#monstrous-twilight

[szilverer]

The Vampyre of Time and Memory

another album-inspired redraw study but plot twist this is actually from october lmao, the last meme reminded me i never got to post it. info + even brighter version under the cut. careful with eyestrain

Queens of Stone Age's ...Like Clockwork. just good ol classic alt rock baby.

unfortunately for eddie boy rei cant cry. apparently.

most of the album fits the FLPCxEddie dynamic in my mind, but specially I Appear Missing (edward's pov), Kalopsia & ...Like Clockwork (post-marriage, the bittersweet variety to put it lightly), and the aforementioned The Vampyre of Time and Memory (reisz specifically). i love music yayayay ^___^ all i do is think of fucked up amvs...

[trueishcolours]

I just realised I can tell the internet about the fucked up (lighthearted) thing that happened to me.

So I was with my colleagues, and it's a residential job so we're all staying in the same boarding house.

I go downstairs and find some of them relaxing in the communal area, I join them, they've turned on the TV, Fifty Shades of Grey is playing.

I think it was the third one, Fifty Shades Freed?

So we're all idly watching and making a lot of jokes about watching dirty movies in the workplace (it was actually an extremely tame movie, NOTHING was happening). And generally commenting on the badness of the movie, and the novels, and I say,

'They're all based on Twilight fanfiction.'

And my colleagues go, 'what?'

And I say, 'they're based on Twilight fanfiction.'

And they say, 'how do you mean?'

And I go, '................as in the author originally started writing a story about Edward and Bella, and then changed the names and sold it as an original novel.'

And my colleauges go, 'so, what, it was about billionaire vampires, or...'

And I say, 'I think it was about billionaires INSTEAD of vampires.'

And I think a bit about how to bridge this vast cultural chasm, and I say, 'it's called an Alternate Universe.'

And THEN my colleagues say, 'we're not sure we believe you.'

And I'm like, 'you don't BELIEVE me???????'

And I'm just sitting there trying to fathom the fact that Fifty Shades being based on fanfiction is..........no longer common knowledge? There was at least a TIME when it was common knowledge, right????? When the novels first came out everybody was discussing, 'there's this book, it's got kink right on the page there in the mainstream, how shocking, it is misogynist and a sign of society's moral downfall, AND ALSO it is based on Twilight fanfiction.'

Anyway my colleagues had never heard this and they maybe didn't believe me?????????????? And I thought I was just tossing out a well-worn fact???????????????????? Help???????????????????????????

TRULY fandom is not the world...

[monstrous-fusion]

Rancher / Twilight Princess / he/she / 21 years

Though he is but a simple farmhand from Ordon, Rancher is exceptionally brave, often going out of his way to help those in need. Possessing a heart of gold and dogged loyalty to his greatest good, Rancher is the ideal hero. The only thing marring her perfect image is a shadowy form and a regret that boiled his blood.

A huge thanks to @wildsage00 for all the help with her design! I really appreciated your guidance and advice with this one <3 she looks wonderful

Some fun facts about her under the cut!

This MIGHT just shock you, but he loves Ordonian Goats. Sometimes she wishes she could have been turned into a goat rather than a wolf--they're more friendly, but still powerful and not to be trifled with. It still hurts him that the goats hate her wolf form so much.

Bugs!!!! Every once and awhile, she'll go out to the city and help Agitha with her bug preservation, and he ended up learning a lot about them! His favourite sub family of bugs is Holoptilinae (a subfamily of Reduviinae, or Assassin bugs) because of their feathery little legs! Also, he WILL give you a huge rant about how Daddy Long Leg ""spiders"" aren't actually spiders (Minish would agree).

Rancher is their best horse rider in the group and physically the strongest next to Engie (guess a lot of chucking coal into a furnace makes you pretty physically strong). She can (and will) lift a fully grown Ordonian goat if she has to.

[llondonfog]

twst (horror) tober — day 6 (time)

➤ Day 6: Time | “How long has it been?” 

Silver once told him that ever since stepping into the role of caring for Lilia, the concept of time turned meaningless to him.

Silver told him that he can only categorize the days now on a continuum of good and bad.

There were days when his father would wake up with the hint of recognition in his eyes and an agreeable slant to his lips, and Silver needn't coax him out of bed to amuse him with the trinkets and gifts bestowed upon him by well-meaning classmates and a grieving liege. There were even better days when a glimmer of memory not yet lost would surface in the dark and mired deadlands of his father's deteriorating mind, when he'd pat the cushion beside him on the couch and regal Silver with a tale he'd heard at least several times before— each time, he listens just as patiently as if it were the first.

And then there were bad days when the fae that awaited him on the other side of the bedroom door screeched and howled in a long-lost tongue, days when Silver was forced to use the iron bolts that Malleus-sama had pleaded with him to install on the wooden frame if he wouldn't listen to reason and use manacles fixed to the bed instead ("My father isn't a monster, Malleus-sama, I won't humiliate him and strip his dignity away!") to stop those wild, ragged claws from tearing through the wood like paper to scratch out his eyes. Days when it is hard to separate the loving, smiling father from the feral creature caught in a losing battle as it succumbs to a fate inevitable to its kind.

Sebek listens to his friend, remains silent for once— it is unlike Silver to share his burdens, to even talk about the difficulties of caring for a fae so advanced in the decay as Lilia lest he fears that anyone find him complaining. They had all tried to talk him out of it when they had learned that Silver had already rescinded his studies at Night Raven College with the intent to care for his father to the bitter end. Malleus had nearly been beside himself, for safety could not be guaranteed, even for a human as strong and determined as Silver— "He'll overwhelm you," Sebek had watched his prince all but beg the boy to reconsider. "You know naught of what you are consigning yourself to, you have never seen our kind at our most frightful display. He would not wish this upon you, he would want his memory to remain pristine in your mind!"

But Silver had remained steadfast, loyal and devoted to his father beyond all rational persuasion. "I will not allow his last moments to be in suffering and all alone, Malleus-sama. He has sacrificed his life for the country, for you, and for me— I find it hardly equal what meager weeks I can give to him so that he may go in peace."

And so they had left to that cottage in the forest, the only home that both of them had ever known. Sebek had visited only once, the nature of being Malleus-sama's sole guard until Silver's return dictating that he shoulder a more hefty responsibility. They had both appeared rather worn and weary, bags deeper under Silver's eyes than he had ever known them to exist before, but together at least with wan smiles on their faces, as Silver had so desperately wished for them to be.

All the same, Sebek's gaze had keenly noted the presence of thin, crimson lines along Silver's forearms and neck— he found himself too much of a coward to glance at Lilia's hands.

Today, however, he's visiting for a much different reason than merely personal concern. Malleus-sama had bid him to venture out into those isolated, lonely woods, a frown deep and haggard on his perfect face; Sebek knows that if he were to look in a mirror, the same expression would be reflected back at him. For two weeks now, not a single letter delivered to the cottage had returned with correspondence, courtesy of Silver's little feathered friends usually so delighted to concede to his requests. Normally, a week's worth of silence would have jolted the both of them into worry, but with the whirlwind of a recent goodwill trip to the neighboring human countries, Sebek had merely assumed there would be a small pile of daily updates from Silver for them to look forward to reading upon their return. Imagine then, the foreboding that had settled in like an ominous pressure at the lack of any such notes.

That pressure only mounts and builds with a wicked weight upon his shoulders as he approaches the darkened cottage, silent among the stilled trees. A pressure that twists in his stomach like a corkscrew, and grips his throat in a vice, thinning the air he breathes as he stares with dread at the front door swinging off its hinges, and a faint, nauseating smell choking the scent of violets from beneath his feet.

Today, it seems, is not simply a good or bad day— it is an awful one.

[devotedlystrangewizard]

totk really is one of those games that make me go "ok thanks for the characters, setting, and general plot, but ill take it from here <3" because the entire historical timeline had so much potential for interesting and nuanced story telling but they just went with the old zelda story formula and YES thats how theyve always done it but botw was such a reset in terms of gameplay that they couldve overhauled how they handle story in totk. but they didnt

[riverofempathy]

My version of Bella is anxiety-ridden and selfless-to-the-point-of-destruction (basically canon, just amped up a notch) so this take actually would work well for her.

The thing is “My love becomes a vampire so I’ll become one too to stay with her” can’t hit the same anymore. It’s become just a “ooh being a vampire would be sexy!” or “yay we get to live forever!” romantic thing versus the most defiantly heretical devotion that would make the paper it was written on burn. There’s no “ooh~ vampires~” but rather being willing to join everything you fear and dread the most, that once shattered your mind to endure.

It also just can’t hit the same without that backdrop of severe Victorian social mores one dare not set a foot outside, and a lifetime of being bound by them. Or without the certainty that heaven is real, and you’re willing to bar yourself from it for eternity if your love isn’t granted entrance.

This is gothic Romance with a capital R at its pinnacle and I’m never going to stop thinking about it

[distantshore]

note to self. don't take a class even slightly related to gender studies ever again, you Will be forced to sit next to some of the most annoying people you've ever met in your life

[mndvx]

Death was close, of that much I was sure. But lo, a Valkyrie descended. Beautiful it was, but monstrous... And silence fell. For the fighters knew the creature would decide who would live and die on that field. Others were taken. We were spared. By whose design, we do not know. But as it left us... The Valkyrie bowed. To my Sigrid. TWILIGHT OF THE GODS — The Bride-Price (Episode 1)  written by Eric Carrasco | directed by Zack Snyder

[szilverer]

thanks to FL's skyrim syndrome my jock nightmare murder machine ghostie is also canonically a genius nerd and. it kinda takes me out everytime i think about it bc half the time they be looking like this:

behold. one of the finest minds in the neath.

[yukinohiko]

Swan Song | Gojo Satoru

✧ A/N: I adore ballet, which you may know from my past pieces, and Swan Lake is a personal favourite. This fic was an opportunity to delve into that concept with Gojo — the people's white swan lol

✧ Synopsis: You find yourself in an area of the forest you've never explored before — one that's a touch more mystical than most. But the eye of your crossbow finds itself locked not on waterfowl, but something far more beautiful. Who is this half-man, half-swan creature? And why does he beckon the huntress into prey?

You first see him descend in a moonlit clearing, deep within the blue forest. Originally, you’d assumed he was merely a swan. Prey to be pierced by your arrow.

But in the eye of your crossbow, you see him unfold. Snowy white feathers molting into pale flesh, periwinkle-blue against the lake’s glittering albedo. Lean, sinewy muscle, tender skin and bone, crafting themselves from a bird into the shape of a man.

He rolls his shoulder loosely, as though stretching. Glances back at you as though he’d known you were there all along, a knowingness to his strangely luminescent eyes. They reflect light rather than capture it; animal-like, almost.

Shape-shifter, you think. Monster, old fairytales whisper in your mind.

But there’s nothing monstrous about his beauty, which strikes you in sharp absolution. He is beautiful. It’s an indisputable fact. Beautiful like the ripples in the lake under the willow tree’s tresses. Beautiful like the stars above the forest canopy. Beautiful like a sly smile on a strange swan-man’s face.

“Are you only going to stare?” he says, turning away, baring his back and nothing more. “I thought you intended to take your shot.”

You did. You had. But how can you? The crossbow wavers until you finally lower it completely.

“What are you?” you breathe, afraid to step out of the tree cover and into the moonlight where he so calmly bathes.

“That’s presumptuous,” he teases, still without facing you. His broad, unblemished back, porcelain white, remains bare like a target. “I’m a man, of course.”

“Well — who, then. Who are you?”

He laughs softly, and it’s a rich sound like water lilies in blooming season. “You’re terribly curious. Will knowing the answer change much?”

“I’ve never seen anything — anyone, like you before.” You tentatively take a step into the clearing. You see him tense, muscles stiffening, though he still doesn’t turn to face you. “Won’t you tell me?”

“What will you give me if I do?”

“What?”

“Hunter out in a forest, you’ve stolen more than you’re entitled to, I’m sure.” The water trembles around his waist as he wades further into the lake. “I’d like something in return, if you’re going to entitle yourself to my name, too.”

You’re slightly affronted by his words. “Now who’s presumptuous? I’m not a thief. These are my lands.”

“You own the earth, then? The storms that shake your estate? The underground springs that fill your wells? The roots that grow into sycamores that outlast your family name?”

You fall silent. Abashed, and yet, somehow, all the more beguiled. Is he a warlock? A forest spirit? A product of lucid dreams? You can only stare.

Finally, he turns to face you. And you see it. A long jagged scar across his torso, a gaping battle mark that disrupts the otherwise smooth skin of his chest and abdomen. You inhale sharply, feeling as though you, yourself, are wounded by such a grotesque injury.

“Satoru,” he says.

“What?”

“My name.” The enchanting swan-man smiles slightly, a flash of white teeth in the romantic lake twilight. “It’s Satoru.”

“Satoru,” you repeat softly. “What happened to you, Satoru?”

“This, you mean?” He gestures to the scar cavalierly. “Old news. Can hardly feel it anymore, to be honest.”

“It looks painful.”

“It was.” His smile gleams in the dark. Wading deeper into the lake, he raises an eyebrow while setting a lidded gaze upon you. “Won’t you come in?”

“What?” You lift your eyes from his scarred chest up to his face in surprise.

“The water is wonderful this time of day.” He holds up his hand to catch the evening light. Droplets trickle down his wrist, his forearm, spilling back into the lake. “Come in.”

“You sound like some sort of water devil,” you say lightly, feeling out the delicate mood. “A siren luring sailors to drown.”

“Oh, I’m not nearly so coy when I intend to kill someone.”

You laugh slightly, taken aback yet not truly perturbed. “Is that meant to be reassuring?”

“I don’t know.” He tilts his head, his mouth curving. “Do you feel reassured?”

You shake your head. Regardless, remembering the beguiling way he’d transformed from swan to man, you’re enchanted enough to take a few steps into the shallow end of the lake. The water is indeed an ideal temperature, neither too cold nor unpleasantly warm. A tender coolness, fresh, rippling around your calves.

Satoru watches you with those clear-glass eyes, brighter than any sky. “Do you come out here often?”

“The forest? Never this deep before. I hunt — well.” You pause in hindsight and look down, palming the water. “I usually stay at the periphery. That’s why I was so surprised to see you. Someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” He takes your hand delicately within his, guiding you deeper into the water.

“A swan who turned into a man.”

“Ah.”

“Why did you?”

“That’s a long story.” The willow tree tresses fall like a curtain around you both; you stare at Satoru’s fingers twining between yours, the water cool as it drips between your skin. Palm to palm.

“I’ve got time,” you say, meeting his gaze.

He hums.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Childe with residual pain, the strain of Foul Legacy seeping through.

his hands are always cold, joints aching from gripping weapons so tightly and fighting for his life. you hold them gently within your own at night, kissing each blackened fingertip and knuckle, stained twilight with white speckles. gently, you bend and flex them, making sure he has a full range of motion without pain. Childe hums quietly in relief, lacing his fingers with yours and kissing the back of your hand in thanks, careful not to pierce you with the tiny claws his nails have become.

you're the only one who knows- or, notices- the other strands of white peppering his hair every here and there. Childe pulls on them, both idly and in grief, his face burying into your shoulder as he cries. it looks like snow and the sun at dusk to you, hands running soothingly up his aching back, pressing against his spine. he laughs, slightly choked, when you tell him so, muttering something about only you being able to see beauty in something monstrous.

when he slumps into bed with bruises and cuts on his body, when he feels more Abyssal than human with little horns in his hair and patches of carapace on his skin, you simply drape an arm over his waist, tucking the blankets around him as if it's the most natural thing in existence. Childe stiffens, then melts with a sigh, curling his body slowly around yours and pressing kisses all over your face. he drops into sleep so easily in your embrace, warm and finally safe from waking and dreaming nightmares.

chances are, you'll wake to a slumbering Abyssal monster, and you'll get to shower him in affection all over again.

[multific]

A Love Awakened

Modern!AU

Count Orlok x Reader

Summary: In the modern world, he was an echo. But with you, he was a promise. Love awakened. Love eternal.

The night was still, heavy with the scent of autumn leaves and the faint hum of the city beyond your window. 

You sat curled on your couch, the only company a half-finished bottle of wine and the ache of solitude. The room was filled with shadows, lit only by the flicker of your laptop screen, and the work emails were long abandoned.

A sigh broke from your lips, a sound of longing and something deeper, an ache that no company had ever helped. 

The wine, warm and heady in your veins, loosened the lock on your heart.

"I just… I just want someone to love me," you whispered, voice cracking under the weight of loneliness. "Someone-anyone. Even if it’s… a monster."

The wind shifted outside and sent a whisper through the trees. 

You felt the chill of something unseen but said nothing more, your body sinking into sleep.

The dream was vivid, too vivid. 

A castle, ancient and covered in mist before you. 

From the shadows stepped a figure, tall, lean, and cloaked in the night itself. His eyes, pale and piercing, found yours. 

You felt the weight of ages in his gaze, and yet, beneath the terror, there was something familiar as though he had been waiting.

His voice was a rasp, deep and his breath terrified you at first. "You called for someone to love you." he spoke slow, it sent shivers down your spine.

You felt your heart stutter. “Who are you?”

“I am your Lord, Count Orlok,” he said simply, the name ancient, like him.

His fingers brushed your cheek, cold as marble, and you trembled. “You have stirred me from a long slumber, Little One. I have heard your heart’s weep."

You swallowed thickly, both terrified and entranced. “What… what do you want from me?”

His gaze burned into yours. “Come to me. Seek me, and you shall know love beyond the veil of time. But know this, if you do not come, you will never find me again.”

The dream shattered with your gasp as you woke with a start.

You dismissed the dream as wine-soaked fantasy, but the echo of his voice clung to your bones. 

You felt watched, shadows pooling where none should be.

Curiosity, or possibly madness, something unnamed drove you to your computer. 

You searched, digging deep into half-forgotten whispers and obscure forums. 

The world called him a myth, but the fragments you uncovered painted a map of impossibilities: sightings, a name whispered.

You found it, a place, hidden among mountains and woods. A private property which has been long untouched.

Your heart raced. “This is insane,” you muttered. Yet, the dream had felt more real than your life.

-

The journey was a blur. 

You remember buying the ticket, you remember getting on a plane and a train, you remember renting a car. You remember leaving said car in the nearby village.

You even remember an elderly lady warning you about the woods. 

But it all seemed to vanish when you saw the castle.

The castle stood ahead, a rough silhouette against the twilight.

The gates, rusted and heavy, groaned as they opened.

Inside, time had forgotten the walls, cobwebbed and cold stone. 

Your footsteps echoed as you wandered, drawn by something unseen. You didn't know how you knew which way to walk.

“You came."

Your breath hitched as Count Orlok emerged from the shadows. 

His form, monstrous and regal, seemed both part of the castle and apart from the world. Yet, his eyes softened as they met yours.

“You are real,” you whispered, your voice trembling.

A shadow of a smile, a movement so slight it seemed to flicker. “You crossed time to find me.”

His cold hand, hesitant, brushed yours. He was not used to the vulnerability of touch.

“I have watched centuries pass,” he murmured. “But never have I felt this pull.”

Your fingers, brave and trembling, entwined with his. “Then let me stay. Show me what love means to you.”

He stiffened a flicker of something old and wounded in his gaze. “You would give your heart to a creature the world has forgotten?”

You smiled, warmth against his cold. “You heard my heart when no one else did. You are not forgotten by me.”

The days became nights and the nights endless. 

Orlok, ancient and powerful, grew curious about your world, the flicker of your phone screen, the hum of music from your playlists. He watched the sky lit by the city glow and marvelled at the stars unchanged from his time.

He was a being of shadows, but with you, he learned light, not of the sun, but of laughter, of stories shared by candlelight. 

His touch, once cold and possessive, became tender, hesitant, and achingly careful.

And when you touched his face, tracing the lines of his features, you felt his tremble, the fear of breaking under something so fragile as your affection.

“I have lived without a heart,” he confessed one night beneath a sky with stars. “Now you have it.”

You leaned in, pressing your lips to his, his cold meeting your warmth, ancient meeting fleeting. 

But in that kiss, there was eternity.

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

Wattpad

/DO NOT TRANSLATE, STEAL OR REPOST ANY OF MY WORKS TO THIS OR OTHER PLATFORMS/

[angelofthenight01]

The witch's guardian

Wanda Maximoff x Reader (AU)

genre: horror, fluff  ||     warnings: lycanthropy, witch hunting, violence

The biting wind whips through the skeletal branches of the ancient forest, mirroring the turmoil within you. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, each one a painful reminder of the curse that claws at your soul. The moon, a malevolent eye peering through the swirling clouds, fuels the beast within. Tonight, the change is coming. You can feel it, a burning tide rising in your veins, contorting your bones, reshaping you into something monstrous.

You stumble through the undergrowth, thorns ripping at your worn leather tunic, the scent of damp earth heavy in your nostrils. You abandoned the village days ago, fleeing the terrified whispers and the glint of fear in the eyes of those who had once called you neighbor. They knew, or suspected, a truth you had tried so hard to conceal. The truth of the moon’s hold on you, the monstrous transformation that consumed you under its gaze.

You sought refuge in this dark wood, hoping to outrun the terror, or at least contain it on your own. You find a small clearing, a meager sanctuary, and collapse against the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak. The transformation begins, a horrifying symphony of crackling joints and tearing flesh. You writhe and howl, the sound lost in the symphony of the wind. Claws sprout from your fingers, your teeth lengthen into fangs. Fur bursts through your skin, a coat of thick, dark fur, a shield of shame and revulsion. Finally, you’re no longer a person, no longer human. You are a beast. A werewolf.

You pace, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs, your senses heightened tenfold. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, is amplified into a symphony of fear. The forest, once a haven, now feels like a cage. You are both predator and prey.

Days blur into nights. You scavenge for food, the taste of blood and raw flesh filling your mouth, a stark reminder of the monstrous life you’re forced to lead. You learn to navigate the forest in your beast form, becoming a part of its shadows, a creature of the night. The human you once were feels like a distant memory.

One evening, under a sky bruised with twilight, you catch a scent unlike any you've encountered before. A scent as intoxicating as wildflowers, a lingering note of smoke, and something…else. Something ancient and powerful. It draws you in, pulling you past the usual boundaries of your forest territory, toward an isolated glade bathed in the ethereal glow of twilight.

There, beneath a canopy of ancient trees, stands her.

Wanda.

Even in the dwindling light, her beauty is undeniable. Hair as dark as raven's wings frames a face of sharp angles and mesmerizing emerald eyes. She stands with an air of quiet power, a collection of herbs and strange stones arranged around her in a circle. She is a witch, that much is clear from the aura that radiates from her, and even in your feral state, you know it.

She doesn't flinch at your appearance, doesn't recoil or scream as other humans have. Instead, her gaze meets yours, holding a curious mixture of assessment and understanding. It’s both unnerving and captivating. You find yourself stopping, the instincts that drive you as a wolf warring with an unexpected desire for her approval, or rather, her understanding.

Slowly, you approach, your steps wary but driven. You lower your head slightly, a gesture of submission that feels both instinctive and strange. Wanda watches, her expression unreadable until she offers a slight tilt of her head, a gentle acknowledgment of your approach.

“You're hurting,” she says, her voice low and melodic, a soothing balm to the beastly rage that still rumbles in your chest. “And confused.”

You whimper softly, a sound that holds the pain of your existence.

She moves, but instead of fear, she reaches out, extending a hand towards you, her fingers long and elegant. Hesitantly, you lower your snout until it’s close to her palm. She slowly, and with intention, places her hand on your snout. The touch is brief, a featherlight caress, yet it sends a ripple of warmth through your snarled muscles, a calming wave that soothes the edges of the beast within.

"I can help you," she murmurs, eyes never leaving yours. "But it won’t be easy.”

You look at her, and she at you, and from that moment onwards, you know that your life will change.

Over the next few weeks, you find yourself drawn to her glade each night. It’s the only place where the beast feels manageable, where the pain of your condition feels less like a curse and more like a weight you might learn to carry. Wanda helps you understand the nature of your lycanthropy, teaches you to recognize the triggers, and the slow ways of controlling it. She guides your beastly nature to an equilibrium. She uses herbs and her magic to soothe your mind, eases the transformations.

You, in turn, become her protector. Your wolf form is a fierce guardian, a shadow that lurks in the forest, watching her, keeping her safe. During those long nights, you learn of her history, of her isolation, and her unwavering commitment to the forest and its secrets.

You learn to anticipate the hunt, the growing murmur of human voices and clashing steel that means they've come for her. When the scent of men, their fear and greed, floods the forest, you become a dark whirlwind of fur and teeth. You emerge into the glade, a terrifying figure, and stand between the intruders and Wanda. They've come for the witch who lives in the forest, because they fear that which they don't understand.

Their torches flicker, casting grotesque shadows on their faces. They’re armed with pitchforks, axes, and hunting knives, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and bloodlust. They’ve come to destroy her, and you will tear them apart first.

A roar rips from your throat, a challenge to their presence. You stalk forward, your fangs bared, your eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They hesitate, their bravado faltering in the face of the true predator you have become.

One man, larger than the rest, steps forward, brandishing a rusty axe. “Monster!” he shouts, his voice trembling. “We’ve come for the witch!”

You charge, a blur of speed and rage. You lunge past the axe, your teeth sinking into his fleshy arm. He screams, dropping the weapon, and stumbling back with a terrified yell which echoes through the forest.

The others attack, but you are too fast, too strong. You tear through their ranks, your claws ripping at their clothing, your teeth sinking deep into flesh. You feel a primal exhilaration, a savage joy in the violence you inflict, and you fight with a ferocity born of protective rage. You feel as if you could tear down trees and mountains, you could destroy worlds just to protect her.

You let out a terrifying roar, one that comes deep from your lungs, a primal beast sound that sends them scattering back into the shadows. Your teeth grind against one another, itching for some flesh. Some bones to crush.

They flee, abandoning their weapons, their fear palpable on the wind. You stand panting, your fur matted with blood, the scent of human fear heavy in the air. You turn back to Wanda, and she stares at you with a strange mix of pride, trepidation, and something that could only be called love. Her eyes, though wide, are full of care and adoration.

The night is cold, silent, after the cacophony of the battle, yet in the calmness you see yourself for the first time, see the power, the strength, the protector. You have given into the beast, but you’ve done it for her. You have torn them to shreds for her, defended her with your life, and she recognizes it all.

“You protected me.” She says, her voice barely above a whisper.

You nod, lowering your head, and transform back to a human again. The shift takes its toll on your body, but you're used to it, and you know she'll fix your wounds. You stand before her, naked, drenched in blood, your body scarred and twisted from the transformations, but she takes your hands anyway.

“I know,” she says. “And I am eternally grateful.” She pulls you in, her touch light, yet you feel as if you're being embraced by the sun. "Let’s clean you up. I have some herbs that will soothe the wounds of the body and the soul.”

You allow yourself to be led into the hut, the only place where the beast in you feels at peace, where the human you once were can breathe again. You know that future battles await, that the men will return, and there will always be those who fear the power of Wanda, whom they call a witch. But you will be there. You, the protector, the beast she now understands. Together, you will face the darkness, you, the monstrous protector, and she, the powerful magician, united by a forbidden forest and a love forged in the shadows.

[xylatox]

January 2025 Fic Recommendations!!

a/n: my first fic recommendation list for the year!! All these fics I have read and I have loved every single one of them; please show your love to the authors by reblogging, liking and even sharing your thoughts with them :). To the authors, I'm sorry for the tag!

Key - ☆ -series ♡ -one-shot

Tomorrow X Together

☆ Between Twilight Skies | @jjunbug ~ ongoing

wc - 7.5k+

pairing - choi yeonjun x 𝖿𝖾𝗆!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋, huening kai x 𝖿𝖾𝗆!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾r

synopsis - in a world that's on its dying breath, the once green and lush landscapes get buried in more and more layers of ash. the once flourishing streets that were full of magic are now a dull hum. yet, there is still hope—and it lies in the hands of you and kai, the last people to possess magic. suddenly, you remember the story of a forest that watches, and a well of life that lies deep within. you're determined to save your bleak world in any way that you can, yet, you weren't expecting to end up in a brand new world entirely.

♡ Bloodbound | @beomiracles

w.c - 2.5k

pairing - vampire!taehyun x human!reader

synopsis - Oh, you. So pretty, young and alive. Blood flows within your veins, carrying all the way to your beating heart, the one he can hear from miles away. Your breath hitches when his sharp fangs brush against your neck, your eyes flutter before they widen in fear. — God it drove him insane

♡ The Scientist | @dawngyu

w.c - 21k

pairing - popular hueningkai x deaf fem!reader

synopsis - Kai, who thrived in sound. Loud noise, vibrant conversations, the hum of life. And the quiet girl that sits prettily by the window—had begun to haunt his mind—stirring his heart the way only music ever had.

There must be some scientific explanation for this... right?

♡ The Last Safe Space | @dawngyu

w.c - 30k

pairing - idol!beomgyu x fem!soldier reader

synopsis - The world didn’t end with a bang. It ended with a whisper, a deadly virus creeping through the streets, turning the living into something… monstrous.

It was supposed to be a mission. Get in. Get out. Rescue the five a-list boys holed up deep in the city of Seoul. But nothing in this new, broken world is simple anymore.

The dead don’t scare you as much as his starry eyes do—deep brown eyes that make you question if you’re the one who needs saving, after all.

♡ When The Reaper Weeps | @gyu-tori

w.c - 12.4k

pairing - grim reaper!taehyun x fem mortal!reader

synopsis - The afterlife, where death waits in shadow, Taehyun walks the line between humanity and duty, a grim reaper bound by unyielding rules and a heart he has long denied. Cold and distant, he collects souls with precision—until one last wish changes everything.  

Y/N’s days are numbered, given seven days before the after life welcomes her. Her final mission is simple: mend the broken ties of her past.

As the days slip away, Taehyun’s carefully constructed world unravels. Y/N’s determination forces him to confront the emptiness in his existence. When choices arise—between rules, rebellion, and a love neither is prepared for—Taehyun must face the cost of defiance.  

Will he remain the Reaper, bound to his duty, or will he weep for the first time in centuries?

☆ Supermarket Flowers | @yunverie ~ ongoing

w.c - 15.5k+

pairing - taehyun x reader

synopsis - In the quiet corners of a bustling campus, Taehyun, a once-passionate artist, finds himself at odds with the canvas. Each brushstroke feels heavier, every color muted by the weight of personal battles he keeps locked away. Across the hall lives someone just as adrift— you, a musician whose melodies have grown somber since a breakup that shattered your rhythm and dimmed your spark. Two souls, dulled by life, separated by a thin wall but worlds apart in their own silence.

Fate weaves their paths together in an unassuming art supply room, where their individual searches for solace lead to an unexpected companionship. Amidst the scent of paint and the soft strum of guitar strings, they begin to fill the gaps in each other’s lives without even realizing it. Conversations spark over spilled paints and improvised melodies, and laughter starts to echo where silence once lingered. Slowly, they start to see colors they had forgotten and hear music they thought they'd lost.

And as life begins to take on new hues, they realize that perhaps, just perhaps, love might be worth taking a chance on again.

☆ To Someone From A Warm Climate | @hyukascampfire ~ ongoing

w.c - 93.3k+

pairing - faerie!taehyun x reader, faerie!yeonjun x reader

synopsis - a life lived as a human among the fae is one hard-earned. the folk are built of indescribable beauty, and of debauchery and mischief. for some, a life lived subservient to the folk is just fine; but to those who dream of something more, they would spend their lives clawing and biting to make it happen.

you, looking for a way to escape a life as a faerie’s human servant, put a new foot forward thinking that any life could be better than that. but, when your first assignment as a king’s spy is alongside a brooding, icy faerie man, you begin to wonder what your place in this foreign world really could be.

♡ Letters of Yesterday | @gyu-tori

w.c - 9.1k

pairing - cursed writer!hueningkai x fem artist!reader

synopsis - When love is as fragile as memory, Kai is cursed to forget everything—and everyone—he loves. No matter how deeply he feels, the magic erases him, leaving only blank pages where once there were memories. But Y/N refuses to give up, even when every day brings a new heartbreak. As she clings to the fleeting moments of their time together, she fights to keep their love alive, knowing that each day could be the last he remembers her.

In a cycle of forgotten smiles and vanished kisses, can love survive when memories are fleeting? Or will the price of holding on to Kai’s love be more than she can be

Seventeen

♡ Baby | @sailorsoons

w.c - 29k

pairing - Soongyoung x f. reader

synopsis - Soonyoung had been in your life for as long as you can remember. You haven’t spoken since your wedding to someone who isn’t him, but when you uncover your husband’s plans to turn against your family, you don’t know who else to call.  

♡ Cherry Picker | @gyuswhore

w.c - 19k

pairing - Hockey player! Seungcheol x figure skater! reader

synopsis - [ice hockey]: a manoeuver in which a player, the floater, literally loafs (spends time in idleness) or casually skates behind the opposing team's unsuspecting defencemen while they are in their attacking zone.

There wasn't much you counted on in life; just your skates, your drive and how it felt to win. And of course, your local ice rink, that is now being colonised by an obnoxious hockey team in all their big, loud, stinking glory. Neither does it help that one particular red donned specimen forgets to leave his cherry picking on the ice.

♡ agrodolce | @amourcheol

w.c - 27.5k

pairing - dessert chef! mc x dessert chef! seungkwan

synopsis - one would expect being a dessert chef to be a life filled with sugary goodness, but nothing is sweet when working alongside boo seungkwan. when the two of you are forced to create a special dessert for the winter menu together, you think the restaurant will burn down. late night planning, shopping mall snooping, and a simple dessert might just save you from your expectations.

♡ Full Throttle pt1 - pt2 | @diamonddaze01

w.c - 20.6k + 16.7k

pairing - ferrari driver!yoon jeonghan x journalist!reader

synopsis - jeonghan's not used to someone who pushes his buttons as easily as you do, and you're not used to someone who challenges you as quickly as he does. maybe it's time to go full throttle, both on and off the track.

♡ between you and me | @haologram

w.c - 40.4k

pairing - lee chan x fem!reader

synopsis - everything you've ever done, chan has been by your side - either egging you on or talking you off the ledge. after a rough year of studying, failed relationships and having chan be the insistent angel on your shoulder, the holidays roll around - and let's just say you're not too happy about it.

Enhypen

♡ Faking It | @shy2-29

w.c - 12.5k

pairing - lee heeseung x reader

synopsis - You had never liked Heeseung, and he had never liked you either. Over the three years, both you and Heeseung had become the most popular student in the university. You barely spoke to each other, just exchanged the occasional spiteful look in the hallways. You had sworn never to speak to Heeseung again—until one day, he unexpectedly asked you to be his fake girlfriend.

♡ cross the line | @heegyukeluv

w.c - 14.5k

pairing - heeseung x afab!reader

synopsis - “How do you know if someone is flirting with you?”  It was Heeseung’s question to you, and you were left with no option other than to show how you do it.

♡ Falling Alone | @babeyun

w.c - 39.5k

pairing - lieutenant!lee heeseung x therapist!housewife!reader

synopsis - cold cases were heeseung’s specialty, and he cracked every single one. cold hearts were your specialty, and you have yet to make a single chip in your husband’s.

♡ grocery store receipts | @paarksunghoon

w.c - 31.5k

pairing - sunghoon x reader

synopsis - your hot neighbor seems to have everything you don’t: charm, confidence, and a sense of direction in life. you’ve managed to keep to yourself in the time you’ve lived across from his apartment but the holiday season brings brings out unresolved feelings, and you find that the best present of all has always been standing right in front of you.

♡ do you think I'm fragile? | @just-nc-tea

w.c - 30k

pairing - hockey player heeseung x coach's daughter Y/N

synopsis - A car accident has turned your life upside down, leaving you with a knee and ankle that ache like they belong to someone three times your age. Navigating college with these setbacks is hard enough, but when your overprotective dad insists you take an internship with the men’s hockey team, you’re thrust back into the world you’ve spent years avoiding. The rink represents everything you’ve lost—and then there’s Heeseung, the captain whom you somehow cannot stop thinking about.

♡ iced americano season | @just-nc-tea

w.c - 39k

pairing - hockey player jay x radio host x influencer & barista Y/N

synopsis - A simple iced americano is about to ruin Jay’s entire season. Falling for the cute barista at his favorite café means free coffee, but it also comes with unexpected complications. Between her overprotective best friend stirring up drama and the internet’s relentless spotlight on his personal life, Jay quickly learns that some risks are worth taking—even if it means skating into uncharted territory. He regrets nothing

[linked-history]

Been seeing a lot of these going around and wanted to try one myself. Originally planned for two more spots but it was taking a long time to finish this so I condensed it a bit but I had a lot of fun drawing all these characters and loved exploring the different AUs.

AUs included:

Kinstone from @the-links-we-share

Link Windin from @alinktothepresentau

Rue from @monstrous-fusion

Effigy from Suncaster AU by @quirkle2

Wind from @heroesspirit

Sky from @exodus-au

Ravio from @lous-tangledchains

Bumblebee from @lozriftsintime

Twilight from @recalled11

Dust from Linked Dreamscape @the-sleepydetective

I plan to do more of these in the future and the AUs were picked at random using this Spinner which I made using the LOZ Au Masterlist

[weepingtalecowboy]

Wererabbit legend

Fanfic prompt:

the bunny legend twist is really funny

And considering how both the twilight curse and the darkness induced curse in link to the past work differently

The twilight curse turns you into your most innermost animal (in the case of link and people consider that it has something to do with the triforce that makes link different ) or just straight up turns you into a ghost (like literally the rest of all hyrule)

But considering that the curse found in the dark world specifically says that it is a reflection of your heart and therefore already works differently than the twilight curse as you can be a monstrosity with no real limits other than how Messed up you are

Wouldn’t it be beyond messed up when legend picked up the twilight shard but his innocent rabbit appearance just didn’t happen

Because it just triggered his dark curse

Like for all he says he finds it annoying it probably would hurt a lot more to realize that this soft vulnerable part of him doesn’t reflect who he is

At least not anymore

The curse in link to the past can turn you into a monstrous beast more often than not

Like that must hurt to end up a dangerous jaded beast

the messed up rabbit equivalent of one because the appearance of a predatory rabbit in many media signifies the loss of innocence as it twists into pure violence against what hurt them once

(Interestingly enough a white rabbit with red eyes is usually the symbol for it or one who wears a rabbit skull on its head instead of a face )

So let him be a little nightmare and hate himself as he takes the form of a monstrosity once more (fucked up were rabbit legend my beloved)

And like that would essentially be a feedback loop for him because the more he hates how he looks the more it would reflect on the outside

The worse it will get for legend because he hates even more how he looks

And it shows again

Being a bitter, snarky very confrontational lil guy… legend probably would dial up the self destructiveness pretty fast even if he is fighting not to be a monstrosity (feedback loop my beloved would work against him every step of the way)

Meanwhile twilight has to watch in horror as legend turns into a snarling creature thing and runs off full monster mode

Like twilight just turned around and the first thing he sees is a…”thing” that probably is legend

Then legend freaked the hell out and ran into the woods in fear of what he just turned into

And twilight realized that being a wolf of rather average size is not something to complain over

So Wolfie chase it is

And when he gets to him it only seems to get worse because this is going into melted eldritch horror territory by this point

...and he still has the ability to talk like a person and is being self deprecating about it

Legend be like : “I am such a monstrosity …”

Twilight: “no no it’s alright”

Legend : “I miss my uncle”

Twilight: “oh, that’s deeper than I wanna go”

And also they probably have to get the chain not to shoot at him or else it probably would get even worse than it already is

Or get sky… but for that he needs to drag legend out the cave he crawled in and leave him unsupervised

And it very much isn’t going great in the slightest already