it was so holy then it wouldn't be a damning offense.” - Ashel

“ We all lose ourselves at some point, but if you lose who you were, journey to find who you oughta be.” - Dory Villsworth

“ Life ain't darkness and darkness ain't life. It's just part of it. So get your shit together and move the fuck on with life. Don't let your past be an anchor, and don't be a ship at the bottom of the ocean.” - Dory Villsworth

"Most would rather drown in a blood soaked lie than choke on the truth.” - Simon Rossburg

“ I'm the monster this world needs, Mike Wazowski in a world full 'a Randalls.” - Simon Rossburg

“ Ya oughta sin ta win sometimes, that's just the cold bitter truth, and if ya can't swallow it, you're gonna damn well choke on it and die in the process 'a accepting it.” - Simon Rossburg

“ I ain't a part of my scars, they're a part of me. Sure, they hurt like Hell, but let 'em hurt, what's important is I let 'em fuckin' heal." - Carl Schillerstrom

“ This world would like to kick us down on the constant, but screw that, I'm not going down without a damn fight. I've been fighting all my life, what's another punch thrown huh? What's another damn bruise? I got plenty, yours won't hurt as bad as other's.” - Malilah Vivenwoker

"I'll weave this pain of mine into gold and these scars into strength.” - Kerrissa Vivenwoker

“ I've learned the world don't care about you, unless you care about yourself. Because you'll get nowhere if you feel sorry for yourself, you have to rise up and be your own armor sometimes. Sure, it may be rusted, but who said rusted armor can't stop a sword?” - Kerrissa Vivenwoker 

"Life has made me a gentle soul, though it was rough with me, I remain the softest spoken love in the air.” - Madison Rose

“ Love is a wonderful thing, it can make someone who's fallen to pieces whole. Someone who's fallen climb, and someone who feels nothings worth worth a million gold coins.” - Madison Rose

"I carry on despite the daggers in my back, you may bleed, but don't let your scars steal every drop of blood you have.” - Sabrina

“ Life will prosper as long as you let yourself grow. You're a flower, not a weed. Remember that. You aren't poisoning your own petals, you're watching them fall, and not picking them back up. So bloom, and remember, even the smallest seed, can become the most beautiful flower." - Sabrina

“ Oh mother dear I know you yearn to see me use this power of mine for good, oh sister dear how you wish I'd protect you from the heat of this world's hate, but all three of us burned. And dying changes a woman.” - Autumn Wolfmoon

“ I see their father in everything they do, their smile, their spunk attitude, sometimes I feel I'm haunted by Dominic's memory, but then I remember even ghosts can be friendly.” - Martha Honeycomb 

“ Oh how Delilah makes my heart soar. My beautiful Amish girl. She lives life so simply, she cherishes every little moment, and I cherish every little moment I have with her. She's showed me just how amazing life can be.” - Laura Hollinger

“ My life's been dark, it's been crummy, but ya know what? I rose in spite of that. I won't let my scars define me, I'll define my damn scars.” - Laura Hollinger

“ Life has been a rather interestin' ride, once I believed I had ta choose between my old lifestyle, and dis new one dat had found me. But I found dat I have ta combine da both of them, because they're both a part of me, and I imagine neither side will leave my heart. If you are faced with choosin' who you were, and who ya are, I advise you combine the two, and become the beauty you are ta be." - Delilah Miller

"Black rain pitter patters against my heart and soul, I imagine it drowned the noble man I was, and out rose the wicked and corrupt creature of the storm inside my bones.” - Theodora Crimsonburn

“ I imagine my daughters can't look up to me. Despite how I protect them so, I forgot to protect my heart, and I imagine that's why I lost it.” - Theodora Crimsonburn

“ "If it is only human to sin, tell me why it is I am labeled monster. In all of my monstrosity I find I am only human, and oh, isn't that the most terrifying thing of all? My lack of humanity, yet despite all that, being human?” - Quentin Satchel 

“ Redemption was never an option, because I was born on the edge of Hell, but stepped on other's backs to reach Heaven.” - Quentin Satchel

“ Every life taken to me is just.. another Tuesday. It's a chore, one I fulfill only to get back to my task at hand.” - Quentin Satchel 

"My memory is a peculiar place, forgotten are the scars of my past, but wonderous are the joys in this life of mine.” - Joe Paquil

“ I have found this world will kick you around some before it gives you peace of mind, but don't let the kicking kill ya. As a bull rider wouldn't let the tussle kill him, you won't let the fight for the reward kill you.” - Joe Paquil 

“ Cold waters can only freeze you if you jump in. And if you're pushed, you fight to get out.” - Joe Paquil

“ Life can be a struggle, God... how I know how difficult it can be. But in the end, you'll realize struggle is a part of life, and it's only a small part of it. You may get kicked down on the constant, but one day you'll rise, and you're gonna do it with a frikkin' smile! Okay?” - Sandra Crumbs

“ "Oh I imagine the echoes of gunfire and sin ring in my ears, and all I ever was is consumed by a sinful melody, it's chorus one of broken bones, and it's bridge one of spilt blood.” - Nestor Bevelricks 

“ Ya know, I asked God where the hell he went, and the only answer I got was a cool breeze in the midnight air.” - Nestor Bevelricks 

"I've found the difference between a loving God and a cruel one is your perception of cruelty." - Nestor Bevelricks

“ She is da beauty ta my beast. Da rose ta my thorn. And da plant in me garden 'a weeds. All it takes is one flower ta make a garden bootiful.” - Stephen Vail

“ I 'ave learned doe my anger is strong, I am stronger.” - Stephen Vail

“ Amber is da moother I never 'ad, though I've heard of the woman who gave me life, and from what I can see, Amber is everythin' she'd eva' wish ta raise. Thorne, despite 'er damn struggles wif' 'er mental illness, takes care of those around 'er. And Jesse? Despite 'er fear, she stays fokin' brave as a captain sailin' straight inta da eye of da hurricane.” - Stephen Vail

“ I wasn't born with this killer body. I had to fight for it. I had to pay for it. It was fucking expensive. But you know what? I'd give away all the money in the world to be myself.” - Emanuel Trueblood

“ Only the dead 'ave seen the end of war I imagine, they got peace, we have ta carry war on our shoulders every damn day. The weight of it is impossible ta lift, and yet ya do it anyways.” - Deandra Phoenix

“ Ain't who I were. Not no more. Just a coffin, I imagine. Lower me down, bury me underneath America's soil and remember I once stained it crimson, but blood seeps through the dirt and is often forgotten.” - Deandra Phoenix

“ The hauntings of war echo on the cool night air. The fire reminds me of the sparks of my revolver, the night sky reminds me of the starless nights spent on the battlefield, and the dirt reminds me of the bodies buried. Everything is a reminder of war. Once you've fought it, you can't ever stop fighting it.” - Deandra Phoenix 

"Life don't gotta be perfect, just lived to it's fullest extent. And besides, if you live your life to it's fullest, isn't that perfect despite the struggles?” - Brandon Killovitch

“ She saved my life.. and I imagine I saved hers. She used to be a train-wreck, but, so did I. But together, we fought each other's battles, she still has that wild side, but it makes her her, and I accept everything she is, because she's beautiful and I'm in love with everything she was, everything she is, and everything she'll become.” - Brandon Killovitch

"I'm nothing short of sinful, just a bonfire with kerosene swallowing everything around her whole, burning down the fields of her innocence in one fell swoop.” - Kareath Calico

[caelesjjk]

Hellion (Demon!Ashton)

Hello sweet babies. This is the beginning of a supernatural series I’m going to be writing. The worlds are going to intertwine a bit, and you’ll see how thats going to work :)) I loved writing this so much and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. It’s 9k words that im very proud of.

warnings: a bit of violence but thats about it, a small mention of alcohol use

Ivy Jane was what most people would consider a prodigy.

She began her career as an artist at the young age of 14. She painted, sculpted, welded, and drew like nothing anyone had ever seen. It didn’t seem possible for someone so young to have perfected their talent in such a short span of time. But she seemed to be the exception.

She sold her pieces for large amounts of money, far more money than any teenager should be able to get their hands on. But she was alone, thrown into the system as a toddler when she could no longer be cared for. She hated not having anyone to share her money with, but her success pulled her out of foster care and into her own penthouse high above New York City where her manager cared for her, or at least kept her alive so she could continue making him money. Richard was the closest thing she had to family.

But what no one knew was how Ivy Jane became such a good artist. When she was asked this question by interviewers, she simply played it off on her dark past and that she was projecting all of her teen angst into the art. But dark was only one word one might use to describe her past.

Ivy Jane made a deal. Not the type you make with a pinky promise, no this was the type of deal you made with blood. The type of deal that you make at a crossroads. The type that requires you to sell your soul to a handsome devil dressed in all black clothes. He makes 10 years sound like you’ve got all the time in the world.

“Come on then, sweetheart. What else do you need to know?” The demon asked. He was tall with broad shoulders and perfectly shaped lips.

“What happens after ten years?” Ivy asked.

“Your soul is mine, and you’ll be on your merry way to hell. But, as part of this deal I can come to you at any time for a favor.” He picks at his fingernails as if he’s bored to death.

“A favor?” She asks.

“Yes. And you’ll comply, or the deal is void and you’ll go straight to the pits with no questions asked.” He steps around her, his unhuman movements too quick for Ivy to follow, as he is suddenly about 10 feet away from her, sitting on one of the low branches of a tall oak tree.

“What’s it like in hell?” Ivy asks yet another question, driving the demon crazy.

“Listen, sweetheart, I don’t have all night. Either you take the deal or you don’t. Either way your choice isn’t going to hurt my nonexistent feelings.” He rolls his red eyes and lounges against the trunk of the tree.

She didn’t want to go back to that foster home. All she wanted was to be a famous artist, and in her fourteen year old mind, ten years of that was better than any amount of time in foster care.

“Okay.” She finally sighed. “You’ve got a deal.” Ivy put her hand out to shake his.

“Tsk tsk, sweetheart. That’s not how these things work.” The demon jumps down from the tree, his red hair that matched his eyes shining in the moonlight. He grabs her hand flipping it over so that her palm is facing upwards. “This deal requires blood.” He pulls out what appears to be a pocket knife, its silver and decorated intricately. And before she can protest, he’s slicing it across her palm, making her flinch from the pain.

Ivy can feel the blood pooling in her palm and dripping between the spaces of her fingers. The demon keeps hold of her hand, pulling out his contract and pressing her palm against it. After her blood has soaked into the paper, he throws the contract up into the air just as it bursts into flames and disappears behind a puff of smoke.

“That’s it? What now?” She asks.

“So many questions.” He rolls his eyes again and begins to walk to the center of the crossroads. “Don’t forget about my favor, Ivy Jane.” He drops his eye in a wink and then disappears. It happens so quickly that Ivy isn’t even sure she really saw him standing there at all.

Her fame began as quickly as she hoped it would. A painting that she had posted online, was suddenly getting the attention of millionaire art collectors. She had people begging for her work faster than she could create it. She thrived on the feeling of being wanted by so many people.

Richard, her manager, scooped her up and managed everything she was too busy to take care of herself. She was the most sought after artist for several years. But then everything stopped almost as quickly as it had started. She was lucky if she could sell enough to feed herself. Ivy had to move out of her penthouse and into a one bedroom apartment in much dingier part of the city. It was always impossibly noisy, making it impossible to work on anything new. Everything was falling apart even before her ten years was up and she had no idea why.

Ivy saw the demon now and then. He mostly haunted her dreams, but sometimes she would see his face in a crowd or on a random billboard as she rode the bus through the city, always making sure that she didn’t forget about him. But no matter how many times she asked, he never told her why her fame had suddenly stopped.

She was a mess, to say the least. She had turned to alcohol and practically drank herself into oblivion every night just to make life seem a little less shitty. But it didn’t matter what she did, she always woke up in the same hellhole apartment filled with half painted canvases and ashtrays filled with cigarette butts.

Tonight, Ivy found herself in the bar just around the corner from her apartment building. It was filled with smoke and the smell of cheap whiskey. She could hear the clanging of pool balls as they were hit around the tables. But she was currently having a hard time seeing straight after the bottle of vodka she had been nursing the past couple hours was suddenly half empty. The clear liquid burned her throat after each drink, but she didn’t care.

When she tried to stand up from the barstool, she stumbled and knocked over a few drinks of the people sitting beside her at the bar. Ivy didn’t stop to apologize and just kept walking towards the bathroom. She wanted to wash her face and try to sober up before she attempted to walk home.

The sink was disgusting and covered in grime and motorcycle grease, but Ivy turned on the cold water and started splashing it on her face. It wasn’t really helping at all. She straightened up slowly, closing one eye and trying to see herself in dingy old piece of glass that was being used as a mirror. And in her drunken haze, she could have sworn she saw someone in the mirror behind her. She spun around, almost falling over in the process, to see no one there. Alcohol must have been playing tricks on her tonight, but when she turned to look in the mirror he was there again, the demon, propped against the door of one of the empty stalls. This time when she spun around, he didn’t disappear, he only smiled wickedly as fear washed over her entire body.

“I see you’re doing well, sweetheart.” He stands up straight, disappearing momentarily and then reappearing right next to Ivy. “I’ve missed you.” He whispers against the shell of her ear, making her shiver uncontrollably.

“My ten years isn’t up for 6 months asshole, what the hell has been going on?” Her voice shakes a bit when she tries to back away from him.

“Whatever do you mean?” He pretends to be innocent with a smile on his face.

“No one’s bought a piece of art from me for years. Your end of the deal isn’t holding up.” Ivy stumbles a bit, reaching out to balance against the cold red bricks of the wall. She uses her arm to try and wipe the water and sweat from her face onto her leather jacket.

“I said I would make you a famous artist. I didn’t say I would make people want to buy your work or that your work would be any good. The fact that you’re washed up, isn’t my problem.” He waves her off and slowly walks around her.

“That…that’s not fair. You cheated me out of my entire life!” Ivy can feel the anger coursing through her veins and her hands ball into fists.

“You’ve spent the last nine and half years of your life as pathetically as possible. You travelled from city to city and did nothing with your time. Blaming me for your shit decisions, is just an excuse sweetheart.” His voice is deep and serious as he watches her through his round frame sunglasses.

Ivy hated knowing there was a small part of what he said that was right. She had gotten to a certain point in her life where she relied on the deal they had made to get her through, thinking that nothing could screw it up. But making her a decent human being wasn’t part of the deal. She chose to drink and party and let herself and her talent waste away. What kind of person trusts a demon anyways?

“So why are you here now?” She manages to choke out, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Remember that favor?” He wets his lips and pushes back some of his hair that had fallen on his forehead. Ivy’s stomach twisted but she nods ‘yes’. “I’ve come to collect on it, sweetheart.”

“What kind of favor are we talking about?” Ivy hiccupped, still half-drunk, but less than she was before she came in here.

“I need you to help me get to something. Something that I can’t get to on my own.” He continues to walk around her in a circle that is almost dizzying.

“There’s something the big bad demon can’t get by himself?” She hiccups again with a laugh.

“It’s Ashton, doll. Start calling me that.” He finally stops in front of her, looking over the rim of his dark sunglasses.

“You have a name?” Ivy starts to wobble on her feet, feeling dizzy.

“Yes? Why wouldn’t I?” Ashton says.

“I don’t feel so good.” She stumbles forward into Ashton’s chest, but he doesn’t move.

“Ridiculous human. Let’s get you home then.” Ashton grabs Ivy by the waist and hoists her over his shoulder.

She’s too drunk to protest, so she closes her eyes and lets him carry her out of the bar. Ivy can feel the crisp fall air of New York City practically hit her in the face just before she completely passes out in the arms of a demon.

___________________________________

The next morning, or maybe it was afternoon, Ivy slowly opened her eyes. The sunlight pouring in through the sheer white curtains, stinging her eyes and making her squint to try and see around the room. She couldn’t remember much, but there were definitely some weird things happening in her dreams last night. When she tries to sit up, her head starts to spin and the room starts to tilt.

“Fucking hell.” She says to herself.

“Not quite, sweetheart.” His voice comes from the doorway, making Ivy jump practically halfway across her bed.

“You…You’re actually here?” She breathes.

“Do we really need to go through all of this again? You owe me a favor, Ivy Jane. And I’m here to collect on it. End of story.” He walks into the room, leaning across the bed balancing one hand against the mattress and the other holding out a glass of water. Ivy flinches away at first. “I’m not going to bite, sweetheart. We barely know each other.” He smiles wickedly, the dimples in his cheeks showing in a way that made Ivy’s whole face heat up.

“I suppose there’s no way I’m getting out of this?” Ivy sighs, taking the glass of water and putting it to her lips. He watches with fascination as she drinks every drop. “What are you looking at?” She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Human essentials interest me. All the things you require to function are kind of pathetic.” He sits on the edge of the bed and watches Ivy’s nose scrunch up in confusion.

“What did you say your name was again?” She shakes her head and rubs at her temples.

“Ashton.” He replies, eyes never leaving her.

“Are you going to stare at me like this all day or?” Ivy pulls the blankets up higher on her body. Ashton scoffs.

“We have a very long trip ahead of us. I suggest you shower and pack a bag.” Ashton stands up from the bed and starts to walk back towards the doorway.

“A trip? You aren’t serious?” Ivy laughs a little, nervousness evident in the sound.

“I’ll get you some food. Take a shower, you smell like a biker bar.” Ashton smirks before walking out of Ivy’s room. Ivy quietly mocks his instructions when he’s out of sight. “I can still see you, sweetheart.” Ashton says from the kitchen.

“Fucking demon.” She grumbles, flinging the blankets off of her body and standing up off the bed to stretch her dehydrated muscles.

“Heard that too.” Ashton says.

“Can you turn off your super demon hearing so I can bitch about you in peace?” Ivy shouts as she enters her bathroom and closes the door. Her back presses to it and her eyes close. She had no idea what she was in for, or what she had gotten herself into but there was no taking it back. She made a deal with a crossroads demon that could never be undone.

_________________________________

“Rome?! As in Rome, Italy?! That’s where we’re going?!” Ivy whisper shouted at Ashton as they walked swiftly through the airport.

“Is there any other? Do try to keep up, sweetheart. We’re in a hurry.” Ashton’s long legs allow him to move in much faster strides than Ivy as she struggles with her suitcase and carryon bag.

“Why me?” She suddenly asks, coming to a halt. Ashton stops, turning on his heel to walk back towards Ivy.

“Because you belong to me, understand?” He says through gritted teeth.

“Don’t you have other contracts? Someone else you could get to do your bitch work?” Ivy stands her ground and doesn’t back away from him.

“Of course I do. But I prefer to torture you and only you, Ivy Jane. Now move your pretty ass, and get it onto this plane, yeah?” Ashton takes off his round frame sunglasses and looks down at her.

“Why aren’t your eyes red?” She asks, ignoring the ass comment. They were a newly gorgeous green color, one that reminded Ivy of the soft moss that covers the rocks in the woods. She didn’t hate looking at them when they were this color.

“I swear, you ask more questions than any other human.” He grumbles.

“It’s a gift.” Ivy shrugs her shoulders and begins walking towards the gate to their plane. Ashton rolls his eyes with a small smile on his face before following her onto the plane. When they find their seats, Ivy becomes curious again.

“Please don’t ask another question.” Ashton sighs.

“Why can’t you just teleport us to Rome? Would have saved some cash on these first class tickets.” Ivy reclines in her seat and relaxes her arms over her head. Ashton laughs quietly.

“Halfway across the planet is a bit far for teleporting. I’d like to make sure we get there, and don’t end up in the middle of the ocean, if that’s okay with you?” He slips his black blazer off of his shoulders and settles in his seat next to Ivy.

“Would it matter much for me? My life is practically over at this point.” Her voice didn’t show any signs of worry, and that was a little unsettling to Ashton.

“Maybe you should try to enjoy what you’ve got left, yeah? “ He doesn’t look at her.

“I’m sure this trip to Rome isn’t for vacation purposes, Ashton.” Ivy sighs.

“No, but I promise it will be better than drinking yourself to death in that bar.” His voice is serious, but he pops in some earbuds and closes his eyes. The perfect way to get her to stop asking so many questions.

Ivy watched the world by pass by her through the window of the plane. The sun was going down over New York and it was more beautiful from up here than it had ever been down there. Something about the way the oranges and reds painted the blue sky and made some of the prettiest purples Ivy had ever seen, was calming. She itched to paint it, to appreciate it just a little. But any time she felt that way, she always picked up a bottle of vodka instead, because she knew she didn’t deserve to feel good, not after what she had done.

“Champagne?” A flight attendant asked as she stopped her drink cart.

“God yes.” Ivy leaned her body over Ashton to take a glass from her.

“No, no alcohol. I need you coherent and completely focused when we get there.” Ashton plucked the glass from Ivy’s hands.

“Come on Ashton, it’s one glass.” Ivy takes the glass back and brings it to her lips, tipping the glass back completely.

She held it there a moment, and nothing came out of the glass. Ivy opened her eyes to see that the bubbly liquid that once occupied the champagne flute was completely empty of it’s contents. Ivy stared at it for a moment, and Ashton watched as her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion before she put the pieces together and understood that he had in fact, made the champagne disappear from the glass.

“No alcohol.” Ashton brings his face closer to her, Ivy’s face still scrunched up in confusion. “Your need to defy me is getting old, darling. So please just do as I say from here on out.” He says the words quietly, only loud enough for Ivy to hear.

Ivy rolls her eyes, shoving the champagne glass at Ashton before falling back into her seat with an annoyed grunt. She hated how much power this demon had over her. He literally owned her life and she had no choice but to abide by everything he asked. But as hard as Ashton tried to be a scary and intimidating demon, there was something soft about him. Something in the color of his green eyes that made him seem a bit more human and annoyingly attractive.  If Ashton was going to damn her soul to hell, maybe she shouldn’t go down easily.

___________________________________

Ivy felt a weight lift off of her chest as their car drove through the cobblestone streets of Rome. It was beautiful here no matter what time of year it was. There were ropes of lights hung across the old stone buildings and a constantly busy marketplace. There was music playing in every direction and the mouth-watering smells of the endless bakeries was almost more than she could handle. The small smile on her face must have given her away.

“Enjoying yourself, Ivy Jane?” Ashton said from the driver’s seat.

“Don’t get used to it. I’ll be back to my wallowing in my own self-pity soon enough.” She turned her head slightly to watch his face. He was kind of beautiful with all the lights bouncing off his prominent jawline as they drove through the streets.

“Always looking forward to that.” He teased as they pulled up outside of what appeared to be a rather upscale hotel. “We are going to crash here for the night. Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do.” Ashton tosses the car key to a valet, like he’s done it a million times before.

Ivy waits patiently as Ashton checks them into the hotel. She kept her eyes on the gold trim and intricate designs of the architecture inside the old hotel. She wished more than anything she had a sketch pad that she could start drawing in. She never wanted to forget the way anything here looked. But while she was waiting, someone caught her eye as they walked by. He was tall, dressed completely in black, with blonde curls styled back away from his face. As soon as she saw him Ivy felt a chill consume her whole body. He was dangerously handsome, and his eyes were on her as well, smiling and biting into his bottom lip. There were two girls under his arms, laughing and not taking notice as he practically drank Ivy in. She felt uneasy under his gaze and quickly turned away to look for Ashton. It didn’t take long, because as soon as she turned her head he was right in front of her.

“You need to come with me, now.” Ashton’s jaw was tense as he grabbed onto Ivy’s wrist and pulled her towards the elevators. Once the gold colored doors shut, he had her pressed against the mirrored wall with his body, hands pressed to the mirror on either side of her head.

“Ashton…” She started to say.

“Listen closely, sweetheart. I only want to explain this once.” His mouth was dangerously close to hers, and Ivy felt herself wanting to close that little gap between them, and it made her stomach twist to think of it. “This city is heaped full of vampires. That guy down in the lobby? He was definitely one of them and he’s definitely going to tell the rest of his coven that I’m here. So now we have even less time to prepare you than I had originally planned. Understand?” Ashton’s eyes never left hers, and she could see flakes of red start to melt through his green irises. Ivy nodded yes in agreement.

Just as she finishes nodding the gold doors ding and slide open to the floor Ashton had selected. He stays looking at her a moment longer before using his inhuman speed and practically vanishing all together. Once Ivy collected herself and evened out her breathing, she found him leaning against the door of their room at the other end of the hallway.

“Are you planning on filling me on any of this? Because I feel like I know absolutely nothing about what is going on here.” Ivy walks past him and into the room. She throws her bag down on the bed only to be startled by Ashton’s sudden presence behind her.

“This favor I need…” He starts, pushing his hair back away from his forehead. “I need you to get something for me. And it requires sending you into a den of vampires with no protection.” Ashton sits on the corner of the bed and watches her face go pale.

“Do I look like the type of person who deals with vampires?! I mean we are talking about the real thing right? The blood drinking kind?!” Ivy paces the floor in front of the bed.

“If you do as I say, then you’ll likely come out of this unscathed. And if you succeed, I’ll add another 10 years to our contract.” Ashton’s elbows are rested on his knees as he looks down at his fingers that are playing with the silver rings on each of his fingers.

“What exactly do I have to do?” She stops in front of him, just a foot away as he slowly looks up at her.

“These vampires…they stole something from me. Something that I need to get back. And they’ve taken it somewhere that I can’t go.” Ashton stands up, walking over to the mini bar area and pouring some water into a cup.

“Where can’t you go?” Ivy asks, following him without even thinking.

“Holy ground. The vamps do enjoy their nightly raves in the catacombs though, which is where you come in.” Ashton hands her the cup of water and she takes it, backing up until she’s sitting back on the bed, head spinning with all these thoughts.

“So you want me to walk into a vampire rave and retrieve this thing you need? Aren’t they going to know I’m human?” Ivy asks.

“Of course. They always have humans at their parties, they need someone to feed on don’t they?” Ashton smiles, knowing that he wasn’t helping the sick feeling in Ivy’s stomach.

“And you expect me to somehow slip right in and not become some vampires blood bag? Do you hear how insane that sounds, Ashton?” Ivy’s voice cracks a little as she speaks and Ashton can’t help smile a bit more at the sound.

“You’re perfect.” He says without thinking. “For this job, I mean.” Ashton quickly corrects himself, clearing his throat and sitting down on the other side of the bed.

“What am I looking for while I’m in there?” Ivy asks, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as a rose color appears on her cheeks.

“It’s an amulet. It’s a pentagon shaped, black jewel on a gold chain. And I’ve got to have it before the end of the night tomorrow when the moon is full.” Ashton feels like he may have said too much to the girl with so many questions.

“And what will this amulet do?” She asked, Ashton should have known.

“I need it to bring back a friend of mine. A friend that was banished a long time ago.” He doesn’t look up, but Ivy can see that the subject pains him a little when his jaw sets tightly and his fists ball up.

“Will you tell me your plan at least?” She asks with a long sigh.

“In the morning. Right now, the human requires sleep.” Ashton stands from the bed and walks around to pull the blankets down from where they’re tucked.

“And you don’t?” Ivy raises a questioning eyebrow.

“Demons don’t need sleep. I only sleep if I want to. This isn’t one of those times.” He motions with his head for her to get into the bed and she doesn’t argue, exhaustion had started setting in not long ago.

“What are you going to do?” Ivy asks, pulling the lush blankets around her and settling into the bed.

“Preparations for tomorrow. Go to sleep, Ivy Jane.” Ashton flicks off the light switch and goes to the couch in the other room. He does his best not to look back at the bed, knowing the longer he looks at her the harder it will be to look away.

He sat on the couch with his plans spread out across the coffee table for a few hours. Going over them again and again. He needed to believe that somehow he would make this work this time. He went through this every full moon, trying to get back the amulet that would set his friend free from his imprisonment. All the other humans had failed him, losing their lives to a vampire, or if they did make it out it was always empty handed, and Ashton was forced to send them straight to hell, merely because he couldn’t stand to look at them a moment longer.

But there was something about this girl. Something that drove him absolutely mad. He hated that human softness he still carried with him after hundreds of years. He cared about her wellbeing, and that had never happened before. And he had waited until there was no other choice to put her in danger. She was his last hope to succeed.

Ashton could hear the soft snores escaping Ivy Jane’s mouth from the other side of the room. He wished that he hated the sound, but it was more soothing than anything else. And before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet and walking towards the bed. He found himself lying down on the mattress on his back with his arms resting behind his head. He made sure not to shift the bed too much and wake her, but as soon as he was settled, like a magnet, Ivy was rolling over and tucking herself into Ashton’s side. He was frozen, not sure what he should do. Her body against him sent an unfamiliar warm feeling through his human form. There was a look of almost disgust on his face when he realized that he…felt something. He wanted to shake it away, but then her soft hand slid up his chest and gripped onto the collar of his shirt in comfort. And Ashton couldn’t fight the urge anymore, so he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer without another thought.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wake up.” A voice whispered next to Ivy’s ear. It was so soft, she wasn’t sure she had actually heard it at all. “Wake up, beautiful.” The voice said again. Ivy could have sworn the voice was in her head. She carefully started to open her eyes. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs, quickly now sweetheart.”

Ivy jolted up in the bed then. Ashton’s voice was quite literally in her head, and he was nowhere to be seen. His demon abilities were a constant surprise. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed at her face a few times trying to make sure things were real. Ivy wasn’t sure if she had dreamt that she was being held by Ashton all night, or if it had actually happened and the fact that it didn’t bother her in the slightest if it had, was a little strange for her.

She got dressed quickly, throwing her hair up messily. On her way out of the door, Ivy noticed a bagel and to-go coffee sitting on the counter top with a note. Her heart started to beat just a little faster.

Eat this, human. You’re going to need it. Is what the note read in beautiful cursive handwriting. Ivy smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. She held the bagel in her mouth as she gathered her things and hurried out the door.

When she arrived downstairs in the lobby, she could see Ashton waiting for her by the front doors. He was standing there with a small smile on face and his arms resting behind his back. But what stood out he most, was that he wasn’t wearing his normal black dress clothes. Instead, he had on a fitted black tshirt and black gym shorts. It was a very different look for him, but it made him look almost relaxed, and that was something Ivy could get used to seeing. She tried to bite her lip as she approached him and hide the smile that was trying to spread across her face, but it wasn’t much use.

“Good morning.” Ashton said just as she stopped in front of him.

“Is it?” Ivy asked, taking another dramatic bite of her bagel, making Ashton laugh quietly.

“We shall see. Come on then. We don’t have much time.” Ashton turns and then offers Ivy his arm to hold onto while they walked. She raised an adorable eyebrow at him for only a short moment before taking his arm and letting him lead her outside of the hotel to where the car was waiting.

__________________________________________

They drove outside of the busy city for quite some time. Ivy tried to soak up as much of the countryside as she could, hoping maybe one day she would have some time to paint it. But she wasn’t going to get her hopes up, when her only hope was to retrieve an amulet from a den of vampires.

Ashton drove suddenly pulled off onto a side road made of gravel and rocks until they reached a large open field with some wooded off to one side. The sun was hovering off in the distance, really make that red color of Ashton’s hair pop. He stopped the car on the side of the road, taking off his sunglasses to look over at Ivy.

“Just beyond that wooded area, is a church. The church has miles of catacombs beneath it, and I can’t get close to it without burning from the inside out.” He pauses for a moment to watch her face. He didn’t want to do this to her. She was the one human he wanted to keep safe. “The vampires have parties there, almost nightly, and they keep the amulet here so I can’t get to it.”

“And I’m going to find an amulet, somewhere in the miles of catacombs below an old terrifying church?” Ivy asks, eyes meeting his. Ashton nods. “Perfect.” Ivy sighs.

“What do you know about vampires?” Ashton asks.

“They drink blood. Don’t like the sunlight. The obvious things.” Ivy responds.

“Vampires are deceiving. It’s part of their power of sorts. They can lure you in without you even knowing what’s happened. They use humans for blood and sex and these parties they have are practically just for those two things.” Ashton explains, not sure how Ivy would react to something like this.

“Okay. And how am I going to get past them?” Ivy tries to put on her brave face now.

“You just need to fit in. But you also need to know how to protect yourself. Come with me.” Ashton opens his car door and walks around towards the trunk, where he waits for Ivy to join him. She takes a few deep breaths before exiting the car and joining Ashton at the back of the car.

“Can you fight?” He asks suddenly.

“Fight? Fight vampires? You’re kidding right?” Ivy half laughs.

“If things go badly, I want you to at least be able to protect yourself.” This was something Ashton didn’t do with the others.

“I’ve never fought anyone, Ashton.” She tells him.

“We have work to do then.” Ashton reaches into the trunk of the car and pulls out a long wooden box. There are symbols carved into the top and sides that Ivy does not recognize. Ashton opens the box to show her what’s inside. “This is a vampire stake, and you’re going to use it if you need to, alright?”

“You want me to stab a vampire with that? Ashton, this is getting more and more unreal.” Ivy pushes her hair away from her face in exasperation.

“It’s only if things go badly, okay? I’m going to teach you how to fight the best that I can in the next few hours. It’s better than sending you in there with nothing.” He closes the box and looks away from her eyes.

Ivy felt nervous. But it wasn’t because she was about to walk into a den of vampires, no she was nervous about disappointing the demon who owned her soul. She didn’t know why her feelings had suddenly changed, but she wasn’t scared of him anymore.

“Alright, demon. Teach me to fight.” Ivy shrugs her shoulders and motions for him to lead the way. Ashton smiles and walks past her into the middle of the field.

“Show me what you’ve got, sweetheart.” Ashton puts his arms out at his sides, giving her a free shot.

“I can’t hit you…” Ivy almost mumbles the words.

“I promise that you won’t hurt me.” He tries to encourage her.

Ivy looks down at her hands for a moment, contemplating how to go about this, when she suddenly hears his voice in her head again.

You’re thinking too much. Just hit me.

“What’s with this whole mind talking thing? It’s a little weird.” She laughs.

“It’s how I’m going to be with you when you’re inside the catacombs. I can hear you, and you can hear me.” He steps closer to her.

“Can you always hear what I’m thinking?” Ivy swallows hard.

“No. Only if your thoughts are sent to me directly. But I could guess…” Ashton disappears a moment, then reappears behind Ivy, his mouth against the shell of her ear. “Are you thinking of that shiver you feel when I’m near you?” His lips brush against her ear making her eyes fall shut. “Or maybe that knot in your stomach that appears when I call you sweetheart?” The tips of his fingers are brushing up her arm.

Ivy lets out a shaky breath, keeping her eyes closed tightly.

“That’s right, Ivy Jane. You’re mine.” Ashton’s words have a direct line between her legs. Her eyes snap open and she spins around quickly only to see that he isn’t there anymore. Ivy whips around again, looking all around the open field, not seeing Ashton anywhere.

“Ashton?” She asks.

Over here. His voice says in her head. She spins around again, feeling his presence but still not seeing him.

Here. He says again. Ivy’s eyes can’t find him as she frantically looks around. And then suddenly he’s behind her again, pulling one of her arms behind her back and pinning it there. Ivy struggles against him for a moment until he speaks again.

“You’ve got be aware of everything. Don’t let them get behind you, easy access to your throat.” Ivy stills in her struggling when Ashton runs the tip of his nose softly and slowly up the side of her neck. Her whole body shutters.

“Anything else?” Ivy asks.

“You’ve got to be quick.” He says, releasing her arm and turning Ivy’s body to face him. “If they’re coming at you, you’ve got to find the quickest way out.”

Ashton worked with her all day long, showing Ivy as many moves as he could. He showed her some old blueprints of the catacombs in hopes that she might be able to remember something that would help her get out as fast as possible if need be. But now he needed to give her the final touch, one that he wasn’t extremely pleased about some vampire seeing but it had to be done.

“It isn’t another stake, is it?” Ivy teased as they walked back to the car.

“No, no more stakes.” Ashton opened the trunk of the car again, pulling out a white shopping bag and dangling it in front of her.

“What’s this?” Ivy took the bag from his hands and started pulling the item clothing out.

“So you’ll fit in.” He watches her face carefully. Ivy pulled the dress out of the bag, holding it up so she could see it.

“Let me get this straight. On top of everything else, you want me to do all of this in a goddamn dress?” Ivy’s eyes are wide as she looks over at Ashton, who has a big grin on his face.

“Just put the dress on, Ivy Jane.” Ashton shook his head a few times, shoving his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts.

The dress was all black and floor length. Ivy couldn’t imagine fighting a vampire in a dress like this, but then she noticed the slit going all the way up one side of the dress. She was more nervous than ever.

“Turn around.” She makes a circular motion with her finger, asking Ashton to run around while she changed. He rolls his green eyes, turning to face away from where she was changing behind the trunk. After a few minutes of scrambling into the dress, Ivy huffs out a long breath and taps Ashton on the shoulder. “What do you think?” She asks.

Ashton could barely keep himself from completely ravishing her right here right now. Ivy looked perfect. It complimented every part of her. And that slit that went all the way up to her hip, would likely be his undoing. But he cleared his throat, and took a few steps towards her.

“You’re fucking beautiful.” He says with a quiet laugh following. “One more thing.” Ashton reaches into the trunk, pulling out the stake and a leather thigh holster.

“I’ve got to carry that thing on my thigh?” She asks with wide eyes.

“No better place.” Ashton smiles wickedly. “Come here and sit back.” He motions for her to sit down on the hood of the car. Ivy walks around to the front of the car, sitting down and scooting back just a bit, the material of the dress slipping around her leg as she lift up towards him. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure that he could hear it.

“Go on then.” Ivy says, leaning back on her hands as Ashton steps forward with his eyes on hers, letting Ivy press her foot to his chest so she can continue to hold up her leg while he buckles the holster to her thigh.

“Won’t they be able to see it?” Ivy breathes out when Ashton’s hands ghost from the top of her thigh down to her ankle.

“I’ve put a glamour on the stake, they wont be able to see it.” He says the words against the skin of her ankle that he’s moved up to his mouth. Ivy can feel her entire body quake.

“How much time do I have?” She manages to spill out, eyes falling closed at the sensation of his lips on her skin.

“You need to have the amulet to me before the sun rises.” He’s pressing kisses up her leg. Ashton wants her, but he’s got a mission to complete first. He gently puts her leg down and watches as her pretty lips begin to pout.

“I guess I need to go?” Ivy sighs.

“The party will have started now.” Ashton helps Ivy stand up straight on her feet, keeping her close to him.

“Show me where this church is?” Ivy asks, looking down at her feet. Ashton reaches up, pulling the hair tie out of her hair and letting it fall over her shoulders. Ashton’s pointer finger hooks under her chin and pulls her eyes up to his.

“You’ve got so much life left to live, Ivy Jane, so please come back to me.” He leans down and presses his forehead to hers.

“That’s the plan.” She whispers, hands itching to reach out and touch him.

“Come on. I’ll show you.” Ashton’s fingers lace between Ivy’s as he walks her across the field towards the wooded area.

Once they’ve walked a ways into the woods, and the church comes into sight, Ashton comes to a sudden stop. When he looks down at his hands he can see fire trying to seep through his pores. He’s gotten too close.

“This is where I stop.” He presses a kiss to the back of her hand before letting it go.

“See you soon?” Ivy feels silly after she says it.

“Soon.” Ashton repeats. She smiles at him, though it’s a weak one, and then turns to walk towards the church before she changes her mind completely. “Ivy Jane?” She hears from behind her.

“Don’t let any filthy vamps touch you in that dress, yeah?” Ashton smiles, putting his hands back in his pockets.

“I make no promises.” Ivy teases, turning back towards the church and feeling her stomach tighten.

The church is a decaying relic to say the least, there isn’t much left of it at all. The old yellow bricks are lying in random piles throughout the area. But what finally catches her attention is the sound of electronic music coming from one of the piles of bricks. And as she approaches it, she can see that it’s actually an entrance to what she assumes is the catacombs. Ivy crawls over the bricks carefully and begins to descend the stairs leading down into a black hallway.

Ivy’s breathing is uneven and ragged. She can’t see a thing, but she can hear the music. The catacombs smell musty and damp. There was nothing appealing about any of this, and she couldn’t imagine why it would be a vampires chosen place for parties. Her fingertips stayed on the wall as she followed it through the dark. It had seemed like forever, but she finally found the series of rooms holding the vampires and their party.

There were hundreds of people, it could have been an actual night club down here. There were colored lights flashing and people dancing everywhere. Ivy walked into the party area, bumping into sweaty bodies and glass cups full of alcoholic liquid. She had no idea where to begin looking for this amulet.

Find the vampires. They’ll be sitting back watching the humans. Ashton’s voice suddenly said in her head, almost making her jump.

“Fancy seeing you here.” A voice that Ivy didn’t recognize says from behind her. She whirls around to see the curly haired blonde vampire from the hotel standing in front of her.

Get away from him. Quickly.

Ivy rolls her eyes at the sound of Ashton’s voice.

“Um hey there. I heard about this great party.” Ivy tries to sound sincere.

“I know why you’re here.” Is all he says in return.

“For a great time?” Ivy knows she isn’t coming off as convincing at all. The vampire laughs.

“You want the amulet don’t you? The one that demons been after?” He says.

“I um…no. What demon?” Ivy stumbles all over her words.

You’re a terrible actress, you know that? Ask him what he knows. Ashton’s voice says in her head. Ivy rolls her eyes.

“We saw each other at the hotel. I know exactly what that demons been up to.” He says, stepping up closer to Ivy so only she can hear him. “And I want to help.” Ivy’s eyes almost pop out of her skull when she hears the words.

“You want to help me?” She whispers.

“Yes, I do. I’m Luke.” He puts his hand out to shake hers, she stares at it for a moment.

See what he’s willing to do. Ashton says.

“Ivy.” She shakes his hand quickly, before Luke is pulling her off to the side.

“We can do this quickly and effortlessly, understand? One of the older vamps has been wearing that amulet around down here for a couple hundred years. I had one of the girls he’s been drinking on tonight take some things to make him sleep. But it won’t last long, so you’ve got to get in there now.” Luke pulls Ivy along by the elbow, showing her to another room full of vampires.

“I’m just going to walk in there and take it?” Her eyes furrow. “That’s too easy.”

“It can be. Now lets go, follow my lead.” Luke says.

“Why are you doing this?” Ivy asks.

“That’s a story for another time, Ivy.” He smiles, and his fangs withdraw just the slightest bit.

Kick his ass. I’m serious. Ashton comes into her head.

“Stop it.” Ivy says, meant for Ashton.

“Stop what?” Luke says.

“Nothing. Lets go.” Ivy changes the subject quickly.

Luke wraps his arm around Ivy’s shoulders lazily, leading her into the vampire room. She could see the camp he was referring to almost immediately. He was sitting on a velvet chair, a leather vest covering some of his top half and leather pants on his legs. But he appeared to be asleep, the gold chalice in his hands was tipped over with blood dripping from its rim.

“I’ll keep the rest of them busy, you grab that thing off his neck.” Luke whispers into her ear.

I’ll kill the damn vampire myself. Ashton’s jealous voice says. Ivy smiles momentarily.

Luke takes his arm away and walks over to the group of vamps sitting around on the furniture. They all look over to him when he starts talking and Ivy doesn’t hesitate to move towards the older vampire. He’s snoring quite loudly, which is a relief to say the least. One of the female vampires looks over to Ivy, and she freezes, pretending to lean against the chair like she had been there the whole time. The female vamp looks at her suspiciously but then looks back to Luke.

Ivy knows she cant get to the clasp for the chain behind his neck, so she simply wraps her hand around the amulet and pulls until it pops off of him. She looks down at her hand in amazement. She did it. She actually fucking did it. The older vampire stirs slightly, making Ivy jump away from him, and the attention in the room to suddenly turn towards her. She shoves the amulet into the front of her dress, in hopes that no one saw it. They say nothing, but they don’t take their eyes from where she stands.

“Luke…” Ivy says.

“Run!” Luke shouts, grabbing Ivy’s arm and pulling her out into the hallway. Luke uses his speed to get her back to the entrance in no time at all. Ivy can barely breathe. “Get out of here, alright? Go.” Luke tells her.

“What about you? I cant leave you with them!” Ivy tries to pull his arm.

“Ivy!” She hears Ashton shout from the distance.

“I’ll hold them off so you can get out of here. I’m good.” Luke gently pushes her out of the entrance so that she’s back outside next to the pile of bricks.

“Thank you.” She tells Luke sincerely. He gives her a tight smile, before disappearing back down the entrance. Ivy can hear the crunching of concrete and the hissing from the vampires coming from inside, so she starts running towards Ashton.

She’s almost reached him, when someone grabs her from behind and throws her down on her back. Ivy winces in pain, but doesn’t have time to think before the vampire is on top of her. It’s the female vampire from inside the catacombs.

“Ivy!” Ashton yells. He can’t get to her, the closer he gets the more his veins turn to fire. He watches in horror as the vampire continues to overpower Ivy. And he decides in that moment that he doesn’t care, and he uses his inhuman speed to reach the two of them scrambling on the ground.

Ashton can feel the fire start to burn inside him. But he forces on, and grabs the vampire by the back of shirt and effortlessly rips her off of Ivy. When Ashton goes to reach for Ivy, the vampire jumps on his back, clawing at him and kicking the backs of his legs. Ashton whips around, trying to get her off of him while the fire burns and starts to crack through his skin. He can hold back the scream that leaves his mouth.

Ivy scrambles off the ground, ripping the stake from it’s holster on her thigh. Ashton can’t stay still while he’s writhing in pain, but somehow, Ivy manages get up behind the vampire and shove the stake through her back and into her heart. Ivy watches as the vampire freezes up and slowly rolls off of Ashton’s back and onto the ground.

The fire is starting to consume Ashton from the inside out, he has to get off this holy ground as fast as possible. Ivy grabs his hand and pulls him to his feet, hearing him groan over and over from the pain.

“Get me out of here, please.” He begs.

“I’ve got you.” Ivy helps Ashton move and walk back towards the car. Once they’ve gotten to the tree line, Ivy lets Ashton sit down.

“Give me a moment.” He says. His fingers dig into the earth around him and his whole body starts to glow. Ivy watches with wide eyes until he’s back to himself, standing up as if nothing happened. “Quickly now, sweetheart. There isn’t much time left.” Ashton grabs her around the waist and teleports them right next to the car.

“What now?” Ivy asks as Ashton fumbles around in the trunk, gather things in his arms.

“Now, we free my friend.” Ashton says. He picks up a rock from the ground and smashes it over top of the amulet, busting it into tiny black starts of glass and gold metal.

Ivy watches as Ashton hovers his hands above the pieces and began to say some sort of incantation that she wasn’t able to understand. He said the words over and over as the full moon got higher and higher in the sky. It happened so quickly, Ivy wasn’t sure she actually saw it, but black clouds suddenly covered the moon momentarily like smoke and then whisked away as Ashton stood up. The ground shook beneath them and cracked open as tiny black shards of the amulet fell into the earth.

“What’s happening?” Ivy shouted, and Ashton laced his fingers through hers again, pulling her close so that she could hide her face in his chest as the ground continued to crumble.

Ivy looked up long enough to see spouts of fire shoot up from the cracks in the earth, and for someone…or something to begin crawling out of the ground. He stood up, brushing ashes and soot off his all black clothes before he looked up to see Ashton and Ivy standing there.

“Finally found me did ya?” The man from the fiery ground says.

“Only took a few hundred years and a very determined woman.” Ashton answers, walking towards the stranger and wrapping him up into a long hug.

“Wh…Who are you?” Ivy says from Ashton, her curiosity getting the better of her. The man hugging Ashton brings his eyes up to her, stepping out of the hug with Ashton but still standing next to him. The man pushed his hand through his black curls and licked his lips before he spoke again.

“I’m the Boogieman, dollface.” He said with a wicked smile on his perfect face. Ashton elbowed him playfully and laughed a little.

“This is Calum, Ivy. He’s been a friend…since forever.” Ashton walked over to Ivy, holding her face in his hands.

“Did I just help you release another demon onto earth?” Ivy asked. Ashton laughs again.

“Sort of. But Calum and I won’t cause too much trouble.” He presses his forehead against hers.

“And why is that?” Ivy asks, her hands finally finding chest and shoulders, memorizing the way he feels.

“I’d much rather get into trouble with you.”

A/N: there is going to be a very smutty epilogue to follow this in a few days!! but please let me know what you think!!

tag list:  @maoricth @slimthicccal @bbycal @kinglyhood @sugarcoated-pain @shower-me-with-roses @c-dizzle-swizzlex @calumculture @sugarcoatedcalum@calthesensation @cheyenne-in-wonderland @softboycal @moonlightcalum@unconditionalcalum @irwinkitten @singt0mecalum @angelbabylu @5sosnsfw@aspiringwildfire @myloverboyash @cal-puddies @lashtoncurls

[hamilton-one-shots]

Hamilton High School AU 28

Herc looked at John sympathetically as he dragged himself out of the dressing room. "I'm sorry, Jack... I shouldn't have left you alone with him."

"No.. I'm fine. Just can't believe I ever dated that guy sometimes." He sighed and plopped back down in the chair before announcing. "I've been thinking about getting a piercing. Or a tattoo. Something crazy."

Hercules laughed at the sudden absurdity, keeping an eye out as customers came into the shop. "Go nuts. I almost got my ears pierced a while back, but I chickened out."

John nodded. "Hopefully I wouldn't."

Hercules nodded and stood up straight, smiling as a customer came up to the counter.

She smiled at John as Hercules rang up her items, eyeing him up and down. "You're pretty cute."

Hercules chuckled and bagged her items, handing them to her after she paid. "Trust me, you're barking up the wrong tree."

John, the oblivious gay, just looked between the two blankly, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Oh.." she muttered and went red. "Sorry." She took her things and left.

"You don't even like girls and you get their attention more than Thomas."

"What?.. Oh! Was she flirting with me?"

Hercules laughed. "You're so gay."

He chuckled awkwardly, then sighed. "Yeah, I know." He checked his phone as it vibrated, then smiled. "I have to get home. I need to babysit for Maria."

"Have fun."

John nodded and left, walking home.

Lafayette pulled up outside of a nearby gas station and went inside, grabbing a slushie for him and his brother while he waited with Rosie in the car.

Alexander smiled and pulled out his phone, opening Snapchat and taking a picture with Rosie. [Got a bf nd i still get pussy]

John posted a picture in response to Alexander's, the picture featuring him holding a three year old and kissing her cheek. [Got a bf and I still spend all this time with my baby girl <3] He messaged Alexander. [Hey, I'm back at my apartment with Maria's daughter, as you see.]

Alexander smiled brightly and responded. [i c that] [she's almos as cute as u <3]

John chuckled and put her down, letting her color. [Doubt that, but okay.]

Lafayette slid back into the car, putting his phone in his pocket. "How dare you use my daughter for such an obscene joke."

He shrugged. "She made me, Laf. She insisted that I did it."

"Uh huh. Sure." He smiled and drove them to the park.

Alex responded to John's text with a picture of Lafayette sipping his slush as he drove. [Im wit tis bby grl. dont tink i can lift her]

Lafayette pulled up at the park and let Alexander walk Rosie on the harness that he got for her, glad he made sure she wouldn't be able to slip out of it. As soon as they got out of the car, she began sniffing around a bit, though was mostly interested in watching pigeons flying. And a few other birds, Alexander noted.

"Those are wagtails. They bounce around like that to make worms think it's raining so they come up and they can eat them." He smiled as he watched them bounce around, their tails bobbing behind them. "They're called wagtails for obvious reasons."

Lafayette nodded. "You always did have a love for birds."

"They do have fun Wikipedia pages when I'm home and George takes my Xbox away." He smiled as he got a response form John.

[She's cute, I guess, but my baby gets a makeover from her Uncle Johnny <3] [Laf should be jealous.] He sent her a picture of the same baby with her makeup done.

Alexander smiled. "John says you should be jealous." He showed him the picture. "I'm dating a dork."

Lafayette smiled. "I hope you are not just now realizing that. He's especially dorky around kids. And she does look cute."

Alexander nodded and responded. [she luks cute, unkle johnny ; P]

[So do I.] He sent a picture of both of them, now with his own makeup done. [Maybe you could come over and I can do your makeup, too, though I wouldn't be able to make you any cuter.]

Alexander practically squeaked with delight as John responded. "Johnwantsmeover- I mean.." He looked up at Lafayette, smiling sheepishly. "Would you mind?.." He didn't want Laf to think he was just second best, that he only wanted to be with him when he couldn't be with John.

"No, that's completely fine." He smiled. "You haven't seen him all day. I'd ask you the same if Herc asked me to hang out."

Alexander smiled. "Thank you."

Lafayette tugged at Rosie's leash, watching as she leaned forward, more interested in the wagtails. "Come on, Rosie."

She let out a disgruntled mewl, but listened and followed them back to the car.

"You know, I just realized," Lafayette began as he got in, "I don't know where John lives."

"Oh, right. I can tell you which way to-" He was cut off as Rosie jumped over the gear stick and across his lap, escaping through his open door. "I got it!" He jumped out of the car and followed the kitten, who was now more focused on terrorizing a squirrel than her frantic owners. Alexander watched as the squirrel began climbing a tree and hoped that it would discourage the kitten, but no luck. She scaled the tree right behind him, climbing to the highest branches and chasing the squirrel off the end of one of them before finally realizing that it was gone. She sat there on that top branch and licked her paw, completely unaware of what was happening below.

"I should've been watching her more closely, I can't believe I let her do this, how am I going to get her d- What are you doing?" Lafayette had been so busy panicking, he hadn't had much time to notice Alexander pulling off his hoodie and scaling the tree himself.

"I'll be right back," he responded simply as he climbed, his speed being rather impressive. He eventually reached that top branch and carefully placed himself near the trunk before leaning forward and reaching out, grabbing Rosie's harness and pulling her back, much to her displeasure. "Yeah, yeah." He sighed and looked back down at Lafayette, going a bit dizzy. Had he always been that high? "Uh.. Are you any good at catching, Laf?.."

"You'd better not jump! Um... Do you think you can climb down if she's out of your hands?"

Alexander thought for a second and nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay.. This may not work.." he muttered to himself before calling out. "Rosie! Come here, love!"

She may not have listened to Alexander, but she loved Lafayette. Though, instead of climbing down, she leaped out of Alexander's arms, landing safely in Lafayette's open ones.

He quickly put her in his hoodie pocket and tied her leash around one of his belt loops as he watched Alexander climb down, ready to catch him if he had to.

Alexander took a deep breath and began climbing back down, one branch at a time at a steady pace. All seemed well, until a branch snapped beneath his foot. He gasped and clung to the tree trunk, wincing as the broken end dug into his leg, piercing his skin. "Ow, ow, ow, ow.." he whimpered, before taking a deep breath. After all, it was still a long way down. He regained his composure and continued climbing until he was where he started, just a few feet up, and hopped down, Lafayette catching him and managing not to crush Rosie.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! She's my kitten, I should've gone after her instead of panicking."

"Laf, it's," he looked down at the blood on his jeans and gulped, "just a little cut.. I'll be fine.."

Lafayette sighed and took him back to the car, supporting most of his weight. "I'm still sorry... I'll take you home and fix your leg, then take you to John's."

Alexander nodded and let Lafayette help, sighing as they got in the car.

Rosie curled up in his lap, evidently tuckered out from her criminal actions, and Alexander simply allowed it, taking the situation well.

Before, he would've screamed at Lafayette for letting him fall or making him go after her, but he was acting pretty much reasonably right now. It was all the more proof that Alexander was a changed man. He got out his phone and texted John as Lafayette drove them home. [il b ther swn. gota go hoem frst] [may b bleadin, but dnt wory] [im ok. lafs here] [rosy is a demon in kiten from hel] His writing somehow seemed to be a bit more appalling than usual, the pain distracting him.

[What happened? Are you okay?]

[i piked a fite w/ a three nd lost] [il explane wen im @ urs] [dnt panik] [pls]

[A three?] It took John a few seconds to get it. [You fell out of a tree?!]

Lafayette arrived at their house and took Alexander inside to the bathroom, giving him some painkillers before rolling up his pants and fixing up his wound, cleaning it and putting a bandage on it. "Is that better?.."

Alexander stood up, wincing as he put weight on his bad leg, but nodding. "Yeah, that's better. Thanks, Laf."

"Anytime."

Alexander limped back to his room and began packing a bag for things he'd need to stay over at John's apartment: a change of clothes, his books, his laptop, Rosie, his headphones- "Oh no you don't! You've cost me enough trouble today." He grabbed Rosie and took her out of his bag before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder, grabbing his phone. [no, i rely hat mats] [yes i ment tree] He chuckled to himself and followed Lafayette back down to his car. [im on my way, c u sun <3]

[Learn to spell so I can read your texts : P]

Alexander smiled and got in the car with Lafayette, giving him directions to the apartment as he texted. [m4b3 i sh0d tip3 l1k3 d1s 1nst3d] [w@ d0 u th1nk?]

[I think your typing just gave me an aneurysm : P]

He chuckled, then looked up at Lafayette. "Hey.. Do I look okay?.. Like John was with Madison and he dresses smart, so I just want to.. you know?.."

Lafayette nodded. "You look fine. Don't worry. You and I both know that John loves you and not Madison, anyways. He loves you for you and you are the one who makes him happy." He pulled up at John's building. "Go hang out with your dorky boyfriend."

Alexander smiled and leaned across the seat, giving him a hug. "Thanks, Laf.. I needed that." He smiled at him as he pulled away and got out, heading up to the gate and pressing the buzzer for John's apartment. "Delivery! One sappy boyfriend here for a weirdo."

John laughed as he heard the message and got up, responding before buzzing him in. "Great! I've been waiting forever. I don't have any money. I hope you accept payment in cuddles and kisses."

Alexander smiled and went in, heading over to John's apartment and hugging him as he let him in.

"Hey! I've missed you all day. Come in." He smiled and closed the door behind him, the toddler on the floor looking up at the stranger. "Alexander, this is Maria's daughter, Susan. Susie, this is my boyfriend, Alexander."

She smiled and waved. "You can call me Susie, too!"

Alexander nodded and looked between the two, feeling incredibly under dressed. John looked amazing with the makeup and Susie was no less than adorable. "Hi, Susie. You can call me Alex. John was telling me how great you looked with your makeup, but I didn't expect you to be so beautiful."

She smiled widely. "Thank you! He made me pretty, like my mommy. He can make you prettier, too!"

Alexander may not have been one for such feminine things, but he would've had to have been a monster to turn down such an offer. "How could I turn down an offer like that?"

John shook his head and knelt down to Susan's level. "I think he's just saying yes to be polite. Some people don't like makeup, okay?"

"Okay."

He smiled and kissed her cheek, then looked up at Alex. "Sorry.. She's three. She's excitable."

"It's fine. Thanks."

"No problem." He got up as the buzzer rang again, this time there being an actual pizza delivery. "I'll be right back." He left and got the pizza, Susie showing Alexander her coloring pages in the meantime.

He joined her in the kitchen and sat beside her at the counter. "Whatcha coloring?"

"My mommy as a princess! Johnny said that she's too pretty for a princess to look like her in my coloring book, so he drew her for me." He showed him the Disney princess style Maria Lewis in the sketchbook that seemed to be filled with similar drawings for her. "Johnny always makes coloring books for me." She smiled and flipped to another page, this one with John as a Disney prince, and showed her. "I asked him to draw this one because he's my prince."

Alexander smiled and looked at the drawings in awe, once again amazed at John's artwork, this time in the variety of styles he could draw in. He was so amazed that he didn't even notice John coming back in with the food. "John's my prince, too. He's my knight in shining armor with a heart of gold."

"I'm glad to hear that," John said as he placed a plate in front of Alexander.

"Shhiiii-ugar. Sugar. Oh, gosh." Even Alexander knew better than to curse in front of small children. "Looks like his highness has arrived."

"I thought you were my prince!" Susie whined as she finished giggling.

"I am! I'm your prince and Alexander's and my sisters'."

"Oh. Okay." She smiled and began eating, John sitting across the counter from the pair and doing the same.

Alexander stared at his piece, wishing it wasn't so hard for him to eat, especially in front of little Susie. He decided to distract them both from it. "Hey, Susie, want to see a trick?" He smiled and showed her his tongue, which was bright blue from his slushie earlier.

Susie giggled loudly when she saw. "How did you do that?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets." He smiled and began eating his pizza, taking a few small bites.

After everyone finished eating, John scooped up Susie. "It's getting late. Time for you to get ready for bed."

"But I want to stay with Alex," she whined.

"I know, but you have to sleep if you want to grow up and be a big girl. I promise you'll see him again."

"Okay.."

John smiled and took her to the bathroom, giving her a bath and dressing her in pajamas before letting her take over his bed for the night. When he was done with that, he went back to Alexander and sat on the couch with him, pulling him close.

[not-a-luxury]

Signs that I’m healing keep popping up! And I have always been- my self in a constant blessed bedraggled indignant hopeful beautiful wretched pure state of self-repair.

A couple of signs are: being able to overcome nausea from shrooms when it threw me for a ride a year ago, when shrooms sunk me into a deep dark depression a year ago- reflecting a completely different reality

And one more that made me pick up my phone, download tumblr and type this entry out.

Back home I was stuck in perpetual survival mode. Screaming and clinging just to stay where I was. I was getting better I think, gaining power but also just not there yet. I am cycling through past selves. Old me’s- from american high school, singapore secondary school and then junior college- that last one was where i was feeling stuck the whole last year. I felt her hovering, moping, I enjoyed her presence and her yearning and dark tendrils, reliving her stress and isolation and the unbearable routines that kept her going, the lost opportunities and strangled imagination that kept her from pursuing collegiate art, from doing anything sustained but a sport she only enjoyed for its short skirted uniform. Her yearning to fit in, and the I’ll fitting persona she wore- quiet desperation that was not so quiet. The hunger. I really empathize with her. Sweet child. 10 years ago. I am not you, I am you but you are an echo. I have grown around your bones. I have healed and tended to and aggressively defended what was deeply and utterly broken.

I feel more whole than I have in 10 years. That last shroom trip a year ago shook me to my core, it put me off psychedelics for so long. It saved me- from running away from my problems yet again, to a different city, uprooting everything, for the blind pursuit of something that would’ve set me back to the bottom of a ladder, to be unnecessarily vulnerable to the wrong people and institutions. Instead, I am here and better for it.

I haven’t seen her, heard her, walked backwards in her skin for a while. Don’t remember the last time. Yes I feel her aches from time to time - what if I had studied art then? But perhaps I wasn’t ready, perhaps this was all meant to be. I long to paint and create sprawling, vulnerable, living, squelching pieces of art. Maybe I’ll get there someday. Maybe my longings, my dreams will change. I love being in museums because my heart simply sings out.

Oh, to hold onto what makes my heart sing. What is the in between? How can I hold onto that feeling when I’m not painting for that large mirage-future exhibition? To be enough for today. The person I am today.

I am so, so fucking proud of the person im becoming, have become, have always been, will always be. I think that started when I was 22. You wonderful darling thing, thank you.

Another thought that’s been on my mind is this demonic-poison-ivy/languid-but-deadly-water-spirit dual persona. With a mix of ghostly girl. This embrace of darkness. This unrepentant streak of sitting back and not pandering, not a single iota, of not giving undue praise or undeserved meanness- yes that too. The ambivalence and ruthlessness must be precisely aimed.

I feel it in my bones- I am enough, enough. I am. That’s it. I am a manifestation of nature- hungry and full of needs and desires and light and dark and love. I’m not sure about hate- does a tree hate how it’s been split apart by lightning, fated to grow in two directions for for the rest of its life? I don’t think so, I think it loves the earth, loves the microbes, loves the sunshine and the birds that nest in it, loves the heat that flakes its bark. It does not hate the whine of the chainsaw but parts- knowing that it cannot be ended by so trite a thing. That it will continue on in all the things it influenced and sheltered and loved. And yet the tree does not make it easy for the saw.

Oh, to be ever thickening my trunk.

I love her, my college self, I tuck her away inside me- instead of letting her draw me inside her, i pat the seat beside me. Instead of envy- for certain parts of her, and exasperation and regret for others, I say- this is our second chance. We are getting there.

We can do anything we want. We can be led.

And so I’m opening myself up in spirit- to the greater Love that is running the show. Love has always been running the show, my source of self repair, the connective tissue that runs through me and beyond me and before me and that will never end. The most previous thing. Lead me, all of me’s. Languid spirits and demonic girls and college burnouts and failed artist and glimmering dreamer.

Of all my selves I choose you, my previous self today. Attention as the most previous currency. Attention as love. Here we are. No more looking back. Present. Loved. Whole. Enough. Being.

[catsbythegreat]

A Soukoku Fic Rec List From the Authors Themselves!

Hey everyone! This is gonna be a long rec list, so buckle up! My Soukoku Server alongside Chuuya’s Harem have had an event this past week asking Soukoku writers to rec the fics they’re most proud of writing for skk. It can be hard to get recognition in a big fandom, and sometimes as a fic writer it’s hard to feel proud of your work, so we wanted to spread some positivity and visibility while having fic authors be proud of all the hard work they’ve done! 

The submissions we’ve gotten over the past week are amazing! They range from tragedy to angst to fluff to crack and there’s something for everyone. You might know a few of these fics, and a few of them might be new to you, but they all demonstrate our love for soukoku! Here are the fics, with comments from the authors themselves: 

sonderesque

This- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10002131 is an abstract piece that is pretty much just poetry and I actually kinda like it and it'd be amazing if it got checked out, although it is one of my older ones (angst ofc)

And this one- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9912410/chapters/22212713 I'm fond of, because it's Hanahaki and even if it was a gift, I enjoyed writing it a lot, and it was really, really fun to write

Oh my- here's one of the most stupid things I have ever written- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wkiRRumJYd_67P1XuOXLZn7b6ANSDdTLvx6QLZiZw0M/edit?usp=sharing Dedicated to @Rose and it's a piece of crack and ridiculousness.

@kageyamas-mom

This is a piece I wrote when a certain someone wanted to do a fic trade (I wrote angst for her, she wrote fluff for me) - it's an introspective thing from Chuuya's POV. I enjoyed writing it! http://archiveofourown.org/works/8578450

crimson-snowdrift

These fics have been submitted for SKK Week, Days 1, 2, and 6 respectively. All of these are fluff Soukoku fics and I consider them as my best works so far (in my 1 month of going back to writing lol) and I hope you'll enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Wish - http://archiveofourown.org/works/11304546 (Chuuya reminisces that time eight years ago, when he first attended a festival with Dazai.)

Hanami - http://archiveofourown.org/works/11314278 (Dazai appreciates some of the many things he loves about Chuuya.)

Musings - http://archiveofourown.org/works/11362332 (Dazai's thoughts on Chuuya, inspired with quotes from his real life counterpart. Has a chapter 2 ready, this time from Chuuya's POV)

@kiimone

henlo henlo these are my three favorite skk fics and they might be a little (very) shitty but they're the best ones i got!! i hope you enjoy~

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11171838 this one is a recent one and a greek mythology au abt dazai being a merchant and chuuya being a sea nymph! they fall slowly in love and care abt each other a lot (pain level: 2/10)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10841241 this is a fic that im most proud of!! it was a commission fic about chuuya having scars from using corruption for too long and hating his own image but dazai helping him get through it by showing him his own scars (pain level: 100000/10)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9848708 this was VERY long ago but it was a fic for rose on valentine's day abt a fantasy au! chuuya is a white mage and dazai is a wyvern-riding cavalier who always gets himself in trouble!! they fight demons and monsters together while on a quest to find an abandoned city (pain level: 3/10)

Daanny

these are both old ish

http://archiveofourown.org/works/7919491 - chuuya and dazai make an agreement, it's pretty straightforward lol - the description in the first bit of story was rlly pretty and i spent a lot of time trying to create the flow

http://archiveofourown.org/works/8249605 - soulmate AU and hanahaki AU - used a number of symbolisms thru story also flower language is pretty yeah

@fraink5

I'm going to casually leave my fics here: 

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9942896 “Bah Humbug”- Christmas by Himself this Year - Summary:  Dazai thought he would be spending Christmas alone until he ran into Chuuya, who he supposes is better company than no one. pls I know it's a Christmas fic, but it's my first Soukoku fic, and I'm proud.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11308074 Trust Fall - Summary: '“Don’t worry; you can trust me.” Dazai assured Chuuya, who was at this point already falling. Chuuya tumbled forcefully into Dazai’s extended arms. He squirmed briefly but quickly gave up upon realizing that he could not escape. Chuuya and Dazai had their own trust fall, which worked most of the time.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11336511/chapters/25372383 Conqueror - Summary: After the death of his father, Chuuya inherits the role of the shogun, the most powerful man in Feudal Japan. On the other hand, Dazai is the emperor, a position which holds little to nothing besides money. In their various encounters, Dazai has his heart set on one thing: control of the shogunate. Historical AU. Also my first multi-chapter fic.(edited)

@maiea-maiea

Okay so....... 

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10829463/chapters/24033585 - This is probably my most popular fic, "Leather" it's nicknamed The Ass Fic, becuase it's basically all about how much Dazai loves Chuya's perfectly shaped, firm and pert ass. It's a wip at 11chapters so far. However, I treat this like a sitcom fic, each chapter is like an episode of a comedy show.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10742775/chapters/23813706 - This is "The Seasons" and my first multichapter fic I had ever written. Most people who follow and read my humour fics would probably find this a bit weird because this is legitimately a 5 chapter romance fic sorta slow burn skk. It's based on an ADA tempered Dazai coming back and taking the helm of the Port Mafia, (sorta mentioning he's reforming it), with the focus on him realizing he's maybe in love with Chuya. And I aged them up here so it's my take on how older and more mature skk can get together and actually make a healthy relationship.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11009571 - "The Redhead Gets The Upperhand" - I was conflicted on which fic to choose for my third. I have 3 fave oneshots, and I know some of the others are funnier (I have been so told, haha), but I feel like I really got the pacing of my humour writing the best in here. It's basically Chuya playing Dazai and Dazai knowingly and willingly playing along. I had fun with the idea that Chuya sends Dazai increasingly risque selfies while Dazai is at work during the day. XD

𝓐𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭 (Asher Blackwood)

This is Gospel

  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9386330/chapters/21248921 - Description; Okay so I have several fics, all of which are pretty fortunately well-regarded (thanks!), but this one is my first and is by a mile my favorite. Inline with canon and captures the way that I think modern SKK works, with both of them kind of orbiting around each other due to being so closely attached as children but without necessarily being very affectionate. Also, Chuuya gets the upper hand and does not die.

@ch-ch-ch-chuuya ( @hybridempresswriting ) 

“You Won’t Lose Me (So Don’t Leave Me Behind)” http://archiveofourown.org/works/9352388 I don’t actually expect anyone to read this all this week because it is a multi-chap fic but it is the one that I am the most proud of. It’s the first multi-chap fic that I’ve ever successfully completed, the word count makes it about as long as the third Harry Potter book, and it was written for my friend Lady based on our soukoku rp where Dazai convinces Chuuya to join the ADA. It’s my proudest work, I love it more than anything. 

“Fair Enough” http://archiveofourown.org/works/9054943 My longest oneshot ever and something I am particularly proud of because tealillie recced it which absolutely made my day. It’s a flowershop AU with a twist--Dazai is still a detective and Chuuya is an ex-convict, and Chuuya gets it bad for this detective; so bad he develops the hanahaki disease.

“Absolutely Ridiculous” http://archiveofourown.org/works/9607931 a bit short and fluffy about how Chuuya and Dazai like to take baths together. This is what really got me into wanting to write more fluff about these two and I just think it’s really funny? I’m very proud of it.

@leio13

Yo! Here are my fics! (I had four actually, but oh well, one of them is barely soukoku anyway): 

Snow Day(http://archiveofourown.org/works/8838169): Chuuya notices a mysterious brunette collapse in the snow. "the stranger collapsed. He fell face-first into the two-feet snow blanket. Amused, Chuuya watched for a minute, waiting for the strange brunette to push himself out of the snow, but he didn’t, and snow began to lightly accumulate onto the back of his thin brown jacket. Oh shit…"

Still Alive(http://archiveofourown.org/works/11260242): It's Dazai's birthday, and Chuuya finally decides to give him what he wants. "Chuuya inhaled slowly, his breath trembling between his lips, and reentered the apartment. He strolled into the bedroom, sweat dripping down his forehead. 'Okay, Dazai. I’m ready.' "'Okay, Chuuya.' Dazai lay still on the white sheets with a small angelic smile gracing his face. He had even changed into a suit for the occasion. It all hurt Chuuya so much."

The Secret Garden (http://archiveofourown.org/works/11070258/chapters/24687762): Dazai, the son of a rich lord, stumbles upon a servant in the courtyard, but the servant isn't supposed to be there. What will happen next? (a multi-chapter fic in the works) "Amongst the array of wild flowers, blooming festively in a multitude of colors, Dazai spotted the most novel specimen leaning flush against the large, vine coiled trunk of one of the several trees that shaded the area. Dazai crept closer. The creature, which he soon reasoned was one of the younger servants, had bright, unkempt hair that fell to his shoulders in messy curls. The boy had the palest skin Dazai had ever seen, almost as pale as the sanguinaria planted nearby, and was currently asleep. Small splotches of sunlight waltzed across his innocent face through the leaves. It was a sight Dazai wouldn’t dare disturb if his curiosity and longing for novelty had been any less overwhelming."(edited)

@unfortunatesylveon

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11390715 Hey everyone, this is my first and only fic I've written. I'm genuinely proud of it ^^

@kevindxy

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11363979  this is the skk fic that i'm happiest with because it's apocalyptic themed and i think i captured the mood of it better than i usually do in my writing ^^

@catsbythegreat

"the beautiful various dreams" http://archiveofourown.org/works/11249238 is a coma au that I thought about for a while and I really like how it turned out because I was scared for a while of trying to write dreams and reality mixing together. 

"Mistake" http://archiveofourown.org/works/10609371 I really enjoyed writing this idea that working in the Mafia has effects and dealing with the effects in a place where you can't show weakness is incredibly hard. This one also had a weird format that I had to plan a lot, and I was happy to pull it together. 

"Once More" http://archiveofourown.org/works/8897146/chapters/20391742 I don't expect people to read this because it's long af but it's basically my love letter to SKK and exploring their relationship and it's also one of the few longfics that I've actually seen through to a conclusion. So I'm proud that I finished it. It wasn't meant to be a longfic.

Kelly 

"And I Will Chase You Forever, If That's What It Takes" http://archiveofourown.org/works/11354586 This is my favourite fic I did for skk week.  I put a lot into it.  It's pretty Chuuya centric with lots of young soukoku and it looks at how Chuuya deals with the imbalance between him and Dazai.  (Also I'm a sucker for happy endings, even when they're mine)

"Winter Wonderland" http://archiveofourown.org/works/9102799 This is the purest fluff I have ever managed to write.  Nobody suffers at all, which in and of itself is an accomplishment.  Plus I had a great time writing it!

"Needs" http://archiveofourown.org/works/8541640 I like the different interactions in this one.  Lots of Chuuya hurting and Dazai comforting.  It highlights a softer side to Dazai and shows how aspects of their dynamic developed.

 @cyuya-nakahara

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10768806 You're Insufferable (We're Inseparable) this one is really important to me because it's a detailed look at the growth of their relationship, and is intended to cover everything. it's an intrinsic look at both sides.

 http://archiveofourown.org/works/10657617 A Typical Tuesday Night This one is a oneshot, set in the same verse as yiwi. I'm really proud of how it came out, the feelings I wanted to convey are, I feel, very well represented.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10817004 A Different Sort Of Dance I really like the interactions I write in this one. it's on going and on pause, but I think what's there is worth a read. I like my writing and description in this one.

[imagine-darksiders]

Could you maybe do a scenario with all our beloved Horsemen and their not yet s/o right before they leave they're human companion to confront a particularly dangerous boss? Like before War leaves to fight Straga while his s/o remains with Azrael and they throw their arms around him and tell him to comeback alive, because they can't stand to lose him too but with all the Horsemen? Pretty please and thanks a bunch for being you! Wishing you a great day, plenty of inspiration!

Thanks for the sweet message, I need all the inspiration i can get Im so tireddd xxxx

Nothing lasts forever,Forever is a lie. All we have is what’s betweenA Hello and Goodbye….

Death: “This is it, isn’t it?” You whisper tiredly up at the even tireder looking horseman beside you. 

“….Yes,” he sighs down, “I believe it is.” 

The pair of you are standing at the base of the Tree of Life’s trunk. The fight with Absolom, the fight that you knew was coming but never thought would actually arrive is finally upon you. 

You move forward to enter the dark tunnel, but you’re stopped by Death suddenly grabbing the back of your jumper. You twist your head around to look up at him with a questioning gaze.

“You’re staying here,” he states sternly, “with the Crowfather.” 

Of course. 

On your way to the tree, Death had made you swear that you wouldn’t try to interfere with his fight against Absolom, and although you’re far from happy about it, you know you’ve really little choice in the matter. There’s no way the horseman is letting you through that door. 

Grimacing, you give him a reluctant nod and he releases your garment, striding past you towards the large, stone doorway. But this time, he is stopped by you grabbing his hand and snaking your fingers through his own. 

The horseman pauses, but doesn’t pull away. Instead, he lets out a soft sigh as he turns fully to look down at you. Suddenly under the scrutiny of your best friend, you tighten your grip on his hand but cast your eyes down at his boots. 

“Can- can you…” you let out a shaky breath, desperately trying to force the tears back into your eyes, “Can you do me a favour?” You look up to find that he’s nodding for you to continue. 

“I hate asking for you to do something else for me, you’ve already done so much. But….” You choke suddenly, your throat going tight and throbbing, “Promise me. Promise me you’ll be okay?” 

Death sighs yet again, this one much longer and much sadder than before. 

“I’m afraid I don’t deal in promises, little one.” He says in a quiet, gentle voice. 

“Well then…Tell me,” you demand, “Tell me you’ll be okay.” The words come out sounding like a pained whine and you bite the inside of your cheek to stop the tears that now drip down your chin like water falling off tree leaves. 

Death regards you with maddeningly kind eyes. You almost want to hit him, to tell him to stop being so damned understanding all the time. But you’re so tired, tired of all of this. “You know what happens after all of this?” He asks, knowing full well that its all you’ve been thinking about for days. 

With a solemn nod, you answer miserably, “I know. I just want…” you give an exasperated sigh before continuing, “I want to be able to say goodbye.” 

Death’s eyes glint with the remnants of remorse. “There may not be time.” 

“Then MAKE time!” Suddenly, you snap up at him, almost immediately regretting saying that so harshly. But you’re scared for him. 

Instead of looking hurt or shocked, Death nods to you, “Of course.” He whispers, raising a hand to straighten out the sleeve of your crumpled jumper. He’s playing for time, you realise. He wants me to say something now. 

Without a second thought, you throw yourself forward and wrap your arms tightly around the horseman’s waist, burying your face into the cold skin of his chest. Death doesn’t make a sound and doesn’t miss a beat as one of his hands rests against the back of your head, pressing you deeper into him and the other lingers delicately in the small of your back, sharp fingernails lightly grasping the fabric of your top.

“Please be alright, I love you,” you mumble into him, “I think I might really love you. You’re gonna be fine.” Whether you’re reassuring yourself or him is up for debate, but right now, he simply allows himself to revel in this final, caring contact you’re giving him. There’s a dull ache in his chest where a heart might be found when you tell him you love him. ‘It’s a good ache’, he thinks.

War: War strolls forward to stand before Azrael, glaring up at the angel as he demands that he open the way to the last of the Chosen.. Azrael nods with an air of finality, raising his hands towards the floor, but with a flicker of his eyes, he notices you standing behind War, looking as though you’re fighting to keep yourself from falling apart. 

“Hmm….War,” the angel begins, lowering his hands, “I believe there’s someone who wants to wish you ‘good luck’ first…” War follows Azrael’s gaze to rest on your tiny, sad form. You’re shaking and biting your lip painfully hard as you scrub some dried blood off your face. The horseman pulls his lips back into a sympathetic grimace, closing the gap between you and pushing a large, metal finger underneath your chin. He gently forces it into the air and your watery eyes finally meet his soft blue ones. 

You swallow whilst he waits, gazing into your eyes with a fierce brightness that almost makes you look away again. But instead, you hold his eyes with your own and whisper, sadly, “Don’t go…” 

War furrows his brow, “I must, Y/n. Straga-” 

“I don’t want you to go, I don't want to lose someone else that I love.” You whimper, finally letting the tears spill over your lower eyelids to roll steadily down your face. The horseman’s look softens significantly. He hesitantly looks to Azrael, as though needing guidance from the angel in what he should do next. Whilst he’s looking away, he suddenly feels small hands stretch their way around his stomach, nearly touching at his back but not quite being able to reach all the way around his girth. War looks down, seeing you with your face pressed to the armour just below his breastplate. Fingers twitching uncertainty, War ends up stroking a thumb over your hair and softly patting you on the shoulder with his other hand in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture.

War clenches his teeth at the thought of leaving you, temporarily or otherwise, so turning to Azrael, he mutters, “If anything happens to Y/n whilst I’m dealing with Straga��.” 

“I can assure you,” Azrael bows his head towards you, “no harm shall come to the child under my watch.” 

War returns the nod, before slowly backing up, forcing you to relinquish your tight grip. As he turns and begins to head down the steps, you call out to him,”Please come back, War!” He pauses and looks over his shoulder at you. Blinking back tears, you offer him a wobbly smile, “I’m running quite low on friends nowadays….” 

Strife: You all but throw yourself at Strife when he turns to bid you a temporary farewell. He lets out a startled grunt as you collide into him and your arms grip his neck that would likely be painful to anyone else. But to Strife, it provides the utmost comfort. He sighs and wraps his own arms around your back, suspending you in the air while he leans backwards to make your face meet his. Your forehead comes close to his and he presses his forward to bump into it affectionately. 

“Hey, what gives, small fry?” He teases, looking playfully into your eyes as they brim with unshed tears. “Why the waterworks?” 

You shake your head dismally as he gently lowers you to the ground again. You raise a hand to flick a stray tear away from your face as you look up at him with a stern expression on your face.

“Do you promise me you’ll come back?” You ask, hands clasped before you in a pleading gesture. Strife’s eyes widen briefly and you watch a smirk flit onto his face. 

“What’re you talkin’ about, huh? Course I’m comin’ back.” He reaches up to rustle your hair and knuckle your chin. You pout up at him but can’t help the smile that tugs at your lips. He’s always been an expert at cheering you up, making you feel like everything would be alright in the end. 

Still, this is going to be one of the toughest fights he’d face, he wouldn’t even let you in the vicinity, opting to make you stay back and wait for him somewhere safe. 

“How come you’re so worried about me anyway?” He raises a brow to emphasise the question, one which you can answer without missing a beat. “Because I love you, Strife. You’re probably the best friend I’ve had in a long time and I’m not too keen on losing yet another person I care about.” 

Strife grins with a cocksure look about him. “Shucks, Y/n. Now you’ve gone and made me feel guilty about havin’ a death wish.” He chuckles, but you’re still sombre. 

“Strife,” you murmur, catching his lively eyes that crinkle at the corners reassuringly, “just….Just make sure you do. Come back, I mean.” Looking up at him shyly, you try your best to keep the tangible worry from your voice. But Strife simply lowers his head, peering at you through half lidded eyes. There’s a beat of silence before he says something and it’s so out of character for him, you almost blanch.  

“I’m not leaving you alone here, promise. I’m gonna come back, cause I gotta, for you.” The sincerity in his tone is as moving as it is unnerving and you can’t help the stunned expression that envelops your features. 

With a wink, Strife whirls about and lopes off towards his quarry, leaving you standing in the dying light of the sun, praying for his safe return. 

Fury: It had been a very tense argument about why you weren’t allowed to go with her to fight this particular demon. You were both adamant that you wanted to protect the other, you by helping her kill her target, and she by keeping you as far from it as possible. 

The stalemate lasted for hours until finally, you caved. She looked so tired and worried that you told her you’d stay behind. But you were livid about having to do so. 

“I know.” She whispered, brushing the back of her fingers across your cheek, “But this is not a creature that I can protect you from, not like I can with those we’ve faced together so far.” 

Her brief explanation did very little to console you, so Fury placed both of her hands behind your head at the base of your neck and pulled your head forwards until her soft, plump lips met your brow.

“You are so brave, Y/n. So very brave...” She trails off when you rest your hands on her forearms and rub your thumbs along her exposed skin there. You let out a miserable sound as she pulls away, your hands sliding down her arms to grasp both of the horseman’s hands tightly. Fury laughs, suddenly you can’t stop thinking that this could be the last time you ever heard it. 

Fury begins to back away, slowly letting her arms stretch out in front of her, finally letting go with one and turning away from you slightly. Your remaining hand still laced with her own starts to slip slowly from her grasp, your fingers and hers are outstretched until only the very tips are touching…. Then she lets go completely, turning fully from you now she summons her horse and mounts up.

With cold, cruel tears pouring from your eyes, you reach towards her, “Fury!” She turns briefly to glance back down into your face, her brows creasing sadly at your own anguish. “I love you..” you whisper, so quietly you cant be sure she actually heard you. But judging by the way her golden eyes flash brightly and her lips stretch wide into a joyous grin, you feel your doubt slide away, leaving only enough room for hope. 

“And I love you, dear one.”