#might stream tomorrow to force myself to finish some more if my internet is up to the task

[ask-wiggles]

First up from my recent batch of Uberization commissions! @theemikoponies​‘s Milky White has become a little less pure thanks to a certain evil smoke cloud.

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind In this darkness which you know you cannot fight The darkness of the music of the night

[nevertheless-moving]

Pop Star Wars AU: Waking

Drabble set in this au which I wrote way back a few weeks ago.

Back then, I had only recently decided to look up my tumblr password for a third attempt at being an appreciative fandom community member instead of just trying to think really hard at internet strangers, and maybe shout into the void a little. (But there’s like, several people here now??? How did you even find me on the internet? )

Anyway I have since learned how to spell Anakin’s name and insert links. Also that if you resize your window while typing directly into tumblr everything disappears.

Self Indulgent Crack Pop Star Wars Time Travel Fixit (star wars au no 3):

After several years of exile in the Jundland Wastes, Ben Kenobi had not quite finished mentally unpacking the decades of mistakes, grief, and failure that had led him to the desert. It was the work of a lifetime, and some days were harder than others. But after several forays in and out of alcoholism, spice addiction, and every other form of geographically-accessible self-destruction, he could at least say that some days were easier. 

The process was no doubt made more difficult by the abject solitude. Unlike the chaotic years that constituted the fall of the Republic, he had all too much time to think, and no one around to share his thoughts with. He closed his eyes in the dark of his hut, thoughts drifting between past and future. 

The past was as ugly and lovely as ever. The larger future didn’t look much better, but he could find some joy in the thought of tomorrow and fresh bantha milk when the herd roamed near. Owen was always much less begrudging of his presence when he came with an offering, and Beru would likely invite him to stay for noon meal where he would share in fresh cheese as Luke rambled about his plans to fix-up a junked speeder bike.

The thought of Luke’s happiness at the treat allowed him enough peace of mind to meditate more deeply.

He carefully broke off a piece of unfair-bitterness from his larger loving-grief. The bitterness he released into the force. The grief he turned over and soothed until its edges dissolved. He accepted it, now smoother if not smaller, laying it to rest alongside his hard-earned wisdom and unfinished poetry.

Tired, but fractionally lighter, Ben Kenobi drifted to sleep.

He opened his eyes to the first rays of daylight peeking in his temple chambers.

The room was intimately familiar. For a few years they were Ashoka’s, on the rare occasion she found herself temple-side and in want of privacy but not complete solitude. For a solid decade before her, the chambers were Anakin’s, though he was quick enough to accept the common room couch when Ashoka entered their life. And before that...they were his. That was his model rocket on the shelf, and his astronomical mobile hanging from the ceiling, and his robes scattered on the floor, though they hadn’t been arranged as such in this room since his apprenticeship with Qui-Gon. He sat up. 

Glad he had put energy into meditation last night, he used the lingering clarity of mind to try and work through possible explanations. 

Vivid Dream? No a quick pinch to his inner elbow debunked that, as well as the fact that the morning taste in his mouth was more the minty tang of denti-cleaner, rather than the saltiness of dried meat which he had grown accustomed to.

Hallucinogenic mushroom flashback? Possible, though it still wouldn’t explain the detail of physical sensations he felt, running his hand from the temple-spun linens on his bed to the warm-carved wood of his bedside table. He stood and did a perfect forward flip in place. Shockingly his knees didn’t ache at impact, but a drug induced hallucination of this intensity would have some sort of impact on his equilibrium, and he felt perfectly balanced, at least physically.

Force vision seemed most likely. Sinking into cross-legged meditation, he gradually lowered his mental shields. There was no whisper of Vader or Palpatine anywhere near Hutt space at this time, so the risk of reaching out was both manageable and necessary. Rather than the pure energy he personally associated with intense visions, he felt gradients of light, echoing ripples of emotions, and the unique solidity of force-imbued stone walls.

Heart beginning to race as reality set in, Ben concluded that he was, indeed, in the Jedi temple on Courascant. Even if he had suffered a complete psychotic break, his force sense couldn’t lie with such crystal clear detail. Confused unreality mixed with images of the past and future, sure. But this was the temple. It just was. 

He couldn’t make sense of it. Even if he had somehow been found, drugged, and transported to the heart of the empire, the rooms as he sensed them didn’t exist anymore. The contents were lost or burnt, the stone walls destroyed and rebuilt into a wing of the Imperial Palace.

Obi-Wan sank deeper into the force and reached out further, searching for he answers. In general, the force felt light, the shroud of the darkside was a hazy irritation in the distance, not a smothering blanket. The manifold wounds in the force formed by senseless war and destruction were absent. Also gone were the tang of grief and loss that he had begun to associate with the temple’s signature even before- even before the purge.

The temple was also full to the brim with tens of thousands of lights in the living force. He reached out to them incredulously, nudging many just to feel a living, sentient response. The last time he remembered feeling so many Jedi all in the temple at the same time was...well, when he still lived in this room. The nearest living force sensitive presence was achingly familiar, though notably and unquestioningly living. He could feel the presence moving nearer and retreated, pulling himself fully back into his body.

The only explanation that fit was that he had suddenly, miraculously, inexplicably traveled back in time. 

He half ran to his closet, opening the door with a yank to reveal a full length mirror. A once-familiar, 25-year old padawan stared back with visible shock. Of course his knees didn’t hurt, this body hadn’t yet been broken and abused by knighthood, war, and Tatooine. His hands examined the smooth chin, the unwrinkled forehead, and even the terrible, terrible haircut.

Obi-wan startled at a knock at his door, freezing in place. 

“Padawan?” Came Qui-Gon Jinn’s voice softly, “I don’t intend to pull you out of meditation prematurely, but is there a particular reason you were sprawling over the temple this morning? You startled me somewhat. To be perfectly honest, I think you might have alarmed a few people around the temple, I’ve already received messages from council telling me to reign in my padawan before he hurts himself.” 

Qui-Gon sounded more amused than reprimanding, and he paused, clearly waiting for an answer. 

Obi-Wan’s jaw locked up. What could he say? How could he even to begin to explain what had happened? He sank to floor, head pressed to the ground and tears silent streaming down his face. All he could do was offer to the force were words, the feelings could come later Thank you. Thank youThankyouthankyouTHANKYOU. 

For whatever reason, the force had granted him a second chance. Regardless if it was intended as punishment, gift, or inexplicable chance, he would build a better future than the one he left behind. 

“Padawan?” Qui-Gon knocked again, sounding concerned, “Are you alright? If you don’t answer I’m going to have to come in there.”

And all at once he had flipped back to not enough time to think and too many people needing his attention.

Obi-Wan managed to open his mouth to call out some meaningless assurance, intent on gaining more time to process the fantastical situation. Much to his surprise, what came out was a strangled, keening sob. Qui-Gon burst through the door. 

Obi-Wan realized, with a little embarrassment, that he was curled up practically into a ball on the floor, tears streaming in a shocking waste of water. It was probably not the most dignified, nor the most reassuring position for Qui-Gon to walk in on. 

Qui-Gon rushed to his side, pulling him up by the shoulders to frantically look him over. “What happened?” he demanded, “Are you hurt? Did something go wrong while you were meditating and you were trying to reach out for help?”

Obi-Wan smiled at the barrage of questions. He had almost forgotten that on the rare occasions when Qui-Gon’s perfect Jedi serenity broke, he became somewhat counterproductively intense. 

“I’m alright, Master,” he tried to say, but what came out was more of a croaking, “MNNrlerR.” 

This predictably, only increased Qui-Gon’s concern.

To Obi-Wan’s deep consternation, he was dragged by Qui-Gon to the healer’s wing. He remained quiet during the examination, not wanting to risk whatever was compromising his ability to speak. It could be readjusting to his younger body, or a manifestation of the admittedly great emotional shock he was still experiancing. Or simple lack of practice- it had been several weeks since he had last heard the sound of his own voice, from a certain point of view.

After finding no physical cause for concern, Master Vyr asked Qui-Gon to wait outside.

“Padawan Kenobi?” The Tortugan healer asked gently. “Your Master seems quite insistent that something is wrong. Would you like to discuss what the problem seems to be?”

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and was relieved when his voice came out smooth and under his control, “I’m alight, Master. I apologize for disruption. I experienced a... particularly strong vision when I woke up this morning, and temporarily lost control over myself. I’m already feeling more stable. I believe I simply need to meditate on what I’ve seen. My master unfortunately came in while I was dealing with some of the emotional aftermath.

“I see,” Vyr responded. “Did you experience this vision before or after your expansive foray into the force? I understand a surprising swath of the temple felt your presence press against them this morning.”

“I reached out after,” Obi-Wan admitted. “My vision was...particularly dark. I felt the need to ground myself with the presence of other Jedi. I’ll make certain to apologize to anyone I may have startled.”

Eventually he was cleared with the strict instruction to stick with shallow meditation for the next few days as well as a strong recommendation to seek out Master Yoda, Sifo-Dryfas, or one of the other Master known to experience visions. 

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walked back to their quarters together in a peaceful quiet. It wasn’t until the door clicked behind them that Qui-Gon rounded on his padawan.

“What vision could possibly have left you in such distress?”

Obi-Wan walked to the kitchenette to make tea, stalling before answering. “You have always told me to stay focused on the present, Master”

Qui-Gon frowned. “Yes, however this...vision seems to have altered you somehow. You are grieved by it.”

“Yes. But what I grieve may never come to pass.” 

It won’t come to pass. I might not know his every tool, but I do know Sideous’s biggest secret, and I WILL stop him.

“Will you not tell me what you saw?” Qui-Gon asked, sounding somewhat hurt.

Obi-Wan poured the hot water carefully, feeling torn. If he told Qui-Gon everything... would he believe him? Perhaps, eventually but...what would become of Anakin, still just a boy? And the moment he knew of Palpatine’s evil...he knew Qui-Gon. He would favor the direct approach, underestimating the sheer breadth of the trap the sith had laid (Obi-Wan himself lived through it and only began to understand long after it had closed).

“I saw...a great shadow fall over the republic.”

He sat at the table, relishing in the simple pleasure of pouring a cup for Qui-Gon and himself from a shared pot.

Qui-Gon cradled his mug in his hands. “I see. Nothing specific?”

“Your death. At the hands of a tool of darkness. You ran ahead...” Obi-Wan took a scorching sip to stop himself. “It was foolish. Unnecessary. And I was forced to fight alone without you.

Qui-Gon set the tea down to stroke his beard in thought. “Well. I have no great desire to die. While I make no promises, I will endeavor to avoid leaving you behind ‘unnecessarily.’”

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan replied, over sincere. 

They drank in peaceful silence. It was interrupted by a shrill noise from Qui-Gon’s comm.

“I’ve just received a personal request from the Chancellor to immediately assist in negotiations with a Trade Federation blockade around Naboo. Are you feeling up to it?”

“You know, I think I am”

[thatoneitaliangirl]

Obey Me! Soulmate AU Lucifer 2

Sorry, I kind of dropped off the face of the earth for a hot minute there. I’m just going through some stuff, don’t mind me!~ I really hope you like this. I was planning on making it longer, but I felt like I left it off at a good place. I think I may finish off each story one by one, since I’m on a roll with Lucifer’s story, but it depends on my mood. I may start on Mammon’s part 2 soon, so you never know! Next part is either Lucifer part 3 or Mammon part 2 lol. I really hope you like it!!! 

________________________________________

When I was a little girl, scary movies always excited me. I would get on my hands and knees to beg my mother to let me watch them, even if I knew I'd have nightmares. There was just something about being scared but not being in danger that really made me happy. As I got older, it became an obsession. Horror movie posters littered my walls, and all other kinds of merchandise, some even rare items, surrounded me in my day to day life. But what always made my day was ghost stories. Some classic bumps in the night, others intense cases of demonic possession. Eventually, movies weren't enough of a thrill. I needed the real thing.

 _______________________________________________________

 "Are you sure about this, _____? I mean, I know you're into that freaky shit, but this is getting a little too real for me." _____'s best friend Monica says, holding herself in her arms.

"Oh please, Monny! It's just a little ghost hunt. Nothing to be worried about!" Her golden eyes widen as she gawks at her friend.

"Nothing to worry about? Girly, you know damn well I don't do ghost shit. That's all you, my friend, and honestly, I don't feel like dying before graduating high school!" _____ rolls her eyes, but this doesn't stop her friend's ramblings.

"You're following the information given to you by some rando on the internet you only met last week- he's probably leading you into a trap! This is one of those cases you see on HLN where the young, unexpecting girls get taken to be sex trafficked."

"We're not gonna die. And it's not even confirmed that there are ghosts here," _____ lifts up the broken chain-link fence and motions for her friend to enter.

"Wait, we're going through all this trouble and you’re not even sure if it's actually haunted?! Are you kidding me?"

"Look, if you're that much of a scaredy-cat, you can wait outside. I just want to snap a few pictures to post on my blog." Biting her lip and shifting from side to side, Monica weighs her options.

"Okay, fine. Just don't take forever. My mom wants us back before dark," Monica says, pouting.

"And don't call me a scaredy-cat!"  _____ smirks.

"Okay, okay . . . Scaredy-cat!" She laughs, lightly jogging away from her friend and towards the abandoned building. With her flashlight in hand, _____ sneaks around the back under some fallen tree-limbs and clicks her tongue.

"If I remember right, the guy said it would be about . . . Here!" Finding the boarded window she was looking for, _____ slides the board up and enters the hole. She drops down into a dark room, the only light seeping in through the cracks in the worn wood covering the window. Quickly turning on her flashlight, the young girl takes a look around what appears to be the basement of the run-down house.

"He seemed to have left out the fact that my little 'tour' would start in the basement, but I can work with this." _____ takes a deep breath and scans the area. Besides some creepy old toys, nothing really interests her here.

So, she finds the door leading upstairs and slowly makes her way up the creaking wood. The leaky pipes and several rainstorms since the abandonment of the house have not been kind to the drywall and wood structuring. Reaching the top, _____ shines her flashlight around, taking in the once white walls of the family room, now covered in mold.

"A little Damp-rid would do this house some wonders, I'm sure." Her camera flashes as she takes her first shot, making sure to get in the ripped couch and fallen portraits. Had vandals and old age not did their thing, this house would have been in perfect condition.

"The people living here just up and abandoned it with no warning. Seems . . . Suss if you ask me.” She scrunches her face and shrugs.

"Alright, let's do some exploring." Shaking off her shakes of anticipation, _____ ascends the stairs leading to the second floor with caution. Despite her lack of fear for the paranormal, she still fears falling through the dampened wood flooring and having to explain to her mother why she's in the hospital getting tested for tetanus. A sudden sound above her makes her stop for a moment, halting the loud creaking of the stairs.

"What the Hell . . . ?" What sounds like a light tapping across the floor above slowly moves forward toward the stairs and ending at the door at the end of the hall. She shines her flashlight there, but it begins to flicker and dim.

"Shit! I just changed these batteries!" She bats it with her palm, but it does nothing as it fades away. The hinges of the door screech as it slowly begins to open, so slow that it's barely visible. What little light is streaming through the cracks of the boarded windows seems to almost be absorbed by the darkness inside the bedroom. _____ gets closer to the door, feeling an immense pull to open it and go inside. Her goal of capturing pictures long gone from her mind as she reaches out and touches the handle.

"_____! Are you done yet?!" Her friend yelling to her from outside startles her and she removes her hand. She releases a breath she didn't know she was holding and tilts her head to yell back.

"Uh, Yeah, almost! Be right out!" Her feet tap against the wood flooring as she descends the stairs, but pauses and takes a look back at the door all the way at the end of the hall.

"It'll only take a second . . . " She says to herself, never removing her eyes from the darkness within.

"Come on, _____! We're losing daylight!" Biting her lip, she lifts her camera and snaps a few photos before running back to the basement and out of the small window. Just as her friend said, the sun is almost below the horizon.

"Oh shit."

"Oh, shit is right! Let's get out of here!"

 ________________________________________________________

 Growing up the way I did, I never really thought too much about what that day meant. Though every once in a while, I find myself thinking about that house. Monica and I left that town not long after we graduated, but the longing I have to go back has nothing to do with homesickness.

"Hey, look! I never thought I'd be seeing these pictures again!" Monica laughs, holding up the small box filled with photos from _____'s old camera.

"Is that prom?" She asks, making her way over to Monica with curiosity.

"I think so," She holds up more photos of the two girls in dresses holding hands with a boy and another girl.

"It has to be. Look, there's Jonah!" _____ rolls her eyes and groans.

"God, I hoped I would never have to see his face again. Burn the pictures!"

"No!" Monica holds the photos to her chest protectively.

"Just because you hated your date, doesn't mean I hated mine!" _____ laughs.

"True. Okay, you can keep 'em! I have all these on a hard drive somewhere, so I'll have plenty of memories!" The smile on Monica's face slowly begins to fall at _____'s words.

"Do you really have to go? I know I've said this like a thousand times, but how do you know you can trust this man?" It's understandable that Monica is concerned. I mean, most people would be if their best friend meets a guy and less than a month later moves out with them.

"I'll be fine. I promise. And I'll write all the time!" Monica groans.

"Exactly, you'll write! I mean, where even is this place that you're going, huh? No cell service, no internet? It's like this guy is taking you completely off the grid, and that's what worries me. He's not forcing you to do this, is he? Cause if he is-!" _____ grabs Monica's shoulders and looks her in the eye.

"Nobody's forcing me to do anything! I love him . . . Perhaps it's a little fast for most people, but I know for a fact that we're meant to be together. Please, trust me on this." The brunette's shoulders sink as if finally accepting _____'s answer.

"Fine. But just know that I don't like him!" A smile makes its way onto _____'s face and pulls her hands back.

"I guess if you don't like him then you won't want to be here tomorrow." Her head snaps up making her brown curls bounce around her head.

"Why?" The ghost hunter smirks and checks her nails.

"Well, my boyfriend and a few of his brothers are coming over to take most of the boxes. I wouldn't want you to be upset, so it's probably best if you stay away."

"Are you kidding me?! Of course, I'm gonna be there! I'm gonna give this bastard a piece of my mind! First, he takes my best friend away, and then he thinks he can just walk up in here and not even ask for your hand in dating from the one person that counts?! Oh, I'll show him! And his brothers too!" Fuming, Monica starts to pace, her arms flailing animatedly.

"Are you gonna give them all a stern talking to, mother dearest?" She stops in her rambling to glare at _____.

"Keep giving me backtalk, and I might just give you a stern talking to. With my fist!" _____ retaliates by throwing a couch pillow.

"Oh, it's on, girly!"

 ______________________________________________________

 "_____, are you awake?" The young woman shifts in her sleep, stretching before opening her eyes.

"I am now. When did you get here?" Lucifer smiles, moving some hair from _____'s face.

"Only a moment ago. I didn't mean to wake you, I had just thought you'd be up." _____ takes a look at the clock on her nightstand, her eyes widening.

"Holy shit! It's almost two?" The tender moment is lost as she jumps out of her bed and runs to her adjoined bathroom. A smirk makes its way onto the demon's face, watching her frantically trying to brush her teeth and hair at the same time.

"There's no need to rush, my love. Although the sight before me is breathtaking, I'll go keep my brothers' busy loading boxes into the portal. Wouldn't want them stumbling in here and seeing something only I should see." The cheeky bastard leaves the room, and _____ looks down at her bedtime apparel consisting of panties and a large shirt.

"Well, that's not embarrassing or anything."

She quickly finishes getting ready and heads down the stairs to an argument.

"It's your fault!" Levi yells, gesturing to a box at his feet.

"Me?! What did I do?!" Mammon yells back, defensive.

"You made me drop it with your stupidity! If you hadn't been acting like a big baby, we would have most of this done by now!" The box in question happens to be the small box filled with photographs.

"Hey guys, don't worry about it! It's just some pictures. I'll clean it up, no biggie!" The two demons blush and look away, a bit ashamed to be yelling in front of the girl.

"Sorry, _____. If Mammon actually did his job, we'd be out of here by now."

"I'm helping!" Levi rolls his eyes.

"If by helping you mean complaining, then yeah, you've been a big help!" Mammon crosses his arms and glares.

"Oh, like you're any better? Just two minutes ago you were complaining about how you're arms hurt! These boxes should weigh nothing to you!" As the fight continues, Lucifer comes up next to her and sighs. I'm sorry about my brothers, _____. Would you believe me if I told you they actually volunteered to help?" _____ laughs.

Over the course of knowing Lucifer, the young woman has grown close to his brother's as well, mainly the two standing in front of her. Mammon likes her ghost adventure stories, and Levi just likes the fact _____ is willing to listen to his rants. Even Satan has enjoyed a few human books recommended to him by the lovable ghost hunter, and they often discuss murder mysteries together over text. It's no surprise to Lucifer that his soulmate gets along so well with his brothers. He cares dearly for his younger siblings, and _____ provides the care his pride prevents him from showing.

"I believe it. But, you know, brothers will be brothers," She smiles up at him, unknowingly making his heartbeat just a bit faster. Her eyes widen a bit and a small gasp leaves her lips as she takes another look at the clock.

"I forgot to tell you, but Monica is-"

"Where is he?!" The front door slams open, halting the never-ending argument and making _____ pout.

"Monica, any damage left gets taken out of my deposit. Could you be a bit more careful?" The brunette crosses her arms and scans the room, reading all three men, and assessing the situation. Her eyes narrow at Levi, making him whimper slightly and shrink under her gaze. Next, Mammon, who just crosses his arms back and raises a brow under his sunglasses. Her eyes land on Lucifer and her glare turns to a scowl. Target acquired. She dramatically raises her hand and points at the demon.

"You." Confused, he points to himself.

"Me . . . ?"

"You're the one that's stealing my sister from me!" _____ sighs and puts her head in her hand.

"Here we go." Monica walks over, practically chest to chest with Lucifer, though there's a notable height difference. Lucifer coughs awkwardly, looking down at the female.

"Is there a problem?"

"I don't know, is there?" _____ sighs again.

"Monica-"

"Don't 'Monica' me! I don't care how big and muscular he appears to be, he better square up, cause he's not taking you without a fight, sis!"

"This is ridiculous, Monica. You can't fight him." Her glare deepens, never breaking eye contact with Lucifer.

"Watch me." She raises her fist.

"I don't think you want to do that," Lucifer speaks up, temporarily halting her actions.

"There's nothing you can say to me that'll- Put me down!" Lucifer picks up Monica by her shoulders and gently holds the kicking and screaming girl until she gives up trying to escape.

"Are you done?" Huffing and puffing, she nods and he places her back on her feet.

"You are a truly worthy opponent. I'll be more prepared next time. Until then, you have earned my blessing. For now!" _____ rolls her eyes, and Lucifer smiles at her.

"Thank you. I apologize for not meeting you sooner. My work prevents me from leaving, and what little free time I have I use to talk to _____. It was wrong of me to not speak with you before arranging this." Monica looks at Lucifer, still skeptical.

"Hm, wise words and a wise decision, trying to butter me up. But I won't give up that easily!"

"Is she always like this?" Mammon asks, leaning up against the wall.

"Always like what? Amazing, beautiful, cautious, careful, caring, concerned??"

"Woah, slow down 'C for Catastrophe', I think you just come off as a little strong sometimes, Monny. Maybe tone it down for the newcomers, alright?" Pouting, Monica agrees.

"Okay, maybe I can be a bit overbearing." _____ raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything.

"That's an understatement," Leviathan says under his breath earning a death glare from the brunette.

"I hate to cut this short, but we should really be going." _____'s head snaps up to look at Lucifer.

"What? Why? You just got here?" His face saddens as he looks down at her, holding her hand in his.

"I know, but I need to head back. Certain duties require my attention," He pulls _____ close in a hug and puts his lips to her ear.

"And Lord Diavolo was only able to keep the portal open for a certain amount of time." His warm breath on her neck sends a shiver down her spine and a blush to her cheeks. She hugs him closer and nods before letting go.

"Alright, I hope you guys have a safe journey back!" She waves to them, Lucifer giving her a quick peck on the cheek, not really one for PDA, and they head out of sight through the front door. Monica clears her throat and looks down at the ground.

"Sorry." Genuinely surprised, _____ turns to her friend.

"For what? You were just being a good friend!"

"Not that," She sighs, and wrings her hands together.

"I didn't know his time here was limited. I didn't mean to keep you from him." _____ smiles and pats her friend on the head, which earns her an annoyed scowl.

"It's okay, Monny, don't worry about it! How about we make some tea and chill for a bit? I still have some packing to do before next week." The shorter female smiles and nods.

"Definitely! I'll start the water!" She rushes off to the kitchen, leaving _____ in the living room. It's true that she's upset she didn't get to be with Lucifer for very long, but she doesn't blame her friend. Magic is something she still doesn't understand but knows there are certain limitations. 

Maybe if she had gotten up earlier, she could have talked with her soulmate a bit more, but she was just so tired. Her dreams kept her up tossing and turning most of the night, much to her displeasure. She doesn't remember exactly what they were about, but they weren't pleasant, and she's not sure if she actually wants to remember them. 

Monica working to heat up the water, _____ decides to clean up the scattered pictures from the fallen box. There's no particular order they should go in since they were pretty much haphazardly thrown in there to begin with, but she tries to start from the bottom, attempting to keep some sort of linear timeframe of when she put the pictures in there.

"Eventually I gotta go through these and get rid of the junk. I don't think I want Lucifer seeing me at fourteen with braces, pigtails, and eyeliner up to my temples." She gently shuffles through the pictures, tossing them in as she goes, until she reaches the last group. 

Undoubtedly the darkest of them, they immediately stand out from the family beach days and the cringe selfies. _____ picks them up, and examines them. The first few are of crumbling walls and boarded up windows, no doubt an abandoned house she's been to, but that's not what strikes her as odd. She never kept her hunting photos with her normal ones, especially back then. 

Her mother would have killed her if she found out, so she would always develop them and put them in a lockbox under her bed. The last few photos in the bunch show a dark hall, and it's as if all the heat rushes from her body. A cold chill replaces any warmth she may have had as she looks from one picture to the other, the hallway becoming darker and darker before it goes completely black, the door at the end the only thing visible. 

While she remembers taking the pictures, she doesn't remember ever actually developing them. It was her first abandoned house- thinking back it would have been weird for her not to take a look at them. But the more she tries to remember, the more she can't. It's as if she's blocked it out somehow.

"You okay, girly?" Monica places her hand on _____'s shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Got a little distracted is all," She places the pictures at the top of the box, closes it, and puts it to the side.

"Now, how about tea?"

The two girls spend the rest of the night packing and chatting, almost making _____ forget about the pictures. Almost. It isn’t long after Monica leaves that _____ finds herself drawn to the small box, knowing that the pictures are just a few feet away. A ringing from her pocket startles her, and she pulls out her DDD. The caller ID says Lucifer, and she smiles knowing how late it is. This is most likely his first break since he got back.

"Hey, are you okay?" Her smile drops a bit at the urgency in his voice.

"Yes, why? Is everything alright?" He sighs on the other end of the phone sounding relieved.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I felt that you were in danger, and the pact was calling to me." Sure enough, the pact mark on her arm is glowing a beautiful blue, bright enough to shine through her shirt sleeve. She lightly rubs it, willing it to stop, and the glow slowly fades.

"Sorry, I didn't even realize I was doing it. It's just . . . " _____ bites her lip, looking over at the box.

"_____, what's wrong? Are you in danger?"

"No," Sighing, _____ turns away from the box and heads to her bedroom, attempting to put it out of her mind.

"I was just anxious . . . I miss you." He chuckles a little, making her heart race.

"I miss you too. I'm sorry I had to cut our afternoon short, but Lord Diavolo needed me. The higher demons are still . . . Skeptical about our father's decision. They've become nervous, and there have been talks of a coup."

"Oh, wow," She never really thought about it, but it makes sense why people would be skeptical especially demons. To them, it may seem like some plot to take over the Devildom.

"How's Lord Diavolo handling this news?" She's spoken to Lord Diavolo a few times, and he's always seemed like such a nice and positive guy that really cares about his kingdom and its citizens.

"He's upset, but not surprised. But he knows my brothers and I are on his side, so if a coup were to take place, they wouldn't get very far."

"I'm glad. How are you handling this? Want to talk about it?" She's concerned for him, despite knowing how powerful he is. His workload before was intense, but now she's sure it's even worse. He barely gets to sleep, and she can hear it sometimes when he's on the phone with her. He's even fallen asleep on the phone, much to her disappointment. She feels guilty every time that happens, because he's clearly tired but still staying up late to talk to her.

"I would love to, but unfortunately, there's not much I can say . . . "

"You never know who's listening, right?" He laughs.

"Yes, I'm sorry. But I can tell you that all of this will be sorted before next week. I'll make sure of it." The determination in his voice was enough to know he was telling the truth. Once Lucifer makes his mind up about something, it gets done.

"I believe you! But even so, I'm sure my presence might stir up the higher demons. Maybe it's best if I and the other girls stay here until the Devildom calms down." She's heard of his brother's soulmates before, though she's never actually talked to them. But it's not hard to assume that they are going through the same things she is, feeling the same things, and wondering how their lives are going to change.

"At the moment, any plans for you or the others to come here are still on track. But, I'm afraid you may have a point . . . "

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I know no matter what you decide, it'll be the right choice. I have the utmost confidence in you, hun." Lucifer clears his throat, flustered.

"I'm glad you do. Your safety is my top priority. One of them."

"I can only imagine the work you have right now. I'll let you go." _____ glances at the time. It's pretty late for her, and the time difference isn't too far off from her own.

"I'll call you tomorrow as soon as I can. Sleep well, my love." For him not to protest hanging up the phone, he must really be swamped with work.

"Sleep well." Laying down, _____ can feel her eyelids falling heavy and pulls the covers over her shoulders. Despite her pleasant thoughts of her love, her dreams are anything but.

To be continued ------

[nyrator]

lots of thoughts again lately, might as well do a status update thingy

also might stream tomorrow (technically later today), we'll see

anxiety is hard to escape still

still really appreciative of a bug-ish community I've found, though, they've been really kind to me

may end up meeting one or two in person which is both nice and also scary to think about, it's got me thinking of buying clothes again at least, though realizing now I forgot to mention that fact to someone else, hmm

my head's still very space-y lately, I forget the simplest things, or doing really dumb things (last week or so I ended up pouring a bottle of water on my computer tower trying to look at the bottom of the bottle... it all got caught on an inner lip of the casing thankfully but still scary), and still not a lot of motivation to get around and do things

also have lots of things to do... got apartment re-certified, ish, but still need to clean it for the inspection. Also apparently I could've gotten by my apartment building vaccinated last week but they had my mother's number instead of mine and so couldn't reach me, I just assumed it was because I was too young still. Ah well, there'll be other chances. Also trying to get lawyer things done for my mother's case, and want to draw something that I only have a week left to draw...

also need to worry about the upcoming jam... not sure if I'll make anything for it, but may have to contribute to it in other ways I didn't expect, aha...

feels both weird and not that I posted something very uncomfortable on the internet recently, trying not to think about it too much

I keep waking up soaked in sweat, anxiety, with bad stomach cramps, etc the past several days, and not sure why- some friends think it might be some kind of vitamin deficiency, but hm

also still think about the world too much, and still worry about all the hatred I keep seeing around me. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I see a lot of ignorance and a lot of hatred lately, and it's been getting to me again. I spend too much time following things that don't really affect me, and ultimately I'm just a giant fence-sitter in the end, wishing people would stop arguing and being petty and spiteful and looking for reasons to hate each other.

in brighter news, video game related things

been playing the Silver Case finally, feels like I'm close to finishing it (I'm in the middle of the fifth case), lots of crazy things happening.

TWEWY news as well, though my usual skepticism is still in full force- Neo seems neat though I still have my concerns, but the music still bops and honestly that's all I need. Curious about Joshua's potential appearance in it as welll...

the anime is... a thing, first episode was very fast and cut out Neku's inner monologues and edginess and replaced it with amnesia and noise causing him to be a jerk, which... is kind of important to the plot, but oh well. Kind of saddens me that we'll already stop seeing a character next episode, and I'll be amazed of week 1 lasts more than three episodes total. Barely any room to breathe it feels. On the bright side, animated Joshua coming up soon. Also not sure how to feel about the OP drama but alas, such is life. But yeah, would've definitely paced it different myself, episode 1 should've ended with day 2 and episode 2 on day 4, I feel. 5-6-7 couuuld possibly be squeezed into a single episode if they still needed it to be 3 episodes, but at the pace they're going they've done a poor job introducing the characters to us I feel.

Butttt, we shall see how it goess.

Otherwise, I guess that's all for now- should get some sleep

[marvelousmarvelimagines]

The Longest Attempt at a Proposal Ever (Part VI of VI) (Part I) (Part II) (Part III) (Part IV) (Part V) 

Pairing - Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary - Steve Rogers is a workaholic. For the past two years of dating him, you’ve known this, but now that the world has finally come to a sort of peace, you think it’s past time that he took a vacation. Little do you know that he has something else in mind for this trip.

Word Count - 2,224

Warnings - Language and pure fluff.

Something was off. 

I know Steve Rogers very well. Extremely well. Intimately well. 

But I had never seen him act this way before. 

Fighting for his attention was not something I’ve ever had to do. In fact, paying attention was something that Steve Rogers excelled at. It had been a trait of his that I had fallen in love with. Most of my dating life before had consisted of almost no attention to anything I said or did, and while I wouldn’t admit it, not even to myself most of the time, attention was something I craved. I had started to think that there was no one in this world that would treat me how I felt I deserved, but when I met Steve he proved me wrong. Never had a moment passed that I thought Steve wasn’t listening to or watching me. Even if the main part of himself was focused on something else, I knew if I said his name, he would turn in a second. 

Until now. 

All day I had struggled to talk to him, but his mind was somewhere else. Multiple times I had found him on his phone when we were sitting together. I had been attributing it to the fact that we would be going home tomorrow and maybe he was tying up some things before we got there. 

At least that’s what I kept telling myself. 

But when I’m standing here, ready to get on a boat, in a flowy white dress with a much lower neckline than I usually wear that shows off plenty of leg, and Steve is standing a few feet back from me, pacing and tapping the legs of his khakis to an unheard beat, I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going on. 

I glanced back over at him, watching as once again he pulled out his cell phone, tapping away on the screen in a hurried manner. My attention was pulled away though as the Captain of the boat approached me. “Any time you two are ready, Ms. Y/L/N.” 

“And I’m sure I can still count on your crew’s discretion?” I asked. 

“Of course ma’am,” He replied, tipping his hat to me. “See you on board.” 

They better be discreet considering the amount of money they had been promised if they were so. The last thing I wanted after making it this whole week without incident is for pictures of Captain America and his dorky girlfriend to make their way to the internet. I mean I was pretty decent at getting stuff off the internet that I didn’t want there, but even I don’t think I’m that fast. I turned around again to face Steve, frowning when I saw him still on his phone, sending a message. “Steve?” I called to him. He was so intent on his response, he didn’t hear me. “Steve!” I yelled again. 

That made him look, “Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding his phone. 

I bit my lip as I watched him, still worried about what must be bothering him. “Are you ready to go?” 

Steve glanced back down at his phone, a slight frown on his face before he looked back at me. “Let me finish typing this, and I’ll be right there.” 

A sigh left my lips as I turned around and left him, allowing one of the crew members to help me up on the boat so I could at least sit down while I was waiting for my boyfriend. 

Thankfully he didn’t take long. Within a couple of minutes he had joined me on the boat, sitting down beside me and taking my hand in his own. I frowned as I felt how sweaty and clammy his was, my annoyance fading to concern. “Steve? You aren’t sick are you? You can’t get sick.” I said, letting the back of my hand rest against his forehead. He was still sweaty, but didn’t feel warm. 

He reached for my hand, pulling it down with a soft smile. “No, Y/N, I’m fine.” He told me before kissing my hand. “Just . . . not looking forward to leaving tomorrow.” 

To say his answer surprised me would be an understatement. I was so sure that he was ready to get back to work he might ask if we could leave tonight. “Really?” I said, biting back a smile. 

With a nod, Steve began drawing small circles on my hand with his thumb. “You were right. I needed this. I needed time not worrying about saving the world too much, and time with my best girl.” He added. 

It was a special talent of his, knowing what to say to make me not mad at him anymore. When he wasn’t too stubborn to say it of course. “So does that mean it won’t take much convincing to get you to go on a vacation with me again?” I asked, bumping his shoulder. 

Steve chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “I don’t think it’ll take you any convincing at all.” 

The thought made me so happy and caused a smile that almost hurt to make to form on my face. I rested my head on his shoulder while one of his hands released mine to rest on my thigh, massaging it with nimble fingers. “So if it wasn’t about work, who have you been talking with on the phone all day?” I asked after a few moments as the boat took off. 

I couldn’t miss the way his body stiffened for a brief moment before he forced himself to relax again. It caused my unease that had been pushed down to rush back to the surface, and I took my head off his shoulder to meet his gaze. “Well . . . Sam and Buck mostly.” He replied, clearing his throat. 

I frowned, “but nothing’s going on right? They’re both okay?” 

“Oh, yeah, they just needed some advice on something.” Steve replied. 

What could they need advice from Steve for? It could be a number of things honestly. Most of the team went to Steve for advice quite a bit. He was good at giving it. I nodded before standing up on the rocking boat. “Want to go sit on the top of the deck at the front?” I asked him. 

“Sure,” he replied with a smile, letting me lead him to the front. After Steve helped me up, he climbed in behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle and tucking me under his chin. 

The view was amazing. The cruise that I had booked was at sunset so the sky was even more gorgeous than usual. It was decorated in purples, pinks and oranges with a sprinkle of clouds blocking the view. It was the most beautiful sunset we had all week. I let out a sigh and felt Steve’s body relax against mine. “It’s pretty isn’t it?” I asked, leaning back against him. 

Steve let his lips press against the top of my head. “It is, I’m going to miss it.” 

“You know, I always said when I retired I was going to move out here and teach sunrise yoga on the beach.” I told him, a giggle leaving my lips. 

“Maybe we can retire together,” Steve replied. “I wouldn’t mind seeing this everyday.” 

Steve was full of surprises today. Never had I ever heard him mention anything about retiring before. I had been under the impression he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. I leaned away just enough so that I could look at him, the surprise prominent on my features. “You’ve thought about retiring?” 

“Eventually . . . I mean look at what Clint has. The house, the kids . . . I want that someday too. Being here with you helped me realize that.” Steve told you. 

His words tugged at my heart. My mission during this trip was to help him relax. I had never expected it would have this effect, and I was worried that Steve believed this had been my plan all along. “Steve, you know that’s not what I was trying to do. I don’t want you to think I don’t want to be with you if you don’t want those things -”

“I know, Y/N, I know. But I do want those things, and I want them with you.” Steve said.

It felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest at the sincerity in his tone. “I want them too,” I replied with a soft voice, leaning forward to press my lips against his, but to my surprise, he pulled away, releasing me from his arms as he stepped down to the deck. “Steve? Is everything -” He dropped to one knee, and my heart leaped into my throat. “Okay . . .” I finished, all of a sudden finding it hard to breathe. 

“I’ve been trying to do this all week. Longer than a week actually.” Tears started filling up my eyes as I saw him reaching into his pocket. “But then something happened every time that made me stop, and I never -” He paused taking a deep breath as he pulled out a maroon velvet box, fiddling with it. “My point is that for a long time I’ve known it’s you, doll. I’ve got a lot of problems and a lot of responsibilities. Being with me is not easy, and I know that. But you . . .” I let him take my hand, squeezing it tight. “You don’t care about any of that. You love me. Steve Rogers, just a kid from Brooklyn, not the Captain the rest of the world sees. They might need me, but I need you. I need you to help remind me of who I am, and where I came from for the rest of my life.” 

This is really happening. He’s really . . . I watched as he opened the box, showing off a ring that I couldn’t even focus on. Not when those gorgeous eyes were locked on mine and saying such beautiful things. Not to mention that at this point my eyes were getting a little blurry.

“All this time, I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment, but now I realize any time is perfect as long as you say yes. So, Y/N Y/L/N, will you be my best girl for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me?” 

Speechless. I was speechless at his words. After our conversation we had last night, I didn’t think a proposal would be coming for a while now. Then it turns out he’s had a ring already and that day I felt something in his pocket, it was the ring he was holding right now. He wanted to marry me. Steve Rogers, the love of my life was down on his knee proposing to me. My heart was beating so hard against my chest I thought it was going to fly out, butterflies were flapping their wings against my stomach, and happy tears were streaming down my face. I slid down, making him stand up to catch me before I hit the ground, my legs and arms slipping into the familiar position around him. 

“I told you, you’ve got to quit doing that.” Steve lectured, though there was a smile on his face. 

“Why would I do that when I know you’re always going to be there to catch me?” I asked, my voice choked with emotion. 

“Always,” Steve repeated. 

I couldn’t wait another second. I met his lips in a bruising kiss, filled with emotion and promises. Our hands clutched at each other’s bodies, holding the other as tight as we could. I was so happy. So so happy, and I fed that into the kiss until I couldn’t breathe. Neither of us wanting to pull away, Steve pressed his forehead against mine, tightening his arms around me. 

“Is that a yes?” He asked, and while I had just given him the kiss of my life, I could still see the nervousness in his eyes. 

My fingers wound into his hair, a huge smile on my face as I nuzzled my nose against his. “Oh, that’s definitely a yes.” 

Steve’s smile matched my own as he slipped the ring on my finger and covered my face in kisses, nothing but exhilaration and relief excluding from him as he spun me around, causing me to giggle. “Thank god,” he sighed. “I was so nervous.” 

“Mhmm, I could tell, which was crazy. You knew I was going to say yes.” I teased him, pecking his lips one more time. “Besides, the asking wasn’t even the hard part.” 

He put me down on the ground with raised eyebrows, confused as to what could be more nerve wracking than asking someone to marry you. “Oh, it isn’t?” 

“Nope,” I replied, grinning up at him. “Now you’ve got to decide who’s going to be your best man. Bucky or Sam, and I don’t envy having to make that decision.” I said with a smirk.

A loud sigh left his lips as he pressed his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. “Shit.” 

I gasped, “Langua-” But before I could say another word, he was kissing me, and I couldn’t help but smile, knowing this was the first kiss of the rest of our lives.

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Tag List: 

@ughhhxjazzy @appreciating-chase-brody @rockyroadthepastryarchy @castellandiangelo @stevieboyharrington @geek-and-proud @warmmoonlight

[aivaehdaevis]

The More Things Change: Ch 7

The More Things Change

by Aivaeh

Disclaimer: Familiar characters, plot elements, and settings belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and the CW. The author of this work of fanfiction has made no money from it. Summary: I have no idea how it happened, but one morning I woke up in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Which, aside from the insanity of waking up inside a television show made real, might not be so bad—if I weren't stuck in the body of vampire magnet and doppelgänger herself, Elena Gilbert. Pairing(s): OFC x Damon, OFC x Stefan, OFC x Elijah, OFC x Klaus Rating: M Warning(s): Graphic descriptions of violence on par with the show itself. References to sex and drug use. Mind control and all the issues of consent that go along with it. Character death. Master List External Links: AO3 | FF.Net | Wattpad

Chapter Seven

The chaos lasted long enough for several people to fall or run into one another. Thankfully, Matt and Caroline managed to calm everyone down. Matt came up with the idea that a few people should go to their cars for flashlights. By the time they came back, their bobbing beams carving through the darkness, most of the group had gathered around the fire. Aside from a general unease, everyone had settled.

Party over, we walked back down the trail, those with the flashlights interspersed throughout to give enough light for everyone to see. It made for a crowded exit. Jeremy, after disappearing briefly, came back and waited with me in the SUV for traffic to clear. He didn’t speak as we bounced down the gravel road. Dust kicked up by all the cars ahead of us drifted over the road as if fog floated in front of the headlights. When we reached the highway, he just turned on the stereo and leaned back into his seat, bored.

I couldn’t shake the memory of Damon attacking him. Of Jeremy on the ground, eyes slipping shut as he lost consciousness. Of blood spreading out over the dirt and between the blades of grass, drowning fallen leaves and twigs.

And if it wasn’t the attack at the forefront of my mind, it was the firming suspicion I was haunted.

I was thoroughly freaked out by the time we arrived back at the Gilbert house. Too many fears packed into my head. While Jeremy jumped out of the SUV, I took a moment, staring at the back of the garage. Someone had set up a long wooden table and a tool rack. Grayson Gilbert? I stared at the wrenches and the hammers and red plastic shelving as the car clicked and creaked as it settled and tried to do the same to my mind.

I had done what I was supposed to. I’d gone to the party and everything had still turned upside-down. Meeting Damon early must’ve thrown too big a rock into the waters of fate. The ripples were spilling over.

Vicki hadn’t been attacked. What would that change? Blowing out a breath, I rubbed my forehead. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, I climbed out of the SUV.

The grind and rumble of the garage door lifting startled me. Thinking it was Elena, fear rooted me in place as I watched the door lift. Then a pair of headlights shone from outside, and I squinted as a car rolled into the spot next to the SUV.

“Elena!” Jenna wasted no time cutting the engine and hopping out the passenger side of a Mini Cooper.

At the sound of her voice, I loosed a relieved breath. “Hey Jenna.”

“Are you alright?” she asked, worry speeding her words as she shut the car door and moved around the SUV.

My brows drew together. “Yeah. Fine.” I paused to amend, “A little tired.”

“Oh good,” Jenna breathed. Her hand flew to her purse and pulled out her phone. “I got all these texts—”

“You’re not the only one.” At her questioning look, I said, “I meant to tell you, I lost my phone. Someone must’ve found it. They’re sending out these weird messages to people in my contacts.”

The tension lifted from Jenna. I wished my own worries could’ve been so easily assuaged. “I’ll call the service tomorrow and get it shut off.” She replaced her phone in her bag.

“Thanks, Jenna.” I hit the garage door opener before exiting the side door, Jenna right behind me. “How was your day?”

That sparked a conversation that lasted through a light dinner of leftovers. When we were finished, I carried a plate of food up to Jeremy’s room. I wanted to check on him under the guise of delivering dinner. He opened the door when I knocked, but he was on the phone. He ended up taking the plate with a nod and going right back to his conversation, shutting the door behind him.

I guessed that meant he was alright. Stefan’s compulsion seemed to be holding.

Walking into Elena’s room, I steeled myself for another exploding bulb or a rotting corpse as I flicked the light switch. The room lit up, sans phantom.

I started changing into Elena’s pajamas, then remembered Stefan intended to come over. I put on a pair of sweatpants and a light cotton camisole instead. After washing off the makeup, I tied my hair up into a ponytail.

I doubted Jenna and Jeremy would be going to sleep anytime soon. Since I’d already finished up her homework, I got out Elena’s laptop instead. I searched the internet for any information on hauntings.

Most of what I found had to do with popular culture’s ideas of hauntings. Unfinished business. Cold spots. Poltergeists versus ‘recorded’ memories. Haunted places. Supposed sightings. Strange electromagnetic energy. There was endless amounts of information, but no way to know what was real and what was bull. Besides, I wasn’t sure if what might be going on even counted as a haunting. This was Elena’s life.

I concentrated on possession instead. Things got even darker. Most of it revolved around demonic forces and evil spirits. Since I was pretty sure I wasn’t a demon, I concentrated on the spirit aspect.

Turns out nearly every culture has some concept of possession. I guess in this universe, it was based on more than just a grain of truth. I tried to find information that lined up with what I was experiencing, but most of it centered around the possessee’s experiences, how to ward off possession, or cast a spirit out.

The last of which sounded… kinda ominous. Not gonna lie.

I had no idea where my body was or if it was even here. What would happen if I were forced out? Maybe I’d go home.

Yeah. Sure. And I’d do it riding a frigging unicorn while eating a pint of zero calorie butter pecan ice-cream.

I was reading up on the pagan connection between Halloween and spirits when there was a light tink on the window. Beyond it was Stefan, crouched on a branch and ducking his head to look in. Shutting the laptop, I stood up and hurried over. Elena’s hair swept forward as I crawled onto the window seat and pulled the pane open. “Stefan.”

His sights traced the window frame. “You have to invite me in.”

I stared out. Stefan was a vampire. I should never, ever let him in. “I can’t.”

Stefan met my eyes and nodded. “Okay.” He held out a hand.

I assured myself that Stefan was safe as I climbed onto the window seat. I had gone with Damon, who regularly suggested he’d kill me or someone I knew, plenty of times. Stefan wasn’t like that. I put my hand into his, letting him help steady me as I stretched out the window.

The bough creaked and dipped as he moved further along to take hold of me. As soon as I was in his arms, he said, “Hold on,” and jumped. He landed in a soft crouch on the roof. Setting me on my feet, he kept hold of my hand as we navigated up the slanted gable to the join where the roof met the chimney stack. He helped me sit before crouching next to me.

I had to hand it to Mystic Falls. Even it’s ‘suburbs’ were beautiful. The neighborhood was mostly dark except for a scattering of little yellow boxes where the night owls nested inside. The trees were large shadows darker than the sky that shivered in the breeze. Wisps of clouds hid the moon and the stars, but the streetlights cast more than enough shine to see by.

We stared quietly at one another for several long seconds.

“How long have you known?” Stefan asked, voice low and soft.

How to answer that? In the months since I started streaming the show? The days since I’d gotten here? “Long enough.”

His gaze slanted to the side. “I thought Damon would have wiped your memory. I suppose he wanted you to know what he was. What I was.” His jaw clenched before relaxing.

I bent my knees higher and wrapped my arms around my legs. “I couldn’t tell anyone.”

Stefan nodded.

“I won’t tell anyone about you, either.”

Stefan frowned. “I’m not worried about that, Elena.” Before I could figure out how to warn him to be more wary—possibly bring up the fact Elena’s parents knew about vampires?—Stefan reached into his pocket. “I want you to have something.” Carefully, he lifted out a certain necklace by its chain.

The locket spun between us, the soft yellow glow of a nearby streetlight winking off the engraved silver. “Stefan,” I breathed, his name all but knocked out of my lungs by the relief I felt.

“It’s filled with an herb called vervain that protects the mind. Wear this and vampires can’t compel you.”

“I think Damon tried this morning, but nothing happened.”

He undid the clasp. “I slipped some into your drink the other night.” My surprise must’ve been clear on my face, because he explained, “I knew he’d already compelled you once. I wanted to make sure he couldn’t do it again.” His small but sincere smile made an appearance. “But it’s temporary. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to give you this that you’d accept it.”

My answering smile was much larger. “Problem solved.”

“One of them,” he muttered. He held up the necklace, chain parted. “May I?”

“Definitely.” I turned so that my back faced him. The necklace lowered, the locket winking from the streetlight as it passed before my eyes. Stefan’s hands hovered over my shoulders before moving to the back of my neck. His knuckles whispered across my soft skin. His touch rewired my body so that each brush of skin echoed throughout every inch of me.

I’d never felt the chasm of space like I did as he moved back. I wanted to lean into him, ask him to lay his hands on me again. But I didn’t. Instead, I lifted the now-secured locket up to my nose. Elena had been right. It did smell of roses. I twisted around. He watched me with lidded eyes dark from something other than bloodlust. “Thank you.”

He gave a single, short nod. Our gazes held.

The streetlight flickered.

We both lifted our sights to it. Elena. I sucked down a breath, reminded myself this body wasn’t mine to do with as I wanted.

“Do you have any idea what that’s about?” Stefan asked quietly.

In for a penny. “I think I’m being haunted.”

From the steepling of his brows, Stefan hadn’t expected that.

“You don’t believe in spirits?”

His smile took on a wry twist. “I’m a vampire, Elena. If I exist, I’m sure other things do, too.” His expression turned thoughtful. “I’ve just never run into a ghost before. I’ll make some calls. See if anyone knows anything about hauntings.”

Some of the ever-present knotwork my stomach seemed twisted up into lately loosened a smidge. “Thank you so much, Stefan. If there’s any way I can help—”

“Stay safe.” Stefan’s hand moved but stalled before it got very far. “That’s all I want.”

I thought of Damon’s eyes and snarling mouth before he attacked Jeremy. “Your brother makes that a tall order.”

Stefan was quiet. I shifted my feet, my socks catching on the abrasive texture of the roof tiles. “I think if he was going to hurt you, he wouldn’t have attacked Jeremy.”

“I don’t know, Stefan. That hurts me, too.”

Stefan bowed his head in acknowledgement. “I know. I’m not excusing what he did. But I don’t think he’ll attack you, Elena.”

“Why?”

Stefan stared into the darkness. “It’s complicated.” Before I could ask him to try me, he went on, “When we were still human, Damon fell in love.” Realizing that he was talking about Katherine, every thought quieted as I concentrated entirely on him. “You—look a lot like her.” I nearly snorted. “I think you remind him of her.”

And though I knew the answer, I thought it would be weird if I didn’t ask. “And when were you human, Stefan?”

He peeked at me from the corner of his eye. “We were turned in eighteen sixty-four.”

“Did you lie when you said you were from here?”

“No.” Stefan looked out at the houses. “We were born and grew up in Mystic Falls.”

“So you would have been around for the Civil War.”

His lips lifted in a smile. “Mister Tanner would approve.” I huffed. His smile widened before falling back to his usual line. “But, yes. I was too young to join. Not technically. They took boys younger than I was back then. Father wanted me to wait until I was eighteen.”

“Damon?”

“Enlisted. He’s never really spoken of it.”

“Is it weird, how much the world’s changed?”

Stefan’s lips pursed. “I don’t think on it much. I suppose it’s the same for us as it is for humans. The changes are so incremental, you don’t notice most of them. Not until you have a reason to stop and remember.”

“I’d think going from horses and carriages to sports cars would be weird.”

Stefan’s lips slanted into a crooked grin. “More convenient. Less odor.” He tilted his head. “The same can be said for most things.”

“What’s your favorite decade?”

Stefan blinked. “They’ve all had their good and bad moments.”

I continued asking him things about the past. Did he remember this or that? What was the first movie he ever saw (a thirty-second clip of a horse race that had come around with a vaudeville act). How had this or that worked? What had they done without x, y, or z? I peppered him with all sorts of questions, and he sat up with me, patient and willing to answer.

He began asking me questions in return. Weirdly, his simpler questions about my past were hard to answer. I wanted to be truthful, I don’t like to lie and I’m no good at it. But I wasn’t ready to confess my fears—not until I knew more about what had happened to me and Elena. I bent the truth here and there, replaced my parents with Miranda and Grayson, my two best friends growing up with Bonnie and Caroline. He never seemed suspicious, so it must have worked.

By the time the sky began to lighten, I realized we’d talked for hours.

Stefan looked at the rising sun and frowned. “I’ve kept you up all night.”

“I don’t think I’d have slept.” Without our conversation to distract me, memories of Damon’s red eyes and gaping mouth, of Jeremy’s glazed eyes rolling back in his head crowded everything else out of my mind. As if they’d been waiting for an opening. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched the bridge of my nose, willing them away. They refused to go.

A soft touch on my shoulder pulled me back to Stefan. Eyes the same shade as the distant forest watched beneath the concerned furrow of his brows. Golden light shone off one side of his face, the rest laying in deeper shadow. I traced the haloed contours. “How do you stand the sun?”

He lifted a hand, a large lapis lazuli dominated his ring finger. “It’s spelled to let us walk in the daylight.”

“Spelled?” My lips twisted into a sardonic smile. “Like magic?”

He nodded.

“So witches are a thing?”

“Yes.” He laid an arm over his own bent knee. His other leg lay stretched out. The sunlight crept along the tiles as the sun peeked over the rooftops. I kept my eyes on Stefan to avoid the glare. He kept his on me.

“Bonnie’s grandmother says she’s one.”

“Sheila Bennett. I remember her.” His head tilted. “If she says so, then it’s true.”

“Bonnie doesn’t believe it.”

He hummed. “She will. Power like that doesn’t stay dormant forever.”

Quiet settled between us as night grew distant and the sky blushed with morning’s coming. As the darkness receded, I realized that since Stefan’s arrival, I hadn’t worried about a thing. It was as if his mere presence soothed all my fears and calmed my troubled mind. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so peaceful, which was amazing considering the circumstance. I could see myself becoming addicted to it. To him.

And then the screaming started.

Already entrapped by Stefan’s gaze, we both tensed in alarm. I recognized the voice. “Jeremy!”

I stood up, trying to navigate the roof as quickly as I could, when Stefan’s hand took mine and led me to Elena’s window. “Here,” he said, reaching out with his other hand. Without hesitating I took it. He lowered me to the still open window where I was able to get a toehold inside. I let go of one of his hands to grab the frame and pull myself in, while his other kept me steady.

As soon as I was inside, I hopped off the window seat and rushed to the adjoining bathroom. Jeremy’s door was unlocked. He lay in bed, thrashing as if he were fighting an invisible opponent.

I rushed to his bedside. Sweat had beaded across his skin, his muscles gone rigid as he tried to move. “Jeremy!”

His eyes shot open, and he waved a panicked fist in my direction that narrowly missed my arm. I gasped. He focused on me, brows pinched together before he croaked, “Elena?”

“Hey,” I sighed. “I heard you yelling.”

He drew in a deep breath. “Bad dream,” he muttered before wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. “Sorry.”

“S’alright. I’m just glad you’re okay.” I would’ve stayed to make certain, or at least let him calm down more, but I was all too keenly aware there was a vampire still hanging outside my window. “If you’re alright, I’ll head back to bed.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I was about to go when a knock sounded at the door. “Jeremy? What’s wrong?”

“He had a nightmare, Jenna.”

“Oh. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Jeremy groaned, flopping back down onto his pillow. “I want to go back to sleep.”

I wondered if he’d be able to.

Without Jeremy’s shouting, I was able to take in his room on my way out. The colors were muted and dark, fairly masculine. While things were clustered together on shelves, it was clean. He had a few posters on his walls—bands and some tribal-style art. His bookshelf held a mixture of robot action figures and books.

Stepping back into the bathroom, I gently shut the door behind me and hurried through to my room. I immediately looked for Stefan and found him on the tree outside, one hand perched on the windowsill. I hurried to the seat beneath. “Nightmare.”

He nodded. Right. He would’ve heard. He looked troubled, though. “Without a regular diet of human blood,” he whispered, “the powers of persuasion don’t work as well.”

I remembered Vicki’s flashbacks on the show. “He remembers?”

“Subconsciously.” Stefan frowned. “As long as he doesn’t probe too deeply into what happened that night, the compulsion should hold.”

I frowned. Jeremy had been tenacious. “He’s stubborn. He gets an idea in his head, he doesn’t let go.”

Stefan’s expression was grim. “Let’s hope not.”

I gripped the seat cushion. Another thing to toss on the pile of worries. A pile that was probably more accurately labeled a skyscraper by now.

I missed the peace I’d found earlier.

Stefan and I fell into each other’s eyes. How long, I couldn’t say. Too long, not long enough. Eventually, he broke the quiet. “I’ll see what I can find out about hauntings. In the meantime, if something happens, call me.”

“Do I have your number?”

His eyes widened in realization. “No. Do you have anything to write with?”

“Yeah.” I stood and crossed to Elena’s desk, grabbing a pen and a post-it note. I passed them both to Stefan.

Still balanced on the limb, even though it wasn’t that large, Stefan steadied the post-it on his knee as he wrote. He handed them back. “The first one’s my cell. The second is to the house. If I don’t answer, my nephew Zach will. He knows the truth about us.”

“Or Damon,” I said softly.

His lips pressed into an unhappy line before he gave a reluctant nod. “Or Damon.” His brow cocked. “If he feels like answering the phone.” His tone implied this was unlikely.

I held the post-it and stared at Stefan. He seemed as reluctant to go as I was to see him leave. Eventually he looked aside. “I should let you get ready.”

“You too.”

He nodded and turned back. “See you at school.”

When I blinked, he was gone.

“Show off.” I looked down to the post-it. The writing was more then legible, it was beautiful. Perfectly spaced, with sharp corners and elegant curves. Realizing he’d learned to write over a hundred and sixty years before, I shook my head in wonder before sticking the post-it to Elena’s desk, next to the cordless handset.

Weary as I was, I felt good. Refreshed. Surprising, considering the events of the night before. I went through my morning ablutions, but as I shuffled through Elena’s closet trying to decide what to wear, I realized that each second was now bringing me closer to seeing Damon again.

This lowered my mood considerably.

A breakfast of sugary cereal and coffee probably didn’t help my nerves any.

“How do I look?”

I glanced up from my spoon to find Jenna posing with hands on her hips. She had a cream-colored blouse on with black dress pants. “Professional.”

She smiled. “That’s what I was going for.”

I sipped my coffee. “What’s the occasion?”

She stepped over to the small oval mirror on the dining room wall, examining her hair as she answered, “Jeremy’s parent teacher conference.”

Ouch. I was about to go back to my cereal when she twisted and asked, “Hair up,” she held it aloft over her head, “or down?” She let it flow back over her shoulders.

I shrugged. “It looks fine both ways.”

Jenna turned back to the mirror. “Down.”

“Gives you cover.”

She arched a brow at me, but before she could say anything, Jeremy appeared in the dining room.

“Morning.”

“Hey.”

She followed on his heels as he headed for the coffee pot. “Any idea what I can expect to hear from your teachers?”

He paused. “Huh?”

“Parent teacher conference,” I said nonchalantly before shoving another spoonful of cereal into my mouth. What can I say? I like the drama when it isn’t mine.

Jeremy shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Don’t know?” Jenna’s brows flew up. “What’s that mean?”

“Means I don’t know, Jenna.” Jeremy filled up his cup and maneuvered around her for the seat next to mine.

“So I’m not going to hear singing praises?” she clarified, looking even more anxious than before.

Jeremy paused, cup halfway to his mouth. He glanced up beneath thick lashes. “Um.” He looked back down. “Don’t know.”

“Liar,” I muttered—and ignored the glare he shot me.

Jeremy turned to Jenna. “Elena’s dating someone older.”

I snorted, nearly blasting my spoonful of milk and flakes everywhere. Kid, you have no idea. And we weren’t really dating. He was just coercing me into doing whatever he wanted.

I was not going to say that, though.

“His name’s Damon,” I told Jenna, who now looked like she’d been told to solve a rubrics cube blindfolded or she’d fail at life. “He’s only twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five,” Jenna repeated doubtfully.

“Good thing you’re seventeen. That’s, like, a year away from jailbait,” Jeremy said with a smirk.

“Maybe I should tell Vicki Donovan that,” I sniped back.

Jenna’s brow furrowed. The cube now had ten extra colors tacked on. “Matt’s older sister?”

“Mhmm,” I hummed before taking a sip of my coffee.

“Whatever,” Jeremy declared before sliding off his seat and ambling back towards the stairs.

Jenna watched him leave, resignation in the slump of her shoulders. Her sights fell to me. “Twenty-five, Elena?”

“He’s very immature for his age,” I assured her.

She frowned.

I finished my coffee and carried the dishes to the sink. Jenna spun about, looking as if she were searching for something to say. I turned on the water and added, “Don’t worry about it. I don’t think it’s going to work out.”

She blinked. “Okay.”

Leaving Jenna looking as if she were preparing for a dismal day, I thought about taking off in the SUV before Damon had a chance to show up. Then I realized that would probably make things worse. Resigned, I carried my bag out onto the front step and settled in to wait.

But Damon never showed up.

I gave up waiting with ten minutes to spare and raced off for the SUV instead. I was still late to school. I gave a tight smile to Bonnie, but she quickly stared back down at her notes. Her attention stayed there throughout the rest of class.

She hurried out of the room just as the bell rang and was a fair way down the hall by the time I made it out the door.

Frowning, I turned instead for my next hour. As I walked the hallway, it seemed every eye followed me. I’d spent so much of the walk with my head down, I noticed the metallic flecks in the floor tiles by the time I reached English. Stefan was in the back again and Caroline had the seat next to him, leaving the one in front clear. He smiled as I sat down to claim it, and I smiled back.

Caroline leaned over her desk. “Didn’t see your boyfriend this morning, Elena.”

Stomping down the urge to say he wasn’t my boyfriend, I frowned. “Neither did I. He never showed.”

Stefan grimaced. “He’s… occupied.”

“Occupied?” I wondered.

Stefan shook his head. Apparently, The Great Gatsby became indescribably interesting at that point, because he didn’t look up from its pages again.

“I thought you two didn’t talk,” Caroline prodded.

Stefan flipped a page. “Didn’t need to.”

The class began before Caroline could probe further. Still, throughout the discussion, I wondered what he’d meant. Occupied. If it were something bad, surely Stefan would’ve come off as grimmer. Instead, it was like he wanted to avoid the subject.

As we began packing up a few minutes before the bell, I turned back to Stefan. “Is he causing trouble?”

Stefan’s brow ticked up. “Damon?” At my nod, Stefan paused. “Always.” At my narrowed eyed look, he lifted his bag and stood.

I hurried to follow, but Caroline was right there, sticking to Stefan’s side like a stubborn barnacle. Annoyed, I huffed out a breath that just made more of my hair hit my face. Before I could find a covert way to ask if he were feeding on innocent bystanders, I had to separate to head off to Biology.

I was still wondering what in the world Stefan had meant when I spotted Tyler coming from the opposite direction. He pointed a finger gun at me, saying, “Nine-one-one, what’s the emergency?” while his letter-jacketed buddy beside him laughed.

Ugh. “Funny, Tyler.”

He smirked before striding into class.

I sucked down a slow, deep breath to fortify myself for fifty minutes of Lockwood ‘humor.’ Though there probably isn’t enough air in the world.

By the time I had History, I was pretty much Done. The stares hadn’t abated. The whispers were turning to murmurs. I’d studied to be prepared for discussion but was too tired to put it to good use. I trudged into History, took one look at Tanner’s punchable face, and almost turned and walked out. Instead, I slid into the seat in front of Bonnie. “I am having the worst day,” I said before my forehead hit the desk.

Bonnie nodded, but otherwise didn’t look my way. She was leafing through the textbook. Figuring she hadn’t done the reading, I left her to it.

Stefan arrived and got the desk next to mine.

I turned to him. “So what’s occupied mean?”

He sighed. “Don’t worry about it, Elena.””

I pursed my lips. “Well, is he coming over later?”

Stefan snorted. “I highly doubt it.”

My brows flew up, and I was about to prod for more answers when—

“We’re not interrupting you, are we Mister Salvatore? Miss Gilbert?”

UGH. I turned forward, forcing myself to look up into Tanner’s stupid, smug face, and shook my head.

“No sir,” Stefan politely replied.

The rest of history I had to chew on my curiosity. Stefan obviously didn’t want to go into details, and it was driving me mad. What do you do the day after you almost kill the brother of the girl you’re stalking? I couldn’t stop wondering.

And as if he knew I’d been stewing all class, Stefan took off for lunch. Probably to hunt. It left me with a tableful of awkwardness, though. Bonnie was still quiet; she must’ve had other stuff on her mind. Maybe to do with her Grams. Or class.

Caroline reminded me about helping out with the flyers for the festival. “Right after school,” she made sure to add, pointedly. She settled into her seat and tacked on a, “At the Grill.”

“Right,” I said, holding back a yawn.

The rest of the table wanted to know about my missing phone and Damon. Two topics I didn’t feel like getting into. Luckily, Caroline took pity on me, and deftly redirected the conversation to the first practice that was coming up soon.

That I had to go to. My mood plummeted even further at the reminder.

I grudgingly attended the rest of my classes. By the time the last bell rang, and I was back at my car, I was ready to just take off and never look back. Instead I got in and drove to the Grill.

I arrived before Caroline. Not hungry, I stuck to just ordering an orange juice as I waited at one of the outside tables. Caroline turned up not long after, parking next to me. Emerging, she strode to the trunk and came back with two boxes balanced in her hands.

“We have to fold them.” She told me as she set one box beside me and the other between herself and an empty seat.

I pulled the lid off the nearest and blanched. “All of them?”

Caroline shot me a look that screamed, ‘duh.’ “Yes, Elena. All of them.”

There had to be thousands in the box. It was packed with glossy paper. Thicker than regular paper, but not by that much. I was exhausted but sucked it up as I started to pull out a stack.

Caroline stopped me. “One at a time. Otherwise a breeze might blow them away.”

Right. I plucked one free and watched carefully as Caroline folded the first. It wasn’t complicated, just tedious.

“You know you didn’t have to lie about being interested in Damon,” Caroline said as I started in on the first.

I paused and looked up. “I wasn’t lying.” I pursed my lips. “He was a genuine ass the first time we met.” Understatement.

“But he got better?”

No. “Yes.” I tried lining up the edges evenly, but I sucked at this sort of thing. And I was pretty sure Caroline was a perfectionist. Fighting the urge to grind my teeth, I tried to line them up again. “He can be charming when he wants to be.” And the crease turned out crooked. Huffing a breath, I made the next fold anyway. Whatever. She could deal.

Before Caroline could ask anything else, Bonnie pulled up. After exiting the car, she greeted us with a quiet hello. She took the seat next to Caroline and immediately set to work.

Her folds looked perfect. I decided she was cheating. Using instinctive magic or something.

“So how is he?” Caroline asked.

“Damon?” At Caroline’s nod, I shook my head. “Don’t know. I already told you, I didn’t see him this morning.”

“No, Elena. I mean the sex.”

I was really glad I wasn’t drinking my orange juice at that moment, because I was pretty sure that would’ve been a spit take. “No idea. We just started dating, Caroline.”

“Uh, who cares? Have you seen him?”

“…Yes?”

“Jump him, already!” Caroline slapped another flyer down. “I need deets.”

“You need them? What, for a vicarious thrill?” My nose crinkled. Ew.

“Yes!” she said, half-laughing. “It’s not like Bonnie or I are getting any.”

Bonnie shot an unamused glance at Caroline out the corner of her eyes.

“Right. Okay. Sure. I’ll sleep with a guy I just started seeing for your benefit.”

“Damn right you will. Look, Elena. It’s not complicated. Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy.” Caroline mashed her hands together. “Sex.”

And drinking her blood, after threatening everyone she knows. Yeah, no. “It’s complicated.”

“Bonnie, help me out here,” Caroline entreated.

Bonnie focused on the flyers as if they held the secret of immortality. “I’m with Elena.”

Caroline scoffed. “Traitors.” Caroline eyed me, suspicion all over her face. “So what’s with Damon being occupied?”

“No idea.”

“You can’t tell me you aren’t curious.”

Well, no. No I couldn’t. “You’ve got me there.”

Caroline waited several minutes for more, but when she didn’t get it, shook her head. The conversation turned to her music choices for the new routine she was planning. Bonnie was quiet the whole time. I was fighting to stay awake.

By the time I was done, I hated the comet. I hated the comet festival. I hated folding paper.

I stared at Caroline with bleary, probably red, eyes. “Can I go now?” I didn’t whine. I was too mature for that. I entreated in a higher pitch than normal. That’s all.

“Yes.” Caroline gathered up the last of the folded flyers. “Remember that tomorrow we have to pass them out before the festival.”

“Of course we do,” I sighed.

I paid for my drinks and bade them both goodbye. Then, to add to my irritation, I hit every red light on the way back to Elena’s. Irrationally, I started blaming her for it.

By the time I finally made it back to the Gilbert House, I was ready to collapse face-first into Elena’s bed and take a very long nap before confronting today’s homework. So ready I almost didn’t notice the silver car parked in the driveway until I passed right next to it. Pulling into the garage, I figured Jenna must have company.

Please, don’t let it be Logan Fell.

Walking into the kitchen, I gave a cautious glance around for any current news anchors pre-vampirism. Instead, I caught sight of Jenna sitting at the dining room table, irritation in every tensed line in her face and body.

She turned her head towards me as the door shut. “Elena. Guess who’s here?”

“Can’t begin to,” I sighed, dropping my bag near the island.

“Hello, Elena.”

My mouth dropped into a little o as John Gilbert appeared in the archway.