#not trying to start a witch hunt (ha.) this is just baffling to me

[radioromantic-moved]

ohhh my god why did i just find a SECOND belos self shipper jesus fucking christ people will really be shipping with the world’s most vile white men and be like “well i don’t condone their canon actions so it’s okay!!!” girl this isn’t megamind this is an ABUSIVE COLONIZER!!!! i am all for shipping with villains i support women’s wrongs forever but there has got to be a Line!!!

[u-friend-or-ufo]

My Story

Disclaimer

I do not want any witch hunt or harassment towards his family and friends when/if I reveal their username or their real name. I haven’t got a lot of screenshots of our messages. I do have some during the end of me talking to him and others. I may also delete the post to work on it more, with more screenshots if I can find them. Or, if I find this too overwhelming for me.

Also, if you have any suspicions on who this person is. Please don’t reblog this post with their username and/or their real name as I’m not ready to reveal it.

Throughout my teenage years to an young adult (14/15-19/20) I was in contact with someone who was in their 60s on Deviantart. As of yet, I’m not ready to reveal their username or their real name.

I started my own Deviantart account when I was 12/13, which is now deleted. For the first year I posted my cringe drawings and photos. During when I was 14/15, I started to Like The Beatles and the cartoon that they had back in the 60s and would favourite art and fanfictions of the band. That’s when I came across one of their drawings and posted a comment on it. I can’t remember who sent a note first. If you are not familiar with Deviantart, notes are like privet messages before the Chat function that Deviantart has now.       

At first it was fine, talking about The Beatles and different bands. Normal stuff for around a year like hello and how was your day.

During 2015 when I was 15/16, we got into an argument that got pretty bad. He asked me what year at school I was in and I said I was in year 11. He then replied with “Does that mean your 18?” I replied with No, I’m 16.”

He replied later with something along the line “We can’t talk anymore. Goodbye.” Again I don’t have any screenshots of our earlier notes. I was confused, why couldn’t we talk. Nothing was going in in a bad way. We argue about it. He blocked me, I blocked him. After a while we unblocked each other, apologized and continued on talking. This would happen a lot. We argue about something, he will bock me, sometimes deactivated his account only to reactivated, unblocked me and then apologise to me.

One time they told me that they had a dream about my trying on cute short dresses. I should have cut contact after he told me that. But I was an idiot and still talked to him.           

We talked on Messenger as well. He asked for pitchers of me. Not in the nude, nothing like that, just of my face. He said one time that he would get a tattoo of my face because I was so beautiful One time he asked for a picture of me and for a joke, I took and sent him a picture of one of my stuffed toys. He got mad at me for doing it and I apologies for the joke. I don’t have any screenshots of these messages, I’ve looked for them but can’t due to them deleting their Facebook.

We also did roplays together. Just silly Beatles roplays that involves some ocs of mine. However, some of the rolpays did involve some fetishes and kinks that I didn’t find sexual. So did some of the art work that they draw for me. Now, I don’t kink shame. If you got a kink or a fetish, then that’s fine. As long as you don’t push it on to other people who find it uncomfortable. Especially onto minors, even if they do have it.

Just after my 17 birthday, somehow one of the staff at the collage that I was attending at the time found out that I was talking to him. I do believe that one or two of my collage friends told them about us. I do remember one of them looking at my computer screen time.  They brought me into a room and asked me some questions. “When did you first start talking?” “Has he ever asked for sexual images of you?” One thing that they said did baffle me a bit. “Well, you are over the age of 13. This person isn’t a paedophile. Do you know what grooming is?”

They phoned my parents and I was allowed to leave early. My parents told me not to talk to them privately but I still can post comments on their art work. But I went behind their backs and still talked to them privately on Deviantart and Messenger.

I was pissed at them for telling the collage staff. I didn’t know who actually told them but I had my suppositions. One of these friends was 24 at the time, we meet in collage when I was 16. The friend group that they were in took me under their wing and we became friends. However, as time went by they wanted to be in a relationship with me. But that story is for another time when I’m ready to talk about it.          

When my parents found out that I was still talking to him after some months passed, they were so mad at me. Screaming at me, reducing me to tears. But after all of that, I still continued to talk with him behind my parents back. Being more secret about it and deleting our privet notes together. And, using other platforms like Tumblr and Twitter. That’s one thing I deeply regret, deleting all of our notes beside some last ones that they sent me before I cut him off.

One of his conversations with me was how I saved him from suicide by being there for him, talking to him. I was there for him when we would rant about politics and other Deviantart users. The fact that we lived in different countries, me living in the UK and him living in America. I would have late nights talking to him and roplaying as well. I would end the night by saying.” I’m going to sleep now, talk to you tomorrow.” And if I didn’t say goodnight to him, he would get mad. 

Another time he asked me to marry him, I was 17 at that time… Again, I wish I kept the notes…I was an absolute idiot for deleting them. When he asked me, I was out with my family and the phone I was using had terrible internet connection with the place that I was in. I didn’t reply straight away, I was shocked… I didn’t know what to say. I moved somewhere else away from my parents when he massage again. I do slightly remember what the message said.

“I’m waiting for the answerJ”

And like the fool I was… I said yes…That I will marry him… I didn’t want another augment to happen or them hurting/committing suicide . He was so happy… This was a man in his 60s, he was married, had children and even had grandchildren… 

In 2019 when I was 19/20, we had one last argument then I block him permanently after that because I have had enough of his threats and the way he was treating me. I then deleted my main account later on. I can’t remember if I deleted it in 2019 or 2020.

The argument was about me having an interest into Wicca and them finding out that I was in a relationship with my third ex-boyfriend.

Below are some screen shots of the notes that I kept from 2019. His username and mine are blocked out, as well as other personal information.

After some time he also deleted his main account but then crated a new one, uploading some if his old drawings.

Other screenshots

This one is from an email that they sent me during 2017. They had some suspicions that I was in a relationship and we had another augment about it. I lied to him and said that I wasn’t in one so that the argument wouldn’t continue.

These messengers are from Tumblr. I must have forgotten to block him on their. I sent him this message to him to him in 2020. I don't have a screenshot of the messages but here is it typed out.

What you have done could be consider as grooming. However, I do not think that was your intention or that you are a podophile. I believe that I appeared in your life when you was in a bad mind state and somehow have helped you. You did tell me that I saved you from suicide once. The reason why I left was the way you was talking and behaving towards me. You did not like the fact that I had a boyfriend at the time who you called a "fag" You didn't like me not talking to you for a day.

I don't know if your lgbtq+ views have change or not. I am Asexual, witch I have told you before. I am also questioning Bi-curious. You have your own opinions witch is fine but they have hurt me.

You called me a devil worshiper for having an interested in Wicca. For some clarification, Wicca is an Religion witch has nothing to do with the Christian devil. I did explain that to you but you didn't listen.

You threatened to hurt yourself and kill yourself if I left or didn't agree with you. How did you think I felt when you said theses things to me? What was your intentions?

I am sorry that you suffered from a stroke and I wish that you will have a full recovery. I don't know if you will see this message as well if you will reply to it. All I want is us the move on.

In 2022 he replied to the message.

Last year in 2023 I found out that this person passed away. I don't think I will ever forget his name so out of curiosity, I Googled his real name and found his Obituary. I couldn't believe it at first. I just stared blankly at the computer screen, my mind racing with thoughts. I couldn’t believe it at first that he was gone.

And that’s my history with this person. Again, I’m not ready to reveal their username or their real name. Not even my parents, my ex-boyfriend at the time when we was together fully knows what happened. Only my closest friends know and I’m so thankful for them taking the time for listening to me.

What I’m still conflicted on is dose this count as grooming? I do believe that used me as their own personal therapist but there is non-sexual grooming. I feel like an idiot for not cutting contact when red flags started showing up. That I blamed myself for getting in this situation. But another part of me says that this isn’t grooming. Other people have had it way much worse than you. You’re blowing this way out proportion.

I’m also worried about the outcome of telling my story. That people will say “Why didn’t you listen to your parents?” “Why didn’t you get the police involved?” “Why tell your story now?” Those are all valid criticisms. I just wanted to get this out of my chest. Again, I may also delete the post to work on it more, with more screenshots if I can find them. Or, if I find this too overwhelming for me.    

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: even if TEMPEST

Official Summary:

In a world where witch trials and witch hunts are commonplace, a tragedy occurs.

Bolstered by the power to rewind time via death, the heroine Anastasia throws herself to the flames to save those she loves... and to achieve sweet revenge.

.

(SPOILERS) Luna's Thoughts:

I've decided not to bother with route discussion for this game, because aside from a choice of two characters at the beginning, the order is predetermined.

I'll say it right up front. This game made me angry. It is poorly written, with nonsensical mechanics and an arbitrary magic system. I was so excited based on the premise of this game and it's nothing but a let down the whole time.

The game starts by showing you what a poor, pathetic person Anastasia is. She's been locked up for years in a tiny room, picked on by her older stepsister and treated like garbage for her father for a reason which, by the way, is never explained. The game sort of implies it's because his new wife is a witch at the beginning, but nope, she's just a terrible person who doesn't like Anastasia. And her father is just cool with that...ok.

Then you get a try at the witch trial system, which I figured would be something like a tutorial for later, but again, nope. Nothing you choose matters here and Anastasia just decides killing herself is a better option.

Then you get another go, this time becoming engaged to Prince Conrad. For no reason whatsoever, he puts you in charge of the kingdom's finances. What? Anastasia is literally an uneducated shut-in who hasn't been out of her room in eight years. But let's put her in charge of the entire kingdom's financial documents?

Anyway, Anastasia then discovers Prince Conrad is doing bad things through the financial documents and we can't have that getting out, so she dies again. Eventually she goes back in time and gets to redo her past, this time breaking out of her tiny room and becoming a badass night. This is the only major move I enjoyed in this entire narrative.

This is about three hours into the damn game, btw, and you still have made zero choices. When you get to your first choice, which involves how you treat a rude man at a bar, again, it seems like a tutorial. The first choice you make dooms you to death. Then the game explains that you should go back and choose the other option.

Oh, ok, I thought. This is how the game teaches you that your choices have consequences in a visual novel. But again, NOPE. The second choice also kills you for some reason, and you have to go back yet again and choose a third option that has just appeared. Why do this?

This is the part of the game where you are introduced to the Scary Murder Clown, who is basically the lazy way that this game kills you if you make the wrong choice. To me, it felt like they wanted to add more "interactivity" by adding more choices but didn't feel like writing proper branches or coming up with actual ways that choice dooms you. So you just get Scary Murder Clown sometimes for no reason.

Finally, you get a choice of two characters, and you can pick either the Tyril I Lister route or the Crius Castlerock route. I picked Crius first and while the route itself was fine, in the end, he makes an absolutely baffling choice for seemingly no reason. (Jk I know the reason. It's to end the route lol.)

I never felt particularly attached to Crius because there isn't much depth to his character, apart from a mysterious disease that doesn't end up being a problem anyway due to a convenient plot twist.

Tyril's route was more interesting, and he was my all around favorite character because I love a tsundere. But again, he makes an absolutely stupid decision at the end for the express purpose of moving the game along.

Then you're shunted to Zenn's route before heading off to Prince Lucien's route and finally, to the end of the game. Neither one was remarkable so I remember very little about either of them, except Zenn is from Earth and Lucien is Good Boy McGoodBoy. Honestly, none of the characters bothered me that much, they were mostly fine.

What bothered me most is what I thought would be the most fun for me, the witch trials (or Carnival, as they call it here) ended up being a huge disappointment. I figured it would be a DanganRonpa-style logic game where you have to choose your ammo carefully, but the game actually has safety rails installed that make any choice pointless. For example, you're asked to decide which characters to investigate in a short period of time. If you pick the wrong ones, the game dead ends and you have to go back and pick the right ones. So what's the point of asking you to choose??

If you pick the wrong options during the witch trial, similarly, the game will correct you and let you try again. What. Is. The Point.

Not to mention the entire witch trial system is very silly. There are lots of stupid little rules that seem to have been created to make the game operate a certain way and move the story along rather than to create a cohesive system. If you wrote down all the rules in a list, they would seem arbitrary, confusing and often pointless. This was supposed to be a witch trial, not the Death Note.

And here is my absolute favorite (read: most loathed) part of all this. When you finish the regular game, you will have questions. So many questions. How does the game address this? There is a literal Q&A that you can go through to "tie up" all the loose ends. I use quotation marks because some of the answers do not actually answer the questions at all. For example, the Scary Murder Clown is not fully explained.

All in all, this game left me frustrated. The overall plot wasn't awful, but it's riddled with strange narrative choices and bad gameplay. It would have been a much smoother and less idiotic game if it ran like a regular visual novel.

All in all, I would not recommend this game. I know I'm in the minority and a lot of others liked it, but I don't see how anyone with common sense would enjoy even if TEMPEST.

[lancermylove]

Teenager MC 5: Little Misfortune (HC)

Fandom: Obey Me

Pairing: All x Reader, platonic.

Warning: Contains spoilers from Little Misfortune!

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: I am in love with your teenager MC series for obey me. I wanted to ask if you can make one with everybody where MC gets turn into a cute child, however, she acts like the little girl from the game Little Misfortune. I can’t help but wonder their thoughts and reaction to this. Especially if the MC talks about Mr.Voice. 😂 I hope life is treating you well😊❤️🙏😘🤗

A/N: ANON, I love Little Misfortune! This is such a cute request!! TY for sending this in. ❤️ Life is treating me as usual, but I am hoping 2021 is better! 😊 Hope things are going well with you~. 

———————————————

Lucifer

His immediate reaction when you called out to him: since when did a child start living in the House of Lamentation?

The Avatar of Pride was alarmed to see a mini version of you. His thought after seeing you: someone is trying to play a prank. MAMMOOON

"Luci, Mr. Voice told me I am going to die today and asked me to play a game. He says if I win, I can get eternal happiness." 

Your words didn't sit well with him as he started to question you about this, Mr. Voice. Lucifer assumed that Mr. Voice was a demon attempting to play tricks with your mind. 

Has this happened before in Devildom? No. Do strange unexplained things happen in Devildom? YES.

He didn't want to take a chance, especially considering what the disembodied voice said about your death.

"Why exactly do you wish to find eternal happiness? Are you unhappy here?" 

"No, I want to find eternal happiness and give it to Luci." 

Lucifer found your unexpected response endearing. But, he warned you to ignore Mr. Voice. 

While you ran around his study curiously examining everything, Luci worked to find a way to reverse the spell. 

In no time, you were back to your teen self.

"Thank you for thinking of me," Lucifer touched your cheek and kissed the top of your head, "but if you find eternal happiness, then you should keep it for yourself. You deserve it." 

Mammon

His immediate reaction: one of his witch "friends" was getting back at him for something. 

"Mammon, Mr. Voice asked me if I want to play a game with him. What should I do?" 

The Avatar of Greed was confused and questioned you about Mr. Voice. Mammon looked around the room and scratched his head. "You didn't eat anything funny, did you?" 

Then, you told him about your death and finding eternal happiness. "I want eternal happiness for Mammon...give him all the money in the world!"

Even though you said the magic word money, all Mammon heard was I am going to die today.

He dropped to his knees and embraced you tightly. "I don't want any money if it means losing you." 

Mammon was upset. He didn't want to lose you, and he wasn't going to spare the person responsible for doing this to you. 

Until he found the person, though, Mammon told you to ignore Mr. Voice. 

He stayed with you 24/7 until you got back to normal, and even after that, Mammon made sure that no demon messed with you, especially not Mr. Voice. 

Asmo

You entered his room while throwing glitter in the air. "A little sparkle for you, a little sparkle for you, and a little sparkle for me!"

"Sweetie? You look so adorable!" Asmo scooped you in his arms and embraced you close. "But, did someone cast a spell on you?"

Instead of answering his question, you said, "Mr. Voice, don’t say that about Asmo. I like him, his pretty eyes, his hair, his smile, and his clothes." 

Asmo looked around confused and asked you who you were talking to. When you explained to him, Asmo wasn't sure how to react, but something told him that Mr. Voice was most likely a demon trying to mess with you.

"Mr. Voice asked me to play a game with him." 

Asmo shook his head. "Forget about Mr. Voice and play dress up with me instead!" 

While you were busy raid through Asmo's makeup, he contacted Solomon and told him about the situation.

"Btw, Solomon, no need to rush. Sweetie looks so cute, and I want to spend more time with her mini version."

Satan

His immediate reaction: how adorable.

Satan thought that you touched a cursed spell book and got turned into a child. 

He doesn't think much of it until you mentioned Mr. Voice and said, "Mr. Voice says I shouldn't trust you. You may get angry and hurt me." 

Satan was upset, but he asked you about Mr. Voice. Not wasting any time, the Avatar of Wrath threatened Mr. Voice and asked him to leave you alone. 

He now thought that a demon was trying to play tricks on you. 

While you read one of his picture books, he tried to find a spell to cure you. 

Once you are back to normal, he asked, "Are you scared of me? You know I won't hurt you, right?" 

After you leave, Satan went on a hunt for Mr. Voice. Let's just say that Morgo is not going to bother anyone again, especially not you.

Levi

His immediate reaction: you look cute, but... first we had to take care of a teen, and now we have to take care of a child. Could the universe make things any harder? Yes, of course, it can.

Levi sat you in a spare chair and let you watch him play video games, but then he heard you talking to Mr. Voice. 

"Mr. Voice?" Levi thought that name sounded familiar, and when you told him in detail, he had a déjà vu moment. 

"EH? You can hear a voice that is trying to tell you to play a game for eternal happiness? Don't tell me that he also said you were going to die today!" 

"Levi, how did you know? Can you read my mind? Yikes forever!"

Great, the universe wanted to make things even harder for him. Now he will have to leave his room and be your Benjamin. Maybe he should wear his fox onesie while he's at it. 

So, a fox-onesie-clad Levi ended up rescuing you from Morgo's clutch and found a way to get you back to normal. 

Beel

Beel thought you were the cutest being in the universe, and he immediately put you on his shoulders, carrying you around everywhere.

He took you out for food and all sorts of desserts, but then you mentioned Morgo. "Beel, Mr. Voice says that eating this much is bad for me. You are a bad influence." 

He was far from happy hearing this. How could anyone say that eating was bad for you? How dare someone say that eating is bad! 

After getting you back home safely and leaving you under Lucifer’s care, the Avatar of Gluttony went on a hunt to find Mr. Voice. 

And when he did, Beel nearly ate Morgo whole. 

Moral of the story: don’t tell the...THE Avatar of Gluttony that eating is bad. 

Belphie

Huh? Mr. Voice? Eternal happiness? What is she talking about?

Belphie didn't react as his mind was occupied with something else: small child + needing to sleep + Belphie nap time = cuddle partner. So, instead of working about Mr. Voice, Belphie asked you to take a nap with him.

"Belphie, Mr. Voice won't let me sleep..."

"Ignore him and only pay attention to me." He even hummed you a tune to get you to fall asleep. 

By the time nap time was over, you were back to your original self.

Belphie asked if you could still hear Mr. Voice. If you could, he knew he was going to have to do something. 

"Who is Mr. Voice?"

The Avatar of Sloth chuckled, "You need to sleep more. Sleep makes everything better." 

Diavolo

He has no idea how a human child managed to enter Devildom. Only when he paid close attention to your face did he realize who you were. 

Diavolo found you to be irresistibly adorable. He was all smiles until you suddenly said, "But Mr. Voice, I like Diavolo! He's not a bad guy." 

The King of Demons was baffled until you told him about Mr. Voice's game. 

"How about I join you? We can go on an adventure together." He joined in the hunt for eternal happiness without any worries in the world.

"Mr. Voice, are you curious about him? Diav is my friend! He is also the King of Demons and the ruler of Devildom." 

Diavolo smiled and remained silent. 

"Huh? Mr. Voice? Where did you go? Mr. Voice?"

Diavolo laughed, finding this amusing. Once the two of you returned to the castle, he asked Barbatos to watch over you. 

The King of Demons appeared behind Morgo and chuckled menacingly, "So, you were trying to take her soul, huh?" 

That day Morgo realized the meaning of true fear. 

Barbatos

He was stunned to see you as a child but found your mini version to be cute. 

"Barb, are you making dessert? Can I have some?" 

While the demon butler prepared your dessert, he heard you talking to yourself. Your actions don't alarm him as kids are known to have imaginary friends. 

"Mr. Voice, am I really going to die today?" 

That line was enough to alert Barbatos. After making the dessert and watching you eat it, he found a way to get you back to normal.

He pressed you about Mr. Voice, but you told him that you didn't know anyone by the name of Mr. Voice. 

When Barbatos researched Morgo, he found something very amusing. "A demon posing as the devil? How interesting..."

Simeon

His immediate reaction: My god, you look precious.

Simeon couldn't get enough of your mini version, but something bothered him. It almost left like there was a dark presence around you. Was someone trying to harm you?

"Oh really? But, Mr. Voice, I like angels, especially Simeon!" 

"Mr. Voice?" Hearing you say that made Simeon feel even more uneasy. When he learned about the disembodied voice, Simeon turned on his guardian angel mode. 

He held your hands and prayed to the heavens, asking the heavenly powers to protect you. 

Before Morgo vanished, he appeared behind you, catching Simeon off guard. 

After asking Solomon to help lift the curse and making sure that you were back to normal, Simeon went to talk to Diavolo and Lucifer.

The King of Demons and Luci were supposed to protect you, especially from demons. Let's just say that both Diav and Luci were speechless after getting lectured by Simeon. 

Luke

Luke panicked when he saw you, but at the same time, he was secretly happy that there was someone shorter than him.

He started acting like your big brother and became your personal bodyguard; he took you everywhere he went and made sure to hold onto your hand. 

When you told him about Mr. Voice, the angel immediately informed Simeon about it. 

While the older angel worked with Solomon to figure out the mystery of Morgo while you bonded with Luke.

When Solomon and Simeon returned, they found you and Luke cuddled on the couch fast asleep. You with your head on his shoulder while his head rested on top of yours. 

"Why don't we let her stay this way for a little while longer?" Simeon smiled. 

Solomon

As soon as you appeared in front of Solomon, he knew he had to find a cure. But the sorcerer was curious about the curse inflicted on you. 

How did you get this curse and who is responsible? Also, why are you shrouded in darkness?

He didn't waste any time and started looking for a way to lift the spell, but he was distracted by your tiny version. Your fun-size self + throwing sparkles everywhere + twirling around = too cute to resist.

Oh, he was going to have fun teasing you about this when you get back to your teen self.

Then, he heard you talking to Mr. Voice and figured that a demon was trying to trick you. 

"A demon that can trick people and lure them? I wonder if the demon would make a pact with me." Cause 72 demons just isn’t enough.

After getting you back to your teen self, Solomon thought his job for the day was done. Then, he looked around his room - his glitter-covered room.

———————————————

➣ Obey Me Masterlist ➣ Buy me a Ko-fi or Commission?

[whitexwingedxdoves]

waterfall   [request]

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader Pronouns: She/Her Warnings: babe its just fluffy as heck. Summary: Now he had a ring, Daryl Dixon needed the perfect way to propose to you and after many dead ends, he finally cooks up the perfect plan. A/N: Requested by @witch-of-letters​ . Erm this is just the cutest request ever though. My heart is so full. (this has fully let me live out my Mrs Daryl Dixon fantasy) Tags: @chloe-skywalker​

Marriage had never even been a passing thought in Daryl’s mind before, though with Negan behind bars now and the fact you were carrying his child something seemed to switch in his mind. He spent a good week searching for the perfect ring for you despite the limited options, he even considered mugging a walker for one at some point.  He found a lucky escape one day when Carol, who was also searching for the perfect ring for you in between her time at the kingdom, found a perfect silver band with a singular diamond that glistened in the sun. She managed to disguise the delivery to Daryl as a visit and you thought nothing of it, soaking up most of her time talking about how hard you found the first trimester of your pregnancy and how everything seemed so much easier in your second.  

Cursing under his voice as he sat on the porch of your home, Daryl caressed the ring in-between his fingers. Now he had the ring he would have to come up with the perfect way to propose to you, feeling you deserved so much more than a kitchen floor proposal.  The advice he managed to pull from Carol before she left was nothing other than ‘as long as it comes from the heart’ which was no help to him. The sound of the front door opening almost made him drop the ring, he scrambled to tuck it away into his vest turning to face you. His eyes landed on the bump that had finally formed on your stomach, a smile cracking his face. You gave him a small smile, rubbing your bump before looking outwards to the street, letting a small sigh pass your lips. “I’m gonna go see if the infirmary has any more vitamins left” you finally spoke, the man just nodding your direction, chewing on the corner of his mouth. “I won't be long” with that, Daryl scrambled to be by your side and planted a soft kiss on your cheek before waving you goodbye.

-

Daryl was sure his brain was fried after straining to come up with a proposal idea, not understanding why it was so hard, he had come up with plans for tracking and war on the spot but this was the first time he encountered a block. He knew it was time to pull in some reinforcements and who better than Michonne.  When he found her, he just pulled the ring from his pocket and showed it to her. Michonne could barely hide her wide smile as she saw the band, not that she wanted to hide it.

“Are you asking me to marry you?” she joked as her eyes finally met his, a soft grunt left Daryl’s lips as he placed the ring back into his pocket. “So, when you asking her?” Her grin resembled that of a girl who had just witnessed her friend get asked to prom by their crush, it made the archer a little uncomfortable as he shifted on his feet.

“tha’s the problem” a sigh filled his words “Dono how ‘m gonna do it” his brow cocked at the sound of Michonne’s teasing laughter

“You know you don’t need to make a big deal out of it!” Finally making her way around the kitchen, cleaning up what was left of Judith’s lunch, Michonne just shook her head at the man. “She’ll say yes, whatever you do” even though her words were confident, it didn’t convince Daryl.

“Na, she deserves a big gesture” he argued, Michonne shot him a look but chose not to argue with the man as she placed plates into the sink. “Don’t go tellin’ e’ryone!” he added before turning on his feet to leave the house.

“Your secret is safe with me”

With the lack of help from Michonne, Daryl sort out other people for ideas – all having the same results, Nothing! Aaron was far to giddy to even think of anything on the spot, Gabriel just spoke about the beauty of marriage and the ceremony, not really answering any of Daryl’s questions and Rosita... well Rosita suggested he propose over a hog’s carcass, even going as far as telling him to hide the ring on one of the ribs – of course she was joking but even Daryl couldn’t deny that you loved hunting just as much as he did. He only had one person left he could ask and he scolded himself for not thinking of it first, Rick.

Of course Rick was at your home, talking to you when he found him, Daryl just waited and waited for the conversation to come to an end, shifting on his feet throughout Rick’s visit. He never caught the sly looks Rick would send Daryl’s way every so often when you weren’t looking, he was too focused on the task at hand to notice much of anything. When Rick finally announced he was leaving, Daryl followed after him making sure the front door was closed before he started to talk.

“Hey, can I ask ya somethin’” Daryl shouted after the sheriff, making him turn on the bottom steps to your porch.

“Is this about askin’ Y/N to marry ya?” Rick teased, sending Daryl a knowing look which only caused the archers' brows to furrow slightly “Michonne told me!” he admitted with a small laugh.

“I told ‘er not to tell anyone!” Rick shook his head at the angry tone in Daryl’s voice, the smile never leaving his features.

“She’s right, ya dont need no fancy candle lit dinner – just ask her. She’ll say yes” The advice offered to Daryl only made him roll his eyes, Rick didn’t stay long and left with barely another word leaving Daryl with no new ideas and just as confused as he had started the day.

-

The next day he woke up with an extra spring in his step, he finally had an idea. You couldn’t help but be baffled by his sudden mood change, yesterday he spent all day on edge and every time you brought it up he would just brush it off as if nothing was the matter or when he massaged your feet while you read a book, he seemed to press a little harder than usual and jump every time you spoke to him. Today though, he told you to spend the full day relaxing and gave you a soft kiss before he went out on a hunt, which you did, you spent half the day reminiscing on the hunts you’d go on together, how he always seemed impressed with how skilful you were with a knife or how he’d comment on how much of a magpie you were when you’d come home on a run with the most impressive treasures. It wasn’t long until Daryl showed up again, he wasn’t the usual messy Daryl that you’d encounter after a hunt, nor did he have a belt full of squirrels. You didn’t question him, scared to make him just as jumpy as he was yesterday and just offered him a kiss when he walked through the door.

You noticed how proud he looked as he set his cross bow on the kitchen counter “M goin back out, just wanted to know if ya wanna join?” he questioned you which confused you even more. Since the day you found out that you were pregnant, he had practically wrapped you in bubble wrap, arguing with you every time you wanted to leave the gates.

“You want me to go on a hunt with you?” Your hands naturally settled on your stomach as you cocked your brow at the man.

“It’s safe, made sure before I got ya.” His tone was convincing but you still questioned his motives “Figured ya’d wanna get out for a bit” he finally added and you accepted his invitation. He was right, you needed to get out of Alexandria badly, you loved it there but every day it seemed to get smaller.

-

He took you in a spare car, refusing to let you get on the back of his bike while you were carrying his ‘son’. It wasn’t long until he had parked up at the side of a road, and led you into the forest. You watched his movements carefully and questioned every step he took, not seeming to follow the same formula he used every time he tracked.

“What are you doing?” you questioned, noticing the obvious tracks in the ground that he ignored.

“Trackin’” he argued, mimicking his past actions to seem more convincing as he led you further into the woods. You figured it was best not to question him anymore, despite your knowledge of tracking, it was nothing in comparison to Daryl’s.  He finally stopped at a waterfall, one you didn’t even know existed, it was small but god it was beautiful you could barely peel your eyes from the view. You stood there for a moment, allowing the tranquil energy to take over.

When you finally turned to Daryl, he seemed to be fumbling in his pocket for something which only made you laugh a little. He took a few steps closer to you with something buried in his fist, you weren't sure what it was but your heart seemed to race a little at the possibilities. He looked around at the waterfall only confirming this was the best place to propose to you; the sun now had a golden hue as it fought with the leaves on the trees to find the ground. His eyes finally met you as he took your hand in his.

“I aint ever done this shit before” he whispered which only made your giggle reappear.  “Ya the most importan’ person in my life. Fer god sake, ya carryin’ ma son” you rolled your eyes at his assumption but couldn’t wipe the smile from your face as you watched him awkwardly try to find the right words to say. “ a love you” he finished which only made your smile widen, you opened your mouth to respond to his loving words but nothing left as he knelt down on one knee in front of you. Your heart seemed to beat harder than it ever had done in your life, your eyes filling with tears as you watched the scene unfold, secretly wishing someone would capture the perfect moment on film for you to watch forever. “Y/N Will ya marry me?” he held out his palm to show you the perfect ring, you couldn’t believe something so beautiful existed in this world let alone the fact you’d get to wear it.

You stood speechless for a moment, the only sound you managed to get out was a squeak of some kind, you nodded your head a little too vigorously holding out your hand for the man to squeeze the ring on, it was a little small but with enough pressure it fit. Before he could find his way back to his feet, you managed to knock him onto the ground, his arms wrapping around you as you attacked his face with small, sweet kisses. “I love you, Daryl Dixon” you whispered in between the kisses, only making the southerner laugh.

You sat there watching the waterfall between Daryl’s legs, his back providing the perfect back rest, only turning away to glance at your ring, not sure what was more beautiful. Finally you looked up behind you to find his eyes had been on you the entire time. He lent down to place one of his tender kisses on your lips as you reached your hand to his face. You sighed on his lips before he pulled away, your eyes remaining close as you let the feeling linger. “Mrs Y/N Dixon, I like how it sounds”

“Me too”

[yamayuandadu]

Hecate: falsehoods and myths

While my blog generally focuses on China and Japan, occasionally other topics related to religion and mythology warrant a post too. Due to Halloween being right around the corner, I decided to finally cover something I've been meaning to for a long while – the large number of misinterpreted, misreported or outright made up information about my favorite minor figure from Greek mythology, Hecate. While only rarely present in myths, she's a mainstay of not only popculture, but also of what I think warrants being called “pop-spirituality”. Under the cut I will examine a number of claims commonly seen online, and provide both the necessary debunks as well as some interesting genuine information.

Falsehood #1: Hecate's three bodies represent the neopagan virgin, mother, crone trinity This claim, as  baffling as it is, made its way even to a number of academic publications – what prompted me to write this post was in fact stumbling upon it in a paper about a completely unrelated topic. In truth, there wasn't even such a thing as an universal “virgin-mother-crone” trinity in Greek mythology – the whole idea is a product of dubious 20th century scholarship, mostly that of Robert Graves, a man whose notable deeds include writing a number of seemingly entertaining historical novels, cheating on his wife with his “muses” (some of them teenaged), and introducing the world to a wide array of myths and interpretations he came up with himself, but presented as genuine (he want as far as lament that more credible authors refuse to spread his ideas further). The most prominent of them, outlined in his book White Goddess, was his belief in the existence of some form of universal goddess figure with three aspects, which he himself named rather inconsistently, and which he claimed corresponded to the phases on the moon. What is true is that Hecate was associated with the moon from the Hellenic period onward, with neoplatonic writers in particular highlighting this affinity. This appears to be derived from Hecate's role as a “light-bringing” deity, frequently depicted with torches in art. Her arguably most prominent appearance in a myth presents her as Persephone's guide on the way back to her mother, lighting the way through the underworld. A shift from a general light-bringing role to just an association with the moon likely occurred due to conflation occuring between Hecate and Artemis – however in earlier times she was also frequently associated with Apollo, who even held the title of “Hecaton” in some sanctuaries. It has also been suggested that originally the connection was based on Apollo being depicted as a “builder” deity, while Hecate's principal role was that of a guardian of homes, gates and roads, which made their purposes overlap. Due to the aforementioned moon connection, combined with the fact she was commonly depicted with three bodies in art, Hecate became a postergirl for Graves' theory. Of course, this association has no foundation in reality – Hecate is not described as triplicate in Hesiod's Theogony, the oldest source mentioning this goddess.

The oldest known depictions, both sculptures and pottery decorations, likewise depict her with only one body. Some later sources seemingly discussed the three bodied version as merely an art motif. Pausanias's travelogue presents the three bodied Hecate statues as an invention of the sculptor Alcamenes, and contrasts them with a single-bodied depiction: Within the enclosure [in Aegina] is a temple; its wooden image is the work of Myron, and it has one face and one body. It was Alkamenes, in my opinion, who first made three images of Hekate attached to one another, a figure called by the Athenians Epipurgidia [on the tower] It should be noted that yet other sources consider them to have religious importance as guardians of crossroads, though these claims are obviously not contradictory.  Additionally, a few pieces of art, such as the Pergamon altar, depict Hecate with three bodies despite presenting myths in which she only possessed one.

Hecate was consistently portrayed as a young woman (some pieces of art, like the one above, depicted her in an Artemis-like manner, in a knee length garment) and with some small exceptions, usually relying on conflation with various nymphs, ancient Greeks seemingly considered her a virgin goddess. There are no widely agreed upon ideas regarding any other figures being regarded as Hecate's children, and even after becoming only a distantly remembered boogeyman she was not depicted as an elderly woman. Falsehood #2:  a “pan-european” set of “witchcraft traditions” was derived from Hecate Most claims online related to witchcraft try to add a degree of complexity to what was senseless violence caused by moral panics, not dissimilar from the 1980s satanic panic. There was no “pan-european” component to them (beyond all instances of large scale witch hunts being motivated by religious fervor, of course), and in particular the worship of Hecate was neither extant at the time associated with witch hunts and the development of the modern western image of a witch, nor was it ever “pan-european”. If anything, an argument can be made that outside Greece and Anatolia, Hecate was more of a popular import in the east than in the west. Some Roman sources present the existence of Hecate household altars in Greece as a puzzling curiosity, which further strengthens this impression. The late version of her cult, presenting her as a witchcraft goddess spread to Egypt and Mesopotamia, while an older, more positive image of Hecate seemingly survived in far off Bactria. as evidenced for example by Agathocles’ coins with Zeus holding Hecate, seen below.

Neither version ever spread to western or northern Europe, though, and pretty clearly it did not survive in any form into the middle ages and beyond. Wikipedia mentions a truly outlandish modern association between Hecate and germanic wild hunt folklore, which strikes me as completely random. An actual well documented example of Hecate syncretism with a figure from outside Greek mythology involved the Mesopotamian underworld goddess Ereshkigal, however.

What's rather curious is that the very concept of Hecate as a witchcraft and underworld goddess might have been a relatively late development, and as such not an accurate representation her original character – and even in antiquity it wasn't an universally embraced association. Earliest Greek accounts of Hecate cast her in a positive, benevolent role. In the Theogony she's a titan siding with the Olympians and then aiding them during gigantomachia as well; in certain versions of the Persephone myth, for example in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, she's an ally of Demeter offering her counsel and finally escorting Persephone back to her mother. Many of her epithets also point at a benign character.

The deity whose role was most likely the closest to Hecate's own before the negative associations made her little more than a boogeyman was Cybele. Iconography and surviving accounts of rituals to both of these figures bear many similarities, which is considered one of the strongest arguments in favor of Hecate being an Anatolian goddess adapted into the Greek pantheon due to contact between Greek colonist in Asia Minor with local inhabitants such as Carians. It's also worth noting that in Greece both Hecate and Cybele were generally worshiped at household shrines rather than official, large temples. Sometimes Hecate and Cybele were also depicted together, though it's generally agreed they were never conflated. It is still uncertain to what degree Hecate was associated with the underworld before becoming a goddess of witchcraft – some authors assume that she was already in part cthtonic as a Carian deity, while others assume she only started to fulfill this role due to the later witchcraft associations, or due to conflation with the goddess Enodia popular in Thessaly, who was depicted as a crossroad deity like Hecate and was associated with ghosts. Falsehood #3:Hecate was always depicted with animal heads While not entirely made up, this claim is rooted in the Argonautica Orphica, a text only written in the 5th or 6th century, and likely inspired by neoplatonic, gnostic and magical sources. A probable origin of animal-headed Hecate are Egyptian magical papyri, likely influenced by Greek perception of Egyptian religion, and to a large degree disconnected from worship of Hecate in, say, Caria or Phrygia. Earlier sources and art depict Hecate with a single, human, head on each body, as discussed above. The animal-headed image only developed when Hecate started to be perceived exclusively as a goddess of witchcraft and similar arts. However, even though that was always the perception of this deity in Roman sources and in most Greek ones from 5th century BC onward, a number of cult sites in Anatolia, for example the temple in Lagina, continued to venerate her under the regular guise, and one of the most prominent indications of a lasting devotion to her comes from Greco-Bactrian coinage depicting entirely human, single-headed and single-bodied Hecate with Zeus.

While Hecate was not depicted with animal heads before the dawn of Hellenic Egyptian magical papyri, from the very beginning she was associated with a number of animals, most importantly dogs, but also martens and polecats. Occasionally her animal companions were assumed to be humans cursed with such forms. While some versions of associated myths claimed Hecate cursed specific individuals (such as Gale or Hekuba) to live as animals, in others she instead took pity on victims of another deity's curse – for example, Antoninus Liberalis notes that it was believed that the polecat was a woman named Galinthias who was transformed into the animal by the Moirae and “Hekate felt sorry for this transformation of her appearance and appointed her a sacred servant of herself.” Occasionally Hecate was also depicted with lions, like Cybele and a variety of other Anatolian, Levantine and Mesopotamian goddesses. Falsehood #4: Statue of Liberty represents Hecate While the three falsehoods discussed earlier intersect and overlap, this one, as far as I can tell, developed separately, though it also was influenced by the idea of Hecate as a malevolent witchcraft goddess to a degree. Debunking it is much easier and doesn’t require any complex research – the Statue of Liberty was simply based on the personification of liberty depicted on the Great Seal of France:

While Statue of Liberty's crown does resemble that worn by one of the three bodies of a famous statue of Hecate, currently displayed in the Vatican Museum, this style of crown was associated more with solar deities, especially the late Roman god Sol Invictus, and I have been unable to find any other depictions of Hecate wearing it.

Bibliography:

Fragments from a Catabasis Ritual in a Greek Magical Papyrus by Hans D. Betz            

Hecate Cult ın Anatolia by Coşkun Daşbacak

Hecate: Her Role and Character  in Greek Literature From Before Fifth Century B.C. by Carol M. Mooney; some arguments on the contrary can be found in Hecate:  Greek or “Anatolian”? by William Berg

Theoi Hecate and Hecate cult pages - great source of quotations

COININDIA gallery of Agathocles’ coins

[missskzbiased]

The Three Lessons (3)

Genre: Angst, Romance, Fluff, Witch! Au, Love Triangle

Pairing: Chan X Fem! Reader X Seungmin

Word Count: ~13,8K

(The First) (The Second) (The Third)

Warnings: (Mild) Mentions of [Death, Burned Witches, food, blood/battling(?)]

Notes:  Finally here! Sorry for the delay but I got blocked, then busy and well! At least, it’s finally here! LOL  

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. If you guys liked the plot/expected the stuff and things like this! Thank you for reading/rb’ing/commenting/sending asks and stuff! <3

Tagging:  @p2q3r4   @thatrandomoneinthecorner

                                                     ////

CHAPTER 3: The Third Lesson

    It has been four months already.

    The fateful night when you ran away from your home ─ Well, your former home ─ still hovered over your thoughts from time to time, haunting you during your day-to-day life activities as baking the bread you were just making, kneading the dough with much more force than needed. The thick and malleable piece slowly sprawled over the counter as you stopped in your tracks, studying how it relaxed on the surface until it didn’t move anymore ─ Soft and still, just like the limp body of your Grandma on the ground ─, and you felt the urge to cry all over again.

       You missed her.

       You raised your head to stop the tears from falling, looking up and blinking multiple times until the urge to cry morphed into crushing regret that tightened your heart by the second, making you sigh heavily before lowering your gaze to the window. The reflection on the glass showed you a gloomy girl with flour painting her cheeks and forehead in a silly way that couldn’t brighten up your mood even if you forced a smile to plaster on her face, so you settled for lowering your eyes to your hands, resting above the bread.

      The flour painted both of your hands white, and for a split of a second, the dusty white turned into a damp red, covering your hands in blood just like that night, sending a shiver down your spine. You were a murderer. The flickering thought vanished as soon as Seungmin’s paled shocked face struck your memories, reminding you how he trembled as he took your hands on his, studying the dry blood on them filled with horror, certain that you have just killed someone.

      You want me to hide a body?! His voice sounded on your mind, making you chuckle and shake your head in amusement. The amusement had dissolved into heartbreak at the time, and you broke into tears, startling the younger boy who rushed you inside, looking around to check if someone had seen anything before closing the door. That night, Seungmin sat with you on the floor, rubbing your hands and face with a wet cloth until the blood ─ that later he came to know that was from your hunt ─ came off of your body, rocking you to soothe you through your breakdown.

       “Hey, Bunny Bun, how is it going?” You turned around to meet the known face of Seungmin’s father, a fine man that allowed you to stay without a second thought ─ which raised a lot of questions from Seungmin, who seemed fixed to the idea that you had enchanted him somehow ─, and had been treating you like a daughter since then. He approached you, tearing off a small piece from the dough and molding it between his palms, pinching it to form two long ears, just like a rabbit before throwing it for you to catch.

       The joke began when you saw a bun for the first time in your life.

        You had looked at him all filled with curiosity, watching as he kneaded the dough, and he chuckled at your antics, glancing at you once in a while before making a bunny out of nowhere and throwing it in your direction, startling you. The way you hopped, catching the piece and smashing it between your hands unintentionally, made him laugh wholeheartedly, studying your sheepish smile before he patted your shoulder reassuringly.

       It’s too soon for bunnies to hop, don’t you think? He joked, knowing that you were too sleepy and your reflexes were nothing but rusty at the time. You laughed at this, and somehow it became your thing… Just making bunny jokes around in the morning as you baked your bun. It felt like you were family, loved and cared for, and truly accepted… Just like the lesson predicted… You were right to stick to your kind.

      “I’m almost done, Mr.Kim!” You said with a small smile, trying to cover up your sadness “We will have some delicious bread for the customers” You promised, resuming your previous actions, starting to tear off the pieces to mold them.

     “I wish Seungmin was an early bird like you” He confessed, chuckling as he stood beside you to help you out with your baking “I’m glad you’re here… You’re very welcome to this family, I hope you know that” He glanced at you, clearing his throat “And… How is it going? Are you both getting along well?” He asked awkwardly, and this time you chuckled, looking at him by the corner of your eyes.

     “We’re just fine, Sir” You guaranteed “We’re acting like cousins just like you instructed and we’ve been getting along pretty well… For about four months already” You smiled, mocking him about his concerns. He smiled back, nodding in understanding and sighing in relief, seeming satisfied by your answer as he molded the loaves of bread far more quickly than you, more used to it, with no concrete pattern, just a bunch of animal-shaped stuff that followed no rules.

    The only rule on the house was not to be romantically involved.

    You could remember your first day at the bakery ─ shaky hands and stiffened body giving away how nervous you were ─ and how you darted your eyes at every customer that came in, alarmed that someone could simply recognize that you were raised by a witch. Silly thought. Seungmin ─ as the sweetest human being on Earth ─ noticed how you were about to combust at any moment and simply stuck together with you, helping you out in absolutely every single thing you did until you got more comfortable.

     It didn’t go unnoticed.

    The moment the old lady ─ a faithful client who you treated by Miss ─ came into the place, she looked at you filled with interest, eyes studying you from head to toe before smiling approvingly. She rested a small box on the counter, tilting her head as she looked into your eyes, before looking at Seungmin with a suggestive look. She braced herself on the counter, looking at Mr.Kim excitedly and gesturing for him to get closer before finally speaking up.

   So little Seungmin finally got a fiancé? I never saw you around! She chuckled, taking your hand between hers. It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m their best customer and also their lucky charm! She joked, patting the back of your hand. You threw her a desperate smile, darting your eyes between her and Mr.Kim before opening your mouth, ready to agree with her to get out of the situation.

    Oh, no! She’s his cousin! He hurried to say as soon as he recovered from his shock. My brother got really ill and… Well, we thought it would be better for her to come live with me instead of staying in her village… He lied, lowering his eyes to fake sadness, though the uncomfortableness was true.

    Oh! I didn’t know you have a brother! She hid her open mouth with her hands, eyes wide as she looked at you surprised before pity took over her. I’m so sorry, Sweetheart… If I knew I would have sent him some of these too... She shook the box in the air, and you could tell something hard was inside it.

    The woman opened the box to reveal two small bottles filled with a flower ─ that you identified as rosemary ─, some thin things that looked like pins and needles and a dark liquid that looked a lot like blood. You frowned, utterly confused by the utility of such a gross thing, yelping as the woman randomly tugged some strands of Seungmin and his father’s hair, tossing it inside each bottle ─ that opened smelled heavily like alcohol mixed with some kind of grape juice ─ before closing them and handing it to each one of them.

    She laughed at your baffled expression, hitting your shoulder lightly as she threw her head back, delighted by you. She got her hands on her hips before tilting her head and looking at you playfully, smiling kindly as she explained that it was a witch-bottle. You frowned again, looking at them cautiously to check if you should know what it was about, and the lady was quick to explain that it was a kind of protection that her family had been doing for ages and having incredible results regarding safety.

    Your uncle is too unlucky, poor thing… To be married to a witch and being cursed to be alone for the rest of his life… She sighed, looking at him filled with pity. At least I can do something about it, right? It’s a pleasure to keep you safe from those monsters! I should make one for you too, Sweetheart! Next month, I will bring it for the three of you!

   You shook your head to get out of your thoughts ─ brushing your hair with your fingers as you reminded how the woman had no mercy to take off those strands from your scalp ─, noticing how Mr.Kim arched his brows in a silent question, chuckling as you shrank as if you had been caught red-handed. You placed the molded pieces on the paddle, pretending you didn’t notice his look, and placing it inside the oven for them to bake.

    The fire painted their surface in an orangish light, and you stood there staring at them, drowning in the knowledge that you would never tell him that you were a witch, just like the one who destroyed his life. He placed his hand on your shoulder, smiling at you and looking proudly at the buns, humming in approval for your teamwork, and you forced a smile back at him before returning your gaze to the fire.

   Maybe one day he’d wish for you to be just like those bunny buns.

                                                                  /////

    You felt small and lost.

    You could recognize the oval square even if you had your eyes closed, having dreamed of it every single day of your life ─ the place where the nameless woman was burned to death ─ but this time there was no stake to be seen and no witch to be burned. The crowded place was bright and noisy; the lively music being played was mixing with the villagers’ chatting and sellers’ yelling, morphing into a loud buzz that bewildered you.

    The swinging pieces of meat hung on the hooks, the fresh smell of fruits and vegetables filling your nostrils, and all other kinds of things to be sold left no doubt: The market was being held.

   You held someone’s hand as you walked, head swiveling to take in everything that was happening around you, feeling overwhelmed as people bumped into you and the mass of fluttering fabrics passed in front of your eyes, darkening the bright place for a while. The feeling didn’t last much, though. The person guiding you finally stopped on a booth, bringing back the brightness and the peace you craved, before letting go of your hand to look for something.

   You lifted your head, fondness spreading in your heart as you looked at them.

   Faceless.

  You didn’t seem to mind it in the dream, catching a citric scent in the air that distracted you, prompting you to look at the booth and extend your hand to pick up the round orange right in front of your eyes. You tried to grab it once, fingers slipping on its peel, and then you used both hands, holding it like if it was your whole world for a few seconds before giggling happily.

  That must be the biggest orange in the world because it didn’t even fit in your hands.

    You played with it a little bit, ignoring the voices above your head and focusing solely on how the texture felt on your palms, groping it and spinning it over and over again as if it would give you some kind of answer. The voices began to sound clearer on the back of your head, sounding upset and assertive, both the seller and your guide quarreling about something you couldn’t understand. The seller snapped, and you caught something like frustration and jealousy in the air before he slammed the surface with anger.

    You got startled, yelping and jumping as you snapped your eyes at the man.

      Then everything happened too fast.

      First, you felt the orange off your palms, floating slightly above them, and you widened your eyes, very aware that it was an unforgivable mistake. Second, the guide’s hand snapped to the fruit, grabbing it in a flustered manner. Third, the man pointed at them, filled with rage and despise.

     Then he roared.

     “She’s a witch!” He accused, and the orange fell to the ground, rolling away “She first seduced the baker, and now this?!” You didn’t know what he meant by this, and neither did the men who came to restrain her out of nowhere, tugging her arms back as she struggled to get away from their grip.

     “He’s lying! It’s a lie!” She yelled in despair, trying to swing her limbs but being brutally held back “I’m not a witch!” She howled, and even if you couldn’t see the tears streaming down her face, you could hear it in her soul. The crowd gasped and cleared the way, terrified and curious, gathering around them to watch the woman being lifted off of the ground; legs kicking and jerking to hit whoever tried to handle her.

   “Take off her boots!” Someone screamed, and the man held her neck, choking her to take her under his control.

   You moved, trying to go closer to her, but someone held your arm firmly ─ though you could feel their hand was trembling in fear ─, and the next thing you know was that her legs were being held tight. They yanked her boots, exposing her bare feet, raising her sole for everyone to see.

   That was the first time you could actually see something in your dreams.

   Crooked whitish scars carved on her feet like high-relief waves.

   She was a witch.

   You felt your blood run cold; the grip on your arm disappeared and you snapped your eyes to the woman, feeling pity wash over you as you realized what was happening. You were seeing how the faceless woman was condemned as a witch, fated to burn to the ground… She looked right into your eyes, the fog that prevented you to see her face wavered in the air, dissolving suddenly and prompting everyone to gasp in shock.

    This was the first time you could see her face.

     Your face.

    You shot your eyes open, gasping for air, realizing someone was hovering over you ─ a blurry face right in front of yours, indistinguishable on your drowsy state ─ and before you could focus your eyes on them, their hands grabbed your shoulders firmly, startling you. They squeezed your shoulders, and you jolted your limbs, waggling them around to guarantee your freedom as you felt the grip tightening around you, their arms shaking your body.

    “No, please!” You bawled, struggling to get away from their hands “Seungmin! Mr.Kim! Help! Help!” You shouted, desperate as you finally got rid of their hands, jolting out of the bed to head to the window, ready to jump out of it and run away. You fumbled to open it, and the person rushed at you, taking you by the waist and pulling you back forcefully.

    “Wait!” Seungmin pleaded, strangled voice sounding in the air like a squeak “What are you doing?! It’s me!” His voice sounded right beside your ears, and for the first time, you tried to really look at him, glancing over your shoulder to meet his eyes right in front of yours. You sighed in relief ─ fear vanishing to give way to tiredness ─ and your relaxed expression morphed into an exasperated one before you hit his chest angrily.

    “What the hell, Seungmin?” You asked upset, uncovering your eyes to shoot him a glare “Who wakes someone up like a bloody ghost haunting the house, you son of a—“ He laughed, hands on his hips as he tilted his head, eyes glinting in mockery.

    “Oh, Seungmin! Help! Help!” He chanted, chuckling as you blushed, looking away in embarrassment “And now you call me names? Spare me!” He smirked, letting you go to sit on your bed before pinching his chin “Did you have a nightmare?” He asked curiously, eyes less playful and more concerned now.

    “What tipped you off?” You teased, walking towards your bed to sit beside him “To tell you the truth, the dream changed…” You muttered, unsure about what to say. It was just a dream, right? Should you bother him with it? You darted your eyes to him before settling them straight ahead “I saw the woman’s face… She was me” You glanced at him, insecure, and he snapped his eyes at you, clearly disturbed by what you had just said.

     “Oh” He bit his lip before lowering his eyes to his hands, intertwined on his lap “I had a dream too and… Well, I saw you at the stake” He glanced at you, and you felt as if the entire world had just stopped. You stared at him, completely expressionless as the shock drenched your mind “But— I mean! You know that my dreams aren’t always clear, right? It can mean literally anything!” He tried to reassure you, and you blinked at him.

    “What else could it mean? You saw me burning at the stake, Seungmin” You stated calmly, though your insides were twisting “My dreams aren’t usually this clear… Someone will accuse me at the market place and I’ll be burned” You stared at him blankly; your features unmatching to the thousand thoughts that ran wild inside your head or the tight knot forming in your throat, making you unable to say anything else.

    An odd feeling of acceptance tried to spread through your body.

    You were going to die.

     That was it.

    “You’re not going to die” He assured you, squeezing your hand in an attempt to soothe you, though his trembling hinted that he wasn’t much better himself “I mean… I had already tons of dreams that didn’t happen for real! It’s just a coincidence… Absolutely no one suspects you right now, not even dad! There is no way—“ You sighed, patting his hand on your lap, looking at him as if you had been already defeated.

    “There is nothing we can do about it” You shrugged “I had this dream every single day of my life, Seungmin… Deep down I knew what was bound to happen” You offered him a small smile, squeezing his hand back “Also, the third lesson is clear as the day… Do not bond with humans, their feelings are flickering as flames and will burn you to the ground” You recited, glancing at him “It’s your fault for loving me, you know?” You joked, and he pushed you lightly.

     “It’s not the time to be funny” He rolled his eyes “Especially when you’re not funny at all” He pointed out, chuckling when you slapped his shoulder playfully “That lesson doesn’t make any sense anyway, our feelings for you are deep and we won’t let you die” He promised, and this time you offered him a real smile, resting your head on his shoulder “You’re part of this family now and I don’t care whatever your grandma taught you before, we’re going to make through this” He rested his head on top of yours, remaining silent for a few minutes.

   The silence was reassuring, and you closed your eyes, breathing deeply.

    “Do you want to stay home today? I can go to the market by myself” He suggested, lifting his head to look at you, and you mimicked him, shaking your head.

    “It’s better to act as usual” You denied “Whatever has to happen will happen, so staying home will not help me at all” He nodded, looking through the window, and you followed his gaze “Will you stay by my side when it happens?” You asked quietly, and he pursed his lips, eyes darkening as he lowered his head.

    “If it happens” He corrected you sternly, and you nodded, holding his gaze in expectation “I won’t let it happen” He stated, averting his eyes and getting up from his bed “Some dreams are just dreams” He guaranteed, faking a smile at you, which you returned with an understanding nod and tight lips.

      Seungmin’s dreams weren’t just dreams.

      Those four months were more than enough for you to know that Seungmin wasn’t a mere human… You didn’t know if he had a witch ancestry, if Nature just seemed to have a liking to him or if the spirit of his deceased mother spoke to him while he slept, but Seungmin had a gift.

      He had premonitory dreams.

      The day he drank from the river was the first time he actually acted on those dreams, intrigued by a woman ─ that not so coincidentally looked just like you ─ calling him to the woods, tracing a path that headed to a precarious village. You were smart enough to assume that it was The Haven, and he was being guided to meet The Coven ─ more specifically you ─ but got lost in the woods, tricked by its enchantments. The dream didn’t show him any rivers but as soon as he found it, all lost and tired, he drank from it and the rest… Well, he was lucky you were around.

    Actually, you were meant to be around.

    Meant to be in each other’s life.

    “Now let’s go! Get your ass out of the bed and let’s shop! Your birthday is coming and I have to buy you a gift, right?” He said in a feigned cheerful tone, interrupting your thoughts, and you nodded, getting up from the bed and picking up your coat ─ Chan’s coat ─ to throw around your own shoulders “Hm… This is kinda old, right?” He asked unsurely, eyeing the coat warily.

     “Well, it’s the only one I have” You chuckled “Also, I know you just don’t like it because it belonged to Chan” You rolled your eyes, arms going through the sleeves to keep you warm. You held each front of your coat, wrapping them tightly around you, drowning in the warmth and the faint smell that reminded you of home ─ former home ─, studying carefully the worn-out brown filled with fondness.

    “He was ready to kill me” He pointed out matter-of-factly, brows raised to make his point “I think I have more than enough of a reason to hold a grudge against him” You laughed wholeheartedly, nodding in agreement “But that’s not the point! The winter is coming and you need to keep warm” You opened your mouth before closing it, holding back a joke about your cruel fate “This coat won’t be enough for you… Maybe I should buy you a new one?” He mused, and you shrugged.

    “I don’t see the point if I have this one” You admitted, and he rolled his eyes, heading to the door to open it and turning back to stare at you unimpressed. The cold weather seemed to freeze your face for a second, making you sneeze and shake your head vehemently to push away the feeling before scrunching your nose repeatedly, looking at Seungmin.

    “See? You’re weak to the winter” He chuckled, throwing his arm around your shoulders playfully, closing the door behind him to head to the oval square. The motion reminded you of how your Grandma used to wrap you in her arms before guiding you into the woods, teasing you about a certain warlock. You sighed, remembering how he just shrugged off that you gave away the very same coat you were wearing right now, even if he had it since he was a child… How he asked you on a date to that very same market you were wandering around.

     “So it’s settled! We’ll buy some fruits for your cake and then we’ll buy your coat” He decided, pleased with his plans, and once more getting you away from your thoughts. You walked side by side, heading to the booth you always bought your stuff from, studying the surroundings to see if you could spot better prices.

     You didn’t.

   But you spotted Caeli.

   That wasn’t the first time that you spotted Caeli on the streets. The Elder had been coming by herself every month ─ probably to buy some groceries to The Coven ─, and each time you followed her with your eyes, wondering why your grandma wasn’t with her. You should know why. You killed her. You lowered your gaze, quickening your pace to be followed by a confused Seungmin, looking around to spot whatever made you like this.

    “Did you see someone from your dream?” He whispered worried, and you shook your head, bumping into someone in your eagerness to reach for the booth “Oh, sorry! We didn’t pay atten—“ Seungmin stopped on his tracks, his apologetic expression morphing into a frown. You raised your head to apologize, and as soon as your eyes met you felt your head spinning. The air seemed to vanish from your lungs, heart bursting inside your chest and lips drying as you widened your eyes, flabbergasted.

     How long! How have you been?

     I’m sorry…

     I miss you.

     “Hi…” You said instead, awkwardly looking at him in a lack for better words “Chan” You added, hugging yourself as you averted your eyes from him, biting your lips. You felt Seungmin’s hold getting tighter, pulling you closer to him as he straightened his back to look somewhat threatening. You peeked at him, confused, before returning your gaze to Chan, who didn’t even spare him a glance, eyes fixed on you for the entire time.

     “Hey” He muttered, holding your gaze for a few seconds before averting his eyes ─ the tension too uncomfortable do bear ─, staring at Seungmin’s hand on your shoulder “You’re using my coat” He mentioned bluntly, unsure about what to say, and you nodded, looking away “The winter… Yeah” He trailed off, cringing at himself.

    Seungmin scoffed before suddenly reaching for your coat, trying to take it off, and you looked at him filled with confusion but complied anyway, extending your arms to help him out. The boy crumpled the coat to form a ball of fabric before pushing it on Chan’s hand, a serious expression on his face as his penetrating gaze fixed on Chan’s eyes in a silent warning. Chan took the coat, bewildered, looking at him questioningly before Seungmin gave him a tight smile.

    “I’m going to buy a new one for her” He announced, waiting for his answer but Chan just stared at him, hands clutching the piece, and jaw clenching before he forced his lips to quirk on an odd smile “You can have it back… Thank you for your coat” Seungmin sounded upset for some reason, and you frowned, feeling lost about what made him act like that.

    “Great” Chan hugged his coat; glancing at you with hurt written all over his face “I’m glad you guys are getting along just fine” He lied, lips quivering to maintain his fake smile “I…” He closed his mouth, looking at you filled with something you couldn’t put your finger on, eyes wavering before he looked away “We miss you” He concluded, clearing his throat before lifting his head.

    I miss you too.

    “It’s already done” You said sympathetically “I’m home now… And you guys are too” You forced a smile, and he nodded, resentful eyes focusing on you “I’m sorry for…” You gulped down, eyes darting away before returning to him “I’m sorry” You trailed off, and he nodded once more, lowering his head again, unable to look at you.

    “Well… I wish you the best” He finally said, refusing to fix his gaze on you, eyes wandering somewhere above your shoulder “I hope you can be happy here… And maybe we can bump into each other again” He chuckled, though it sounded more like a cough, and Seungmin grabbed your shoulder, rolling his eyes as he locked his gaze with Chan.

    “All the three of us know you’re lying” Seungmin pointed out boldly, surprising both of you “Don’t give her false hopes if you won’t act on your words…” He scoffed, looking away as he poked his cheek “You could have done something! You’re just a coward that would let her –“ You grabbed Seungmin’s wrist, throwing him a look so he would stop talking, and he bit his lip, looking at you distressed.

   The silence fell heavy upon you.

   The three of you glanced at each other, unsure about what to do now. Seungmin crossed his arms, clenching his jaw before uncrossing his arms and clenching his fists on each side of his body, nose scrunching slightly as he looked at Chan. You darted your eyes between them, tightening your grip around his wrist and clutching his sleeve with your free hand, concern written all over your face. Chan twisted his lips down, focusing on your hands on Seungmin’s arm for a second before he averted his eyes, furrowing his brows in a pained expression, upper lip trembling slightly.

     “Chan! I think I found something interesting!” Caeli called, and the three of you snapped your heads at her, the tension shattering for a moment “Oh…” She blurted, looking at you, but before she could say anything else Chan strode her way without looking back. He placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly before he walked straight ahead, and she held your gaze for a few seconds, conflicted, before giving up and following him.

     “What was that all about?” You asked upset, releasing Seungmin from your grip in a rough motion, eyes aimed at him accusatorily. He kept his eyes on the path they traced, frowning, before he finally turned them to you, grimacing unsatisfied as he looked into your eyes seeming bitter about it all.

     “He’s a coward” He spat angrily “He doesn’t deserve you” He added, locking his arm with yours so you could continue your shopping “All of them… They could have done something” He sighed “They just chose to do nothing” He said, looking at you resentfully, eyes holding so much sadness that it just clicked.

     They would just watch as you burned.

                                                                       /////

      At first, you thought you were hearing voices.

      You shoved your hands into your new coat’s pockets, nodding as Seungmin kept blabbering about how he helped his father to bake your birthday cake, feeling all proud because it turned out to be pretty tasty and he was sure you would love it. You laughed wholeheartedly, congratulating him for finally being able to wake up before you, excitedly guessing what Mr.Kim would be fixing for lunch as you made your way back home. The conversation flowed well enough until you heard your grandma’s voice resounding inside your head, prompting you to look around the place, confused with the situation.

      Maybe you were just hearing things.

      Eighteen years, put some sense into your head! You shot your eyes up, alarmed, head snapping at Seungmin to search for any signs that he heard it too but he kept guessing the dishes, completely oblivious to the voice. It’s not the time to play house! It’s dangerous! She yelled, clearly upset, and you stopped in your tracks, head swiveling to see if you could spot her in the crowd but she was nowhere to be seen.

     Of course, she wasn’t… She was dead.

     “… Or maybe he bought those potatoes to –“ He interrupted his train of thoughts abruptly, glancing at you, noticing that you seemed too far away from your conversation right now “Everything okay? You look like a ghost” He pointed out, nudging you so you would look at him and voice your concerns.

     They will burn her at the stake! You winced under the intensity of her tone, ducking your head into your shoulders as you looked slowly to left and then to right, getting a look from Seungmin, who seemed to think that you had lost your last straw of sanity.

     “Did you hear it?” You whispered, and he looked at you as if you had grown a third head “It’s… Her voice” You muttered, grabbing his shoulder to get some support, feeling your legs going weak “I think Wiha is alive… And I think she’s here” You felt a lump in your throat, obliging you to force the words to come out as you felt the world spinning around.

      You stumbled over your feet but Seungmin quickly adjusted himself to catch you by the waist, hand darting to cup your cheek as he tried to catch your gaze, searching for some sign that you were still here with him. You opened and closed your mouth a bunch of times ─ a string of voice coming out from you but no sentences being said ─, worrying him by the second and prompting him to shake you lightly to get you out from your stupor.

     “She’s dead” He assured you, patting your face continuously to get your attention “It must have something to do with your memories… You said yourself that your birthday could worsen it” He reminded you, tone careful and eyes attentive on your figure. You nodded, finally focusing your gaze on him, the dryness on your throat still making you unable to answer him.

     She’s gonna die just like her! Is that what you want, son?! She yelled on your head, and this time dizziness wasn’t the only thing you felt. The feelings boiling inside your chest didn’t have a name or a form in your head; it was only a mix of sensations that fogged your mind and spun your stomach, prompting you to clench your fists and your jaw as you felt the resentment burning into your body before dissolving into anger.

     Don’t you dare to blame me! It was your fault for being a coward! You widened your eyes as Mr.Kim’s voice sounded inside your head; snapping your eyes to Seungmin and slapping his chest lightly a bunch of times to get his attention, making him whine and try to get away from you.

   “She’s with your father” You stated, gasping as you looked at him flabbergasted before sprinting. He couldn’t even react as you ran for dear life, leaving the startled boy behind for a few moments before he mimicked you, running the best he could. You ran as if your life depended on it ─ lungs burning and muscles screaming for some mercy as you forced yourself not to cry, putting a lot more effort into your sprint than necessary ─, without even noticing how the wind startled to whistle around you.

      The gale built up quickly ─ just like the turmoil inside you ─, and suddenly things around you startled to twirl in the air as your hair whipped your face vigorously, and the torrent of thoughts stormed inside your head. There were so many questions you had to make! So many things you had to know! You couldn’t believe she was alive! She had been alive for four months while you thought you were some kind of murderer!

      How was she?!

     Why didn’t she contact you earlier?!

     Why wasn’t she contacting you now?

     Why was she yelling at your host instead of looking for you…?

      Four months… Four months to tell you that you weren’t a murderer… Four months and none of them told you anything. They just kept you in the dark like… Like you weren’t one of them anymore. Well, you kinda got yourself into it. That was what you asked for after all… You didn’t think you belonged there anymore and, clearly, they didn’t think it either.

       So why was she here?

       I wasn’t being a coward! I was protecting The Coven! I was protecting my family! She sounded distressed, voice overflowing with anger and frustration as she roared each sentence as if she had said it a million times already ─ maybe to convince herself or maybe to convince someone else ─ and still couldn’t get it across. You kept your pace, stumbling over your feet as you spotted your house ahead, ignoring Seungmin’s screams for you to slow down and giving everything you had inside you to get there, to finally see her with your own eyes once more.

     Protecting your family?! I’m your family, mother! You should be protecting my wife! You should be protecting your granddaughter! He howled as soon as you reached the front door. You froze, hand on the doorknob and eyes wide as saucers as you let your mouth fall agape, breathing sharply “If you can’t recall it, she died! She died because instead of saving her you chose to kidnap my daughter and leave my wife to burn at the stake! You chose them! And you can’t blame me for choosing her now!” He grunted, his voice raising by the second.

     It was like everything inside you had just stopped the middle way.

     The wind around you seemed to flinch, the heavy silence that followed its previous buzz made your head empty, almost like you were too hollow to even sense anything right now. You trembled from head to toes, hands fumbling to turn the doorknob and finally give you access to your living room as you dragged your feet, forcing yourself in. Empty. You felt your heart racing in your chest; the flickering thoughts on your mind accused you of a million things but the only one you could hold on to for the time being was that you were crazy.

       You must be crazy.

      “Do you think that was what I wanted?” She muttered; voice faltering, too heavy with the weight of her regret “If not her it would be all of us, son… My duty wasn’t with her… It was with all of us” She continued, and this time you could tell the voices came from the kitchen, letting out a relieved sigh “I must protect all of us even if it means someone has to be left behind” You heard Seungmin right next to you, and you snapped your head to him, a finger placed on your lips asking for some silence, getting a confused tilting of the head from the boy.

    “Interesting thing that the only one you wanted to leave behind was a human” He scoffed, and Seungmin shot his head up, following your gaze to the kitchen as he heard the grudge on his father’s voice “Interesting that you didn’t leave my daughter behind! You took her away from me! And for what?!” He yelled, smacking the table before breathing deeply, trying to recompose himself “Look, it’s not my fault you couldn’t take care of her… You failed, mom” He sighed tiredly at the same time you and Seungmin peeked over the doorframe “You failed at protecting every single one of us… And now she’s with me… My bunny bun came back to me and I won’t let you take her away again” The flickering figure of your grandmother faced Mr.Kim filled with resentment, face contorted on a hurt grimace that even the low-quality energy projection couldn’t hide.

     You felt Seungmin flinching right next to you.

     You felt your knees giving away as you supported yourself on the doorframe.

     You felt like the entire world just disconnected from your body.

     “I will do what you never could… I’ll protect my family” He announced, oblivious to both of his children flabbergasted at the door, and you brought your hand to your chest, feeling all the air vanishing from your lungs “Now tell Isati to stop this goddamn projection and stop bothering me!” He continued, and not even Seungmin’s hold was enough for your legs to support you “I have a birthday to spend with my daughter for the first time in sixteen years and you won’t take this away from me again” You fell on your knees, the loud thud finally getting their attention.

      Their eyes snapped at your figure on the floor, alarmed.

      Seungmin kneeled beside you, trying to hold your shoulders to convey some kind of comfort as he stole some glances at both of the figures standing in the kitchen, taken aback by everything he had just listened to. You lifted your wavering eyes to Wiha’s figure, opening and closing your mouth at a loss for words, before glancing to Mr.Kim ─ your father ─ with tears streaming down your face, shrinking, your whole body shaking in shock as you tried to make sense of everything you just heard.

      Wiha kidnapped you and took away your memories.

      Mr.Kim was your father and he hid it from you.

      Your mother was burned at the stake.

     “My dreams… They’re about my mother? It was never about me? ” You asked on a string of voice, eyes fixed on the floor as the realization hit you “Why?” You grunted, lifting your eyes to glare at them, enraged “Why did you hide it from me?! Why?!” You howled, clenching your fists as you smacked the floor, face twisted in disgust “It was my fault, wasn’t it?!” You yelled, getting up, snapping your head at your father before looking at Wiha “She died because of me, didn’t she?! You hid it from me because I was the one to blame, wasn’t it?!” You demanded to know when you met their silence, scoffing as they stared at you speechless.

     “We don’t know” Wiha rushed to say but your father snorted incredulously.

     “She didn’t do anything” He hissed, glaring at her “It wasn’t her fault!” She looked at him tiredly, and you noticed for the first time how she seemed to have aged on these past few months everything she didn’t on this past few years “It wasn’t her fault! You don’t know what happened!” He insisted, and this time she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

     “Neither do you” She stated matter-of-factly “The only one who knows what happened now is her” She looked at you, and you couldn’t help but grimace, laughing humorlessly as if she had said a great joke.

     “Yeah, if you hadn’t taken away my memories!” You sneered, and she nodded in resignation. You groaned, pulling your hair in frustration before letting it go and glaring at her “And you don’t even care! Why the hell are you here anyway?! You don’t care about me! You don’t care about your son! You didn’t care about my mother! You don’t care about anyone!” You yelled, gesturing exasperatedly as you let all your rage unravel “You only care about yourself and your damn lessons and that damn coven!” You groaned, feeling the tears coming back to your eyes.

     “Y/N, calm down” She demanded, looking around worriedly “You’re gonna get unwanted attention” She warned, watching how the wind started to twirl again, the gale forming against your will and lifting the furniture that smashed on the walls and crushed in smaller pieces that kept hitting everything around.

    “Y/N, calm down!” You scorned, a mocking tone that dripped sarcasm “Y/N, don’t forget the lessons!” You sing-sang, scoffing “Y/N, do this! Y/N, do that! Y/N, listen to me!” You howled, clenching your jaw as you tried to stop your tears, punching the doorframe so the pain would bring your mind back in place “I’m not your puppet! You can’t play with me forever!” You screamed, glaring at her “I won’t go back to you! Try kidnapping me again and erasing my memories if you’re so worried about me!” You laughed, pressing your eyes to calm down.

    “I did what was best for all of us” She croaked “I was protecting you! I’m trying to protect you now” She assured, eyes prickling with tears “Please, calm down… They will come to check on you… They will see it” She gestured around “You’re gonna burn” She wailed, approaching you.

    “So they’re gonna burn with me” You hissed “We can only have two culprits… It was either me or them, right? So let us both burn to death” You decided, eyes overflowing with rage as you made your way outside. You ignored their voices behind you, asking you to calm down, and their attempts to get closer to you to hold you back, feeling all the turmoil inside you oozing from each pore of your body in an outburst you never had before.

     The wind around you clicked and crackled on your ears, engulfing you on an endless twirling and pushing everything away, clearing your way as you headed to the oval square. The villagers ran around the place ─ terrified of your figure slowly raising from the ground, supported by the whirlwind under your frame ─, and some of them were brutally wiped by the turmoil, crashing against the floor or the walls and falling unconscious to the ground, enticing screams and cries for help all around.

     “Y/N, stop it!” You heard Seungmin scream on top of his lungs, trying to fight the wind wall that pushed him away “You have to calm down!” He continued but you didn’t pay any attention to his pleads, raising your hand to hit people with a huff of air “You’re better than that! Don’t do it!” He begged, and this time you glanced at him, watching as he squirmed under your powers.

    “They don’t deserve my mercy!” You roared, gesticulating vehemently to keep the wind whipping everyone around, tossing people away “They killed and hunted us for ages!” You added, grunting, snapping your head around to look for new targets “It’s their time to suffer! It’s their time to die!” You cried, raising yourself even more to get a better look around the place.

     Terror was all you could see.

    A giggle resounded on your right ─ soft and distant like a twinkling fairy ─, and you snapped your head, reaching out to take down whoever was taking your rage lightly but meeting no one in sight. You swiveled your head, searching for the source of these giggles but everytime you blasted your power in their directions, there was no one on the receiving end of your fury. You gestured blindly to hit them, flustered by the situation as you couldn’t spot anyone apart from the people who were already in the ground, whimpering.

    Hey, Bunny Bun! The voice faltered, thin like a string in the air, and for the first time, you met someone in your sight. Hop, hop to the hole! It’s time to go home, let’s go! The wavering image showed your father laughing, offering his hand to someone behind him that you couldn’t see. The giggles sounded once more, even more distant this time, and the scene dissolved into the air as if it never displayed in front of you, to begin with.

    You stumbled over your whirlwind, losing your balance for a split of a second.

    It’s too soon for bunnies to hop! A woman groaned jokingly, and you turned around to see her running your way, obviously pretending to put some effort into it to catch someone right in front of her, enticing once more the giggles. You faltered once more, body almost falling to the ground as you lowered yourself, wind flickering around you as if it was about to give in at any moment.

     It felt like your head was about to explode.

    Mom! You turned around once more but there was nothing to be seen, just the screaming voice cracking at the end, choked by their own emotions. They sounded miserable and hurt, and you could almost hear their struggle as they repeated it over and over again before a whisper caught your attention.

    Sleep…The buzzing inside your mind could either be because of those voices or from the enchantment you could hear clearly on the air, the raspy tune from your Grandmother scratching the back of your mind, just like a memory you couldn’t really recall but you tried to. Somehow, you just knew in the bottom of your heart what it was about… It was from the day she kidnapped you… The day your mother was burned.

    It was all the air inside your lungs just vanished right there.

    The twirling wind sounded like a whistling kettle, taking over your senses and overwhelming you, and the endless turmoil inside your chest seemed to take your breath away, forming a lump on your throat and suffocating you. The sound of the giggles and voices kept playing on a loop inside your mind, sounding softer and even more distant by the second, almost like you were losing your consciousness, slowly sliding to your death. The dizziness overtook your senses, and before you knew it, the darkness engulfed you and dragged you down on a spiraling endless fall.

     You were going to burn to the ends of hell.        

                                                                      ////

      The slap on your face brought you back to life.

      The darkness dissolved into blurriness as you opened your eyes, duplicated images jumbling right in front of you and making it impossible to figure out what was happening at first. You felt your head heavy, hanging to the side before you could try to straighten up but failing as it hung forward with a bob, startling you. You tried to adjust your vision, blinking repeatedly as you widened and rolled your eyes, feeling your head spinning while hearing an endless ringing in your ears.

     You felt like a piece of trash.

     The next thing you realized was that your limbs were bent back, tied around a wood pillar, immobilizing you in an uncomfortable position that gave freedom only to your head. You tried to jerk your shoulders, a vain attempt to release yourself, and not only your weak motions weren’t enough to free you but also your bad behavior was met with a harsh blow on your stomach. You hunch your back by reflex, the restraints holding you in place and pressing against your tender flesh, hurting you.

     The pain helped to awaken your senses.

     “By the power vested in me!” Someone’s voice rang in your mind, yelling to the crowd, and you finally got to turn your head, staring blankly at them “I declare this woman as guilty of witchcraft and wizardry!” He announced, and the crowd cheered, croaking and growling before the man raised his hands in a silent ask to continue, “The witch may pay for her sins burning at the stake!” He declared, and the hooraying increased.

   You lowered your head, meeting the straw around your feet on the wooden platform where you were standing, displayed like a piece of meat to be roasted. You closed your eyes for a few seconds, sighing as you took everything in. You were going to die ─ just like in Seungmin’s dream ─, and it was your entire fault. The emptiness you felt that day drenched into your bones once more, and the sudden realization that there was nothing more ahead of you burbled in your chest as a mix of relief and despair, morphing into overwhelming hopelessness.

    The end of the line… It felt much creepier than you thought.

    “Does the witch have anything to say on her behalf?” The man asked you with judging eyes, and it was obvious that he didn’t care about anything you had to say. You scoffed, lifting your head and roaming your eyes through the crowd, meeting their disgust and the yearning glint to see you burn to ashes before finding your father and brother’s watery eyes.

    Both of them stood right there in front of you with agonized eyes searching for yours, and their face twisted in a frown, overwhelmed with regret and the pain of losing you. The brief moment seemed to awaken Seungmin’s anger, and he howled and protested, trying to get closer to you, but your father was quick to hold him back, restraining him as he struggled to free himself. You watched how he wailed and cried, his efforts to fight for his freedom decreasing before he turned his back at you, crying on your father’s shoulder. You watched as your father sucked his lower lip, holding Seungmin for dear life as he watched you displayed there, eyes filled with fear of losing not only you but also Seungmin.

   You felt the pity wash all over you.

   Pity for your father who would witness his loved ones burning not once but twice.

   Pity for your brother who had his hands tied down and couldn’t help you as he wanted.

   Pity for yourself who would burn for being too reckless.

  “Well, if the culprit doesn’t have anything to sa—“ He continued but you were fast to interrupt him, trying to fix a smile on your face as you looked straight into your father’s eyes.

    “It’s too soon for bunnies to hop” Your voice faltered, and you cursed yourself, trying to ignore the obvious quivering on the corner of your lips as you smiled to him “I’ll hop straight home…” You felt your eyes watering and you looked up to hold your tears back before returning your gaze to him, brows twitching for a second “… Into mom’s arms” You concluded, feeling the lump on your throat getting thicker but refusing to let him see your tears.

     The priest didn’t seem as touched as you, gesturing to the man beside you to set the straw under your feet on fire and making you inhale sharply, closing your eyes to wait for your cruel destiny. The warmth enveloped your feet ─ emanating slowly to your body as a warning that prompted you to open your eyes and fix your gaze on the dancing flames ─, creeping in an insufferable pace as if it was slowly welcoming you to your fate.

    The casting glow hurt your eyes and the constant howling and growling from the crowd seemed to make its way to your brain, reminding you of your dreams ─ the way the flames engulfed your mother’s body as she screamed her lungs out in agony ─, and flipping a switch inside you. It was like you suddenly realized you were going to die. The flames crackled and suddenly licked your body for a split of a second, making you jolt your feet away just to be brutally held back by the restraints, and that was it.

     You were going to burn.

     The realization made you wriggle ─ wrestling against the ropes that firmly held your body on the stake ─ and the fierce struggling just served to bury the ropes on your flesh, hurting and marking you. You widened your eyes as the flames rose once again, practically mocking your efforts to get away from this, as you intensified your struggling, jerking your limbs for dear life and begging for mercy as you bawled just like your mother did, crying and wailing to anyone who would want to hear.

     The next minute was a mess.

     First, you whimpered as you closed your eyes shut and tried to force your powers out of you in hope that the wind could shut down the flames and release you. The attempt was met with an unbearable wave of exhaustion through every fiber of your body that made you tremble, feeling drained out from your earlier outburst. The only hope you had vanished just like this, leaving your head spinning and your limbs limp as the flames scorned you once again.

    Second, you heard a roar ─ a powerful war cry that spread around as a blast of wind sweeping everything ─ that made you raise your head to meet whoever was yelling like this, ready to save you. The male voice was followed by a few female ones that sounded wild and furious, and as you heard the loud “Enough!” that baffled everyone, you met his eyes. The dark brown eyes buried into yours filled with fierce determination and something else, softer, that made your heart skip a beat.

     Third, the girls that walked beside Chan threw their spears with terrific accuracy, taking advantage of his blast to boost their attacks. The spears impaled the priest and the executioner’s head at the same time the flames under your body vanished with the wind, and you didn’t try to look behind you to see their bodies lying on the floor. They didn’t even wait for their weapon to hit them ─ confident enough on their habilities ─, ordering their allies around and taking the lead.

    The Coven was here for you.

    You could only watch as some familiar faces ─ such as The Elders and their children ─ and some unfamiliar ones ─ all of them armed females with a feral aura ─ charged towards the crowd filled with determination and resentfulness. The villagers didn’t seem more pleased than your allies, and as soon as they realized the situation, the counterattack was put into action, resulting in a fierce battle between both parts, though pretty unbalanced.

    You observed as Seungmin and your father sprinted to get to the stairs that gave access to your platform, eager to release you from the stake, but some of the villagers seemed to have the same idea. You were quite sure they weren’t really interested in saving you, though. They fought in the stairs, changing their goal of release you to prevent anyone from reaching and hurting you. The anxiety took over you, and you started to roam your eyes through the crowd, searching for someone who could help you get rid of your ties.

    “Don’t use more force than necessary!” You could hear your Grandma yell, and you followed her with your eyes as she grabbed several faces by the minute, putting everyone she could touch to sleep. The Earthy Elder appeared out of nowhere by her side, laughing maniacally as she buried her hands to the ground, making the earth shake and knocking down some villagers. She twisted her hands and suddenly the ground turned into quicksand that swallowed people slowly “Yerkir!” Wiha hissed, throwing her quick warning look.

    “What?! I’m not even touching them!” She yelled in amusement, laughter sounding in the air in contrast with the screams and growls around her “Dinta! Behind you!” Yerkir snapped her eyes to the side, and you followed her gaze, stunned to meet an old lady dodging a sharp blow aimed at her head without even looking back, lowering her torso and turning back in one quick motion. She didn’t take more than a second to fix her gaze on her attacker before skillfully raising her hand and burying her blade into the man’s neck as if it was nothing, averting her trained eyes to look for a new prey.

     She looked ferocious.

     “Watch out!” You heard Changbin yelling right in front of you, and for a brief moment, you thought you were screwed, turning your head around to spot your aggressor but the blow never came as no one was beside you. You returned your gaze to him to see him ramming into some a random villager by the shoulder, taking him to the ground before raising his gaze to one of the girls that accompanied Chan earlier “Looks like I got your back” He smiled teasingly at her.

      She adjusted her longbow in a quick motion, positioning her feet quickly to get some stance before nocking and setting her arrow, drawing the bowstring and resting her fingers on her cheek as she aimed right into Changbin’s face. He paled, widening his eyes and raising his hands in defeat but the girl grinned, tilting the bow to the side and releasing the arrow that flew directly to a man behind Changbin, going through his flesh and getting him to the ground, his improvised weapon falling from his hand.

     “Now we’re even” She snorted, and you could see the smugness oozing from her as she lowered her bow before looking at you, arching her brow “Prince charming didn’t come to help you out yet?” She sneered, jumping on the platform effortlessly ─ though the height wasn’t really negligible ─ and looking around the crowd to spot anything concerning.

    “Y/N!” Chan chirped, propelling his body with some wind to jump on the platform, rushing to your side, and resting his forehead on yours, cupping your cheeks ever so gently as he sighed in relief before looking deeply into your eyes. It wasn’t the best moment to feel embarrassed but feeling the warmth of his hold on you after so long made your heart race, and you felt your face burning as his thumbs rubbed circles on your cheeks.

    “Cut out the crap” She scoffed, and you could see in the corner of your eyes how she frowned with disgust as she took a knife out of nowhere, heading behind you and gripping your wrists to chop the ropes and release your hands. You fell forward, tangling your arms around Chan’s neck for some support, and he promptly moved his hands to your waist, trying to balance you as the girl squatted to chop the lower ropes, releasing your legs, “All ready” She said, dusting her hands after she sheathed the knife.

     “Can you stand?” Chan asked thoughtfully, helping you to place your feet on the floor. You felt your knees giving out as soon as you touched the ground, unable to feel anything as your legs were completely numb. He held you tightly, bringing your body closer to his before placing a kiss on your temple, “That’s okay, I’m here for you” He whispered soothingly, returning one of his hands to your cheek.

     “That’s enough, Prince Charming” She grimaced, scrunching her nose as she looked both of you from head to toes, disgusted “We have to take her away from here and—“ She started to say but Seungmin’s terrified scream interrupted her and got you snapping your head to him, startled. He fell to the floor, butt thudding on the platform as he stumbled over his feet trying to get away from the girls that held their knives up, prepared to kill them without a second thought.

    “They’re friends!” You yelled at the same time your father fell to the floor, just like Seungmin, reaching out for them as you tried to disengage from Chan to jolt their way to help them out. The motion was useless since you still couldn’t feel your legs, and as you fell to the ground ─ unable to stand up ─ you gathered all your remaining energy to give the last blow, managing to get a blast of air out of your palms to knock the girls down the stairs.

     You didn’t even feel your face hitting the floor as you passed out.

                                                                            /////

    You woke up with a terrible headache.

    You opened your eyes, staring at the blurry ceiling upon you as you felt your head throbbing, sighing in relief as you realized that you were back home. Although you still couldn’t see clearly, you would recognize the wooden beam and the lazy vines that hovered over your head throughout your entire life anywhere, even with your eyes closed. The familiar surroundings soothed you, and Vivi untangled herself from the beams to poke you playfully, making you giggle and try to push her away.

    Your hand didn’t move an inch.

    You looked down your arms, noticing the leaves that wrapped your forearms before locking your eyes with two hands holding yours, feeling your heart skip a beat. Chan was sitting on the floor in a clearly uncomfortable position that would gift him with a terrible backache in the future; his head rested on the mattress, plump lips brushing your knuckles as a trickle of drool glistened on the corner of his lips. You chuckled; studying how his fingers intertwined with yours and feeling your heart swell as he mumbled something in his sleepy state, nuzzling your hand before falling silent again.

     You reached out for his hair, gently playing with his locks as you patted his head, smiling when you noticed the corner of his lips twitching, almost like he was giving a smile of his own. You brushed his hair away from his forehead to get a better look at his face, staring at his peaceful features. You couldn’t help but admire his beautiful long eyelashes adorning his eyes, his blond wavy locks that framed his face, and his soft traits that gave him an angelic aura.

      He was ethereal.

      The endearing moment was broken by someone clearing their throats, and you snapped away from your daydreaming, darting your eyes around the place to meet the source of this new sound. You met your father’s eyes, his amused smirk was somewhat mocking, and he arched a brow at you before staring at the boy that held his little girl’s hand. You felt your face burning and the urge to pull your hand away, but you didn’t, choosing to stare back at him as you waited for him to say something.

      “He’s a good boy” He stated simply, returning his gaze at you “He stood up all night to take care of you… He even plastered some ointment on your bruises and bandaged you with these leaves” He got up from the chair, adjusting Seungmin’s head to lay on the wall as he did so, walking your way and fixing Chan’s coat around his shoulders “I told him you would wake up by the morning but I guess young love is not only blind but also deaf” He chuckled, and you hid your face behind your free hand.

    “Please” You whined embarrassed, and he laughed wholeheartedly. You smiled at him, enjoying the sound of his laughter and looking fondly at him before your smile dissolved into a frown and you averted your eyes, an unsettling feeling inside your chest. He looked at you questioningly, and you bit your lip before returning your gaze at him “Why didn’t you tell me that I was your daughter? Did you know all along?” You asked curiously and yet hurt, getting a resigned sigh from him.

    “You know? When Seungmin first came home with this coat…” He touched the fabric over Chan’s shoulder, smiling nostalgically at it “Your mother gave me this as a gift for helping her… She didn’t want to stay with The Coven but she couldn’t simply go to another village without a single thing… It would be really suspicious and dangerous, so Wiha brought her to me because… Well…” He trailed off, flourishing his fingers right upon Chan’s face.

    You gasped when the air wavered around him, revealing a completely different face.

    “I could help her to go unnoticed” He explained, gesturing to interrupt his enchantment “Anyway, I knew you were around when he came back with it, and then a couple of days after you appeared in my living room” He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest “You look just like your mother… I had no doubts you were my daughter” He admitted, and you frowned, lowering your gaze.

    “So why didn’t you tell me?” You insisted to know, and he walked to the other side of your bed, sitting there before holding your free hand, looking into your eyes filled with regret.

    “I was afraid… What if it pushed you away? I didn’t know what Wiha did to you throughout all those years… What if you thought I was the enemy? What if you hated me? What if you couldn’t handle this? I had just gotten you back… I didn’t want to lose you again” He sighed, averting his eyes “I’m sorry… I should have known better” He caressed your cheek, and you leaned against his palm, closing your eyes.

    Could you really blame him?

    You didn’t think so.

    The door creaked as it was being opened, revealing your Grandma behind it ─ head ducking into her shoulder and uneasy eyes darting between both of you ─, bringing a heavy silence that fell upon you three uncomfortably. Your father straightened his back before getting up, clearing his throat and rubbing his nape as your Grandma shifted her weight from left to right, building enough tension to cut with a knife. You felt your body stiff as you tried to think about what to say, gulping down as you glanced over your father before returning your gaze to your Grandma.

    “I think you need to talk” Your father stated kinda wary, pursing his lips “And I probably should go help out there” He mumbled, heading to the door. The Elder stepped aside to let him pass, following him with her gaze before sighing and lowering her head, closing the door behind her and sauntering your way, sitting beside you. The silence that settled between you two was uncomfortable, and both of you stood there, staring at each other before she cleared her throat, decided to break the ice.

   “I didn’t mean to… I was trying to protect you” She muttered, looking at you “I guess all I did was push you towards the danger… I’m sorry” She had sincerity in her eyes, and her lips twisted down ─ hinting how ashamed she felt for everything she did ─ eyes wavering to hold your gaze “I couldn’t save your mother… The Coven was establishing itself at the time… It was five of us and a bunch of kids to take care of” She sighed, lowering her gaze to the floor “I know it’s no excuse for what I’ve done but at the time it seemed like the only logical choice…” Her voice faltered, and you tilted your head, looking at her filled with pity.

    “That’s a lot to take in” You admitted, sighing heavily “You lied to me throughout my whole life… You stole me from my home and you erased all my memories…” She tightened her lips, eyes watering as she nodded, expecting your answer though you could see she was hurt “… And yet I missed you every day of these four months” She snapped her head up, looking taken aback by your input “I love you, Grandma” You smiled at her, and this time she let some tears fall from her eyes, emotional “And with time, we’ll be able to get through this” You promised.

    “I love you too” She said, rolling her eyes up to look at the ceiling as she wiped her tears quickly, pretending to be allergic to something as she sniffed, rubbing her nose and averting her eyes from you. She fought back a smile, rubbing her eyes once more and nodding in acknowledgment “And I can give your memories back if you want… I kept them close to you just in case” She chuckled, looking up. You followed her gaze, arching your brows in surprise.

    “Vivi?!” You widened your eyes, flabbergasted “You’re kidding me!” You stared at the vines, amazed by the possibility of getting your memories back and remember every day you spent with your mother and your father as a kid. You reached for Vivi, caressing her as you thought about all the things you would get back, all of your memories with your family… All the jokes, all the cuddling, all the laughter… All the love.

    “The only thing is…” She trailed off, staring at Vivi with unfocused eyes “The only motive she’s alive is to keep your memories” She tried to explain, pursing her lips “She’ll die as soon as you get them back” She added, approaching the vines to caress them with such fondness that it made you wonder for a moment.

   “There are things that I feel like I need to know… Things I want to remember” You admitted, studying the lovely vine tangling on your grandma’s hand fondly of her “So much must have happened in two years… There are so many memories I wish to get back…” You felt a lump forming on your throat as you reached out for Vivi, caressing the vines as the guilt sank into your body.

   Chan nuzzled your hand, mumbling something in his sleep, and interrupting your train of thoughts. He whined, hands letting go of yours to rub his lower back as he frowned in pain, scrunching his nose and lifting his head from the bed. He groaned, hands going to his neck now as he stretched his neck in a circular motion, muttering something under his breath and finally opening his eyes, still sleepy.

    “I mean… I have plenty of ways to get new memories to cherish now too” You smiled fondly, studying his bloated face in amusement. He rubbed his eyes and groaned once more, pressing his cheeks to try to feel more awake, making you chuckle. The bed shifted as your Grandma got up, prompting you to look at her. She had twinkling eyes and a knowing smirk plastered on her face as she nodded in acknowledgment, dusting her clothes off.

    “Well, take your time to decide what you want to do” She reassured you, averting her eyes to Chan before giggling, “I think I should go help the others too… We have a lot to discuss with all the ruckus in the village” She headed to the door, throwing a last look over her shoulder “He didn’t stop thinking about you once throughout all those months… Just saying, in case he trails off” She chuckled, closing the door behind her.

    You couldn’t believe your Grandma… You stared blankly at the door, blinking a couple of times before you averted your eyes to Chan, dumbfounded, noticing the way his ears seemed to be on fire. You felt your heart racing as he opened his mouth to say something but closed it right after, looking away from you and rubbing his nape, embarrassed. He didn’t look like he was sleepy anymore but he looked just as lost as when he opened his eyes, and somehow you found it endearing.

    “Good morning, handsome warlock” You joked, and you enjoyed the way his face flushed in a bright red, which made you chuckle “So a bird told me your head is all filled with me…” You said on a sing-song tune, holding back your smile when he groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. You stared at him, wondering how he could be this shy after holding you and flirting like he had been before you ran away.

    “Good morning…” He answered as if he had been defeated, getting up from the floor and glancing at you shyly “How are you feeling?” He asked, ignoring his own embarrassment for a moment to reach out for your forearms, inspecting your bandages “Does it still hurt?” He pressed your arms with a little bit more strength than before, and you shut your eyes closed, hissing.

   “Stop it!” You whined, and he immediately let go of your arms, chortling when you pouted, crossing your arms over your chest “I’m feeling just fine!” You grumbled, and he sat beside you, smiling at you as if he thought you were the most amusing thing in this world. You sat on your bed, intertwining your fingers as you stole some glances at him, suddenly feeling shy with his presence so close to you “I… Thank you… For saving me” You floundered, gulping down and fixing your gaze on your hands laying on your lap.

    “I don’t think I deserve this… All of us worked together” He shrugged, though you could see how his cheeks were dusted with pink “I… Well… So…” He stuttered, clenching his fists on his lap as he tried to say whatever he wanted to say to you, prompting you to rest your hand on his leg to reassure him “You’re eighteen now!” He blurted on a high pitched tone, eyes snapping to your hand lying on his thigh.

     “Yeah, kinda what happens when you have your birthday at seventeen” You joked, and he chuckled at you, nodding “So… I’m officially a witch now” You cleared your throat, averting your gaze to the door, feeling your face burning at your hidden suggestion “And you… Well… So what about it?” You trailed off, retracting your hand from his thigh.

    “I… I made you a birthday gift… I mean... It’s nothing fancy like a coat but I made it especially for your eighteenth birthday and it’s totally okay if you don’t want to accept it! I mean, you may not even need it! Actually, it’s not really useful but it has a lot of meaning to it, and—“ You laughed as he rambled, pushing him lightly as you looked at him playfully.

    “You didn’t need to” You cut him off, and he blushed once more, lowering his head.

    “Well, I kinda did…” He mumbled, searching for something in his pockets. You watched him curiously as he finally found it, handing you a small bracelet that seemed to have been braided by someone. The piece had eight beads adorning it like, and you arched your brows as you took the gift in your hands, staring at it in awe.

    “It’s beautiful!” You chirped, wearing it immediately and studying it carefully on your wrist, grinning approvingly “You made this?” You asked, turning your head at him, and he nodded coyly. He took the hand you put the bracelet in his, rubbing circles at the back of your hand before focusing his eyes on yours, a fierce glint taking over his features.

   “Do you recognize it?” He bit his lips, and you tilted your head in confusion, studying the bracelet closer. It looked somewhat alike Caeli’s one, and the realization made you widen your eyes, snapping them at him as you gasped, flabbergasted.

   “Is it a –?“ He interrupted you, tightening his grip on your hands, anxiously.

   “Doesn’t have to be if you don’t want to!” He rushed to say, unable to hold your gaze. He played with your thumbs, swallowing dry before trying to look into your eyes. You stared at him in shock, not even once imagining he would give you an engagement bracelet, feeling your heart beating so fast that it resounded in your ears “One bead for each year I knew I wanted to marry you…” He let go of your hands, hiding his face “Mother Nature! This is so embarrassing! I told my mom you wouldn’t like it! Actually, just give it back! I can totally give you something else! I mean, just ask it! I will try to find it and –“

   You scoffed, holding his cheeks and bringing his face closer to yours, interrupting his rambling once again. He widened his eyes as he got closer to your face, and you almost chortled when your lips met, crashing against each other before both of you slowly closed your eyes. The initial messy kiss morphed into a more caring one; lips molding on each other as you felt butterflies in your stomach, the slow movements trying to convey years of yearning for this very moment.

  He cupped your cheek, leaning your way and guiding you to lie down, body hovering over yours as he deepened the kiss, tongue battling against yours to explore every inch of each other. His other hand rested on your waist, and you felt confident enough to wrap your arms around his neck, bringing him impossibly closer to you. He whispered something against your lips ─ something that sounded just like a confession ─ before capturing your lips again, losing himself on you.

    The moment would be the best thing you ever experienced.

    “Holy shit!” Seungmin yelled in a strangled voice.

    If it wasn’t for your brother…

    Chan jolted away from you like you were on fire, sitting beside your lying body and looking at Seungmin like he was just caught red-handed. Well, he kinda was. Seungmin looked at you horrified, eyes studying both of you from head to toes before he grimaced, disgusted by what he had just witnessed. He got up from his chair, groaning and pressing his temples, refusing to look straight at you for a second.

    “I swear to God! I don’t want to see you guys… Oh my god! You should feel ashamed!” He accused, pointing at both of you “At least, wait to be alone, goddammit!” He whined, heading to the door at a quick pace, refusing to look back as he slammed the door behind him, traumatized. You stared at Chan’s lips, leaning his way once more before the window was slammed, startling you “And let me close this goddam window too!” He groaned, mumbling something as he walked away.

   Seungmin was so lucky he was your brother... Otherwise, you would be hunting him by now.

   You looked at Chan for a few seconds, deadpanned as your romantic moment was already ruined and there was nothing more to do about it. You both chortled, shaking your head in disbelief before he extended his hand for you to take, helping you out of bed and pecking your lips with a goofy smile plastered on his face, lowering his head to hide his grin and his flushed state.

    “I think that I let it pretty clear…” You chuckled, caressing his cheeks so he would return his gaze to you “But this was my way to say yes” You pecked his lips, and he laughed, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his forehead on yours.

   “I think you should say it a little louder… Not sure I heard it right” He sighed mockingly, and you placed a gentle kiss on his lips, smirking “Hm? What was it? I can’t hear you…” He whined, making you push his shoulder lightly, laughing at his antics. He pouted, and you rolled your eyes before kissing him once more, getting a satisfied grin from here “I think I’m beginning to hear it…” He mused.

   “You’re lucky I love you” You chortled, looking at him fondly.

   “Oh, that I am” He agreed, kissing you softly “Not only the most handsome but also the luckier warlock alive” He chuckled, and you let go of his neck, groaning jokingly as you headed to the door “Wait! I’m joking!” He laughed, following you and taking your hand on his, opening the door for both of you to brag about your news. He brought your tangled hands to his lips, placing a kiss on your knuckles before raising your hand in the air “I did it!” He yelled for everyone to hear, and you hid your face behind your free hand.

    It was okay if you had a moment ruined… You had plenty more to experience with him from now on.

[opheliadying]

How to Make the Supernatural Series Finale Better:

Before we get started. I wrote this very quickly so there are probably spelling and grammar error, but I’s totally appreciate it if someone read it. It is a bit long though. Also, please note that I’m not a big shipper of any of the Ships on the show. Everything I highlight here makes the most sense to me as someone who loves all the characters and appreciates all the Ships. I give options for Destiel shippers and people who don’t ship it.

First, Let’s Start With What I Liked About It:

Dean got a dog (aka Miracle). In the past, we’ve seen Sam get attached to dogs, but Dean getting attached to one shows his emotional growth as a character. In the past, the idea of loving anyone other than family baffled Dean. Now Dean sees that he’s full of love (thanks to Cas) and can give it out more freely.

Jared and Jensen’s acting. While I don’t like that Dean died the way he did, the scene itself was beautifully acted and made me bawl my eyes out. I was also emotionally affected by Jared’s growing old montage (you could feel the grief in every scene). No matter what we think of the writing, we must tip our hats off to that acting. I personally believe that Jared’s only said this was one of his favorite episodes because of the emotional scenes between Sam and Dean and to try to make the fans feel better about the show edning.

The throwaway line about Castiel. While I would’ve like to have seen a lot more. It was a comfort to know he was with Jack and not in the Empty.

Heaven. I’m glad that we saw the original Bobby, and that we saw Sam and Dean Reunite in Heaven.

Now, What I Didn’t Like About the Finale:

Dean’s acceptance. Dean acting like he and Sam couldn’t fight for Castiel and not contacting Jack. (Just makes no sense.)

Dean’s death. Dean died way too young and without being able to enjoy his freedom.

Sam’s grief. Sam lived the rest of his knife with heavy grief. He never got over Dean’s death because Dean never got to truly live.

Eileen’s absence. They didn’t even show Sam using ASL for us to know if that was Eileen. What? (I’m just choosing to believe).

Where’s Miracle? The dog should have joined Dean in Heave.

Where’s Cas and Jack? Castiel and Jack should have had screen time.

A lacking reunion. There should have been a bigger heavenly reunion.

Bad aging. They struggled to age Sam, like what’s that about?

How the Episode Could Have Been 1000x Better:

Redirect focus. Instead of a weak monster of the week story, focus the final episode of Sam and Dean growing old and living their lives.

Sam and Dean’s story together before death. They hunt for several more years but then decide to settle down. They become the new Bobby’s and help other hunters out by answering calls and pitching in when needed. They schedule an annual hunting trip every year to relive the “good old days”. They live as neighbors (either beside each other or in the same neighborhood). They are a frequent part of each other’s lives. They make the Bunker a community place for hunters and take turns monitoring it.

Castiel’s story before death (with two options). Option one (the heterosexual option), Sam and Dean pray to Jack about Casitel. Jack comes and tells them Cas is helping him fix the mess Chuck left behind but that he’ll be along when he can. A few years later, Castiel and Jack visit the Winchesters (everyone hugs). Dean tells Castiel he loves him too, but doesn’t know how to love him romantically. Castiel says that’s okay, that it’s enough to just be loved by him at all. Castiel doesn’t fall in love with anyone else, he is only able to truly love Dean, he stays an Angel and is content with his life. Option two (the homosexual option), Sam and Dean pray to Jack about Casitel. Jack comes and tells them Cas is helping him fix the mess Chuck left behind but that he’ll be along when he can. A few months later, Castiel and Jack visit the Winchesters (everyone hugs). Dean tells Castiel that he loves him too, that he fills whole when Castiel’s in his life. He expresses worry about not knowing how to be sexual with a man. It makes him nervous to feel so virginal about it. They connect foreheads, Cas tells him that’s okay, they’ll figure it out and they do (a kiss isn’t necessary but I’m down with it). Castiel becomes human, Sam removes his grace and keep it safe in the Bunker. Dean and Castiel adopt a girl and give her the same name Mary Samantha Winchester.

Dean’s story before death (with two options). Option one (the heterosexual option), Dean opens up a bar where hunters come often (like the Roadhouse). He hangs up photos of all the people they’ve lost along the way. He has a kid with a woman he had a one-night stand with, they don’t love each other but they’re good friends. His child is a daughter, he names her Mary Samantha Winchester. Option two (the bisexual option), like above Dean, tells Castiel he loves him and that he’s nervous, but they figure it out. Dean tells Sam he’s bi and that he loves Cas, he’s nervous about what Sam will say, but Sam smiles and hugs him. He tells him he’s happy for the two of them and that he always felt they had a strong connection. Dean and Castiel have a small wedding, only their beautiful made family is invited. No one judged them, everyone is happy for them. Jack is there, so happy for two for his Dads (Sam’s story below). Castiel becomes human, Sam removes his grace and keep it safe in the Bunker. Dean and Castiel adopt a girl and give her the same name Mary Samantha Winchester.

Sam’s story before death. Sam and Eileen get together, get married, and have the same son (because I’m choosing to believe that was her). Jack is also at their wedding and so happy for them. They name him Robert Dean Winchester and call him Bobby. Sam goes back to school, becomes a professor of mythology and tells his students “made up” stories about two brothers who fought all kinds of monsters. Some of his students secretly think he's a big Supernatural (the books) fan, but all his students like him. They think he’s warm and quirky.

Jack’s story. Jack sees Sam, Dean, and Cas weekly to monthly for several years. There comes a point where the system he creator works well on it’s on and needs little interference, He lives his life helping as many people as he can and spending time with his family. Dean tells him he is a part of their family and apologizes for ever saying otherwise. Sam, Cas, And Dean all at some point call him Son and Jack feels like he belongs. (Maybe he falls in love at some point, with an angel or a witch?) He remains a good God became of the love he learned from the Winchesters and Cas (who is also a Winchester damn it). He restores all the other worlds/dimensions, the people from Apoloaypse world go back they ask that he heal the world but not change their fates, they like who they are now and the families they’ve formed. We see Charlie/Stevie and Bobby happy in this world. Kevin is sent to Heaven. We see how Jack made a deal with the Empty, he put her to sleep and made the Empty quite again before he got Cas (which she agreed to). Jack restores Donatello’s soul.

Chuck’s story. Chuck lives as a human for the rest of his life, many of those years are miserable until he meets someone that makes him feel true love for the first time. He writes a letter to Sam and Dean apologizing for everything and thanking them for turning him human. The author becomes a character in his favorite story, and he’s so happy he has no say over the end.

Amara’s story. Amara wishes to be human, so Jack makes her a human vessel but keeps her powers (which she agrees to). She lives out a beautiful life filled with love and luxury. Chuck write to Amara too. She does eventually forgive Chuck, not because he deserves it, but because that just who she is.

Dean’s death (with two options). Option one (the heterosexual option), Dean does die on a hunting trip in his late 50s to 60s, he gives Sam the same beautiful speech and they share the same emotional intensity (and head touch). He goes to heaven, Bobby and Miracle are there to greet him. They have the same conversation and he goes on a drive. On the drive he runs into Castiel, they have a heart to heart before he goes on to find Sammy. Option two (the bisexual option), the same as before BUT, Sam calls Castiel first. Castiel gets there in time to say goodbye. Jack does come down, but with Dean’s declining health, he tells Jack he’s ready to go. They all respect his decision and say goodbye. He goes to heaven, Bobby and Miracle are there to greet him. They have the same conversation and he goes on a drive. On the drive he runs into Castiel, and say’s “it’s about time” but it didn’t feel that long to Dean. They embrace tearfully.

Castiel’s death (with two options). Option one (the heterosexual option), he doesn’t die. He stays an Angel. Option two (the homosexual option), after Dean dies on a hunting trip he moves in with Sam and Eileen. We see him struggle with grief, he cries beside Baby and sniffs Dean's clothes. He lives another five years and dies of cancer. When he arrives in Heaven, he’s on a highway, and Dean drives up to him in Baby and say’s “it’s about time” but it didn’t feel that long to Dean. They embrace tearfully.

Eileen’s death.  Eileen dies a few months before Sam of old age (aka heart failure). She goes to heaven, Dean and Castiel find her on their drive. They welcome her into the car with smiles.

Sam’s death. We do see a montage of scenes with Sam struggling with grief. He does break down in the Impala, he cries into Cas’ trench coat, and he hugs Eileen's pillow as he cries. His son is there and his niece to support him through it. Sam dies a few months after Eileen. His son Bobby, and niece Mary, come in and Bobby says goodbye like in the show, but before Sam fades away he see’s Jack in the back of the room (his first son) and he knows everything is going to be okay. He goes to heaven, Dean, Castiel, and Eileen meet him on the road. They all have an individual tearful moment together. Sam and Dean have an intense hug, Sam and Cas hug, Eileen and Sam kiss, and he pets Miracle. They get into the car and drive.

Heaven. Heaven is changed as Bobby said, Jack and Casitel did good. (yes, John is there, he’s an ass, but the boys would want him there for some reason). The four of them drive up to the Roadhouse to find Bobby and Jack waiting outside. Jack tells them every one is waiting, Bobby says “family don’t end with blood”, they open the doors for them, and we see everyone they lost along the way in the Roadhouse: John, Mary, Ellen, Jo, Ash, Charlie, Kevin, etc (literally everyone except maybe Crowley and Rowena because IDK how that would work?). Castiel, Eileen, Jack, and Bobby walk inside. Dean takes Sam by the shoulder. Dean says, “we did good” and Sam says “yeah, want to go have some chick flick moments?”. Dean laughs and says, “I love chick flicks.”, and Sam laughs and says “I know you do” and they join their family. We get a scene of them all reunited with “Carry on My Wayward Son” playing in the background. Fade to black.

Anyway, that’d how I think they could have made the finale better while still using the basic structure the created. So yeah, I’m heartbroken. Thanks for reading.

[chaos-ground-writing]

Intentions

Look… he’s a little confused but he’s got spirit

Warnings: minor animal injury, stalking(?), kidnapping, no yandere themes, Kiri has good intentions but bad execution. Also, this fic is pretty long lol

Reader: Gender Neutral

~

(Y/N) was a simple witch living in a nice lil’ cottage in the middle of a lovely meadow. They could hear the stream flowing nearby, the bustle of wildlife, and even greater was the lack of people. No one to steal, to lie, to interrupt and it was wonderful. Don’t get them wrong, it could be quite lonely in the middle of nowhere but small talk with a shopkeep while they purchased things needed around the house was enough. (Y/N) hadn’t even tried to entertain the idea of a lover, it was too troublesome and any person they had tried to court, hated their hermit lifestyle, that was if they even got passed the idea of them being a witch. But, it was their loss and (Y/N) stopped caring a long time ago anyway.

Now, when (Y/N) started to feel a distinct presence watching them while they harvested materials for their upcoming spell, they were only a little concerned. They were used to birds, rabbits, even full grown deer watching them from a safe spot far away, but this stare almost felt predatory, like a wolf, maybe a bear, what if it was a bandit? (Y/N) carefully but quickly collected the rest of the ingredients while keeping a careful eye out for any suspicious activity and swiftly stepped back into their home. Maybe a protection circle around their home would ease their nerves, but if it was a wolf or something, it would have lost interest and they’d have no need to waste their energy, but… that presence they felt… it didn’t even feel malicious, just determined but a little skittish. Like a young predator hunting without its mother for the first time. If it is a hungry animal, they had nothing to worry about, it has probably learned that this is not a good hunting area and would move on.

Eijiro’s eyes softened in disappointment when the attractive person in the field left his sight. He felt bad for using his hunting instincts to hide from them but not many people were very welcoming to dragons, even when he was in his humanoid form, the teeth and tail were enough of a give away to his true identity. But this person was so gorgeous and clearly had to be a witch, witches tended to be more open minded toward him. That one nice witch with the pink cheeks gave him snacks and played with him! Oh, if this witch is anything like her, he’d be the happiest dragon on the mountain. Eijiro gathered some pretty flowers nearby and started back toward his cave and determined that he had to prepare a nest for their arrival, of course he’d only work on it after he spent time admiring them from afar and collecting courting gifts.

For the next few days, Eijiro continued to watch (Y/N) and (Y/N) slowly became used to it, if the presence wanted to harm them, they would have done it already. But they noticed that since they started feeling the presence watching them, they also started finding gifts. They found sparkly stones on their porch, rare flowers on their windowsill, they even found a hand weaved basket of bread, different meats, and potatoes on the edge of the meadow. (Y/N) was sure it wasn’t a person watching them but an animal clearly couldn’t weave a basket and leave cut meats and bread in it. Despite their confusion, (Y/N) still appreciated the gifts and displayed the rocks and flowers proudly. The gifts continued for a few weeks, (Y/N) had to build a shelf to make room for all of them. All of a sudden, the gifts stopped, (Y/N) stopped feeling the eyes on them. They were a bit sad but tried to carry on as normal and prayed that the individual was safe and would return soon. 

(Y/N) traveled a little further from home to gather special ingredients for their favorite soup, just to get their mind of the mysterious entity, but still secretly hoped they’d feel the familiar stare. While lost in thought, (Y/N) cut their hand trying to harvest a tough herb. Before they could assess the bleeding, they heard a deep growl come from the trees. They looked up but didn’t immediately see danger, just every bird, squirrel, and forest dwelling animal nearby running away from the source of the growl. (Y/N) didn’t take a second further to question the purpose and trusted the animals’ instincts and ran back toward their home as fast as they could, abandoning the already collected ingredients in the gifted wicker basket they loved. (Y/N) heard a loud yelp behind them, but the thundering steps that continued in their direction kept them from slowing down or looking back. (Y/N) couldn’t help the tears blurring their vision as they tried to find home, were they crying because they could possibly die a painful death today or was it because they would die never knowing who watched them from the tree line and if they were okay. The burning in (Y/N)’s lungs begged them to stop but they couldn’t, they had to live to find that mysterious stranger, it was laughable, the ultimate introverted hermit, living for someone else. Just as (Y/N) started making out the outline of their home, their overjoyed haste caused them to trip. One thing was definite after that, they fainted, but was it before or after they felt something bite into their outer coat.

A few hours later

“God, that was a terrible nightma-” The ache in (Y/N)’s hand, the unfamiliar bedding under that aching hand, and the strange chill in the surrounding area immediately told (Y/N) that the nightmare they experienced was no nightmare, but reality. They hesitated to open their eyes for a moment, when they did, they were unsurprisingly unfamiliar with where they had just woken up. They were in some kind of large cave, surrounded by furs, precious crystals, gold, and other miscellaneous shiny objects. They were pulled from their thoughts but a deep rumbling snore at the entrance of the cave, however the fire was not close enough to highlight the large silhouette that laid across the opening. (Y/N) carefully got up and approached the large body at the entrance and couldn’t stop the surprised noise they made when they realized it was a dragon. They fell back on their butt and the dragon slowly woke up and looked back at them.

“H-Hey buddy, let’s not do anything hasty,” (Y/N) slowly scooted further from the crimson beast. The beast scooted across the stone floor trying to close the growing space with puppy-like eyes. (Y/N) tried to hold their hand out to keep some kind of distance and noticed the bandage wrapped around the hand they cut earlier.

“Wait, did you do this?” (Y/N) couldn’t begin to imagine how a giant lizard with wings could wrap their much smaller hand, yet the dragon… nodded? The dragon looked at (Y/N) and started moving it’s head in a circular, almost like it was telling them to turn around.

“You, you want me to t-turn around?” The dragon nodded again, and (Y/N) complied. Well, at least they won’t see the death coming. Suddenly, they were a bunch of crunching and cracking noises, like someone was breaking multiple bones, one after another. (Y/N) went to turn back around but the dragon let out a warning growl, causing them to stop and continue facing away from the beast. That growl sounded familiar, and so did the feeling of those ruby eyes on (Y/N)’s figure. Wait a minute…

“Hey, you can turn around now,” A raspy yet sheepish voice called out. (Y/N) turned around and took in the young man’s spiky red hair, matching red eyes, sharp teeth peaking through his lips, and his well built body, as well as the wrinkled pants he hastily threw on that he didn’t adjust over his large tail. Despite his striking appearance, he was almost cowering in front of them.

“Have you been the one watching me?” (Y/N) couldn’t help but blurt out the question, they needed answers, the red head’s face changed to utter surprise.

“H-How did you know that I was there?” Kirishima was baffled and slightly insulted, he thought he was perfectly hidden.

“I’m a witch that lives alone in the middle of nowhere, you silly lizard, I have to be very observant and aware of my surroundings.” (Y/N) chastised, now they were both offended. “Now what I want to know is why you kidnapped me”

“Kidnapped? I rescued you! You were gonna be eaten by that mean old wolf if I hadn’t stepped in, and you were injured! I didn’t even want to bring you back here until the nest was done but I had to.” Kirishima got closer to (Y/N) as they cocked their neck back. (Well now we know what made that yelp noise.)

“Wolf? Injured? I was just gathering ingredients for my soup and got a little cut on my hand, I could’ve out ran some lousy wolf.” (Y/N) huffed.

“Jeez, you sound like Bakugo” Eijiro muttered. “If I hadn’t swatted that wolf away, it would’ve devoured you when you tripped.” Hm, maybe he was right. “And I couldn’t let that happen, especially before I court you properly.” Court?

“Wait, those were courting gifts?” (Y/N) asked, exasperated.

“Yes, I didn’t give them to you directly because I was afraid of how you’d react to a dragon asking for your hand so I thought I’d leave small things to prepare you for all this.” He motioned to the furs, gems, and other gifts. “Oh, and I went back to get the basket you dropped, I’m honestly flustered that you carried it around, I didn’t think it was that well made, my momma taught me how to weave a long time ago.” Kirishima rambled.

“Oh, goodness, I didn’t realize you were trying to court me, I feel so bad. I don’t even know your name.” (Y/N) exclaimed and facepalmed.

“Ha! That’s ok, I should be embarrassed too, I went through all this and watched you for so long and I don’t know yours either. I’m Eijiro Kirishima, and you?”

“(Y/F/N) (Y/L/N). And… I happily accept your courting gifts.”

~

I went a little overboard with this one but it was so fun to write!

Thanks for reading!

(Gif not mine)

[secret-engima]

Fic title thing - heart held close to the moon and Neptune

...

...............

Neptune ... Neptune was the Roman god of the sea right? ... Just looked it up and yes he was so-

>:D

FF7

Mer

AU

But rather than EVERYONE being mer or whatever, it’s ONLY the three Soldier Firsts of canon. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal who have never met any other mer, because Shinra are immoral and terrible and use propaganda to promote the idea that Mer aren’t REALLY just like humans in intelligence and emotional range and soul, they just happen to look human-ish on the top half. And because Mer are seemingly extinct (read: in hiding), they have nobly “Resurrected” the lost line of the “most exotic creatures of the sea” in Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal and claim to be in the process of cloning female Mers to “reintroduce the species”.

Except mer are NOT animals.

Mer are the children of Gaia’s oceans, the pulse of her waves and tides, touched by her moon on high. Mer are MAGIC and they will not be contained.

They escape, by the skin of their teeth and with many bloody scars, helped by the last of descendant of the True Mer (Aerith) who can walk on two legs for a time because of her half-human blood. They flee, out into the wild waters, just the three of them as a pod, rapidly protective of their little Pod Queen Aerith, their little sister in their eyes for all it would doom mer to extinction again. So they swim, up river and through lake and through the sea, and sometimes Aerith stops to visit the human woman who cared for her as a child and to tend the garden on two legs while the other three lounge in the little pond and sing softly together, and it’s ... nice.

Then Aerith meets Zack. Zack who is a cheerful sellsword rather than a Shinra plaything, who still respect the Old Ways as best as an ignorant human can, and Aerith adores him and so despite what they want, Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal refrain from dragging him below the waves and eating him for trying to court their sister. But Zack is genuine and not cruel like the other humans they’ve met, he gets along with Elmyra and dotes on Aerith and Angeal ends up taking him under his fin after Zack nearly falls in and downs in the pond because surprise this idiot CAN’T SWIM, and really that is that. They have another human in the pod.

Zack tells them all sorts of stories, of the lands they’ve never seen. Jungles and deserts and icy mountains, and in those stories one name and description comes up a lot, the other, younger sellsword Cloud Strife. A fierce little mountain girl who still swears to the Old Spirits and avoids Fairy Circles and will not set foot on a boat until she’s made a sacrifice to the lost Children of the Sea. He describes his “little buddy” so often during his tales that really, it’s no wonder Sephiroth RECOGNIZES the woman while on a solo hunt, struggling in the water, bubbles escaping her mouth and nose, arms and legs bound from where she’s been THROWN OVERBOARD by pirates stealing the ship she had booked passage on.

Sephiroth screams and the storm screams back. The pirates stand no chance and Sephiroth pays them no more mind as he dives down for Cloud, ripping the ropes apart with his claws, swims her up to the surface and realizes that the storm he just summoned is a PROBLEM. The waves are too high for him to keep the human’s head above the water and she’s already NOT BREATHING and Sephiroth can’t just- UNSUMMON a storm, but this girl is Zack’s friend and Zack is pod which makes THIS ONE pod and Sephiroth-can’t-let-her-die-.

Sephiroth holds her close and sings-sings-sings, struggling against death, screaming to the moon to spare this human, to make her SURVIVE somehow, because Sephiroth has too few people in his life and he cannot afford to lose any of them, even one he has never met before.

And Sephiroth-

Sephiroth was Hojo’s finest creation. He was grown from the blood of the most Ancient mer. The Wild Kin even Aerith’s race of mer feared for their power, their savagery, their ability to wrap up the world in their voice and SHAPE it the way they wanted. Jenova is not an alien virus in this au, oh no, Jenova was The Sea Witch. The most feared and powerful and deadly o the Wild Kin, the last to fall in their war against the much more numerous humans and Cetra mer that had banded together against the Wild Kin and their Sea Witches. Jenova was the one who cursed the Cetra and decimated their numbers, she was the one to freeze the great northern sea mid-motion like a glacier around a great crater.

Jenova is, in a morbid, cloned sense, his mother.

Sephiroth sings.

The world obeys.

The body in his arms changes.

Cloud breathes in water and does not drown.

When Cloud groggily wakes up three days later, it’s to one very frantic Zack hovering over her face, the sky above her head, and the weird sensation of being submerged from the waist down. She remembers being knocked off the ship and sits up in confusion-

Looks down and doesn’t see legs.

The glittering tail of ink black and spiraling ice blue twitches spasmodically under her stare, responding to her desperate attempts to move legs that AREN’T THERE ANYMORE.

Cloud starts screaming and all the glass and quite a bit of nearby stone shatters.

While Zack and Aerith help deal with ... THAT whole mess, Sephiroth lurks guiltily in the nearby river, not daring to enter the pond while Genesis whimsically notes that aside from the ice blue swirls, her tail exact same shade of black as his, so does that mean she’s a full blooded Wild Kin now? Genesis and Angeal aren’t, because they have bright red and bright blue scales with black highlights respectively, sign of Wild Kin blood but not nearly as pure as Sephiroth’s jet black and trademark silver hair and slitted eyes. Angeal slaps Genesis over the head and says there are bigger things to worry about, because SINCE WHEN was any kind of magic strong enough to transform a human into an ACTUAL MER and what do they do now? Sephiroth already tried turning her back, but it didn’t work, because that kind of Song that remakes the world itself can only be used on a person on that large a scale ONCE, so now they’re stuck and how will they explain any of that to Zack’s formerly-human friend.

Sephiroth continues to lurk at the bottom of the river, feeling very guilty. He didn’t mean to do that. He meant to save her, not transform her, and the entire thing tastes too much of Hojo’s lab and his unwanted experiments and talk of using Sephiroth’s blood to create clones or hybrids.

Maybe once Zack and Aerith calm her down she won’t entirely hate him?

Who is he kidding, she’ll probably try to gut him with her bare claws.

(Anyway a sort of Modern-Fantasy AU where Mako is a thing but the SOLDIER program isn’t, Mer are a thing, and Fem!Cloud and Sephiroth end up doing an enemies to lovers slowburn but more in a you-transformed-me-against-my-will-so-I-HATE-YOU to friends to lovers way.)

(Also Hojo tries to do more evil shenanigans and Shinra hopes to conquer the world, but that all gets shut down by the Pod because fun fact you can’t run a wold spanning empire if all your ships keep mysteriously getting sunk. It’s not like you can helicopter EVERYTHING over the water, especially since all air traffic gets rapidly shut down by the mysterious super storms that blow in when they try. Reeve eventually gets accidentally kidnapped by the Pod and converted to their side so he starts looking into non-Lifestream power alternatives and Rufus is on board because honestly there’s nothing like a couple of mer arguing, IN YOUR LANGUAGE on whether they should eat you for your sins to make you rethink your life choices and by extension all your evil father’s life choices.)

(Also also Vincent and Felicia are both experiments by Hojo to see if he could create human-mer hybrids. Felicia is a sea serpent and Vincent sometimes forgets that Legs Are A Thing and so just sighs tiredly on Elmyra’s floor in all his red and black octopi glory. Veld is pulled on board the “lets kill Hojo and reform Shinra” boat after he nearly gets his throat torn out by his long lost daughter only for his long lost Turk partner to tackle her and talk her down from accidental patricide.)

(For reference, Sephiroth is a black beta fish with some silver edging on his fins, Genesis is a red with black stripes lionfish, and Angeal is a long-suffering blue and black lions fish. Aerith turns into a long-finned koi, and discovers quite by accident that if you kiss your human boyfriend enough times he gains the ability to breathe underwater and transform into a mer for a few hours before changing back into a human again.)

(And because I’m on a roll, Nanaki is still a cat-lion-thing, Cait Sith has underwater capabilities, Jesse, Wedge, and Biggs are all incredibly baffled humans who aren’t sure how this is their life now, Tifa would like to know when and how her best friend became a Mer (Cloud: It’s all catfish’s fault. Sephiroth: hey.) Barret is a monstrously overprotective dad and Marlene is the world’s cutest baby mer and Sephiroth would literally destroy the world for her if she asked him too. Genesis would help him. Angeal would just sigh and hold Marlene out of the danger zone.)

[sakuwriteshere]

Downfall

Title: Downfall

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Words count: 1887 words

Warnings: Death scare, slight smut (you’ll blink, you’ll miss it), mention of depression, fluff, comfort, spoiler (if you haven’t watch season 14 finale), subtle mention of drowing

Summary: During a hunt that went wrong, Y/N is remembering one precious moment she shared with Dean

A/N: So! This is my entry for @alleiradayne​‘s 2020 Supernatural Summer Shut-in Challenge! I chose the following prompt: “You need to wake up because I can not do this without you.” Go following @alleiradayne​ if you don’t already!

A/N2: This is unbetated as always, and I apologize for any error or mistake. Enjoy your reading and please share your thoughts with me!

Downfall

The front door of the bunker closes in a loud bang behind them, Dean is leading the way down the stairs, his little brother Sam, right behind him, helping Y/N with the bags. Both Sam and Y/N don’t dare to speak, each of them particularly silent within the last hour. The drive back to the bunker has been gloomy to say the least.

Without even sparing a look at them, Dean heads for his room, leaving Sam and Y/N taking care of the rest. Contrary to Dean who is completely beat, Sam is still functioning, despite the repetitive recent lost battles, Sam keeps on believing. He’s really the only one between the three of them.

With a sigh, Y/N puts the duffel bag on the wooden table in the library, the different weapons rattling in the process. Sam watches her following Dean’s steps, helplessly. He wants to tell something, anything to help her, to help them, but what can he really tell them? That there is always a light at the end of the tunnel? That they will find a way, like they usually do? No. This time they are doomed, for good.

Her body is on autopilot as Y/N enters her own room, she doesn’t even waste her time to switch on the lights and prefers to let her body fall heavily on her bed. What’s the point in fighting anymore? They’re not going to win this fight. This one is too big. How can you defeat God, himself? Were they even supposed to go that far? Y/N doesn’t know anymore.

As she closes her eyes, allowing the tiredness enveloping her, she doesn’t even react when she hears her door opening in a creaky sound. She doesn’t need to wonder who it is, she perfectly knows.

The bed dips slightly as Dean lays down next to her. She can feel him manhandling her body and she willfully lets him do as he wants. Within a few minutes, Y/N is little spooned by Dean, his arms wrapped strongly around her waist while their legs are a tangled mess, caging her properly with his body, giving her exactly what they both need the most at the moment.

Warmth, protection, comfort and love. 

Absentmindedly, Y/N’s fingers brush against Dean’s hand on her stomach as her mind keeps replaying the last previous hours. Chuck declared war, or more precisely, God announced the end of the World. How are they supposed to fix that? Everything they’ve been through, every choice they’ve made until now, thinking it was for the greater good, seems so meaningless. There is no free will, they’re not making their own choice. Everything has been decided for them long before they were even born. Even the most precious decisions they’d made aren’t truly their.

“Don’t.” Dean’s raspy voice sermons her, his hot breath tickling her cheek. 

She doesn’t need to ask him what he’s talking about, he knows her like the back of his hand and how her brain works from time to time. Especially during those kinds of uncertain moments.

“Just stop thinking, alright? You’re not in the right mind to make the difference between what’s right or wrong.”

“But…” She turns her head slightly, trying to look at him but his lips pressed against the corner of her mouth make her fall silent.

“No buts, Y/N. I’m serious.” He tells her with a patronizing voice.

Y/N shifts a bit so she can turn around and face Dean properly. Once she’s in a comfortable position, Dean’s arms wrap around her once again, pulling her body against his.

“This is big, Dean.” She whispers and when she sees Dean’s cocky smirk, she’s quick to add “I don’t mean that.”

Dean chuckles and pecks her lips, he’s satisfied with himself because for a second she has stopped thinking about Chuck. He would do anything to make her feel better and he knows exactly what she needs to keep her mind out of focus.

Slowly, Dean brings his face closer, their breaths mixing as they share a kiss. At first it’s gentle and tender, a soft brush of the lips, just enough to feel each other’s presence. A silent reminder that they’re still both alive. Then, Dean’s mouth is becoming greedy, claiming her lips just the way she likes it. One of his hands unwrap itself, sliding up her side, leaving goosebumps in its trail, until it reaches her face. His big hand cups her cheek, thumb stroking the skin underneath while his tongue runs over her bottom lip, silently asking for more. A request she’s more than happy to grant.

Lost in their tender battle of teeth and tongue, fighting each other for dominance, their bodies start moving on their own. Dean comes on top of her, parting her legs so he could fit between them more comfortably while she lays down on her back, the kiss never breaking. Despite the heated moment, Y/N’s mind still goes back to the big problem, keeping her from really enjoying the intimate moment. 

As if he’s a mind reader, Dean parts slightly, their breathings short and uneven as he gives her a sullen look.

“This,” He starts to say as he grabs her hand and presses it against his beating heart. “Is real, ok? We’re real and meant to be. I don’t care if it’s because of God or Destiny or some wrinkled old witch. We’ve found each other and I'm gonna hold onto that until the end, ok?”

Y/N can only nod at that. It always baffles her how easily he understands her. It’s like he’s reading her like an open book. 

“Your biggest enemy is not Chuck, Y/N. It’s this.” Dean says pressing two fingers against her temple. “Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.” He adds, forcing a small smile.

She knows how right he is because she has witnessed his darkest moments. Being able to let the other one see how down you are, to share with him her deepest fears and secrets, it asks a lot of trust to let it happen. And she trusts Dean with all her heart, of that she is sure.

“I love you.” The words hit her like a ton of bricks. It’s not the first time she hears them, but Dean isn’t not really the confident type of man, so whenever he utters those three words it always makes her heartbeat go wild, making her feel alive and strong because she knows it’s the truth. He loves her as much as she loves him. It’s not even funny how strong they fell for each other.

“I love you too.” She whispers and here comes the smile she loves. The genuine one, when she can see his pearly white teeth, the wrinkles deepening at the corners of his eyes. Despite the dim light, she can see how green his eyes are, full of love and promises.

Soon, his face becomes serious again, the longing glint replaced by a needy one as Dean leans over her. They share another kiss, this one greedy, demanding, their hands flying around them to get rid of the unnecessary clothes.

“Stay with me. I need you.” Dean gasps, trailing hot kisses down her collarbone. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” She pants, sinking her nails in his lower back as she arches under his ministrations, searching for more contact.

“You need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.” Dean says, both of his hands suddenly cupping her face.

“Wh-what?” She stutters, blinking twice when she notices the fear in Dean’s eyes above her.

“I’m begging you. Don’t do this to me. Wake up!”  His voice resonates around her before a blinding light attacks her eyes. 

She wakes up with a start, taking a big breath in the process, filling her lungs with much needed air. The first thing that hits her is Dean’s body, literally, as he engulfs her in a bear hug. Still trying to understand what happened, she wraps her arms around him, noticing how heavy her clothes felt, then she realizes she’s completely drenched and freezing. She tries to ask him what’s going on but her body is trembling so hard, and her mouth refuses to form something more than shaky sounds.

“Shh. I got you. I got you.” Dean shushes her, the embrace tightening and keeps repeating the words again and again. They are more for himself to be honest, he needs to tell himself that she’s alright.

“Come on let’s go back to the cabin.” Dean whispers before kissing her temple and holding her up in his arms.

There’s nothing better than a warm shower and a cup of hot cocoa. Bundled with big covers, Y/N watches Dean ending his phone call with Sam. The older Winchester told Sam everything about their last case and assured his little brother they are leaving the cabin first thing in the morning.

“How are you feeling?” Dean asks as he sits next to her on the couch, one of his arms wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her body against his. He kisses the crown of her head before he lets himself relax completely. Now that the case was over and Y/N was breathing, his mind could be at ease.

She takes a sip of the hot liquid, wincing as it burns the tip of her tongue. She shrugs as she feels fine, considering she almost died two hours ago. She thought the werewolf would attack her, not hit her hard on the head before pushing her unconscious body into the cold river.

“This is the last time you’re playing bait. Watch my words, Y/N. I mean it.” Dean warns her, his eyes dead set on her. He is really serious. She still can see the worry in those green eyes she loves so much.

Y/N closes her eyes before she puts the cup on the coffee table in front of them. She adjusts her body on the couch, pushing the covers away then pats her tights, motionning silently Dean to rest his head on her lap.

“I should be the one comforting you right now.” Dean argues nonchalantly but lays down nonetheless.

“I’m fine don’t worry. You already took care of me.” She reassures him, her hand threading Dean’s hair in a soothing manner as soon as he was comfortable.

“Did I?” Dean asks, a content sigh leaving his lips as he relaxes completely under her soft touch.

She hums, her gaze lost in the void, enjoying the peaceful moment meant just for the two of them. Silence envelops them, for the rest of the night they can pretend they are just regular human beings. No more hunt, no more death scare, just two people in love and taking care of each other. The comfortable silence being disturbed only by Dean’s soft snores while Y/N watches over during his much needed sleep, a soft smile curling at the corner of her lips.

Dean is right, as long as they have each other, there’s no reason to give up. Chuck might be God but he made his biggest mistake by bringing Y/N Y/L/N and Dean Winchester together he just created his downfall.

FIN

Pour Toujours Tags: @drakelover78​, @akshi8278​

[turnaboutnerd]

None of the songs Klavier wrote for Gavinners were ever about anyone. He wrote by feeling, rather than by experience.

That changes after the Gavinners breaks up—after Daryan is arrested, after Kristoph is sentenced to death, after he learns he was responsible for the false disbarment of Phoenix Wright. After he falls in love with Apollo Justice.

He writes several albums’ worth of music all based on those experiences, as a way of processing what happened, as an outlet for all the sudden and complicated emotions he doesn’t know how to handle.

He writes songs about his feelings of betrayal regarding Kristoph (and Daryan). Some of them are angry. Some of them are sad. Some of them are longing — for the brother he wished Kristoph was, for the best friend he wished never changed. He writes about his guilt over Phoenix being disbarred. He writes about his perspective as a haughty teenager thinking he did the legal world a service catching a forger — and how he realized as an adult he had initiated a brutal witch-hunt and ignited the Dark Age of Law.

He writes about falling in love with Apollo, about how he wanted to hate him, about how he couldn’t. He writes about his complicated feelings “trading” his relationship with Daryan for Apollo. Did he betray his best friend for a crush? Did loving Apollo cause him to lose his mind and turn on family?

Later, he writes about the loss of Constance Courte. He writes about wishing how he could’ve been there for Apollo after the courthouse bombing, after he lost Clay.

He keeps these songs close to him, never shares them with a soul. They’re too personal—he could never release them. Besides, he’s done with the music business, ja?

But as time continues to pass, it’s suddenly no longer enough. He’s been venting in private lyrics for a couple years, but he needs others to hear what he’s been feeling—to validate what he’s been feeling. He misses trusting others. He misses performing.

So he pulls some of his best—which also happen to be his most personal—and records them in his home studio, compresses them into mp3 files, and loads them onto an old iPod. Klavier Gavin may be ready to step into the spotlight again, to share himself with the world again—but he at least wants to give the people he’s writing about fair warning.

Kristoph refuses to see him, as usual, no matter how much Klavier pleads. Klavier does not know why he continues to try (of course he knows, it’s because Kris is his bruder), but he supposes it’s good he at least tried at all.

Daryan sees him but is furious when Klavier tells him he wants to release a solo album (Daryan has no comment on some of the songs being about him). Klavier doesn’t understand. Daryan was furious when Klavier broke up the Gavinners; now he’s furious he’s making music again. He just can’t seem to win. Daryan throws the iPod on the ground and cracks the screen, refusing to listen to it. Klavier picks it up, dusts it off, and takes it with him regardless.

Klavier actually has more anxiety facing Herr Wright than he does Kristoph and Daryan. He knew it would go poorly with them; he doesn’t know how Phoenix will react, especially since they’ve never... properly talked about everything that happened.

But Phoenix is cordial, tells him he’s glad to hear Klavier is recording again (though his wallet won’t be, he jokes, with reference to Trucy; Klavier smiles crookedly, unsure how to take the joke). Phoenix is the first to actually take the iPod and listen to the album—the whole thing, even though Klavier only intended for him to hear the songs about him.

While Phoenix sits at his desk, pensively listening to each song, Klavier sits on the office couch, fidgeting nervously, trying to use his phone as a distraction. Finally, when Phoenix finishes, he pulls out his headphones, compliments Klavier on the great work, and says he’s sure it’s going to be a big hit.

Klavier thanks him but internally, he’s just like... that’s it? That’s all he has to say?

But Phoenix, already knowing what Klavier’s actually looking for, then smiles and says, “What? Was there something else you wanted me to say? Didn’t you know I already forgave you for the whole badge thing years ago?”

Klavier can’t help it: He starts bawling on the couch of the defense attorney he mistakenly disbarred nearly a decade earlier. Phoenix is totally unphased, but the episode catches Klavier by surprise. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed to cry about this—how cathartic it feels. Phoenix brings him tissues, wraps a fatherly arm around Klavier, and continues to talk about how he doesn’t blame Klavier and he knows this all has been very difficult for him too, etc. and it actually makes Klavier cry harder until he’s shaking and Phoenix is holding him like a father would his son.

Once Klavier calms down and is feeling better, Phoenix can’t help but ask: “Are some of those songs about Apollo?” He doesn’t have to specify which ones; they both know he means the love songs. Klavier says they are. “You should share this with him too,” Phoenix finishes, giving him back the iPod.

Klavier was already planning on it, but it makes him feel more nervous than before. (Ach, the songs are obviously about Apollo, aren’t they?) The next time he catches Apollo in the courthouse, he practically shoves the iPod into his hands, tells him he wrote a new album, and that he wants Apollo to be one of the first to hear it.

Apollo, for one, is utterly baffled. “Uh... I’m happy for you, that you’re writing music again, Prosecutor Gavin, but... you know I never was a fan of the Gavinners, right?”

Klavier’s hand trembles a little as he coolly flicks some of his bangs out of his face. “Sure, but this isn’t the Gavinners, ja? It’s pure Klavier Gavin content.”

Apollo remains confused but begrudgingly agrees to listen to the album that night, “if I have the time.” Klavier is partially relieved that he won’t have to watch Apollo listen to the damn thing like he had to with Herr Wright, but it means the suspense nearly kills him.

He’s utterly unproductive for the rest of the evening and following morning, waiting anxiously for a message or call from Apollo to let him know what he thinks—

And then Apollo walks into his office, looking sheepish and shy. Klavier’s heart leaps into his throat when Apollo holds the iPod out to him.

“I listened to it,” Apollo says, unable to look Klavier in the eye. “I, uh... had no idea you felt that way about me. I kinda knew that you were having a hard time with the other stuff, but, um...”

He’s blushing a bright red, and Klavier swallows hard before hoarsely answering, “Ja.”

Apollo manages to bring his eyes to Klavier’s then. “So... when are you going to release it?”

Klavier shakes his head. “I’m not sure. Soon. But I’m not sure.”

That’s when Apollo screws up his nerve and says, “Well. Before you do, can you at least take me out on a proper date before you go announcing your feelings for me to the world?”

Klavier is more than happy to comply, and the album is later released to critical acclaim.

[zairapvrker]

Teeth: Vampire!Luke // Chapter 8

Summary: Luke knows the rules and his boundaries, he has respected them for centuries. He knows he should stay as far away as possible from every human on his path. But that was before she came along.

Author’s Note: idek, i just hope exams end soon even though i know it’ll be another month

series masterlist | regular masterlist

It had been silent since she last spoke. Beatrix hadn’t opened her mouth in a long while and seemed determined to keep her eyes - seemingly empty - locked onto the patch of grass right in front of her. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain. 

“So the myths and legends are true” her voice almost felt too loud in the silence that surrounded them and Luke nearly flinched at the sound. He looked at her, sitting with her arms around her body almost as if she wanted to keep herself from falling apart. The only thing telling him how much time had actually passed was the sky tinted with the beautiful colours of the sunset fading away.

“I’ve never encountered many witches if that can help you” he shrugged, his voice surprisingly not betraying the nerves that would’ve made him tremble if he were to be human. “Especially during the witch hunts” 

A distant, small smile made its way on her face, giving Luke some hope. “I should be heading home, I think my mom’s about three seconds away from calling the sheriff” she then said, standing up abruptly as if noticing just then how late it had gotten. The blond stood up as well, disappointment coursing through his veins.

“I’ll walk you” he wasn’t really offering, he would’ve done it anyway, no matter if she protested. Bea looked up at him, and for the first time in centuries Luke couldn’t make out what was hiding behind her hazel eyes. He stood there, dumbfounded, as she flashed him a grateful grin and started walking. Catching up in a millisecond, he walked by her side in silence - not really knowing what to say to her given that he knew things should be different by now,  knowing that she should remember. The town was pretty quiet, people and cars were still running around trying to get home but the silence between the both of them felt heavy with the weight of words left unspoken. 

“It’s alright to break” he found himself saying as they walked up the street her house was at the end of. She was still looking ahead of her, gaze shifting from the trees to the ground beneath her feet. Luke knew from the way her heart was beating that she was close to losing it, yet she still had so much to discover, and he couldn’t think of a better word of advice. Bea simply nodded, finally looking at him again just as they reached her house.

“Thank you, Luke” her voice was still quiet, just above a whisper. 

“I need you to know that no matter what happens, I’ll be here” Luke smiled back, yet again attempting to comfort her as best as he could. She was quick to look away from the intense blue of his eyes. In an inexplicable surge she let her hand shoot towards his, holding it in hers and intertwining their fingers. 

“Please don’t let me fall” she whispered, looking at their hands.A bright smile opened up on the vampire’s face. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Beatrix” The girl took in a sharp breath of surprise, her whole body stiffened, and finally she let their eyes meet again.  “How do you know my full name?”

“I think that that’s for me to know and for you to find out” he smirked earning a soft giggle back: a small victory in his heart. Bea let his hand go and started taking small steps back, looking at him until she disappeared behind the door. 

“Do you know how worried I’ve been, young lady?” Luke knew he shouldn’t have stayed behind to listen to her mother’s scolding, but it was stronger than him. “You could’ve told me you were going out to see your boyfriend, or you could’ve snuck out like every other teenager does, and let me live in blissful ignorance till you came back!” he smirked. Boyfriend. He could perfectly picture Bea’s shocked face and blushed cheeks. “He’s not my boyfrie- Where you spying on me?!” a low chuckle escaped him as he started to walk away, their bickering keeping him company until he was out of ear shot. 

-

Storming up to my room I tried to put behind me the yelling match that had just taken place in the living room, more important and pressing matters instantly coming back to mind. Luke was a vampire. Rubbing my face with a little too much force, I started pacing around my room whilst trying to get a grip on what really was reality. A vampire. Snickering in disbelief, I sat down on the edge of my bed, letting the thought marinate in my head until it stopped feeling like something out of “Twilight” and found its place into my reality. Somehow it wasn’t too difficult. I fell back onto the soft sheets of my bed, my hands were quick to come up to my head, fingers getting lost in my hair and pulling lightly at the strands. If I thought too much about the fact that I knew – had known? – a vampire an incredulous laugh would still spill right out of my lips. It felt like going crazy, trying to justify the existence of a myth into my life. The world even. What baffled me the most, aside from the fact that apparently supernatural beings existed, was a more personal matter. Something that probably only had to do with me, with us: how was it possible that through every lifetime of mine Luke would come and look for me, with the knowledge of it ending as badly as it did? Now that he’d found me, would I be doomed like every other time? How was it possible that every time he found me he’d risk it all just for love? That last word echoed in my mind, bouncing left and right. There was something else I needed to know, to find out. 

The next day at school I patiently waited for my friends to gather in our spot in front of the building, usually we’d converse until the bell rang and then reluctantly make our way to class, however today I was faced with a rather different sight.

“Hello” Luke appeared out of nowhere, his voice taking me by surprise and making me drop my notes.

“You’ve gotta stop doing that!” I slapped him on the arm lightly, probably causing zero real harm and bowed down to pick up my notebook. 

“Sorry” he let out an airy laugh, watching as I faced him again. He smirked as my eyes narrowed, clutching my notebook closer to me.

“You’re not” I sad then, his smirk only widening at my words.

“You’re right” the blond shrugged simply, then seemed to be distracted for a second, listening to something else. 

“Well, I better get going, your friends are making their way over” his lips formed a little smile and he seemed to debate, very quickly, his next move. “Have a good day” was the last thing Luke said before walking towards the school entrance, leaving me dumbfounded. 

He was right, though, when he mentioned my three friends coming. Soon enough they were in front of me, Michael and Calum seemingly wrapped up in a discussion of their own and Ashley just looking at them in mild desperation. 

As soon as her eyes landed on me however, a knowing grin made its way onto her lips.

“So” she started, dragging the o for a little. “What was Hemmings doing here?” she wiggled her eyebrows, making me inwardly roll my eyes.

“Saying hi and wishing me a good day” I simply shrugged, not seeing the point in lying.

“Sure, sure” she nodded, not convinced, when finally the two boys decided to include us in their discussion over which answer was the right one for our Maths homework, the only class the four of us had together. From then on, waiting for the bell to ring but also on our way to class, we started throwing around our answers, debating and going over every passage of the problem. 

Turns out, none of us had got it right and Calum even received a disappointed look from our teacher the second he’d tried to explain our misplaced calculations.

“I won’t miss this pathetic excuse of a subject one bit” he sighed, still enraged, as soon as the four of us stepped out of the classroom, earning giggles and nods of agreement.

“She could’ve at least been nice about it! Her job is literally to teach us, not yell how much of a disappointment we are” Ashley added, still fuming about her own interaction with the teacher over homework. 

“Well, it is eight in the morning for her, too” shrugged Michael, earning pointed looks from the rest of us. Dragging Calum away before he could start yelling again, this time his frustration directed towards the green-eyed boy, I laughed lightly watching a little colour flow back into the blond’s cheeks – clearly afraid of his friend’s temper.

“See you later!” I waved towards them walking towards the Physics classroom, the blue haired boy following and muttering under his breath. 

As we walked in and I took my seat behind Calum’s, I noticed that Luke wasn’t here yet. Since when do you notice? – asked the other part of my brain, quickly shushed as the blond in question walked into the door and shot me a wink as he walked by me. Calum was quick to turn around and face me with slightly widened eyes.

“When did Hemmings start to wink at you?” he asked in a whisper, leaning in close, still I knew the vampire would be listening. Or could he? Had I watched too many shows?

“He doesn’t” I opted for, but my friend only raised a brow at that. 

“Fine, I don’t know” I groaned quietly in mild irritation. 

“Now turn around!” I folded my arms over my chest as Calum put his hands up in surrender, giggling. Snickering I turned around myself, searching for Luke’s eyes – which of course were on us. “I heard that” he mouthed at me gaining an eye roll, but also making me blush lightly. Before I could think too much about the latest interaction, the teacher finally walked into the classroom demanding everyone’s attention.

The rest of the day went by easily, except every time I had to suffer through the sneaky remarks of my friends about the blond vampire. Luke was definitely up to something, always making sure to pass by me in the hallways, saying “hi” every time and even winking, at times. It felt like the heat that rushed to my cheeks whenever he did these sort of thins would never go away. 

“You know” started Michael as we were making our way to Calum’s car after the insufferable day spent at school. “I think you should really go over and talk to him” he nodded towards the other end of the small school’s parking lot, making all of our heads turn to see Luke standing there, busy with his phone. 

“Yeah, he’s been parading around you all day today” agreed Ashley, her knowing grin ever present. 

“He winked at her in Physics” added Calum.

“He winked at her all day” deadpanned Michael, making everyone giggle except me. I gave him a pointed look, but he just shrugged with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll go, but just to make you lot shut up” raising my hands in surrender I started walking backwards towards the subject of our discussion, earning a quiet cheer from the trio. 

“Ask him how’s his eye!” exclaimed my green-eyed friend, making everyone laugh and eliciting a groan for me. I seriously doubt his eye is anything less than perfectly fine. 

As I turned to face Luke still cringing at the quiet hollers coming from my friends, which followed my through the emptying parking lot, I noticed his small amused smile.

“Just to make them shut up?” he asked once I was closed enough, I rolled my eyes- again.

“Yes” I nodded. “What was all of that today?”

“All of what?” he feigned ignorance, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his leather jacket as he started walking towards the exit. I followed mirroring his action, although I doubted he hid his hands because he was shivering from the cold. 

“You know what” I lightly elbowed him, a little taken aback by the sudden urge to be this familiar with him.

“Well, I was just saying hi to my friend” he turned his head to look down at me due to the height difference between us. “And I rather like seeing you blush” he added, a Cheshire cat-like grin stamped on his lips. Now that he’d said it, there was no way I was going to be able to maintain a straight face or stop the heat from rushing to my cheeks. “Beautiful” he murmured still looking at me. 

Completely overwhelmed by his words, I steered the conversation into an entirely different direction. “So what happens now?” I asked, he raised a brow as if encouraging me to explain myself better. “What happens now that you’ve found me again?” I clarified, the question had rung in my head all night barely allowing me to get any shut-eye time. 

Luke looked tense, clearly familiar just as much as me with what could happen, and shrugged. “I’ll go to any length to keep you safe” he’d stopped walking, looking at me with such intensity I had no trouble believing the words he said. I nodded, resuming our walk.

“Where are we going?” the question almost came out of my mouth on its own, having danced around my mind for a little while.

“Do you trust me?” he asked back, offering me his hand to hold. It took less than a second for my brain to think of the answer.

“Yes” and I grasped his hand in mine.

tag list: @assumeimapenguin @rose-coloredmind @keithseabrook27

[daughterofposeidon25]

DaughterOfPoseidon Favorites

My hero academia-Kiribaku

🔴 = NSFW

Please read at your own risk. Carefully read tags and enjoy!

A Name That You'll Remember by Heronfem

Kirishima Eijirou is a Hero. Bakugou Katsuki... is not. Trapped in his toxic workplace and increasingly desperate to get out, Red Riot's days are only brightened by a new villain known as Caution, who's not exactly villainous and keeps accidentally doing good deeds. But when a real villain appears, a threat from the past that demands that Red Riot make the ultimate sacrifice to keep the public safe, Bakugou is forced into saving the day... and eventually, Red Riot himself.

Part 1 of Won't Go Quietly

Freshly Ground Coffee by arxaris

Bakugou had been going to BeansPot Coffe for a long time. A hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in the middle of the city, the place was a wonderfully well-kept secret – at least in Bakugou’s opinion. And that’s exactly how he liked it. Coffee with a side of quiet, blissful anonymity had become his favorite way to start his work day. Which was why he was instantly on guard when he walked in one morning to see a new face standing behind the counter. Well, actually, first he saw his hair.

Stop-sign red and styled up into spikes, it looked ridiculous against the cream-colored walls of the shop. Between that and the way-too-wide smile that stretched across his face, he was almost hard to look at directly.

Too goddamn bright for this early in the morning.

Or, pro-hero Ground Zero had a morning routine that he liked perfectly fine, thank you very much. That is, until a bright-eyed new barista showed up to throw a wrench in it, one caramel latte at a time.

sparks by helwolves 🔴

“I’m just really happy,” Eijirou says. He sighs shakily and then all but collapses onto Katsuki, burying his face against the vulnerable spot at the base of his throat. “Ah, you smell so good,” he says, trailing off into a soft growl. “They say that means you’ll be really compatible with your rider, you know... Is it the same for men?”

Alternately: "they can't show us Bakugou riding a dragon that might be Kirishima and NOT expect me to want him to fuck it."

Part 1 of sparks, etc.

Blood of my Hand by PurplePersnickety

Eijirou is a half dragon, stuck in a cage, unable to shift from his human form. Then a bad-tempered barbarian arrives on the scene, Eijirou makes a blood pact he'll probably regret, and he learns that finding a missing friend of his might just tie into the fate of the world.

Katsuki is a mountain clan outcast, and if he ever wants to return then he must meet the demands of the Queen and bring back the head of a dragon. Then Katsuki meets the most irritating lizard, makes a blood pact he'll probably regret, and learns that- wait? The world? Oh fuck.

quote love unquote by newamsterdam

Sero nods. “It’s the chance of a lifetime, really,” he says. “We want you to date Bakugou, for the sake of his reputation with the press. Some public appearances, a few ‘candid’ photos. For at least a couple of months.”

“Bakugou sent you to ask me to date him?” Kirishima asks, baffled.

“Of course not. We, his people, are asking you to date him. He’s going to have to get on board, if he wants his career to survive. And in the bargain, Riot will get all sorts of publicity, because their lyricist will be dating one of the industry’s hottest stars. A win for everyone.”

When Kirishima Eijirou's band hits the big time, he's not prepared for his newfound fame. He's even less prepared to meet the actor he's been crushing on for years, or to start dating him as a publicity stunt. The closer Kirishima gets to Bakugou Katsuki, the more he realizes he's in over his head. But it's hard to stop, once his heart is in it.

A Dragon's Hoard by chezka

There was a lizard in Kirishima’s room.

A scaley, clawed, fanged lizard. A fifty centimeters long, red, winged lizard.

A dragon, there was a dragon in the middle of the floor of Kirishima’s room.

Bakugou blinked slowly, a hand curled around the door’s handle and one foot still out in the hallways. He looked at the dragon, the dragon looked back at him.

“What the fuck,” Bakugou whispered.

take your broken wings and fly by bwyn

Rifts—man, he hates these things. They look misty, but are dry; they look hot, but feel cold as a winter chill. They’re the exact opposite of what his eyes assume. It’s like some sort of sensory illusion. To top it all off, if he thinks about them too long, the space behind his eyes starts to throb. Not worth it.

The hawk takes off without prompting the closer Eijirou gets. Goosebumps prickle across his skin at the waft of cool air.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” grunts Eijirou as his skin goes hard around his hands.

Part 1 of Tales from the Rift

The Beauty of a Beast by starofjems

Once upon a time a lonely beast lived in a manor deep in the forest. He dreamed of the day his true love appeared to break his curse... When a beauty finally appears in his life, it is not quite as he imagined. For who could have thought a beauty would be more of a beast.

Or

The beauty and the beast AU nobody asked for but here it is.

Broomsticks by ComiclzWrites 🔴

Local witch Bakugo Katsuki doesn't have many friends and he'd like to keep it that way but the shop that he gets all his ingredients from has a new delivery boy that might just work his way into Bakugo's fiery little heart.

AKA: Bakugo Katuski is a witch, Kirishima Eijirou is his delivery boy, and this is the story of how they fell in love.

Broken Bridges by DeathBelle 🔴

After years of working abroad, Kirishima moves back to Japan to open his own agency, and things seem to be going well. There’s plenty of work, he gains popularity quickly, and it’s a relief to be back in his home country. Everything is perfect, until he runs into Bakugou on the scene of a villain attack.

Bakugou had been his best friend at U.A., but the two of them haven’t spoken for years. That had been Bakugou’s decision, not Kirishima’s, and he's still a little hurt by it. Regardless, it’s easy to put that aside in favor of rekindling his friendship with Bakugou. They fall back into a routine and it’s as if nothing has changed; including Kirishima’s old feelings for his best friend. When a new pair of villains starts picking off heroes one by one, Kirishima feels that he and Bakugou are the best heroes to take the case. All the extra time they spend together hunting villains is great, except Kirishima feels like his heart is being ripped out every time Bakugou looks at him.

Kneel by deviance 🔴

“Bakugou?”

Bakugou shuffled on his feet, hovering over Kirishima and looking at the ground with stormy eyes. He glanced up to glare at Kirishima, a silent dare to call him out on his odd behavior no doubt. Kirishima forced himself not to tense. Whatever Bakugou wanted, he was about to show him and Kirishima had to get this right. Bakugou was all about showing and not telling.

Kirishima nearly bit his tongue to keep in a squawk of surprise when Bakugou suddenly dropped to his knees next to him, shuffling forward until he could press his forehead to his thigh and hide his face against Kirishima's leg. Kirishima opened his mouth, questions on the tip of his tongue, and he barely managed to catch them before they could be given voice. Bakugou was trembling minutely, his entire frame so tense his muscles were twitching under Kirishima's gaze.

“Just. Don't say anything,” Bakugou muttered, hands clenching in his lap tightly. “Please,” he whispered, a short choked sound.

The Lost Continent by cattchi, paglykos 🔴

Kirishima Eijirou is from a noble family of pirate exterminators. Bakugou Katsuki is rising as one of the most fearsome pirates on the seas.

When a trade goes awry, Kirishima finds himself cast among Bakugou's crew, having to learn the ropes and the sea as they chase after All Might's infamous hidden treasure.

Of Ghosts and other Inaccurate Things by chezka

A week before the sports festival found Bakugou walking back home in the late afternoon, sunset light making his scowl even more menacing and drawing a long shadow right in front of him.

Someone was walking by his side.

There was no second shadow on the floor beside his own to confirm this, but if he kept his focus on the street ahead and carefully avoided trying to look to his left, he could consistently make out black hair swishing in the wind and strong arms leading to hands sunk in pants’ pockets. The edges were blurry, but there was definitely someone at his side.

Tell Me I'm Yours by arxaris 🔴

Bakugou was going a little crazy. He could grudgingly admit that it was at least in part his own fault; moving in with his best friend maybe hadn’t been the best idea. At first, it sounded great. The rent would be cheaper, grocery shopping and cooking for two would be way more convenient, and it would be easier for the two of them to hang out. The only thing was, Bakugou forgot to consider how the joys of moving in with his aforementioned best friend might be dampened by the fact that he was madly in love with him.

Alternatively: Kirishima Eijirou is a goddamn tease and there's no way he doesn't know what he's doing.

Part 1 of tell me i'm yours

Fire in the Storm by Vagabond for Shippeh 🔴

Bakugo Katsuki is a stubborn bastard and does what you should never do: splits the party. He gets caught in a rainstorm and seeks shelter in a cave which yields an interesting discovery in the form of a shape-changing stranger.

Or: Kirishima is a dragon, and Bakugo seeks shelter in his lair.

i'm going to the forest to kick my own ass by WannabeMarySue

“What the fuck,” he mutters, quietly but with feeling.

He stomps over and picks it up. Emotional Intelligence for Dummies glares up at him in garish yellow font.

“What the fuck,” he repeats, louder and with more feeling.

(or, todoroki tries to play a prank, but jokes on him, because bakugou is fueled by complex emotions like Anger and Winning).

Kitsune Bakugo and Oni Kiri (Inu x Boku SS AU) by ComiclzWrites 🔴

The Maison de Ayakashi is a high security apartment building where humans with demon or yōkai ancestors reside, each guarded by their own Secret Service bodyguard. Bakugo stuck with the ancestor of the Kitsune has been moved into the apartment as his parents last ditch effort to fix his aggressive personality; his hired bodyguard Kirishima the ancestor of the Oni seems determined to turn his world upside-down.

Everglow by Maplefudge

Eijirou and Katsuki are known to be a formidable duo, one being a dragon shifter, the other a powerful human with explosive magic. They work together as if it's second nature, and the nations know their names. However, it hasn’t always been like that.

aka

The story of how Eijirou and Katsuki accidentally formed a life bond with each other and ended up as reluctant partners.

'Cause the Dark's Not Taking Prisoners Tonight by imatrisarahtops

“Are those soba noodles?” Kirishima asked.

Again Bakugou’s only reply was a grunt. He offered no further explanation—not that Kirishima honestly expected one—as though making soba noodles from scratch at half past four in the morning wasn’t at all a bizarre occurrence and made complete and total sense. For a fleeting moment, Kirishima even wondered if maybe he was the odd one here. Besides, he’d already decided it was generally not in his best interest to question these types of things with Bakugou, especially when it was something essentially harmless.

When Kirishima has a nightmare and is unable to fall back asleep, he accepts defeat and decides to study in the common area of the dorms. What he doesn't expect to find is Bakugou, also very much awake, and Kirishima can't help but think that maybe they're both having the same problems with sleeping. If he's worried, it's just because they're friends. (Right?)

Cranky-rishima by PurplePersnickety

"Oh, I just fell out of bed," Kirishima said, almost airily. He put one hand to the back of his neck. "But I'm good."

Katsuki squinted at him. "No you're not."

Kirishima's expression fell, and he looked down at the hand not on his neck. His fingers were trembling and he closed his hand up into a fist. "No, I'm not. Fuck it."

Part 1 of Nightmares Aren't Explodable

Engraved in your Mind by Hejter

Bakugou Katsuki lost his ability to recognize faces, so he didn’t know any of the people who stared at him, but he knew what dread looks like when he sees it, and as he looked around the crowd, every single person had exactly that written all over their face.

He looked down at the guy who was still on the ground, part of his uniform’s shirt burnt, his wounded face covered by his hands and his hair smoking slightly.

Katsuki glanced at his hands and finally realized something.

or

Kacchan is still a stubborn prick while suffering from face blindness. Also, quirk discrimination is a thing.

alternatively-

New quirk, who dis

The Weight of Your Hand by kamin

That night, to the citizens, the explosions were a jolt of fear at every blast, but to the heroes and the students of UA, they were punches and swings, fierce fighting and loud strength. The explosions were the pulse of the battle, and the power of a boy that would never back down.

One after another, explosions set a chorus through the shuddering city.

And then, suddenly—the explosions stopped.

(In which Bakugou’s kidnapping goes a little differently, and just a few seconds could change so much.)

Obsidian by PullingAllMighters

Bakugou Katsuki's a dangerous guy, even without his unnatural, fae-given magic. Used and scorned as evil everywhere he goes for having powers he didn't ask for, Bakugou wanders the world as a rogue nova, hunting beasts and criminals for survival. It's too bad that the real villains didn't take it well that he's not joining their side. But now they've framed it so he's a mass murderer, making all the other magicked humans like him look bad. Hunted and ever the loner, Bakugou meets Kirishima, a dragon who's also alone and outcast, who vows to protect him until they can either clear his name, or get far enough away that it doesn't matter.

Not that Bakugou needs him. Bakugou Katsuki doesn't need anyone, especially not some broken dragon who can't even fly.

You Got Me Bewitched, I Am Under Your Spell by 🔴 Obsessed_As_A_Coping_Mechanism

“Uh… hello?” Kirishima calls, his deep voice echoing in the room.

The witch doesn’t answer.

Not one to be discouraged by silence, even if that silence is scary as hell, Kirishima steels his nerves and steps over the threshold.

THAT the male notices. He immediately stops grinding, his head tilting to an almost forty five degree angle. It’s almost cat like. It’s absolutely eerie. He hmphs, before he calls out, “Leave.” He grabs a fistful of sour smelling leaves off the plant in front of him and drops them into his bowl.

What?! No way! Kirishima advances further, the doorway creaking under his feet. He won’t take that for an answer. “I need your help?” Frick. Why did that sound like a question when it should have been a statement?

The witch doesn’t look up again, but he swears the male rolls his eyes. “Leave. Now.”

The witch is gorgeous.

I'll Save You Myself by Obsessed_As_A_Coping_Mechanism

After Kirishima saves Bakugou from the League of Villains he can't let go of his hand. He's been holding it for hours, but his fingers are cement. Unbreakable.

Otherwise called: Fuck Eijirou, I'm The One Who Got Kidnapped, Why The Hell Are You Leaking All Over Me? And... Why Does My Heart Feel Like Its Going To Throw-up? By: Bakugou Katsuki

The Extra's Club by Sonamae

Toru is a bright ray of sunshine! At least she pretends to be. Right up until Bakugo Katsuki catches her crying in the kitchen.

Life's a Drag(on) by PurplePersnickety

"Sparky," Katsuki turned and laid a hand on Kaminari's shoulder. "I need you to know that the position of Best Man at our wedding is between you and a fucking dragon, so start psyching yourself up to fight for it."

"A what?" Kaminari repeated faintly.

Bakugou Katsuki currently experiences three major problems with his life:

1. He helped a dragon with a broken leg once and now it keeps showing up outside his house all the time. 2. He has a huge hopeless crush on the guy with the red hair and the freaky teeth who just moved into the village. 3. He has no idea what to do about either of the above.

Burden of Proof by kytrin, Mslead 🔴

All it took was one bad day. Eijiro Kirishima was slotted to be one of UA's finest detectives before he was framed for a crime he didn't commit. Now he was used to people keeping him at arms length even after he scraped the remains of his reputation back together as a private investigator. When an old serial killer returns from the past, he finds himself in the center of a case darker and more dangerous than he could have ever anticipated. Teaming up with an angry homicide detective with ties to the killer, together they are forced to rely on one another as they face old and new enemies alike rising from the shadows.

All That Glitters Is Gold by Obsessed_As_A_Coping_Mechanism 🔴

Kirishima has been enamoured with the boy next door since he met him deep in the woods by his house as a kid.

Other than the fact that Bakugou never leaves the forest, won't voice his name, is nimble like a cat, and sometimes disappears into thin air, he's a normal kid just like Kiri!

Oh... and he's goregous.

And he just keeps getting prettier as time goes on.

No Secrets to Success by kingdoms

“Hey!” Kirishima says brightly, stepping sideways to be directly in the guy’s path. “I know you!”

“Fuck off,” the guy snarls, pushing past him and barely slowing down.

Kirishima is forced to start his first semester at UA two months late. Somehow he still meets Bakugou Katsuki, makes the most of those two months, and gains a tutor, a best friend, and an exciting way to scandalize his new peers. Canon AU where Kirishima and Bakugou become friends before Kirishima meets the rest of Class 1-A.

Smoke, Spice, and Everything Nice by let_me_wander 🔴

Bakugou Katsuki is a half-incubus and knows how to play the game: to find the perfect target, enchant them, and finally feed off of them. As long as certain conditions are met, no one can refuse him. Until Kirishima Eijirou.

Looks like Bakugou will have to seduce him the old fashioned way. Unless, of course, Kirishima wins him over first.

Oh My Gods by Synnie 🔴

Kirishima is overjoyed when he learns his fields have been blessed by the Harvest God, Crimson. When Bakugo, God of War, helps himself to the Harvest God's offerings, Kirishima learns a blessing from a god is also an open invitation for other gods to wreak havoc in his otherwise quiet life.

But when the gods are betrayed by one of their own, Kirishima finds himself caught up in the intrigue. All he wanted was to go back to the life he knew. But will that be enough for him now that he's tasted so much more?

Fire and the Flood by Maplefudge 🔴

Kirishima's good at massages and Bakugou's bad at feelings (they both are).

You Feel Like God Inside That Gold by Sacramental_Wine 🔴

When Kirishima figured out he was gay, he’d been pretty sure that the obsession his fellow male classmates had with boobs would not be an issue in his life.

He could get distracted by nice muscles or a great smile or many other things. He was an easily distracted guy! But those things were easy to keep blinders on for, he could keep from getting too distracted.

He hadn’t exactly planned on Bakugou.

Built to Fall by bigstupidjellyfish 🔴

nothing like an aftermath of a bad break up years later 

let me love you by arxaris 🔴

Kirishima’s liked Bakugou for years and years and never thought he’d even have a chance. Bakugou could easily become a runway model if he ever decided that’s what he wanted, while Kirishima is... well, just Kirishima.

There’s no denying he’s strong, but not in the graceful and beautiful way that Bakugou is. He’s got rolls no matter what he does, more body hair than he could ever hope to manage, and thighs that seem to constantly stretch his jeans at the seams no matter how big he buys them.

Yet, somehow within the span of the last hour, Kirishima’s gone from calling Bakugou ‘bro’ in their shared kitchen to lying underneath him in bed with Bakugou’s lean thigh pressed confidently between his thick ones.

So, yeah, forgive Kirishima if he’s freaking out a bit.

beautiful creatures by gothgirlclub 🔴

Caught in the middle of a morning accident, provisionally licensed Bakugou and Kirishima help take down the villain, only to fall victim to it’s quirk after taking it down.

So it’s really not their fault when they decide to play around with their new body parts, figuring out that scratching beneath the ears really was nice and that knots were annoying if your boyfriend got especially sleepy after sex.

alpha x alpha by Nutella0Mutt 🔴

If they had one dollar every time someone said it wasn’t possible, and to give it up, they'd be fucking billionaires.

Nobody thinks they'll work. It's unnatural, illogical, and against biology. Bakugou and Kirishima have one motto: fuck the haters.

It Will Find You Here by arxaris 🔴

Katsuki’s life was falling apart. He had always known what he wanted. He had his life and career completely planned out. He’d accounted for every detail and every potential obstacle. Except for one. He was not prepared in the slightest to be six years into his carefully constructed life plan, extremely successful, and suddenly so goddamned miserable that he couldn’t make it through a day of work.

He was fine. He really just needed some fucking time, space, and air to breathe. So, he loaded up his backpack and left Japan, hoping that a bit of time off and travel might help him get over this bullshit and on with the plan. However, a few weeks into his trip he met a meddlesome redhead in the Thai islands who threatened to disrupt his universe in the worst ways imaginable: by making him fall in love, and by breaking the news that Katsuki couldn’t outrun himself.

Burger Kings by plantegg

Bakugou does something illegal. Kirishima finds out and makes him take him out to dinner to keep him quiet.

That's All You Ever Have to Say by arxaris 🔴

Maybe a sane person wouldn’t put up with it. They’d probably call the whole thing unhealthy, say that Bakugou should learn to express his feelings. People have suggested to Kirishima in the past that he put his foot down and demand they talk about things. They’ve gritted their teeth as they told him Bakugou was playing games with him, looked at him with pity as if they were cluing him into something everyone knew but him, something truly awful. But of course Kirishima knew. How could he not? Katsuki wasn’t just playing games with him. They were playing games together.

And Kirishima was positively addicted to them.

Rutting For You by FoolishFortuna 🔴

Kirishima’s scent washed over him as the redhead moved to slide into bed and Katsuki found his mouth watering. For fuck sake, why was his body being such an asshole all of a sudden? He swallowed.

“Uh, Bakugou?” Eijirou's voice was quiet, almost rough, “You're putting out a pretty strong scent.” There was a tone to his best friend's voice that he'd never heard before, and it sent a shiver through Katsuki as he fisted the duvet in his hand tighter and ground his teeth.

His gums ached.

“Its nothing, shut up.” He focused on getting his pheromones under control quickly. Fuck, he really wanted to bite something. Something that smelled like Eijirou. He swallowed another mouthful of saliva.

“Do you-” Kiri swallowed as well, “d’you wanna just sleep up here?”

Why Don't We Dance a While? by Sacramental_Wine 🔴

They were supposed to be directly fighting each other but with one of them playing a villain, encouraged to fight dirty and think on their feet to fight against an unlikely team-up. It was supposed to test the solo “villain’s” ability to think on their feet and anticipate while the team was being evaluated on their ability to adapt to on the fly quirk combinations and unlikely situations. Some of them, like Momo and Sato and Aoyama, struggled a bit more than others with the villain role.

Others were shockingly good at it. Ochako had been having a blast the entire time, Iida continued to excel, and Tokoyami had played up his own more spooky allure.

Kirishima was among one of the good ones.

Something Warm by let_me_wander

When an annoying customer with ridiculous hair starts frequenting the coffee shop Bakugou works at in the weeks before Christmas, he doesn't think much of it. Until it becomes all he can think about.

Awkward flirting, the first snow, a rock show, and probably way too much coffee.

[gretchensinister]

Blacksand for the ship ask!

·         who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

So, what’s probably going to happen as I answer these is that I will have a version of the story for BOTH options, the story just takes on a very different mood when you switch the characters (after all, we still have to get to 8000 blacksand AUs)

Pitch werewolf and Sandy hunter: this has the potential to be beautifully horrifying, and it’s also like slipping on an old comfy sweater. The shape of this story is Known.

Sandy werewolf and Pitch hunter: Yeah, yeah—Pitch is like this bitter dude who is about as scary as the monsters he hunts, but this story takes a turn for the wondrous as his relationship with Sandy starts to show him that the world of the supernatural isn’t all bad/can offer him what the “normal” world can’t

·         who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

Pitch fisherman and Sandy mermaid: Sandy is already associated with mermaids and this has the potential to fluster Pitch like, a LOT, and that’s good.

Sandy fisherman and Pitch mermaid: I actually did this one where Sandy was a pirate captain that captured mermaid Pitch, Pitch as a mermaid lives at that crossroads of terrifying/wonderful that works so well to draw Sandy.

·         who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

Witch Sandy and Pitch familiar: who doesn’t like a warm, friendly, extremely powerful witch with an unsettling and lanky black cat that only they see as “a big softie”

Pitch witch and Sandy familiar: this however is less expected and more hilarious. Scary evil (or reputedly evil) witch with a fat and fluffy orange cat as a familiar? Imagine a desperate person coming to bargain with Pitch and they’ve got this whole menacing spiel going except that it’s a little ruined as desperate person is getting purred at and strongly headbutted by a giant fluffball

·         who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

Barista Sandy and coffee addict Pitch: Sandy doesn’t actually drink coffee and Pitch is totally baffled by how good he is at making it

Barista Pitch and coffee addict Sandy: Sandy needs the coffee solely to stay awake for his night job, Pitch is desperately trying to get him to appreciate the difference between gas station sludge and all the fine espresso drinks he makes for him, without making it obvious that he’s fallinG IN LOVE EEK

·         who’s the professor and who’s the TA

I’m skipping this one, can’t get into it after a real life situation at the university I went to for grad school

·         who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

Knight Pitch and prince Sandy: Sandy is one of those beloved princes who nevertheless keeps getting into trouble because his head is in the clouds, doesn’t seem to care about the rank difference between him and Knight Koz (because that’s how it starts) and so Koz ends up knowing him better than most others and then Sandy’s the one to rescue his former knight (bodyguard YES) after some magical shenanigans or curse or something turns him into a monster(?) UGH YES I WANT THIS STORY NOW

Knight Sandy and Prince Pitch: Sandy is a very competent (and often underestimated by strangers) knight and Pitch is a rather strange, off-putting prince…the shenanigans here are that Pitch is supposed to get married but all the potential spouses are like, “uhhh…” and Sandy is like, “you buffoons. But also it hurts me to be part of the entourage travelling with Pitch to get him married off” and Pitch is like “none of my suitors Properly Respects My Bodyguard So They All Suck.” Eventually they figure this out. EVENTUALLY.

·         who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

I feel like we definitely had a fairly well-developed AU where Sandy was a teacher and Pitch was a single parent. It was in the fluff side of the spectrum, highly valuable and warming.

Actually the only way I can make this work with Sandy as the single parent is by using book elements to make this a bizarre, soap-opera-ish scenario? Like the kid is still Seraphina/Emily Jane. Something happened and she was assumed to be an orphan as a baby and Sandy and his partner adopted her, then Sandy’s partner died of plot (sorry Sandy and sorry unnamed partner). Sera gets to an angsty teenage stage and researches her bio family and finds out that her bio dad is STILL ALIVE and boy is she PISSED and so she contacts him and then he comes to meet her and Sandy is also there because he’s a responsible father and Sera is trying to deal with this WACK SITUATION which then only gets MORE WACK when her dad and bio dad start to be into each other??? Oh wait Pitch is supposed to be a teacher in this scenario. Uh. FORGET THE OTHER CONTACT IDEA. Maybe he’s like her AP bio teacher or something and when the class is doing a genetics unit something happens in a lab that reveals that they have to be closely related…which honestly their distinct looks kind of makes unsurprising. Marie Kondo voice: “I love mess!”

·         who’s the writer and who’s the editor

Sandy writer and editor Pitch: Pitch is just desperately trying to get Sandy to use real words and write in a way that other people can understand, while dreaming of running away with him and starting their own experimental press

Pitch writer and Sandy editor: Sandy is just desperately trying to get Pitch to understand what the horror market will and will not accept, while increasingly battered manuscripts get used as bath reading and almost dropped in the tub, bedtime reading and both cuddled and shoved under a pillow—it’s all VERY heart-pounding but not in fashion for the genre. They figure it out. EVENTUALLY.

[justjessame]

Dr. Tali Sullivan Chapter 2: The Pain of Knowing

I was alone in my house when the call came in. It had been eight months and twelve days since Sam and Dean had shown up in my classroom, a horrible mimicry of when John had sat in the same spot months earlier for the first time. A visit that had haunted me from that moment. A visit telling me that they hadn’t heard from him. Learning that John was missing, that his silence toward me wasn’t on purpose necessarily, created a pit in my stomach that kept growing once they left and I heard nothing from them.

I’d just gotten back to my house after my parents had insisted on a visit. Mom knew, when I’d called to check with her and Dad whether they’d had contact with John how tied in knots I was. Having hunters for parents meant that they saw and heard everything. Especially the things you’d rather they didn’t. Mom had known how I felt about John Winchester since I was sixteen. The same time, apparently, that he’d taken notice of me. And that’s why, when John came to them to ask about the Barghest, Mom had insisted he come speak to me. Dad had a copy of my thesis, and I think he had a copy of my notes that included everything I’d shared with John about the ways to elude and kill one.

When I’d called to see if John had contacted my parents after Sam and Dean had shown up asking me for more information, Mom had heard my distress and knew that he and I had given in to our mutual attraction. And when summer hit, when I had no classes or responsibilities at my school, they demanded I come for a visit. Dad was a bit weirded out when I took a look at the dining room table and flinched, remember how John had wanted to tease him about that witch’s spell. He couldn’t understand, not everything he noticed that seemed to bring me pain, but Mom did. She’d find time to take me away from the house, trying to get me to talk about it. About John and me, and what happened. But I couldn’t.

Talking about it, reliving the good would seem too much like I’d given up on him returning. That I would be talking through the memories and saying a permanent goodbye. I wanted to hear his voice again. I wanted to feel his body against mine, his lips pressed against my lips as he smiled through making love to me. If I shared with my mom, it would be admitting there was a chance he wouldn’t come back to me. That he could be gone, that he could be permanently gone. And I wouldn’t do that, not yet.

When the call came from Ellen Harvell’s Roadhouse, I assumed she was calling to tell me a new unknown hunter was being sent to me for information about another rare creature. Instead, her words chilled me to the bone. My hope of hearing John’s deep voice left. My wish that I’d feel him wrapped around me as we drifted off to sleep after making love repeatedly during one of his visits evaporated. And I could barely hear her calling my name through the line, asking if I was alright, if I could let my parents know since they hadn’t answered their phones and she figured they were on a hunt.

My lips were numb. My body was so cold that I felt like Death had crept up and taken me too. I managed to mutter my assurances to Ellen that I’d tell Mom and Dad. I managed to sign off and I managed to make it to my couch before I collapsed in grief. I didn’t cry. No sobs came. It felt like I was in a nightmare, and if I just sat still, if I just stayed quiet, then I’d wake up and still be with my parents. That it was a dream, a terrible dream, brought on by my fears of the silence from him for months. That my mind had manufactured the worst case scenario and was torturing me with it. But I didn’t wake up.

The sun was shining through my living room curtains. I could hear the birdsong outside. Children running through the neighborhood screaming and having fun on the final days of summer vacation. All of it mocked me. The laughter, the sunlight, and the birds. They screamed, as loudly as those kids were screaming encouragement to one another in their games, that the world was still turning. That everything continued on, even as my heart was breaking over and over.

 The phone rang again a few days later. Mom. I’d left the message that Ellen felt she couldn’t. And my mom had heard my torment loud and clear. She’d reached out to John’s sons. John’s body was gone, as was the way of a hunter, salted and burned and GONE. I’d have no final goodbye. They were vague about WHERE they’d burnt him. I couldn’t even visit the spot. I couldn’t take a moment, standing where he’d been wrapped for our traditional funeral pyre, and close my eyes to remind myself it had been real. That he and I had been REAL. Because in death, even that was erased.

“Tali, sweetheart, you still have a week before classes start.” Mom was saying, and I fought to keep my attention focused on her voice, on her words. “Come home, honey, let me take care of you.”

“I’m fine,” I blinked back the tears that were finally threatening making an appearance. “I have to go over my curriculum, the dean asked me to add a few more classes to my schedule.” All true, yet I had already prepared. I wanted to be alone. Alone with my pain and sorrow. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” I begged off the call.

Speaking hurts. Even if it wasn’t about John. Even if it was benign and commonplace. I knew because I’d barely been able to make polite noises during errands. I wasn’t here, in this world, not completely. I had so many questions. How? How had John died? Why? Why was he taken from this world? And most importantly to me, why hadn’t Sam or Dean called me and told me?

I knew, even if I didn’t want to acknowledge it, why they hadn’t. John and I, we weren’t something that his sons could fathom or condone. I wasn’t their mother, I was Dean’s age. I was everything that neither of them could have wanted for their dad. And for that, I was left off of the contact list.

Classes began, and I was lucky that I had my lectures memorized. I knew my classes and the topics by rote, but I also knew that my students were confused by the monotone way I was bringing the information to them. My class was popular because I was engaging. Or I had been.

“Dr. Sullivan?” End of class, everyone was gathering their paraphernalia from the second year portion of my class when one brave soul finally decided to ask the question hovering over their heads. “Are you alright?”

I focused on the young man in front of me. He reminded me of a mixture of Sam and Dean Winchester. Unsure and lanky like Sam, but rumpled and cute like Dean and my heart clenched. I fought to recall his name and found it after a moment. “I’m fine, Hank.” I tried to assure him, but even the reassurance sounded limp to me. “It’s been a long couple of months.”

“It’s just-” he stopped and took a breath. “Your class, the way you teach it, usually we all know you’re with us. And it seems like-”

I sighed, and shuffled my papers on the lectern. “I know,” I nodded, why deny it? “I’ve been working through a few-” I closed my eyes and I could see flames. “A good weekend’s rest, and I’ll be good as new.” I didn’t know if the promise was for him or me. “Have a good weekend, Hank. I’ll see you Monday.” Dismissed. And he knew it.

“You too, Dr. Sullivan.” He walked away and I felt like the weight on my shoulders got heavier.

I’d been home only about an hour when my phone rang. Looking at the ID, I sighed. “Hello, Bobby.” I answered, grabbing the glass of iced tea I just poured and going to my desk. “What’re you working on?”

I heard his rough chuckle on the other end. “Do you got all my damn numbers saved in that phone of yours?” He asked, and I smiled despite myself, but it was fleeting. “Never even let me get in a ‘hello’.” I sighed and waited. “How are ya, Tali?” I closed my eyes and considered how to answer.

“Been better,” I answered, taking a sip. “What big nasty has you baffled, Bobby?” Back on track, Tali, keep him on track so you don’t have to think about your feelings or pain.

“I’m not.” His voice was different so I waited. “Look, Dean and Sam are here-”

I felt the now constant burn of tears in my eyes. “Ah, how are they? Give them my sympathies.” I’d returned to the flat tone from my classes, shutting down easily.

“Better yet, sweetheart, how are you?” He sounded concerned enough to let me know that he knew. “John,” he sighed and I remembered how the two of them had enough back and forth to make their relationship ‘complicated’. “He made some mistakes, but he was a good man, Tali.” I felt my heart clench. “He’d have wanted these two idjits of his to check on ya.”

I snorted. “It’s OK, Bobby, I understand why they didn’t.” I shook my head and brushed an errant tear away. “I’ll be fine,” another promise, and I still didn’t know who I was making it to. “I should get back to-”

“Tali Sullivan, don’t you try to bullshit me.” Bobby sounded tired of my shit, which was odd, since he’d called me. “I changed your diapers once upon a time and I know precisely how you bottle shit up.” Weird analogy, Bobby Singer, weird imagery. “Ya gotta face it, sweetheart, head first. Trust me, not facing it, not letting it out ain’t gonna do you any damn good.”

“I never got to say goodbye,” I whispered and I could hear the pain in my voice, for once. “I never got to tell him-”

“He knew, sweetheart, trust me.” Bobby stopped me. “John Winchester wasn’t born a hunter like your family, but he had the same instincts and the same damn laser focus on details. He knew you loved his sorry ass as surely as you knew he loved you.”

“Do I?” I asked, and there it was, the real pain. He was gone and we’d never told one another. “Do I know that he loved me?” If I thought the pain was bad before, this was almost unbearable. “I don’t know how he died, Bobby. I don’t know where they sent him off. I don’t know where he’d been before he died.” I closed my eyes fighting the image of flames from burning me alive from the inside out. “Months and months of silence that was broken by a phone call from the Roadhouse. That’s not love, Bobby, I don’t know what that is, but it’s not love.” I didn’t stay on the phone much longer. I’d hit my limit.

I spent the weekend locked in pain. I didn’t venture outside my house. I didn’t answer the phone, no matter who called. I wallowed. I let it flow through me like the flames that destroyed John Winchester’s body. I let it overtake me and I let it be my sole focus. Pain, grief, loss, sorrow, and regret all wrapped up in memories of John and I locked up in one another.

 Sunday came too soon, the morning burning bright, and the day looming up as one more day of anguish. At noon I heard a knock on the door, but I was wrapped up on the couch staring at my ceiling fan turning slowly and remembering that first night and this couch. The knock turned into a pounding. Shouts added to the ignored pounding, until finally I couldn’t ignore the noise any longer.

Sighing, I pushed up from my prone position and slumped to the door. When I opened it, I realized that I hadn’t focused on the sound of the voice shouting, and I should have. I should have focused and kept right on ignoring the noise. Standing on my doorstep was Dean Winchester and he was looking about as angry at me having kept his ass waiting as I felt at seeing him standing on my doorstep after hearing about John’s death from Ellen Harvelle.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growled, glaring at him and feeling for the first time in who knew how long anger instead of pain. “How fucking dare you.” And then I slammed the door in his fucking face and stalked back to my living room.

I forgot to lock the damn thing apparently, because he was inside my house and standing over me in seconds. “How fucking dare I?” He looked like a looming storm over me. “I was on that fucking porch for close to a damn hour, Tali.” He was pissed, and I didn’t care. “I was out there thinking you’d done something stupid like-”

I raised an eyebrow. “Me? Do something fucking stupid?” I stood up and poked him in his chest. “I have a doctorate you rancid asshole.” Poke. “I teach MULTIPLE fucking classes daily to a group of students that sit RIVETED to the sound of my fucking voice.” Poke. “I help people with the rarest fucking creatures and demons from hell that NO ONE fucking studied for DECADES.” Poke. “And YOU, Dean fucking Winchester, can’t even fucking work out how to use a fucking PHONE to let me know-” I lost steam, John had crept in again and I felt myself sink.

“Ah, shit,” Dean’s arms wrapped around me and pulled me to his chest. My head was cradled in his hand as he tried to calm the sobs that had unleashed again. “I’m sorry, Tali, fuck. We should have-” I pulled away as I realized how much he smelled like John. “I thought he’d called you.” He swallowed hard and his eyes pinched. “Sam and I, we thought he’d have checked in with you when he came back.”

I sat down on the sofa and felt my heart ripping out of me again. “He didn’t.” Weak, but true. “Guess he didn’t think I was worth the time.” And that hurt, so fucking much. “I just need-”

“Time?” Dean sat next to me, and pulled me into his side. It felt like he needed the comfort of comforting me. “Tali, I don’t know if you know this, but that ‘time heals all wounds’ shit is fucking bullshit.” I felt him prop his chin on my head. “It’s gonna hurt for a long fucking time. I still miss Mom, and I still feel it, that fucking pain.”

The tears hadn’t stopped flooding my eyes, but the sobs were over. “Did he at least kill it?” I had a theory that I knew precisely what John had died hunting. “Did he end it?”

“No.” Fuck. It had been a worthless sacrifice, his death. If he couldn’t avenge his wife’s death, then what was the fucking point. “He-” I heard him take a deep breath. “He died for me.” What? “He made a deal-”

I pushed away from Dean. “He made a deal?” My voice was hushed. A deal only meant one thing. He’d given his life for Dean’s and now, now he was in Hell. My eyes closed as more pain rushed over me. John Winchester, tormented in Hell was something my mind and heart couldn’t handle. I felt a scream rushing up my throat, but fought it. More tears, fuck would I ever run dry?

“He told me-” Another deep breath. “It’s Sam, Tali.” My eyes opened and locked on Dean’s matching green ones. “Dad told me something and I need your help.”