#millie nocturne | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

philomenie · 22 days ago

Text

Anything More Than Human

Pairing: Demon! Jolly x Harriet

CN smut, fluff, oral f receiving, penetration m to f, unprotected sex (use condoms!!), deflowering, sex with a demon, 18+, MDNI!

@nojoyontheburn @dsireland86 @jilliemiw86 @aubrey-melinoe

Life in the large wooden hut in the middle of the remote forests of the Appalachian Mountains could not have been easier for the four creatures that lived there.

Outwardly, when transformed, they resembled the inhabitants of the village to a tee, but when they appeared in their original form, they were anything more than human.

The transformation itself was not a problem for the 4 at any time of the year, only on one day of the year was it not possible for them, they were forced to live through the day and night in their original form....

This day was Samhain Halloween.

This day was today!

This day was to decide their fate and that of 4 sisters, 4 special sisters who knew neither of their specialness nor of their importance for the future of the forest.

“Millicent... stop, damn it!” curses Harriet, following her younger sister through the thicket to catch her.

Madness to go into the cursed woods at dusk on this day, out of sheer spite, to prove her right....

“Where is she?” Prudence, the eldest of the four sisters, wants to know.

“I don't know!” hisses Harriet, sweeping the branches out of the way as they appear in front of her.

Furious, she trudges further and further into the dark forest.

“We should turn back!” you hear the despondent voice of Elizabeth, the youngest.

“Without Milly? Not a chance! Father will have a hissy fit!” growls Harriet, continuing on her way undeterred.

“Harriet, stop!” Prudence puts all her authority into her words.

But Harriet neither slows her pace nor does she intend to listen to her sister.

She MUST find Millicent, otherwise it will be unpleasant for them all, including Millicent, because her father has strict rules that they all had to abide by.

These rules became increasingly strict and rigid after her mother's death, culminating in the fact that they were no longer allowed to leave the house unaccompanied.

Millicent had defied this, as she always does... not that Harriet couldn't have understood her, she has a mind as strong and free as her sister, who is only a few minutes younger.

But Harriet thinks things through, whereas Millicent acts spontaneously and sometimes rashly.

Millicent and her sister had grown up with the stories of the forest, with the warnings told by their beloved mother and grandmother.

But they were never allowed in the forest after dark, especially not alone, even during the day they were well guarded by their father's men.

“HARRIET!” echoes behind her in the now complete darkness.

Damn it... where is she? Where is Milly? Where are her other sisters?

Harriet stops and looks around... but she is alone, in the middle of the forest... in the middle of the all-consuming darkness.

Harriet looks up, the tops of the trees are so dense that not even the moonlight can shine through... no stars can be seen.

Harriet notices how the fine hairs on her body stand up.

Damn it... she's not usually scared... but this.

Not a sound can be heard, not even an owl or other nocturnal animal, no rustling, no cracking.... There is an uncomfortable silence that intensifies the goose bumps on her body.

It is as if she is trapped in a complete black silence that lulls her, that threatens to swallow her up.

Harriet has the feeling that the silence is suffocating her, breathing is difficult, her limbs seem to sink into the soft forest floor.

Panicked, she tries to free herself, but she can't move, she can't even blink. She is completely frozen, completely paralyzed.

Her heart is beating up to her neck and Harriet finds it increasingly difficult to breathe, as if she is inhaling molasses instead of air.

Panic breaks out in her as a sudden breeze hits her cheek, causing the hair that has come loose from her bun to blow slightly.

Her eyes frantically search for the source of the breeze as she sinks deeper and deeper into the forest floor.

“Are you lost, beauty?” she hears a teasing voice, which makes her shudder because the voice is right inside her head.

Panic rises in Harriet, she can't even answer, then she has no voice left.

“What is it, pretty little girl.... Too shy to answer me?” laughs the voice in her head and again Harriet feels a breeze in her hair, her face.

Her eyes dart back and forth, searching, but nothing can be seen in the all-encompassing blackness.

Harriet sinks deeper and deeper, has already disappeared up to her thighs in the forest floor, when she cries out loud in her thoughts, “MY SISTER, I'm looking for my sister.....”

“Hu, the little human that's the spitting image of you?” laughs the dark voice.

“Yes,” gulps Harriet in thought.

“Well, she was found too......” the voice explains, stretching.

Harriet's eyes widen in horror, “Where is she?”

“Hmm, you'd like to know now....” the deep voice teases her and the breeze can be felt directly on her exposed neck, further increasing the goosebumps on her body, making her nipples hard and causing her to feel an unexpected tug deep inside....

Light as a feather, she suddenly feels her arms being stroked, which sends further shivers through her body.

“Little beauty... your name!” she hears the dark voice possessively in her head.

“Harriet....” she swallows.

“Hmmm, the mighty ruler then?! I knew I had chosen the right sister for me.....” the voice whispers harshly and Harriet feels lips pressing greedily against her neck.

“Who are you?!” gasps Harriet in thought.

“Well.... That's the wrong question.... Harriet!” she hears the lurking voice in her head, ”I know you can do better.... Ask me the right question!”

Panicked, Harriet thinks about it, but then she realizes the question the voice wants to hear, but Harriet isn't sure she wants to hear the answer.

“Well, beauty... Do you know the right question?” the voice kisses her again on her neck, behind her ear.

“WHAT are you....” sighs Harriet.

“Hmmm, I knew it, you're not only beautiful, you're also smart.... What else? Are you brave too?” the voice in her head rumbles, even darker and dangerously quiet, and Harriet feels herself no longer sinking into the forest floor, but being pulled out bit by bit, as if by invisible hands, until she has solid ground under her feet again.

The numbness in her loosens, she can breathe freely again and the blackness seems to have retreated a little, but still lurks in the shadows between the mighty trees.

Harriet looks around frantically. More strands of her dark brown hair have come loose from her bun and are now dancing around her finely cut face with its full lips, high cheekbones and amber eyes with gold flecks in them.

Panting, she wraps her hands around her waist, which is cinched by the tight, silky dark red bodice. A wide, puffy skirt in an even darker red billows out from underneath. The blouse she is wearing is tight-fitting and cream-colored.

In the leather bag that she has tied around her as a kind of belt is her small dagger, without which she never leaves the house.

With trembling fingers, she undoes the buckle of the bag and pulls it out. She holds it out ready to attack.

“Harriet...” sighs the voice in her head, ”Why do you think you have to defend yourself against me?”

“Then show yourself to me!” hisses Harriet, tense to the extreme.

Long, muscular fingers close around her hand holding the dagger and Harriet stares at it in horror. Her gaze wanders along the hand to the arm, which is decorated with lines, patterns, sigils, like the hand, the fingers themselves. What is also striking is the pale, almost white skin tone.

No fabric covers it.

Harriet doesn't dare lift her gaze.

“Hmm, look at me, beauty!” the voice now whispers at her ear and Harriet closes her eyes.

“Come on....” the voice whispers almost tenderly and Harriet feels the muscular fingers close around her chin and lift her head, ‘Open your eyes, beautiful!’ it breathes close to her face.

“I know you can....” it sounds tenderly and the fingers on her hand caress her skin so that her grip loosens automatically and the dagger falls to the ground.

Harriet raises her head a little and then she opens her eyes, draws in a sharp breath and stares at her counterpart in bewilderment.

For what stands before her is anything but human, anything more than human, cause it, he... has human forms, only different. He is so much more, so much more of what makes a human being.

Tall, taller than any man she's seen so far, long muscular limbs, a broad chest covered in more seals.... And this skin.... That incredibly pale, almost white skin that seems to glow in the dark. Shockingly, he is barely clothed, wearing only a kind of loincloth around his narrow hips.

Harriet's gaze now wanders to his face and she gasps as she sees his eyes glowing like coal in the darkness. Pitch black with red speckles.

His eye sockets are just as pitch black and the blackness stretches a little across his face.

This face that doesn't look anything like a human face and yet seems so familiar

High cheekbones, a forehead with a kind of bony horns, the long nose wrinkled, the lips slightly open so that Harriet can see his teeth flashing, pointed like daggers, but tiny in comparison to his powerful fangs.

Harriet stares at him.Mockingly, he purses his lips and tilts his head slightly, his hands still on her hand and chin, “Well Harriet, surprised to see me?”

Harriet's eyes widen in shock at these words and her eyes wander over his impressive appearance again.

His long dark hair falls loosely around his shoulders.

“Who are you and what are you? What is your name?” Harriet whispers softly

“Who I am.... You should know that by now...” he looks at her seriously and Harriet nods slowly, remembering the words of her mother and grandmother.

“You are one of the guardians of the forest....” she breathes.

“Right beauty.....” the creature sighs and takes her chin in his hand again, sending shivers through Harriet's body once more, quickening her pulse and breathing.

He forces her to look him straight in the eyes, which now seem to glow even more, “My name, beauty, is Jokhesh'Aikihm!” he now introduces himself to her, “There are 4 of us, but I'm sure you know that! The names of the others are Nohar'Bash'Tienh, Nokool'Rufioth and Nek'Fholosh.”

Harriet can only blink, the names sound so strange and yet again so familiar, as if she knows them and yet again she doesn't.

“Jokhesh?” the name rolls off her tongue.

“Jokhesh'Aikihm,” he nods with a gentle look.

“What are you?” she wants to know quietly.

“We have always been here, long before humans, since time immemorial. You can call us demons or fallen angels, some call us dark elves, but we are neither creatures of light nor darkness, but beings of balance. A balance that is currently being severely disturbed!” he adds grumpily. ‘By whom?’ Harriet wants to know, confused.

“Well, can't you guess?” Jokhesch'Aikihm's gaze is cold.

“My father...” the realization hits Harriet like a hammer blow.

The demon nods slowly, “I knew you were smart!” his mouth twisted into a smile, “He's invading our forest, clearing it. The forest is sacred!” he growls and his eyes suddenly glow like fire, his fangs shoot out.

Harriet backs away in fright.

“I didn't mean to frighten you, forgive me!” He carefully places his hand on her arm, which makes Harriet flinch at first, but then she feels a pleasant warmth where the demon touches her arm and she immediately relaxes.

Only now does Harriet realize that it has become very cold and she shivers a little.

“You're cold!” Jokhesch'Aikihm states and his grip intensifies. The warmth of his hand penetrates deep into Harriet's skin, spreading from her arm throughout her body, causing her to groan in surprise.

“Better?” he wants to know from her.

“Yes!” she sighs, unable to shake off the thought of what it would be like if this demon, or whatever he might be, were to embrace her in his strong arms.

Would she burn in its fire?

As if reading her mind, he steps closer to her, his chest rising and falling, his hand trailing down her arm. 'Harriet has the feeling that she must burn under his touch.

When he reaches her shoulder, his fingers move to her neck, closing lightly around it.

His breathing increases, just like Harriet's, who also feels like her heart must be bursting in her chest.

Slowly, he pulls her closer to him and Harriet lets it happen, lets herself be pulled against his chest, rests her cheek on his chest.

His arms close around her and Harriet suddenly feels nothing but peace inside her.

This embrace doesn't leave the demon completely cold either, because Harriet notices how he also breathes more slowly and his arms close tighter around her, he rests his head on her head and sighs softly.

Closely embraced, they simply stand there.

The warmth he radiates lulls Harriet to sleep and she closes her eyes trustingly, knowing that she is safe and protected in his arms.

“Beauty,” he murmurs softly, ”Let me take you to my home...”

Harriet's head jerks up, “My sisters....” she gasps.

“Have all been found and brought to safety safe and sound... by my brothers. Only you and I are still missing!” he whispers harshly.

“What will happen to us?” Harriet wants to know despondently.

“Nothing you or your sisters don't want....” Jokhesh'Aikihm explains seriously, ”You are safe with us, because you are valuable!”

“Valuable?” Harriet wants to know, confused.

“Remember, beauty, remember the words of your ancestors!” he breathes close to her ear and Harriet has the feeling that his words are caressing her delicate skin.

“I....” but Harriet's mind seems empty. She looks at him questioningly.

“Then I'll explain it to you!” he whispers harshly and pulls her closer to him, bending down to her ear again. That alone sends shivers through Harriet's body.

“You and your sisters are no ordinary people, you have powerful blood flowing through you, magical blood... fairy blood! And it is prophesied that when you are old enough, you will unite with us, the Guardians of the Forest, to form an alliance.... To restore the balance and to preserve it!” his voice a hoarse whisper.

Harriet's eyes widen, her head goes up and she looks Jokhesh'Aikihm in his pitch-black, glowing eyes, “An alliance?” she wants to know.

“An alliance, a vow, a union....” his voice rough and hoarse, his eyes glowing and his body vibrating.

His hands eager, demanding, running possessively over her body.

“Can you feel it? Your blood, how it screams for my blood? Can you feel it like I can?” he asks her quietly.

Harriet doesn't know what to think after this revelation, but she feels one thing, his words are true, because her body also longs for him, her blood cries out for his, for a union with him.

So she whispers tonelessly, “Yes!”

Jokhesh'Aikihm groans softly, “Will you go with me then?!”

Again, Harriet can only breathe, “Yes!”

The demon lifts Harriet into his arms and moves away at lightning speed. Harriet can do nothing but wrap her arms around him and press her face against his broad chest.

The fear she felt briefly at the beginning has completely vanished.

When he stops, Harriet sees a small, inconspicuous hut in front of her.

“We've arrived...” he whispers to her, ”I have to ask you this again... you want to be here? It's your free will?”

Harriet looks at him, puts her hand on his cheek, brushes a strand of his dark hair out of his face, “Yes, I do, I want to be here, with you!”

With these words, he leans towards her, his lips almost on her lips, “Then I ask you, do you want me? Like I want you?”

“Yes... I want you!” Without even thinking about it, Harriet utters the words, because she feels, she knows that this is what she wants, what her destiny is, and so she slightly stretches her head and closes the tiny gap between them.

His lips are warm, soft and Harriet feels like she must burn.

Sighing, he breaks away from her, “If I keep kissing you now, you lying in my arms, I can't guarantee anything!”

Harriet grips his neck, “You shouldn't either!” she whispers and presses her lips to his again, running her tongue playfully over them, making the demon shudder.

He pulls her greedily towards him, presses his lips firmly against hers and their tongues play the familiar game that Harriet has never played before. She briefly wonders why his sharp teeth don't hurt her, but then this thought disappears and Harriet gives herself to him again.

Moaning, he breaks away from her shortly afterwards, his eyes glowing red with lust and desire.

“Beauty....” he rumbles, ‘Not here... not now... not YET!’ and lets her slide gently to the floor.

Harriet nods numbly, her legs tremble, her heart races and she feels that desire deep inside her again, the sweet tug between her legs, the longing for him. A longing that she has never known before and that is now taking hold.

With a flickering gaze, she watches as he strides to the door and bites his wrist. Blood drips down, which Harriet notices with fascination.

He takes some of his blood on one of his long fingers, with the dark fingernails, and uses it to draw symbols on the simple wooden door, which immediately begin to glow red.

Jokhesh'Aikihm then opens the door, extends his hand to Harriet, “Come, beauty.... I want to show you my home, which will be our home....”

In a daze, Harriet nods and staggers towards him on wobbly legs.

He wraps his arm around her and pulls her with him.

Harriet isn't sure what she was expecting from the inside of the nondescript cabin, but definitely not THIS.

The interior that opens up before her is much larger than the outside of the hut would suggest.

There is a large open fireplace on the back wall, in which a fire blazes and partially illuminates the room.

There are rugs on the floor, furs and cushions around the fireplace.

There is a large table with chairs and benches in the room as well as shelves full of books and a huge cupboard that seems to be locked. At least that's what the missing key suggests, as the lock is empty.

A comfortable wing chair with a small table on which more books are stacked stands in front of the shelves. 2 closed doors are also visible

A staircase leads upstairs, which surprises Harriet even more, as the hut didn't seem to have another floor from the outside.

Her gaze falls on the balustrade, behind which 3 more doors can be seen.

“Where... I mean... my sisters... aren't they here?” Harriet wants to know quietly.

Jokhesh'Aikihm hugs Harriet from behind, wraps his long arms around her narrow waist and breathes into her hair, “Not here... THIS is MY home. We each have our own homes, but if you step through that door...” he points to one of the two lower doors, ‘Then you'll enter our great hall that we all share... Do you want to go there?’ his breath hot against her neck.

“I....” Harriet's senses are too entranced for her to answer.

He lets go of her, looks down at her tenderly and strokes her cheek, “What do you want beauty?” he whispers hoarsely.

“I...” Harriet shakes her head briefly, trying to sort out her thoughts again. His mere presence is already characterized by this enormous attraction that has developed from 0 to 100 over the last few hours, but as soon as he touches her... and Harriet literally craves it.... She is completely smitten.

“I can show you how they're doing too...” he whispers and pulls her with him to a mirror that she hasn't noticed yet.

“A mirror?!” she asks in surprise, one that seems strangely familiar.

“Hmm, not an ordinary mirror...” he smiles and runs his hand over it.

The image blurs and suddenly shows her parents' house, her room, and Harriet gasps in surprise and stares at Jokhesh'Aikihm in horror.

“My ROOM? YOU could see my room the whole time?? I mean....” Harriet's face takes on a dark red color.

The demon laughs quietly to himself, “Don't worry, beauty.... I can only do that now that you've given me your permission. Your grandmother was very strict!”

“My grandmother?” Harriet has the feeling that her whole world is turning upside down and suddenly she remembers why the mirror looked so familiar. Her beloved grandmother had the same one.

“Yes, beautiful, your grandmother. She was one of the Old Fairies, but fell madly in love with your grandfather and chose mortality for her so that she could live with him... hence your magical blood, your fairy blood. Your father eventually figured it out, which she is, his wife is, his daughters.... And from then on, he used you!” he growls angrily.

“Used us? How? I mean he's strict... if not....” she breaks off in shame.

“Cruel? Is that the word you're looking for?” the demon wants to know.

With her head bowed, Harriet nods.

Jokhesh'Aikihm pulls Harriet close, “YOU are safe now, beauty, I will protect you with my life as my brothers will protect your sisters. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again.”

His embrace, his words are soothing and trustingly Harriet snuggles up to him, sighing softly.

“He used you to subjugate the forest, to keep us in check.... That we couldn't intervene. But that's different now. You are now at our side and together we will guard and protect the forest, just as it was prophesied!” He looks at her tenderly, bends down to her lips and kisses her gently.

Harriet places her hands on his mighty chest, pushing him slightly away from her.

“The prophecy... I mean, aren't we human?” Harriet wants to know.

“Your birth was foretold....” he whispers harshly, ”As was that you and we would form a mighty alliance so that the balance would be preserved for all time... The sacred forest protected forever!”

“But...” Harriet interjects.

“Your appearance may be human, beauty, but your blood is ancient, you are one of the fairies, descended from the bloodline of kings, immortal, like us!” he nods gently.

Harriet gasps and stares at him in disbelief.

He tenderly removes one hairpin after the other from her hair so that her full, dark curls cascade over her shoulders to her waist, looks at her impassively and then pulls her greedily against him.

Harriet melts into the embrace, pressing herself against him.

“This... I mean...” she runs her hands over his muscular body, which is so much more than that of a normal mortal.

He laughs softly again, “You don't have to be afraid, beautiful, I'm going to be very gentle with you...”

Harriet blushes again, scolding herself in her mind for her folly.

“No.. I just wanted to ask, do you always look like this? I dimly remember stories of my grandmother....”

“Hmm, we can shapeshift, take on mortal form... which makes things easier. Only on one day and one night is that denied to us... and that day and night is today....” he explains gently.

“Samhain...” gulps Harriet.

“Samhain!” he confirms ‘And this is also the day on which our alliance must be sealed!’ he adds quietly.

Harriet's thoughts and feelings are pure chaos. Never before has she felt attracted to a man who is not actually a man, but... now a demon, an immortal, taller, broader, more powerful, stronger than any mortal... she desires him.

Just as he seems to desire her... just as he seems to want her.

“What are you thinking about, beautiful!” he sighs.

“About what I want.....” Harriet swallows.

Uncertainty flickers in the gaze of the so confident demon, “And do you know what you want?” he asks her harshly.

“Yes... even more so now.... It's like I said before... I want you!” she explains simply.

Relieved, he takes her in his arms again, “Then may I assume that you....” he runs his hands along her sides and Harriet's body is covered in shivers.

“Yes!” she breathes and takes off the belt with the bag, dropping it carelessly on the floor. Then slowly begins to unbutton the front buttons of her bodice.

Jokhesh'Aikihm's gaze fixes on it, his eyes glowing red again.

Once her bodice is open, she lets it fall to the floor. His chest rises and falls frenetically.

From the corner of her eye, she can see that this leaves him anything but cold, he must be very aroused, because a huge erection is visible under his loincloth, which makes Harriet swallow and waver in her plan.

How on earth is THAT supposed to fit... and she hasn't even seen him naked yet, which makes her blush again... Oh God, she's going to see him naked... more naked than he already is... and he her.

“What is beauty?” he asks harshly, noticing her hesitation.

“Nothing!” Harriet shakes her head immediately, but her hands tremble slightly.

“You don't have to be afraid...” he repeats gently, ”I'll be careful, prepare you.... You can always say no!”

“And if I don't want to say no? If I want to?” Harriet explains defiantly.

Jokhesh'Aikihm laughs softly, begins to unbutton her blouse, “I really did choose the right one....”

In a sudden burst of inspiration, Harriet cups his face with her hands, forcing him to look at her, “No... it wasn't YOU who chose me... rather, I chose YOU... you were attracted to me because I wanted you to be... I can remember now... I've dreamed of you... I've dreamed of you all my life... we were meant for each other from the beginning... But it was MY choice... MY decision to choose YOU out of the 4! ”

He looks at her in astonishment, furrows his brow slightly, then raises an eyebrow, beginning to understand, which brings a bright, wide smile across his face, making him seem human.

“YOU chose ME, beauty?” he smiles.

“Yes, I chose YOU!” she caresses his cheek tenderly, stands on tiptoe and kisses him lovingly.

As she sinks back, she finishes unbuttoning her blouse, pulls it off her shoulders, fingers the ribbons and buttons of her skirt.

“Let me help you...” he whispers huskily and deftly unzips her skirt, letting it slide down

Harriet now stands in front of him in her undergarment. She can see his fingers trembling as he lifts the straps from her shoulders and lets the undergarment slide down her slim body.

Harriet can't stand the tension any longer, bends down, unlaces her boots, kicks them off and pulls her underpants and stockings off her body in one smooth movement.

She now stands naked in front of him, not daring to look up, suddenly afraid of her own courage.

“Beauty, you are breathtaking!” he gasps, approaches her, takes her chin in his hand and pulls it up so that she HAS to look at him.

“You're more beautiful than I imagined!” he whispers, ”You're perfect for me!”

Harriet's pupils dilate at his words.

His hands glide admiringly over her alabaster-colored body, praising it.

He doesn't miss an inch of it, gently touching her breasts, which makes Harriet shudder again, running them along her sides.

Harriet's gaze is fixed on his crotch and she has to swallow. Fear and curiosity are still in balance and she doesn't dare touch him there yet.

So she places her hands on his mighty chest, tracing the lines of his tattoos, which makes him flinch and groan slightly.

She notices how his breathing quickens, his heart begins to beat faster, his skin almost glowing. God, he's going to scorch me are Harriet's thoughts, but she immediately shoots them away when he lifts her up and carries her to the furs and cushions by the fireplace, gently laying her down there, he next to her.

Words are no longer necessary as he begins to caress her body again, covering it with hot kisses and Harriet gasps in surprise as she feels his mouth where no man has touched her before.

He lies down between her legs, lifts her bottom slightly with his hands and greedily sinks his mouth inside her. He sucks and licks both her bud and her virgin entrance, pushing his tongue deep inside her.

Harriet feels like she's going to burst with lust, claws at his hair and pulls him even closer, moaning, to feel him even deeper inside her.

Waves of pleasure and shudders race through her body and she feels an unknown pressure building up inside her. Her breathing becomes irregular, her legs begin to tremble and she moans, pressing her head into the pillows and arching her pelvis forward to get even more of him.

Jokhesh'Aikihm realizes how close she is and carefully pushes one of his muscular fingers inside her, almost making her freeze. Slowly, he runs his finger along her hymen, caressing it and continuing to suck and lick her. He then begins to thrust his finger, in and out of her.

Harriet's moans become even stronger and with a cry, she claws even harder into his hair, literally tearing at it, which makes him groan again, but doesn't stop him from doing his job.

He skillfully guides her through her climax until she collapses, overstimulated.

Jokhesh'Aikihm pushes himself up to her, wraps her in his strong arms and cradles her against his chest.

He himself is rock hard by now, so that it already hurts, but he doesn't take that into consideration, he wants her to feel safe and secure.

“How are you, beautiful?” he whispers tenderly.

“That was.... indescribable....” she sighs, which makes him laugh.

“I'm glad you liked it....” he kisses her hair.

Harriet lifts her head, “Like it? That was incredible, I've never felt anything like it.... I mean...” she breaks off and kisses him greedily, forcing her tongue between his lips, lowering her legs down his sides so that she is now astride him.

He gently strokes her legs as Harriet pushes herself further down until she feels his hard cock, still trapped by his loincloth, between her legs.

Jokhesh'Aikihm swallows conspicuously, his hands moving erratically over her body.

“Beauty...” he gasps.

Harriet begins to rub herself against him, not taking her eyes off him.

His eyes are glazed over, his mouth slightly open, his long fangs gleaming mother-of-pearl in the light of the fire.

Harriet sits up, slides down a little further and places her hands on his privates, making him shudder.

She slowly runs her hands along the waistband of the loincloth, searching for the ribbons that hold the garment together.

“Here!” he whispers hoarsely and guides her hand with his to the hidden ribbons, which she skillfully unties.

He briefly holds her hands in his, “Are you sure?” he asks again quietly, almost anxiously.

“Yes!” Harriet breathes again and pulls the loincloth down so that his mighty cock can spring out into the open, eliciting a small gasp of horror from Harriet after she sees HOW big and thick he is.

Jokhesh'Aikihm's look is a mixture of apology and pride.

“How?” she looks at him in fascination and he just shrugs his shoulders and laughs softly.

“May I?” she asks shyly and at the same time strokes her finger carefully along his shaft, eliciting a moan from him and a breathy ”Yes!”

Curiously, she runs her finger over his veins, which are thickly visible on his hard flesh.

He radiates an incredible warmth, almost heat.

His red glans glistens moistly in the light and when Harriet runs her index finger over it, he moans darkly and pushes himself towards her touch.

“Beauty, please... I....” he gasps.

Harriet sees drops of sweat forming on his forehead and without hesitation or shyness, she takes his hard member in both her hands and moves them up and down, eliciting another moan from his mouth.

Suddenly his hand grabs hers, making her stop moving, his gaze pleading.

“Please... I....” he whimpers.

Harriet knows what he is begging her for, knows that it will close their alliance irrevocably, knows that this is necessary.... And she also knows that this is exactly what she wants.

So she just nods and lies against his side, kissing his earlobe before she breathes hoarsely, “Do it... take me!” into his ear.

“You really want it?!” he makes sure once again.

“Yes, I really do!” she sighs and clears her mind of everything so that only HE is left in it.

He slowly turns onto his side and strokes her soft skin. She suddenly appears even smaller, more fragile next to him than before and Jokhesh'Aikihm hesitates, which does not go unnoticed by Harriet.

“Please... do it, I want it, I want you!” she whispers, her eyes glowing.

Jokhesh'Aikihm strokes her belly, her thighs, spreading them wider and wider, letting his fingers dance gracefully on her skin, not sparing her hot, moist core, teasing her bud and her virgin entrance until she is completely wet again and arching impatiently towards him.

This is what he has been waiting for as he lies down between her legs, his mighty cock in one hand, his tip widening her entrance, making Harriet's eyes widen as she feels it.

If his fingers inside her were already a lot, this promises to widen her like never before.

“You can stop at any time if you wish!” he swallows, meaning his words exactly as he says them.

“Take me, please!” she nods and arches herself towards him so that his tip penetrates her further.

Infinitely slowly, he pushes himself into her millimetre by millimetre, slowly stretching her open for him and Harriet trembles.

He bumps into the resistance he had already felt with his fingers before. Her hymen.

With a single, hard thrust, he pushes into her, piercing her hymen and Harriet cries out.

Jokhesh'Aikihm wraps his arms around her body, pulls her close, waits, “This is only the first time... never again after this!” he kisses her neck.

Harriet nods, the sudden, sharp pain is gone as quickly as it came. She only feels the thickness and heaviness of his hard cock inside her, which she has gotten used to by now. And she wants more, more of him and his privates.

“Keep going!” she gasps and kisses him.

He pushes himself further until he is almost completely inside her and waits again until she has adjusted to him.

“You're filling me up completely... that's...” swallows Harriet.

“What is it! Tell me!” he whispers harshly.

“Wonderful!” she breathes, blushing.

He kisses her lovingly on her lips, her neck, waits another delicious moment until he slowly begins to move inside her, gently at first, then more.

Harriet bites her lower lip and throws her head back, “God, yes, please...” she breathes.

“You won't find a god here... only me!” he rumbles deeply as he thrusts steadily into her.

Harriet's mouth twists into a grin at his words, “I don't want a god either, I want you... just you... my demon, my fallen angel, my dark elf!”

His mouth twists into a grin at her words as well, a triumphant grin as she has memorized his words from before.

“That's right...I'm your demon, your fallen angel, your dark elf...my queen, my fairy queen!” he gasps with each successive thrust into her.

Harriet begins to moan again, rolling her eyes, trembling and he knows she is about to experience her next orgasm, so he increases the pace, thrusting faster and harder into her and as she begins to cry out loudly, his cock twitches inside her too, shooting bead after bead of his seed into her.

Panting, he then supports himself so as not to collapse on top of her as she lies beneath him, breathing heavily and with her eyes closed.

He carefully pulls out of hers, her body twitches briefly.

“My beauty!” he murmurs as he showers her with kisses. Harriet is too exhausted from the experience, so she just huddles close to him, resting her head on his chest as he takes her in his arms.

He still radiates an incredible warmth and Harriet drifts off into a deep sleep.

When she wakes up the next day, she is still in his arms.

Smiling, she cuddles up to him, then blinks.

Blinking, she opens her eyes and flinches, startled.

Next to her is no longer the creature from yesterday, but a man, almost as tall as he was in his changed form, with the same tattoos on his body, the same dark long hair. A short beard adorns his boldly cut face with high cheekbones, a long straight nose and full lips.

Harriet can't get enough of him, staring at him speechlessly.

With trembling fingers, she carefully strokes his cheek and lips and he flinches slightly, opening his mouth. Fascinated, Harriet realizes that his canine teeth are slightly longer and more pointed than those of a normal human and his ears are also slightly longer and more pointed towards the top.

Not a normal human after all, if he has changed, she realizes with a smile.

She strokes his cheek again, which elicits a sigh from his throat.

Harriet leans over and kisses him on his soft lips, which finally brings him out of his sleep.

He pulls her to him with relish and returns the kiss, “Good morning, beautiful!” he murmurs happily and opens his eyes, which, to Harriet's surprise, are incredibly soft and shimmering green-brown.

“Good morning ....” she smiles and brushes a strand of his long hair out of his face.

“Are you happy with what you see?” he wants to know quietly.

Harriet beams at him, “More than satisfied!” she smiles.

“Hmm, that's good!” he murmurs and kisses her again, ”By the way, you can also call me Joakim, my mortal name...”

“I really like that name...” she smiles and wraps her fingers around his, holding his hand tightly in hers.

“You're going to stay....” Joakim states.

“Of course, what were you thinking!” she smiles as she kisses him again.

“But not because of the prophecy and not because we had incredible sex yesterday, but because I want to... I feel comfortable, safe and loved with you. You are my destiny!” she whispers softly.

“And you're mine!” he smiles.

#bad omens band #bad omens cult #bad omens #joakim jolly karlsson #joakim karlsson #jolly #jolly karlsson #bad omens fanfiction #fanfiction #bad omens fanfic #fanfic #jolly karlsson fanfiction #jolly fanfiction #joakim karlsson fanfiction

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honeysuckletoast · 5 months ago

Text

Miss Nightjar and Miss Thrush head cannons✨ Thank you @gayandawreck for the prompt!

Miss Eleanor- Grace Nightjar

-shes nocturnal and rarely ever catches the sun, leaving her always looking sickly pale.

-very long silky waves of dark brown hair that reaches her waist. She let's her kids very gently braid it when she has time, but typically keeps it in a tight bun

-Shes very clean and proper, she loves routine and never ever breaks from her routine.

-has a 3rd peculairity that no one except miss Avocet and some of the council know about. When she snaps her fingers or puts her hands on someone's shoulders for a long period of time, it causes whoever can hear it or is being touched to be thrown into a state of hysteria, seeing some unspeakable horror for a short time along with bleeding out the ears and nose. She nearly killed some peculiar boy when she was really young on accident. She rarely ever uses it now unless her wards are in extreme danger, and it scares her when it happens.

-struggles to sleep sense it's daylight outside and the human part of her tells her she should be awake, but the bird part of her is nocturnal and tells her to sleep

-Millie has no idea her first part of her name was Eleanor until someone called her leni instead of Grace. She now will only call her leni, but miss Nightjar actually doesn't actually mind, despite how she glares at Millie when she calls her leni.

-in the academy Millie was convinced that "Grace Nightjar" was some fictional made up Ymbryne that everyone spoke about jokingly and blamed everything on, plus Miss Avocet claimed grace would tell on anyone who left the house (due to Alma and Isabelle sneaking out) . They finally ran into eachother one night and Millie screamed so loud she woke at least half the academy.

-she had to comfort a heartbroken Alma when her ward Charlotte got out and aged forward and had to be sent to live with miss Nightjar. She's really good at comforting people.

-will deny ever being sick or getting sick, and will continue to keep her routine, even if she is pass out, nearly dead from exhaustion sick. Millie once resorted to Litterally locking her in a walk in closet to get her to rest once.

-wont eat anything she doesn't make herself, or let her wards eat anything she hasn't prepared. Mostly due to their dietary restrictions.

-knows human biology and medical knowledge like the back of her hand so she could administer any type of care needed to her wards that wasn't surgical.

-Even if grace doesn't want to admit it, she has grown to love having Millie there and gets lonely when she goes to her other loop.

-struggles to make friends due to her cold and nocturnal nature towards everyone but her wards.

-Grew up in the slums of london with her older brother Edward who had the peculiarity of throwing up and sweating lava. He was caught one day stealing food for he and grace, and hung for his crime. Grace simply wandered, getting a job as a grave robber for very little pay, (could work all night and anytime she was about to get caught she would turn into a nightjar).

-Her and Enoch met before either of them went to a loop. His parents took care of her brother's body and buried it, and they meet in the grave yard while he was digging out a grave that she was intending to steal from. they actually became good friends and he would sneak her bits of food when he got a chance and let her sleep in the tool shed as a bird, and in return she would bring him any viable hearts she found while grave robbing. Enoch noticed how ill she was becoming sense she wasn't eating enough, and when he was taken into his first loop and heard about the academy, he went and took Grace (who had become so sick she couldn't move much) and left her on the doorstep. Grace still doesn't know who carried her to the academy and he won't tell her.

- she blends in with the ground very well like most nightjars.

-as a great eared nightjar, she looks like a lil dragon (go looked up a great eared nightjar, they are freaking adorable. 11/10 birds)

Miss Millicent Thrush

-litterally like a ball of sunshine as a child and as an adult.

-had 8 siblings, she was a middle child

-holds the record for the girl who had fallen down the stairs most in the academy. She's really clumsy but has strong bones now because of it.

-she really wanted to marry and have her own children alongside her wards. She struggled with thoughts of abandoning the academy and simply living her own normal life

-used to her nails so bad in the Academy miss Avocet would tape her fingers with a special type of tape that was near impossible to remove without nails or a sharp object. She tried to bribe Alma to peel the tape off with liquorice but it failed.

-really close with all of her sisters, making a point to visit at least one of them once a month. She finds the isolation of loop life to be incredibly disheartening.

-had a very contagious laugh.

-considers Melina her daughter, and when she found out she died she went and sat in in silence for nearly 2 whole days, staring at her wall before the reality hit her.

-her favorite food is cinnamon sugar toast.

-when she brought Joel and Peter, Peter and Joel, home, she thought they were a simply a bit clumsy and didn't realize they were blind for nearly 3 days. She felt so bad once she realized she gave them each some candy (they didn't eat it)

-had 11 wards, from 5 years old to 16 (Melina was the oldest) at the time her loop was raided.

-she really loves to sketch, and she has a whole sketch pad of sketches featuring her sisters and her wards that she won't show anyone because she's insecure about them.

-if you call her Millicent, she won't respond because she is so used to hearing Millie.

-in an attempt to cheer Melina up after a bad day when they were going in-between the council and her loop, she ran down and tried to catch a duck on the edge of a pond, failed, slipped and broke her leg. Then she walked home on it while laughing and trying not to cry in front of Melina who was laughing so hard she was crying.

-can fall asleep anywhere, whenever. Sleeping is one of her best skills.

-surprisingly good at trivia and hide and seek. She loved to play games with her wards.

-really likes the mystery novels and romance novels. She is an avid reader.

-is a Song Thrush

Any head cannons you want to see for MPHFPC my inbox is open✨

#miss peregrines home for peculiar children #ymbryne #ymbrynes #mphfpc

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droogiesanddiscourse · 2 years ago

Text

"Hellfire."

Pairing: Monsignor John Pruitt x F!Reader

Summary: You are called first to receive everlasting life from the angel's blood during Easter Vigil.

Warnings: Spoilers for Episode 6 of Midnight Mass and all the content that comes with it. Language. Taking some liberties with how the angel's blood works uhhh hehe. Millie who's that AU. Going off of the stream of consciousness / dream-like writing I am trying so hard to stay out of my head and just write what comes.

"Brothers and sisters,” Monsignor Pruitt concludes. “On this most holy night I come to you with good news. Not only the good news of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who arose to forgive us of our sins after three days in the tomb. But, also the resurrection of ourselves."

He clasps his hands together in makeshift prayer, eyes sparkling an unfamiliar orange glow that you've never seen before. That of a feral black cat's eyes bouncing back light. The ones that hunt on the outpost of the island, all teeth and heat and hunger and sex and wild and and and--

Visions of nocturnal holiness.

"I ask you. Trust in me. And God will reward your loyalty heavily. Know that I would not ask of the ultimate sacrifice of your life if I did not have utmost faith in our God for the miracle he is about to bestow tonight."

The silence within the church is deafening. Not a soul rises for his offer, parishioners stunned to their seats. His eyes scan, searching for a familiar face. Finally focusing on yours.

“Please. [“____”]," his voice like liquid honey calls to you, echoing through the church. "I call upon you to take the plunge first, my sweet child. Show the good people of Crockett Island that there is nothing to fear. That there is paradise waiting for us all tonight."

He leaves his pulpit, descending down the steps towards you. His arm reaches out, using his slender fingers to beckon you to him with a "come hither" motion. White vestments flowing, covering his human visage as he moves, billowing out like an angel's wings.

Devils were once just fallen angels. Symbols of purity be damned.

He notices your trepidation.

"One moment of pain, perhaps. But an eternity of youth and love and worship in His name. We have been given a tremendous gift, sister ["____"]. Be brave.”

Beverly Keene remained tucked in the upper corner of the church, stirring the choice of death for this evening. She's always been a witch in your eyes; now the harsh comparison rings true more than ever as she concocts a deadly potion of sickeningly sweet liquid.

The smell reminds you of too hot summers and running against the shoreline as the waves lap against your ankles and buying popsicles at the general store and sticky raspberry juice running between your fingers. Familiar memories and tastes intermingled with rat poison.

“And so Jesus rose from the tomb, trampling down death. As will we. I am with you, and you are with me. There is nothing to fear."

Don't drink the kool-aid, the old adage goes.

But you wonder how vanilla and raspberry taste mixed together.

Jonestown redux is standing before you, with his hand outstretched for you to take; his body backlit by the illumination of hundreds of candles. You look up at him through your lashes, lips slightly parted. Your eyebrows upturned and eyes reposed.

"Monsignor. Forgive me, but I cannot," you swallow hard. Back yourself from that cliff, you have one leg dangling over the edge now! "For I have not taken communion as my sins have been too weighty, too difficult to ever be forgiven. I believe I did not deserve the body and blood of Christ at that time, which is selfish of me. Forgive me.”

John almost considers this for a moment, his thick eyebrows furrowing together as he stares down at you.

"There is no resurrection for me. I will die,” you state bluntly. Your words are finally registering.

Back away back away, make distance between the cliff.

But he smiles, against your expectations. A tight lipped smile, his eyes kissing at the corners when his cheeks raise. Missed by the miracle of reversed age, not reaching the crows feet that reveal only when he's truly happy.

"My angel. You've taken more than enough of my seed in your womb, and down your throat. The blessing is already inside you."

His hand grazes your cheek, and Hellfire reigns down as the finality of his reveal sets in across the room. Hot and prickling at the back of your neck. High pitched buzzing of bees in your ears. Whore of Babylon comes to Crockett Island. Mary Magdalene weeps. Hundreds of eyes descend upon your form, fragile and ready to break at a moment's notice.

Hell has a special place reserved for you for tasting the most unholy fruits. You wear guilt like a halo.

John positions his index fingers and thumb underneath your chin, tilting it upwards. Your eyes dart away, unable to face him. For sure your very skin would burst into flames if you stared too long.

"Look at me," he demands. "Look at me, angel. Do not be ashamed.”

Oh, you’re more than familiar with this position.

Your eyes tilt back, big and yearning and scared yet wanting more. More of John, more of his smell on your bedsheets, more of his fingers in your mouth more of the salty bitter taste of his skin more breaking the boundaries between heaven and hell more more more more flesh more blood no sin no death no guilt.

Hell has a special place reserved for you in due time.

But real hell is living without him. You slip your hand into his, rising from the pew.

The church is silent, conversations about your unforgivable sin now hushed to murmurs. Somewhere in the distance you hear the gentle song of night crickets that intermingle with your delicate footsteps across decades old wood. A resounding creak and moan of the floorboards that echoes through the small church that makes it become an entity of its own, ready to swallow you whole.

Someone is crying, quietly muffled pathetically behind a cloth. A woman blesses herself using the sign of the cross as you pass.

A dead girl walking, and this is the sound of your funeral march.

Your toes bump into the first step leading up to the chancel. Guiding you by your waist, John spins you to face the congregation. Expressions of the crowd are unreadable.

Are you Joan of Arc or a witch about to be burned at the stake?

Blasphemy, blasphemy stood before your friends, family, acquaintances.

A light. The vision of John blocks you away from their watchful eyes as he stands before you, cupping your face within his hands. Your eyes lock together. Gently, he presses a chaste kiss to the center of your forehead. Lips just barely ghosting over your flesh. You tremble before him.

Bev stands behind you, both arms outstretched forward, bent at the elbow. You’re smart enough to realize she’s ready to catch you for when you involuntarily start seizing, your body putting up its final fight against the poison coursing through its veins.

Life. Death. Rise.

A sob starts in your larynx, unable to burst fully to the surface The warmth of his hands removed from your face, now reaching for Bev's as he takes the small plastic solo cup of juice from hers into his.

"I am with you," he whispers as he holds the cup up to your lips. "As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death I am with you, and you will come out on the other side anew. Whole. Pure as a reward for your devotion to Him."

Raspberry and vanilla threaten to break the seal of your lips, the cup tapped against it. His other hand snakes his way up your back, weaving his fingers within your hair. The digits tug against your locks slightly, tilting your head back.

"Open."

Saliva gathers at the back of your throat.

You can't, you can't, you can't.

You cannot dare to lose the chance to miss another one of those too hot summer days where the children of Crockett island throw their books haphazardly into their backpacks basking in their first hours of summer vacation and the salty water clinging to your hair making it curly and sticky raspberry juice dripping between your fingers–

But oh the visions of him with and the way he whimpers into your neck when he thrusts into you, his hot mouth on your pulse point, the way his hand pin down your wrists forcing you to stay still. Murmured praises and bedroom hymns whispered as the moonlight coats both of your bodies in a ghostly blue glow. Was it truly ever living without him? No more hiding no more secrets you are his and he is yours. A boundary death cannot even cross–eternity is a beautiful thing to imagine.

A tear slips out of your eye, rolling down your cheek. The pad of John’s thumb gently rubs it away. Sympathy for the condemned.

"Drink."

And you do.

#father paul hill x reader #monsignor john pruitt x reader #midnight mass #hamfam #father paul x reader #monsignor pruitt x reader #hamish linklater x reader #hamish linklater imagine #Caitlin loses their damn mind over the fucking hot ass priest cant keep living like this I am literally so insane and feral #please send help #Caitlin go to hell challenge (real)#a/n: rat poison supposedly tastes like vanilla so that is where the reference comes from if that was confusing at all

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five-rivers · 1 year ago

Text

Doorways Chapter 9

Written for Ectoberhaunt 2023's isekai weekend!

Part of this series.

“Sometimes,” said the woman-who-was-a-woman-but-also-something-more. She turned her head to look down at Danny, and the mirror behind her reflected a small amount of the glory that her body naturally hid.

Danny shivered sideways at her regard, sidestepping mirrors that had always and had never been there. If the other doors could be called demons, then this one could be called angelic. That didn’t mean they’d be friendly to Danny or his family.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Danny,” he said, unpleasantly reminded of Gula’s attempt to eat him, to draw him out through his name. It wasn’t the same, and yet…

“Not that,” said Industria. Lights shone in her eyes. Her reflections turned to examine Danny directly, looking out through the glass. Danny’s reflections seemed to fade, becoming less real. “Who are you?”

“I go by Phantom, too,” said Danny.

She shook her head. “You’re a doorway, but you don’t go to the same place I do.”

“No,” said Danny. “I go to the Ghost Zone. You go… elsewhere.”

“The Green Country, not the Red. Infinite Realms, not the Unmade World. I know. You carry the traces of Dreams.”

“Nocturne,” said Danny. “His name is Nocturne.”

“That was never his true name. Just as yours was never Danny, never Phantom.”

“Just like yours isn’t really Industria,” said Danny, peeved. “It isn’t as if we have anything written on our lintels.”

“Don’t we?”

“Maybe you do. I don’t.”

She stepped sideways and was replaced by her reflection. “I’ve done my research. I always do my research. The Door of Dreams is not the only one that leads to the World Imagined. Time. Storms. Growth. These have names. You have arrived on my threshold, from which I hold back Acedia. You come bearing the echoes of Gula, of Superbia. I ask again, who are you?”

Three times, and Danny didn’t have the benefit of being at home, on his own threshold. He also, thankfully, wasn’t trapped in a circle of blood blossoms. Not that it would have mattered if he was. The entity in front of him operated on a different set of rules than the thing that had worn Serena Goodritch and eaten Vlad. The mirrors were enough for her purposes.

What was ripped from his mouth, his core, wasn’t human. He couldn’t even begin to guess at a way to translate it into something human. It was the purest, most direct, most complete description of what he had, obliquely, termed his Obsession when negotiating with Nocturne.

“Oh,” said Industria.

A hand entered Danny’s field of view. He had, at some point, fallen to his knees. He took the hand, and Industria pulled him up. Some of the mirrors had gone back to normal reflections. Others had faded further. A few seemed too real, too deep. One reflected not the hall of mirrors, but the Fentonworks’ lab.

“Sorry,” she said. “I had to know.”

“No,” said Danny, hoarsely. The human throat wasn’t designed for that kind of utterance. “I understand. Well. I mean. I understand why you did it. Not, ah.” He gestured at his mouth.

“You didn’t understand what you said?” she asked.

Danny didn’t really know how to explain it, but one of his reflections spoke for him, the words transmitted through the glass. “Not… Not really. It’s like when you’re standing in front of yourself. You can think of different things, then.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But you really need to figure that out, and sooner rather than later. Before someone takes advantage. My name is Millie.”

“Like your name tag?”

“Yeah. That is what a name tag is for.” She sighed. “Why are you here?”

“After Gula showed up on my doorstep and tried to eat me, me and my parents thought it’d be good to check in on everyone who used to be part of their club. Your dad’s George Amal?”

"Also," chimed in a reflection, "we ran into some 'Acolytes of Acedia' the other day. Know anything about that?"

"Crap, I thought I'd fixed that." Millie looked him over. “Your last name is Fenton?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard about you on the news. There’s a lot of speculation that your family killed Vlad Masters.”

“We didn’t,” said Danny. He was echoed by his reflections.

(He didn’t like that. It felt like pieces of himself were being pinched and siphoned away.)

“That’s what people are saying,” said Millie. She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have to worry about Acedia leaking past me again. I work hard. I’ll have to make some adjustments, but this park will contain it.”

“Why?”

“Parks like this look like they’re just here for people to relax, but they take a lot of work, and people here are doing things, not just sitting around lazily. It’s an interface Acedia tries to latch onto, but can’t. Not easily. And what it does do, I can counter and disperse. It makes reality a little weird, but it’s better than the alternative.”

“Why haven’t you closed it?” clarified Danny.

“Sealed it?” asked a reflection.

“Destroyed it?” asked another.

“Because I cant,” said Millie. “I’m sure you’ve realized it isn’t that easy to get rid of these things. I’d love to know what you did to banish Gula and how you got away from Superbia."

“I… didn’t.”

“What do you mean, you didn’t? You’re here, and there’s nothing inside Serena Goodritch’s body anymore. You must have. No doubt you’ll have to find a way to bind Gula, soon enough. No manifestation of that thing lets a meal escape easily.”

“No,” said Danny. “The - Gula, wasn’t stable, and it was in my home. What it tried to do to me, I turned back on it. Gula, that version of Gula, is gone.”

“And Superbia? You carry its…” Millie-Industria waved her hand, as if to indicate Danny’s whole body. “I can sense it on you. Its traces. Its taint. It’s like a smell, almost.”

“Gone. It wasn’t fully open to begin with, but it was drawing against death, and it was death that…” He trailed off.

“Death opened me,” said a reflection, quietly.

Millie hissed through her teeth. “The pride that challenges death. Where was it?”

“Golding City. The university.”

“Of course it was the university,” said Millie. She glared at the ground for a minute, then shook her head. “No, those things won’t work here. The circumstances are too different.”

“Isn’t this your home?” asked Danny.

A reflection shifted. “Where you were made?”

“Yes,” said Millie, “but Acedia is anchored here as well. And I’ve never heard of doors to that other place being closed like that before, to begin with. Are you sure they were closed? Destroyed?”

“Positive,” said Danny and all his reflections.

“Maybe it’s because he’s a door to the infinite, rather than the supernal,” said one of Millie’s reflections.

“Maybe,” agreed Millie. She looked up, back at Danny. “You… Aren’t exactly diligent or industrious but you do work hard.”

“Uh, thanks?”

She seemed to decide something, then. The mirrors shifted, and the reflection behind her stepped aside.

“Follow me,” she said. She turned, and walked through the mirror. Danny hesitated. But he didn’t really have a choice. “What were these acolytes you encountered like?”

“They were enslaving ghosts,” said Danny. “To do stupid things. Do their chores. Run their business. You know, so they didn’t have to. They ran a bed and breakfast. Sort of. I think it was mostly the ghosts, now.”

“Typical,” said Millie, sourly. “Somehow, with these things, the worst of it comes to slavery, always.”

“Have you run into a lot of doors?” asked Danny.

“Not ones going that way,” said Millie. “But I’ve met Dream, and I’ve met a few like me. I think Caritas would like you.”

“There are others?” asked Danny, his heart aching with thought of more like him, others that could understand, even if they weren’t quite the same.

“Mhm,” said Millie. “Not that I can tell you where. We have an agreement. Privacy, you know.”

“Oh. Of course.”

Walking through a mirror was already several steps off of normal reality, but the deeper they went, the more things shifted. That tension that he could sense even walking on the surface, on the skin of what he now sensed to be a huge, many-layered mechanism, an almost-living thing of mirrors and difficulties. Something not easily bypassed by something that existed in inaction. It was difficult to move. It was difficult to breathe. It was difficult to think.

Danny knew that if he did not do those things, he would be trapped here.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you been a door?” asked Danny. “I mean– How long has it been since you were first opened?”

“It was after Dad was in that accident. I went looking for something, anything that could help. I found Acedia. And rejected it. Acedia doesn’t have a host. Too much work, I suppose, except when someone walks right into it. That was… Industria, then… My door… I rejected Acedia. It… overlapped,” she said, struggling to put what it was like to become into words, as Danny often did. Even things like ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ and all these analogies weren’t good enough. “It was a confirmation. You?”

“I was trying to fix something,” said Danny, shrugging. “That something wound up being me. Only I wasn’t broken.”

Millie stopped. Industria stopped. “This is as far as you should go, I think. Do you feel it?”

Yes, Danny could feel it. That lazy, too-hot summer afternoon. Night, so late, too tired to get up to go to bed. Dishes in the sink, piling up. Remote control just a little further. Homework left unfinished. The itching under the skin to do something, but nothing being done. The consumption of hours. Their waste. Their despair.

“Do you understand why it’s different? Whatever you faced before, it’s different.”

“It isn’t that different,” said Danny, thinking of Superbia, and the false confidence that swirled under his skin, daring him to try, telling him he could win by his strength and cleverness alone. But this… He didn’t know if this wasn’t a good fit for him, or if it was Acedia, whispering in his ear, turning him away from something he could and should do.

“You’ve defeated two holes in reality,” said Indistria, leaning down so she could speak directly into Danny’s ear. “By many measures, what you are is what you can do. Can what you did be repeated?” Her eyes gleamed from a dozen reflective surfaces.

He could not forget. Industria, too, was a doorway, a hole in reality. One that had more in common with Danny than the likes of Gula, but one nonetheless.

What if he only wanted to do something because of her?

Industria sighed, her breath hot on Danny’s ear. “Can you strengthen the boundary? Can you expand the maze?”

“Ice,” said Danny, breathlessly. “You use mirrors.”

“It was what was available at the time.”

“They used mirrors, too. The acolytes.”

“Acedia could be traveling. But ice?”

“Ghost ice. Mirrors and mirror-coatings. Barriers.”

“Do it.”

Danny laid his hand flat against one of the mirror walls, and called on his ice. It crept out, over the glassy surface, then sunk deeper, the white cold mixing with the brilliant silver illumination that was Industria’s power. He poured into it. Power. Energy. Thought. Hexagonal fractals spiraled outward, creating mazes within mazes, adding to the binding that kept Acedia from leaking into the world. His reflections did the same, all through the maze, shallower and deeper, scattered everywhere, a thousand parts of him. It was difficult. It was impossible.

He saw, now, why Industria could not destroy Acedia. He saw why she had only brought him partway. They were too different. They could not reach one another. The space between their thresholds was an infinite series of steps, and nothing could take such a journey. Forever, they could approach their borders and never find them, and Acedia… Acedia would not do that, or it would not be Acedia, and Industria could do nothing but, or she could not be Industria.

Danny was neither of those things, and his door stood on a sharper divide. Though he could not go to Acedia, and fight it in its own place of power, he could do things Industria could not.

But could he fill all this infinite space all by himself?

“You can do it,” said Millie. And with Industria’s hand on his shoulder, he could at least try.

Danny stumbled out of the house of mirrors and caught himself on a nearby piece of railing. Millie stood behind him on the steps.

“I’ll tell the others about you,” she said. “I need to get back to work. Will you be alright?”

“I’m fine,” said Danny. “I just need to– I just need to–” Rest? Catch his breath? Was that safe?

“You should be fine,” said Millie. She looked back, over her shoulder. “Plenty of people rest here. Resting isn’t the problem. The problem is not getting back up.”

The high-pitched tweedle of a phone ringtone interrupted any thoughts Danny might have had on the matter. Millie rolled her eyes and answered the phone. “Yes?” she said. She was quiet for a few minutes. “Yes, I’ll tell him. Bye.” She closed the phone. “My dad saw your parents. You’re invited to dinner.”

#danny phantom #doorways fic #ectoberhaunt23 #ectoberhaunt 2023

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