#my fencing may not be the prettiest but it holds them in

[kifu]

Fencing through the autumn olive finished. Ran out of the last roll of wire, though.

[melis-writes]

Request: Halloween SINspired

There’s a Halloween party at Lake Tahoe with tons of people, tons of guests, tons of adults and kids.

Victoria looks aaaamazing in her costume and as Michael and everyone else is extremely busy, having fun… she sneaks away with Sonny, who looks hot in his costume too… and they sneak off to have a quickie or two in a less busy area maybe in a bathroom or closet… its risqué yes but Sonny and Victoria know they need each other ASAP 🔥😈

Luckily nobody finds them or hears them or notices they’re gone

Halloween costume party at Lake Tahoe AND some Victonny!! Playful, sexy and fun all in one prompt. 😏🥵

Halloween at the Lake Tahoe compound may just as well be the one and only celebration of the year that gets its worth of fun and excitement hosted by the Corleone family.

More so a time of enjoyment and insistence from just about everyone except for Vito whom could care less, but is grateful nonetheless for the time spent with his grandchildren having fun and Michael, whose always been completely against the idea of a Halloween party.

With the party having started just at sundown, a fireworks show is planned at midnight, colorful Halloween themed refreshments are served all night and a buffet table filled with various selections of cakes, baked treats, pastries and candy line up the compound’s gazebo.

Little twinkling orange and white lights illuminate walkways and fenced areas for guests to get around the compound safely and security is diligent at every entrance, gate and exit of the compound for the evening.

All are invited without just an exclusivity for adults with the one time the children are allowed to stay up past midnight frolicking around in excitement with their costumes on, trick or treating from the adults who carry a pumpkin shaped satchel filled with chocolates and candies.

“Daddy, you could have been Count Dracula!” Verona pouts, holding a fake pair of fangs in her hand.

Michael, having zero interest in the party let alone wearing a costume hasn’t dressed up or made himself feel like he’s at a party; rather, Michael’s dressed in a three piece black suit and coming to terms with all the socialization he’ll have to make with all the guests approaching him every now and then.

Michael glances at the fake fangs in his daughters hand, shaking his head. “I think they’d look better on you.”

“On me?” Verona gasps, waving her star shaped wand around, “but I’m a magical fairy, I can’t have fangs!”

“You could be a magical fairy with fangs!” Niccolo adds, skipping up to his father and sister. “Lots of fairies around here, but how many of them have fangs?”

“Your brother has a point,” Michael chuckles quietly, crossing his arms.

“Hmm,” Verona peeks curiously at the fangs in her hand, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess so! I could be a spooky fairy!”

Michael’s eyes dart cautiously over the crowds around him, unable to spot you from any table or gathering. “Have you two seen your mother?”

“I’m right here, baby,” you blush, approaching the twins and Michael from behind. “Just thought my makeup needed a little bit of a touch up to get into the witchy look.”

Michael turns around to face you with the twins; raising his brows in surprise at the level of detail and dedication put into your witch costume.

Your dress is a dark violet witch costume complete with a pointy velvet hat and a mini dress with the back tattered and longer than the front.

Your costume’s sleeves are flared and have a black lace cobweb shape while a sexy peek of your cleavage covered by the same lace detailing.

With dark plum covered makeup, mascara and a burgundy lipstick over your lips, you’ve fit right into the role of a sexy, mystical witch for tonight’s Halloween party.

“Wow, mama!” Verona giggles excitedly, “the prettiest witch ever!”

“I like your costume, mama!” Niccolo beams, dressed as a pirate himself.

“Why thank you, honey,” you wink, extending out your arms. “So, what do you think?”

“I can say that’s the most detail on a costume I’ve seen tonight,” Michael comments, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Very…witchy.”

You giggle, hugging his arm. “If this surprises you, wait until you see Sandra. She’s dressed as a black cat.”

“I’ll pass,” Michael murmurs, “I thought she’d at least match with Sonny but he’s caused all of us enough embarrassment for tonight.”

“Oh?” Your eyes widen in surprise. “How so?”

Verona and Niccolo giggle amidst one another. “Uncle Sonny’s a werewolf, mama.”

“A werewolf? Soooo…” You squint your eyes, looking back towards your family’s reserved table before spotting a frustrated Sandra with her arms crossed lecturing Sonny.

Dressed as a werewolf, Sonny’s practically topless—only wearing a tattered shirt ripped with claw marks on it and fur covered trousers to make up for the rest.

“Oh,” the blush over your cheeks intensifies. “I see what you mean now. Also doesn’t really match with Sandra’s costume, does it?”

Michael rolls his eyes, “I don’t care about that. Regardless, I’ll be with my father and the others at the far end table if you need me, darling.”

“Sure thing, honey,” you peck a kiss over Michael’s lips before turning to the twins. “No wandering off too far you two, alright?”

“Okay, mama!”

“Good,” you laugh softly. “I’ll go check up on the cat and the werewolf to see if everything’s alright.”

Just as you turn and slip past the crowds in front you, by the time you peek up your head to see one of the family tables and spot Sonny and Sandra, you notice only Sonny stands alone with an old fashioned cocktail in his hand and a very amused smirk over his lips.

“Wow, rough night?” You tease, gesturing to Sonny’s torn top.

“Something like that,” Sonny grins at you, glancing at you from head to toe. “Sexy witch decided to finally come around, huh?”

“You could make it a little less obvious, you know,” you speak back to Sonny in a playful tone, adjusting your witch hat. “People will start talking and thinking the werewolf has something for the witch.”

“Really?” Sonny chuckles, gesturing around him. “All I’m seeing are people stuffing their faces with cake and alcohol. The estates are off limits, obviously.”

“Mhmm,” you confirm, “I was just getting ready in the bathroom a minute ago.”

“I assumed so,” Sonny caresses your chin, “too bad. I’ve been thinking about nothing but fucking that sweet mouth of yours all night and you’ve put all that trouble into your makeup.”

Your eyes widen a little as your cheeks sting, flaring with blush. “Thinking of making a mess?”

“I’ll keep it in you if you don’t let too much ooze down those pretty thighs of yours,” Sonny smirks wryly. “I think I’ll go use the bathroom in the family estate now. Care to join me?”

Sonny doesn’t wait for your response, but the inviting, devilish look in his eyes says it all to you.

Standing by, you let Sonny walk a few meters passed you before you begin to follow, trying to make it look as if you’re going somewhere else in case a pair of curious eyes spots the two of you leaving the party.

With the crowds, guests and Michael seemingly busy enough indulged in conversation, drinks and meals, you and Sonny carefully sneak off to the family estate which is all but completely empty with the exception of the serving staff in the kitchen.

“You know me so well,” you whisper, taking the lead and walking towards the most secluded bathroom you can think of.

“Didn’t think you’d want me again so soon in one night but here you are,” Sonny teases, quietly following you into the bathroom.

“We can make it the second quickie of the night, huh?” You lean your back against the bathroom counter as Sonny locks the door behind him. “Before I rip off what’s left of your shirt.”

“Be my guest,” Sonny hisses, squeezing his hands over your ass tightly. “You know there’s nothing I’d love more than letting you get back to the party a cum drenched mess.”

“That’s fine,” you breath, wrapping your arms around Sonny’s neck as he hoists you up onto the bathroom counter. “I can still feel your cum from earlier in me. I need more.”

“Slutty little witch,” Sonny hikes up your costume above your waist, pushing your panties to the side. “Still dripping wet, aren’t you?”

“You’ve no idea,” you moan against Sonny’s neck as his fingers graze over your dewy clit. “I need this right now.”

“Never gonna get used to hearing that,” Sonny licks over his lips, hearing how your wet pussy lips spread apart as he slowly begins to push his cock into you. “Be a good girl and stay quiet, eh?”

“Mmhmm—” Nodding weakly, you bury your face into Sonny’s shoulder as he thrusts every inch of his thick, erect cock inside of you relatively with ease.

Still turned on and tingling with arousal from earlier, you angle your thighs over Sonny’s shoulder and keep your back pressed up against the wall—being fucked in a perfectly constricted position on the bathroom counter.

With not a single soul around to hear or even notice you and Sonny having disappeared from the party and gone back into the estate at the same time, the real party begins between the two of you.

Sneaking away for the second time in the evening, Sonny’s warm cock fills your pussy again to satisfy your every sinful need and desire this Halloween.

Your pussy’s wetness easily lubricates Sonny’s cock, and the sound of your pussy gushing against his shaft with each thrust only furthers your arousal.

Sonny keeps his grunts and groans as quiet and to himself as possible, focused on jerking his hips back and forth into you at the quickest, sloppiest pace he can keep.

Your ankles shake over Sonny’s shoulders as you silence out all your moans against Sonny’s shoulders; only the sound of your diamond anklet tinkling can be heard inbetween skin slapping against skin.

“Fuck, baby,” you hear Sonny whisper in your ear, clutching onto your thighs. “I’m gonna fill you up so good—so fucking good.”

Wondering just how much longer he’ll have to bear this party, Michael glances down at his watch and frowns, trying to keep himself occupied in dull small talk at the table and count down the time that you and Sonny savour with each passing second.

“Only I fuck and fill this cunt so good, don’t I?” Sonny licks over your lips, ramming into your pussy as roughly as he can.

“Oh God, yes!” Your voice quivers as you attempt to keep it down.

“Who does this pussy belong to?” Sonny squeezes your face, pressing his forehead up against yours.

“Y-you,” you moan back, whimpering uncontrollably. “Y-you!”

[draconicsparkle]

Another from @bobasriduur ! She has lots of great ideas!

And Izuru is along for the ride this time as well! He gets snek time, too. Sorta. You’ll see what I mean.

Btw, y’all are still more than welcome to suggest things!

Since Izuru had never been to his house before, Hajime and Nagito thought it a good idea to give him tours of the forest. So over the course of several days, that’s what they did. All the unique sights in the woods were shown, and Izuru took great interest in all.

Today, they weren’t alone in their exploration. Sonia and Gundham had joined them this time. Sonia had delighted in the chance to speak with another human and Gundham had displayed his amazement at the power Izuru held. Whatever that meant.

Regardless, the group made their way through the green, having a conversation about how life had been for them all. The nagas carried the humans on their hands while they moved, skillfully maneuvering around the trees and bushes. It was nice and peaceful for a good long while.

They got close to the edge of Hajime’s property, seeing the fence in the distance. “We are almost there,” Nagito announced. “Once we reach this corner, you will have seen everything! Though I will admit this isn’t the prettiest. It’s close to the road and doesn’t have anything that helps it stand out.”

Izuru shrugged. “I do not mind. You may continue forward.”

Nodding, the nagas slithered closer. And Izuru resumed telling them about the latest charity he had worked with. Apparently they had reached way more than their goal and the money was to go towards protecting parks and lakes. To ensure they wouldn’t be able to be destroyed by companies wanting to use the land for their own gain.

“They certainly chose right to work with you,” Hajime said with a smile. “You can convince anyone of anything if you want to. It’s kinda scary at times.”

The raven haired man smirked. “You would know this fact better than most, wouldn’t you, my brother?”

The brunette groaned. “Oh yeah. All the times you convinced me to do things and then we got in trouble by our parents.”

“Still bitter about those? Really now, Hajime. You should let those…”

Izuru trailed off, suddenly looking far more serious. “Hajime. Someone has cut through the wires on the fence. It looks purposeful.”

Hajime peered down at the fence. And sure enough, there was a section that was missing. The ends of the wires curled up now that they weren’t taut. Someone was on his property. Someone who didn’t pay any mind to the private property signs.

Both Nagito and Sonia began hissing, tails tips beginning to rattle in their anger. “Trespassers. How dare they,” Sonia growled in a tone Hajime hadn't heard before.

“Get them out before they do any damage. Drive them out. Make sure they never return,” Nagito hissed too, his mouth slit beginning to widen.

Izuru stood up on the green naga’s palm. “Both of you, calm down now. It won’t do us any good if you lose your minds to rage.” The reptilian eyes locked onto him, but he showed no sign of intimidation. “I shall track them down. They were not careful. And once I find them, I’ll take them out. I can sneak up on them far better.” He clapped twice, signaling the start of his plan. “Nagito, let me down and I’ll find them. All of you should remain here. They will likely flee back to their entry point. Block it so that we can apprehend them.”

“Izuru, this sounds dangerous. What if they see you?!” Hajime desperately asked as the naga lowered them to the ground.

Izuru gave him a reassuring smile. “Hajime, don’t tell me you forgot who you are talking to. They won’t know I’m there until the last nanosecond.” He hopped off the hands, kneeling down and holding up a dropped ammunition round. “A tranquilizer dart. They can’t kill unless administered in high amounts. And I doubt they brought enough that could end a naga. So as long as Hajime and Gundham remain protected, you should be safe should they find you. Now, stay here. I shall return shortly.” Then he turned, following the near invisible trail that the trespassers had left behind.

“Let us be careful, mortal. Your twin may be an all powerful god of destruction, but we are not as blessed. Stealth is the strategy for now. We should conceal ourselves,” Gundham suggested, to which everyone agreed.

The nagas put the humans down on the ground and slithered back to try and hide. Their large sizes gave them some difficulties in this task, but they accomplished it as best they could.

And then they waited. It was a tense five minutes, for sure. But then the sound of several men screaming were audible. “Looks like he found them,” Hajime commented, relieved when he heard no sounds of guns firing.

The forest became a lot more lively as the sound of multiple footsteps ran towards them, accompanied with panicked yelling.

“What is that thing?!”

“I swear it’s a demon!”

“It got Steve!”

“Where’s the fence?!”

“Over here! Let’s get out of here!”

“Yeah! A huge catch is not worth it!”

Hajime was mostly entertained by the cries. But there was still that bit of worry. He just hoped that everything went according to the plan and that they would leave without doing anything.

The footsteps got closer and closer and closer. But then they halted, along with the voices. That made the group feel on edge. What was happening? What was going on?

Nagito seemed to sense something before anyone, getting up from his position and lunging towards Sonia. “Watch out!” he screamed before making several pained noises.

“Nagito!” Hajime shouted, sprinting to his naga with all his strength. He reached them right before Nagito slumped to the ground, several darts sticking out of his lower back.

Whoops and hollers were audible from the bushes, a group of camouflaged men rising up and high-fiving each other. “Got a naga! Thought there was one here.”

“It’s a bit bigger than I thought it would be. Might need a bigger truck!”

“Steve’s sacrifice won’t be in vain now!”

“Uh… guys? There’s another one.”

“Can’t be… wait, there is.”

“Looks mad, too.”

“And we used up all our rounds.”

Sonia hugged her friend close, glaring her piercing eyes at the group. “How dare you. How dare you!” she shrieked.

But the men didn’t have much time to panic. They fell to the ground unconscious one by one in rapid succession, with Izuru standing behind them. He had caught up, dragging the sleeping body of the first man behind him.

But Hajime didn’t pay much attention to him, running up to be close to his naga. “Nagito? Hey, can you hear me?”

The green naga barely registered his words, eyes drooping and expression sleepy.

“He’s had multiple doses of strong tranquilizers. It will take some time for them to wear off,” Izuru commented. He looked up to Sonia, talking in a firm tone. “I need your assistance in transporting these trespassers to Hajime’s house. Once there, I will alert the authorities to have them arrested. Trespassing and poaching. They will not be returning anytime soon.” The red eyes then landed on his brother. “Hajime, you stay here with Nagito. He shouldn’t be left alone while going through this. And so long as you are by him, nothing shall approach. We will return once these fools have been dealt with. Then we can discuss a stronger wire to use for fencing.”

The blue naga looked reluctant to leave, but she knew Izuru was correct. She leaned down and rubbed her cheek on the green naga’s. “You took the tranquilizers meant for me. You saved me. You are the greatest friend one could ask for. Thank you.” She took a breath, then straightened up with a stern, but composed expression. “Very well. I shall transport them back. But I refuse to be gentle.”

Izuru shook his head. “I didn’t expect you to. Now let’s get moving.”

Gundham was placed on Sonia’s shoulder, keeping balance as she moved. The naga grabbed hold of the trespassers’ legs, holding them upside down with an unimpressed look. She began slithering in the direction of Hajime’s house, Izuru keeping pace beside her easily.

Hajime watched them disappear into the green. Then he turned back to the naga in front of him. “Nagito? It’s alright now. Are you sleepy?”

“Hhhhhhhh…”

Not much of a reply. But Hajime figured as much. He pet the large cheek. “Let me go get those darts out of you. Stay still, okay?”

Nagito didn’t move, just breathing. So the human quickly ran to his backside and pulled every single wretched dart out of his naga. Seeing the pile on the ground made him furious. He had been lenient on the first two trespassers. He would not be with this group. And he knew Izuru wouldn’t be either.

But now was not the time to stew in his thoughts. He had someone he needed to be with. He returned to the giant face, sitting down next to it. “They’re all out. They won’t hurt you anymore.”

“Hhhhhhhhhaaaaa…”

Again, not much of a reply. Though he could have sworn he saw the creature relax more after his words. Could he hear him? Well, it wouldn’t hurt to keep talking.

“That was amazing, you know. You heard them before anyone. And you heroically saved Sonia from getting hit. I’m sure she and Gundham will remember that for the rest of their lives. And I’m proud that I have someone so incredible in my life. Someone very important to me. More than any other.”

“Hhhhaaaa….jjjjiiiii…”

The brunette blinked in surprise. That had almost sounded like his name. “Nagito? Are you calling me?” he asked as he stroked the cheek near him.

Nagito leaned into it, a goofy smile beginning to grow. “Mmmmmmmm…” His eyes closed fully. “Ssssllllll… eeeee…”

“Sleepy? I bet you are. You can rest if you want to. I’ll be here when you wake up,” the human assured, rubbing his cheek against the giant creature.

Nagito didn't need any further prompting. He went unconscious pretty soon after, as if he had been waiting for Hajime to confirm it was okay. Deep breaths were taken in and exhaled, rustling the grass around them. It was clear he was out like a light.

Hajime stayed close, continuing his pets. He was glad that the naga looked like he was alright. Just extremely sleepy. But that was doable, as he would need to just sleep it off.

He got comfortable against the warm skin, knowing he was gonna be there for a while. But he could make use of the time to think of gifts he could create or buy for his heroic naga.

Masterpost

[nghtwngs]

LETS TALK ABT THIS FIC HONEY😋💅

OKAY ILY i don’t want to end up spoiling it for everyone lol so i’ll add a read more and there will be also some nwh spoilers but i’ll add a warning so no one ends up reading it on accident

alright so i’m currently trying to set up the reader’s story. idk if i want to go into detail about her origin but rn she is kind of like tasm spidey

You let out a long sigh. “Dude, you gotta stop. This is what, the—the sixth time? The sixth time? Most people would’ve given up at the third attempt, man. But I do have give it to you. I would’ve been embarrassed.”

(not even my favorite line but i think it’s funny)

she doesn’t have anyone like gwen. i did allude to someone dying bc they knew her identity/got too close to her though so she doesn’t want to have any meaningful relationships anymore. (idk who it’d be but im thinking aunt may who she ends up meeting while working at feast for her volunteer hours? i don’t know if peter will exist im still on the fence about it)

she’s kind of just a loner holding up the responsibility to keep saving nyc. she fights a lizard (not connors) in the beginning but im not sure if i’ll set it up as a beginning fight like most superhero movies do or if it will serve a greater significance to the story. but i do want to set up her story well and have her feel like her own spidey and have her own world and a different feel than the mcu (i do not like how the mcu feels)

major no way home spoilers

idk how i’m gonna write her meeting the peters. i have something written down in mind but idk if it’s the point in which i want them to meet? this is kind of the skeleton of one way i could write it so ignore how undeveloped it is:

The youngest one spoke, sort of gesturing to himself clumsily. “I’m Peter Parker.”

“I’m also Peter Parker,” said the taller one. You decided to call him the prettiest one.

“Yeah,” the oldest of them finally said, “me too.”

The exhaustion in his voice and the crinkles around his eyes told you he’s been through a lot. You understood; being a hero had never been easy.

Your eyes glanced between the three. “Peter Parker?”

A soft “yeah?” left each of them.

(i hate how the indenting can’t be continuous for paragraphs on the app i hate tumblr)

so i could have her sensing peter in danger like how andrew and tobey’s do and basically just ending up at the lab and meeting all of them? i don’t think i’ll have her come through one of ned’s portals though since they’re trying to look for peter parker specifically, but also i could make ned just have bad luck with the magic and have her come through the portal since she is sort of a version of spider-man?

i also thought about making peter parker a comic book character in her world that was modeled after her. so that could be a reason she knows peter parker is spider-man and therefore have her appear in the mcu earth and what i had written kind of sets up for that

i do think i know how i want the ending to go so i won’t spoil that for u lol

[emma-nation]

The Devil In I - Bela x OC (Resident Evil Village AU)

“Step inside, see the Devil in I”

Summary: Aleena Novak is a 19 years old orphan who desired more than living in a village in the middle of nowhere. A talented artist with a big future ahead, she gets the scholarship of her dreams in United States. But everything changes when her twin brother, Auryk, steals an important artifact from Castle Dimitrescu.

In this adventure, Aleena will find way more than she expected.

“You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore”

Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x OC

Genre: Between T and M (Trigger warning for violence, blood, abuse and eventual smut)

Tag List: @nydeiri

Notes: This is my first RES fic, so I'm sorry if I mess it up a bit. English is also not my main language, so a mistake or two may happen. I hope you enjoy it :)

Trigger Warning: Language, abuse, blood and violence.

Eastern Europe - July, 2009

"If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"

Mother closed the book, placing it on the bedside table between Auryk's bed and mine. Then, she lowered herself and kissed my forehead like she did every night. Her long, blonde hair tickled my face and left a trace of her sweet lavender fragrance in the air. I giggled.

"Good night, sweetheart," she spoke.

"Good night, momma."

"Cherish your last night as a six years old. Tomorrow you will become a..."

"Princess?!"

"A seven years old girl. The prettiest girl in the village."

"Pffft," Auryk let out a displeased grunt from his bed, covering his head with the pillow to avoid listening another word from the conversation.

"And you too," mother sat by his side on the bed and repeated her nightly ritual of kissing his forehead to wish him a good night too. "You'll become the most handsome and brave warrior in this village. Do you understand?"

"I hope so. Good night, mom."

"Good night, buddy."

Mother left the room, leaving us both in the dark. However, we couldn't sleep. Not because we were thrilled about our incoming birthday party as any regular child, but because we knew our lives were about to change. Seven years old was the age every child from our village was introduced to the truth and started being trained to fight the evil that haunted our lands. Auryk and I spent minutes, or maybe hours, in silence, staring at the ceiling.

"Leena?" He was the first one to speak. "Do you believe a spell can broken? I mean, like a curse?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I answered, feeling my thoughts starting to drift away. "Maybe we're doomed after all. Or... we could learn how to love the beasts."

The birthday parties always happened during the daytime, rules of the village. We could no longer be outside after 6 PM. Mother got help from the other women to prepare the treats and organize the decorations. Auryk was disguised as a pirate and I... I was Belle, from the Beauty and the Beast.

"So, what do you think you will be getting this year?" My best friend Elena asked while we were playing with our dolls. She was about two years older than us.

"I don't know," I shrugged. Being a merchant, my father always returned home with the most unusual gifts: a magical music box, a voodoo doll that had a life on its own or a fragrance that chased away the monsters - and everybody else too. "A new book. I'm hoping for a new book."

It was only by the end of the party Adrian Novak made his entrance. That was the mystery about him. Nobody knew when he would show up, or if he would show up at all. He still had that same annoying smirk on his face. The corner of his mouth holding a cigarette. The months away made his beard grow longer, as well as his dark hair. In the sunlight, the scar above his eye was even more visible.

"Auryk," he shouted, "come here, son. I've got something for ya."

My twin brother, who had been climbing trees with his friends stop frozen in spot for a second. I couldn't tell if he hated or feared that man. Maybe both. He slowly followed father's command, approaching him cautiously.

"Hi, dad."

"Happy birthday, son," father ruffled his dark straight hair with his strong and calloused hand. "It's about time you grow up."

He handed my brother a large package. From our experience, we knew exactly what it was, a shotgun.

"T-Thank you, dad."

"I'll be spending some time at home. Tomorrow we'll start practicing."

Auryk consented. He shot me a quick glance. From our twin bond I could tell my brother was far from happy. When he blew his candles that afternoon, he didn't wish for a weapon. We wished to be a normal child.

"What did you get, Leena?" He asked once we were locked in the safety of our bedroom.

"Pencils and a drawing book. Dad thinks I'm talented."

Not really. Adrian Novak would never allow his daughter to hold a shotgun. That was, according to him, 'a man thing'.

"Good, at least one of us got what they wanted. Happy birthday, sister."

"Happy birthday, brother."

4 Years Later - October, 2013

It wasn't easy to be the weakest of the twins. Although he was born first, Auryk was the tinniest. The one who was always getting sick or getting injured. The one who couldn't hit a single fucking target when he had the alcoholic breath of his father on his neck.

He aimed for a crow, sitting still on a fence. How hard could it be? Even the eldest man from the village could do any better than that.

BANG! He shot again. And missed.

"Again?!" Adrian angered, shoving him hard on the shoulder. "What the hell is your problem, kid?"

"I don't know, okay? This gun... it's heavy!"

"Heavy? And why do you think we've been exercising for all these years, huh?! We do not live in Disneyland, Auryk. We need to fight monsters, abominations. Someday I won't be home and you need to be prepared to protect our people. Do you understand?"

Tears started forming in the corners of the boy's blue eyes. He couldn't cry. Not in front of him. Crying was a sign of weakness and he couldn't be weak. Not right now. Auryk started to think about all the things he could be doing. He thought about the ocean, as he had seen on TV and books. He could feel the warmness of the sun on his skin. The sand between his toes. His mom and sister were also there, of course - they'd carry them with him everywhere. And he would study Math and Physics. There would be no guns, no monsters, no blood, only numbers, only formulas, only theories. He smiled. He no longer felt like crying.

"I'm sorry, dad," kindness was always the answer, his mother said. "But this isn't for me, you know? I don't like it. I... Remember that boarding school my teacher mentioned? I thought maybe I..."

His words were interrupted by a hard slap on his face. Auryk could taste a small amount of blood coming out from his lower lip.

"So that's what you want? To become one of those little fancy fags? Maybe you're not my son after all."

Adrian started walking away, leaving his son alone, sitting on the floor.

"I AM!" Auryk yelled, enraged. "I am your son."

"Then prove it."

"You shouldn't take so hard on him," Savannah poured her husband a cup of tea. "He's just a boy."

"He's eleven years old, for god's sake," the husband punched the table strong enough to make it shake. "He needs to man up a bit. You should stop spoiling him."

As I left my bedroom I found my brother sitting on the stairs. He didn't have to be so close to listen to the conversation between our parents, father's voice was loud enough to echo through every wall of our small and cozy home.

I sat down by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Maybe you should do it, Leena. You'd do it better, I know."

"I'm not so sure. Remember when I tried to shoot a scarecrow and almost shot that old witch?"

"Come on, you aimed on purpose! I know."

Auryk finally let out a small laugh at the memory.

"You're good at everything, Leena," he spoke fondly. "You're an extrovert, you're everybody's friend, you can cook, you can draw and paint... you're a true artist. I'm a mistake."

"You're not a mistake, Ryk," I pulled my brother closer, resting my cheek against the side of his face. "We're only at the wrong place and you know it."

Going back to our bedroom, we pulled from the drawers the postcards our grandma Louise sent us from San Diego. Mom had been born in California and lived there her entire life, until she met father during one of his trips. God knows what made her fall in love with that man. Adventure? Danger? I expected better from myself when I turned eighteen. Otherwise, I'd never want to fall in love. Love could be my ruin, just like my mom's.

"Leena..." Auryk held the postcard tightly, "do you think... if he died... do you think mom would take us to nana's home?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I didn't want to think of my father's possible death. But I also dreamed of a better life. "Maybe."

"What the hell?" Father's voice in the kitchen made me jump in fear. I knew that tone. I grew up used to that. Something was wrong in the village. We had to hide.

"To the basement, now!" He emerged at the bedroom, holding a rifle. "Lycans were seen surrounding the area."

We barely had any time to react, mom came and dragged us both to the basement. Father left, carrying his arsenal of weapons as usual. There were other hunters in the village but we always knew how badly it could end. Somebody could always get seriously hurt. Or worse.

The basement had been carefully prepared for that kind of situation years before. It had a big bed, two armchairs, a heating source, some stored food and a shelf. Mom sighed and forced a smile.

"So," she walked to the shelf, "what is it going to be today?"

"Frankenstein," Auryk suggested. My brother loved mystery and horror. As if his life hadn't enough of it.

"Romeo and Juliet," I spoke. There was something about forbidden romance that always caught my interest.

"Okay. I... I'm gonna say a prayer and you two can read the books you picked by yourselves. What do you think?"

"Great!"

Mom kneeled down by the bed's side, holding a crucifix. I could join her if I wanted to, but I'd rather watch in silence. I grabbed my book, sitting on one of the armchairs and pretending to pay attention, while I tried to distract myself from the fact my father could be the Lycans' next prey. Or all of us, if they managed to break into our house.

"Leena?" I woke up hours later with my mom shaking me. "Leena?! Where's Auryk? Where's your brother, Leena?"

I had no idea. I had fallen asleep and apparently, so did mom. She checked for the basement's door, it had been locked from outside.

"No..." she tried to force it open. "No! I can't be..."

All Auryk had to do was to successfully kill and take a Lycan's carcass as a trophy to his father, right? That was what that old douchebag wanted him to do, to prove his courage, his manhood. We had his shotgun, a binoculars and a knife, that should be enough, but first, he needed a good plan.

Looking down to his hands, he had the most perfect idea. Without thinking twice, he sliced a cut through his palm, letting some blood pour on the ground. Then, he found a tall tree. He climbed it and observed. The smell of blood his trail left behind should be enough to attract a creature.

"Come on... come on..."

From a distance, Auryk could hear the sound of destruction and death. There was a battle going on somewhere nearby. Once again Lycans should have found a family or a group of hunters.

And then, he could hear it. The heavy footsteps, the screeching sounds, the sniffing. The mutant creature was only a few meters away from the tree. He aimed, but it was still too distant. He needed to move to a closer branch.

It all happened in one second. He was almost there, reaching for the spot he had picked, but his weight was too much for the tree's branch. In a blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground. His vision was blurred. His head hurt intensely, as well as his arm. It was broken for sure. He possibly had a concussion too. He tried to stand up and run but his legs wouldn't follow his commands. The Lycan was coming straight at him.

"AURYK!" His mother screamed behind him. "NO!"

Time seemed to freeze in that fraction of second. How did she manage to escape the basement? How could she have found him?

But without hesitation, Savannah threw herself on top of her son, protecting him from the jaws and claws of the monster. Auryk couldn't see much, but he could smell it. He could feel it. Blood. There was blood everywhere. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, he or his mom's.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A fast sequence of shots suggested the hunters had found them. The creature stopped moving, stopped howling. It was finally dead.

"M-Mom... it's dead. We... We're safe."

She didn't answer. Instead, he heard another familiar voice.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" It was from his father. "Savannah! Savannah!"

"D-Dad..." Auryk tried to speak, but the words got lost along the way. "I... I..."

Adrian lifted him by his jacket, holding him inches above the ground.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED YOUR MOM, YOUR STUPID BASTARD!"

"I..." tears streamed down the boy's face, his injured brain trying to process what had just happened. "I'm sorry.'

After he was thrown back to the ground, he was hit with a hard kick on his stomach. He turned his head around to notice a small figure hiding behind a tree, watching the whole scene in pure horror.

"L-Leena..." he muttered.

"This is all your fault, Auryk. You're a disgrace to this family."

And then, he passed out. Rumors said he was unconscious for days or maybe weeks. When he woke up, he wished everything had been a nightmare.

Present Days - July, 2021

Nobody mourned Adrian Novak when he died. Not his children. Not his village mates. No human being would ever feel any sympathy for a man who abused and blamed his eleven years old son for his mother's death. It had been two years since Adrian left this world and I couldn't feel any more free.

"Hey," I left another message on my brother's voicemail, "in case you've forgotten it's our birthday today. I'd like to have my twin home, you know? Call me when you get this message."

It was useless, I knew. Auryk would only pick up his phone when he wanted to. Or when he was too drunk. God knew where that guy would be at that time, probably waking up at some girl's bed or getting some rest from... working.

After grabbing myself a cup of coffee, I checked the door's mat. Bills, bills, newspaper and... California Institute Of Arts? I remember having an argument with Auryk about this matter at some point. He wanted me to fill the application and send them my portfolio. I insisted we had no money, not even to pay for the tuition. I won - I always win every argument by the way.

"Your damn son of a..." I placed the envelope on the kitchen's table. I was a coward, I confess. However, I didn't know which pain was worse - to be sure I wasn't good enough or to be sure I was, indeed, but I'd never have money to leave that hellhole. Anyways, I decided to leave it alone. I had more important things to do.

My morning routine: to go to the middle of the woods and do some training. My father used to say fighting wasn't a girl thing, but I was no regular girl. And never in this life I'd allow someone to tell me what to do.

After running, climbing and doing a set of push-ups, it was time for combat training. Travelers from abroad taught me some different set of moves, I'd like to think I created my own fighting style. I was also very good with knifes, daggers or any kinds of short blades, they were useful during a close distance combat. My shooting was a work in progress, once or twice I'd miss the center of my handmade targets.

Then, like everyday, I'd go back home, shower and follow to my shift at the village's pub.

"Hiya, Leena," Gustav greeted me when I arrived. "I heard today is a special day... the day a little girl..."

"NO!" I stopped him. Gustav was my best friend. We had known each other since we were children and somehow, he liked to make my birthday a special - and embarrassing - event.

He placed a handmade fairytale-like book on the table. There were some edited pictures, mixed with some messed up drawings about my birth and childhood. He called it 'The Princess Who Carried The Light'.

"God, you're soooo stupid..." I rolled my eyes and moaned, before wrapping him into a very tight hug. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know. You'd probably marry me, if you weren't into girls."

We laughed together, as Olga, our boss emerged from the kitchen, bringing a cake with nineteen candles.

"Here's to another year," the older woman opened a wrinkled smile, "make a wish, my darling."

I fell pensive for a moment, besides having my twin brother back home, safe and sound, what else could I wish for? California, that scholarship, a new life... that's for sure.

"I wish for... a new life, a new adventure," I pronounced aloud while blowing the candles.

"Careful," a male voice spoke behind me, "words have power, little sister. You may get what you want."

"Ryk!"

I jumped straight to my brother's arms. I could swear that in only a few weeks he had gotten a little bit taller, and stronger too.

"I wouldn't miss my own birthday, right?" He smirked. "So, where's the cake? Please, chocolate... tell me it's chocolate."

"Your silly boy," Olga spread some icing on his nose. "Of course it's chocolate, as you love. And with cherries too."

Auryk responded with a satisfied smile. Olga and her husband, Kristoff, were those responsible for taking care of him after the Lycan attack, years ago. They sort of adopted him like one of their biological children.

"Oh!" The woman exclaimed taking a closer look at Ryk's forearm. He had gotten a tattoo. I hadn't been informed of those news either. Apparently, my brother had more secrets than I could even start to imagine. "This is... new. It seems like my kids are really growing up."

"And only now you noticed that, Olga?" Gustav joked.

Olga shook her head, grinning at herself and returned to the kitchen. The customers were starting to fill the pub. I stared at Ryk again, wondering what other secrets my brother could be keeping.

"So, what does that mean?" I pointed to his newly gotten tattoo, a strange and ancient symbol it seemed.

"Protection from the evil. This is what we need the most in our lives, especially in a place like this. What reminds me -" we turned around, taking a small box from the pocket of his jacket. "Your gift."

I took the black velvet box from his hands, it contained a golden necklace with a magenta gemstone as pendant. My blue eyes drowned themselves in the stone. It had a mysterious glow. Something hypnotizing. Something magical.

"Whoa..." was everything my mouth could pronounce. "And I bought you an Astronomy book."

Auryk stood up from his chair and went behind me, taking the necklace from my hands to wear it around my neck himself.

"This is supposed to protect you from any supernatural and inhumane beings. I won't lose you to them, Aleena. Not like I lost mom."

"Ryk, I... I can't even thank you enough."

"You don't have to. Just... stay alive."

First, I was overflowing with happiness. It either had to do with the fact my brother was home, alcohol, or both. Also, Olga should thank me. Most of the costumers of the day only stopped by the bar because of me. They absolutely loved me and knowing it was my birthday, they had to come and see me. A few of them even gave me some extra tips or a small gift, which was even greater.

"Okay, party girl..." Auryk helped me to get inside of the house as I tripped over the door mat. "Time to go to bed now. Don't you think?"

"Come on, Ryk! Have some spirit! You're home, Olga gave me the day off tomorrow, I earned some money..."

"You told Mrs. Hansen you secretly had a crush on her daughter during Middle School, you danced on top of a table, you're gonna get a hangover..."

"Party pooper!"

I threw myself at the couch. Auryk stood in front of me with arms crossed, looking like a father about to give his child a lecture.

"What?!" I yelled. "It's not like you've never been drunk before. Remember when you stole Adrian's..." I started to laugh, remembering the episode.

"When you were going to tell me about this, Leena?" He showed me the envelope. The Art Institute envelope. The one I had been struggling to open.

"Oh! I forgot. My bad, I didn't open it myself yet. I probably didn't get in anyways."

"You did."

I did?

"It's not like we have money to pay for my tuition. Also, how are we supposed to move to California, Ryk? I work at a pub and you..."

"I've gotten more than enough for that. You know that getting out of this place has always been the plan, since we were children. Leena, I've done some big jobs those last few months. I have the money to grant us a comfortable life in California."

"Smuggling, Ryk!" I raised my voice, saying aloud the information that was supposed to be a secret or not. "You've been stealing to grant us this life."

My brother stared at me in silence. I couldn't tell if he felt offended or embarrassed about my words.

"I'm getting out of here, whatever it takes," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "And you are coming with me. In two weeks, we move to United States for your enrollment."

"But..."

What I was trying to protest against? Leaving the village and starting a new life with my brother was everything I always dreamed.

"Look, I promise you," Auryk placed both of his firm hands on my shoulders, "once we settle down, no more smuggling."

"Okay," I sighed. "We leave in two weeks then."

There was a loud knock on the door. Being drunk as I was, I figured out I should have forgotten my purse at the pub. Or it could be a neighbor with some very stupid emergency.

Auryk opened the door and there was a strange looking man standing there. We wore sunglasses and a hat, behind his back he was carrying a giant hammer. According to the rumors and stories I heard from my parents, that was one of the Lords of The Four Houses, Karl Heisenberg.

"Auryk Novak?" He asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Come with me, kid. You've gotten yourself in big trouble."

[c4-weeb]

Obey me boy head cannons!

Skater!Mc x the demon boys + undateables!

Alright so background! Human mc had invited one of the boys to go to a skating rink with her in the human world, since she is one of the main racers and a very frequent attendee at the place since she was 10. She knows the regular skaters and owners pretty well. Shes held with high respect there and is pretty talented. She has skate races and a whole team of great skaters, so what happens when one day she invites one of the boys to go on a date/ support her during a competitive roller derby? Also please do keep in mind I'm taking inspiration off the monster high roller derby cause that race was pretty cool and difficult to do so make it more modernized and human. You know... no swinging axes or kraken's trying to grab you as you skate. Though in reality that sounds like something Diavolo would put together for devildom roller derby's...

Lucifer

When he heard you beg him to come support you for your first race back in the human world he was a little taken aback. A roller derby? Him? I mean he wasn't going to be the loudest but he did find the thought of watching them succeed and wanting his praise amusing nonetheless....

....in reality he missed the Mc dearly and would appreciate the time with them, but he'd never say so out loud.

When you looked up to him from the stands he smirked at you, the pressure was on... that smirk was the one of judgement and "let's see how you do" which wracked your nerves with enough anxiety that it helped fuel the fire to make sure you succeeded.

When the Mc took off, being shoved by people bigger than her on each side, he was surprised when you fell back and the two idiots collided and she hopped over with ease and sped towards the front with amazing speed.

When The Mc and their team won, she came speeding to him and hugged him from behind and thanked him.

Later he took you out to eat in congratulations, the smile on your face from getting praise and food? All the stress from the day was relieved by that small gesture.

"I dont know why I thought I had finally found out everything I could about you, yet you just keep surprising me...."

Mammon

When the you asked for his support during a casual race at your local skating rink, with just your team mates going against eachother in a regular speed skate with a few obstacles, he wasnt so interested, saying he wants money in return for his support, when in reality he would have went anyways. But when you told him that since it was a casual race, people could bet on the racers, he agreed so fast and even begged to be summoned right then and there.

Expect him to be screaming at the top of his lungs for you to win

Isnt against calling you baby this loud in public

May or may not have tried climbing the fence when you got pushed

Definitely bet on you, and a huge sum of money too. So much faith 😭❤

Once you've won expect him to come flying at you, poor baby forgot you where on skates tho so you'd end up falling backwards to your friends amusement of your cuddly demon.

Tried threatening the owners to do another race so he could get money and failed

Sulked till you dragged him by the hand to skate in the neon lights since most people left it was just you two

Later he would drag you to either go to bet on races with him to gain more money or go to shower you in gifts, really depended on how well you could convince him to not go gambling, which had a 50/50 success rate.

"If I'm not going to get more money I might as well shower you in what I have, make you the prettiest gem for the whole world to see!" "Mammon you only won 200 dollars not a mil-" "sh, sh, shhhhh, shhh, no arguing! The Great Mammon is going to treat his treasure right tonight, ya' hear!?"

Leviathan

Now getting this otaku outta his room was an absolute struggle. So like a cat trapping their preh, you had to summon him to your house and put a blindfold on him for a special surprise.

Dragged his unsocial ass to the car and road down to the skate rink and took off his blind fold once you both got inside.

It took a lot of coaxing, but you finally got him to calm down enough to get a pair of skates.

If your skater friends said hi to him he'd hide by your arm like a scared 5 year old

The jealousy he felt of everyone in the room was unbelievable, because the poor boy has no balance for skating. On wheels or ice, his body just refuses.

You offered to help him learn and the poor boys face was fuming red, thankfully the neon lights and darkness hid it well.

He held onto your hand for balance throughout the whole date, only stopping to eat some pizza and play some arcade games.

After a few hours you headed back to your house to binge some Starwars, wanting to watch something different with him.....which eventually led to the both of you getting bored and going back to the new ruri-chan movie you guys binged countless amount of times on the phone together.

"H-hey! Hold on you're going t-too fast! No now you're so close I-....um... ack everyone can see us...so many people... but its worth it to show that your mine!"

Satan

Now Satan isnt much of a skater, nor a loud supporter, but with enough coaxing you finally got him to at least try and relax with you, doing a nice small couple's night at the skate rink

Really wanted to try human customs with you so there was little resistance

He would hold their hand as you'd skate

Even think of skating away from him and he will chase after you

This man's rage in his bones makes him a natural speed skater

Will tickle you when he catches you, starts a very one sided tickle war tho

If you wanna sit down, it's going to be in his lap, no rejections.

Will find it adorable if your friends make fun of how blushy you're getting as you hide in his chest

"Come now kitten, dont run away or I'm going to tickle you so hard that your face will hurt too much to smile at anyone else but me"

Asmodeus

This sweet baby was already dragging you to your room to glamor you up before the race.

Honey no need to say anything, he will make you the most gorgeous skater just tell him the vibes you wanna give off and he will hit the nail straight on the head and match your aesthetic.

Best expect victory photos.

Will record your victory and show it off to the group chat with the brothers.

Absolutely head over heels for you, hanging off your body in a hug and then going for a really close skate together

Might try to convince you to have some celebratory seggs but will 100% be making it known how much you excited him.

"Sweetheart look at all the likes our photos are getting! Everyone's congratulating you! Awe look at how viral my baby is! That was a VERY thrilling experience watching you, and you do need to take care of that body....shall we take this home and undress you so I can congratulate you the right way~♡?"

Beezlebub

Immediately agreed when you brought it up that you wanted to bring him to the skate rink, someplace you enjoyed going.

He knew skating was like a work out but was worried about finding skates his size there so he brought his own customized skates.

You better have snacks cause baby is gonna be starving.

Thankfully since you also work there and know the owners, you where allowed to hop over and take his order, putting it on your tab. 4 pizzas 2 Turkey legs 7 hotdogs and a pint of water (remember to stay hydrated)

If you bumped into a few of your friends and he WILL get along with them. He wants to be apart of your life, all of it, so he'll make it a point to get along with everyone in it for your sake.

If you ever look like you're going to fall he will be so close behind you it would be like slipping and falling back onto a brick wall who grabs you before you hit the floor.

If you fall forward he will grab your shirt but try not to choke you in the process

(If you do choke poor baby with be hugging you apologizing profusely)

You two try racing eachother but no matter what you dont win cause hes just too fast

Finds you challenging him over and over endearing and adorable.

"You're so adorable when you're chasing after me trying to win, but I'm hungry now...can we go eat again?"

Belphegor

Will complain once you ask him to go skating for date night in the human world

Wont stop till he finds out it has a sunroof along with the neon lights so he can look at the stars while skating with you.

Will only skate for an hour or two then passes out on your lap

Will not help at all when you fall, just laughs cause he is probably the reason you fell in the first place.

When hes skating he will take your hand in his the whole time and sorta lean on your shoulder while skating from behind you.

You two will stop periodically to sit at the small felt covered benches in the rink to look up at the stars (may or may not fall asleep on your shoulder so you're stuck there with him sleeping for 20 minutes)

You will be the last ones out

Must grab some food for Beel cause belphie promised to bring him home food.

Skating (more like you dragging him by the hand while hes in skates)back to your place and looking at the stars together at like 3am

Wont go back till he can officially cuddle you till the morning and leaves at 11am

"Hey look...theres Ursa major...*yawn* come on let's sit down again, I'm tired..."

Luke (only as siblings you take him skating)

Doesnt know how to skate

You end up teaching him and hes the happiest little boy ever.

If you take him to a race he'll be all worried that you got a scratch and starts to get protective over you when the person who pushed you comes near

Definitely eating cotton candy

Playing claw machines and you win him a stuffed piggy and he holds it near and dear to his heart cause it's from you

"Mc! Mc! Look I'm doing it! I'm skating! Sir oinkers and me are skating together! Thank you so much haha!"

Simeon

Happily joins to cheer you on during your races everytime. Got a race? Simeon will be there.

If you dont win he will comfort you and make the best of the situation by taking you to the food bar till it turns to a free skate again.

If you're injured he will pamper you and be ready with his first aid. Little angel kisses on every scrap and bruise.

So many forehead kisses of encouragement and praise 🥺😭

Can speed skate, so if you want to practice he'll help but if you want to relax he'll do that too.

Inlines? Regular skates? No matter what hes great at them.

Somehow he has great luck and every stuffie you showed interest in or every candy or prize there was that you would even look at, he would win on the first try.

"Dont worry! I'll carry it all. You just relax alright? You got pretty bruised from that fall."

Barbatos

Getting this man to stop working and go on a date will need a ton of patience, even Lord Diavolo has to convince him the little d's will do their jobs right while hes away.

Will take care of every scrape and bruise you get.

Man has glowsticks prepared to cheer you on

When it turns back to a free skate he will try his best to impress you and teach you little tricks he's picked up in his many years.

You try to convince him to eat some of the food there and he will politely decline and proceed to take you out to a nice fancy, but quaint restaurant.

"You were really quick to dodge them back there, yet you still got a few bruises, truly amazing for humans to get to that speed and dodge so fast. You're really a fascinating one arent you?"

Lord Diavolo

This man.... he made SIGNS

WILL be hollering when you win

The loudest in the stands

Glowsticks, glowing necklaces, bracelets, man is even wearing a glowing necklace around his head for you, glowing head to toe

So happy and proud 🥺😭❤

Definitely brought barbatos to help hold up the glittery signs him and the little d's made

Barbatos will leave with the signs after congratulating you and leaving you two to your date.

He will be a little off balanced when first skating cause the man went straight for the inlines 😂

Will be smiling the whole time, nothing can or will ruin it.

Absolutely in love with the skate rink because of you and even wants to add a few to the devildom so they can hold tournaments like the one you where in

Can get sad if he cant get you a stuffed animal while you're in the bathroom so he summons Barbatos again to help him while you're away.

Sends Barbatos away so you wont know he helped him get the prizes

Ends up getting you 6 stuffies and a phone case that doesnt fit your phone but it's the thought that counts right?

You win him a medium sized dragon from the claw machine and he sleeps with it every night and loves it like it's your guy's kid.

If he meets your friends he will find out just how much you've missed him as you get embarrassed, makes a mental note to see you once a week after that encounter.

Will eat 2 Turkey legs as you eat a slice of pizza and share a pitcher of soda with him

(He makes a mess of his face so you clean it off for him)

Will not want to leave and go back to the devildom so he'll insist on staying the rest of the night and walks you home

Will. NOT. LEAVEEEE! Master of excuses for why he should stay.

"But I dont want to leave! Theres still so much to do!" "Can I at least see your house?" "I wont leave until I see you're safe at home!" "Please can I stay the night, I miss having you wake up in my arms." "I want to see the morning sun rise with you before I go back"

[aikatxt]

in empty fields beneath neon lights

i. wings

my grandmother used to have the walls of her house covered in insect wings, pinned against cork boards and kept safe behind a wall of glass. hundreds of brown moth wings, put up for display. in the sitting room, the prettiest wings were left for guest to peer at; vibrant blues and reds and oranges, stripes and stained glass patterns.

i don’t know what happened to all those insect wings. the house seemed to dim and darken, then crumble after she died. the glass-like dragonfly wings vanished; those were the ones that captivated me most in my early years.

i wonder what it means that i can only think of the dead when i see a dragonfly pass by.

the cemetery where my grandmother is buried is old; like everything else in small towns, it has a history we’ve all forgotten. but i don’t visit for my grandmother most days. no, it’s the weather-worn angel that always catches my attention. i know it stands guard over an empty grave;  they never found her body, and after twenty years, it’s clear she will  always be a case that cannot be solved.

its wings are chipped and grey, hands clasped and the stone veil over its head gives only the faintest hint of a face.

the name on the headstone it stands over reads:

                                          Myra Victoria Ksapre

                                          July 15, 1981 - 2009

                                       Lost, but never Forgotten

i wonder about her sometimes. leave flowers at my grandmother’s grave, then sit before the memory of myra and quietly tell her about the butterflies that often rest on her angel’s shoulders.

there is something enchanting about watching a butterfly flutter its wings, gently moving them to keep the wind from blowing it over. i think of my grandmother teaching me how to pull apart a butterfly without damaging the wings, of her hands cradling the tiny corpse, of those hands on my shoulder as she instructs me on how to pin it up.

i leave, and the butterflies keep their wings.

ii. neon

they’ve added more lights since i was last here. like everyone else my age, i  had longed to leave the slow, tired life a our small town behind. unlike most of them, i managed to find my way out into the world and tried to leave the past behind me.

it’s an old story: running away and becoming someone else. and it always ends the same.

i come back, and my ghosts remain with me.

i  haven’t told my mother that i’m back yet. i haven’t spoken to my father in six years. so i leave my suitcase against the wall of this small  hotel room and look out over the once familiar streets. it’s near midnight, and the neon green sign for the next door bar illuminates the street and transforms the groups of stumbling, laughing people into  something more magical.

a moth flies by, moving sporadically, up and down but forwards nonetheless. i watch it fly towards the neon sign  that spells the hotel’s name. it’s too small for me to keep sight of as  it moves away from my window, but i can clearly imagine the little moth  hitting the light and the heat ending its life quickly and painfully.

a  memory returns to me suddenly: a humid summer night, laughing as i chased after fireflies in a grassy field, my grandmother cradling a moth in her hands and my grandfather speaking to someone in hushed tones near their old car.

it’s been a long time since i last thought of them. been a long time since they were buried.

though it’s past midnight, i doubted that i would get any sleep soon, so i  head down to the bar across the street in the hopes that a drink would  get my mind off of things. the neon lights feel nostalgic in a strange way and i am suddenly struck with the realization that my youth is gone, escaped me years ago and i was too focused on running away to notice.

on a cork board stuck outside the old movie theater that closed down when i was in middle school, i see myra’s face suddenly, half hidden in  shadow. the missing sign is weathered and worn, but her smile hasn’t changed.  

the only people who can keep their youth are the ones who die young.

iii. roses

the house has fallen apart. faded graffiti decorates the walls both inside  and outside. the yard my grandmother once cared for is overgrown and  wild.

on the edge of the town, with the nearest neighbor being a mile down the dirt road, it’s clear that this house has been forgotten. no one wants to buy it, so no one wants to fix it up. abandoned, my grandparent’s house is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

the rose bushes my mother helped plant have grown large and unruly. they cling to the chain-link fence that surrounds the house. i have to wrestle with the branches just to open the gate, and thorns cut through  my skin as i make my way up the barely visible path to the front door.

the lock on the door has been broken. i’m sure the bolder teenagers must have broken in, telling each other ghost stories and scaring each other  as they looked through the aging rooms of the house.

with the early afternoon light coming in through broken and dusty windows, the house is filled with golden light. the floorboards creak under my feet as i walk around, looking at how a place once so familiar has changed. though the frames filled with insect wings and bodies have disappeared, couches and tables have been left behind. the dining table still has the marks made by a seven year old me trying to saw through it with a  butter knife.

i wander aimlessly. i don’t try to go upstairs;  the wood is old and decayed and though i may not care much for my own health, i still don’t want to fall through the steps.

there’s a door in the hallway i don’t remember. it opens easily, the hinges loud in the silent house, and any light that makes it through the windows  disappears here. there’s a staircase that goes down into darkness.

i would have remembered this. why don’t i?

with my phone as a flashlight, i descend.

iv. chalk

it smells like mold and dust, so strong it feels like it coats the inside  of my mouth. i put a hand over my mouth and nose and force myself forward.

there are no windows. there’s not much of anything. but against the walls, i find a few frames, glass cracked, holding the dusty remains of insects. the dragonflies are among them. i want to take them back up, pack them beneath the clothes in my suitcase, but my eyes keep going back to the far corner of the basement.

i can’t see anything, but i know something is there.

heart in my throat, i make my way deeper; the walls seem to press down on me, a part of me screams to run away and never come back, but i force myself to put one foot in front of the other. i accidentally kick something, and when i look down, i see green chalk slowly rolling away  from me.

distantly i remember my mother talking to my grandmother: ‘i never did find my chalk after that summer. and you never bought me any again. did you ever tell me why?’  my grandmother’s elusive smiles, her apple cakes, her insects. the old photographs in the family albums of my mother as a child, drawing colorful illustrations on the concrete of the garage.

when i look up, the light of my phone illuminates the bones peeking out of old clothes, the type my mother wore when she was younger.

“it was my father you know,” says a girl emerging from the shadows. her features are blurry. “asked your father to hide me down here and never speak a word of it. what do you think of that, sophie? your best friend beneath you and you never noticed.”

this girl mistook me for my mother. a dreadful understanding dawned on me.

“sophie is my mother. she never told me that she knew you.”

“your mother? how long has it been?”

she steps closer. it’s easier to see her now. see that same face, the same eyes as those missing posters, just without the smile.

“very long. we’re a small town. your disappearance turned you into a legend, myra.”

“they did the same thing to johann when i was still alive.” she stops just a  few feet away from me. “i need you to do something for me,” she says.

i stare at her, the girl whose empty grave i sat near, whose face haunted my entire life in this town, whose memory was only shared in whispers  and tears.

“anything,” i promise.

v. rituals

i  wonder if my grandmother knew. she must have; the missing chalk she kept from my mother means she must have seen the body. the questions i  asked as a child about myra had been answered with the words found in the news about her disappearance. i wonder if her hands that pulled  apart insects were red with the blood of others.

my mother must never know. no one can ever know.

myra’s father and my grandfather are dead. who would take on the consequences of a murder over twenty years old?

i go back to my hotel room. i text my mother and promise to visit her in  two days. i shower and get a drink. i go through the slow ritual of getting ready for bed, thoughts a thousand miles away. i dream of myra, young and alive, and wonder why?

these are answers i will never have. this is a secret i will carry to my grave. the sins of my grandfather are the ones i must bear. my grandmother had me well acquainted with  death before i ever entered school. i can carry another ghost.

i leave at one in the morning. i let the rose bushes take their share of my blood, then put myra’s bones in a large trash bag. when i leave, i pluck off a rose for her, then another just to rip off the petals. i sneak into the cemetery, where nearly every light is as dead as the  people inside. it takes me another hour to dig up her empty grave and lay her bones to rest.

“thank you,” she whispers from behind me. i don’t turn around. i fill in the grave.

when the sun begins to rise, i toss the trash bag and shovel into a dumpster down the street. when i come back, the sunlight falls upon the stone angel like a halo. the dead are at rest. her case will never be solved. i alone will know where she was hidden.

at the feet of the angel is a dead butterfly. i reach out and tear off its wings.

the apple never falls too far from the tree after all.

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, here is a rec list of fics where Harry and Louis fight or argue over the course of the fic. While there is at least a small argument between them in the vast majority of fics, we tried to narrow this list down to include fics where there’s either a larger fight or a bunch of smaller ones. Happy reading!

1) Forever, Uninterrupted | Explicit | 8578 words

Harry finds a mysterious picture in Louis' bag one night and drives himself crazy over it. It's definitely not what he thinks. An excuse to write Harry in rut, because there's already so many heat fics out there.

2) Poppies In May | Explicit | 9457 words

And maybe he deserves it, Louis thinks bitterly. His hand curls around the fence tightly, and he feels like if he lets go he’ll slid onto the cold ground and never fucking get up again. Maybe standing here, staring at Harry’s hunched over, retreating back is what he deserves.

3) 3B Neighbor | Explicit | 10407 words

A mysterious neighbour keeps slipping the worst sort of notes under Harry's door.

4) Rather This Than Live Without You | Explicit | 10715 words

Harry decides to give it all up. Louis refuses to be left behind.

5) We Should Get Jerseys | Mature | 12147 words

Harry is a hockey player, and Louis is his slightly melodramatic boyfriend.

6) No Bleeding Hearts | Explicit | 12651 words

“I’m going to come out,” Louis says abruptly. His grip on the controller is tight, knuckles whitening. He doesn’t look at Harry when he says it.

“What?” Harry says. Louis sucks in a breath through his teeth.

“When we re-negotiate our contracts. I’m going to come out.” Harry fumbles with the controller and manages to set it down on coffee table without cracking it in half.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harry says. Louis is still pointedly not looking at him.

“I’m not having this argument with you again, Harry,” Louis tells him. He leans forward and deposits his own controller on the table beside Harry’s before standing up. “I’m gonna go to the hotel.”

7) Know You Got That Thing (That I Like) | Explicit | 15798 words

Note: This fic has a BH mention.

In all the ways he thought about their reunion going, watching Louis finger himself open was not on the list.

8) Wait For Me (To Come Home) | Explicit |  16066 words

A future fic of time stamps where Louis finally comes to grips with a love he'd denied for too long.

9) My English Love Affair | Explicit | 19198 words

The thing about sleeping with a member of a famous indie band is that the inevitability of having a song written about you is most likely a hundred percent. The second thing is that in the end, nobody's supposed to find out it's about you.

The one where Harry writes a song about his English love affair and Louis sleeps with someone in White Eskimo and all he gets is a stupid song written about him.

10) Dance Like Warriors On A Battlefield | Explicit | 20083 words

Down in the arena, the triumphant gladiator places his foot on the back of the loser, holding him there as he waits for instruction on his next move. Kill or let live. It’s barbaric, really, the bloodlust involved in this sport. Louis is pretty sure that if it wasn’t for his distaste for the killing there would be a lot more blood soaking that sand.

As it is, his father rarely gives the kill order anymore. He gives the order to let the loser live. Louis rolls his eyes, turning away. He doesn’t miss the way the gladiator’s eyes linger on him.

11) Up To No Good | Explicit | 26525 words | Sequel #1 | Sequel #2

Harry doesn’t think of himself as a womanizer, not at all. Sure, he enjoys sex, enjoys how women feel underneath him, and by some people’s standards he has sex with quite a lot of people, but that’s no reason to tell him that he can’t have a female PA anymore.

It’s especially no excuse for giving him a male PA who’s possibly the most gorgeous boy in the world who won’t even let Harry look at him for too long.

Sometimes Harry hates his life.

12) All The Lights are Full Of Colour | Explicit | 26727 words

So, fast-forwarding eight years from the day Harry met Louis, he is now a twenty-seven year old owner of one of the most up-and-coming eating establishments on the London restaurant scene, father of two wonderful boys and… separated from his husband. Now, that last part definitely was never a part of the original plan.

13) Time Out | Explicit | 27539 words

Harry and Louis are perfect for each other.

Everybody knows it.

They know it, their friends know it, everybody knows it.

That's why Zayn, Liam and Niall won't let them get away with breaking up.

No chance in hell.

14) Carnelian | Explicit | 30631 words

Louis finds himself donating blood to the most beautiful being he’s ever seen.

15) Where The Lights Are Beautiful | Mature | 31170 words | Sequel

The accidental bonding a/b/o fic. 

16) Close To Nowhere | Explicit | 34589 words

Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.

17) No Matter Where You Are (No Matter How Far) | Explicit | 35799 words

An Everest AU where Louis sets out to climb the tallest mountain on the world and meets a curly-haired guy named Harry who worms his way into Louis’s life. It’s not long before reaching the summit becomes the least of Louis’s worries. 

18) The Things I’d Do To Wake Up Next To You | Mature | 36019 words

AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.

19) Bloodsport | Explicit | 40283 words

“You know how our next game is against the Cardinals, right? You remember how vicious those guys can get. I wanted us to come up with some plays, maybe work on a block from the left--” Louis stops when he hears a chuckle. He doesn’t think he’s said anything particularly funny, so he turns to Harry, waiting for an explanation. "‘S funny, ‘s all.” Harry throws his finished bottle somewhere near the other discarded ones. “This is the first time you’re talking to me in eight months, and it’s still about football.”

20) The Sweetest Incantation | Explicit | 40598 words

Harry is a witch who's still working on developing his powers and Louis is a werecat who falls into his life and turns it upside down. 

21) Falling Into Place | Explicit | 40754 words

Louis and Harry spend nine years apart but inevitably find their way back to each other.                        

22) Another Hazy May | Explicit | 41043 words

Louis is a terrible poet and Harry lives in the now and they have six weeks to fall in love but, really, it only takes six seconds. Bookshop meets military meets summer romance AU ft. Malboros, the Backstreet Boys, and underrated literary devices.

23) Show Me Life Like I’ve Never Seen | Mature | 42953 words

Louis never expected to leave the small art studio three blocks down from his job with anything besides the painting he caught a glimpse of and simply couldn't forget.

24) Can I Not Like You For A While? | Explicit | 43346 words

Louis Tomlinson is awful. Harry is just as difficult, and they’re both terrible to each other. It makes being in the same acapella group together quite complicated. 

25) Just A Feeling | Explicit | 43977 words

Note: This fic is a sequel to this fic.

The first time that Harry thinks about marriage in relation to Louis, he’s eighteen years old, standing in the middle of a crowded frat house, six drinks down and another in his hand.

It’s not the first time that he’s laid eyes on Louis. It’s not even the second time, or the third time, but Harry doesn’t believe in denying what his brain is trying to tell him, and his brain has been telling him that Louis might be the prettiest person in the world ever since that first fateful meeting, when Harry hadn’t been able to stop looking and Louis had ‘accidentally’ spilled his tea all over Harry’s lap in retaliation.

26) Love's Truest Language | Explicit | 48193 words

“I don't want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him. Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

27) Tug-Of-War | Explicit | 55475 words

Louis' husband dies suddenly and he is left with nothing. Well, not really nothing. He has Harry. And a St. Bernard puppy named Link, whom his late husband left behind for him. Louis takes care of Link and Harry takes care of Louis. Everything is okay until suddenly, it isn't. 

28) Into The Midnight Sun | Explicit | 63523 words

It's 1983, Harry embarks on his first world tour and Louis is a budding actor in LA. Life spent apart isn't easily adjustable, but somehow they make it work.

29) Why Can't It Be Like That | Explicit | 63567 words

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn't need a stylist, Harry's thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they're both very wrong about each other.

30) Perfect Storm | Explicit | 80230 words

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding. Harry and Louis choose the latter.   

31) Pinkies Never Lie | Explicit | 83615 words | Sequel

AU in which Louis hates his job and loves Harry, Harry just wants a distraction, everyone else wants them to get their shit together, and Louis learns the hard way that new beginnings are only possible when something ends.

32) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words

AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can't do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor's certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream. That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn't seem to like him complicates matters, though.

33) Electing Strange Perfections | Explicit | 84757 words

Back for the summer from university, 19-year-old Louis is faced with a massive problem: their new gardener is quite possibly the most gorgeous man he's ever met. Over the course of the summer, Louis and a 25-year-old Harry will learn that love can be found where you least expect it.

34) For Reasons Wretched and Divine | Explicit | 94655 words

Ten years ago, Harry Styles was just a nerdy kid with one friend and a debilitating crush on the captain of his school’s football team. He thought the stars were smiling down on him the day he and Louis Tomlinson were paired for their end-of-term Literature project. But because Harry’s life is decidedly not a fairytale, the budding friendship quickly leads to the least happy ending of all time. Now, Harry Styles is a household name. Barely twenty-seven with two Grammy nominations to his name, the singer-songwriter is poised to take the music industry by storm with his highly anticipated third album. So, what happens when the best producer in the business is also the only person Harry’s vowed never to speak to again?    

35) Blue Ice | Mature | 102967 words

An AU where Louis finds himself in a marriage he didn't bargain for. 

36) A Taste Of Desire | Explicit | 104414 words

A Victorian ABO where Harry is the owner of the most successful cotton mill in Manchester, and Louis is an opinionated social activist about to disrupt Harry’s world.

37) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices | Mature | 126056 words

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

38) All I Want | Mature | 289307 words

When Harry and Louis got together it wasn’t under the best circumstances. Louis was taken by another. But go figure that the way they ended up together is the very same way it ended. And Harry left Louis. He left him with a lot more than he thought. A story about how people’s misconceptions almost destroyed a love that went beyond measure.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[zekroudon]

The Song of our Hearts (Lukadrien June 2020)

@lukadrien-june

Day 19: Flower Language

Luka has planned a lovely evening with Adrien on Valentine's day, he hopes everything will go well. You can read it on Ao3 here.

 Today is one of the few rare days Adrien gets to spend as he wants. Today also happens to be Valentine’s Day. I planned our whole evening: I pick him up at school, then we go to this park I found where we see the sun setting behind the Eiffel Tower and we eat picnic while I play guitar for him. I will even play him his heart song. It’s not perfect yet, but I hope he’ll like it. Then we end the evening by walking along the Seine back to his home and we share our first kiss. I have even got his bodyguard on board so he’ll give us some space, which surprised me since I expected him to be stricter. Well, I won’t complain.

 It will be a perfect evening. I’m not usually the one to plan romantic stuff, it’s usually more his forte, but I wanted to do something to show how much he means to me.

 I wait for him down the steps to his school, a single red rose in my hand behind me. My guitar on my back. I notice Adrien’s bodyguard standing a few meters away with my backpack and another bag I don’t recognize. Students start to walk out the doors and I spot Nino’s red hat followed by golden hair. My boyfriend’s friend is snatched by his girlfriend and he waves goodbye before disappearing at the corner of the street. Adrien stands in the steps confused as to where the car might be. His brows scrunch up as his confusion grows.

 I raise my free hand and wave at him. His expression softens the moment he sees me and his eyes glow like the prettiest of gems. He runs to me excitedly and I meet him halfway. He goes to hug me, but I step back. I see a short flash of hurt and confusion on his face before it morphs to joy as I give him the rose.

 "So, what did you plan for our evening?

 - Ts, ts, it’s a surprise, sunshine."

 He beamed at me like a child on Christmas Eve, and my heart explodes. He’s so cute! I take his hand in mine and we start walking to our first stop.

 We come across multiple couples and everyone seems happy. The restaurants are filled with people. Others walk with bouquets in their hands. My rose is a little pale in comparison to those enormous bouquets, but I hope our date makes up for it. Adrien’s smile tells me that I’m in the right direction. My hand is a little sweaty in his, though he doesn’t seem to notice, too preoccupied admiring the streets. I cross my fingers hoping Hawkmoth won’t akumatize anyone today, a heartbroken lover on Valentine’s day must not be that hard to find. My boyfriend turns to me, face still glowing.

 "Will you play something, he asks? I know you always carry your guitar with you, but I really like it when you play for me…

 - I told you to not ask any questions, don’t you like surprises?

 - Well, yours yes, not my father’s, he replies dryly."

 Gabriel had wanted to send Adrien on a fake date with some girl on Valentine’s day. The girl was a high businessman’s daughter and he wanted to strengthen the bond between their companies. The aftermath wasn’t pretty and the girl in question ended up akumatized when she learned that Adrien was already in a relationship with a guy and Gabriel, the company, was too old school to allow the face of its brand to date a guy.

 We arrive at the park and I borrow my bag from the Gorilla who gives the bag to Adrien. I lay a blanket on the ground next to a tree so we’ll be able to lean on it to watch the sunset behind the Eiffel Tower. We sit next to each other facing the sun. The light makes Adrien’s hair shine like gold and his eyes sparkle. No matter how many times I see it, it always inspires me when composing my music. He’s my sun warming and shining in my heart. I blink and I realize that I’ve lost myself in his eyes once again. I place the box with the sandwiches between us with the water bottles and juice boxes.

 A couple laughs nearby. There are candles lit between them surrounded by what looks like an elaborate lunch with salads, croissants, and other stuff I can’t make out from afar. Compared to them, my torn blanket with holes, the basic sandwiches I made and the water bottles look incredibly cheap. Even more for someone like Adrien who lives in luxury…

 A soft hand caresses my cheeks and turns my head. My aqua eyes meet his emerald one again. Heat creeps up my cheeks but I don’t really care. His other hand is behind his back holding something.

 "I love it, Luka, it’s perfect. As long as I get to spend time with you, I know it will be great.

 - Thank you, Adrien, but you deserve so much more…

 - The time you spent to prepare this is worth more than any amount of money I have. I’ll always cherish anything you make yourself. Here, it’s for you! You may be able to speak through music, but I can use flowers to tell you how much you mean to me."

 He reveals a bouquet of roses, each a different color. From reds to blues, it may not be the best mix of colors, but I don’t care, it’s the prettiest I’ve seen.

 He looks at me sheepishly, though his face morphs to delight as I smile warmly at him.

 "Thank you, Adrien, they’re beautiful…

 - I’m glad you like them, they weren’t easy to find. Most florists only had red ones. Do you… you know… want to know what the colors mean?

 - Of course, I was hoping you’d tell me."

 He looks so ecstatic that I’m scared the remnants of my heart will shatter again.

 " So, the red ones are for love. It’s the more common one we see on Valentine’s Day.

 - I love you too, I reply as I pick up my guitar while he holds the bouquet. What about the blue ones?

 - I love you more! Blue is mystery and intrigue. It sounds ominous, but it reminded me of how free I am with you and the unknown future our relationship will bring. Deep in my heart, I know that as long as we’re together, I’ll be happy and loved.

 - You make me happy too, Adrien. Those are orange, right?

 - Yes! They represent passion and enthusiasm. They’re also the complementary color to blue. Thinking of you always brightens my day, even in the darkest times, and I may like fencing and other things, but I’m passionate about you.

 - You’re the enthusiastic one though, I add with a wink, and the last ones are?

 - Oh, they’re coral! It’s close to white, but they mean desire, my burning desire for you.

 - That’s amazing Adrien, I could never have asked for a better bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day."

 Without realizing it, our faces have moved close, really close. My heart beats to the rhythm of his heart, to the rhythm of his music. A voice echoes through it, a hopeful message.

     Kiss me    .

 I close my eyes leaning forward. I barely feel the edge of my guitar press against my chest. My nose grazes his as I gently tip my head to the side. Our lips meet in an explosion of warmth and love. I caress his cheek with my hand and I slowly break the kiss.

 Eyes still closed; I feel his breath on my skin as our foreheads touch. The world slowly comes back to me, the cars roaming the streets, birds chirping in the tree, people talking and laughing. Adrien’s hand covering mine on his cheek. I softly look at him, amazed once again by the love emanating from him. I’m honored to be able to bask in it so regularly. He deserves the world, and if he says I’m his, I’ll make sure to be worthy of it.

 Adrien takes one of the coral roses and tucks it gently in my hair.

 "There’s only one thing I wanted for Valentine’s Day, Luka, and it’s you."

[ginnyzero]

Completely Harmless Ch. 1

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter One

Thomas Moorland had been nice enough and extremely sympathetic when he’d regretfully told them that he couldn’t sell them the horses they were riding. They were the camp’s horses and if he sold every horse that one of his campers got attached to, there’d be none left. They’d pouted, but the man had held firm even though he’d had a twinkle in his eye.

The large group of girls talked among themselves a bit sadly. They did love riding and the horses at the stable.

It was Justin. Thomas’ dark haired son with the soulful eyes that half of the girls in the group had a crush on that saved the day.

Figuratively that is.

“Psst,” he hissed as he peered into the stables.

The girls looked up at him in different stages of untacking their horses.

He grinned at them and bounced in. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms. “Heard you ambushed dear old dad.”

“You don’t have to sound so chipper about it,” Abigail mock pouted.

“Happens every year,” Justin grinned. “A couple keep trying to buy Saga out from under me.”

“You should be complimented. He’s a good horse,” Jennifer said. She patted her horse’s nose.

“He’s my horse!” Justin made a face and stuck out his tongue.

Lily cocked her hip. “Justin Moorland, you either have a trick up your sleeve or you came to torment us.”

Justin smoothed his face. “Torment you. I would never do that.” He put his hand to his heart. “My honor.”

“Loretta does all the tormenting around here,” Melody muttered.

Justin flicked his fingers and held up a folded glossy square of paper. “Ladies, if you truly desire horses, the best in Jorvik, you need to go see old lady battle axe herself, Baroness Annabella Silverglade.”

The girls stopped untacking their horses.

Lily raised a brow. “And what must we do to get there?”

“Stop trying to buy my horse!” Justin flung the folded square at her.

Lily caught it.

The girls giggled.

Justin rubbed the back of his neck. “I heard a rumor that she really could use some help. A friend of mine, Linda, she’s been working for the Baroness, helping run the Equestrian Center. But I’m afraid she’s bit off more than she can chew. Plus, she’s so busy already. Alex isn’t helping much since she comes down here to hang out with Maya so much.”

Maya shouted. “I can hear you!”

“Judy, Tyra, and Pauline are trying to keep things under control, but you know.” Justin shrugged. “Linn is stuck at the Riding Arena, Sonja is supposed to be helping out but she’d rather be in Valedale. Sabine is a bitch.”

“Justin!” Abigail gasped.

Justin smirked at them. “Well? If you want to get there and back before dark, you better be going now.” He waved at them cheekily and trotted off.

Grace huffed. “The nerve of him.”

“Utter cheek!” Melody agreed.

Lily opened the square of paper. It was a map. And Justin had helpfully drawn a red line from Moorland Stables to Silverglade Manor. There was also a few notes written in white ink. One read ‘Grape Mountain,’ and the other, “Loose Paddock.” Grape Mountain was south of the manor and Loose Paddock was north of it. Justin had included a note with an arrow at a broken line also in white. “The Baroness’ personal territory.”

Lily nodded. Justin was right. If they wanted to go out to the manor and get back before dark, they’d better leave now. At least the route seemed mostly clear. Though one bit looked disturbingly off the roads.

The horses seemed a bit astonished that the girls were putting the saddles and bridles back on them. But they were generally good spirited animals and were more than willing to leave the stables again, as long as it was at a placid trot.

The girls weren’t willing to push them either. They chattered at each other about what type of horses the Baroness might have. Some thought Arabians, others English Thoroughbreds, and others droned on about the merits of Hanoverians.

Justin’s route took them up the cliff to Nilmer’s Highland and a sharp right to the north towards Silverglade Village, a place they hadn’t yet explored. But the map said that off to their left, under the disturbing red line, there should be a path near the castle. Well, relatively near the castle. There was a lot of lawn between them and the huge yellow limestone castle on a cliff.

Regina saw it first. “Found it!” She said loudly enough so all could hear but not so loudly it’d spook the horses. They turned off the cobbled road and followed what was little more than a dirt track between some hills.

In the distance, up on a hill, had to be the manor. But it was really far into the distance. Between them and it was lots and lots of green.

“It looks rather impressive,” Lily said.

Their talk drifted to who they should approach. Annabella Silverglade herself? Or this Linda person? Or Judy? They didn’t want to be too much of a bother especially so late in the day.

The track led them to another road, they emerged on it between two birch trees, as the map showed it would. Off to their left and thus, to the south and across the road to the west were rows and rows and rows of grape vines. They grew along the flat parts of the mountain too.

“Oh, I get it,” one of the girls said.

“That can’t be the real name.” Abigail wrinkled her nose.

They turned up the road and noticed that the grapes continued despite the terrain. The road continued skirting a hillock and they came to a bridge. Far to the east they could see the village and realized it must be tucked right up next to the old castle walls. As they crossed the bridge, a dot off to the east (their right) looked like a rather quaint farm. They thought or speculated. There was a silo at least.

The road turned and for a little bit the road was lined with birch trees and grape vines. It was a long way up. They grew nearer to the manor and details emerged. A white stone wall with an iron wrought gate overgrown with weeds. To their left was a terrace also gone to weeds. Ahead of them though, the classical Greek inspired white stoned manor with its large windows and stately columns shaded by birches was impressive. The frieze on the tryptic above the door satyrs frolicking among the grapes and playing harps and pipes.

But overall, to either side of them were large, no huge, gardens gone to seed populated by yet more birch trees.

To the north the stable, or they assumed it was the stable, mimicked the manor house. It was large and long and off center was a columned archway over the roadway with another tryptic with a triangular frieze displaying horses rearing, cantering and trotting. Through this archway they could see a stone bridge. The stable had small individual doors that the top part opened individually on the lower floor and on the upper floor with the flat roof were more open windows showing where the hay was stored.

They assumed they could get into the stable proper through that doorway.

In front of it was a large parade ground with a rather odd symbol tiled into it.

And, to the south, the other large building was a large rectangular thing with a triangular roof instead of a flat one. It reminded them of what the Parthenon was supposed to look like with the long columns down the side of it.

Despite the run down appearance, the place was remarkably busy. Now, they didn’t want to bother the Baroness at all. That wouldn’t be proper. She was no doubt a busy woman. So, instead, they looked for Linda.

However, the first person they found was a girl with black hair that reminded them a lot of the stable manager of Moorland Stables, Jenna. She introduced herself as Judy.

They explained their mission. They wanted to buy horses and Thomas refused to sell them the camp horses and Justin had sent them this way.

Judy shook her head. “Happens every year. Well, you’re in luck. We have a fresh batch of three year olds looking for forever owners. They’re broken enough to ride and all, but they’ll need a great deal of training before you’ll be able to win any championships.

That was fine with the girls.

“Now, I’m going to warn you. These horses are special. They won’t be accepted by just anyone.” Judy said.

The six girls nodded.

“All right, they’re in the stables. May Aideen smile on you,” Judy grinned at them. She waved them towards the long structure.

There was a fence around the parade ground. But no one wanted to tie their horses to it. That wasn’t done. Plus there was nothing for the horses to eat near the parade ground. The girl’s dismounted and loosely tied the camp horses up in the area overrun by the weeds.

They all gasped as they went under the rotunda. It was actually stained glass and parts of it was faceted to throw off rainbows. The stained glass was of course, grape bunches and vines. They went into the shorter section of the stables first.

Inside the stables reflected the outside of the stables. There was cool white stone under their feet and the walls of the stable had been bleached white and had a silver sheen where the pattern of the wood was. Each stable wall topped with the delicate iron work like the gates.

But inside these pretty stalls were the prettiest horses the girls had ever seen. They had delicate heads and long flowing wavy manes and tails.

No one could restrain their squeals.

They didn’t run. They didn’t want to scare the beautiful creatures. But they certainly all walked quickly to the different stalls fishing out cubes of sugar and holding out hands to try and make friends.

A dark brown girl in a bright orchid t-shirt that read Knights of Unistria and black shorts laughed. “You must be new here. These are Jorvik Warmblood Sports, Jorvik’s best kept secret. I’m Linda.” She seemed friendly enough.

Lily was the leader. “Oh, we heard you worked here. I’m Lily and these are my friends Abigail, Grace, Regina, Melody, and Jennifer.” She gestured at each of the girls. “We’re, um, campers.”

“Obviously,” Regina rolled her eyes. They all wore the camp uniform after all, red t-shirt, grey fingerless gloves, brown riding pants, black riding boots and a black helmet. It was dreadfully unstylish.

Linda smiled at them and pushed her glasses up her nose. A bay horse with a white blaze down his nose and a white mane and tail huffed into her hair. She reached up to pet his neck absentmindedly. “And this is Meteor, the constantly starving.”

Meteor had the same nose shape and body structure as the horses in the stables. Though he was bigger and his hair wasn’t nearly as long.

“He’s handsome,” Grace said. “Is he yours?”

“More like, I’m his,” Linda wrinkled her nose.

“Oh, like cats,” Melody giggled.

“We’re here to become owned too, or something,” Jennifer waved her hand around.

Linda sighed. “Did Justin send you?”

“He gave us a map and everything.”

“Is it really Grape Mountain?”

“No. That’s him being cheeky.” Linda huffed. She tugged on her pony tail. “All the horses here are for sale, it’s true. In fact, if we don’t sell them. We’ll have to cull them. We simply don’t have the resources right now to look after them all. They’re in here for their final checkups.” Her face fell. “And it’s not really fair to release them into the wild. I mean, maybe they’d be all right.” She bit her lip. “So, they’re really cheap, three hundred shillings each. The Baroness is simply at her wits end and so am I.”

The girls looked at each other and looked around the barn. It seemed clean enough, but it probably could be cleaner.

“Thanks Linda,” Lily said before anyone else could. “That’s, a lot better of a deal than we expected.”

Linda twiddled her fingers. “Look, I have to run. If you have any questions, talk to Judy or Tyra. They know everything there is to know about the stables and Jorvik Warmblood Sports.”

“Not Sabine,” Grace said shrewdly.

Linda blinked. “Sabine’s a boarder. She doesn’t work here. She likes to make everyone think she does.”

“Good to know. We’ll be on our guard.” Lily saluted.

Linda smiled again. “All right. Good luck!” She said and trotted out.

“Huddle,” Jennifer said.

The girls gathered into a circle.

“Okay, something is definitely going on here.” Lily rubbed her chin.

Abigail groaned. “I’d do anything, and I do mean, anything, to get away from Loretta.”

“But, but, camp,” Grace hissed.

“Look, if this Baroness is as important as Justin implied she is,” Regina murmured. “I don’t think Old Man Thomas is going to mind us coming to help her out.”

“He might reward us,” Abigail bounced on her toes.

Jennifer sighed. “And riding around the cavaletti in a circle is so dull.”

Grace wrinkled her nose. “And the Bobcat race is, look, okay, Tan and Loretta are full of it and the other girls don’t want to lift a finger if it involves actually doing anything that might scuff their nails. They want us to be Bobcats to do their dirty work.”

Lily held up a finger. She jogged out of the stable and flagged down Judy who had a clipboard. “Judy, I have a question. It might seem odd.”

Judy widened her eyes. “Ohkay?”

“Does this stable have a dedicated riding club?”

Judy opened and shut her mouth. “No. If we did, we probably wouldn’t be in this state.”

Lily beamed at her. “Thanks, Judy.” She turned around and jogged off leaving a very bemused and confused Judy behind her.

Lily returned to the huddle. “Good news. No riding club!”

The girls jaw dropped.

“No club? Really? This gorgeous stable is ripe for the taking.” Regina’s voice turned fervent.

“This is not Pokemon Go!” Jennifer glared at her.

Lily tossed her hair. “Girls. I have an idea.”

Abigail pounded her fist into her hand. “Let’s show up Loretta.”

Grace’s lips parted. “Form our own riding club,” she breathed.

“And claim the SEC for our own and rule!” Regina pumped her fist into the air.

Lily smirked. “Exactly. So, let’s get some horses, recruit Tyra, Pauline, and Linn. The map says the Riding Hall is behind the manor, recruit more if we need to back in Moorland, and take Loretta and her Bobcat girls down.”

“Break,” Jennifer said.

They girls moved apart and scattered across the stables to look at the different horses. There were plain horses without markings, and those with; appaloosas, dapples, paint horses. There were those with the fancy coat genes too, cremellos, buckskins, and roans.

It wasn’t like they fell in love with the horses, because they did. But it was also like the horses fell in love with them.

With their shillings in hand they tracked down Judy and handed it all over.

Judy beamed at them. “Oh, thank you, thank you so much.”

“No. Thank you,” Lily said with a smile.

A/N: If you read this, I’ll be surprised. This story is a practice project for my portfolio and my own Horse MMORPG called Mystic Riders. I wanted to prove to myself and my dev partner that I could in essence design a section of game. I’m a fashion designer and a writer who loves games. I don’t expect (or want) SSO to implement ideas into the game (mostly.) This is for my own education and entertainment.

Writing story is the way I organize my thoughts and world build. So, this story may be a little salty, and a little shady in places. I care about Star Stable, horse games, and actual MMORPGS so much that the wasted potential grinds my gears. I chose the Silverglade Manor area because so much of that potential felt untapped to me and there were so many story lines that touched the Manor. If you want to see my take on anywhere else in the game, then, I’d have to work for the game. (There is only so much free labor I’m willing to do.)

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

[ewankoseyo]

serious || highschool!jackson au

A/N: Just a lil something I whipped up on a bus ride. Hella longer than I expected but here you go! Part 2 of magnetic coming very soon!

——

jackson is the male lead in those cheesy teen romcoms who’s the most handsome and most popular guy in school and is actually nice to everyone

he messes around in class too much and can be really chatty but because he’s so nice and polite, teachers can’t really get mad at him so they just kind of shush him in between lessons

they have him come in during lunch to help them clean lab supplies as a lesson

which he does without complaining BECAUSE HE’S JUST SO DANG NICE

actually makes conversation with them and basically knows about the personal lives of all the teachers

he’s a golden retriever in human form

basketball team? team captain

fencing team? FOUNDED IT

drama club? auditions for all the spring plays because that’s his sports-free season

chess club? he marched to the principal’s office with the school nerds when the club was threatened by school budget cuts and argued with the principal to keep it open

(“oh you know what mr. wang? you’re right! I think the school CAN spare some funds for the chess club!”)

did I mention he volunteers his time at the local children’s hospital reading to kids on the weekends when he doesn’t have games or matches?

seriously, how does this kid have so much time for all of these activities

he should have “perfect to take home to your parents” tattooed to his forehead

but you stubbornly try to resist his charms because you think he plays too much

he sits behind you in math class and always compliments the back of your head

“did you curl your hair today? it looks really pretty!”

“thanks jackson…”

offers to walk with you to class and carry your textbooks

“your hands look full, let me help you out!”

“it’s okay jackson…”

(he completely ignores this and takes your books to class anyway)

(he’s running to class so you have no time to protest)

it’s not that you hated jackson wang

based off of his personality, it would be a crime to hate him

but falling for jackson wang was pointless

jackson charmed anyone and flirted with everyone

he received love confessions by the week but politely rejected each and every one of them

no one has ever heard of him being in a relationship which came as a shocker to the whole student body

him? THE jackson wang??? sinGLE??????? HOW???????????

at one point, a rumor flew around that he was gay

why else would he reject the prettiest girls in school?

but you knew better

jackson wang was a free spirit

with all his time spent being so involved in everyone else’s lives, there was no time left to focus on the feelings in his

jackson was seriously the nicest and coolest and cutest guy on the planet

but he just wasn’t serious

so you tried to brush him off when you felt he was playing too much

because you didn’t have time for games

besides, why would a perfect angel of a man-child like jackson wang ever return your serious feelings?

(if you had serious feelings for him, that is)

you literally burned yourself with the curling iron this morning trying to use it as a microphone

how could jackson ever fall for you?

so yeah

falling for jackson wang was FUTILE

anyways,

one day jackson tried to pass you a note during class but you just shot him dirty glances before turning back to the board

“jackson, I’m trying to concentrate.”

“ah sorry, I’ll just ask after class! hehe”

but your teacher had other plans after class

the two of you were asked to stay back (but rest assured, you both weren’t in trouble)

so it turns out there was a downside to jackson’s super-involvement in extracurriculars

his grades had been slipping in math ever since fencing season started

(“I’m sorry sir, we’ve been having tournaments back to back!”)

if he wanted to keep competing, he was going to have to get his grades up

with the help of a tutor

someone who…idk…has the highest grade in class but needed some extra credit to bump it up two grade points to a 100 ???????

what could you say? the universities you were applying to were really competitive

so you begrudgingly agreed to tutor jackson wang until he got his grades up

he would follow you home after school and you’d work with him for an hour

he insisted on going to your house since the days were getting shorter and he didn’t want you to have to walk home alone in the dark all because you had to help him

damn him and his kind heart

through these after school tutor sessions, he got to know your family

as expected, they LOVED HIM

whenever your parents would come home from work, he would stop what ever problem he was doing to talk to them

“hello aunty and uncle, how was work?”

“did you confront your co-worker who was giving you a hard time today?”

“I hear you might be getting a promotion soon. good luck!”

when your younger siblings were around, he’d take a “study break” to play with them

you would have to snap jackson back into focus

“c’mon jackson, you still need to finish this problem set.”

“sorry, we’re almost done solving this puzzle!”

your tutoring sessions would end with the two of you just talking 

mostly just jackson asking you questions about yourself and you answering

“what do you like doing on the weekends?”

“idk watch movies? listen to music? I’m pretty boring”

“what kind of movies do you like watching? we should have a movie night one day!”

as much as you were trying to avoid falling for jackson wang, you weren’t about to kick him out of your house

you weren’t rude

and it’s not like you had anything else to do

(you had gotten all your homework done while he was getting friendly with your family)

plus you weren’t this used to having someone be interested in you

inquisitive about you, that is, ahem

even though this was probably just a friendly thing jackson wang does with everyone, you appreciated someone wanting to get to know you just because

so you let him hang around and ask you more questions

soon, the questions were getting to be a bit much to and you were getting annoyed

“jackson you keep asking me questions about me, can you start telling me about yourself?”

jackson was the guy everyone thought they knew through his actions but what people knew about the real him was all just heresay

maybe it was because you were trying to avoid getting too close to him or maybe part of the jackson wang charm was putting the other person in the center of his conversations with them, but after all of his questions, you realized you knew next to nothing about his personal life even though you’d been tutoring him for two weeks

jackson laughed at your sudden outburst

“me? what do you want to know about me?”

it then occurred to you that he also wasn’t used to people asking about him either 

(what a kind, selfless person, ugh I hate him)

“anything! what’s your family like? why are you so involved in school? what are you doing after graduation?”

you learned that he grew up in a family of athletes so he’d been in sports for as long as he could he remember

his older brother would pull pranks on him growing up, like telling him their parents found him in the dumpster as a baby and took him home to raise him

but now he really looks up to his older brother and always asks him for advice even though he may be busy

you learned that as a child, he would have a difficult time paying attention and keeping still, so his mom put him in a bunch of activities to keep him occupied

and this probably carried on to high school

but besides how it was affecting his grades, he loved and gave his all in every activity he was involved in 

his dad taught him to be kind to others and to give tenfold to those who had nothing to give back to you

which is why he spent his extra time volunteering 

plus he enjoyed getting to know the stories of the people he was helping, there was always something to learn in each of them

as for after graduation?

you learned he wasn’t completely sure yet

he didn’t want to say too much because there were just a lot of options up in the air, something about possibly moving to korea because of an opportunity there, but he couldn’t say it out loud so as to not jinx it

so yeah, you learned a lot about him in a span of two hours (and this is just after tutoring, my goodness)

what else did you learn?

you learned you had made a mistake in asking him about his personal life because oh god now this was getting all too real and you found your heart aching at the way he would look down and smile, seeming uncharacteristically shy when talking about something he didn’t tell a lot of people or when his cheeks met his eyes when recalling a funny childhood memory or when his hands moved animatedly while describing a fencing move or the way his laugh was the most boyish most genuine laugh you’d ever heard and you’d want to spend the rest of your life listening to it—

it was happening

no, it happened

you had fallen for THE jackson wang’s charms and he wasn’t even trying

this realization must have translated to worry on your face because jackson stopped himself in the middle of a story about how he got into the chess club to ask you if you were okay

“wha-yeah, I’m fine why wouldn’t I be?”

jackson grabbed your hands and gave them a gentle squeeze before rubbing his thumbs against them soothingly

“you must be worried about college apps”

“what?”

“you mentioned before that some of your deadlines were coming up and you were stressing out about them and I noticed sometimes in math you’re not paying attention to the lesson so you can work on them”

if you weren’t so flustered from him holding your hands, you would have burst out laughing from his conclusion 

“right, college apps”

and as if you couldn’t be any more flustered, you soon found your face grow even hotter when jackson reached out with one of his hands to tuck the stray hairs framing your face behind your ears soothingly

his other hand still held yours and he gave it another squeeze before giving you a sweet, reassuring smile

“you are one of the smartest, most hardworking girls I know. you study until the wee hours of the morning not just to get a good grade, but to get the best grade because you won’t settle for anything less. you’re someone who knows what she wants and won’t let obstacles get in her way. you support your classmates when they need help with an assignment or want your input on something and you never put them down or make them feel any less than when they don’t get something right. and hey, you’re helping me get my grades up! if anyone deserves to get into the college of their dreams, it’s you!”

boy had the AUDACITY to boop your nose with his index finger with that last point

and you were frozen

how were you supposed to respond to getting jackson wang’d by jackson wang?

that is until—

“can you stop that?”

jackson, who had been busy stroking your hair as he spoke, was now the one who was frozen

“what do you mean?”

you shifted farther from him on the couch you two shared. you really hadn’t meant for things to end up like this when you started tutoring him.

“I mean, could you stop being so nice to me?”

you must have looked so crazy to him (who doesn’t like it when people are nice to them???) but you kept going

“you keep asking questions about me and you compliment me every day and you notice things about me--heck you’re the only one who notices whenever I curl my hair—”

“how could I not notice you?”

you were sure that with the way your mouth was moving but not forming words, you were giving your best fish impression

“li-like this! you’re just being so nice to me a-and you just need to stop doing that...before I get the wrong idea...”

and the way jackson looked at you after you said this completely melted your heart because he just looked soooo genuinely hurt and concerned for you, with his eyebrows furrowed with worry and his lips pursed as if trying to find the right words to say next

“and what do you mean by...‘wrong idea?’”

and you just stared at him, silently begging him to not let you continue what you were about to say, but he was silently encouraging you to continue

“that you might like me back...then I feel stupid because why would you...why would someone like you--I’m sorry I can’t do this--”

you feel your voice getting caught in your throat and you’re about to make a run for it to your bedroom upstairs when you feel a hand tugging you back to the couch and all of a sudden you’re colliding into jackson’s chest

(it was a good thing your family was out running errands!)

“now can you stop doing that”

you barely register what jackson is saying as you feel the vibrations of his chest as he speaks, his arms holding you in place between his legs so you couldn’t get away again

you’re sitting between jackson wang’s freaking legs!

he takes hold of your arms and repositions you so that you’re forced to look at him

“yeah I’m gonna need you to stop doing that thing everyone else does where they talk about me like I’m all high and mighty, because no one tries to get to know me and it makes me feel isolated from everyone else”

“I’m sorry jackson I didn’t know—”

“and stop talking about yourself like that. I like you because you’re you. you’re smart. you’re polite. whenever I talked to you in school, you never flat out told me to go away even if it seemed like you didn’t want to talk. based on your amazing family, I sense that you’re amazing. you’re working so hard in helping me to raise my math grade. and I really appreciate you trying to get to know me. the real me.”

“wait...so you really like me?”

if you didn’t look so cute in his arms, jackson would have rolled his eyes so hard and smacked you

“of course I do! why else do you think I compliment you every time you curl your hair? or why would I offer to carry your books to class even though I know you’re highly capable?”

“I don’t know...I guess all those times I thought you were just playing around and—”

“how’s this for playing around?”

you didn’t have time to ask what he meant then as you felt his hands gently cup your face and he closed the distance between your lips within seconds

if he wasn’t holding you steady, you swear you would have melted on that couch

the kiss was slow and warm, his lips passionately working against yours, as if silently reassuring you he meant every word he’d said

every little peck telling you how much he cared

and when you finally pulled away from the lack of oxygen, you were sure there was no other place where you were meant to be in that moment

jackson placed his thumb under your chin and moved your head so you were looking at him

“it’s always been you.”

so you two continue on like that for the next couple of weeks

studying, making out, more studying, reward cuddles for studying

and before you know it, jackson’s grades are way above what your teacher needed in order for him to keep competing

but that doesn’t stop him from continuing to study with you

because although he had a tendency to get seriously distracted

he was always serious about you

——

[millieswickedbooks]

chapter one: the nightmare and the breakdown

Girl on Fire (Teen Wolf x Hunger Games) [Stilinski]

previous chapter || masterlist || next chapter >>

word count: 5,846

warnings: death (somewhat explicit), murder and attempted murder, violence, assault, mention of hunting, implied signs of depression/mental illness, brief mention of panic attacks, mention of pregnancy, mentions of child death, brief mention of alcoholism, nightmares, mental break down, brief mention of needles and medical procedures and implied signs of trauma and PTSD

What woke me up was the cold. When I opened my eyes the first thing I saw was white. It was the sky. Since when is the sky that color white and so... plain? I shivered as a breeze swept by, blowing ice-cold kisses on my skin, most likely leaving goosebumps in their wake. I felt was dirt and the unforgiving ground beneath my body. I was so confused—where am I? Why am I on the ground? And outside?

I stood up, groaning as my body felt like it was being used for the first time in eight-hundred, thousand years. I looked around and quickly realized I was standing in downtown, specifically the Square. But it was different; everything was foggy and empty. It looked like a literal ghost town. Where the hell is everyone? And lastly... how the hell did I get here? I was left with unanswered questions as I saw a familiar figure walk up to me, emerging from the fog—it's my younger sister?

"Alise?" I called out. She ran up to me, her usually untamable, curly hair was styled into two neat, french braids and gave me a hug, a big smile on her face. The face that brought joy to my heart.

"We mustn't be late!" She told me and she grabbed my hand pulled me through the fog.

"Late for what? Alise, what's happening? Where are you taking me? Do you know where everyone is? Alise?" Alise ignored all of my questions and kept pulling me until we arrived at our destination—the Reaping stage? What the hell is actually happening?

I heard shuffling, turned around and saw that the townspeople had suddenly appeared, surrounding the entire field the Reaping stage was at but not actually inside the field. They acted almost like a fence, forming a large circle around Alise and I. I turned to look at Alise and I saw her looking forward—at the stage.

I look up at the stage and saw a single peacekeeper, in his usual all-white uniform and gear. But this time something is different—is he holding a gun? They don't just hold those, especially in broad daylight like that. What was next to him caught my attention too. It was a familiar looking fancy stool. Wait, this is all very familiar to me—this is the Reaping. But everything is wrong, why is it only Alise and I in here? And peacekeepers don't announce the tributes. Ever. And the fancy stool next to him is the ballot. But this ballot only has one tiny little piece of folded paper, which was closed with a small section of black tape, at the very bottom of the massive see-through bowl. There should be literally hundreds of pieces in there. That's the sole reason why that bowl is so freaking huge.

I felt a sense of dread wash over me as I looked at the peacekeeper and for some reason, it felt like he was staring right back at me. And I know he has a mask on so I can't see his face at all, let alone his eyes but I just know he's staring right into my eyes. He reaches into the clear bowl and grabbed the only piece and held it up to his face and read the poor person's name. He looked back at me and leaned towards the microphone.

"May..." I shivered as his voice boomed from the large speakers. His voice... sounded like someone was playing a demonic tape in reverse. "...the odds be... ever... in your favor... Alise Galloway."

I felt my heart drop as I heard her name. This can't be happening. I looked to my left, where Alise should be and saw that she wasn't. She was just here, where could she have gone within a couple of seconds? I looked around frantically, my heart pounding in my chest and fear rose from the pit of my stomach up to my throat. They were not taking my sister away from me, they'd have to kill me first. As I looked around I saw that the crowd of people was staring right at me, judgmental looks on all of their faces. And in the midst of the crowd, I saw a boy and he had his right arm up, pointing at something behind me. I quickly realized he was pointing at the stage.

I whipped around, hoping Alise would be right behind me, and saw that Alise was on the stage, standing next to the peacekeeper. And he was aiming his gun at her head. I gasped.

"Why didn't you save me, Aurora? Why didn't you do something, Aurora?" Alise whimpered out, her voice becoming distorted and demonic, just like the peacekeeper. I began to sprint towards the stage but it was impossible to get there in time. I knew it, but I had to at least try. I felt like as if the stage was just getting farther and farther away. I then felt multiple hands grab me from behind. It was the townspeople. They were keeping me from saving Alise. I was struggling against them, trying to escape from their unshakable grasps but it was quickly becoming too much. I had tears running down my face as I screamed, frustrated and scared. I sobbed as I felt like I was going crazy. My sister's going to die. And I can't do anything about it. Soon the crowd swallowed me up, pushing me down as I felt myself fall into a large, dark hole I didn't know was in the ground. Everything quickly became dark as I descended deeper into the hole and then POW!—a gunshot rang, the sound ricocheting loudly in the large hole, my ears ringing almost immediately afterward.

"ALIISSE!"

And my eyes sprung wide open and I gasped for air, feeling as if I hadn't been breathing for the past five minutes, as I sat up quickly in my bed. At first, I was confused as to where I was, breathing heavy, letting my oxygen-deprived lungs fill once again, and still riled up from the... was it a nightmare? I quickly looked around at my surroundings and quickly recognized I was in my room, the one I shared with Alise.

I quickly got out of bed, nearly falling on my ass as I scrambled to see if Alise was okay. I  knew it was a nightmare but something deep, deep down is telling me otherwise. But I just needed to make sure she was fine. I nearly stepped on Beau, our six-year-old Ragdoll cat, on the way towards her side of the room, which I think I scared half-to-death when I shot out of bed and proceeded to hop out of bed all in under five seconds but I was too busy to feel bad for her. I'll apologize once I know Alise is all good.

I went up to her side of the room and I saw her lamp light on but her bed was empty. God, nopleasenono—and I quickly descended into panic. And at the moment, after fearing the worst for about five seconds—which felt like a literal millennium in my mind—I heard our door's familiar annoying creak; signaling that someone was coming in. I whipped around and I saw Alise's tired figure at the door.

"Aurora? What are you doing at my bed?" Alise whispered drowsily, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. I smiled as I realized that even in her sleepy daze she still remembered to stay quiet so she wouldn't wake our father. I checked her over just to make sure she was actually okay before I answered her. Her nightgown, which was mine before I grew out of it, is an off-white color. It also wasn't what she was wearing in my dream so that made me relax a bit. But her braids were styled the same way, which sent a chill down my spine. But I quickly noticed that the difference; they weren't as slick and neat as they were in the dream. And with that I sighed, feeling relief flood back into my body. "...Aurora? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing Alise. I just had a weird dream, that's all..." I admitted, not telling her the whole truth. She walked into the room, shutting the door behind her and sat down on the edge of her bed, facing me. Beau climbed up on her bed, like she did every night, settling beside her.

"You wanna talk about it?" She offered, looking at me with a look of concern on her face. I shook my head at her.

"There's nothing to talk about, Alise, I can barely remember it now, anyway. And we have the Reaping tomorrow, too. We have to be up early for that, you already know the drill. Now, let's go, back to sleep, I will too," I told her, motioning for her to get all cuddled up in bed. She groaned, rolling her eyes at me, but did what I told her to do. I did the same, but in my own bed, of course.

"By the way Aurora," Alise began, staring at me as she laid on her side, facing me on her bed, "it's already past 12 a.m."

"Yes? And...?" I asked, trying to sound as nice as possible because I honestly had no idea where this was going.

"Happy Birthday. Goodnight." And just like that, she flipped around, shut off the lamplight and cuddled even more into her bed. Beau stared at me with her big blue eyes for a little, probably trying to make me feel bad for scaring her a few minutes ago, which I was starting to.

"Sorry, Beau," I whispered at her and at that moment she laid down, probably deciding to call it a night.

I laid there conflicted; on one hand, I was appreciating her remembering but on the other, I was at the mad at the fact that the dreaded day was finally here.

You see, I've hated my birthday with a burning passion, ever since I was twelve. When I was eleven, turning twelve in about nine months or so, I had a tiny, little... feeling about a boy named Nino. Nino was this Spanish boy, with light brown, curly hair and eyes that were probably one of the prettiest shade of green I've ever laid eyes on. He was my age too, just a few months older than me, in my grade and we had multiple classes together. And bonus, we took the same route back home from school every day, so I got to look at him while walking home as much as I wanted. And my God did Scott tease me about this tiny crush. Literally every day. Anyways, one day, he saw me trip, while walking home and he helped me up and ever since then we just really hit it off. We became really close over those nine months. But then, just as my crush was rapidly becoming bigger and bigger and bigger—my birthday came up. My father explained the Games to me. I had only put in my name once, but that was more than enough for my father. I didn't know how to feel but I felt confused mostly. And I had the heavy feeling in my chest that made my hands ache and my knees tremble slightly. But I convinced myself I was fine. Nino and I had plans for my birthday and we were meet up right after the Reaping and it would be all good. I would finally introduce him to Stiles and Scott and they would love him because he's funny too. It would be great.

But that was until, at the Reaping, I heard 'Nino Lockway' echo through the Square. I felt my mouth dry and I also felt the grip my older sister, Amara, who was standing behind me, had on me loosing up as I heard her sigh in relief. But I hadn't felt that same relief. I was stunned to complete silence. I was so shocked, I couldn't even move or even breathe as I watched Peacekeepers grab the hysterical boy and drag him away as his mother screamed, running towards Nino and then a Peacekeeper taking her to the ground. I felt Amara pull me close, shielding me away from the horrid view but it wasn't enough. Nino's mother's screams were something that soon would because of many of my nightmares, for weeks afterward. At the age of twelve, I had just barely developed a crush and it was ripped away from my grasp before I could even hold it. It was heartbreaking. Sadly and unsurprisingly, he didn't even last a day in the Games. He was slaughtered in the Cornucopia within the first couple of minutes. I cried myself to sleep for a week afterward.

Ever since, I would spend all my morning stressing over the Reaping, begging whoever was up there to not let any of my friends be picked. Ever again. And my anxiety only got worse after Alise turned twelve but it's been two years since then and she hasn't been Reaped yet, but it doesn't make it any easier. Especially since District Twelve hasn't won in years... my birthday is basically a death sentence for two innocent youths. It's weird to sing 'Happy Birthday!' to someone when you can hear a mother already mourning for her still-alive child all the way from down the street.

Well, I sighed, knowing if I continued this, I wouldn't get a wink of sleep, so I got comfortable in my bed and closed my eyes, beginning, for the second time that night—thank you, nightmare, really appreciate it—my pre-Reaping routine; pray over and over again for Alise and my friends until I fell asleep.

 ➳

 The day of the Reaping dawned early—like it did every year, sadly. This year I had put in my name in the Ballot forty-five times, an extra five more times than last year and an extra ten more than what my father thinks I put in. Ever since Amara, my older sister, had turned nineteen and moved in with Derek Hale, her husband, last year, my father, Hudson Galloway—but I call him Bubba—told me that I didn't need to put in my name as many times anymore.

"I'd rather starve to death than to hear my girls' names over that damned speaker, fighting to the death over some Goddamned food," he had grumbly explained his reason to me one day. And I understood where he came from but I do it anyway. He might not want to admit it—or might not want me to know, whichever it is—but I know we need the extra help. Ever since Mama died, we've always kind of been struggling. A Healer doesn't pay much, not surprisingly though. But Bubba does a good job at covering it up though, I'll give him props for that, if I wasn't so observant and curious I wouldn't have noticed, that's for sure.

I sighed loudly, frowning as I realized that the heavy feeling in my chest that I woke up with still hasn't left. I tried everything all morning to try to distract myself from it but when I wasn't doing anything, my mind would go back to it. I woke up this morning feeling like I almost couldn't breathe properly because of it. I thought at first it was because of the Reaping later on today because everyone and their mother knows I get like this today but this... this was different. It felt like something really bad was going to happen. The last time I ever felt like this was when... I was told Mama had passed. To this day, remembering her still hurt, like as if it happened just yesterday.

I shook the thought away and began playing with the tips of my bushy, thick curls, hoping my low ponytail wasn't messed up from the low branches. I continued to play with my hair, trying to pass the time as I waited in the forest beyond the district fence for Scott and Stiles, my two best friends. We agreed to meet up here before heading back to my house and then to the Square, for the Reaping.

Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski and I, Aurora Galloway, have been friends since we were in nappies. To this day, I still strongly believe our mothers set it up; 'it'is our friendship, if it wasn't clear already. District Twelve was the smallest of all the Districts so everyone kind of knew everyone. All of our mothers were Healers and best friends too. And after my Mama, Rose Galloway, got pregnant with Amara, Bubba began to work two jobs, Mama's, and his own; a coal miner. Scott's soon-to-be mother, Melissa McCall, and Stiles' soon-to-be mother, Claudia Stilinski, befriended Bubba, quickly teaching him the ropes. My father was soon introduced to Stiles' and Scott's soon-to-be fathers, Rafael McCall and Noah Stilinski. Needless to say, they all just hit it off. We were all born in the same year, just a couple months apart, Stiles being the oldest of us and me, annoyingly, the youngest. And to this day, my father swears that Mrs. McCall, Mrs. Stilinski and Mama planned it. I do too because you just expect me to believe that all of them women just got pregnant all at the same time, by coincidence? Don't think so. But their 'totally-not-planned' plan did work, we did hit it off and we have been best friends for the past sixteen years basically. We just... bounced off each other's personalities, never getting bored of each other throughout the years. And everything was good... up until everything went to literal shit—well, everything had already gone to shit, with our economy and the government and all that terrible shit but this was when everything went to shit for us, specifically.

We all were about seven years old when it happened. One day everything was fine but then there was a huge BOOM! The coal mine exploded, instantly killing Mr. McCall. Scott and Mrs. McCall were devastated. Stiles and I were devastated. I saw that near man every day, and now he's just suddenly gone? I actually couldn't believe it. The cries of Mrs. McCall were worse than anything I've ever heard. But now that I look back at it, I'm kind of grateful we had time to grieve for him. Whoever is up there gave us three years to grieve Mr. McCall.

When we were ten years old, Mrs. Stilinski fell terribly ill, while pregnant with her second child. A baby girl—which we, later on, found out. But weeks later, sadly, Mrs. Stilinski, along with the baby girl, named Summer, had passed away. That one truly shocked me down to the core. I remember how ruined I was when Bubba told me, tears building up in his eyes as he delivered the news. Scott, Stiles and I were basically bouncing off the walls as Mr. and Mrs. Stilinski told us the great news. Mrs. Stilinski and I even chose her name while Stiles and Mr. Stilinski chose a boy's name. It took me a while to realize this but it was then that I lost all hope—of being happy, of growing old, of there being a better future for me, or for my kids—I lost all hope. Seeing Stiles and Mr. Stilinski get their happiness ripped away from in one single moment and then, afterward, seeing them struggle to cope with this massive loss was... heart-rending. Stiles started having really bad anxiety and panic attacks, which he still deals with to this day, while Mr. Stilinski turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows. Stiles, Scott and I miraculously got him to stop drinking so much and the whole situation brought Mr. Stilinski and Stiles closer to each other.

And then at the age of eleven, my world came crumbling down upon me. Mama was a healer and I always wanted to follow in her footsteps so I begged her to let me help her as much as I could. She warned me, telling me that some of the patients she took were dangerous at times. But I insisted. And everything was alright, I would help her, with at least one of her patients, after I finished my homework and I had a lil' routine going. It was nice. But one day, while Scott, Stiles and I were hanging out in the forest we found an unconscious Peacekeeper just laying on the ground. Scott instantly began to freak out while Stiles offered to leave the body there. I calmed them down and told them to take him to my house, Mama would fix him. My first mistake. And I barely remember sneaking him through town to my house but I do remember my mother's panicked look when she saw us three holding an unconscious man. And after that, it all happened so fast. I remember bits and pieces of what happened and I'm thankful because I really don't want to know... all the details of what went down that afternoon. I remember that we threw him on our kitchen table and Mama kicked Stiles and Scott out. Mama was yelling out instructions and I was trying my hardest to keep up with what she was telling me to do. She then shoved a needle in his chest and... that was it. He opened his eyes right then and there and jumped up from the table. He looked scared. And angry, very, very angry. He grabbed a roller pin from the counter and then that's it. Nothing else.

I woke up the next morning, laying on my bed, all bruised and sore, no memory of what happened and Stiles, Scott, Amara were all at my bedside. Amara was sobbing while Scott and Stiles comforted the best they could. I could tell they were crying too. I remember being confused as to my everyone was so sad and I asked them what happened. Scott went to grab me some water while Amara explained that the peacekeeper was attacked by someone in town and that's probably why we found him in the forest—a secret she somehow found out, probably through Scott, he used to have a fat crush on her when we were kids—but most importantly, a secret she promised to keep... only if I brought her back cool stuff I found. He said that when he woke up, not knowing who we were, where he was, what was happening, or what happened to him, he felt 'threatened' and thought we were attempting to kill him. So, he beat us within an inch of our lives... or more, my life. He fatally struck Mama on the back of her head with the roller pin causing her to die instantly from the impact. He killed Mama. And I survived. And God, the aftermath was something I really don't want to think about. It's still too painful. I just remember blaming myself for ruining my family's lives. It is my fault. It still is.

But after that, all the pain, all the shock, ups and downs, mourning, loss we experienced, it really brought us all together. And closer than ever. We know each other more than we'd like to admit it. I can read right through them sometimes. Scott was like our leader, even though sometimes he was pretty slow, but it was okay. He was an optimist, he made Stiles and I chose the right decisions in many, many situations, where without his advice, the issue would've honestly gotten worse. He has a big heart and is like the older brother I never had, but secretly always wanted. I was their little sister, the one they felt the need to protect. And, not to toot my own horn but I was the sane one. I was the peacekeeper, I ended the drama between my boys. I helped them with girl problems, I helped them with school work and I felt like their mother at times. Stiles was the comedic relief and... my crush. I've liked him before and after Nino, so basically for as long as I could remember. He was just so... pretty, with his lil' moles and whiskey-colored eyes, and his personality, his humor. Everything was great. But he loved Lydia, for years and years, and then he got over it, and I thought I had an actual chance but then he loved Malia. And now he's back to loving Lydia. So I decided not to tell him, because first of all, all of what I stated before and secondly because the rejection would probably obliterate my pathetically fragile heart. And honestly, I highly doubt he would ever like me that way either.

"Aurora!" A familiar masculine voice called my name, startling me slightly, as it came out of nowhere, and derailed my thought process completely. I whipped around, seeing Stiles and Scott coming up to me, causing me to stand up and flatten out the skirt of my dark green button-up dress.

"Hey, guys..." I greeted, not really bothering cover up my feelings that were clearly showing on my face and in my voice. They looked nice: Scott was wearing a thin, dark gray hoodie, almost like a thermal, with some khakis, with him dark boots to top it off. Meanwhile Stiles... oh God, Stiles is so fucking beautiful, goddamnit. He was wearing a baby blue Henley and some gray pants, paired with some dark boots too. Ohmygod, I'm never getting over this stupid fucking crush.

"Hope we didn't make the Birthday Girl wait too long!" Stiles exclaimed, a big smile on his face as he made his way towards to hug me. Which he did, tightly, wrapping his arms around my midsection, which I gladly accepted, covering up my wince at the mention of 'birthday' by draping my arms over his shoulders and around his neck. I hugged him back just as tight and buried my head into the crook of his neck but right before I did, I made eye contact with Scott. He wiggled his eyebrows at us and I rolled my eyes at him. I inhaled his scent and my nerves were calmed down slightly. He smelled of peppermint and cinnamon. And I wanted to stay in his arms for the rest of my life. He whispered "Happy Birthday, Rory," in my ear and I tried not a shudder at the feeling of his warm breath on my ear. But it wasn't that hard since he said Rory and the terrible name snapped me out of the trance he had put me in.

I groaned loudly at the mention of the cursed 'R' nickname and unwrapped my arms from around Stiles' neck, pushing him away from me. He laughed as he grabbed both of my arms and pulled me close to him and began to tickle me. I struggled to not scream as I tried to get away from this torture.

"Mieczyslaw Stilinski! St-stop it r-right!" I choked out between the laughter and at the mention of his real name, Stiles let me go and I punched his arm.

"Um... ow," Stiles said, making a face, pretending to be in pain as he pouted at me and rubbed the spot I punched.

"Oh shut up, you deserve it," I defended myself as I stuck my tongue at him. He raised his eyebrows at, pretending to be offended at my actions and I heard Scott chuckling beside me. Of course, he would be enjoying this. Sadist. "I don't like being tickled, you of all people know that I can't control my limbs. I straight up kicked Scott on the chest the last time!" I reminded them.

"Yeah, I remember that it was absolutely hilarious," Stiles commented, snorting as the memory most likely replayed in his mind.

"No, it wasn't, he immediately had an Asthma attack afterward. I thought he was gonna die, I thought I killed him!" I yelled at him, my eyes squinting at him as I wondered if we were thinking about the same situation because let me tell you. it was nearly terrorizing to me. Being the cause of his Asthma attack.

"Yeah, it wasn't funny at all, but I kind of deserved it. You did tell me not to tickle you," Scott said, looking a little guilty.

"Scott, are you kidd-" I started but Stiles cut me off.

"Maybe I wanna get kicked in the chest, ever thought about that?" Stiles jokingly commented and I turned to look at him again.

"I will not hesitate to punch you in the arm again," I fake threatened. Stiles' eyes widened and he backed up a little bit and his arms went up in the air, signaling his surrender. I laughed at his reaction and winked at him. He then dropped his arms and sheepishly looked at me, his cheeks becoming a dusty pink. I smiled at him and turned to Scott, remembering he had properly greeted me yet, going over to hug him. Scott smiled as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my right temple.

"Happy Birthday, Aurora," he spoke, and I laughed as I could feel his deep voice rumbling in his chest as he spoke. He pulled away, the same smile still on his face. I looked at the both of them and sighed again, as I felt the warm happy feeling begin to dissipate and the cold, heavy feeling of dread from this morning settling in once again, deep in my chest.

"What's wrong, Aurora?" Stiles asked, immediately sensing my change in mood and taking multiple steps closer to me. He had concern lacing his voice as his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and worry. I felt bad as I realized I totally ruined the moment we were having and most likely brought their happy moods down with me.

"What isn't wrong, Stiles?" I retorted, and I instantly felt bad. I didn't mean for it to come out so rude.

"Aurora-" Scott began because he knew where I was taking this but I interrupted him.

"No, Scott, don't 'Aurora!' me!" I exclaimed, mimicking his voice, pointing at him. He rose his hands up, signaling defeat and that he didn't want to fight with me. I squinted my eyes at him and felt weirdly proud of myself. I scare him? Hahahahaha. Good.

"Come on, Rory..." Stiles began, trying to reassure me and I interrupted him too. I honestly didn't want to hear what he had to say, and I know that's really rude of me but I don't care at the moment.

"No, Stiles! How many times did you put your name in that God-forsaken bowl?" I questioned him, trying desperately to get them to understand my side.

Stiles sighed and mumbled out, "forty times."

"And you, Scott?" I asked Scott, looking towards him for his answer.

"Same as him, forty," Scott stated, further proving my point.

"And I did it forty-five times, Stiles! Forty-fucking-five times! Lydia did twenty-eight, Allison did thirty-five, Kira did thirty-one, Erica did forty-one, Cora did twenty-eight, Isaac did thirty-six, Boyd did forty-two and Alise did fifteen! And just once is enough, Stiles! I know you remember Cole from last year, he only did it once and they picked him, Stiles!" I explained to him, listing the facts.

"Aurora, we do the same numbers every year and we still haven't been picked. What makes you think we'll get picked this year?" Stiles really sucks at trying to comfort people sometimes. Like... really sucks And he sucks at arguing with me.

"Just because we haven't been Reaped yet that doesn't lower the chances, Stiles," I told him, not even knowing why he even mentioned that and I wondered if they even cared, or if they even realized the kind of danger we were in every time my birthday came around. "Anything could happen," I finished.

"Aurora, what is this really about? You don't normally freak out like this..." Scott pondered aloud, and he was sporting the same worried look as Stiles. I sighed and I knew he was right, I don't act like this and I wondered if I should tell them about my dream. After thinking it through, I decided to go for it.

"It's just that- I just..." I didn't know how to word it. 'Yeah, I had a nightmare last night where Alise got Reaped and now I'm paranoid outta my damn mind because this is literally my number one fear'? I closed my eyes, my fingers pinching the bridge of my nose as I continued, "I woke up today with a... heavy feeling in my chest. Like as if something was gonna go wrong... I know something bad is gonna happen today. I feel it, guys," I rambled, looking at them.

Scott and Stiles turned to each other and then to me. Unable to contain my anxiety-filled word vomit, that I hadn't realized I was holding in until now, I continued my panic rant; "One of us is going to be Reaped. It could be you, or you, or Lydia, or Allison, or me, or even Alise! I even had a nightmare last night that it happened to Alise and I thought I was losing my mind. Oh my God, ohmygo-" Stiles wrapped his arms around me and I instantly shut up. God, I have it bad.

"Aurora, we are gonna be fine. I promise, we just have another two more years of this shit and then, we're free," Stiles whispered, rubbing my back and I took a deep breath, breathing his scent once again and beginning to finally calm down. Scott came over and hugged Stiles and me, turning this into a group hug.

"Yucky, group hug," I commented jokingly, trying to lighten the mood I single-handedly destroyed. Stiles laughed and poked my side and I yelped, and I punched his arm again. I warned him not to tickle me. He is just asking for it this point.

"Ow! Now that one hurt!" He yelled, frantically rubbing at the spot. Scott laughed at his reaction.

"Must fucking suck," I retaliated, wrapping my arms around my midsection protectively. He draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards him, which caused me to feel hundreds of butterflies in my stomach. God, the effect this boy has on me. Scott turned to me and looked at me expectantly.

"I can't promise anything but don't worry, we'll be fine Aurora," Scott reassured. "We always are."

I sighed, looking at the both of them, and spoke, "let's hope that that's the case for this year. Come on, it's almost time and we gotta go before our families get worried about us. And I hope y'all are right and that I'm just overthinking things or I'll 'I told you so' y'all to death. Trust and believe that."

And with that, Scott, Stiles and I made our way out of the forest. And Lord, were they wrong.

➳

there's chap one !!! woop woop !! lemme know what y’all think ♡

[moistwithgender]

Monthly Media Roundup (June-July 2019)

Well, I neglected doing a post last month, and now another has passed. I haven’t done too much, about three games each month and not anything else media-wise, so let’s get it all done right now!

Little Nightmares (PC/Steam): 

These types of spooky “cinematic platformers”, like LIMBO and INSIDE, never really scare me or fill me with dread. Part of this may be that due to the trappings of cinematic platformers. Checkpoints are very fair, and nothing is too difficult because priority is on delivering the story. Little side challenges exist, like trying to light all the candles or break all the porcelain dolls in the short 3-hour run of the game, but these are also pretty reasonable, even if you’re in a chase sequence. I’m reminded of a youtuber I briefly followed who talked about how horror games aren’t scary anymore, and somewhat unintentionally delivered the point that as you become accustomed to the limits of a medium, and therefore are less likely to be surprised by it, you’re also much less likely to be scared by it. It’s a somewhat unfortunate and inevitable trade-off to becoming more invested in a hobby. When I was a kid, all games held infinite possibility, and so an NPC in Harvest Moon telling me that wild dogs came out at night led me to think that night time held the possibility of ENEMIES in a game without combat. What the NPC meant was that you should build fences. As an adult who has spent my life playing games, I can tell you that a game is almost never going to put you in a situation without the means to deal with it. If there’s going to be combat, you’re going to know how combat works before an ambush. If there’s an escape sequence, you’re going to be in an area that facilitates your escape (often a narrow space that leads you in a direction while also making it as harrowing as possible). Games are theme park rides, and while learning that can make seemingly difficult games more manageable and enjoyable, it also gradually disillusions you. Thankfully, there are always new things to learn if you keep an open mind.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS): 

2019 has been about thoroughly enjoying the games that I considered overrated in my young adulthood. I joked on twitter that 70% of my personality was disliking Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time, and honestly, it might as well have been. I earned a lot of undeserved respect in college through arrogantly spouting hot takes about “objectively good art”, and a lot of people reasonably assumed this must mean I know exactly what I’m talking about. The way I process art and media is much looser and more personal than it used to be, partially due to burning out and becoming too exhausted to deal with other arrogant people. I think a lot about how tiring I had to be for other people to talk to. Watching Tim Rogers bleed his personal trauma into his video series on the subtleties of FF7’s japanese script was the most instrumental in turning me back toward the game. When Square Enix revealed gameplay footage of the remake at E3 this year, I was hooting and hollering with the longtime fans.

But, this is about Zelda, not Final Fantasy. I had already played through OoT, as hurriedly as possible, just to say I had done it. It was the better part of a decade ago, at the urging of a then-girlfriend who had nostalgia for it. Frustrations with the Water Temple in the original version are valid despite it being largely well designed, due to some minor shortsighted-ness that blows up into nagging issues, but I think I had put myself in the headspace to dislike it from the get-go. Similarly, I didn’t want to do any collecting in the game as a whole. I had convinced myself that there was no joy to be found in collecting in games (a take bereft of nuance). When the point of Zelda games is to inspire the player to explore every nook and cranny in search of rewards, going in as a player and stubbornly trying to avoid any of that ensures that you’ll miss the point of the whole experience. I’m not sure what it was that made me want to go back. It might be that I wanted to prove my younger, cockier self wrong, and pave over my old evaluations with more nuance. 

It certainly worked out that way, as several previous opinions changed entirely. Ruto used to be annoying to me, but was now one of my favorite characters. Doing all the little minigames felt rewarding in itself, and in turn I was unexpectedly rewarded with important items (they really did bet everything on the entire world they’d made). The Water Temple, now tweaked for a bit more convenience in the 3DS version, was extremely interesting. The side quest to acquire the Biggoron Sword was easily doable, whereas I had grown up assuming it impossible. And the story which had never appealed to me (because I wouldn’t let it) now felt relatable in a way I hadn’t expected. Link intends to do good, but through unfortunate circumstances and honest mistakes becomes unable to take part in the world, and it spirals downward for years as he remains trapped in a room, aging but inactive. Something about that mirrors my own experiences with depression. Sure, Link, can travel back to his younger self at any time, but there’s still a powerlessness in the inability to affect the seven year gap. You can flash back, but you can’t change what you’ve lost.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64): 

You know, as a kid I probably would have just accepted that Grunty was evil, but as an adult it’s hard not to see her as a product of her environment. Obsessed with asking her cauldron who the objectively prettiest in the world is, she seeks out and kidnaps the younger girl given the title in an attempt to steal her youth. Every character in the game describes Grunty as ugly, rather than evil, and even her own sister shows up in every area to tell you how gross she is and how terrible her lifestyle is. I ended up sympathizing with her more than anyone else. I’ve only played half an hour of Banjo-Tooie, but it was a relief in multiple ways to see her pivot to straight up murder after rising from the dead.

Despite playing Donkey Kong Country multiple times growing up, I’d never really grown to love Rare’s in-house aesthetic of big-eyed cartoony animals. It might be hypocritical, but Smash Ultimate’s reveals for both King K. Rool and Banjo (and) Kazooie made me see the charm in these characters. Something about how Smash canonizes characters as essential pieces of game history always causes me to drop any negative pretense and adopt them as favorites. It’s a little intellectually hypocritical, but I can’t help liking what I like. After the trailer for B-K in Smash, I immediately started up the original game in Retroarch. Thankfully the core I used was advanced enough to play the game without issues (the same cannot be said for Tooie), as other alternatives were expensive or hard to get a hold of. While the slightly-mean humor and talking animate objects took a bit of getting used to, I get it now. I get the children’s show aesthetic they were aiming for, and I appreciate the feel of the physics and control of the interspecies friendship of the protagonists working in tandem with each other, even if the game is at times quite difficult.

Dragon Quest I, II, & III (SNES): 

Yes, I did play through three JRPGs in a row! And yes, you might notice that the hero of Dragon Quest XI (and VIII, and IV, and III) was also announced for Smash Ultimate. They recently released, as of this writing! A lot of what I’ve been playing has been influenced by outside forces, whether it be Nintendo news or friends, but I’m not bothered at all when otherwise I might not have the energy to play anything. The games I’ve been playing are also ones I’ve intended to play for a while, so the excuses have been convenient for me. Though, actually, this decision had less to do with the Smash announcement and more to do with the upcoming re-release of DQXI, which seems to be related to the original three games, known as The Erdrick Trilogy. I had heard that you can play XI on its own, but that there is an extra layer of appreciation to be had if you’ve played the original trilogy. Me being me, I naturally queued them up. I chose the older fan translations of the SNES remakes, and though I did finish them, I can tell you that they have their fair share of bugs (DQII even has a game breaking glitch I had to finagle through using save states across multiple versions, phew). Besides that, those old translations lack the modern localizations of the games, so if they namedrop something in XI, there’s a chance it’ll go over my head. Oops! If you want to play these games, the best versions are currently on mobile phones.

Around a decade ago I was in early college, with no friends except for those still in high school or at another university. I was very lonely and nervous. I started playing Dragon Quest V purely by chance, and it served as the perfect salve for that loneliness, with its lonely child protagonist traveling around the world accumulating found family. It’s one of the more poignant and cathartic JRPGs I’ve ever played, and for the next decade I would actually be bothered that the rest of the games didn’t live up to the catharsis of DQV.

In revisiting the roots of the series, and playing it through to see how it develops from title to title, it finally clicked with me, and continues to click with me, as I keep learning more about the series. Rather than comparing every entry to DQV, I should have been comparing them in order. This might sound obvious, but it really did make a world of difference to see that V’s narrative is placed on top of the foundation the previous games set, rather than a singular case of lightning in a bottle. And the games have always featured loneliness, but in differing contexts, and to different degrees. The hero of DQI is almost entirely alone through the full game. In DQII, the princess comes from lonely circumstances, and one of the princes comes down with a sickness that leaves him temporarily unable to help his friends. In DQIII you can make as many team members as you want, but you grow up with an absent father, and your own good deeds receive bittersweet resolution. They are all games built on simple settings and followed through with empathy. The series is at times disarmingly heavy, which is part of what makes the games as memorable as they are. You’re never quite as prepared for Dragon Quest as you think you are.

As of this writing I’m currently half-way through a replay of Dragon Quest IV, and I’m enjoying it a lot more. I’m looking forward to replaying V. I have no idea what VI will be like. I’ve heard it’s a lower point in the series, but that’s what I heard about II as well, and I ended up loving it, so who knows. Dragon Quest is good.

---

Well, I managed to catch up. I didn’t get into the finer details of the DQ playthroughs, but DQIII is honestly so good I don’t want to spoil it for anyone (you should play these games). Maybe in August I’ll actually get back to watching and reading things. Maybe I’ll try to keep these things to a single paragraph per item, to make it more manageable to read. Let me know what you think, if you think.

[mcwriting]

People Like You Have No Imagination

Fictober day/prompt 2! NOT Tom holland (sorry to my new followers...) BUT I do have some ideas for future Tom stories for some of the other prompts and I really thought this prompt went really well with this movie and fandom. Sorry not sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also Ik this isn’t gonna make very many notes as compared to my other work but I don’t really care soooooooo...

Fandom: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (2018)

Ship: Zed x Addison (Zeddison)

Setting: Seabrook, duh

Word Count: will add later

Warnings: 1 teensy tiny bad word (blink and you’ll miss it)

Rating: K+ (whoop what’s new)

Background: Zeddison is the most pure and wholesome thing ever and when I saw this prompt all I could think about was them and the whole second verse of “Someday” sooooo... yeah lol.

When Zed and Addison first met, it was like sparks had literally flown from either of them. Their connection was undeniable, even to the most biased individuals on either side of the fight. 

Bucky of course tried all he could to keep Zed and his friends further than arms length, and leave it to Eliza to try and chase off the nicest (and prettiest) human Zed had ever seen.

Unfortunately for both sides, that didn’t stop Zed and Addison, who snuck away often to share their ideas of “someday” with one another and imagine life in a better way. The way it should be.

After the zombie bash (when Zed had almost gotten caught past curfew), Eliza and some of the other skeptics finally began to accept Addison for who she was: a kind and loving girl who truly wanted equality for everyone. 

Late into the evening, Zed and Addison snuck away to the zombie light garden, only to be almost caught by zombie containment. Zed had run away from the power plant and back to the heart of Zombietown after watching Addison be escorted away, and he headed towards home, but detoured to Eliza’s house, where he expertly climbed through her window and onto her bedroom floor. 

“Eliza!” He whisper-yelled to the zombie laying in bed. Zed knew there was no way she was asleep, the party had gotten busted only fifteen minutes ago.

Eliza rolled over to face her childhood best friend.

“What do you want Zed? Because I know what I want: sleep.” She stated quietly before rolling back over. Zed still knew better and rolled his eyes before responding.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important!”

She flopped over again.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you at the old swing set.”

Zed was hanging on a swing that was older than him. It had been built many years ago after the first zombie babies were born and grew up a little. The government figured that since zombies could reproduce, they should at least give the children some kind of activities to do as they aged. That died fast, however, when the playground equipment was dumped in Zombietown and never touched again by the people who put it there.

Gravel crunched under Eliza’s feet as she walked as quietly as possible to the little playground. She sat herself in the swing next to Zed and started rocking in it involuntarily.

“So what’s up, loverboy? Trouble in paradise? Decide that humans aren’t your type after all?” She teased, with a hint of offense behind her words.

“This is serious Eliza.”

“Wow. You’re more whipped than I thought.”

“You know what? This was stupid. I should go home,” Zed replied, starting to get up as he shook his head angrily.

“Wait, Zed. I’m sorry. When you said you needed to talk I just prepared for the worst and figured you wanted to vent. I’ll listen to you. Seriously.” 

Zed relaxed back to where he had just been and sat silently a minute before opening his mouth again. 

“We almost kissed tonight. Me and Addy, I mean.” He said quietly, almost afraid for anyone to hear. He was looking into his hands, which were wringing nervously.

“Wait, like. Kissed kissed her? With your lips?” Eliza asked, surprised.

Zed’s turned his head towards Eliza’s with a confused look on his face.

“I mean... is there any other wa- you know what? I don't even want to know. But yeah. I was like, this close,” he holds his thumb and index finger a half inch apart, “to kissing her in the light garden when our old friends at zombie containment busted in and almost caught me. I got away but Addison got escorted home.”

“Zed, I get that you like her, but... I don't want you to get hurt. Our kind have been hurt too many times by them and I don't want to sit by and watch that happen. Yeah she’s nice, and actually a lot cooler than I expected, but you have to keep a guard up.”

“You think I haven't? I was so scared, E. But the other day, and then tonight, and other times too, we've had these discussions, you know? Talking about the future, our future. Long walks in the park, catching movies, just hanging out all the time. She wants us to be equal, to have those opportunities.”

“Long walks in the park? What is this, one of those cheesy human rom-coms?”

“People like you have no imagination,” Zed breathed out jokingly.

Eliza just responded by giving him a light shove on the shoulder, and both of them sat in silence until they decided they were both exhausted enough to go to bed.

After the events of homecoming and cheer championships, Zed and Addison’s relationship blossomed. Let’s just say that they finally had that first kiss (which may or may not have been in a certain light garden during a celebration for the events of the cheer tournament). 

Life was improving for zombies, too. Addison had plead with her parents for countless hours to make changes. Zed couldn't believe how lucky he was, dating the most amazing girl who also just happened to have the most powerful parents in Seabrook.

After all the pleading, curfew was lifted, the coveralls were done away with, and integration was required for all establishments, among other things. This full integration also gave zombies more protection, as there were laws created to punish any places that refused service to zombies just for how they looked and other laws for protecting zombies from violence.

The fence dividing Seabrook and Zombietown, however, was left up as a reminder to all who saw it what had happened and how far the town had grown. Zed was proud to stand under it, especially when he had his arms snaked around Addison.

The couple often reminisced about it, and on their one year anniversary, they went back to the zombie light garden (even though zombies were now allowed to cultivate real gardens, the light garden was kept for its beauty and serenity). Zed planned a picnic after dark, the daylight hours being spent watching movies and walking through the park.

They laid on a blanket under the stars, simply holding hands and enjoying each others’ company. 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Zed blurted out, ending the long period of silence they had held.

“Maybe...” Addison drawled before adding, “But have I ever told you how much I love you?”

They both giggled in response and turned towards each other for a chaste kiss.

“Do you know why we did what we did for our date today?” Zed asked, a smile creeping onto his face.

Addison had a smile on her face as well, singing softly,

“Movies and long walks in the park, hanging out anywhere we want.”

“You know the night we first came here? And I almost got caught? I went home and told Eliza about how we almost kissed that night. How you and I had dreams for the future, for ‘someday.’ She didn't believe me back then. To be honest with you, I didn't really believe myself either. I never expected everything to happen so quickly. Obviously life isn't perfect, but its pretty damn close with you,” Zed confessed.

In response, Addison gave her boyfriend another quick kiss before continuing the song, singing,

“’Someday, this could be, this could be ordinary. Someday, could we be something extraordinary?’” then saying, “This really is extraordinary Zed. I love you and everything that we've done together.”

They then sang the song softly and slowly together, the same way they had their first time in the garden, and when they finished, they curled up under the moonlight and fell asleep in peace.

A/N: wow I just murdered myself with feels. 

@fictober18

[kblackship]

I have lived in the wonderful state of Wyoming for the last six years. Aside from the 75 mph blinding winter wind and the summer thunderstorms that can produce quarter to baseball size hail and possible tornadoes, it’s a refreshing place to live. We lived in Cheyenne, which isn’t the prettiest part of Wyoming. In fact, some people would call it the “armpit” of Wyoming. But she has her beauty too in her historic landmarks and small-town atmosphere. Not to mention the yearly ten-day shindig of a rodeo aptly named Cheyenne Frontier Days. 🙂

We’re an 8-ish hour drive from Yellowstone National Park and approximately a 5-hour drive from Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, Deadwood, and the Badlands. But to the south is Denver, Colorado our closest major city at only an hour and a half drive. There’s not a whole lot for 50 miles in each direction. But that’s okay because I like the slower pace and the open western blue skies. You’ve never seen skies this blue in all your life.

But you know what my favorite part of living here has been? Seeing these gorgeous creatures outside my window every, single day.

A photo I took of a Buck Pronghorn ©KirstenSBlacketer 

The pronghorn, also called antelope, are a strange breed of creatures. They’re the fastest land animal in North America. Their hair is hollow (which isn’t great because it holds in the animal’s natural stinky odor), but it provides a great defense against predators because it comes out in clumps if you touch it. Mind you, it’s illegal to touch wildlife, but when they run into fences, you can see big puffs of hair fly on impact.

They have horns, not antlers, but unlike most horned animals, they shed their horns every year around Thanksgiving time. This makes for a funny spectacle because their skulls have two protrusions on top that hold the horns, so they look like they have little devil spikes. The horn is hollow so it slides right off come the end of November.

Found on http://animaldiversity.org/collections/mammal_anatomy/horns_and_antlers/

The coolest part about their horns is…they’re made of hair. Yup. The horn’s texture is rough and you can see the fine hairs that make up the composition of the horn around the base of it. I’ve found the horn sheds on base. It’s the craziest thing.

Also, a side note, the females can grow horns too, although they don’t often get as big or impressive as the buck’s horns. The way you tell the males and females apart is by the dark patch on the jaw. Only bucks have the dark patch highlighting their jaw.

Out on the plains, the pronghorns will run as soon as you get within 500 yards of them. They’re skittish and jumpy and fast as hell. They have amazing eyesight, and if you even attempt to slow down to get a good look at them, they take off.

There’s only one place where you can get a good, up close and personal look at the pronghorns. F. E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is the only place in the country to have a nearly domesticated pronghorn herd. I live on the base and see these crazy critters every single day.

In fact, one of my favorite hobbies in the late spring and summer time is to drive around the base and take pictures of the herds. The best time is the end of May, beginning of June when they start having their babies.

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They are the cutest little ball of fluffs you’ve ever seen. Pronghorn aren’t very big. Probably the size of a donkey. So these little lopiedopes, as my daughter likes to call them, are smaller than your average dog.

They should be having their babies any day now, and I’m so excited to photograph them one last time.

The bucks are so much fun to watch. Every one of them has unique horns. So it’s one of my games to see how many different bucks I can photograph. We compare their horns then. I like when they’re wide and tall, but there are many that have narrow horns. The curl is also a fun little quirk to notice between them all.

Big Boy 1 ©KirstenSBlacketer

Big Boy 1 ©KirstenSBlacketer

Big Boy 2

Big Boy 2

I love showing off the fantastic images I’ve captured of these beautiful animals. When we finally leave Wyoming, I will miss them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little wildlife lesson and the photographs. I know it has nothing to do with writing. But it does tell you a lot about my love for photography, wildlife, and my appreciation for the wild Wyoming home I had the privilege to call home for the last six years.

Please feel free to leave a comment or a question if you have one. I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂

Until we meet again, may your bookshelves be full and your hearts even more so.

All my love,

Kirsten

My Favorite Part of Wyoming Living I have lived in the wonderful state of Wyoming for the last six years. Aside from the 75 mph blinding winter wind and the summer thunderstorms that can produce quarter to baseball size hail and possible tornadoes, it's a refreshing place to live.

[story-t1me]

Strange new boyfriend

This one time, I ended up in this restricted area surrounded by fences with no way out. I had to wait for my mom to come bail me out and to my surprise, there were alot of people there too. I was just waiting calmly while everyone else around me was running and screaming senseless as the supervisors scolded them. A few moments later, this random ass guy joins me on the bench were I sat alone and holds my hand reassuringly. I looked at him with concern and confusion when he smilled and simply stated "you're my girlfriend now". I laughed at the idea and asked how did he come to that conclusion. " Well we're holding hands so it's only fair I get to take you on a date".

"You know you shouldn't hold someone's hand like that without permission" I replied.

After he gave it a moment of thought, he let go and said "you're right. May I please hold your hand and can you please be my gilrfrend?"

Thinking this was so adorable I went along with it and agreed. His smile went wide and he told me he'd be right back. I thought that that was going to be the end of that conversation. Only around 10 minutes later, when I had realised that he was completely missing from the area a feeling of panic rushed over me. One of the guards noticed and it soon turned into a search party for thay guy. I didn't even know his name so I just yelled out RANDOM GUY ARE YOU OUT HERE?! A solid 10 minutes later he appears out of nowhere and hands me a flower. I was still so worried and asked him where on earth he was and if he was aware of the panic he caused. He just shrugged and smiled saying "I snuck out the fences. I had to get the prettiest girl in the world a flower." That was too cute I couldn't even be mad at him for what he had done. I took him back to the area we were at and explained what had happened.

Now this would've sounded like a cute OTP right there but when I reveal that the supervised area was a kindergarden and the guy was 5, this just becomes hilarious. I had to wait for my mom who teaches at the school.

This kid was 5 and was already more of a gentleman than anyone I've ever met.

Amazing what a slight detail can change in the story.