#oh god shes standing on hind legs shoot her-

[inkthemandrake]

Hits my mlp ocs with the furry ray beams

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sky Full of Stars - Chapter Nineteen.

I'm so sorry I missed an update last week, guys. Friday was a busy one for me! Hope you enjoy it, and happy Friday to you all :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 4,351

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI!

The normalcy of being home; it was something she craved above all when her life and career took her far away from it, Jade standing softly singing to herself as she stirred a pot of sauce upon the stove, her dogs milling around, Salem in his usual place upon the rug. Their other cat, Juno, wasn’t present, the big, pale grey Mane Coon exactly where she always was whenever they were home; welded to Adrien’s side.  

It was very fair to say she was daddy’s girl.  

They had four days left with one another before he would fly out to Rome to begin shooting his next project, the film entitled Third Person, the locations switching between the Italian capital, Paris and New York for twelve weeks, Adrien’s stint filming in Italy taking up nine of those. She would be leaving just before he came home, off to LA to work on a film she’d very much been looking forward to, a biopic about musical legend Gregg Allman, in which she would be playing a woman – who became an even bigger legend than he, if you asked her – he'd been married to for three years back in the seventies.  

Yes. She was playing Cher. And god, she was so excited. She’d nearly pee’d with elation when the lady herself had called her up and congratulated her, the women enjoying a long conversation about the upcoming role. ‘Just make sure you play me right, kid’, the icon had told Jade, who had walked around her house in a daze afterwards, only able to mutter ‘I just spoke to Cher on the phone, and she’s bloody lovely!’ on repeat for the following hour, giggling too.  

She giggled to herself all over again at the memory, wobbling a little, the fact that she’d only eaten half a bagel and a salad that day playing havoc with the fact she was on her second large glass of wine. Looking up, she saw the back door open, her paint flecked husband coming in, a very contented Juno riding his shoulder.  

“There’s my baby love,” he cooed, “cooking things that smell entirely too good. What are we having?” 

“Baked Ziti.” Ahhh, yes. Marry a girl from Italian roots and damn, the food she’ll cook for you. “And a fuckload of salad. I can’t have more than a few mouthfuls. I need to keep small to play Cher. Her body in the seventies was something else!”  

“I think you can spare a little more than that, Burtie,” he spoke, wrapping his arms around her, Juno jumping down to the floor neatly. “Really, you’re like a pin with great tits as it is.”  

“Pin with great tits and a six pack!” she shouted playfully, yanking up her t shirt. Any chance she got to flash her abs, she took it, Adrien bending to blow a raspberry against her stomach.  

“Sexy as hell, honey.” Giving her a big kiss, he reached for the open wine bottle, pouring himself a glass before jumping to sit on the counter, a nearby Brando rising up on his hind legs to place his paws on his knees, chew toy proffered forth. “So, gimme the rundown. You’re in LA from April seventeenth to May twenty first, and then what?”  

Giving the sauce another gentle stirring, she then put the hob on beneath the large pot of water to take care of the pasta. “Then we’re flying straight to the UK to headline the Friday at Download festival, then onto Germany to do another open air, then spending a week out there before moving onto the festival in France, then Spain, meaning I’ll arrive back on the July fifteenth with three days to spare before big pony gets here!” 

Oh, how excited she was for the arrival of her horse, everything ready for Mia when she got there, Jade having spent an eye watering amount of money on all the associated paraphernalia horses needed, including many thousands on a horse truck to actually bring her back from the airport in. She was worried about her having to be flown over, scared of her becoming panicked, being on the plane, but calmed a little for knowing she would be given a mild sedative prior to her flight, plus the fact that Wolfgang, the groom from the riding school would be flying with her.  

“And then it all calms down for a while,” he spoke, letting Brando win their tug o’ war game, the dog shaking his rope and trotting off to chew it over the other side of the kitchen. “It’s gonna be so damned strange, spending almost three months at home before I’m back working.”  

They had a few commitments between late June and mid-September, a few public appearances, invited to the Malaysian Grand Prix, a few charity events in New York, LA and London, a movie premiere for the last film Jade had shot and two for Adrien, but mostly they would get to enjoy a slower pace for once. It was virtually unheard of, for a couple who worked as hard as they did, both very much looking forward to an extended period of being able to spend some quality time together. 

“What’s this here?” he then asked, leaning over to reach for a handful of printed sheets of paper. 

“Oh! I meant to show you that and then I had wine!” 

Snorting a laugh, he looked at what he held, turning the pages as he tried to make sense of it. “It’s a teeny house of some sort?” 

“It’s a hen house, complete with roost. I’m making it myself since I couldn’t find anything I liked the look of online,” she spoke, sipping her wine and slotting herself between his thighs, Adrien wrapping his legs around her. “Stop laughing.” 

“I’m not.” That was negated somewhat by the shaking shoulders as he at least attempted to keep it in. “Burtie, we both know you and assembly don’t go hand in hand. You can’t even do flatpack.” 

She was aghast. “I bloody can!” 

Oh, the little bubble of delusion his beloved liked to live within. “The shelves in the bathroom?” 

“I got them done!” There was a pause. “Eventually.” 

“The bed at your place in the city? Granted, that was before my time, but Jen told me that you called her having a meltdown when you couldn’t get it assembled.” 

“It was difficult holding things together while lining the screws up!”  

“And you think joinery is gonna be any easier? With the nails and the sanding and the measuring?”  

She tightened her lips, trying not to laugh as he raised one eyebrow significantly higher than the other. “Will you let me help you before I go away?” 

“I can manage fine, Bug.” 

He hummed, resting his chin atop her head. “I’m not convinced at all. I don’t want to come home to a wife whose missing bits of herself, and the idea of you using a saw unassisted is scary as hell.”  

“How dare you cast such aspersions upon my DIY skills!” she gasped comically, flicking the papers in his hands with her finger a couple of times. “I’m working to plans! I measured, I even plotted out ground space, too!”  

Looking at them again, he concentrated, pointing at the measurements at the top of the page. “The roof will overhang the actual structure by four feet.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the sour face he was greeted with. “Stop scowling because you’re wrong. I’m helping you.”  

She finally smiled, realising that he was right and yes, she could likely do with a little assistance with her project. “Thank you." Kissing him, she went back to the pot upon the hob, picking up her phone and ordering all the timber needed from the nearest lumber yard, choosing the express option that would have the items delivered by noon the following day.  

When noon arrived, what began with good intentions after the delivery had been dropped off soon became a lesson in why couples, even those who rarely fought beyond stupid bickering, should never, ever attempt a joint DIY project.  

“No, that’s a side panel. It isn’t a floor piece.” He took a breath, at least attempting not to let his temper be further prickled.  

“It isn’t. The floor pieces are flat, the side panels are ridged. I haven’t nailed the last one together yet.” 

“Well, why the fuck not? It needs the last side panel putting on before the floor!” 

“Because as I just fucking said, I haven’t nailed it together yet!” 

“Then why not do that first instead of doing the floor?” 

“Because then I’ve got a space to easily get in and out of it to put the floor pieces in, haven’t I? If I don’t, then I’ve got to crawl through the pissing tiny little hen door, and I’m about four feet too fucking tall for that, Adrien!”  

“Or, and how about this for a revelation, since the roof isn’t on yet, just turn it upside down and nail the floor into the frame that way, so the nails then go up into the side pieces too and give it more support! Fucking hell!” 

Her jaw tightened staring at her husband, pointing the claw hammer she held towards him. “Knock the sarcasm off. You’re being a prick for the sake of it.”  

“And you’re being your usual, insufferable self who can’t get things done logically.” 

“Oh, alright, fucks sake!” she yelled, dropping the hammer with a thud. “So I didn’t think to upend it to nail the flooring on. True to form, you just have to be an all-knowing arsehole about it, don’t you?” 

He snorted, shaking his head. “And you wanted to do this by yourself. You’d have ended up with something like Homer Simpson had when he was making the doghouse.” He couldn’t help but laugh, realising how stupid their argument had become, looking up fondly. “I’m sorry.”  

“Fuck off.”  

“Come on, Jade. I said I’m sorry. Help me turn this over and we’ll get the floor nailed on.” While he was all for moving on with things speedily, Jade was a stewer, and stew on it she did, looking at him from under a furrowed brow. “Ow! Jesus fuck, Jade!” 

“What now?” she shouted, wishing for nothing more than a packet of matches, so she could set fire to her very bad idea. Why did she have to be so fussy? Why couldn’t a pre-assembled hen house have been good enough? 

“You just dropped it on my hand!”  

“Shit, are you alright?”  

“No.” She went to approach him, Adrien pointing. “Uh-uh. Bad to be near me right now. Very bad.” 

While he stormed off in the direction of the house, grasping his hand, she stood and took a deep breath. Big things they never truly argued about, somehow they seemed to have a very efficient synergy for dealing with larger problems they faced, but little things? Oh, they blew up. Both acting like stubborn idiots mostly.  

Knowing he needed time to cool down, she nailed the floor pieces on herself, then assembled the side panel, carefully turning the roost over to affix it. The roof frame was placed on, long nails hammered in to secure it to the main frame, only the roof panels left before it had to be affixed to the base frame, lifting it up high. She was about to begin nailing said panels on when a familiar scent drifted under her nose, Jade turning to see Adrien over to the side of the house, sitting on the outdoor couch on the patio. 

“Wow, I drove you to weed, hmm?” 

He side eyed her, picking up the bottle of beer he’d also brought out with him. “I think I might have driven myself to it, too.” That time, when he laughed softly, softness was returned, his wife moving to sit at his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing it.  

“How’s your hand?”  

He sniffed, holding it up. It was marked with a bright red line and a few grazes. “Had to yank out a few splinters. Nothing that being a little stoned won’t fix.” 

“Or you’ll fall asleep,” she shrugged, moving to lie her head on his lap, taking the joint when he passed it to her. 

“There’s a fifty percent chance of that,” he winked, making her snort softly.  

“Oh, not so mad that I won’t get the brunt of the horny sex demon, then?” she chuckled, blowing smoke down her nose.  

He leaned to her, kissing her forehead. “No, but I will fuck you angrily, Moo.”  

Any lingering tension melted away as she boomed a laugh, taking another drag, feeling the strong weed beginning to work. Her giggles only intensified, moving to lie with her head on his lap. 

“Look at you, fucking weed lightweight,” he spoke. Neither were particular hardened to it, though, smoking it as infrequently as they did. “What’s funny?” 

“The fact that we...” She sent him into a snorting mess, watching her hiss with laughter. “The fact that we can weather the hugest of storms in our life without so much as a crossed word, but building a hen house is what tips us into all the yelling and the rage!”  

“And then we get stoned and laugh about how completely ridiculous we are. Works for me,” he spoke, supressing a cough, taking another drag and handing it back to her, beginning to bounce his thigh beneath her head. 

“No, stop. You’ll give me motion sickness.”  

Why that was so hilarious, he had no idea, but it took him a good three minutes to stop laughing. Looking down, he continued to snicker, seeing Jade prodding her tongue against the zipper of his cargo pants. “You’ll wake him up.” 

“Maybe I want to.” Moving her hand, she pressed against his crotch, feeling a swell of semi-erectness there already. “Mmm, already awake, so I feel.” Moving astride him, her fingers glided through his hair giving it a little tug as she tickled his lips with her tongue, kissing him with slow, syrupy heat. “If you'll excuse me, I think I need to kiss you right here.” she purred, grasping his rapidly thickening cock with a soft moan, tongue flickering against the stubble upon his throat.  

“Eventually,” he grunted, mouth moving to her neck, pulling her black vest top up. “After I’ve sucked your tits.”  

Who was she to deny a man who hungered for her nipples? Pulling off her top while he flicked her bra undone, she gasped at the contact, the bud of her nipple bathed in a warm, wet hug, his big hands kneading softly as she rocked against him. Pressing herself against his cock had little shocks tingling within her, a soft mewl leaving her pretty lips when her other nipple was closed upon with a bite, his hands moving to smooth up and down her back.  

“Get these off," he instructed, tugging her cut offs, Jade backing off him to do just that, sliding them and her little red thong off, yanked back into his arms, his fingers pushing into her folds as he resumed the suck around her nipple. “Fuck, you’re so wet already.”  

The warm honey of her cunt saturated his fingers as he embedded them in her, a shallow push to begin with, nudging her sweet spot, gliding them in further with a sumptuous rotation that had her clenching around them, his mouth finding hers as they panted and moaned into urgent, feverish kisses.  

With his free hand, he undid his pants, Jade assisting by yanking them down his thighs for him to somewhat awkwardly wriggle out of and kick off, pulling his t shirt off. Moving his hand, he then impaled her on his hardness fully, teeth sharp at her neck, her cry filling the air. “Not that I don’t love being stretched wide around it, but this isn’t getting your cock sucked, is it?”  

He rumbled a chuckle, kissing her again. “Tell you what, I’ll make you come first, then blow my load right down your throat. How about that?”  

“Mmm,” she purred, “can’t wait for you to make me choke on it.” Their mouths crashed together, the rocking of his hips against her sending darts of pleasure as he hit her clit every time, her grinding down on him sending further streaks of bliss that ignited the embers flickering to full burn.  

"Oh god, fuck, oh!" she cried, feeling him shift forward, grasping her legs. She moved them, crossing them behind him, the move allowing her to sink down further upon him, his cock hitting her deep as their bodies rocked together ferally. Each press of him right up against her summit had neon bursts radiating within her, crying out as she clasped herself around him, sucking his tongue, staring into the sunlit, moss green of his eyes. "Fuck, I love you." 

Those words never failed to make his heart thunder harder, conveying the same in how he kissed her, standing to carry her to the back door, her body pressed against the glass, pinned there by his chest as he moved his hands, gripping her thighs and holding her spread, beginning to fuck up into her with savage need. 

The heavy pressure of his cock was a sharp-edged pleasure, her body banging against the glass she was pressed into, the raw, primal need of it suffusing down to her marrow. Oh, when the horny sexy demon in him came out to play, how he brought the fire with him. The warm wet of her clamped around him strongly, each thrust pounded into her harder to fight the tension gripping onto his cock, his groans all earth and salt as he buried his mouth against her neck.  

The continued deep, rapid spearing of his cock into her had the pleasure pooling golden, her thighs tightening upon his waist, hips rolling against him as she cried out like a wounded animal, the lightning arcing through her, the release pulsating up her spine. With his own fluttering at the base of his cock, he pulled from her, carrying her back to the couch, hands entwining in her hair as she took him in her mouth and let him fuck the plush of her squeezing lips, until with a gritted groan he filled her throat with cum.  

What began as a day of construction and petty yelling ended in a naked evening, neither bothering to dress, lying together on the couch outside drinking beers and relaxing under the warm, spring sun. A state of relax was how they spent their last two days together, Jade kissing him goodbye at the airport, dashing home again feeling a little sad for him leaving for nine weeks. It didn’t matter how used to it she was, she loved being near her husband.  

Having the house to herself was nice, though, continuing her daily workouts in order to remain ripped enough to easily pass off as a nineteen seventies Cher, with how lean her body was back then, the project ever drawing nearer. The week before she was due to depart, she had a house guest come to stay in the form of Katie, a little lonely herself since Charlotte was on tour with Crimson Shrines, the death metal side project band she played in.  

“Bro, this is so ready for chickens!” the lady herself spoke, she and Jade standing back to admire the project they’d teamed together to complete. The latter was going to complete it with her husband, but wanted to spend some time of greater quality with him in his remaining days before he’d left.  

“It is, my friend. It is. Shame there won’t be any in it for a couple of months, unless Adrien decides to buy some while I’m gone,” she mused, opening the gate as they headed back towards the house. “Oh! I almost forgot to say, I have a package coming at any time, but I have to take Atlas and Bear to the vets for their jabs. Can you be around to hear the bell instead of outside?” 

“Sure can, baby. I was planning on playing cook tonight anyways,” she spoke, Jade spinning to grasp her arms. 

“Please tell me you’re making your chicken teriyaki burgers!” Anyone who’d ever eaten one of Katie’s famous creations would understand the urgency. They were beyond delicious. 

“Can confirm, I am making my chicken teriyaki burgers. Where’s your charcoal at, gonna barbecue ‘em, they always taste better that way. And don’t make that face! I texted Adrien to ask if I could use it and he said yes, just to keep you well away from it!” 

Jade pouted, remembering the incident that had almost led to their very expensive, Big Green Egg barbecue overheating, Jade lighting it but not opening the vent. Her husband had gone berserk and banned her from going anywhere near it in the wake of almost trashing it. “Fine. I’ll make salad.” 

Wrapping her arm around her shoulders, Katie kissed her cheek. “That’s a good lil’ woman.” A hard slap greeted her backside for that comment, laughing and bending over. “Ooooh, gimme another! You spank way harder than Charlotte!” 

“Get in the damned house, you bloody menace!”  

While Katie began her dinner prep, Jade got her two biggest dogs into the harnesses, kissing her friend goodbye and picking up her keys and bag. Opening the rear of her Jeep, the hounds jumped in, Jade affixing them in safely and shutting the door, throwing her bag onto the passenger seat. She loved living somewhere where she could do that and not worry about anybody smashing her window to steal it.  

Selecting an album to listen to, she placed her cell phone into the cup holder and reversed out, driving around to the front of the house and down the long drive, noticing how full all the trees lining it were beginning to look. The new ones she’d planted a year before were budding nicely, too, still supported by long bamboo canes to assist in their fledgling stages.  

Slowing her car, she pressed the fob to open the electric gates, looking back in the rear view at the trees again. She wondered where she’d be in life when they’d finally reached a significant height, driving through the gateway slowly, about to pull out of her drive when she heard something hit the back of her car.  

“Is that one of you fat headed buggers?” she muttered, turning to look at her dogs, see which one of them had decided to bang their face against the window. Neither had, both growling at the source of the noise as the baseball bat was swung again, chaotic barking following as the window cracked, Serena swinging it again and this time shattering the glass completely. 

“Get out here or I’ll fucking kill your dogs, Jade! Get out of this car now!”  

Her mouth dropped open, her limbs already feeling light and tingly, her stomach plummeting like she’d swallowed a led weight. Now was not the time to wonder how on earth her stalker had escaped a treatment facility, Jade grabbing her phone and calling nine one one, asking for the police and giving her address, trembling as she did. She was advised by the operator to stay in the car, but as Serena continued, she knew that wasn’t possible, the rear windscreen beginning to crack.  

There was no way she was risking the safety of her dogs, big and ferocious as they were, even a mastiff would be lucky to survive a crack to the skull with a baseball bat. With adrenaline coursing through her, she cut the engine, jumping from the car and storming to the rear of the vehicle.  

“You fucking dare threaten my bloody dogs, you fucking psychopath!” she bellowed, that famous roar she was known for gravelling her voice. “You want some? Come fucking get it.” Striding for her, Jade remembered her fight training from one of the last movies she’d done, having to accurately portray a hard as nails mercenary. She wasn’t a fighter in reality, not at all, but when presented with the animals she thought of as her babies coming under attack, the protector came out.  

Serena screamed in all-out rage, swinging the bat, Jade ducking, her leg shooting out to round kick her in the thigh. The move knocked her aggressor off balance, the bat grabbed, the women wrestling one another for supremacy, Jade towing her near enough to throw her forehead straight into her nose, the bone breaking with a sickening crack, wrenching the bat from her grasp and hurling it as far away as she could throw.  

A melee followed, Jade punched in the eye, reaching for Serena’s hair and slamming her head off the back of the Jeep, the dogs still barking furiously within. “Stay away from me, you sick fuck!” she roared, smashing her head against the taillight again, Serena suddenly lurching forward. 

“Fuck you, fuck you!”  

She felt it hit her side, something sharp and cold, again and again, the pain like cold fire burning as with both hands, she made one last valiant effort, hurling Serena’s head so hard into the Jeep, blood exploded over the paintwork, finally going limp as Jade threw her to the ground. Looking at her side, the horror of her damage was evident, her grey t shirt and blue jeans becoming soaked in blood, sirens wailing in the distance as she fell to the ground.  

Her dogs barking. 

A copper taste filling her mouth as she wheezed. 

A tall, handsome police officer calling for immediate backup and an ambulance on his radio, his voice telling her to stay with him as he applied pressure to her wounds. 

A puddle of blood pouring from her side.  

Her eyes fluttered, heavy, coldness dragging at her, luring, beckoning.  

Black.  

Lights in her eyes, people shouting stats at one another, motion, another bright light. Sirens wailing. “Thirty-four-year-old female, multiple stab wounds...”  

Black.  

Light, bright light.  

Pain. 

Shouting. 

Nothing. 

Black.  

[prayers-to-hyliarceus]

[A video is embedded, solely showing Naboris's nose sniffing at the camera.]

"How does this work?"

"I... honestly cannot tell you that. Maybe Purah knows how it works? But anyway. You just wanted to try it out?" [There's a soft chuckle.] "I think Naboris's nose is covering up the footage."

[Rotom buzzes and flits away, clearing the video and showing Zelda, and Urbosa sitting on the floor of a lodge in the Pokémon Center, as Link lies on his stomach on the bunk bed mattress. Madas and Naboris have begun playing with each other, and, surprisingly, Satori's blue flames can be seen flickering from a corner. Epona is granting cuddles everyone at every possible convenience.]

[Suddenly, Satori stands up and leaves his spot to trot up to Naboris.]

"Oh-- hello, Satori!"

[He snorts in contempt, but gives no other indication that he heard her. Urbosa raises an eyebrow.]

"Rude little one, hm?"

"You could say that..."

[Satori nudges Naboris and seems to engage in conversation with her. They gesture to the humans sometimes, and Satori looks to start to grow more aggravated, going so far as to jab his hoof. Naboris tilts her head, but as Satori lets out a particularly annoyed whinny, she growls.]

"Naboris?"

"Satori-- Satori, what are you doing."

[Rotom types:

"Bzt! They're talking really fast, actually, but they seem to be in a disagreement about the morality of humans? Jeez-- calm down-- watch the language!!"]

[Satori and Naboris rear onto their hind legs and slam their foreheads against each other, causing an outburst from everyone in the room.]

"Naboris, back down!"

"That's enough, Satori!"

"BRRII!" [Celebi roars, and shoots out of Zelda's hood to pull the two Pokémon apart with Psychic. Satori and Naboris, being suspended midair, both immediately shut up.]

[Celebi flies about an inch in front of Satori's face with a stern expression, and begins to heavily scold the Ponyta, leaving Zelda blinking in sheer astonishment.]

["Oh Gods. Wh-- Oh. Wow. Wow. Okay. I never want to be scolded by a Mythical Pokémon. Ever."]

[The video ends.]

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello i hope you’re doing well and stay hydrated. Can i an oneshot of Leona turning into a cat by accident and a shy mc looks for Leona bec Ruggie sends her to find him. She finds a cat with an injury, not realizing the cat himself is Leona. She aid his injury and starts telling the cat about how she feels for Leona like she has no confidence to confess her love for him and wants to be on his side but she feels completely out of his league. LOLOL Thankssssss :))

Thank you for the well wishes. I hope you are healthy and staying hydrated too.

Please enjoy this piece. I think it’s the longest imagine I’ve done so far, at about 960 words. I also wrote a bonus imagine to go with this one, which describes the events leading up to Leona’s transformation into a cat.

Imagine this...

Leona cursed under his breath as he bounded about the courtyard on all fours. Ears twitching, tail sailing in the wind. Pain jolted up one of his hind legs from an earlier scuffle with a bird--but he squashed that sensation and carried on.

No one so much as gave him a second glance.

After all, he lacked a human form at the moment. Instead of skin, Leona boasted a coat of white fur, splattered with black and orange patches--and though his frame had shrunk to that of a typical house cat, his agility remained unchanged.

His green eyes furiously scanned the courtyard. Everything looked so much bigger in this puny body.

The Mirror Chamber--where was the Mirror Chamber? He needed to dive back into Savanaclaw territory, to find Ruggie--a skilled animal speaker--and demand that he find a way to undo this accursed fairy magic. There was no way Leona was going to crawl back to Malleus begging for help.

Pain shot up his hind leg again, slowing Leona to a halt.

Stupid bird.

Sighing, he limped as best as he could to the shade of an apple tree to rest. Unfortunately for him, someone was already sitting under it--the Ramshackle Prefect.

“Mm?” Yuu glanced up at his slow approach. Her eyes widened with joy. “A kitty,” she gasped, clasping her hands together. Her gaze focused on his injured leg. “Oh, you’re hurt...”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just make some space for me,” Leona grumbled, knowing that all Yuu would hear was meowing.

“Did you get separated from your owner and injure yourself?” Yuu asked, offering a soft smile and a hand. Leona frowned--she was never this talkative with him when he was in his usual form. No, she often shied away from interacting with others completely.

He cautiously nudged her hand with his head. When he did not reply, Yuu absentmindedly continued.

“You look a little lost, haha.” She scratched the back of her head. “I’m a bit lost myself...I mean, Ruggie asked me to look for someone for him, but I’m kinda stuck here until Ace and Deuce come and grab me. I ended up not being much help.”

Leona’s ears perked up at the mention of his vice-dorm leader. Right--it was around the time when Ruggie would typically pick him up from his botanical garden nap. He was probably on a wild goose chase when he didn’t find Leona in his usual spot.

“Oh, do you know Ruggie? Maybe he’s your owner.” Yuu nodded, taking in Leona’s reaction.

“Hah! He wishes.”

“Is that a no? Hmm.” Yuu tiled her head to one side, lost in contemplation. “Maybe you’re Leona’s? The colors on your fur remind me of him.”

“I am Leona, you silly herbivore.”

“I can see why he’d keep a kitty,” Yuu continued. “I have my own. Grim can be rough around the edges sometimes. But you--you’re so cute. Leona’s...very lucky to have you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her suspicious behavior. Yuu had a semi-dazed look on her face at the mention of his name, a slight blush dusted upon her cheeks. Still, there was something more beyond that.

Melancholy.

“Oi. Stop that,” Leona commanded, crawling onto her lap and bopping Yuu on the nose with his paw.

“Ah.” Yuu stared at him like a deer in headlights. Then her eyes softened. “Were you trying to cheer me up, kitty?”

“No, you just looked so sad that it was pathetic,” he scoffed, nudging her cheek with his face, “so smile already.”

Yuu sighed--the complete opposite of what he wanted. “It’s that obvious, huh? Oh, what am I going to do?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

“Hey, kitty. Can I tell you a secret?” Yuu whispered. Her eyes looked sadder than ever, big and wet like that of a doe.

“Shoot. It’s not like I’m going to be going anywhere anytime soon with this bad leg.”

“There’s...” Yuu hestitated. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “There’s this boy I like.”

“Oh, brother.”

“But...he’s perfect, and I’m not. He’s proud and confident and handsome...and he’s a prince!” Yuu gushed, but her cheer quickly dropped. “Meanwhile, I’m just a girl from who knows where--I can’t do magic, I don’t come from a prestigious family, and I can barely speak to him without tripping over my own words, let alone confess!”

“Oh.” Leona’s pack had always taught him to respect women, but even he had no idea what to say in this situation. “That’s...not great.”

What she said next made his fur stand on end.

“Leona’s completely out of my league,” Yuu whimpered, burying her face in her hands. “I’m no good for him at all.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Leona chided. Perhaps if he were human again, he would be blushing--but (and he never thought he’d be thinking this) thank god for being a cat! “Don’t...don’t give up before you’ve even tried, you weak herbivore!”

He batted his paws against her hands.

Yuu looked up. “Ah. Are you...encouraging me, kitty?”

“Whatever gets you to cheer up.” Leona forced a smile--though he wasn’t quite sure how it came off on his cat face. “Come on. Get back on your feet and just go for it already.”

That seemed to do the trick, for Yuu beamed.

“Haha, that’s such a funny face. What a silly kitty you are.” She playfully poked him on the nose. “Thank you for listening.”

“Hmph. Good to see you in high spirits again.” Leona smirked to himself. “I’ll be eagerly awaiting that confession, then. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

“Hehe.” Yuu cradled Leona in her arms and stood. “When Ace and Deuce get here, we’ll take you to the infirmary to get some ice for your leg.”

Until then, they waited under the apple tree.

Together.

[ussgallifrey]

Change of Plans

✦ Summary: Bucky really wants to give you a good Valentine's day, but sometimes even the best thought plans don't work out the way you thought they would. ✦ Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader ✦ Warnings: Mentions of menstruating and periods ✦ Word Count: 3.3k

There was something about the girl, who made his heart thud with a continuous home home home, that made Bucky desperately want to get this right. 

At the admission that you'd never celebrated the holiday with a partner before, which was said nonchalantly over a shared pizza, he was absolutely determined to change that. Sure, you'd only been together seven months - give or take a few days - but there was just something about you that made all the little signals in his head go off all at once and his tongue would tie up and he felt hopelessly dumbstruck at the sight of your smile like all the time.

He was crazy about you. That's all.

And because of that, he wanted to do something for the 14th. Nothing overly insane, like dinner in Paris with fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. Though, if you asked, he would have no qualms about absconding a quinjet and flying you there on the spot. But that is definitely not your taste - not even close.

But you deserve flowers and chocolates and a card and probably one of those giant pink teddy bears with the heart that says XO-XO that you were cooing and awwing over in CVS last week. And, God help him, he might even attempt to make dinner. 

Yeah, he's got it bad for you.

And waking up in the same bed this morning, with the knowledge that my place or your place? had finally ended at long last and that this was how he got to wake up almost every day. Well, it just about made his heart thump out of his chest and wouldn't that be a messy cleanup?

So, he's pleased as punch with himself when he can hear the happy little aww coming from the bedroom later that morning. He's obviously been up for hours already, attempting to throw together something edible in the kitchen while you slept away unawares.

You're a sight to see, as he leans against the bedroom door frame. Still under the covers, but sitting up enough to smell the vase of fresh flowers on your nightstand.

"You devil," you chide with a tired smile and a beckoning hand.

Bucky's more than happy to thread his fingers through yours as you pull him down next to you.

"When did you do this?"

He wants to kiss you.

"Had some time," he says instead, cupping a hand to your flushed cheek.

You hum happily, eyes fluttering closed as you lean into the simple touch. Warm lips feather-light against his palm.

"Keep it up, mister. See where it gets you."

Bucky chuckles, leaning his weight over you as his lips ghost against your own.

"Mmm, that's the plan," he murmurs before dropping a kiss to your waiting lips as you tug him ever closer.

Bucky likes to think he's pretty flexible. More of a flying by the seat of his pants type of person than a strict schedule follower. That's why he was going to let the day kind of flow on its own natural path. Breakfast in bed, maybe more in bed. Then a shower obviously, and maybe if things were to happen in there then that would be fine because you could still get the box of chocolates and the teddy bear whenever. And lunch and dinner didn't really have to fall on a set time either, so long as there was plenty of time left over for other activities later that night.

But even those simple plans are easily changed.

"Well, this sucks," you announce, emerging from the bathroom with a towel around you, hair damp against your skin.

He's already changed the sheets in hope of sparing you further embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry."

Dropping down onto the edge of the bed, Bucky folds himself around you to massage your warm shoulders.

"No, I'm sorry," you sigh, leaning back into his welcomed touch.

A kiss to your neck, fingers digging into the muscles of your back, "Hush. It's not like you can control it."

You nod slowly, head down and hands folded in your lap. He doesn't like the change one bit. But he lets the silence stretch at your discretion. Focusing all his skill into alleviating any and all pain he can with his impromptu massage.

After a moment, you admit, "It wasn't supposed to happen for three more days."

He gives a little hum of acknowledgment as he works his thumbs along your spine.

"It's bullshit, Buck."

That gets you a kiss to your cheek.

"I know, baby."

Leaving the comfort of the bed for only a moment to pad across the room, in your comfiest clothes and newly gifted heart-eyed taco-patterned socks, you return with an assorted box of chocolate and a small bag that had been hidden in the closet.

His heart, honest to god, wants to burst. He can't even remember the last time someone got him something for Valentine's.

Bucky holds up the covers for you to slip back in next to him, cuddling up against the large purple teddy bear wedged in between you both.

Handing over the red gift bag with silver ribbon tassels, "You're going to love this."

A raised eyebrow and a wary voice responds, "That sounds ominous."

You just smile, watching him untie the ribbon.

"Oh my god," he groans. "Why?"

All you can do is laugh as he pulls out the small Falcon plushie with a disgusted touch, as though the toy is actually burning him.

"I think this actually constitutes as a form of abuse."

You can't stop laughing, but you grab the bag from him while trying to fight back tears and pull out another stuffed animal. 

It's a sloth.

And then he sees the heart and he just shoots you a strange look and it sends you into another round of hysterics.

Snatching it from your hands as you collapse back against the pillow with howls of laughter, Bucky stares at the large red heart that says Damn Shawty You Fine.

As you continue to scroll through your phone, Bucky holds out one of the chocolates for you. Opening your mouth enough to let him slide the cream-filled piece into your mouth.

You were trading off all the coconut and walnut and pecan clusters his way, and in return, he was giving you all your favorites - despite his personal tastes.

"Mmm," you coo around the candy as you eagerly hold up your phone for him to see. "Look at this one - he's so cute."

Bucky stares at the curly-haired poodle wearing a heart headband.

"His name is Cupid. How cute is that?"

"Super cute," he responds with absolutely no disinterest whatsoever as he tries to catch up on the last few Dodgers' games before they were moved to California. The bastards.

You're not even bothered by it as you scroll through the adoption app and show him a tiny dachshund with a Free Kisses bandana.

"His name is Cupcake, Bucky. Cupcake."

He nods, "I can see that, yeah."

"Can you imagine if we got a dog? Oh my god, I haven't had a dog since I was a kid. We should get a dog."

Bucky shoves another piece of chocolate into your mouth as you laugh weakly around it, the protests dying on your lips.

It's absolutely freezing outside, but he insisted on going out to the store instead of using one of those delivery apps you were so crazy about. It was giving you a chance to sleep anyway, so if he was out for a while, then all the better.

- Midol

- Half-baked ice cream

- Gummy bears (not sour)

- A dog

- Rubbing alcohol & medical tape - ur fault

- We're almost out of dish soap too

- ♡

Is what the text reads.

Pulling his hood up and his coat closer, Bucky walks down the recently snowed-over sidewalk towards the store.

And you know what, it was all going just fine. He found everything you ask for - well, almost everything - and was at the register. And it was fine.

But the universe intervened and a pink poster caught his eye for the local animal shelter's Paws and Claws event. And he got a really stupid idea in his head. Because clearly, some higher power was trying to get him to check off everything on your list. 

Which is how he finds himself inside the FurEver Home animal rescue, almost forty minutes away from the apartment. Like an idiot. A lovesick idiot.

There's an older woman behind the counter that a white cat is walking across and dangling red heart banners wrap around the back wall. Small cat condos are in the one corner with a Kitty Haven sign above a room. And on the opposite side, it's not that difficult to miss the distinct sound of several dogs barking.

"Hi, how can I help you today?" she smiles warmly.

And that's when he realizes what he's actually doing. 

"Uhm, yeah, I actually wanted to look at the dogs, if you - "

She's already moving around the counter, "Yeah, of course."

Why did this seem like a good idea again?

"You can put that over here if you want?" she shows him a little shelf, pointing at his shopping bag.

"Oh, uh, yeah."

What the actual fuck was he doing?

"Okay, hands to yourself. If there's one you want to really meet, I'll get them leashed up and everything. Was there a certain one or a breed you were interested in?"

Bucky shakes his head dumbly, "No, just wanted to look around, I guess."

The barking is insanely louder once the soundproofed door is opened. Everything smells of wet dog and he's actually kind of overwhelmed, unsure of where to look as she guides him down the first row of kennels.

"These guys here are some of our newer arrivals," her voice is raised to be heard over the barking.

"Rocco here is a mixed pit, two years old. He's better with a quieter home right now. And Jessie was brought in from the same place. Little skittish, but she's a real sweetie."

He looks down at the large pitbull that's standing up on its hind legs to see him. And the nearly identical female in the kennel next to him. His heart squeezes.

"We have Cookie over here. She's a Collie mix, about five years is what our vet estimates. Domino is our oldest pup, she's ten, but she is so good with kids."

The little graying dog wags her tail when he walks in front of her kennel.

Oh, this was such a bad idea. He wants to take them all. Could he take them all?

They round the corner and another row of kennels. Max, Coco, Puff, Pebbles, Sascha, Twix, and Kit all bark and wag their tails and excitedly hop up as he walks by. And he is hit by the fact that this was a really really stupid idea.

A final row of kennels.

He passes by Margo and Finn, but pauses at last before a Golden Retriever - the only dog actually laying on a bed instead of right at the door.

"This is Lottie - hi, sweetheart."

The dog hops up and walks over to them, nuzzling her nose against the kennel as the woman stops in front of her.

"She's three, very well behaved. Housebroken, knows your basic commands."

The dog isn't even looking his way, just sniffing against the door, trying to get to the woman.

"Her last owners couldn't afford the vet bills; had to give her up. But we got you all taken care of, baby, didn't we?"

It's only then that the dog turns her head and Bucky realizes, "She's blind?"

"Yes. She got SARDS and her previous family couldn't afford the treatment and surgery."

"Is she on medication or…?"

"No, not anymore. Antibiotics post-surgery and some pain relievers, but she's all healed up now."

He stares at the healed-over scars where her eyes used to be and his chest aches.

The woman seems to pause, taking in his expression. 

"Would you like me to grab a leash?"

He nods wordlessly, struck by the dog in front of him, sniffing around the edge of her kennel. 

She opens the door and the dog backs up with an excited little tail wag. With the command, she sits and the woman is able to get the purple leash attached to her collar. And then she hands it to him and oh, hey. This is happening. 

"Free to walk in here or right out on the main sidewalk. When you're done, just bring her back over to me or one of the other volunteers. These guys are microchipped, just so you know."

Oh, darn. Looks like opening all the kennels and stealing the dogs wasn't going to work out then.

"Oh, okay," Bucky says instead.

The woman moves on to the other kennels, before disappearing around the corner, giving him room with the dog. Bucky looks down at her waiting patiently in front of him. Slowly, he kneels down, offering out his hand.

She sniffs it, once, twice, before inching her face a little closer. 

He's awestruck.

Hesitantly, he touches her muzzle with gentle little strokes. She leans right into it.

"Hey, sweetheart. Wow, hey, hey."

Her tail thumps happily against the concrete floor.

"Yeah, you're coming home with me, aren't ya, baby?"

Distantly, he thinks he's being a touch insane. But Bucky just stands up and slowly starts to walk her down the back row. Watching how Lottie stays right along his left side, her head occasionally bumping against him. When they reach the end of the row, he guides her with the leash to turn around and she does it perfectly. 

"Good girl," he rubs a hand between her ears as she pants.

The woman doesn't seem the least bit surprised when he meets her up front only a minute later.

He signs the adoption paper and the license registration. Gets coupons for a pet store and a vet visit. Is given several pamphlets about bringing a new dog home. And one very specific paper about blind dogs which he spends far more time reading over than the other ones.

The volunteer recommends getting a harness or collar that signals her disability to others and something called a Halo? It all just kind of keeps hitting him in waves with that underlying what the hell did I just do?

And then he's standing in the middle of the icy sidewalk with his dog. His Dog.

Ooh, boy. That's a crazy thought, ain't it?

He looks down at Lottie who's just patiently sitting on his left side, panting lightly.

"Come on, girl. Let's get you home."

The apartment is still dark when he walks in. Lottie remains on her leash - he'll have to lead her around the place first. Opening the contents of the shopping bag, he grimaces as he hurries to put the very warm ice cream into the freezer.

And then he hears a tired groan from the bedroom, "That you out there, handsome?"

His breath catches as he looks down at Lottie and back at the bedroom door.

"Uh…" he stalls. "I'm not sure if I'd go that far?"

"I'll be the judge of that," you call back playfully. "You got the goods?"

He nods with a silent laugh, unbagging the last few items as Lottie sits at his feet, sniffing the kitchen counter. Bucky pets her head affectionately. 

"Yeah, I knew a guy. He cut me a deal."

Your laugh brings warmth to his chest, "That's my man. I hope it was a good deal?"

There's a rustle of sheets and then your very distinct footsteps. And then a gasp.

"I think so," Bucky says with a shy smile.

"You didn't," your voice is adorably high pitched as you stare.

"I did."

You continue staring with a gaped mouth.

There's a jolt of nerves that hits him then. The realization that maybe this wasn't actually a good idea. And, hey, maybe you should have been there to pick a dog you actually wanted. And he should have at least told you or hinted at the possibility instead of just running out and literally adopting a dog.

But then you're crossing the room and crouching down next to Lottie.

"Hey there, pupper. Hi - awww!"

She leans right into your waiting arms as you rub down her sides and scratch behind her ears.

"You got a name, sweetie?"

Your eyes are glued right to her, a lovestruck look on your face.

"Lottie," Bucky says. "But we could change it if - "

"No," you stare up at him with admiration. "No, I like Lottie." And then you turn your attention back to the dog, "Yes, I do! Yes, I do. Oh, you are an angel, aren't you? What a pretty girl!"

He loves the way you wrap yourself around the dog, emitting all your affection onto her. Not even bothered by the obvious scars on her face. Seeing a dog in need of love and giving her all you've got.

And then you're standing up and squaring him with a lopsided smile.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?"

Bucky tries to look offended, but he just smiles. "Yeah. But I'm your idiot."

"Ah, ah, ah!" You chastise, a hand reaching down to rest on Lottie's head, "Our idiot."

He can't help but roll his eyes as you lean down and continue petting the dog.

"Yeah, I hope you're ready for the full force of this guy's stupidity, Lottie. He comes home looking like a mess almost weekly. Can't even take off his boots at the door like a normal person."

Bucky coughs loudly, "Anyway, dinner?"

You don't even pay him a bit of attention. "And the smell. Doesn't even take a shower after a long mission. I hope your little doggy nose can handle it or maybe we'll just hose him down."

"Italian?"

Fixing him with a pointed look, "Could you get anymore cliched for Valentine's Day?"

He grumbles, feeling oddly left out now that you've placed all your attention on Lottie.

"Chinese?"

You smile, standing once again to press a kiss to his nose, "A man after my own heart."

Circling his arms around your waist, he tugs you against his chest, "All it took was the promise of takeout?"

"And a dog."

He nods, "And a dog."

You press a kiss to his lips.

"Oh! And taco socks," you wiggle your foot happily.

Another kiss, and then a longer one, and then a peck. He stares into your eyes, cupping your cheek with everything he has about to burst from his chest with love love love.

"I love you."

Your smile is sweeter than candy as you lean into his hand, "Love you too."

Lottie makes a little whining sound and you break away. Bucky ruffles her fur a bit, already planning a list out for all the things he would need to buy her.

Moving around him, you eye the goods on the counter - snatching the Midol up quickly.

 "You got my ice cream?"

He winces, keeping his face focused on Lottie, "Uh… it might have melted?"

You gasp.

"Way to go, Bucky. Just ruin my whole day, why don't you?"

Bucky gaps for a moment, then points at Lottie, "Look, sweetheart! I got you a dog!"

Another gasp of surprise as you move down next to him.

"Well, would you look at that! Guess I'll just have to forgive you then, won't I?"

Lottie thumps her tail against the floor, a smile seemingly on her face as she pants. Bucky pulls you in with one arm and kisses you soundly on the lips.

The day might not have gone as planned, but he thinks everything might have worked out the way it was supposed to after all.

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[creepy-spooghetti]

A Hapless Endearment [Creepypasta x F. Reader]

Chapter 6- I’m Awake, I’m Alive

Most of that day is spent keeping herself busy and distracted with various things; reading, sketching, scrolling through YouTube and hoping to find something entertaining. Even over the course of several hours, her message to the unknown number has yet to be answered, but she never really expected it to be. And there’s always the chance that it wasn’t ever meant for her; perhaps they were trying to reach another Y\n. 

It would be a big coincidence, but not one totally unbelievable. More likely than not though, it’s just some kid pulling a cheap prank. And she chooses to chalk it up to that exact thing. At around four-thirty in the evening, she decides to go downstairs and find something to eat, while also conversing a bit with her grandparents in an attempt to get rid of some of the unseen tension between the three of them. 

The news that Darcy and Marvin were murdered and that her cousin is missing, likely dead and decaying in the woods somewhere, is still sinking in, and she assumes it will for quite a while yet. Something like that can’t just be brushed aside as if it’s completely meaningless, or at least, that’s what Y\n thought. But her careless father managed to do it. Impressive or just incredibly cold-hearted? A little bit of both, in her opinion.

She sees her grandmother in the kitchen, pulling a pan of something out of the oven, its sweet, enticing aroma traveling through the air and drifting up to her nose, therefore drawing her interest. She catches herself wandering into the room, recognizing the scent slightly though not wanting to outright assume anything. Nana turns, noticing Y\n’s abrupt appearance and looking almost surprised as she pulls the oven mitt off of her hand.

“Hi, dear,” she says, keeping her voice mellow and pointing at the stovetop. “I made cookies.” Ah, cookies. The first thing that’s sounded appetizing since breakfast, and that’s been hours ago. Her stomach rumbles mildly from within the confines of her torso, and only now does she realize how hungry that she’s quickly starting to become. Perhaps a couple of cookies can ease that for a bit longer until she feels like eating something more filling.

“Oh.” She steps closer to get a better view, tilting her head to the side curiously. “What kind?”

“Oatmeal chocolate chip. Your old favorite, remember?” Recalling the distant memories of her childhood self stuffing her face with the delightful treat without a care in the world makes her want to laugh, despite the constant nagging in her gut and the aching in her chest. God, I was so naive.

“Yeah, I remember,” she replies, a ghost of a smile sweeping over her face for the briefest of moments before being replaced by an eager expression as she takes another whiff of the cookies. “They smell so good.” Nana releases a small chuckle and shakes her head.

“I’m glad. Dig in, I made them especially for you.”

“Ah, you didn’t have to do that.” She meets the woman’s gaze with a sincere one of her own, knowing in the back of her mind that she only made them to act as a sort of comfort food for Y\n, and though she’s greatly appreciative, the idea of being pitied doesn’t sit well with her. Still, she won’t say anything about it. Nana did it solely out of compassion and love for her, and she isn’t going to reject that.

“Of course I did.” Her hand finds its way to the girl’s shoulder and squeezes it affectionately. “You’re only here for a few weeks. I have to make sure you know how much we love you.” 

“I already do know, Nana.” Her voice is uncharacteristically soft as she looks to Farrah, touched at what the lady’s saying and trying to figure out how her father could have straight-up abandoned her without blinking an eye. “I don’t need cookies just to realize that.”

“Come here, baby,” she says, reaching her arms out and wrapping them around Y\n’s b\s frame in a gentle, caring embrace. The h\c leans into her, snaking her own arms around her but squeezing a bit more softly, relishing in the warmth of her grandmother’s hug. She knows that this is a temporary comfort; once her parents come back and she leaves, she likely won’t be returning until after she’s eighteen. That’s too long for her to wait. What if something terrible happens while she’s gone, like what took place at her cousin’s house just a couple of years ago?

She wouldn’t know how to react. Every emblem of love that’s left within her family can be found here, in this quaint household, and she isn’t ready to lose that. Especially since she only just rediscovered it. Nuzzling her face in the nook between Nana’a shoulder and neck, she squeezes her eyes shut and savors this feeling, fighting the tears threatening to form. She won’t cry and worry her; she has enough stress surrounding her as it is. The last thing Y\n wants is to be the cause of stress, for both of her grandparents.

A minute passes and Nana leisurely pulls away, grabbing a paper plate and napkin from off the counter and handing it to Y\n. At first, she thinks that maybe the napkin’s to wipe away tears that, unbeknownst to her, are slipping down her cheeks, though after she’s flashed with a sweet smile and Nana nods toward the tray of cookies, she realizes what it’s for and takes both from her hold. “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me, dear.” Y\n carefully picks up two of the cookies from the pan, being extra cautious so she doesn’t get burnt, and places them on the paper surface in her hand. She then grabs a glass of milk and heads to the living room, seeing Pops sitting in his chair, seemingly content as he watches reruns of Full House on the TV. Nervousness swivels in the depths of her chest, and she eases her way toward the couch, knowing that there’s likely to be a bit of anxiety lingering in the air between them since their conversation this morning. 

Her throat, at this point, feels much better than it had previously, and she’s hopeful that no real damage was done to it during her unnerving, confusing spell of agony earlier. By tomorrow, maybe she’ll be able to talk in her regular voice without having the slightest twinge of pain in the back. She sets her glass on the coffee table, pretending not to notice the way her grandpa side-eyes her every few seconds, as if apprehensive about something. 

Her eyes travel to look at the TV screen, trying to seem more interested in the show currently playing than she really is, until she can’t handle the pressure on her shoulders to just say something, break the ice in some way. Meeting his eyes timidly, she finally speaks, her tone honest. “Pops… I hope you know that I’m not mad at you for anything. I really do appreciate you telling me what happened.”

“Oh darlin’, I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about you.” He twists around in his chair slightly to face her. “I know that news like that, especially after having just got here, has to be difficult to comprehend.” She shrugs solemnly as Nana makes her appearance, taking a seat beside her on the couch with her own cookies and milk held in her hands. 

“You don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be fine.” Though her voice is disheartened, her facial expression is earnest as she takes a small bite of her cookie, a wave of nostalgia hitting her as she does so. “It can’t be harder on me than it is you guys. I’m sorry that happened.” She doesn’t see the sorrowful look that her grandparents share with each other before moving their attention on her, once again. 

“We are too, Y\n,” Farrah says, lacking any better words as she pats her back comfortably. Y\n, after another drawn-out silence, wants nothing more than to just find a different subject to talk about so everybody in this house won’t feel so sad. Taking a sip of her milk, she glances at Pops. 

“...So what season is this?” The question is directed at the TV show flashing across the screen, and he answers soon enough. 

“Four.” 

“What episode?”

“Eight, I think.” 

“Ah. So DJ’s going on her ‘crash diet’.” He nods. She remembers aspects of the show quite well, having watched it constantly as a young kid and having a very distinctive crush on Jesse, though she hasn’t seen it in years so she isn’t 100% knowledgeable on everything about it. Episode 8 was fairly popular, though, so she’s able to recall certain details about it that she can’t about others. She doesn’t leave the living room again for another four and a half hours, using this time to visit with them and enjoying their enlightening company. 

She can feel her eyelids start to droop as the sun begins its slow descent behind the trees, the bright silver moon replacing its glorious rays of light with something more gentle but just as majestic, soon accompanied by thousands of glimmering stars that pepper themselves all in the sky. Glancing out through the window to her right, she’s able to see a fluffy, white, and grey lump sitting on a chair outside and grooming itself, and she stands, going toward the front door to grant him entrance. 

Once it’s open, his head shoots up and he stares at her a moment before hopping down and rubbing against her legs as he walks inside. She reaches down toward him and he briefly stands on his hind legs, bumping his head into her palm in greeting as she shuts the door. “Hey, Marshmallow,” she says, voice quiet. As expected, he soon walks away from her, in search of his food bowl, and she rolls her eyes, and her gaze trails back into the living room. Nana gets to her feet, releasing a yawn and running her fingers through her thin, grey hair. “Are you going to bed?”

“Yes, I am. Phil and I have to get up early and go to the store tomorrow to buy groceries.” Y\n’s lips form an “o” shape as she leans against the doorframe, fiddling with her fingers absentmindedly. “Will you be okay here alone for a little while?” A mildly concerned expression forms across Nana’s face. “Or do you want to come with us?”

Y\n thinks it over a second. She really doesn’t feel like going anywhere, but then again she could help them out and spend quality time with them. But she’d be in public. What if she were to have another coughing fit? Not only would it draw loads of attention, but it would make her grandparents frantic. She definitely doesn’t want that; they’ve got enough to worry about as it is. Not giving herself any more time to consider against staying home, she shakes her head lightly. “N-no, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes ma’am. I’m used to staying home alone anyways.” Nana looks a bit hesitant, though doesn’t further argue the point and instead nods. 

“Alright. If you say so.” She pulls her in for a quick hug, which Y\n eagerly returns. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Call if you need anything.”

“You, too.” She watches as Farrah walks slowly up the stairs, going over what she’s going to preoccupy herself with, both tonight and tomorrow. She doesn’t want to go back to sleep for fear of having another nightmare, this one even more horrendous and bone-chilling than the last one. What’s her mind going to predict next? Marshmallow falling from the roof and dying? Her grandma slipping on mud and breaking her arm? She’s afraid of whatever it will be, which is why she’s decided to stay awake tonight for as long as possible. 

She’s going to go to sleep at some point, whether she likes it or not, that much is inevitable. She just wants to delay that process for as long as possible. After all, how hard can it be? She’s pulled all-nighters before. All she has to do is participate in mind-jogging activities. Nothing relaxing like music, or tea, or reading. Things like sketching, or exercising, or listening to Jacksepticeye and Markiplier play horror games on full volume.

Then again, maybe horror games aren’t the best things to watch in her lowkey paranoid state. Perhaps she should instead watch things like babies falling asleep while eating an ice cream cone, or kittens playing with each other, or memes about the Avengers. Something entertaining and yet energizing at the same time. She turns to go put the cookies away so they won’t get stale sitting out, and as she does so, Pops switches the TV off, rises from his seat, and walks toward her, likely to inform her that he’s following his wife to bed.

"I'm gonna go to bed too, hummingbird." Yup. She thinks as he pats her on the shoulder. "Sweet dreams. Love you."

"Love you, too. Goodnight," she says, watching him walk away and up the stairs after Nana. If only I could actually have sweet dreams. She stretches the plastic wrap over the plate of cookies and begins to walk out of the kitchen, though not before switching the overhead light off and grabbing a stick of string cheese from the fridge to snack on while she finds something to do. Watch TV? Maybe there's something good on. But that may disturb Nana and Pops' sleep, so she decides against it. She takes her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through her Tumblr blog, a small smile stretching across her face each time she reads a supportive comment about her 'amazing' art skills.

She originally logged into Tumblr a couple of years ago, whenever her parents refused to give her constructive criticism, or any criticism at all, in fact, about her paintings, so one day she just gave up and turned to the internet. At the time, most of her friends had Tumblr blogs, so she figured, why not join in? So she began posting artwork that she did, and within a month's time, she had over a thousand followers. Way more than she ever expected to get.

Her last picture was posted on the 21st of June, one week before she was hauled all the way across two different states and dropped off at her grandparents' house without a second thought. Not that she can complain now, though. Her grandparents love her way more than her actual parents do, she's sure of it. And even if she's wrong, it would be nice to hear the words 'I love you' come from their mouths every once in a while. But she supposes she just isn't that lucky.

Marshmallow emerges from the darkened dining room, just having eaten his supper and likely ready for a long, relaxing nap. He hops onto the couch and kneads the cushion with his claws before slinking onto her thighs, curling into a fuzzy ball, and closing his eyes. Her hand finds its way to his head and she strokes softly, able to feel his body vibrate against her legs as he purs in content. She scrolls through notifications, watches YouTube compilations (on low volume as to not wake Nana and Pops), and plays games like Among Us and Agar.io until her phone battery is at 2% and the screen is dimmed to the lowest possible setting by default.

She looks at the time in the top right corner, now finding that it's 12:29 at night. Her charger is all the way upstairs, and to get to it she would have to disturb the resting feline. He's shuffled about and changed positions a couple of times during the past four hours, but has overall slept peacefully. With a defeated sigh, she drops her hand-held device next to her on a pillow and throws her head back, leaning into the couch cushions and staring up at the ceiling. Now that she has nothing to do but sit here in silence, she can't stop the giant wave of thoughts, questions, and concerns from hitting her and boosting her anxieties. 

So many things seemed to have already happened in the mere four days that she's been here, ranging from mild and questionable to utterly fear-inducing or depressing. For starters, the terrible dreams she's been having almost every night? Or the way her latest dream basically predicted what she was going to be told only a day later? How about the random coughing fit, or the way Jack seemed to just disappear out of thin air? All these incidents plus some have her aching to know more, but at the same time, she's scared to know more. She has no clue what's happening. Maybe a bad case of allergies?

Yeah, right. Allergies don't predict the future or make weird men in white masks stare at you from the woods. She feels her eyelids grow heavy once more, though she shakes her head and bumps her temple with the heel of her hand to keep herself from becoming drowsy. You can not afford to go to sleep, right now. Her eyes land on a cobweb in the corner of the ceiling, and she blinks, focusing perhaps a little too hard on it as she tries to see a spider or any other living creature nestled inside, but fails to. 

She studies it for so long that her vision becomes blurry and the only thing she can center her attention on is that same cobweb. Random ideas pop up in her mind, thoughts that would normally be considered strange by individuals who get enough sleep at night, but they're only intriguing to Y\n. How long has the web been there? Did its weaver die? Did it once protect thousands of baby spiders until they hatched? Could she reach up and touch it if she were standing on a piece of furniture? 

Before she can even comprehend it, her eyes are fluttering closed and she's drifting off into an alleviating sleep. At least, she would have been, had her body not jolted awake right beforehand and left her heart beating wildly within her chest from the sudden adrenaline rush she just experienced. Glancing around, she quickly recalls where exactly she is and releases a huff from her nose, raking a hand through her hair. Oh yes, what a classic. Falling from a building and waking up before you hit the ground. How exciting.

Her abrupt movements shake Marshmallow and he, too, wakes from his deep sleep, looking a bit alarmed before letting out a yawn, his white canines on full display for the shortest of moments before he rests his head on his paws, once more. Y\n slides her hands beneath his small body, however, and lifts him up, kissing his cheek preparatory to laying him on a particularly soft-looking pillow on her right. "Sorry, buddy. I've gotta get up before I go to sleep, too."

He shoots her a dissatisfied scowl and curls his tail in front of his eyes as if telling her he doesn't want to even look at her. She turns to head upstairs, albeit quietly, stopping by the bathroom to relieve her screaming bladder on her way to her bedroom. As she steps out from behind the door and turns off the light, though, she catches sight of her father's old room, the door shut for some peculiar reason. They probably just didn't want to be reminded that their once loving son left them behind without a care in the world. 

Knowing she has better things to do than peer into a bit of her joke of a father's childhood, she lets out the tiniest of scoffs and goes to her own room, unable to ease the bit of pain that forms in her chest as she does so. The woman that this room used to belong to is gone. Dead. Out of the picture. This room will always hold a part of her in it. It shows what her personality was like back when she was Y\n's age, and beyond that. It's a sad and difficult revelation to come to, but Y\n bites the inside of her cheek and keeps the tears at bay. She doesn't want to cry, not right now. She just wants to avoid another scare that will take five more years off of her life. How does she do that? She refuses to sleep.

Although, when one doesn't rest for long periods of time, they can suffer hallucinations. Y\n does not want to suffer from hallucinations, but she supposes that at least she would know that they aren't real. They're merely figments of her imagination. Like that masked figure at the edge of the forest. Or the weird buzzing in her head. Heck, maybe Jack isn't even real. How else would he vanish without a trace? Or get black sludge on her face from what was supposed to have been a nosebleed? It's all a bit too baffling for her, so she just chooses to go with the most simple and less mind-boggling explanation; they were hallucinations. Granted, very vivid hallucinations, but hallucinations nonetheless.

It wouldn't be too far of a stretch. She hasn't been getting enough sleep lately, that on top of lacking a social life, her pathetically bad parents, and discovering three of her closest family members are gone would give just about any person mental strain. She grabs her sketchbook from her backpack, considering the blank canvas sitting inside a moment before disregarding the thought. Making some terribly-drawn pictures should keep her busy for a couple of hours more. 

Her stomach rumbles, signifying that it's empty and wants something that will actually fill it up, and as she passes the kitchen after walking back down the stairs, sketchbook, and pencils in hand, her mind wanders. What could she eat that is both appetizing and satisfactory, that wouldn't take forever to make, and that wouldn't cause unnecessary racket? Nothing that she can think of. That string cheese appealed to her just fine. The same clearly can't be said for her stomach. 

Perhaps she just isn't in the mood nor the mindset to care about eating anything else for the time being, but oh well. A bit of hunger never hurt anyone, right? She inwardly curses herself when she realizes that she forgot to grab her phone charger from her room while she was there, and now she'd have to trek all the way back up the stairs just to get it. She does not feel like she has the energy at the moment to do such a thing, but would she rather have a dead phone? What good is that? It isn't like I have people to contact, anymore. Or who contact me.

But what if her parents were to try and get ahold of her about something, but she wasn't available? What if one of them got in a car accident, or their trip got canceled and they were going to be returning tomorrow? Wouldn't she want to be notified of something like that? They're both highly doubtful scenarios, but they're a possibility, if only minor ones. "Agh, fine." She grumbles to herself, laying her things on the coffee table and spinning around to, once again, walk up the staircase that just seems to get longer each time she conquers it, going into her bedroom and being thankful that the lamp sitting on the desk is switched on to provide comforting light. 

She unplugs the cord from the outlet and wraps it messily around her hand, being careful not to get it tangled. Tangled wires are the worst, every modern-era kid would agree. Especially earplugs. Once they're twisted and knotted, it either takes hours of work trying to fix and get them straightened out—valuable time most people don't have to waste—or spend more money buying a new set. Sure, she's never really had a problem with that whole money issue, but it's still frustrating because oftentimes she never has a ride and is forced to walk all the way to the store in order to buy a new pair, either that or wait a week for the ones from Amazon to be delivered. And who wants to do that?

Perceiving the fact that she just had a mental rant solely about tangled earbud wires, she snorts quietly and shakes her head in disbelief. God, I really am going crazy. She's about to head back toward the living room but stops in her tracks and instead averts her gaze outside, to the darkness blanketing the house in an eerie aura. She isn't sure what possesses her to do it in the first place, all she knows is that she leans in closer to the window, her eyes scanning the area as if looking for something. What that 'something' is, she hasn't a clue. 

Just as she's about to give up and look away, she spots it. At the edge of the treeline, shrouded partly by bushes, is some sort of lanky figure. Maybe it looked too much like an actual tree that she easily looked over it the first few times, but now, it's like she can't take her eyes away. A familiar buzzing sound wraps around her mind as she has a one-sided staring contest with this... thing. Or is it really one-sided? She can't make out many details simply because it's too dark, but it looks to be wearing a formal outfit of some kind. Perhaps a suit? Its skin looks white almost, but that could also be the silvery beams from the moon shining down and reflecting off of it in a way that lacks any color. 

Her chest tightens and her breathing quickens as she finally forces herself away, blinking frantically and rubbing at her eyes with her free hand. Another hallucination, that's all it is. There is nothing out there but nature, nothing scary at all. She's fine, she's only imagining it. That's what she repeats in her head, over and over for the next thirty seconds before willing herself to look outside, again, purely out of curiosity. To confirm what she's tried convincing herself.

The droning disappears from her mind, and she's more than relieved when she sees nothing but trees. No boogyman in the bushes, no lanky beast lurking behind the trees and waiting to murder her. It's fine. Rolling her eyes, she exits the room and walks back downstairs, into the living room. Marshmallow is still lying on the pillow, probably asleep by now, and she steps quietly to the couch, fitting the charger into an outlet nearby before plugging the other end into her phone and setting it back on the table. 

She tries to get comfortable, sitting on the soft surface and resting her back against its arm. Her legs stretch out, though not all the way so she doesn't bump the fluffy feline and for the third time that night, disrupt his sleep. The lighting in the room is gentle and soothing, but still helpful, and it allows her to see the sketchpad propped in her hands and resting against her slightly bent legs fairly well. She takes a 6B pencil and begins tracing dainty lines across the paper, forming a mental image of what she wants to draw and slowly bringing it to life. 

The hours pass by expeditiously as she creates one drawing after another, not particularly satisfied with any of them but just content that she found something to both keep her awake and entertained. Though try as she might, she just can't keep the drowsiness at bay for more than a few minutes at a time. She could make coffee. That has loads of caffeine. Caffeine keeps people awake, right? But she doesn't ever remember seeing either of her grandparents drinking it. Odd. Most of her old friends' grandparents and parents alike drank coffee all the time, for either work or just out of habit. Isn't coffee a known drink for older people?

Maybe Nana and Pops just don't like it. She supposes it is quite an acquired taste; she's tried it on multiple occasions and it wasn't exactly satisfactory, but it had a strong flavor. That's what she needs. But if her grandparents don't drink it, what can she get? Tea? No, people drink that specifically to relax. She wants to be anything but relaxed. Her breathing and heart rate slows steadily, and she loses her train of thought. Soda. Soda could work. It's tasty and it hypes you up, which is exactly what she desires. 

She mentally screams at her body to get up, to move, but it seems to be too exhausted to do any such thing, much to her displeasure. Each time her eyes begin to close, she pries them open, again, and tries to concentrate fully on the drawing half-done in her hands. But alas, her decreased energy level and the lulling thought of rest wins the battle, and despite all her greatest efforts, her fingers become limp, she slides farther down into the couch and drifts off to sleep. 

～

The first thing she notices is the smell. The rancid, horrid smell of something rotting. A smell that she recognizes all too well. The area surrounding her is dark, and she has to blindly walk around and hope that she doesn't bump into or trip over anything. A familiar fear sinks into her chest as she tries to be as quiet as possible. Drawing the attention of some hungry cryptid wouldn't be a very wise thing to do, after all. 

Her body shakes mildly in apprehension, and she glances around desperately, eager to see something, anything, that could tell her where on earth she's currently standing. Or is she even on earth anymore? Is she on another planet, or been teleported to a whole different dimension? The possibilities seem endless, much like the questions swarming her mind, as she treks forward, cautiously. The gloom around her gradually lessens, and at last, she can make some form of sense from everything. This place. She knows this place. This is her aunt's and uncle's house. 

It's the same as she remembers, save for the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and the knocked-over flower pots scattered along the floor. Aimlessly, she wanders through the household, looking for any sign of life that may possibly still reside here. The smell gets worse the farther she goes, and suddenly, she shivers. It's getting chilly. Cold is often an indication of death, not life. She turns, looking into the ominously dark hallway before her and hesitating. Does she want to go?

No, she doesn't. She wants to leave. Nobody's here, so she shouldn't be, either. But an invisible force pushes her forward, and slowly, she starts walking. Deeper into the dreadfully sinister corridor, the smell getting stronger and more repulsive, so much so that she's forced to cover her nose just to stop herself from gagging. Her feet get stopped by something lying in the middle of the floor, and she places a hand on the wall so she doesn't fall. 

She squints her eyes at the ground, trying to see the object, and eventually just bends over and grabs it. This is no ordinary object. It's her uncle Marvin's javelin. The so-called 'murder weapon'. She stares down at it, ignoring the foreboding fog gripping at her feet. It's slippery. Why is it slippery? 

A shriek of what she can only describe as agony erupts from the room at the end of the hall, the end that she finds herself too close to for her liking. The door is closed, obstructing her view from the inside, then again that may be a good thing. Subconsciously, she grips the javelin, suddenly not caring what's on it and why it's slippery. If anything comes barreling through that door at least she has something to stab it with. 

She backs away anxiously, her breathing increasing as her eyes never leave the closed entrance. Her hands shake and her footsteps are uncoordinated, but she doesn't really mind it, just as long as she's able to escape before whatever happened to that person inside the room happens to her. 

She bumps into something hard, and squeaks from alarm, twisting around, ready to attack. Though she only gasps when she sees a wall. No, surely not... it's impossible. But if it isn't... 

Her eyes avert around, looking for another door, but all of them have disappeared. It's like whatever force surrounds her wants her trapped. All of her exits are gone. She has no escape, and she tries to blink away the distressed tears, gripping onto the javelin even tighter than before. Only now does she realize that the door from the end of the hallway has gotten closer, so close in fact, that she could take two steps and she'd be able to touch it. 

Trepidation masks all of her previously sensible thoughts and a whimper escapes from between her lips as she wills herself to do it. Just do it and it'll be over. She'll know what lies behind the door. But at the expense of her life? It doesn't look like she has another choice. 

Reluctantly, she reaches out and twists the knob, and to her dismay, the door creaks open. It's silent from the other side, meaning that whoever it was screaming before has been silenced. Likely by death, as that seems to be the only reasonable explanation. But maybe it's a prank?

She steps through, muscles tensed and weapon at the ready. Empty. The room is empty, with only a window allowing the moonlight to shine through and spill onto the floor. A crash from behind her, and she looks back, eyes widening when she sees the door slammed shut. Oh well, she could always go through the window. The real question is, who closed it? Another shiver wracks her body, and a whiff of that same powerful odor near about makes her throw up.

A loud static courses through her mind as she twists back around, not trying to hold back the tears that fall from her eyes once she notices two motionless bodies lying in the moonlight. They most certainly weren't there a second ago. Neither was all of the blood. Two large pools of it, beneath their mangled corpses, where they were mercilessly stabbed. But with what? A strangled sob climbs its way up her throat, and she drops the javelin, letting it clatter to the floor. 

Blood is all over her hands. It's all over the javelin. There's no doubt in her mind where it came from. But if she has the murder weapon, where is the murderer? She turns on her heel, grabbing at the doorknob, trying to twist it open, but her hands are too wet. They slide down it each time. 

"Let me out!" Her voice seems more voluminous than it would usually be, but she suddenly doesn't care who hears her, anymore. She just wants away. Out of this nightmare. Can't it just end already? The static grows stronger, more painful, and she takes to beating on the wooden portal, kicking it as hard as she can. Maybe it will rot away. Maybe she can escape. "Please!"

The desperation is thick in her horrified tone, and she musters up all of her strength, taking in a breath and slamming into it. To her relief, it snaps and she falls to the floor. Finally, she reached the other side. Finally, she can escape. A cold wind blows through her hair and she takes notice of the grass beneath her trembling frame. Grass? Wasn't she just in a house?

Trees. Endless trees surround her, their branches seeming like wicked beasts in the shrill moonlight and the shadows hovering around. There's one right in front of her, a large one. There's something carved into its trunk. She crawls forward a few inches in an effort to see what it is. A message maybe? It looks like a messily-crafted circle with an oversize 'X' in its center. What does that even mean? She almost wants to think that she's seen it, before, but she can't figure out where. 

"I control you..." A whisper rides the wind and meets her ears, giving her goosebumps as she shakily stands to her feet. 

"Who are you!?" she screams, wanting more than anything to know who is causing this torment. 

"Where I go..."

"What do you want from me!?" Her voice cracks, and she looks around frantically for the source of the disembodied voice.

"...you will follow..."

～

Her eyes shoot open and her head turns to the side, trying to remember where she is currently as she attempts to slow her shaky, shallow breaths. The living room. She’s in the living room. Not her aunt’s house. She isn’t trapped, there are no dead bodies, no javelins. She’s safe. Tears well up in her eyes and she sniffs, looking back to the sketch pad still in her hands and being quite alarmed at what she sees. In the center of the page, drawn in dark grey and scribbled carelessly, or hurriedly, is a circle and an ‘X’ that’s placed inside, its limbs elongated and escaping out of the confines of the circle. It obscures her unfinished sketch beneath, making it look more like a background than an actual drawing. 

She switches her attention down to her dominant hand, fingers clenched painfully around her pencil, as if she had just been gripping it for dear life, and releases her hold, letting it drop to her lap as she leisurely sits up and tries to gain control of her rapid heart rate. It was just another dream. 

A low, threatening sound reaches her ears, and her eyes shift up toward the opposite end of the couch, instantly growing confused when she sees Marshmallow, ears folded back in aggression and tail swishing around as he stares at her warily. She furrows her eyebrows, wanting to reassure him that everything’s okay, and leans forward, reaching her hand out to him cautiously. “Hey, boy, i-it’s okay. Don’t be scared—” She’s cut off when he suddenly swipes at her hand, claws drawn, and slices through her skin, sending a burst of pain through her nerves. 

She winces and yanks her arm back, examining the damage and seeing three vertical lines traveling the length of the back of her hand, blood quickly coming to the surface and making them much more noticeable. This seems to be the thing to drive her over the edge because she lets out a broken squeak as nausea starts to make its presence known.

She feels the abrupt urge to throw up, and tosses her sketchpad and pencil to the side, standing to her feet and hurrying to the nearest bathroom, the one on the first floor of the household. Her stomach swirls uncomfortably and makes her go even faster, not wanting to soak the floor in vomit, until she reaches the said bathroom, only bothering to switch on the light before collapsing in front of the toilet, pushing the seat up, and craning her neck forward.

With one hand, she pulls her hair back, and the other she grips the porcelain, hold tightening automatically as her stomach convulses, sending bile to the back of her throat. This alone makes her gag and forces the hot substance out of her mouth, where it lands in the toilet and makes a small splash. The odor finds its way up her nose and makes her gag once more as acid and half-processed food gets torn from her mouth, chunks of cookie, cheese, and bacon floating in the now discolored water, amongst the puke.

She takes deep, consoling breaths, trying to brace herself for another wave of inevitable retching as her fingers squeeze the toilet bowl, so hard her knuckles turn white. As expected, her stomach contracts, however this time the only thing that comes out is more acid and bloody mucus, much to her displeasure. She continues her aching process of heaving up nothing, strained tears slipping down her cheeks and dropping into the water mere inches away from her face at this point, until finally, her body has all the exertion it can take, and it gives out, allowing her to collect her bearings.

She gasps for breath and releases the toilet, leaning her back against the wall and zoning out as she stares at the floor. Her hands shake uncontrollably, and she swipes at her mouth in an effort to get rid of the sticky liquid residing on her lips, before letting out a sob and tucking her knees into her chest. Burying her face in her arms, she muffles her cries and whimpers pathetically. What the heck is going on? What’s wrong with me…?

[dweetwise]

Picture with me. Mt Ormond Legion gets the map. They see what they think is a new cosmetic of like a fur coat. They go to taunt. An actual bear rears up and looks at them. Legion bolts and does not want to be injured by a grizzly. Lets survivors know from out of stabbing distance of the bear.

[bless u anon for feeding my dbd crack needs. you didn’t say which legion you wanted so have some rat boy frank!]

swearing ahead! also ooc but what else is new lol

Frank VS bear: ficlet/crack

Seeing the mist fade as he’s teleported into a trial, the familiar chilly mountain air seeps though Frank’s mask. He spins his knife and hums in content, glancing around at the grounds of the ski lodge he knows like the back of his hand.

“Fuck yeah, home advantage,” Frank grins to himself, starting the trek through the thin layer of snow towards the far side of the map where his annoying little survivor prey usually spawn.

He cuts through a jungle gym, slowing down once he spots something through the window. Is that a fucking fur jacket? Frank suppresses a snicker while imagining which of the survivor pricks the new outfit belongs to. Maybe bird boy wanted to look even more like a caveman? Or the sleazy gambler thought it’d go well with his trashy fucking sequin pants?

He doesn’t get any answers, as the person doesn’t seem to be moving, just crouching a ways off from the window trying to hide. He knows his heartbeat range is tiny, courtesy of the Doc’s teachings, so maybe the fucker has spine chill? Frank sidesteps the wall, walking backwards around the corner so as not to alert the skittish survivor.

“Hey fuckface, the 50′s called--” Frank taunts, finally turning around and raising his knife, ready to surprise the living shit out of--

Frank’s grin drops as he comes face to face with a fucking bear holy fucking shit! The bear growls before standing up on its hind legs and roaring--

Frank nearly shits his pants and scurries through the window in a frenzy, dropping his weapon while fumbling through the opening in a panic. He bolts out of the jungle gym, sprinting towards the other side of the map as fast as his legs will carry him.

His heart is pounding in his ears and he has no idea if the bear is following him. Frank braves a glance over his shoulder and-- “Shit!” --trips over some inconveniently placed rubble, landing flat on his face in the snow with his mask falling off from the impact and sliding away on the icy ground. Fuck! Fuck! Frank looks up, frantically trying to spot the animal chasing him, but ends up freezing from mortification instead.

Not even five feet to his side, three survivors are crouching beside a generator, having stopped dead in their repairs to stare at him with varying levels of disbelief. For a few painful seconds Frank just awkwardly stares back at the familiar faces of fellow Ormondian Jeff, that tired bitch, Quentin, and wannabe Oprah--Jane? The silence is uncomfortable as nobody moves a muscle, the only sound being the slow putter from the generator.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Quentin, the little shit, finally bursts out and actually doubles over from laughter beside the machine. Frank feels his rage flare up and fuck that bitch is getting stabbed-- “Hey kid, you alright?” Jeff offers and approaches Frank, extending a hand to help the other up. Frank snaps out of it and springs to his feet, reminded of the impending doom of the bear chasing him. “Bear! BEAR!!!” Frank yells, grabbing the bearded man by the shoulders and shaking him violently. “Stop insulting him, you homophobic piece of--” Jane starts angrily, forcefully yanking Frank off of the artist. “No you dumb bitch, an actual grizzly! It almost fucking ate me!” Frank explains in panic, slapping at the woman’s arm until she lets him go. “What the heck are you on about??” Jane demands, rubbing at her arm where Frank landed a decent punch. “He’s probably tripping,” Quentin deadpans, having recovered from his laughing fit and now back on the generator. “You know, on more than his own feet,” he adds, snickering. “Shut the fuck up Smith--” ”Where did you see the bear?” Jeff asks with a serious tone, placing a calming hand on Frank’s shoulder. Frank recoils away from the touch in disgust. ”On the other side of the lodge, near... I think by the snow cannon,” Frank explains, wracking his panicked brain for information. ”Would you show me?” Jeff asks. ”Hell no! I ain’t getting eaten!” Frank protests angrily. ”Like it'd want your skinny ass anyway,” Quentin quips. Frank whips around, ready to throw fists, when Jeff fucking touches him again ugh-- ”We’ll try to spot it from the lodge balcony where it’s safe,” Jeff explains, reassuring hand on Franks bicep and shooting a warning look Quentin’s way. ”Jeff why are you humoring him? Surely it’s a trap,” Jane demands, hands on her hips and giving Frank the stink eye. ”Can’t you see how scared he is?” Jeff argues. ”I’m not fucking scared--” Frank starts, blood boiling and face heating up in embarrassment. “You guys work on the gens on this side while we check it out,” Jeff again interrupts his tantrum, leading Frank to the lodge with a strong grip on his arm. Frank doesn’t protest (much), kind of glad to be rid of the two bitches by the gen.

He follows Jeff to the second floor of the lodge, and soon they’re looking around for the bear from the balcony. Frank spots it, almost at the exact same location as before, frantically pulling at Jeff’s sleeve and pointing at the animal.

“Holy shit,” Jeff says, astonished. “Why did the entity put a bear here?” “I don’t fucking know! What the fuck are we gonna do?? I can’t kill you or the bear, I dropped my knife earlier!" Frank rambles angrily. “I don’t think you’re supposed to kill anything,” Jeff says, thoughtful. “You know, there’s only three of us in the trial today.” Before Frank has an opportunity to demand what the fuck Jeff is on about, the man says something that makes his blood run cold: ”I think the bear is the killer. And you’re... a survivor.” “Bull-fucking-shit I’m a pussy survivor!” Frank protests angrily. “And even if I was--which I’m not... why?” “Entity parenting?” Jeff suggests. “It’s probably sick of you being a brat.” “I fucking hate you,” Frank says, giving his dirtiest glare. “The second I get my knife back--” “Sure kid,” Jeff says and has the audacity to smile. “Now let’s go find the others.”

They find Quentin and Jane on a different generator than before. Jeff explains the situation, causing Quentin to, predictably, burst out in laughter.

“It’s not fucking funny--” Frank hisses. “Oh my god I’m so done with this entity bullshit,” Jane sighs tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What am I even supposed to do!?” Frank demands, crossing his arms and staring at the trio with barely concealed hatred. “You’re supposed to help us out with wholesome magical teamwork!” Quentin beams, clearly getting off on his misery. “Or y’know, get mauled to death by the grizzly. Your choice.” “Quentin, stop picking a fight and show Frank how to fix the gen. Me and Jane will handle the ones that are closer to the bear,” Jeff decides. “Fuck no I ain’t staying with this cunt!” Frank exclaims, mortified. “Works for me,” Quentin shrugs, ignoring Frank and merely offering a wave as Jeff and Jane take off.

After Frank reluctantly listens to Quentin’s half-assed instructions and crouches down to touch the generator in disgust, the annoying teen thankfully shuts up. For a while Frank tries his best to stay focused on the machine, his leg jumping in pent-up energy as his thoughts flutter between the threat of the bear, his rage for the entity’s stunt, the uncertainty of what’s to come after this trial--

“Motherfucker!” Frank curses at the machine as it explodes under his hands. “You know,” Quentin says absently, not even acknowledging his failure. “You should ditch the fugly mask more often. Makes you almost tolerable to look at,” he challenges with a smirk. “Maybe you should have it, fuck knows you need it more with a mug like that,” Frank shoots back without missing a beat, ducking behind the generator to hide a grin. His foot stops twitching and he realizes it’s much easier to focus when he has someone to banter with.

Later, when the stupid generators are done and there’s no sign of the bear, they regroup with Jeff and Jane (ugh) in an already opened exit. Frank grimaces as Jeff tries to give him some cringy heartfelt compliment, before flipping Jane off when the woman tries to start an apology. Jane huffs in annoyance while Jeff merely chuckles, leading Jane into the exit, both of them disappearing into the void.

“I wonder what’s gonna happen once you get out,” Quentin muses, leaning against the gate panel and not seeming in any hurry to leave. “You think this was a one-off?” “I sure fucking hope so,” Frank mutters, not eager to repeat this dumb practical joke of the entity. “You didn’t actually do terrible today, rat boy,” Quentin quips with a grin. “Says the raccoon,” Frank mutters, turning away as he feels his neck heating up from a single half-assed compliment. Where’s his fucking mask when you need it?? “Eh, raccoons are kinda cute. I’ll take it,” Quentin says, thankfully ignoring his embarrassment. “More like stinky and a pain in the ass.” ”None of those are mutually exclusive,” Quentin jokes, before looking back into the snowy map in thought. “Going back for your mask still?” he asks, with barely concealed... worry? ”Nah, Susie’ll make another,” Frank remarks, ignoring the other’s sudden interest in his well-being. “Maybe you should do this more often,” Quentin says. “Get rid of the mask and, y’know, stabbing. Might even make some friends.” “I don’t need friends,” Frank scoffs. He has his Legion, why would he want to play family with the survivors?

Quentin--smirks?--which is definitely not the reaction Frank was anticipating. Frank suddenly realizes he’s been standing way too close to Quentin for acceptable bro-range and the other is looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Frank feels his face heat up and an insult dies on his tongue. Quentin opens his mouth to say something, but seems to notice something behind Frank as his eyes go comically wide.

“FUCK, THE BEAR!!” Quentin yells and Frank bearly has time to turn around to see the massive animal come barreling towards them before Quentin is pulling on his jacket, making them both stumble and nearly trip over each other as they fall into the safety of the exit gate threshold.

[is frank a) a bi disaster b) terrible at making friends or c) all of the above? also where do i sign to let jeff adopt legion]

[magicflowershop]

one day kitty; Kita version

《inspired by movie A Whisker Away》

✿✿ you wished to be with the person you like and wish granted. whiskers, button nose, tail, four legs and ears on top of the head; you turned into a cat. with this, you are given the opportunity to be with the person you want to express your affections to. but as a cat. and only in one day.

― haikyuu characters x cat!reader imagines!

❀ masterlist ❀

the wheel of names have spoken.

kita was having a good time by himself in his grandmother’s rice fields, feeling the breeze like the precious farm boi he is,,, when he saw a cat sleeping on a wet patch in the middle of the field

gathering concern for the little cat, he brought him home and decided to clean it up 

then you woke up

you felt something scrubbing your back when you open your eyes you see a guy aiming a hose at you 

you scream bc obv, but that scream translated into a screech leaving your mouth and you see your hand

homie that was a paw

why do u have a paw?????

"stay still, you might hurt yourself”

and why is there a Kita Shinsuke spraying water at you lmao

you see that he’s kinda annoyed that you’re moving so much while he’s trying to clean you up but at the same time you arent sure since he isnt easy to read and that don’t know him too well rip so you let yourself be cleaned for free ig

but yo what the hell??? so you’re a cat now????

you try to remember what happened before all this and how in the world you suddenly turned into a cat and magically wake up in Kita’s place 

you dont know the exact location of his place so you have no idea how to get back home from here

Kita pulled the cat closer to him, and wiping the wet fur with a towel as generously as he could that the cat soon found comfort from his gentle caresses

okay maybe you could stay for a while yk huehue

“you’re having fun”

you hear a familiar voice from a mile away, you look back and see a fat, creepy cat standing on two of its hind feet

o wait

you saw that cat last night when you were watching the shooting star outside,,, you thought it’d be cute if you suddenly wished for something so you did then that thing appeared outta nowhere promising you that he can make your wish come true than compared to a stupid star

so he forced the wish outta you

that you wished to be closer to a guy you admired,, and you had a lot of crushes in your school ykyk,,, just that Kita takes the entire cake

“you have until midnight to remain as a cat. be sure to leisurely fulfill your desires, y/n.”

and so he vanished

while knowing full well you’re basically Cinderella now, you take consideration of your leisure time with Kita-sama

do you stay or do you go home first to check on your household

“oh what do we have here?”

Kita’s grandma entered the scene and you think that okay maybe this development is a little too quick since you weren’t ready to face his relatives yet

“i found this cat in the fields. it looked like it could get sick so i cleaned it”

o yea you were a damn cat

also Kita calls you freakin “it”

:) 

pennywise who

you chose to stay in Kita’s place bc grandma thought it’d be lovely to let you stay there for a while,, and that you looked like you were starving when you saw the food on the table

thank goodness you were a cat bc jesus were you actually drooling

so you spent time in Kita’s place big deal

but his place isn’t what you’re aimed for no?

“i’m leaving”

Kita says putting on his shoes, ready to leave and he’s wearing casual clothes,, you don’t think he’s going to school for volleyball practice

IS HE GOING ON A DATE????????????

lmao

as if thats actually true cmon Kita doesn’t even hang out with girls that much,,, even though he prolly has a bunch of admirers like the other Inarizaki Vball bois

but what if he swang that wae?

??????????

so you followed him right?

you wanted to find out where he’s headed also that he looked good in casual clothes you just want to keep looking at him like this 

Kita went to the grocery store

ah

and apparently he was buying ingredients to make food

ahh

so you begin to think that you were foolish for lowkey gate-keeping him

like sis cmon you’re a cat rn keep your head in the game,, what do you do with those paws of yours that cant even grab his hand and pull him away when he was about to bump into a girl as he was about to grab a bottle of tomato paste

heck you cant even get inside the damn grocery store and walk in between them cause you’re a fcking cat!!!!!!!!

you watch their mouths say sorries to each other

the girl was blushing

hm?

Kita looked worried that he couldve hurt her since the hag was coverin her face

hm

nani k

n̸̢̪̜͚͑́̾́̑̋ á̴̠̜̳͖̼̃͗̚͘͠ͅ n̵̼͙͇̻̹̓͜͜ i̷̥̲̻̪͈̞̙̩͛̾̅̓͝͝͠ ̶̨̡̜̞̟͆̿̈́͜ḵ̶̂̓̀̚ o̶͎͛̋̋̊͋̊̅̈̅ͅ r̶͙̮̱͊̎͠ ę̷̺̪͎͈̗̖̯̣͍͒͊̒͆͂̈́͛́̒̃

you started tapping the glass windows like mad SKSKD

and ofc since you’re a stray animal ppl wont let u get away with absolutely anything so one personnel saw you tapping the windows and shouted at you from inside the store

Kita and the hag saw you and yea that was enough embarrassment for the day, you ran away and let your feet take you wherever 

its a bit boring that since its a weekend there’s nothing to do,, you never expected that Kita’s weekends would be this boring too :(

so the creepy cat appeared

“what’s wrong you dont seem to be enjoying yourself anymore”

“turn me back to human i need to finish my homework”

maybe thats not the most liable excuse you have but it is true that you need to finish an assignment

“but i gave you a chance to be with the person you admire, no? is this not enough?”

“yea well its-”

“here you are”

you feel someone pick you up and you see that it was Kita:0he must’ve looked for you since you dont even know where you are

oh my god Kita Shinsuke looked for you ma’am eye- or mayhaps you took the route back to his house without knowing since you were busy staring at him when you were stalking him earlier ye

you watched how he looked at the creepy cat you were talking to and and judged it from head to hind feet lmao Kita

“do you have the same owner as this cat?”

he asked you and you gave out every ounce of your energy to shake your head as a no as well as to let out the most disgusted and disapproval meow you ever could-

“the hell would i want to be acquainted with that thing!”

a

what

no way did u just speak

so Kita stared at you for the remainder of the time but decided you speaking isnt physically possible and that he could’ve been real tired since he saw the Miya twins along the way

he took you back home since his grandma seemed to be real happy seeing a little animal in the house with them

but you didnt miss to see the little knowing smile from the creepy cat from earlier, you just knew from that alone that he was messing with you since as you said you were bored 

it was wrong of you to talk to that lil disgusting thing

since that moment you refused to speak with your mouth every again, if you were going to speak thought you would probably just purposely say meow only to not make anymore mistakes

also you’re spending a lot of time with Kita’s grandma than Kita himself

“i wonder what your future spouse is doing at this moment, Shin-kun”

Kita looked like he wanted to roll his eyes so bad lmao since he always hears things about his grandma wanting to see his wedding before she dies :c

and yk it makes you sad too just hearing about this

and you want to help 😔

and you would offer help 😌

they heard the cat speak and now you’re running away bc they heard you talk about wanting to marry Shinsuke 🤡

the day ended and you managed to go home before the sun set basically nothing happened and your transformation was all for nuttin, you were bamboozled by a demon cat you randomly saw one night

the next day you were back to your human self and it was a school day so ofc you have to live on normally in school as if nothing happened, as if you didnt just stalk a guy from your school but we’ll get to that

see, you’re friends are friends with a few of the guys from your school’s volleyball team,,, so you’re within vicinity of Kita’s attention 

when you explicitly did not want to see him atm

BUT THEN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FRIENDS KNOW YOU LIKE KITA

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU DO NOW

you decided to run away but you realize that’s useless bc you’re all going home together :D

now you weren’t the crowds type of person,, you had no idea how it come to this, you’re used to hanging out with your girlfriends yes but they were having fun altogether like this it was fun just watching them goof off and whatnot

“hey”

when i told you you’re almost dropped the second you hear Kita calling to you, you best believe

you said hey but in a different tone of voice bc it was too early for him to notice you had the same voice as the cat he saw yesterday,,, then you both walked in silence

you couldnt take it anymore and decided to go to the nearest convenience store since you had something you want to buy,, you went and whispered this to your friends but when they were asking you to let your voice out, you were deadass croaking

but then you clown yourself sum more bc Kita was concerned of you acting like this and asked if you were alright

now you’re stuck with him in the convenience store bc your friends and his friends thought it’d be a great idea for him to go with you :D

“you should eat something warm before going to sleep, and take a warm bath too”

:((((((

okay now you feel bad for actually making him worry lol

your alibi of getting sick works really well with not speaking at all around him so you used this till the end thinking you can escape him with this until it rained and you dont have an umbrella with you

aight y/n you’re one hell of a clutz

Kita was enough of a gentleman to buy an umbrella for you until its actually out of stock

you guys stayed in the convenience store for the time being

you were losing your mind

how much longer will you stay with him

you thought of an alibi to save you from the embarrassment so you told him you gotta jet and go back to school bc you forgot to bring your notebook with you 

but now you realize you realize you didnt have to tell him bc he’ll still follow you as if his life depends on taking care of you :(

after you randomly stormed out of the convenience store, he caught up to you and pulled you somewhere where there’s a roof over

“are you usually this reckless? or do you just like getting yourself sick?”

homie does not hold back

he pulled a spare shirt from his back and put it on your head,, proceeding to wipe your wet hair with it until he realized he’s subconsciously invading your personal space

he looked right at you, so you two were standing there,,, staring,, his hands on both sides of your head,,,,, both of y’all are wet hunni

he let go and turned the other way,,, the darkness wasnt dark enough to conceal his red cheeks and hunni you made him blush aight

“you reminded me of a cat i saw yesterday im sorry about that”

“you dont have to apologize”

o sis you did it now

you s p o k e

so Kita was beyond surprised to hear that voice again,,,, and this time from yOU,, ALL NORMAL,, NO FROGS

“i, i can explain”

he looked at you confused, hell was he so confused, that you sounded exactly like the voice he randomly heard yesterday which made him think that came from the cat,, he didnt think that was physically possible bc yk but the embarrassment from your face was enough for him to guess

“did you really say you’re willing to marry me”

gOD

“i mean,,, i don’t mind”

“grandma would be glad”

stay tuned for more!

[fallintitan]

introducing....................moot!! who is now cooper and bt’s dog. love her or else.

[ao3 link]

Supposedly, it’s recon. ‘Supposedly.’ He knows the truth: BT thinks he needs something to do to entertain himself. Part of him knows it’s true. He gets antsy when there’s nothing to accomplish. He also knows BT hasn’t truly sent him off to fend for himself. The Titan is likely keeping his focus on Cooper as he treads through the abandoned facility. The last known place of their target, but as it appears, the target and the IMC are long gone. All he’s doing is wandering aimlessly through empty rooms filled with discarded gear and weaponry, nothing notable. 

“Pilot,” BT interjects his thinking. “Straight and to your right. There’s a heat signature registering inside.”

“Is it human?”

“It does not appear to be.” A pause. “I advise caution. It could be a stray Prowler searching for food. Be on guard.”

He unholsters his rifle, knowing damn well how imposing those beasts could be if they figured you were easy prey. He finds the designated room, the door shut and locked firmly. 

“The door’s locked?” He peers at the crumbling lockpiece from the outside. “Prowlers are way too smart to be kept in a room by just a lock. If there’s a window, they’re for sure going out it.”

“There does appear to be a window inside the room,” BT comments.

“This isn’t a Prowler, then.”

“Still, be careful.”

“Of course, bud.” He unsheathes his dataknife from his torso and gets to work prying the faulty lock apart. Within minutes, the thing falls off and clatters to the ground. He kicks it aside, pulling his rifle back into position as he kicks the door in.

He’s expecting...something else. Something snarling and furious, already on the attack even before he enters. 

What he finds is quite the opposite.

The dog huddles in the corner, curled in on herself. Her ears are as low and as far back as they can go; her tail tucked firmly between her legs in submission. A thick, worn out collar wraps around her neck, connected to a length of durable chain that clinks across the floor as she shivers. Her piercing blue eyes don’t leave him as he steps in slowly.

“Oh, you poor thing,” he coos, kneeling down. The rifle is holstered once more on his back and one gloved hand reaches out towards her.

“Pilot?” BT speaks. “What did you find?”

She recoils away from him as he reaches out to her. Her eyes squeeze shut as her whole body trembles. Immediately, he retracts his hand in a flash, allowing her to relax, albeit slightly.

“It’s just a dog,” he utters. “They must’ve been in a hurry to get outta here.”

“Does it appear to be hostile?”

“Quite the opposite.” He sits on his haunches with his hands dangling from his knees. “She looks scared. Worse for wear, too.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” BT starts hesitantly. “But we cannot--”

“C’mon, BT, you’re usually all for my ‘bad ideas’.” Cooper whines.

“While your ‘bad ideas’ are typically dangerous--including this one--,” BT starts, “I simply cannot allow this one to go through.”

“Why not?” he pouts.

“Look at where she came from,” BT reasons.  “She was raised by the IMC, likely to attack soldiers like you.”

“She’s obviously failed her job, then, if she’s cowering in the corner to get away from me.”

“Pilot,” the Titan sighs. “I am sorry. We simply cannot take the risk.”

“What happens if we leave her, then?” Cooper retorts. “She’s already hurt. If a Prowler or something finds her, she’s done for. Can we at least take her back to find her a new home?”

BT’s optic narrows in thought.

“Look, she obviously ain’t gonna go after us. She’s smart, yeah? She knows we wanna help.” Cooper looks sideways at her. “At least, one of us does,” he grumbles. “Even if she feels like doing something, she’s in no state to.”

The Titan is silent, thinking over Cooper’s words. Finally, he speaks. “Alright. Answer me this: how are we going to transport her?”

“By God, I’ll carry her myself if it’s necessary,” he swears solemnly. “I am not leaving her behind if I can do anything about it.”

BT relents with a sigh. “I see your mind is set.”

Cooper smirks to himself. “You’re damn right.”

“Alright,” BT relents. “I will await your arrival outside. If she is indeed injured as harshly as you say, do be careful handling her. She may lash out.”

“I sincerely doubt she will,” Cooper promises as he sticks his hand out once more. She still flinches away, but moves out of her hiding spot to tentatively sniff his fingers after a moment. Slowly, he turns his hand over, palm down, reaching gently for her head. Her eyes shut once more, ears back, seeming to brace for some sort of harsh strike. 

Cooper hums sympathetically. “She wasn’t treated right,” he states. His hand connects with her head softly, where he rubs soothing circles into her fur with his thumb.

“The IMC is not exactly known for their humanity and kindness,” BT quips.

“You’re not wrong,” he says. Timidly, her eyes open back up to look over at his face. She does not move, does not wiggle out of his reach, but seems to be gauging whether he truly meant no harm or not.

“You’re okay, sweetie,” he murmurs. He shifts to sit down on his rear, scooting closer to her. “You’re in good hands now. We’ll fix you up, get you situated. How’s that sound?”

He swears he sees her tail twitch between her legs, some sort of aborted wagging attempt.

“I gotta pick you up, though. You don’t seem to be in any shape for walking on your own.” He appraises her state thoroughly, now that he’s close enough. One hind leg seems to be broken, if the way it’s sitting improperly is any guess. She is covered in raw patches, especially around her throat. “They treated you like shit,” he sighs. “That ain’t gonna fly with me. I’ll kick their asses, just for you.”

Hesitantly, her tail starts to feebly wag once more, her ears slightly perking up at his voice.

He moves to stand, the dog watching him as he does so. He gets to working on the thick collar around her neck, careful of the raw skin underneath. Soon, it’s unclipped, falling to the ground with an exaggerated noise as the chain rattles with it. Next, he stoops over to slip his arms under her, attentive so as to not jostle her unnecessarily. One arm goes beneath her hindquarters, one under her front legs. He lifts her up with surprising ease for a dog of her size. Another thing to add to the tally--they didn’t feed her properly. Figures.

She wriggles for a moment in his arms before settling. He holds her like he would a child, propped against his torso with steadying hands keeping her safe.

“We’ll getcha outta here, how ‘bout that?” He continues to speak to her as he begins retracing his steps out of the facility. “Back at base I’ll pester the Whitecoats until they fix you up. Shouldn’t be that hard for them, eh? Commander Briggs will surely fall for you. She’s a dog person. If you and I both give her puppy eyes she won’t say no to anything I ask.”

Outside, BT is waiting for them, still on guard. He looks down at his Pilot as Jack exits the building with his armful.

“No take-backs,” Jack immediately informs. “You agreed to this. She’s our problem now.”

“I did not intend to go back on my word,” BT assures. He kneels down to be closer to Cooper’s level, peering at the beast in his arms. “Interesting coloring,” he comments.

Cooper looks down, taking in the details on the dog now that they’re outside and in the bright sunlight. Her fur is a steel-blue with white accents spread haphazardly around her body. Her nose is chapped from being dry, one ear is crusted with blood, and she is positively caked in dirt.

“Even if you wanted to go back, your point is moot.”

“‘Moot’?”

“Means you have nothin’ to go on,” he explains. “My mind’s been made and I’m not changing it any time soon.” He pauses. “Come to think of it, ‘Moot’ is a pretty good name.” He looks down into the blue eyes once more as he continues to speak. “You like that for a name? Moot? Are you a Moot?”

Her eyes narrow happily as her tail manages to wiggle as much as it can from where it’s pinned against his forearm.

“You are already babying her,” BT scoffs lightly.

“She deserves it,” he shrugs back. BT lowers his palm for Jack to climb up into, the cockpit hatch hissing open wordlessly. “Gonna go for a ride, Moot. Don’t you worry, you’re safe ‘n’ sound.” The hand moves towards the Pilot’s seat, allowing him to gingerly step off and settle into the seat with Moot laying in his lap. 

“Seeing as the base is abandoned and we have no further tasks to perform, I suggest finding a safe spot and waiting for evac,” BT hums. “A good time for some relaxing, if needed.”

“Sure thing,” Cooper agrees. “Lead the way.”

⁂

Later into the night, once they’ve settled in a grassy patch up high, Jack carries Moot out of the cockpit and settles her on the ground tenderly. Rain patters down gently, distant rumbles of thunder echoing across the area. Moot shivers each time it sounds, and his heart twists. He shuffles out of his jacket, instead wrapping it around Moot’s core and tying the arms loosely around her neck to keep it in place. The dog’s fur is sodden and matted, raindrops trickling off her timidly laid-back ears. He hopes that offering his jacket at least keeps her warm.

BT automatically shifts to offer shelter for the two of them, blocking the rain with the bulk of his body. His cyan optic casts a dim glow down onto them, creating stark shadows. 

“I must admit something,” he rumbles out after a moment. 

“Shoot. What’s up, bud?”

“I am ‘falling’ for her as well.”

A grin splits Cooper’s face at the admission. “I knew you wouldn’t keep up the stoic facade with her,” he laughs. “You’re too much of a softie for that.”

“On the contrary. My chassis is built with solid metal, Pilot.” Jack can hear the snark in his Titan’s response. 

“You know damn well what I meant,” he waves a hand dismissively. 

BT’s voice rumbles in lieu of a laugh, instead remaining at the level of an amused hum.

“That mean you’re gonna help me beg Briggs to let her stay?” he asks hopefully. “I’m sure the other guys will pitch in, but she certainly can’t say no to the both of us.”

A huff comes from the Titan, bemused. “Yes. I will help you, the mighty Jack Cooper, savior of planets and countless lives, beg your commander to let you keep the canine.”

[mysunfreckle]

Full of love and pudding fruit

Danbrey, Dani’s POV of the “travelling Sylvain epilogue” in episode 36, 2.6k

Sylvain is healing. In every sense of the word, Dani realises – once again – with a smile. Her heart is almost full enough to burst as she watches Aubrey run, leap, and then stumble down a gently rolling hill. Every single time her feet pound onto the earth a burst of green grass and flowers on the point of blooming shoot up from the ground all around her. The barren field they just passed through is now a lush meadow and Janelle and Alexandra still have clumps of dirt in their hair from the last tree that suddenly hoisted itself into existence.

“Dani!” Aubrey yells, scrambling to her feet at the foot of another slope. “Dani watch this!” She throws her arms back, slightly impeded by her backpack and sprints up the hill, singing at the top of her lungs:

“The hills are alive! With the sound of music!”

In a wave of raw, joyful magic that Dani can feel reverberating in her bones green grass ripples up and down the hill and a host of yellow flowers turn their newly bloomed faces to the sun.

Aubrey lets out a whoop of triumph and lets herself topple over, almost disappearing into a particularly high patch of grass.

Dani climbs the slope towards her, laughing as she goes. They’re putting the planet back together again. They are breathing life back into the ravaged wastelands of her home and Aubrey is…Aubrey is brilliant.

By the time she manages to reach her, herbs have started to sprout in between the grass around Aubrey and the flowers are displaying a variety of colours.

“Hi there,” Dani grins, leaning over her so her shadow falls on Aubrey’s face.

“Did we lose Janelle and Xandra again?” she asks, smiling crookedly.

“No,” Dani smiles back. “I think they just prefer to stay out of the blast radius.”

Aubrey blows out a noisy breath, almost a raspberry, and sits up. “What about Dr. Harris Bonkers?”

There’s a tell-tale sound somewhere off in the wavy grass that to Dani sounds only like a garbled “pfft pfft pftt”, but to Aubrey somehow warrants an indignant huff and a: “Well maybe I’m resting!”

Dr. Harris Bonkers emerges from behind a clump of flowers, getting up on his hind legs and sharing another one of his unintelligible thoughts.

“I did not,” Aubrey protests, scrambling back to her feet and Dani smilingly helps to steady her just because she wants to.

“What did he say?” she asks and Dr. Harris Bonkers smirks at her.

“Nothing,” Aubrey says hastily, with a warning glance downwards. “I’ve just let him watch too much Disney.”

He replies with something that sounds rude even to Dani’s ears.

Aubrey wrinkles her nose. “Or not enough Disney.”

They wander back down the slope again in a little group of three, vaguely in the direction of where Janelle and Alexandra seem to be investigating the ruin of some sort of house.

Aubrey is still waving her hands left and right, flinging flowers everywhere she points and Dani lets her mind wander for a moment. She turns around, walking backwards to be able to meet Aubrey’s gaze as they go. Out here is not the only place that needs healing.

“So, uh, I had a thought today. We’re probably gonna have to name the City of Sylvain something else probably, right?”

The city is bustling again. An astonishing amount of the people who had been overcome by the Quell’s thrall have recovered. But that’s why they’re out here, healing the ravaged countryside. Because right now everyone has to take refuge in the capital. It’s the only place that has survived. The only place they know of anyway.

So the city is not only vibrant and alive again, with the glow of Sylvain once again warming its foundations. It’s alive with people, folks that are glad to be looking up at the sky again and that are ready to take back their home. To start over fresh. But it’s going to be a new Sylvain and it should be a new city.

Aubrey blinks at her. “Uh… why? I mean, I guess?”

Dani shrugs her shoulders. “I mean like, when it was the only habitable place on the planet, it kinda made sense to—”

“Oh, I see.”

“—name it after the planet,” Dani nods as Aubrey catches on. “Now it’s just gonna be confusing.”

“Yeah,” Aubrey frowns. like, we couldn’t— we wouldn’t wanna live in a city that was just called like Earth, on Earth.”

“Yeah.” Dani turns around, looking into the direction where she knows the city must be. She has always had a good sense of direction.

“Yeah, I guess,” Aubrey ponders beside her. “It’s not super creative. I get it.”

Dani looks at her. Sometimes when Aubrey looks out across Sylvain the orange of her eyes seems almost as bright as genuine fire. She tries not to bring it up, because Aubrey can get just a big confused by it herself, but it’s still an odd thing. This Aubrey-Sylvain timeshare. “So I don’t know how to have—” she begins. “Like do we form a committee, or do you get to do it?”

Aubrey looks at her in dismay. “Whew. I don’t know that you should give me that power, Dani.” Her expression turns very serious. “Ohhhh. I probably would just name it something dirty like Butt City or something, cause I thought it was funny.”

Dani laughs, because laughing is easy and Aubrey rubs the back of her neck, grinning crookedly.

“Let’s see. Um, you know. What do you think about the City of Chicane?”

Chicane… She does feel pang at the name, but Dani grins all the same. “Yeah, that’s not bad.

For a moment Aubrey smiles one of her shy, earnest half-smiles. “Feel pretty good about that one.

Dani swallows. Yes. Sylvain made whole and the City of Chicane. That’s a future worth making real.

“Hey,” she says, taking in a steading breath and trying for a smile. “I’m kinda hungry.” She brushes Aubrey’s hand with her own. “Can you do the thing?

Aubrey’s face lights up like the sun itself. “Yep!”

She flicks her hands upwards and Dani knows bow her head and close her eyes because a beat later two trees pop out of the ground, growing fast enough for it to be audible like a rushing creak of wood. Dani can feel some stray dirt and grass sliding off her hair and when she opens her eyes there is a laden apple tree standing to Aubrey’s right and an orange tree to her left. For trees that have just been called into existence they seem fairly unbothered to be standing opposite such an unlikely neighbour.

“Hold on—” Dani looks past the orange tree. There’s a third tree standing there, slightly smaller, its branches heavy with dark brown fruits that Dani is sure she has never seen before.

Aubrey makes a sound of pure delight and Dani picks one of the fruits, making sure not to trip over Dr. Harris Bonkers as he scurries out in front of her feet. The fruits smell delicious and…kind of familiar. She bites into it expectantly and gives a surprised squeak. Pudding.

“Did you just—” She swallows. “Dang, did you just make a new fruit?”

Aubrey’s face is a picture of glee and justified hubris. “It’s called Pudding Fruit!”

Dani can’t laugh and eat at the same time and she chooses eating. They’ve been eating very well while they’ve been on the road, actually. Aubrey has been keeping them all very healthy. But she has missed desserts. She swallows another mouthful of pudding. She has missed desserts and she loves Aubrey.

Dr. Harris Bonkers, after a careful sniff, avoids the pudding tree and jumps a clean six feet up into the air to grab one of the oranges. As he peels it with his little furry claws, he looks up coaxingly at Aubrey. “Pfft pfft pftt pft pft pft?"

Aubrey pulls a face. “No, I can’t make a carrot tree! That’s weird! Carrots grow in the ground—” A spark lights up in her eyes. “I could make a carrot tree. Dani, should I make a carrot tree?”

Dani would answer, but she’s currently struggling to swallow down both the pudding and the love and so she simply can’t right now.

Dr. Harris Bonkers thumps his feet.

“Okay, fine.” Aubrey bends over and touches the ground, retracting her hand just in time for the tiny, three-foot-tall carrot tree that sprouts out of the earth.

Her rabbit makes an eager jump and attacks the new piece of vegetation head on, not bothering to use his still fairly new dextrous paws, but relying on tried and tested rabbit skills.

“Yes,” Aubrey says approvingly. “Go to town, big guy. All yours.”

The affection in her voice as she says it warms Dani up inside. She swallows and slowly takes another bite of her pudding fruit. Fruit that Aubrey made. Aubrey Little. Aubrey Little whom she loves.

Dani stuffs the rest of the fruit into her mouth.

“Aubrey,” Janelle announces her presence, having left Alexandra by the house a little way away. “You know Thacker is going to want to catalogue all this stuff, right? There's- there’s no need to make things harder on him.”

“Well, yes,” Aubrey says and the slight smirk she still has on her lips is doing something to Dani’s stomach she thought she had grown past. “But also… pudding tree! Janelle. Pudding tree.

Janelle looks fond even as she shakes her head. “Okay.”

“Yes, right? I wouldn’t do it like all the time, right? I’m not gonna like make you know like I don’t know… a smartphone tree or something. It’s fine. Listen.” Aubrey waves her hands around. “I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be able to do this kinda thing, right? So let’s have a little fun with it, right? I think eventually Sylvain’s gonna be like, ‘Hey, cool it with the pudding trees.’ And that’s fine. I get it.”

If Janelle wasn’t here… If it was just her and Aubrey and impossible pudding, maybe she would have told her. Maybe, because as badly as she wants to tell her, just the thought of that heart-exploding word leaving her mouth is making Dani a little dizzy. Which is probably stupid. They saved the world. They changed Earth for Sylvain. She kissed a god.

But still.

Janelle seems to be having her own problems right now, because she’s currently spitting out the bite she took from a rather lumpy looking pudding fruit while Aubrey shuffles her feet apologetically. Dani wipes her hand on her jeans, lingering just a little longer before joining them again, just to make sure her heartbeat doesn’t start going crazy again.

“I know there’s no way we’re gonna put this world back together the exact way it was,” she hears Janelle sigh. “And I think that’s something we all have to just accept. But you are figuratively and literally planting a seed that is going to grow for eons in ways that we will never be able to predict and who’s to say that some important event doesn’t start right here with a new pudding fruit?”

“By the way,” Aubrey grins. “I’m calling this Wonka Forest. That’s funny, right? Isn’t that great?”

And there goes her heart again.

“It’s funny. The whimsy is wonderful, I love the whimsy,” Janelle replies, sounding somewhat unbalanced. “You know me, I’m down to clown, Aubrey. I’m just saying… for all of my considerable wisdom, I don’t know how we know when we’re making the right decisions.”

Dani can still taste the pudding and she can still feel her heartbeat, but she can also feel the weight of Janelle’s words. Because she’s right. Everyone has made a lot of mistakes leading up to this moment. And they’ve only just about started getting it right. That’s what it feels like sometimes anyway. Except. Dani doesn’t know exactly what it is, but this, here, now, this feels right. And if she can’t depend on that, then—

Aubrey cuts off her thoughts with the distinctive, nearly babbling sentences of her genuine sincerity.

“I— right now, I have maybe the most burden of choice any person has ever had, right? I have the power of creation. I can make any kind of tree. And if start thinking about what the right one to do is, I’m not gonna do anything. Because I don’t know what the right one is.”

Dani stands and watches her, and listens. Everything stills under Aubrey’s words. Everything except her feelings.

“So I just have to do the next thing,” Aubrey continues. “And the next thing and the next thing. And I think— my hope is, is that I act, if I act from a place of love and a place of fun and a place of, you know, making someone smile, that the next thing I do will be the right thing.”

Her feet have carried her to Aubrey’s side without her fully realising it and Dani, doing her level best to pour every last thing she feels into single movement, presses a kiss to her cheek. Her breath comes out uneven, but her voice doesn’t and she means every word.

“You’re so fucking cool.”

The single light of soft surprise in Aubrey’s eyes immediately flares up to another spark of triumph. “Right? I know, right?”

Aubrey is beaming and Janelle is smiling and Dani is just about ready to start laughing at nothing in particular when Alexandra walks over and raises her hand.

“Uh, hey, everyone? I need some help over here…”

---

One cheese bush and some much needed comforting conversations with mice folk later, all of them are sitting on a newly sprouted patch of moss, near the edge of what must once have been a grand forest.

Alexanda is letting the two mice take turns swinging in her shawl and Janelle is writing something down, probably for Thacker.

Aubrey is looking up at the trees though. They are all dead. Either charred or fossilised where they stood, some of them split or nothing more than stumps. Aubrey’s eyes are large and nearly solemn.

Dani silently scoots forward a bit, nudging against her knee and putting her hand over Aubrey’s.

She squeezes her hand in response, glancing between her and the trees. “Do you think the Amazon has trees that big?” She gets to her feet and Dani follows suit. “They’re probably bigger, right? Yeah, it’s the Amazon.”

She bites her lip and Dani can tell she’s thinking about Duck. They all miss them. But Thacker is working on opening the connection between Earth and Sylvain again. He thinks with Minerva on the other side, he can make it work.

“We’re going to see them again, Aubrey,” she says as they walk up to the first tree. It towers high above them, dark and sombre against the once again blue sky.

Aubrey nods and it’s not doubtful, it’s confident. “We will. And hey, Dani? We’re gonna see Amnesty lodge again, too.”

Dani smiles. “I do miss the old place.”

Aubrey gives her a sideways glance. “I miss the hot springs.”

“Yeah,” Dani laughs. “Me too.” She wraps her arms around Aubrey’s waist, leaning back far enough to be nearly leaning against the ancient tree. “But you know what? I’m no longer homesick.”

She lets Aubrey get a single fire-eyed grin in before kissing her and when she pulls away again Aubrey hands have found the folds of Dani’s knitted sweater and she’s leaning back against the tree with a sunshine look spread all over her face.

Such sunshine.

Dani swallows. “Hey Aubrey, you know something else?”

One corner of Aubrey’s mouth quirks up expectantly. “What?”

Dani tells her. And who knew? You can bring an entire forest back to life with just three little words.

[kpopchangedme]

Nocturna: Part I

The fragile peace between undead and lycanth is imperilled your arrival to the Inferorum Castrum. Between the changing power dynamics of the wolf pack and the insatiable urges of the vampire king, you aren’t exactly sure where your loyalty lies.

Protagonists: Im Jaebeom | You | Bang Chan

Word Count: 2.3k

Genre: NSFW | Supernatural!au | Vampires | Werewolves | Angst | Romance | Love Triangle  [Drabble 2k]

Prompt: “I thought you were dead” requested by Anon

Nocturna Masterlist | HALLOWEEN

The beast is nearing, you can hear its growls over your frenetic pants. You accelerate, not noticing the low branches scratching your face as you run deeper than ever into the ancient forest. Climbing a tree could be a great escape plan if the monster wasn’t already so close. Your lungs are afire, threatening to give in any moment. Your heartbeat is deafening, the sound resonating within you as if to scream you’re still alive. It’s the only thing pushing you to keep running, survive.

You don’t want to die. You want to live, reach your village. You promised your grandmother you would be back safe and sound. Behind you, there’s an animalistic low howl. The others were right, you should never have set foot in the Forbidden Forest. Now you are doomed. “HELP,” you scream, not slowing your erratic race down, “SOMEONE HELP ME!” 

But there is no one to hear, no other human soul within these woods, you’re all alone. The beast has gained ground again. Its large paws quicker than your feet on the dead leaves, and between the tree roots. You look over your shoulder, meeting its glowy eyes. It’s a question of mere seconds before it jumps on you. Understanding this, you blindly fork to the left, unable to see in the thick darkness. It is the middle of the day, but the sun rays don’t shine through the high branches of the old trees. The forest is black and foreign, no wonder villagers never walk through these woods, or rather... Never come out again. It wasn’t a problem for you before today, but you had never wandered this deep, never would’ve hunted this far from the outskirts. It’s all because of that monster...

You don’t see it coming when the wolf snaps your shoulder and you fall to the ground screaming went it releases you. The momentum of your race causes you to tumble and roll on yourself for a few meters in a small glade. You hit roots and rocks as you go before you’re finally immobilized. The beast has stopped too. It now stands many steps back, observing as you desperately attempt to crawl away. The wolf’ canines are exposed, glimmering and its muzzle trembles on a silent ferocious growl.

The scariest smile. 

Its hind is raised, legs bent and ready to jump to end you. That is no normal wolf. Its silvery coat of fur and bear size are anything but that of those you’ve faced through your years of hunting. Aching all over, you stop trying to crawl. You can’t escape. Instead, you muster your courage and reach for the bow to your side. You aren’t going to be eaten alive, not without a fight. As you load a wood arrow from your broken quiver, the demon wolf snaps its jaw on thin air, challenging. There’s a strange intelligent spark in its eyes. Your vision is blurry, tinted by the blood running down your face. As if the attack wasn’t enough, the fall severely injured you. Even if you miraculously manage to kill the beast, you’re going to bleed out here.

“Well,” a male voice suddenly rises from the surrounding blackness, startling you, “this is just rude.”

The wolf diverts his yellow glare to your right at the interruption. You are not relieved at all though, all hair rises on your body. There’s nobody to be found where the voice came from, no one visible to the naked eye. That is bad. The Forbidden Forest is infamous for sheltering the worst creatures known to humankind. Your screams must have attracted one. The silver beast prances in hesitation, searching for the newcomer too. Using the diversion, you aim your arrow at its neck, holding your breath for a clear shot.

“Is it silver?” The strange voice echoes again, this time closer to your left. You turn, alarmed, sending droplets of blood flying. Again, there’s nothing there. Whatever this supernatural being is; it’s agile, maybe the wolf is the least of your worries now. There’s a chuckle, “Go for the head.” Your grip tightens on your hunting bow. You pull at the bowstring, trying to ignore the ache in your wounded shoulder. The silver wolf growls, louder this time, before barking madly. “Shoot.” The voice presses you once more from somewhere above, and the wolf’s jaw snaps on nothing like a protest. “The head!” Finally, you see him: the strange man that voice belongs to. He’s lazily leaning against a tree nearby, laughing. He’s built but lean, and as pale as death. Not a man, you realize; a bloodsucker. 

You don’t even have to ponder a second more to take your shot.

You let go of the string and the arrow whistles, cutting through the air in direction of its target. Unfortunately, it is stopped by a steel grip, millimetres away from marble skin. You have never missed a single shot, but there is a first for everything.

“I meant for the dog’s.” The alabaster man speaks airily, the remnant of his amusement completely gone.

You’ve heard of creatures of the night, through legends told by your people to keep children away from the forest. Bloodsucking eternal undead that masquerade as humans to lure their prey. Pale as parchment, beautiful as gods and strong as a hundred men. Your instinct is to flee when the vampire's eyes narrow dangerously into two sanguine slits, but your injuries prevent you from standing at all. You fall back to your knees in pain, broken. Your whole back and face are ablaze, cut open by the beast and the fall.

“That wasn’t very nice...” The undead breaks your arrow in his hand with no apparent effort, and your eyes widen. “Help me,” he mimics with a higher pitch, pushing himself off the tree, “someone help me!” He walks to the middle of the trees, and the giant wolf steps back in the forest, barking madly. You sure are going to miss that beast if it flees so easily in front of this new one.

“You aren’t supposed to be out,” you hush, clutching to your bow for reassurance, “the sun is still high!”

“Exactly.” With feline grace, the vampire crouches in front of you. He’s even more stunning from up close, eyes stretching in straight lines with a pointy chin. “Some of us are trying to rest, tidbit.” The creature is only this pretty because he’s an amazing predator, a trap perfected to distract and fascinate humans, like a colourful poisonous frog. At the comparison, your stomach turns. “You got a lot of nerves, I like that.” He admits, so close, that when you raise your head, the only thing you see is his crimson irides. “Head kills the wolf. For me… Straight at the heart. It always amazes me, how forgetful and feeble mortals are.”

“I a-apologise,” your voice falters, “I was just trying to escape, s-sir!” There’s something about the creature that inspires reverence, perhaps it’s his obvious power. He seemed angry, but at your fearful respect, he softens. 

“Hear that, tail-wagger? You are the reason I was disturbed... And now grumpy!” The vampire glares somewhere above your head, sounding far away. “Couldn’t you have finished this, clean and quiet? Do you have any idea what time it is!” 

“Noon,” you turn your head at the new voice, mouth falling open as another man emerges from the deep woods. He’s stark naked, tanned skin and sculpted muscles exposed in all their glory. Although, that’s not why you are staring. You know him very well, would recognize that silvery mass of messy curls anywhere.

Chan. 

He is your closest friend. You met at the market, both trying to sell game when you were about fifteen. Chan isn’t from your village but he is a nomad hunter and visits often. He even knows your grandma. You went on a few trips together throughout the years. He’s a skilled hunter, second best to you in the area. He must have been in the forest and heard your screams.  He came to your rescue. 

"R-Run..." You want to yell at him to run away, insists he leaves you behind and saves himself, but you only manage to whisper. "Go..." He doesn't seem to hear. 

“The sun is up. Which means I am well within my rights, Jeonha...” Chan spits the last word whilst baring his teeth in a feral threat. You have never seen him like that.

This can’t be. 

Does he know the vampire, isn’t he here to save you? As though sensing your confusion, the young hunter turns to assess you. Except there’s something else instead of his familiar brown irides. A terrifying yellow glow, one that you’ve seen before. Impossible.

“You…” In shock, you try to wrap your head around what he is, terrified.

“Go away,” the wolf says to the vampire, tone cavernous, “she’s mine.” You notice Chan’s mouth is soaked with blood, your blood, you blanch even more.

“The human seems to disagree,” the undead reaches for your face, and you recoil by reflex but he follows, “and I hate being disturbed in the middle of the day. I deserve a treat.” His icy fingers brush some blood on your battered cheek, and he takes them to his mouth. Instantly, his almond eyes roll back. “Oh,” he mutters in awe. It takes him seconds to speak again, but it feels like an eternity. “Sweet...” Without warning, his hand wraps around your arm to yank you upwards, making you yelp in pain. Your entire body is cut and bleeding, you really are going to die. 

The dark animal in Chan's body appears in front of you two before you can fight back, “She's mine! ” He points out angrily like you’re some sort of toy he’s being denied. “You can’t just take her! He won’t stand for it, I wo-” 

“Too bad! I haven’t fed in a while...” You tug at your arm in despair, but the vampire doesn’t budge. “And aren’t you forgetting something, mutt?”

“Jeonha...” He grunts, mouth closed, looking like he’s about to rip the other’s throat open.

The vampire simply waves his hand in the air. “Shoo puppy, shoo!”

Chan narrows his eyes meanly but remains unimpressed. His lips curl, uncovering menacing canines as sound birth at the bottom of his gut. They are going to fight.

“Help...” You try to scream but only manage to whimper, last strength abandoning you. The two supernatural creatures turn to you like one. “Save me... Please, save me...” There’s no one else to hear, but you still have to try one last time. You’re about to pass out from your injuries. Your vision is blurring.

With amazing timing, a long powerful howl echoes from somewhere deep inside the forest. Instantly, Chan steps back as if summoned. His eyes go from the woods to you in haste. “I’ll get you back soon.” He promises with a nod as though you aren’t dying on the ground. You want to believe he isn't the one who bit off your shoulder. That this thing wasn't him. You want to belive he cares for you.

The pale vampire chuckles, finding this entertaining. “I won’t let that happen, dog. And if you ever dare disturb me again... I won’t be as forgiving.” 

“C-Ch…” You attempt, hoping to appeal to the man-wolf’s humanity. He seems like a far better end than the cold-one.

It almost works. “Sorry,” Chan whispers with fatality. With that, the beast in a human body growls one last time, turning to walk back into the forest. He doesn't even look back. When the vampire’s attention fully returns, he pulls you closer, making your stomach sink to your feet. The only thing holding you upwards now is his arm wrapped around your waist.

“What are we gonna do, dear? I thought you were dead meat...” You wiggle with desperation in his grip, like a worm fighting the hook. He sighs, “How unappetizing...” That alone succeeds in making you freeze. His lips stretch into a devilish smile. “Don’t worry, I like my humans way warmer.”

You are not stupid, you know what he is and what he sustains from, but vampires never killed people from your village. You’ve been the guardians of their sanctuary woods for centuries. 

“I am from Ianua,” you mutter weakly, eyes fluttering shut. His impossibly large grin widens, uncovering his fangs. “You can’t k-kill me...”

“I could but I didn’t tidbit.” His scarlet irides are now half-moon shapes. “You went ahead and picked a fight with a mad dog.” You try to free yourself from his grip once more, but you’re too weak by now. Your knees give up. The vampire catches you easily, holding you up in an embrace. “I don’t think you have much time left… So weak...” He whispers, pressing his face into your hair. “Do you really want me to save you?”

“P-Please…” You breathe out, “Please, save me...” 

“As you wish, tidbit.” His fingers delicately brush hair away from your face. “But only because you begged. Sleep.”

Everything goes black.

Nocturna Masterlist | HALLOWEEN

[thefamily]

Chapter One: 1823 October 10th The πυγολαμπίδα - Re-Uploaded

(Word Count: 2,681)

Next

        Jack was running, he didn’t know where he was, when he got there or how long he’s been there but what he does know is that he was in a forest and the sun was beginning to set. He could hear their taunts about his brothers, about how they’ve never visited him, haven’t even written to him. He hasn’t heard anything from them since they got adopted. Even though they are five of his soulmates.

        ‘Do they even remember me?’ and then Anti… he tried to block it out, he really did but he just couldn’t take it anymore, the emptiness left behind like a festering wound caused their absence.

        His eyes begin to tear up, blurring his vision which leads to him tripping over something, probably a raised root, and land onto a path he’s never seen before. Before he could comprehend what just happened a horse that was blacker than night had slammed to a stop and threw itself up on its hind legs letting out a sound that was more of a wild dogs growl than a horses whinny.

        Just as he was about to scramble away from the giant horse, ‘seriously I’ve never seen a horse this big’ whose eyes he would swear until his dying day glowed red, he heard someone yell in a language that made the thing in his head growl.

        “Stella! Kio diable!” The cloaked person ‘girl?’ yelled as he heard them hit the ground with a thump and at the sound of her voice, a feeling of familiarity slams into him like a frying pan.

        ‘Someone rides this thing?’ Was the first thing he thought before he scrambled over to the fallen person to help them up.

        “I-I-I’m so s-sorry I-” He cuts himself off just as he grabbed onto their hands seeing what looks like a soft green lightning move across their skin and he had followed it up to th-Her face, and all at once the feeling of the words Oh, there you are wash over me as he feels a warm and calming yet chaotic presence mix with his own mind. His heart pounds in his chest as he looks her in the eye that isn’t covered by hair, it’s a beautiful blue, like the night sky whenever it was clear on a full moon. He was snapped out of his thoughts when she whispered something under her breath.

        “Q-Quam?”

        “H-Here,” He stutters out, grabbing her unnaturally warm hands and helping her stand, not noticing the suspicious look in her eyes.

        “Thank you.” she said nearly causing Jack to jump out of his skin as he was not expecting her to talk and in all honesty it was more of how soft and soothing her voice was. He snaps out of his thoughts realizing he was just staring and his cheeks heat up as he stutters out,

        “O-oh, uh y-your welcome.” He mentally curses himself for stuttering so much before realizing he was still holding her hands and quickly pulled them away trying to stutter out an apology waving his hands slightly before she bursts into giggles causing his heart skip a beat 

        ‘It’s so pretty.’ He’s quickly brought out of that thought when she speaks,

        “Cute.” She noted with a small smile in an accent that wasn’t from around here. Well if his face wasn’t red before it sure was now. 

        “What's your name?”

        “O-oh, um, my name is Jack.” He mentally applauds himself for only stuttering once though that doesn’t stop his heart from stuttering when she smiles.

        “Nice to meet ya Jack, I’m Liru.” She replied sticking her tongue between her teeth for a second and god did that look adorable.

        “Nice to meet you Liru.” He replies before she would think he was staring at her… again. She got this thoughtful look on her face before asking, “Would you like to walk with me and Stella?”

        He looks at her in confusion before he feels a tuft of hot hair roll over him and he quickly jumps, turning to the source and freezes before looking up seeing the large death black horse with ‘Black?’ eyes that he swears were red at first. Liru giggles from behind him and she steps up next to him putting a hand that looks comically small compared to it on it’s nose and gently petting it.

        “This is Stella, my horse.” She looks over at him with a smile before saying, “Go on, she won't bite.”

        He looks at the horse and swallows nervously before putting a shaky hand on it’s nose as he feels it stare into his very soul. He watches nervously as she just stares at him before gently nudging her nose into his hand. He instantly relaxes and lets out a breath of air he hadn’t realized he was holding and he could hear Liru giggle from beside him as he pets Stella’s nose.

        “So would you like to walk with us?” He looks over and without thinking says yes. She smiles, “Good.”

        She walks back to where she fell and picks up a…. ‘Scythe?’ It was bigger than she was with a golden pole and silver blade with a ruby and sapphire colored eye on the blade and on top on the poll was a bunch of charms connected to thin silver ropes or chains to poll. He was wondering how he didn’t notice it before hand as she attached it Stella’s side removing a leather sack from the same side before turning to him, pulling him from his thoughts as she said, 

        “Alright let's go.” as she began to walk down the dirt path, he walked quickly to keep up with her and walk beside her.

        “So, where are you from?” He asks so they don’t have to walk in silence. She shrugs a bit before replying, “Nowhere really. What about you?”

        “A village not far from here, I think.” He mutters the last part since he wasn’t sure for how long he ran. He doesn't notice her confused look and tilted head as he hopes she doesn’t ask questions. They continue to walk in silence before coming to a field that's by a lake that he knows for a fact he’s never seen before. She walks over to the side of the lake and he follows quickly as she walks over to what looks like a bridge made of stones and tree roots and quickly makes her way across it to a little island surrounded by Rose bushes and lush trees that shouldn’t be this green this time of year. She finally stops walking as they get to a grass clearing, setting down the bag and turning to him.

        “I hope you're hungry. There’s a lot of food.” Just as she said that his stomach growled loudly causing him to blush and her to laugh. Jack quickly walks over and sits in front of her, red faced. She begins to pull out food and he can feel his mouth water at the smell of the surprisingly still warm soup and cool sandwiches.

        “I knew there was a reason I felt like I needed to make more than normal.” As she handed me a jar of warm potato ‘and ham!’ soup, a ham and cheese sandwich along with a spoon. He quickly opens the jar of soup and dug in eating eagerly and freezes when he hears her laugh and say,

        “Slow down Πυγολαμπίς you’re eating like you haven’t eaten in days.” She teases, making him freeze, his eyes flickering to her face and his face turns red from shame rather than embarrassment. He sits a little straighter looking down and out of the corner of his eyes he can see her teasing grin turn into a frown.

        “Jack,” She says in a soft voice like one would use for a frightened animal. “When's the last time you ate?” she prodded gently and he can feel himself begin to panic, worried that she might be mad at him. 

        “Jack.” She prodded again but this time a little sterner.

        “I-It doesn’t m-matter. B-besides I'm-” He gets cut off. 

        “Jack!” she snaps causing him to flinch and her voice goes back to being soft but stern.

        “How long as it been Jack.” He forces himself to relax realizing she isn’t angry at him but he's still on edge. 

        “T-two day’s.” He answers quietly and the sound of metal beginning to bend fills the air and causes him to panic again, 

        “B-But s-since today is my b-birthday I-I might-” He’s cut off again but this time by the sound of silver snapping and the top half of her spoon flying off somewhere.

        He flinches as she sets down the spoon and jar before getting up and walking to him quickly. He drops the spoon and jar and before he can scramble away she pulls him into the warmest hug he’s ever had.

        He sits there in shock before beginning to melt into it and cry and cry and cry before he finally manages to calm down, she pulls away and so did he albeit rather reluctantly and when he looks up at her there are little glowing bugs everywhere, illuminating the soft smile spreading across her face. He feels her hand brush away some hair from his forehead causing him to panic for a second realizing she uncovered the one on his forehead before seeing her smile grow a bit and says in a fond voice, “You too, huh.”

        He looks at her in confusion as she moves the hair covering her face out of the way revealing two more soul-marks ones of a red phoenix with green accents and blue eyes underneath her right eye covering her cheek the tail feathers going down the her lower jaw, going through a large scar, like the one covering his right lower arm, and then an identical copy of the one of my forehead on hers, a heart, a spade, a diamond and a club creating a diamond on her forehead, just like his. He’s shocked and he can’t help but stare before her giggle snaps him out of his thoughts as he watches her go and sit back in her spot.

        “Eat.” He doesn't bother arguing with her and he quickly eats the sandwich and soup while she eats hers with a new spoon. He lays back content, his eyes closed and as he opens them he’s greeted with the sight of glowing bugs flying in-front of his face. He looks at them in confusion, jumping a bit when Liru speaks up, “They’re Lightning bugs.”

        “Huh?”

        “Or fireflies.” He looks at her as she watches the ones flying around him fondly, “Whichever you choose to call them, they’re still beautiful, dead useful to when you don’t have a lit lantern, as long as you don’t scare them of course.”

        He looks back at the little bugs whispering “Fireflies huh.” as he continues to watch them dance in-front of the night sky. 

        ‘Wait… night sky?’ He suddenly realizes just how late it really is and he shoots up quickly exclaiming, 

        “I need to get home!” He quickly stands up and looks at her as she stands up obviously confused saying in a kind voice,

        “You know you can just come with me, you don’t have to go back there.”

        He shakes his head no vigorously, “Nononono, you don’t understand I need to go back.” 

        He looks at her with pleading eyes, barely noticing the sadness coming from her, before she frowns, sighing, her tone resigned. “Alright, come with me, Stella and I will take you home.” 

        Before he can thank her, she walks back to the bridge quickly crossing it with him close behind jogging to catch up as they get back to her horse. Once they get to Stella she goes and grabs her scythe before strapping it to her back as the horse bowed for her so she could get on putting the hood to her cloak up. He freezes looking at her realizing that she looks like the horseman, Death they called them, that the adults would talk about seeing in the forest late at night, the one that is responsible for so many disappearances if they wandered into their ‘her’ forest. But he can’t find it in him to be scared, she’s the first person in ten years who was nice to him, to worry about him…

        She looks over at him, her hood not covering her face like it should and she puts her hand out to help him on and when he sees the soft smile on her face, he can feel any worry disappear. He grabs her hand and she pulls him up so he’s sitting behind her.

        “Lets go Stella.” The horse gets up quickly and he grabs onto Liru, letting his mind drift into the calm chaos of her mind, barely noticing a small flash of surprise that races through her mind as Stella takes off in full gallop towards his village. For some reason he doesn’t even question how she knew where he lived, just wraps his arms around her waist tighter and he could feel one of her hands on his arms as she keeps facing forward which he was great-full for since he could feel his face heat up. 

        To make it stop he tries to focus on the noises around before realizing the only thing he could hear was the wind, there wasn’t any sound coming from Stella. Sure she was snorting every now and again but her hooves made no sound as they hit the ground over and over. Before he could begin to question, Stella began to slow before coming to a stop. As he sat up confused he realized they were already at his village.

        “We’re here.” She said, peaking at him from over her shoulder as Stella knelt down for him and as he was sliding off the black horse he hears Liru say to him leaving no room for argument, “I’ll meet you around here tomorrow.”

        He quickly turns to her in confusion and before he can say anything he feels her press a kiss to his cheek. His face turns redder than before and as she pulls away he can see her pink tinted cheeks in the moonlight. He stumbles back a bit as Stella stands up again and turns around, he looks up at Liru as she looks down at him before saying,

        “Happy Birthday Jack. Sleep well.” Before he can say anything in return the horse and her are gone like a light and he just turns and stumbles towards the orphanage, her missing presence already leaving him feeling empty again.

        Meanwhile, Liru is hanging onto Stella as they ride back home, absolutely ecstatic to have met one of her soulmates but also wondering how Jack could know how to use a mental connection. Wondering how someone so sweet could be her soulmate and forgetting about the little picnic area for the time being, her heart lighter but also heavier as she hears Stella’s voice enter my head.

        She thinks about how absolutely gorgeous his soul was but also how clouded by trauma it is. How his song was muffled like a human trying to speak underwater. Stella must have felt her distress because the next think Liru know’s she asks,

        “Shall I tell them to keep an eye on him when you aren’t around little one.”

        Liru frowns to herself thinking, not wanting to invade his privacy but she’s also worried for his safety. She comes to her decision as her home comes into view and keeps her legs low as Stella’s bat-like wings come out as she takes off into the air, her eyes glowing red as she becomes a bit decayed. 

        “Yes, but to not attack anyone until those humans,” She spits out like a bad taste, “lay a harming hand on him.”

        “Of course little one.”

        She thinks to herself looking at the moon before they land, ‘I’ll make them pay for hurting him.’

Translations: Stella! Kio diable! = Stella! What the hell! Quam = How

Tags:

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@a-mad-tea-time

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@myspeedymilkshake

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[hazzabeeforlou]

A drabble, based on yes a detergent commercial...

“It would save the party, Harry.”

Harry rolls his lip between his fingers as Gemma bats her puppy eyes at him, urgency written all over her face. Gardenia blossoms have give the backyard garden a sweet, sickly smell, made worse by the tables of cake and sweets and lemonade.

“The guy bailed literally five minutes ago. It’s not like Lottie’s brother knew ahead of time.”

Harry shifts uncomfortably, eyeing the small man standing just behind the rose trellis, his petite form currently draped in a baggy mass of white fur and rainbow ribbon streamers.

“Um.”

“Don’t give me that, you’ve stuck your face in less familiar asses, and on shorter notice.”

Harry lets his mouth fall open in mock horror. “For shame!”

“You seriously expect me to forget the grinder incident.”

Harry has the decency to blush and look down at his feet. “Um.”

“Look, you get to display your tush AND wear rainbows. This is your moment, Harry. No one else can save this party but you. Rise to the occasion baby brother. Do it for your goddaughter.”

Harry steals himself and gives Gemma a nod. The man behind the trellis looks him over with a raised eyebrow and a cocked hip as he approaches.

“You’re too tall. You’ll have to bend your knees while we walk.” He shakes his head as if this realization were the bane of his existence.

“Oh.” Harry runs a hand through his hair and blinks, a bit taken aback. “Okay.”

“And that’s another thing, there’s no room for fancy hair in this business, it will be a matted, sweaty mess in two seconds. You’ll look terrible. There’s no room to be a pretty boy.”

“You... I, er, oh.” Harry nods slowly, accepting his fate.

“Right, in you go, feet through these, that’s it, careful of the tail, suspenders tight, and now we Velcro this together...” the man’s nimble hands work with the white faux fur until it aligns appropriately, “And now you’ll have to hold on to my waist.”

Harry tentatively takes hold of the man’s soft hipbones, a spike of heat shooting through him at the contact.

“Um,” he queries from his crouched position, “So what’s your name? You’re Lottie’s brother?”

“Less talk, more bending.”

“Well, but, my head, um, I suppose I have to...”

“Yes you do, that’s the gig, pretty boy.” The man shoves Harry’s head down, and the next moment he finds his vision encompassed in a hazy white light, a pert and plump bum inches from his nose.

“S’just, um,” Harry’s voice is half muffled with cloth, “It feels a bit odd being this close and not knowing your name.”

“You usually ask for names, do you? That’s a shock.”

Harry is only just thinking up an appropriate defense of his honor when Louis continues.

“Pay attention now, you’ll have to learn on the job. You’ll be able to feel my hips move as I walk, and you’ll have to match that. Can’t have my rear end lagging behind.”

Harry muffles the moan of a thousand easily forseen and torturous futures against the fabric of the man’s soft t-shirt.

“And no noises,” the man adds at this, his voice cool and sharp like the chilled melons Harry had lusted over at the dessert table. He has an unhelpful urge to do something wrong just to hear it again.

“Neeeeeeeeyyyyyyy,” he whispers into the man’s tailbone, unable to keep from letting out an atrocious giggle at the end.

The man stomps his right foot. “What did I JUST say.”

Harry stomps his left in response. He lets out a raspberry, his lips vibrating around what sounds more like a fart than a disgruntled horse.

“Would you PLEASE behave, they’re bringing the kids over—“

Harry’s ears fill with high pitched screeching. Above the fray of excited voices he very clearly hears his god-daughter scream, “IT’S A UNICORN!!”

The hip bones beneath his palms move forward and he shadows his leader’s gait appropriately, finding that keeping up with his top half is actually much harder than he imagined. The unicorn man trots around the kids in a circle, three loops, and it’s all Harry can do to keep from falling over in dizziness, the screams of excited toddlers ringing in his ears. Little hands smack against his thighs and pull on the shiny tail attached right above his bum. He can hear the unicorn man making horsey sounds and giving out unicorn kisses with his shiny horn, and apparently the costume comes complete with sound effects, for every time this happens an electronic tingle of bells sounds.

His head crowned against a delicious dip of spine, his back aching in three different places, his foot smarting from where it’s been stepped on as children attempt to play with his enticing tail, Harry suddenly feels a rush of faintness. In desperation he digs his nails into the plush skin he’s gripping. Instantly he’s rewarded by a braying snort and a backwards buck that knocks into his chin. Harry clutches even harder at this, though, reflexively eager to be bucked by such tender bounty again. This time he spreads his fingers over his better half’s belly and rests his cheek against the cushy rear so conveniently located in front of his face.

The unicorn stills, and Harry takes a grateful breath. Fabric pulls to his nose and the scent of pine and mint and smoke and man wafts through his senses. Which doesn’t help his streak of bad bottom behavior. Blood rushes everywhere but his head and he finds his himself crowding into Louis’ space.

“Now now,” Gemma’s voice breaks in, “No such thing as a unicorn camel, straighten out there, back end.” A weight presses down on Harry’s head and he shuffles himself backwards accordingly, cursing his sister’s interference.

If Gemma’s intention is cooling the jets of Harry’s rather stoked engine, she should have left him smooshed against Louis’ backside, as in that position at least Harry can’t stare. Even in the loose shorts he wears under the unicorn costume, Louis’ bum stands out, so to speak. Like mounded hills with a fertile valley as the crevice between, Louis’ rump tenses and releases with his every step, and Harry’s stomach tenses and releases right along with it.

How long this torture continues Harry can’t tell, but eventually the children tire of fawning over the unicorn and move on to presents. He dutifully follows his front half back behind the rose trellis where soon he’s disconnected from his torturer and can un-bend his torso. Grateful to finally feel the breeze on his skin, yet mournful about the decidedly worse view, Harry clambers out of his legs and tail and tries to un-mat his hair.

“You’re a fooking terrible arse,” Louis mutters as he slips off the unicorn head and fixes Harry with a judgmental glare.

“Well,” Harry ventures, feeling his cheeks go a bit pink. “You have a fucking wonderful one.”

Louis’ eyes widen and he reprimands Harry with a shake of his finger. “You’re quite handsy for two hind legs, lad.”

“You still haven’t told me your name.” Harry helpfully takes hold of the other man’s remaining costume so he can step out.

“Louis,” Louis replies, but he makes no move to rid himself of his second skin. Instead, as Harry’s grip on the white fur (and Louis’ obvious inaction) turns the air between them to awkward silence, Louis breaks into a delightful shade of fuchsia.

“Er,” Louis gently tugs the fabric free of Harry’s grip and turns around, the deflated rest of his unicorn body shaping in a twist behind him like a wedding train.

“Could it be,” Harry whispers, sidling up closer, crowding into the other man’s space so he’s right against Louis’ ear, “That you’ve got more than one magic horn there?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Louis retorts, but his voice has gone breathy and risen half an octave.

“Oh, I very much would. I, um,” Harry slides his hands around the jut of Louis’ hipbones once again, “You can give me lessons, if you want. I promise I can be the best arse you’ve ever had.” He gives a little squeeze. “The perfect bottom.”

Just as Harry can feel the heat pooling in his belly and Louis is turning slowly to face him, breath ragged, the unicorn costume falls away and hits the ground. An electronic jingle of bells masks the hungry squeak Harry makes as Louis’ mouth finds his.

[inu-jiru]

Decided to post my GTLW AU fic in honor of that spicy fanart @thedogyeller made 😏 Warning though, this is a very petty story and if you even remotely like Sirius, you should probably not read this lololol

Monsoon was finally dead. The demon’s body lied motionlessly in the shallows, the water surrounding it slowly turning a faint shade of red. The soldiers of Ohu returned to the shore, panting and dripping with sea water. Weary smiles were etched onto their faces as they looked each other over for injuries. The dead had been avenged. Ohu was no longer under the pursuit of a dog-eating psychopath. The war was finally over.

Orion shook out his coat, keeping a tight grip on the scythe he’d used to slit Monsoon’s throat. Though the fighting was over and Akame would, no doubt, come to claim it from him, holding the scythe gave Orion a sense of victory. Most of Monsoon’s blood had been washed away in the sea, but what little remained on the blade, Orion could smell. There was no doubt in his mind; he’d done it. He’d killed the bastard.

“NO!” a shrill yowl suddenly cut through the air. The Ohu Army fell silent, the dogs all turning to look towards the rocky cliffs overlooking the beach. Cross and Sirius had been on these cliffs for the entirety of the battle, Sirius because of the injuries on his back, and Cross because someone needed to keep an eye on him. Before the battle, Sirius had been so weak that he couldn’t stand. Now, he was up on his paws, preparing to jump from the edge of the cliff.

“No, Sirius!” Cross cried out in alarm, leaping forward to grab the young male by the scruff of his neck. Sirius’ eyes, once vacant and lifeless, were now blazing in cold fury. With a growl, he swung his head back, bashing Cross in the chin. Cross staggered back with a yelp. “Why, you…!”

“Don’t touch me!” Sirius snapped at her. His eyes began darting madly, searching for familiar faces in the crowd. “Damn you! Damn you all! It wasn’t supposed to go like this! I was supposed to fix him! I was supposed to love him!”

“Sirius…” murmured Gin, stepping forward. “You need to understand. There was no fixing him. He was a monster and he needed to die for all of our sakes--”

“Shut up!” Frothy saliva was now dripping from the corners of Sirius’ maw. “Just shut up, damn it! You’re all wicked! Every last one of you! Especially…” His icy eyes now fell on Orion. “You.”

Everyone turned to look at Orion. The two brothers had been butting heads for months now, and with the sickle in his possession, an attack from Orion could’ve easily spelled death for Sirius. Orion stared unflinchingly at Sirius, his teeth digging into the sickle’s wooden handle.

“I’m wicked, eh?” Orion finally replied, in a voice that was oddly calm. “Heh...that’s rich coming from the guy in love with a homicidal maniac.”

“He wasn’t like that!” Sirius argued, leaping down onto the sand. Aside from a staggering gait, he seemed to be able to walk perfectly fine. Cross stood at the cliff’s edge, trying once more to reach the blue brindle.

“Please, Sirius,” she called. “You’re not thinking straight! Come back and rest, alright!?”

“He wasn’t like that?” echoed Orion, his eyes widening with disbelief. “Oh, so Lydia, Hiro, Kenshin, Musashi, Jaguar...everyone else who’s dead...that didn’t happen, right? God, you really are delusional, aren’t you?”

“Orion, that’s enough,” Weed finally spoke up. He rushed between his sons, shooting a warning glare at the red male. “Be quiet and let me deal with Sirius.”

“Oh, no, no.” A sly grin stretched across Orion’s muzzle. “I wanna hear how else this idiot tries to excuse Monsoon’s actions. Listen up, everyone! Sirius is gonna tell us how Monsoon is just so sweet and kind and never hurt anyone--”

“Hraaaaah!” Sirius screamed. Without warning, he charged. Weed acted quickly, rearing onto his hind legs and grasping the younger brindle with his forelegs.

“Enough, damnit!” Weed snapped. “Orion isn’t worth it, Sirius! Go back to Cross right now; that’s an order!”

“Stop protecting him, Weed,” said Orion. Weed, taken aback, glanced back at him in surprise.

“What…?”

“Sirius is an adult, and so am I. If he wants to fight…” Orion bowed slightly, his brow furrowing and his lips curling back to show off his fangs. “Then let’s fight.”

“No…” Weed muttered. “No, I can’t allow--” His words fell on deaf ears. Orion had made his decision long ago that Weed was no father of his, back during that winter, when Weed beat his young body against the snow. Now, Orion was disowning a brother. If Sirius loved that bear so much that he’d forsake his own kind, then they could rot in hell together.

With another battle cry, Sirius pushed past his father, advancing towards Orion again. Orion stood where he was, watching, waiting, until Sirius got close enough. When the moment was right, Orion sprang forward, moving to the side just as Sirius tried to bite down on his shoulder. Swinging the scythe, the sharp tip plunged into the blue brindle’s exposed back, tearing into the already damaged flesh.

“Gyaaaaah!” Sirius screamed, arching his back in some hopeless attempt to rid himself of the pain. Fresh blood spurt out onto the sand. Weed looked towards Gin, his ears falling back against his head.

“Father! Stop this! Please, Sirius will die!”

To Weed’s surprise, Gin didn’t move. The old Akita didn’t even respond, instead gazing on at the fight with a expression Weed couldn’t read. None of the Ohu soldiers stepped in, their old smiles being replaced with firm frowns. Others looked away, continuing to tend to their comrades. It seemed everyone felt the same way. There was no point in stopping this fight, not because of Orion’s rage, but because Sirius needed to be stopped. His interfering, his Messiah complex, his self-righteousness...he was a mockery to the name of Ohu, to the name of Riki. If the fool truly believed he was right, then it was certain that his meddling wouldn’t end here, if he didn’t snap and try to kill other members of his family next. Perhaps it was better this way.

Realizing that he was on his own, Weed turned back to the fight, preparing to break it up himself. He only saw a blue blur speeding towards him. With a grunt, Weed was thrown off his paws, falling into a heap of fur as Sirius’ body lay on top of him. A few feet away, Orion stared intensely at his ex-brother and father, leaning down slightly to retrieve the sickle from the ground. He paced, never tearing his gaze from his brother’s body. Sirius struggled to his paws, grunting in pain as his entire back was stained with his blood. Below him, Weed reached up with a paw.

“Sirius…” he whispered. His eyes began to sting with tears. “Don’t...he’ll kill you…”

Anger clutched Orion’s heart like a bear’s claws. Sirius, Sirius, Sirius...Weed didn’t care about anyone except Sirius, did he!?

“Orion needs to be punished, Father,” Sirius responded. His voice was hollow, almost robotic. It was as if the mask of compassion he’d been wearing all this time had finally fallen off. “I’ll be the one to bring peace to this world, but first, I need to kill off this demon.”

“Ha!” Orion scoffed. “Try it then, shithead!”

Sirius charged again, fangs flashing in the moonlight. Orion tossed the sickle into the air, catching it after it flipped over. The tip was now facing upwards. Orion dashed at Sirius with great speed, lowering his head before suddenly swiping it, and the sickle, upwards. The blade impaled Sirius’ lower jaw and tongue, not unlike Monsoon’s claw when it had impaled poor Bob’s mouth months back. The mongrel in question perked as he the reference.

“Yeah!” Bob cheered, a wave of catharsis washing over him. “How do you like it, Sirius!?”

By now, Weed had gotten back to his paws. He turned towards Orion just in time to see the male hoisting Sirius into the air by the jaw, ignoring his whines of agony as he began slamming into the ground again, and again, and again, painting the sand crimson. Weed rushed at Orion with a fierce yell, only to receive another blow from Sirius’ body that sent him flying a few feet away.

Orion then flung Sirius upward, allowing his jaw to slip off of the scythe’s blade. Sirius flew high into the air as blood rained down from his body. Tossing the scythe aside, Orion jumped up after his brother, his body spinning into a Battouga. Everyone watched with bated breath as the disk of fur almost seemed to phase through Sirius’ falling body. Suddenly, Sirius’ body split vertically down the middle, and the two halves fell into the sand, gushing blood. There was silence.

The traitor was dead.

Orion landed on his paws near the two bloody halves, panting heavily. He looked down at Sirius’ remains, scowling contemptuously.

“Rot in hell, you worthless sack of shit.”

[preface2adreamplay]

Under Your Spell (Part 2) - I’m Still Breathing

Summary: A Jared Padalecki/OFC fiction.

Stef is a musician, recently gone solo. Happy with her life as a forever single person until Jared makes it his mission to get close to her. (For the purpose of this fiction, I have liberated some lyrics from various artists and their videos. This is fiction, with real people mentioned.)

Ratings: 18+ (Smut, Angst, Fluff). Flirting, mentions of sex, swearing.

Chapter WC: 2,471

Series Masterlist

Waking to a pounding on the car window, Stef jolted from her sleep to see Ari standing outside. ‘You ok, honey?’

Sighing with relief. Heart hammering, she rolled down the window. ‘Just getting some shut eye before driving home.’

‘Night shoots are a bitch. Loved working with you though, seriously. Call me if you want to do anything else, yeah?’ Ari put her hand to ear and walked away smiling.

‘Will do,’ Stef shouted at the disappearing figure. She had only been asleep for 25 minutes. That’s a perfect power nap, she thought, starting the engine. 

It had gotten a little chilly. Turning up the heat she checked her phone before turning out of the lot. No new messages. Perfect.

As soon as she closed the front door, she relieved herself of her jacket and boots, pulling her jeans off and tossing them toward the laundry room. They landed…somewhere. She was too tried to care. 

Her cat stood blinking at her from the sofa. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Sir. Did I wake you?’ Stef stroked his soft head, pulling an ear in to the palm of her hand and squishing it in her fingers. He loved that, his big eyes squinting, hind leg lifting to give the other ear a scratch.

Since her son had moved down south for school, she lived alone and quite liked it. Just her and Brendan, her ‘large and imposing’ Savannah cat. Stef chuckled at the comparison, leaning down to place a kiss on the furry monster’s head.

Toying with the idea of making tea or just sleeping on the sofa, she chose the latter, pushing Brendan down to the other end so she could lay down. 

Just before she dozed off, she sent a message to the unknown number.

Wonderful, have run around a forest looking both terrified and aroused for hours.

When she woke up, her stomach was grumbling loudly. Not surprising as she hadn’t eaten in about 24 hours. A quick pasta dish was heated up from the freezer, Brendan was munching happily on some stinky cat food and Stef was sitting curled up on the sofa, channel surfing.

Her phone dinged.

Is that something else you only do in private? ;)

Definitely Jared. Stef cringed a little, he was eluding to their conversation from the previous day. Oh god, why did he remember the embarrassing things she said? She groaned aloud, throwing her head back onto the sofa. 

‘Kill me, Brendan. Get the shotgun.’

The cat looked at her and turned away, not giving one single fuck.

‘Hey that gives me an idea for a song.’ She exclaimed, grabbing her notebook and scribbling down a few lines in a flurry of inspiration. 

‘I may even name this song, ‘Kill me, Brendan”.

Tongue pushed between her teeth in concentration, she wrote almost two full verses. Quick work. Jared was a good muse. 

Deciding to browse social media for a bit, she looked up Oscar’s twitter. Nothing new. There were a few friends updating with photos from their Friday night out. Stef didn’t mind, she preferred sitting in to clubbing. 

Maybe I should check Jared’s? Knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea, but did it anyway.

Having scrolled through several pictures of him with his beautiful wife and adorable children, she’d had enough.

Texting both Oscar and her son a ‘How are you?’ She shot a quick message back to Jared,

‘Wouldn’t you love to know.’

Sent.

Too late to take it back.

It wasn’t even one minute before her phone lit up. Stef picked her phone up and tentatively unlocked the screen. 

Oscar: ‘Tired. Still on set, putting the hours in so I can get home and see my family.’

Stef sighed contentedly, it was sweet, Oscar was always sweet.

Stef: Flying down on Friday evening, can you pick me up?

The flash of ‘typing’ came up on screen. She waited, wondering what the hell he was typing that was taking him so long, rolling her eyes when finally he pressed send.

‘Yes x’

Another beep.

Dar: great, studying.

Stef: yeah right.

Dar: 😋 🍻

Stef: behave.

Stef looked up at the framed pictures on the fireplace. The centrepiece photo was her and Darius on the beach. He was 4, she was 20. Damn, he was a cute kid. Oscar had insisted on bringing them to the beach so he could take photographs of them, they had hiked half way there after the car had broken down. That was a fun day. 

Her eyes were drawn back to her phone when it dinged again. Jared.

‘You busy? You wanna grab a drink?’

Considering the offer, she decided to send a selfie of her and Brendan laying on the sofa covered in blankets. Having taken a photo, she reconsidered. Make it sexier. Pulling her tank down a little it gave more than enough cleavage. Just the look she was going for. 

‘I’m wiped after the night shoot. I have beers in my fridge. Can’t move from this sofa.’

Picture and message sent.

A beer would be good right about now. But so would a shower. She rubbed a hand down her face, deciding.

Shower first, beer after. 

Just as she was tying her hair into a messy bun, Jared sent another text. 

‘Damn girl. I’m with the guys.’

Stef: ’Who are ‘the guys’. 

Jared: ’Jensen and Misha, they want to know why I’m blushing.’

Stef: ’Why ARE you blushing?’

Typing. Typing. 

Stef put the phone down and stood under the hot water, the water pressure was so damn good. Choosing the sweetest smelling shower gel from her ridiculous and varied selection of bath products, she lathered up and gave a quick shave to the key essential areas. Better to keep on top of it then to panic shave later on.

Jared: ’I don’t usually get pussy pictures.’

Stef giggled when she saw the latest message pop up on screen. 

Stef: ’His name is Brendan and he asked me to give you a nonchalant glance.’

Jared replied with a laughing emoji. 

Stef: ’Also, me mentioning beers in my fridge was an invitation for a chilled out drink at mine.’

Slipping into a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, she looked herself over in the mirror. Relaxed AND sexy. She was certain this was one of Oscar’s old shirts, she didn’t listen to The Clash. Now that she had invited Jared for a drink at hers, she didn’t really know what to do with herself. From feeling relaxed on the sofa thinking she would binge watch some Rick & Morty to feeling as if nothing would satisfy her. 

Beep. 

She checked her phone. ‘I can be there in a half hour. I need to talk to someone interesting. Sick of looking at these guys.’

Sure, she thought, who would get sick of looking at Jensen and Misha? 

Texting her address and directions to her ‘out of the way’ house, she fixed the living room up a little. 

Brendan had slinked past her and made himself scarce. Probably upstairs asleep on the bed, where he was absolutely not allowed to be.

‘You better not be in the bedroom!’ Stef yelled up the stairs. Jumping in fright when a knock came on the door behind her. 

She peered though the peephole. Jared standing with his hands in his pockets, a tentative look on his face.

Smiling, she pulled open the door. 

Jared looked her up and down and gulped, ‘I’m not in your bedroom.’ 

‘Oh,’ Stef covered her face, flushing. ‘The cat likes to sneak in when I’m not looking.’

One side of Jared’s mouth pulled into a half smile, raising his eyebrows at her. 

‘Come in,’ gesturing to the living room to the right of the hallway. ‘I’m still a little foggy from the lack of proper sleep.’

Jared stepped into the hallway and stood a little too close and she pushed the door closed behind him.

‘Why is your cat called Brendan? And why do you live in a weird house in a weird neighbourhood?’

Stef looked up into his confused face, she could see he was trying to hold back a laugh but he was earnest in his innocent inquisitiveness. 

‘I have so many questions,’ he grimaced. 

‘Well come on, let’s grab a drink and you can ask me all the questions you like.’

Jared’s long legs almost reached the fireplace as he lay draped across half of her sofa. She was sitting with her legs across the arm of the comfy armchair, angled so that she could see the tv, be close to the fire and near enough to Jared without being too familiar. He was watching her talk about the last album she recorded, enjoying seeing her small feet press against the cushion on the sofa, curling her toes as she remembered how she almost blew out her voice. 

‘There was a lot of passion in that song.’ He agreed, placing the bottle to his lips and taking a quick sip.

Stef raised her eyebrows, ‘So, you’ve listened to a lot of my music, then?’ Taking her turn at drinking, swishing the beer around her mouth, watching him while he considered his answer.

‘I have. Even the stuff you did with the electronic band,’ he said, as if he didn’t know the name. 

’And when I heard you were looking for someone for your video, I decided to throw my name out there. Especially after hearing the song, it was one of those moments when the lyrics reached in and really grabbed at you. You know?’ 

He placed a hand over his heart, his long fingers slipping into the gap between the buttons. His face was was set in a frown, one of those faces you see when someone is talking about something they love and feel as if no one else really ‘gets it.’ 

Stef bit her lip, ‘Thank you’ she whispered.

He leaned forward and clinked his bottle against hers, ‘Cheers to that. And please, keep making music.’

Laughing behind her hand, she threw her head back against the chair and closed her eyes.

‘I write all the time, it’s like a river flowing through me, it never stops. My mind is running at a hundred miles an hour these past few days. I can’t seem to switch off.’ 

Jared nodded. ‘You paint as well? he asked, getting up from the sofa. 

‘I paint, but I’m not great at it.’

‘These are are yours?’ He gestured to the art covered walls.

‘Yeah,’ she gave him a tight lipped smile, ‘I sell some. Can you believe people buy this stuff?’ 

‘I believe it.’ 

‘You’re too kind.’ Stef shimmied out of the armchair and stood next to him, she came up to his shoulder at full height. 

Jared stilled when he felt her arm brush lightly against his. 

‘So. Are you up for the party on Sunday?’ He asked, without looking at her.

‘Yeah, I think so. Can I bring a friend?’

Jared cocked his eyebrow at her.

‘A girlfriend,’ feeling the need to clarify. ‘I don’t like showing up at a party alone. It gives me an excuse if the party sucks or if the guys are creepy,’ she grinned up at him. His eyes meeting hers.

‘Creepy guys eh?’ He grinned while taking another sip of beer.

‘Well, it can’t be too bad, I have already seen you in your underwear. I’ve choked you during pretend sex too.’

They both laughed, beer spluttering from her mouth and splashing on to her shirt.

‘Oh fuck.’ she exclaimed. ‘True, seeing me drunk is probably going to be such a non event.’

Jared threw back his head and laughed, pulling the beanie from his head and letting his hair tumble free before raking his fingers through it. 

‘Bring your friend, that’s cool with me,’ he smiled down at her. He liked this girl. Whatever about the flirting and the excitement of working with someone he admired, he actually liked her. She was quickly becoming one of his favourite people.

Jared moved along the room, looking at each painting individually, stopping at the framed pictures along the fireplace. ‘Cute kid.’

‘Yeah. That’s my son, Darius.’ 

Jared whipped his head back to look at her, ‘Seriously?’ 

‘Seriously.’ 

‘I did not know you had a kid,’ he rested his eyes on her face, his focus soft as he imagined what she was like as a mom. 

‘He’s grown now, in Texas for school.’ 

Jared wanted to tell her she couldn’t possibly be telling the truth. ‘How grown is he?’ His brows furrowed. 

‘He will be 21 next weekend, actually.’

Jared’s jaw dropped, searching her face for any kind of indication that she was messing with him. On seeing her gaze drop to the drink in her hands, he took a step towards her. ‘Sorry.’

‘For what?’ Stef looked back up at him.

‘My reaction, I didn't mean any disrespect.’

‘That’s usually people’s reaction, honestly. I’m not offended. Most people can’t believe I have a 20 year old son. And yes, I was 16 having him. Teenage mom.’

‘Damn. That’s admirable. I appreciate it’s hard raising kids and I started my family in my late twenties!’

Jared squeezed her arm a little before pulling away. 

‘Did the dad stick around?’ Unsure if whether he wanted to ask the question or not but he felt he needed to know more about this woman. The more time he spent with her, the more of an enigma she seemed to be.

Stef cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. ‘Yes, he did, we broke up years ago. But, luckily, we are still close.’

Jared pursed his lips and looked back at the photograph. ‘You keep that hidden well.’

‘Private life stays private.’ She stated. Jared nodded in agreement.

‘It’s not on your wikipedia.’

Stef could see he was hiding another grin.

They stood in silence. Both looking at the picture of the dark haired little boy tucked into his mothers side, smiling at the camera.

‘He’s studying to be a vet.’ Stef broke the silence. ‘He always loved animals. This house has had its fair share of odd creatures and creepy crawlies. A few times things would ‘go missing’ and I swear I couldn’t relax until they were found and locked away again.’ Shivering at the thought, she drained the last of her beer and motioned her head toward the kitchen. 

Jared followed close behind, walking his fingers lightly up her spine. ‘Ugh,’ she cried out, ‘don’t do that.’ Grabbing his hand and pushed him away, fingers touching for a little longer than was necessary. 

A disgruntled hiss startled them both out of their teasing. 

‘Wow, that’s a huge pussy.’

Stef snorted a laugh and bend down to pet Brendan. ‘Jared, Brendan. Brendan, this is my friend Jared. You two will also have to be friends.’

CHAPTER THREE

[mama-m1na]

ICUAMC: Chapter 1

~~~I~~~

It was an exciting night for the group of six as they gathered around a fire on top of an empty hill that looked over a suburban area of their hometown.

“I still can’t believe that this was the hilltop that was on fire two years ago,” the only male in the group said as he sat down on a blanket that was laid on the ground.

“Yep, well the scorch marks are still here so you best believe it,” an eighteen-year-old ravenette spoke as she gestured towards the exposed frame of what used to be a building behind them.

“You know it’s pretty cold for fucking July in southern California,” muttered a Mexican with short brown hair and green eyes as her teeth chattered with a cooler breeze.

“I thank the heavens for that, otherwise I would be complaining to no end,” the ravenette replied as she looked down to her outfit consisting of a black tank top, red shorts and brown ankle boots for the climbing.

“Shut the fuck up, Mina, you were literally born in the snow,” snapped the brunette as the other females let out small chuckles.

“Nope, I was born in a hospital where my mother kept pissing off the doctor while she was in labor,” she shrugged, taking her own seat closer to the edge of the hill.

“So when are the fireworks starting?” a dark skinned female asked as she lay across another blanket, looking at her phone.

“They should be starting soon I mean the sun is already down,” the youngest of the group spoke as she checked her phone.

Just then the first bang was heard as the group looked up to see multi colored lights in the sky.

A few hours later the fireworks were all done and the group were all ready to go to sleep with their sleeping bags laid out.

“Ramen, are you sure you don’t want to wear pants?” Callum asked as he worriedly looked over at the ravenette who was still sitting by the edge of the hill, “It’ll get colder and I know how weak your immune system is.”

“I’ve been taking my supplements, I’ll be fine,” chirped the female as she looked over the city and up at the stars, “It’s really pretty up here. I don’t know why we haven’t come up here before, it’s pretty close to my house too.”

“Holy shit, shooting star!” she exclaimed, jumping up to get a better look at the sky.

“What? Where?” the darkette asked as she opened her phone to the camera with the clock reading 11:59.

Looking up Callum’s eyes widened before he exclaimed, “Rhamina, look out!”

However, it was too late.

The ravenette turned over her shoulder to see a light flying straight towards her and when it made impact she was thrown off balance, sent tumbling down the steep slope as the clock struck midnight.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed as the females only watched on in shock, “Don’t just sit there, call 911!”

Already on the dial pad Kerstin started dialing only to be struck by something similar, knocked unconscious on impact.

“Kerstin!” the brunette called as she cradled her sibling only to be struck as well.

“Callum, what’s happening?!” the youngest female cried as she clung to the male’s arm as the dark skinned female was struck.

“I don’t kn-” Callum was cut off as he too was struck and so was the girl before she could even let out a word. 

The ravenette’s eyes twitched as she was slowly brought out of her sleep by a warm breath on her face.

She let out a groan as she rolled onto her left side to avoid the annoyance, feeling pain from all over her body.

Finally opening her eyes, Rhamina slowly began to recollect what had happened to her.

“Fuck,” she hissed as she sat up only for her head to start pounding before she reached up to feel something sticky.

Pulling her hand back she saw it was red and she looked down at the rest of her self to see multiple bruises on her very exposed skin, but what concerned her the most was the large gash running down her left calf.

The ravenette let out a huff of frustration when she realized that she had left her hoodie up on the hill so she had nothing to even try to stop the bleeding with.

A soft nudge to her back had the girl turn around faster than she should have as she was met with the sight of an animal that should not have existed.

It stood on all fours with a black body covered in white fur. It had a ruff around its neck and chest and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single blue-black oval. It had a feline face with almond-shaped, red eyes full of curiosity, a scythe-like tail, and a crescent shaped horn on the side of its head. Its broad feet were equipped with three claws each, and spikes protruded from the heels of its hind legs and elbows of its front legs.

Rhamina’s breath hitched in her throat as it approached but she made no move to escape, not like she could with the state she was in.

Once it got close enough she slowly raised her hand in front of her with her palm up with the creature watching her the entire time.

It leaned out to sniff her hand before giving small licks at her wrist causing the female to giggle before ruffling the fur on top of the creature’s head.

After a few more moments to collect herself the ravenette attempted to stand only to crumple back to the ground upon putting pressure on her left leg.

The creature looked down at the female in worry as she sat back up while moving hair out of her face.

“This sucks ass,” she smiled before trying again only to get the same result, this time with fresh blood running down her leg.

With a distressed cry the animal placed one of its front paws on her uninjured leg and looked her straight in the eyes.

‘Stay here and don’t try that again,’ a male voice spoke in the female’s head causing her to stiffen and look around before her gaze stayed on the creature.

“Was that you?”

It nodded before jumping into a bush only to return a few moments later with the ravenette’s purse.

“Nice! My phone should be in there!” she chirped as it dropped the bag at her side.

Finding the said device she clicked the power button to see that it had thirty percent of its battery left.

Going through her contacts she immediately picked Callum’s contact and put the device to her ear.

“Hello?” a groggy voice asked after the phone rang about three times.

“Callum? Thank god,” Rhamina sighed in relief, “Where are you guys?”

“We’re still at the top of the hi- Oh my god! Are you okay?” the male asked as he woke up some more and remembered what happened, “Where are you?”

“Well, from what it looks like, I’m just at the base of the hill but I can’t walk so I need some help,” the ravenette replied as the creature sat at her side.

“Alright, I’ll call for an amulance-” “No.” “Ramen, what do you mean, no? You just said you couldn’t walk,” the male sighed as he began to wake up the others.

“Yeah, but you can’t call an ambulance or police or anything like that,” the ravenette explained as she looked at the animal next to her, “I promise I’ll explain once you guys find a safe way to get down her, also could you bring my backpack please?” 

“You better be alive by the time we get down there,” hissed the male before he hung up and the ravenette could feel the earful she was going to get when they got down there.

“I’m in danger,” she chuckled as she plopped her back onto the ground.

It took about twenty minutes of waiting until Rhamina heard the loud screams of Kerstin trekking through the bushes.

As soon as the females came saw the female and the creature next to her their jaws immediately dropped.

“Mina, why do you have a fucking pokemon?” the shortest and youngest female exclaimed.

“Mind your damn business, Chloe,” the ravenette retorted as she sat up, “Who has my backpack?”

“Don’t need an ambulance my ass, Rhamina!” Callum exclaimed as soon as he saw the blood on her leg upon coming out of the bushes before noticing the monochrome creature, “What the fuck is that?!”

“This is the one that got me my phone so I was able to call you, so please give me my backpack,” Rhamina requested upon seeing that the oldest of the group had her purple bag.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re going to do about that, Rhamina, you need stitches,” Callum sighed as he scratched the back of his neck.

“I know,” the ravenette chirped as she pulled out one of her water bottles and began using it to rinse away any blood before pulling out a first aid kit to repeat the action with alcohol.

“Can I borrow someone’s lighter real quick?” she asked as she wiped down a needle with some alcohol.

“Are you really going to do it on your own?” Sam asked as Kerstin handed the ravenette the fire starter.

“Yep, I can’t really call an ambulance if I have this one cause that’ll look hella suspicious,” she continued as she ran the needle through the flame before wiping it down with alcohol again.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Callum asked as he looked down at the female.

“Kind of,” she spoke before starting to stitch the long gash while biting down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

“You actually did it,” Tijarah spoke with raised brows as the ravenette began to wrap her leg in a bandage to keep it protected and to provide support to help suppress some of the pain.

“Do any of you guys have pain killers?” the ravenette asked as Tijarah pulled out a pill bottle from her bag.

Rhamina reached out to take it with her left hand when Kerstin noticed something.

“Since when did you have tattoos, Mina?” she asked upon seeing the markings on the female’s arm in a dark shade of umber.

“Um, I didn’t, but I’m not really surprised considering an ominous ball of fucking light knocked me the fuck out and caused me to roll down that nice ass hill,” spat the ravenette as she took the two pills with the rest of the water she had, completely forgetting about the blood on her face.

“They look familiar though,” Kerstin said as she ruffled her hair, “Those are sigils you told me about, I’m sure of it.”

“Yeah, probably, but I’m not the only one with new shit,” Rhamina sighed as she stood up again, putting most of her weight on her right leg, “Y’all have new accessories if you didn;t notice so, let’s just get to the car for now so we can spend the rest of the day at my house like we planned to do.” 

“Yeah, we have no idea where these came from and we literally cannot take them off,” Sam spoke as she looked down at the green leather bracelet on her right wrist.

Chloe had a white leather bracelet on her left wrist, Callum had a necklace with an orange stone pendant, Tijarah had a ring with a black band and green gem, while Kerstin had a black leather anklet with three red beads.

“Is that thing coming with us?” Tijarah asked eyeing Rhamina as she limped ahead with the creature next to her, matching her pace, “I don’t think we have room, I mean Chloe’s already sitting on someone’s lap.’

“Does it look like he’s going anywhere else?” came the blunt reply from the ravenette as she took out the keys to her truck, “We can put him in the back, people will probably think it’s a dog.”

“You are not driving like that,” Callum spoke, snatching the keys from the younger female as she looked up with a betrayed face, “You already got out of going to a hospital, you are not fighting me on this.”

The ravenette gave in as the group made their way back to the black pick up truck in which they drove to the hill in the first place.

After the group, except for Rhamina, loaded their things, the creature jumped into the back and laid down behind one of the walls as the others made their way into the vehicle. 

The ride to her house took only about ten minutes but they were halted by a hooded figure stopping them on the side of the road.

Cautiously rolling down her window, Rhamina faced the figure and asked, “Did you need some help?”

“My how gracious are you, Holy Songstress, and all of you, Chosen Warriors,” a scratchy voice spoke as the figure looked up to reveal the face of a woman with completely white eyes, “But it is not I who needs help.”

Rhamina turned to Callum who sat next to her in the driver’s seat but shook her head when his grip tightened on the wheel.

“You,” the crone spoke pointing right at the ravenette, “Are not complete. Now, young one, take this and complete your battle.”

With that last sentence the woman shoved an ornate book into her hands before dashing away.

“What the fuck?” Tijarah cussed in bewilderment as Callum merely continued driving to the house, “What did she give you?”

“A locked journal, I guess?” the ravenette replied as she eyed the three digit lock before turning the dials to read ‘666.’

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Callum asked as he looked down with his peripherals.

“It’s worth a shot,” Rhamina shrugged as she pressed the button and by some miracle, it opened.

“Fuck!” she cackled as the others looked over her shoulder to see the lock opened. 

“Who the fuck sets their password as ‘666’ on a diary?” Callum asked as he parked in the ravenette’s open garage.

“Me, Bitch,” chirped as she opened the door and hopped down only to wince when she landed on the injured leg that she had forgotten about.

“Idiot,” Sam snickered only to trip as soon as she took one step on solid ground.

Rhamina raised a brow before opening the bed of the truck to let the new creature down and followed behind her friends to enter her home.

As the girls and Callum settled themselves in the living room, Rhamina took her normal spot in the cover of one of the couches, but this time she had the creature taking up the spot next to her causing Chloe to glare.

“Hoot,” she spoke in a low tone causing the ravenette to look at her.

“Why are you anger hooting?” Rhamina asked as she looked up from the page she was reading in the book.

“Hoot,” she glared at the creature who merely blinked as it’s head was in the ravenette’s lap.

“Chloe, he’s literally done nothing to you,” sighed the female as Chloe reluctantly sat on the other side of the creature.

“So what’s in the book?” Kerstin asked as the ravenette turned a page.

“Looks like their old magic songs?” Rhamina replied as an envelope fell into her lap.

Upon opening it and reading the contents the ravenette clasped her hands in front of her face before taking a deep breath.

“No,” she exhaled.

“What did it say?” Tijarah asked as she looked from scrolling on Netflix.

“Well, lemme just,” the ravenette started as she picked the paper back up, “Dear Lightning Thief Hono no Rozen, Flame Wizard Akemi D. Sora, Red Death Cole, Rogue Knight Ceth, and Holy Songstress Kitsami, I write this in hopes that you have finally awoken to your true states of being. As you are likely to notice, the songstress is missing her relic and in order to save this world unlike your first, it must be retrieved. To find the Soul Gem, you must either quell or defeat the beast lurking in the place of ancients.”

“Um, what the fuck?” Callum asked as he snatched the paper from the female’s grip while the creature looked up at the ravenette, “Did any of you talk about our Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.”

“Not at fucking all,” Rhamina sighed, “But I guess this kind of makes sense with our slight physical changes like my new tattoos and the fact you can’t take those things off. They must be your relics.”

“Oh, yeah because someone cursed them to us,” Tijarah scoffed.

“Y’all know you would have lost them or sold them for gold,” Rhamina retorted with a sneer, “We couldn’t have that happening.”

“That’s why that fucker looked familiar!” Kerstin exclaimed as she pointed at the creature, “That’s fucking Neo!”

The creature let out a small noise before resting his head back in the female’s lap.

“I mean, I heard his voice earlier so yeah,” the ravenette shrugged, not really perturbed at the assumption.

“So we need to get your relic then?” Callum asked once he finished reading the letter, “Where even is this shit?”

“Pechanga,” Tijarah spoke returning her attention to the television screen, “I mean that tribe was known as an ancient people.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sam started, “So do we have our powers or some shit?” 

“Someone test it,” Rhamina shrugged.

That statement was a massive mistake.

The group ended up destroying a neighbor’s backyard but no one had to know it was them, right?

“So, when can we get a chance to go to Pechanga then?” Callum asked, “It would be pretty sketchy if we all just went to a casino even though I’m of age.”

“Well, there is a music competition next week and we do have a bard in our party,” Kerstin sung as she pulled up an online flyer next to a smirking Sam.

“Um, fuck no, I can no do that in front of people,” Rhamina uttered as her Filipino accent began to slip through into her words.

“We’re not saying you do it alone,” Sam mused as she draped herself across the taller ravenette, “Do you still remember ‘Moondance?’”

“Yes, why?”

“Well, Hitomi has been working on the piano parts and we can have Chloe on drum set, Tijarah with her clarinet, Callum on alto sax, I can be on upright bass, and we can have you doing vocals then when the trumpet solo comes up just switch,” the brunette suggested, “It might be the only legitimate chance you get to convince your parents, Mina.”

“That is true, Rhamina, your parents are really stingy about you leaving the house,” Callum said, “Just send me the sheet music and tell me when we can do a group practice.”

“Same,” Tijarah spoke the same time as Chloe. 

“What am I going to be doing then?” Kerstin asked.

“Learn how to control your damn fire,” Tijarah scoffed, looking up from her spot on the floor, “You were lucky Mina was next to the hose otherwise that pomegranate tree would be non-existent.”

“So, Hitomi said we can practice at her house starting tomorrow,” Sam said after texting the high school junior.

“Fuck, that means I might see Umi,” groaned Rhamina as she thought to the male with long silver hair who always glared at her with his bright brown colored eyes.

“You guys still don’t get along?” Callum asked, remembering how the ravenette would constantly be picked on by a male her age during his last two years of high school.

“Nope, at this point he’s really just confusing,” the ravenette muttered thinking to their most recent interactions, “I mean literally towards the end of the semester I tried to apologize for the times when I would snap at him and he just scoffs at me calls me scum, you know the usual, but then when I come back after being gone for two days, covered in bandages after I got jumped walking back from the bus stop, he yells at me for being stupid and then proceeds to follow me everywhere for the next week… I fucking won that fight by the way people need to learn that I am not a good target to jump.”

“I would have thought that he would have given in by now,” Callum commented as he laid further back into the couch.

“I know, they usually cave after a month or two,” Tijarah replied.

The next day Rhamina rolled out of bed and went through her normal morning routine but this time she had a companion following her through the various steps of her day. 

Her family had already gone off to work and they knew she had somewhere to be so when it approached the meeting time she merely took put her trumpet in the back of her car and told her familiar to guard the house while she was gone.

The entire drive the ravenette had a small frown on her face as her rip on the wheel became tighter upon approaching the much larger house.

She had been there before to support the younger female in her recitals but that didn’t make her anxiousness recede any further.

Rhamina parked in front of the house and began walking up the stairs with a slight limp, noticing that Kerstin’s car was parked across the street.

When she knocked on the door, the ravenette could only pray as she waited for someone to open the door and she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding when it was the mother of the four siblings in the house.

“Hello, Mrs. Tanaka,” she greeted, “It’s good to see you.”

“Rhamina, it really is,” the woman replied with a kind smile as she opened the door wider, “Come on in, your friends are waiting.”

“So, how have you been?” she asked as the eighteen-year-old followed in after taking off her shoes and leaving them in a cubby by the door.

“I’ve been fine, we went out to watch the fireworks and I may or may not have tumbled down a large hill,” chuckled the female honestly as they came into the living room where the others were already setting up around a large grand piano.

“Is that how that happened to your leg?” the woman asked as she gestured to her calf which was wrapped with fresh bandages.

“No comment,” Rhamina said as she sat down and began setting up her trumpet and warming up with the other winds.

About half way into the practice Rhamina was sitting at the piano with the brown haired Hitomi as she read over the piano part for their piece and they were enjoying the time until the ravenette felt a familiar glare.

“What are you doing here?” the male voice hissed as she turned around with a sigh.

“Hello, Umi,” she greeted while standing to return to her brass instrument, “I’m here to practice for the competition and I’m so sorry that you had to see my face after we graduated.”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance before he noticed the bandage wrapped around her left calf.

“What happened to you?” he asked in a notably softer tone which caused the ravenette to glare.

‘There he fucking goes again,’ she thought with a glare as she bit her lip before replying.

“Nothing.”

Callum watched the two recently graduated teenagers bicker back and forth when he realized something.

“You guys see it too right?” he asked as all the others watched as insult bounced from mouth to mouth.

“Yep, the only one who doesn’t is her,” Tijarah spoke as Sam took out her phone to record.

“The way my brother acts doesn’t really help this situation,” Hitomi sighed as Chloe stood there anger hooting.

“Owl does not approve,” she hissed as the taller male took hold of the female’s left wrist.

“When did you get tattoos?” he asked with a raised brow as the ravenette silently fumed.

“Hun, I’m eighteen now, let me make my own decisions please,” she huffed, ripping her hand out of the male’s grip and turning back to her group, “Should we start at the top?”

The next few days were spent with the group practicing to get the song sounding decent together and when the night for the performance finally came they were ready.

Rhamina gazed at her reflection in the mirror she had in her room.

Her black hair was silky and flowing as she let it hang to its full length, coming to her upper thighs as her brown irises, speckled with golden flecks, gazed at the slightly uneven golden brown tones in her skin.

Her make up was done simply with just neutral shades of eyeshadow on her lids before a darker brown was placed in her crease. She had black winged liner and didn’t wear anything on her lips since she would be playing a wind instrument.

She wore a black, vintage styled top with a black a-line skirt with white polka dots that reached just past her knees and vintage styled heels with white bows on them.

When she was satisfied with how she looked the ravenette grabbed her black, Coach purse that was gifted to her by one of her richer relatives, and slung the strap of her trumpet case over her shoulder as well as the strap on the case of her lyre before she walked out the door with Neo on her heels.

Over the course of the week in which the group was training and getting used to their skills, they found that the relics allowed them to turn into their D&D characters physically and since the ravenette lacked her relic she would be in trouble on her own if they needed to fight anything that night, so they all decided it would be a good idea to let the death spirit whose physical appearance was inspired by a Pokemon, to join them that night.

It took about seven minutes for the female to reach Callum’s house where he sat in his car waiting for her to arrive.

“Ready to do this?” Callum asked as he looked to Rhamina who was sitting in the passenger seat of his car.

“I guess.”

Upon reaching the casino resort, a wave of anxiety washed through the ravenette as she stayed close to the older male while walking to the ballroom where the room where they would be performing in.

It was technically a ballroom, but it was set up with circular tables on the floor so audience members could eat while watching the performances. 

Finding the rest of their group, the two swiftly made their way across the floor, sneaking Neo underneath the table they’ve chosen which was right next to the two tables the Tanaka’s occupied.

The other performances were quite entertaining to watch but there was one that made Rhamina’s mind start to wander into darker territory.

It was a thirteen-year-old Asian boy playing the violin and he was talented.

It was only a reminder to the ravenette of how she could never reach the level of a musician like that and served to dampen her mood entirely.

“Hey,” a male voice called, snapping the teen out of her thoughts, paired with the hand on her shoulder, “Are you brain dead or something? Your group needs to start heading back stage.”

“Huh? Oh, thanks, Umi,” the ravenette whispered before she stood, not even looking at him, and walking out of the room with her trumpet.

He watched on with a confused look before his head snapped forward.

“Ow, Haru!” he hissed rubbing the spot where his younger sister had whacked him on the head.

“Umi, you are a fucking idiot,” the red head hissed as she glared at the second child.

The silver haired male opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by his older brother sighing.

“Umi, I have to agree with Haru, you’ve been pining after that girl for years but have made no effort to actually do anything for her,” the taller male spoke in a deep voice with soft eyes, “She’s been trying to get close to you.”

“You think I even remotely like that idiot?!” the seventeen-year-old whisper shouted as the performers on stage exited, “Where did you pull that idea from?”

“Well, I think we’re about to be proven right,” Haru stated before pointing at the stage, “There she is.”

“And for our tenth and final group of the night we have the Chaos Troupe playing a rendition of ‘Moondance’ by Michael Buble,” the person introducing groups said as the group set up before he walked off stage to reveal Rhamina standing front and center behind a microphone stand with her trumpet on a stand next to her.

Looking back at the group, they all nodded at her before she pointed at Chloe who gave a quick count off before the two woodwinds came in for the intro.

It sounded slightly awkward without brass in the intro as well but many forgot about that as soon as the ravenette began singing.

“Well it’s a marvelous night for a moondance with the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance, ‘neath the cover of October skies,” the ravenette sung, immediately swaying her hips to the swing beat laid down by the bass and drum set, “And all the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that blow, and I’m trying to please to the calling of your heart-strings that play soft and low.”

“And all the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush. And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?” she continued, eyes sweeping across the crowd, the song sitting in a lower range that the ravenette had trained to be smooth as warm caramel.

“Well I want to make love to you tonight. I can’t wait till the morning has come, and I know that the time is just right, and straight into my arms you will run,”  Rhamina sung before finally making eye contact with Umi whose normally pale complexion was lit red, “And when you come my heart will be waiting to make sure that you’re never alone. There and then all my dreams will come true dear. There and then I will make you my own.”

“Anytime I touch you, you just tremble inside, and I know how much you want me that you can’t hide,” she sung as she got more comfortable on the stage, sending a testing wink towards the male, “Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?”

Haru smirked as she saw her older sibling gulp at the wink sent his direction while the female backed off from the mic to let the saxophone player have his solo.

“You alright, dear brother?” she asked, elbowing him, “You’re looking quite red.”

He only glared before the saxophone player sat back down giving way for Rhamina’s trumpet solo.

It was just as energetic as when she was singing but it still flowed beautifully and the passion the girl held could be heard through her instrument.

By the time the song ended everyone on stage was sweaty and trying to catch their breath as the room erupted in applause as they went to put things away.

“You did great, Hitomi,” Rhamina chirped as the group was putting their things away backstage.

“Um, thank you, Rhamina, you did amazing as well,” the younger brunette smiled, “I could tell my brother was impressed as well.”

“I highly doubt that,” the ravenette huffed with a small frown before they made their way back into the ballroom.

Rhamina could feel the gaze of the male which was normal but she couldn’t feel the same irritation or annoyance, it actually made her feel quite uncomfortable so she did her best to ignore it.

Suddenly, her chest felt tight and an audible growl came from Neo who was still under the table as the next performer walked on stage.

“Is it time?” Kerstin asked from her seat as she looked up at the woman’s glowing blue eyes.

“Yeah, cover your ears,” Rhamina commanded loudly as the woman took in a breath.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

~~~Fin. Chapter 1~~~

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Song Used: Moondance - Michael Buble

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