#she came in and saw the sign that said the shop is closing (so ill be out of a job) and she asked what i was going to do

[hailsatanacab]

AH!!!!

cute smallholder woman that called me a good girl and awoke something inside of me has given me her number so she can teach me how to drive and how to bind books ahhhh!!!!

[wooahaes]

steps to you

pairing: non-idol!dino x gn!reader

prompt: soulmate au series. 8/13

word count: 3.2k

warnings: some slight negative feelings toward chan's friends (born from his own frustrations w finding his soulmate). food mentions.

daisy’s notes: one day ill finish these haha sorry for taking so long

summary: Chan has seen the footsteps before. He knows you’re just within reach. And yet every single time, something happens to stop him from running after you…

For the past month, Chan had been listening to Mingyu... essentially gloat about finding his soulmate. And while most days, Chan didn't know if you still exist... he knew that you did once.

When Chan was eleven, he went on a trip abroad with his family--although whether this was the country you were from or the country you, too, serendipitously were visiting... he would never know for sure. All he knew was that the city he was in was busy, leading him to stick closer to his mom most of the time. Either his family would stick to public transportation, or they'd get a cab back to their hotel, or they'd walk... But he found himself feeling this subtle pull to watch the busy sidewalks. He always hoped that it would be like magic, that he would see you and yell at the bus driver to stop the car, or rush out of the car to find you. That one of those days he was on this trip, he would find you and the two of you could become friends despite a probable time zone difference.

Instead, he saw bright red footprints down the sidewalk one day. At first, he thought it must have been some sort of street art. He tugged at his mom's hand, pointing them out. "What are those for?"

His mother had furrowed her brow, staring at the ground. "What are you talking about?" She'd said, a bit gentle as she looked from the ground back to his face. A moment later, she tested the waters, "Do you see something?"

Chan's curious smile had fallen, and he looked back to see that the steps were beginning to fade. "They're... not there anymore--"

"Chan," she said firmly. "What do you see?"

He told her: red footprints, each fading away within the second. Wordlessly, she took his hand, already pulling him in the direction without saying anything to his father--who'd been more preoccupied with figuring out their next stop with Junggeon standing close to him.

Chan furrowed his brow as she pushed through the crowd. "Mom?"

"Do you still see them?"

He did. He told her so, and she held onto his hand tighter as she shoved her way forward, a woman with a mission unclear to him. Those steps turned orange, and then yellow...

And then they trailed off onto a bus that lurched forward the moment Chan had told his mom that. She tore forward, yelling out for the bus to stop, only for the two to watch it disappear down the street. His mother's grasp on his hand loosened, and she pulled him over to the nearest bench--situated under a bus stop, shielded from any possible rain--and sat down.

It was on that trip that Chan learned two things: one, that he did have a soulmate (a question he'd been wondering considering he had no sign before; and a relief to his mother, who had worried her son might have to go through the world while dealing with the gross judgment of others for not having one), and that he'd just missed you. She frowned to herself, mumbling something about how she should have just grabbed him and gone the moment he mentioned seeing them. She'd spent hours looking up the signs that weren't obvious from the beginning, just in case this day came...

Her phone rang, and it was his dad. Yet when she saw the upset look on Chan's face, she said she'd circled back to the little candy shop she'd seen up the street. That they would talk when they met back up, and that she would get something for him and Chan's brother as well. She'd bought them a large bag of caramels to share, and Chan remembered the sweet flavor as it melted away on his tongue as he walked back to his dad, hand-in-hand with his mother through the crowd.

He'd just missed you. You were right there, and he missed the opportunity to meet you. To be your friend (and maybe something more, one day: he was eleven, he knew the way most soulmates ended).

When people asked now what his life plans were, he'd always let out this pensive hum before answering. A job that let him travel. Sometimes it'd earn him some kind of judgmental remark about his soulmate, about when he would settle down, but Chan knew he'd have to find you again. That he would need some way to do it, and a job that permit him to travel would help. Hopefully his path would cross with yours one day, and he could tell you the story of how he barely missed you when the two of you were kids.

And he hoped that you would laugh, and that one day the two of you could go back to that city and buy a bag of caramels to share.

Years later, and now he lived in the city with a stable job that... unfortunately didn't allow for him to travel. He'd tried that route, but nothing seemed to stick well, and he settled for a job that would make him money instead. A job that could permit him to travel when he could and look for you. Except he hadn't gotten that far: he was still saving up some. Although he did check the message boards people had made for people like him: missed connections at any point in a life. Maybe you saw the footprints, too, and missed your chance. Maybe you dreamed of meeting him again...

At least. That was how he felt months ago when those marks started showing up again. He'd been on his way home with groceries one of those days, and he saw them. His phone had rang when he was about to follow them, paper bags in arms, to hear Yeonjun complaining about how long he was taking. He was making ramen now, he needed those eggs now, Chan had said he'd be back within twenty minutes and now it was nearing forty (most of that had been due to the store being busy, in Chan's defense)...

And all at once, your trail had disappeared into thin air, and Chan had huffed in anger. He made his way home, carefully shoving the eggs into Yeonjun's arms, and shut himself into his room to stew for a bit. How close had he been this time? Closer than last time, that was for sure. What if you were only visiting Seoul? What if he missed his chance again?

He felt his stomach drop. He couldn't be alone now. All too soon, he returned to where Yeonjun was now eating.

"I thought you were going to pout--"

"I missed the chance to meet my soulmate."

Yeonjun fumbled with him chopsticks, looking up at Chan's face, as though searching for some evidence that he was joking. "You should have said that," he said a moment later. "Tell me to shut up next time and keep looking."

Chan buried in his face in his hands, letting out a sign. "What if there's not a next time?"

"Then go now." He shrugged. "They're in the city--"

"That doesn't help!"

Yeonjun sighed, glancing back up from his ramen. "I know, but... You should keep looking until you know they're not here anymore."

So Chan would. Every spare moment he had, he'd wander the city on foot, no matter how exhausted it would leave him. He found excuses to go out every chance he got, hoping that maybe you'd look up and you'd see him or the steps that followed him, and you'd chase him down. For days, these attempts left him soulmate-less.

Except it happened again, just a few weeks after Mingyu found his soulmate. He'd been in a coffee shop, talking to Yeri about something stupid, when he saw the steps again. He didn't see you, unfortunately, because he'd only noticed them when the bright purple had begun to fade into indigo. He'd shot up, apologizing to her with the promise he'd explain later (he didn't have to: she'd heard through the grapevine that Chan was on a hunt for his soulmate), and took off running. He'd called out for whoever to wait, hoping that maybe it'd stop you long enough for him to find you. To at least know what you look like, so that he can stop you next time.

The steps disappeared into the subway, and he followed them as far as he could before they disappeared with the next train. You'd been running. Chan had known the feeling: he'd made dashes before to get on a train, managing to only board at the last second. He slumped against the nearest wall, burying his face in his hands again. Fuck. Fuck! Why was it always him? Why the fuck did it always turn out that he would keep missing his soulmate by seconds? Seungkwan didn't have to deal with this. Vernon's soulmate turned out to be his friend, and they were happily together. Even fucking Mingyu met his soulmate by accident. The frustration had built higher and higher, and Chan felt his breath catch in his throat as he fought back the urge to cry. How many more times would he keep missing you? None of his posts ever went answered on those 'missed connections' boards--just other people in his shoes that were wishing him good luck with the search...

He ended up texting Yeri that he'd meet up with her another time. She merely offered her condolences, and a hopeful 'you'll get them next time!' that he knew was her trying to be supportive. He went home, and collapsed onto his bed, wondering if there was anything he could have done better. It wasn't as though he could outrun a train and be waiting at the next station for you.

He sighed, shutting his eyes as his phone lit up. It was Jeonghan this time.

Heard you missed them again. Do you want to get dinner? I'll pay.

And with another sigh, he sat up, agreeing to it with ease. At least he could talk about it with Jeonghan. Maybe that would make him feel better.

Chan had listened to the way Mingyu talked about his soulmate with this undying adoration. He talked about how sweet they were, despite the words that were still inked into his bicep with one of the most obvious signs a person could get. Even now, most of his friends doubted him when he said he had a soulmate. He'd never been able to explain his sign well enough to them ("I see steps leading to them," was always met with a "Why didn't you run, then?" in some shape or form). That wasn't to say all of them doubted him: Jeonghan believed him, as did most of his older friends. Mingyu was one of those that seemed to doubt him at times, but Chan knew it was all in good faith. Mingyu knew Chan, and he knew how he wouldn't really rest until he found his soulmate. Maybe that was what the others thought, too: Chan would have found his soulmate by now because he was persistent. He wouldn't wait. He wouldn't hesitate.

Persistence only got him so far, though. It felt like the universe was trying it's fucking hardest to keep him from actually meeting his soulmate. Yet he knew that a tiny part of it was his own fault: he could yell. He could stop people. Aside from the one time, he never did--even when he saw the trail of steps leading to you a week ago. He'd given up the chase that time, suddenly more afraid than he had been before as those steps turned from blue to green to yellow as he grew closer.

What if... What if you didn't like him? What if you were angry with him for taking so long? Or... What if you had avoided him? There was a chance you'd never seen any signs of him, but what if you had? The anxiety of it all swirled and choked him up, and he ended up calling Seungkwan and Vernon that night before going over to their place for reassurance that it was all in his head. He'd lied before to the others, saying some bullshit about how he wanted to meet you on his own terms. What did that even mean? He wasn't sure.

He parted ways with Mingyu and a few other friends that night, making his way to his bus stop. What color were his own steps? Did something impact that, like his mood? He wondered if there were people like him and Minghao mixed into one, where the steps matched a mood in some way. Chan let out a sigh, tucking his hands into his pockets as he pushed his earbuds in and turned on a playlist for his commute. Maybe he'd take a trip home to see his parents soon. Geon's already met his soulmate, apparently, and he'd been talking about bringing her home to meet them. He sounded smitten with her already. Despite the bitterness Chan felt at his own baby brother finding his soulmate first, he wondered if he would speak of you the same way.

He saw that in his friends, too. Seungkwan was fully in love with his partner, and Chan heard it in the way he'd make the subtle comment that he was picking up more band-aids for the clumsy love of his life. He was thinking about moving in with them once his lease was up, leaving Vernon to suggest that maybe his own soulmate could move down the hall if they felt like it (plus it meant he'd finally be a cat dad again--a prospect that made his friend's eyes light up with joy). Jihoon and his soulmate were doing well, considering he let his soulmate hang out in his studio whenever they felt like it. Joshua, too: he'd always get this stupid, sappy smile on his face whenever his soulmate was singing. Minghao was fully thriving after he met his soulmate, already showing off things they'd painted together while on a date, or the way he'd color-coordinated their outfits now that he could fully see it all...

What about him? What about the others? Seungcheol wanted to meet his soulmate so badly now, and Chan knew that everyone else meeting their soulmates had to bother him a little. Jeonghan seemed fully at ease, though, as though there was something he wasn't telling them. What about Jun, who said he could taste his soulmate's cravings on the back of his tongue? Or even Seokmin and Soonyoung, the lone two without soulmates now? He saw the way Seokmin yearned for one, maybe more than Seungcheol did because at least Seungcheol knew he had one out there. Seokmin had no signs, and yet he smiled happily for everyone else when they talked about meeting their soulmates. And Soonyoung... Chan never could get into his head. He acted fine, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Soonyoung was hiding how he felt. Chan would, too, if it were him, just to pretend he was fine.

He felt a hand curl around his bicep, yanking to turn him around and out of his thoughts all too easily. He pulled an earbud out, about to say something when the guy pointed back at someone who was running.

"My friend--"

Yet he heard you as you stopped for a moment, staring at him. "You!"

You'd been panting, trying to catch your breath for a moment. He looked to your friend, who sheepishly said something about how he was the faster of the two of you--something about winning bronze in a track thing a few years ago. When you finally approached, he teased you over it: you would have met your soulmate by now if you had just taken him with you--

"Jangjun," you pouted, and he laughed warmly before excusing himself to give the two of you a moment. With him gone, you turned back to Chan, suddenly a little more flustered than before. "Hi."

He felt the same way, though. He felt that pull again, and he knew. "Hi."

You opened your mouth, only to close it, glancing back to where your friend had gone. Then you turned back to face him. "... Sorry about him," you said after a moment, visibly flustered from the way you kept rocking on your heels, gaze never quite settling on Chan. "We're--He's--I..." Then you finally looked at Chan again, taking in the sight of him before you. You gave him your name instead, and then paused. "I... Fuck, you're the guy who's been posting on those boards, aren't you?"

Chan furrowed his brow. "You saw them?"

"No! No, I--I didn't. One of my friends did. Bomin kept saying something about how it'd be sweet if it was you, and that it probably wasn't a coincidence that the places you saw me were lining up with where I'd been... But, I dunno. I just didn't believe him." You hugged yourself. "I just... I guess I got scared over meeting you."

"So why did you?" He paused, realizing how harsh that sounded. "Not that it's bad! I--I just--I meant to say--"

"Jangjun." You nodded back toward him. "He said this would be the best moment to." You gestured vaguely around to the lack of people around. The street wasn't empty by any means, but it was far quieter than every time he'd seen you before. "And... I guess I felt ready."

"I almost met you once." He blurted out, and then felt his face grow warmer. "When--When I was a kid. We were in the same city, and--and you got on a bus. I never saw you, but..." He paused, pulling out his phone as he quickly began to search for something. No confectioneries nearby...

"But?"

But there was a convenience store not far from here that sold caramel. The mass-produced kind, but it was enough for now. "Do you... Do you wanna hear the story?" Chan looked back up, turning his phone to you. "This place has seating outside..."

You again looked back to where your friend had gone, and then reached for your phone.

Right. Chan was a stranger to you, which meant you probably didn't want to be alone with him. "Sorry, you don't have to--"

"Let me tell Jangjun where I'm going, okay? He'll probably just wait around since we live close to each other."

Chan felt his face warm again. "Are... Are you sure? You don't have to--"

"I want to." You looked back up from your phone, eyes twinkling. "I wanna hear this story."

Chan found himself smiling. Within the hour, he'd be sitting across from you, listening to you laugh warmly at how many times you just missed one another. The bag of caramels sat open between the two of you, and Chan already felt himself growing a little enamored with you. He'd court you right from here on out, with a real first date somewhere nice...

But for now, Chan decided to savor the sweetness of your laugh over the caramels he was sharing with you.

taglist: @twancingyunhao @wonuziex @synthetickitsune @staranghae @porridgesblog @weird-bookworm @bangchansbae @laylasbunbunny

[partywithgyu]

SHE HAS A HORNY DOLL AT HOME.

Choi Soobin Smut.

dom!reader x sub!soobin.

content signs: dollification, mommy kink, very horny, slight public I guess, use of term malewife.

requested / idea by: @whatudowhennooneseesyou

☆

"Soobin you're my fucking malewife."

You had returned home with something on your mind, Soobin could tell.

You pushed the main door shut behind you before taking a seat right in the middle of the couch. Placing your bag and a shopping bag beside you, you leaned back. "Hi hun. I thought you would be a late. You'll have to wait for food. I just ordered it. Any guess what it is?," said the pretty boy who was rearranging the book shelf for some reason.

Then you called him a malewife.

Soobin was dumbfounded. Was it an insult? Did you mean that you were blessed to have him? Did it mean that you want to fuck him? He looked at you. It was hot the way your shirt wrapped your body and you formal skirt was ridding up your thigh. He had the urges to glance at whatever is under. The hottest thing at the moment was how you were eye fucking him already.

"Drop that book and come here. Don't you want to get fucked by mommy?"

Desperately he came and sat beside you. Your hand ran over his face. His eyes to your lips. Kiss him already. Not so soon though. "I gotta make my doll pretty first, right?"

Pulling out a lipstick from the MAC bag next to you, you straddled his lap. The feeling of you moving against clothed bulge made his eyes close and a hushed sound of pleasure leave his parted lips. "no no. We have to stay still," you said while completely failing to do so. You were grinding on him and your fingers tapped over his cheekbones, spreading the blush.

"Ca- Can I touch you?" he asked as if his hands weren't already heading to your boobs.

"Yes. Fuck. I spoil you too much."

"Put in my mouth. Please. Mommy."

"Not until we get that gloss on your lips."

The swaying stopped and pretty boy whined. He was unable to form a proper sentence even. His mind was fuzzy. He was desperate. He was so deep into the subspace. You still took your time to apply the gloss on his lips and highlighter on his face. Tonight he had to be a doll.

"Soobin you are so fucking pretty."

"Just fuck me then. I mean. Please fuck me. I want to-mommy use me."

You pressed your lips against his. "Dont whine baby. What does my baby want? I am going to ride my pretty doll now, okay? Lay down."

Soobin moaned when your hand ran up and down his free dick. It was already sticky. "So hot. ah. Mommy. Start riding," whines the doll as you sat on his dick. It was quick and desperate the way both of you moved next. Like a race to pleasure. Both of you were on the same team. The huge doll moved his hips up and down and whined as if you two were the only ones in the world. Until the doorbell rang.

"Fuck the food," you said. "Soobin let go, Ill go get it." Could he even hear you? A few more strokes and his fluids were already coating your insides. You had to get up and pull your skirt down, adjust your bra,close you buttons and rush to the door.

"Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not a problem, miss."

Was that mid twenties guy looking you up and down or were you overthinking? You took the bag from his hands. "How much do I pay?," you asked, already feeling white fluid making its way down your inner thigh.

"Its paid for online already," the guy said.

"Of course it is," you said not having it in you to make eye contact. Especially when the sound of Soobin's moan reached your ears.

"Thank you for the food. Have the good night."

"You too, miss."

Oh. You were going to. Door was closed, food on table and Soobin was coming once again. White fluid was running down your leg.

Soobin knew what was coming when he saw you strip like you did. Was it even normal how horny you made him?

"What was that?"

"I was just letting him know that you are fucking me. You already have a doll. I am your doll. Touch me again."

"Lets put your shameless mouth to some good use. Get ready to have that lipstick all over your face."

[the-name-is-z]

SKELETONS | ch. 25

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: In the wake of a difficult loss, Iris and Daryl do what they can to pick up the pieces. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; life threatening situations; mental illness; killing animals; killing walkers; killing someone before they turn; maladaptive coping mechanisms

Chapter 25 - Loss

The cries of the baby were loud, but they had taken care of the majority of the walkers. The only ones left were behind locked gates. Maggie held her, trying to soothe her, but she was still covered in fluid from the amniotic sac. Rick knelt on the ground, his eyes glazed over. He wasn’t conscious for a minute, staring into space.

Iris had gone over to Carl and hugged him tight, feeling him hug her back as he softly cried into her shoulder. Daryl knelt down over Rick after a moment, checking to see if he was lucid. He waved a hand over his face. They needed to get this kid inside.

“Rick, you with me?” Daryl asked softly. “Rick?” Carl parted from Iris, going over to take his crying sister from Maggie’s arms. 

“Let me see the baby.” Hershel called, Carl bringing it over. Rick stood on shaking legs slowly, still blinking away the tears.

“What are we gonna feed it? We got anything a baby can eat?” Daryl asked. Iris hadn’t realized how big of a problem Lori’s death might be. She should be breastfeeding the baby, but now… they needed formula. 

“The good news is, she looks healthy.” Hershel said, pulling away Carl’s jacket to look over the little tyke. “But she needs formula. And soon, or she won’t survive.”

“Nope. No way, not her. We ain’t losing nobody else. I’m going for a run.” Daryl said, shucking his crossbow over his shoulder.

“I’ll come.” Iris said, wiping her hands on her legs.

“We’ll back you up.” Maggie said, looking to Glenn, who nodded.

“Okay. Think where we’re going.”

“Beth?” Iris called. She came over. “Carl just lost his mom, and Rick’s not doing so well…”

“I’ll look out for him.” She assured, offering a soft smile. Iris nodded.

“Good looking out.” Daryl said quietly, Iris nodded. He turned to the others, facing Axel and Oscar first. “You two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem. Iris, Glenn, Maggie, vámonos!”

“Rick!” Maggie called, but it was too late. He had pulled the axe up off the ground with a loud scrape, storming into the prison and shutting the door behind him.

“Come on, or we’ll lose the light.” Iris called.

“There’s a Piggly Wiggly on 85.” Glenn suggested as they jogged across the yard to the cars.

“No, the baby section’s been cleared.” Maggie replied. “Lori asked me to keep an eye out. I haven’t had much luck.”

“Is there any place that hasn’t been completely looted?” Daryl asked.

“We saw signs for a shopping centre just north of here.” Glenn offered.

“Yeah, but there’s too much debris on the road. A car will never get through there.” Maggie replied, huffing.

“I can take one of you.” Daryl said, nodding his head at Iris. She turned to the others, shrugging. Maggie grabbed a map, circling the area they saw the signs and handing it over. Daryl shrugged on his poncho as she pulled the sleeves of her coveralls over her arms, grabbing an empty duffel bag from the back seat of the SUV and jogging over to the bike. He revved the engine to life, pulling through the yard and out of the gates, Oscar closing it behind them.

Maggie was right. The road was covered in debris, looted cars, everything. Daryl pulled down the side, driving over a trail in the grass to pull around. They made it to where Maggie circled the map, just outside of a shopping centre. There was a daycare with a playground in the back, fenced off, but run down nonetheless.

“Company’s close.” Daryl stated, looking around. “Stay tight.”

“Your gaskets are leaking.” Iris murmured. He turned around, finding her examining the bike as she sat on it. She looked up, blinking. “I can fix it for you. My uncle had a bike like this once. Tuned ‘em all the time.” He paused, standing for a moment as he took a deep breath.

“It was Merle’s.” He murmured, looking over it. Iris paused, knowing Merle was a sensitive subject. He looked up, breaking the small trance after a moment. “You don’t have to.”

“We still have Dale’s tools. I’ll fix her up. It’ll take an hour, tops.” She said with a small smile. “If you ride it for too long like this, you could blow the engine.” He hummed in response, turning back to the daycare. “If he’s anything like you, he’s probably out there doing better than any of us.”

“Maybe.” He said after a moment. “C’mon.” They hopped the fence, walking through the small playground before Iris checked through the nearest window. She broke through, trying not to step on too many toys. The place was messy, but there was plenty of things left. Cribs with mattresses, toys. She knelt down to one of the cabinets, opening it and filling the duffel bag with diapers, bottles, blankets and cloth. She heard Daryl climb in after her, looking through the other rooms. She finished with the one cabinet, taking the other end of the hallway.

There was soft scratching coming from somewhere, and they made eye contact as they met on either side of one of the doors. Daryl peered inside, his flashlight in his mouth. He opened the door, nodding to the closet. Iris took the handles, pulling it open quickly. The opossum screeched at them, the sudden bright light.

“Hello, dinner.” Daryl mocked, shooting it with the crossbow.

“I’m not putting that in the bag.” Iris stated, raising an eyebrow as she took a small cloth doll from his hands and put it in with the other things. She started going through the kitchen cabinets, a few cans of formula for them to take back for the baby.

The sun had set before they returned, but everyone was still waiting for them. Axel and Oscar drew the walkers away from the gate as Daryl pulled up, riding through. They practically burst into the cell block, the baby still crying in Carl’s arms. Iris put the bag down on the table, pulling out the formula and the bottles they’d found. Beth hurried over, mixing a bottle for her.

“How’s she doing?” Daryl asked, kneeling beside Carl and immediately shushing the baby. He took her from Carl, whispering softly. As soon as she was in her arms she stopped crying. Beth handed him the bottle and she took it eagerly, taking to him like a fish to water. Iris smiled as they all watched him, his lips quirking up, proud of himself. “She got a name yet?”

“Not yet.” Carl replied, shaking his head. “But I was thinking… maybe Sofia. Then there’s Carol, too. And… Andrea, Amy, Jacqui. Patricia. Or… Lori. I don’t know.” Iris’ heart broke a little as he turned away, scuffing his boots against the floor. Daryl glanced at him before looking down at the baby.

“Yeah… you like that? Huh? Little ass-kicker?” He asked, smiling at her. He looked up. “Right? That’s a good name, right? Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?”

“Perfect. For now.” Iris said, earning a nod from Carl.

-

It was early morning, and Iris had not slept. It was hard to sleep. She’d taken a shift with the baby before trading off with Maggie, but she couldn’t. It was a little before sunrise when she called it quits, heading outside. She grabbed the set of tools from the back of the pickup truck, heading over to Daryl’s bike. As far as she was concerned, it was his. He’d earned it, multiple times over. 

She knelt down, pulling out the wrenches and getting to work. Iris had no idea that doing something so familiar, something she didn’t need to think about to do, something from… before, would feel so good. It was easy, freeing. Relaxing.

The sun had risen a bit when Daryl left the cell block, walking down to the field, where they had decided to put the graveyard. He knelt at Carol’s grave for a moment, placing a Cherokee rose over the dirt and patting it softly. He knelt a few minutes before heading back up to the prison, just noticing Iris working on the bike.

“Hey.” He called. 

“Hey,” Iris replied, flashing him a small smile. “I fixed the leaks, just doing a little fine-tuning.” He nodded, putting his hand in his pockets as he surveyed the surroundings before looking back down at her.

“I… appreciate it.” He said slowly. Iris looked back over, nodding.

“I know.” She smiled, and he scoffed, shaking his head. “I suppose we’re even now.” They had taken to doing each other little favours it seemed. From life-saving to bandana repair.

“Guess so.” He replied, taking a step over to the pickup truck and leaning against the bed with a smirk. Iris looked over, and they simply stared at one another for a short while. Iris smiled again and went back to the bike. Her morning was no less soothing in his presence, and they watched the sunrise as she worked.

-

It was quiet as the group ate breakfast, awkward. Hershel, Beth, Maggie, Glenn, Carl and little ass-kicker were at the table eating cereal while Iris and Daryl ate on the steps with Oscar. Iris had her legs crossed under her, quietly chewing. 

“Everybody okay?” Rick’s voice echoed through the silent room, and they all looked up. He’d been gone for almost a full twenty-four hours, and had yet to even lay eyes on his own daughter’s face.

“Yeah, we are.” Maggie replied. They all stopped eating as he came in. He was no longer covered in blood and sweat, having cleaned up and changed into a different shirt. 

“What about you?” Hershel asked warily.

“I cleared out the boiler block.” Rick replied quietly.

“How many were there?” Daryl asked, pointedly asking a question that was part of their normal give and take, testing where Rick was, mentally.

“I don’t know. A dozen, two dozen.” He shrugged, shaking his head. Iris raised an eyebrow, putting down her empty bowl and spoon. “I have to get back. I just wanted to check on Carl.”

“Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies.” Glenn offered, standing hurriedly. “You don’t have to.”

“No, I do.” He answered. He walked over to Daryl. “Does everyone have a gun and a knife?”

“Yeah.” Daryl replied quietly. “Running low on ammo though.”

“Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon. We found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula.” Glenn added.

“We cleared out the generator room.” Daryl continued. “Axel’s there, trying to fix it in case of emergency. We’re gonna sweep the lower levels as well.”

“Good. Good.” Rick murmured. He turned back, making for the hallway.

“Rick!” Hershel called, but he was gone as fast as he appeared. It didn’t take long for Hershel to finish his breakfast and hobble down the hallway after him.

“Jesus.” Iris muttered, rubbing a hand over her face. 

“He’s not doing so great.” Oscar stated.

“He just lost his wife, the mother of his children. I’d say he’s doing the best he can.” Glenn offered optimistically.

“No one said he’s not. It’s just… a lot.” Iris replied softly. 

“C’mon. Let’s get to the lower levels, we can have ‘em cleared before lunch.” Daryl called, jerking his head to the hallway. 

“I’m coming too.” Carl said, pushing away from his cereal and grabbing his gun. Iris grabbed her knife belt, Oscar following along to assist. They made their way down the halls, the walkers on the upper levels having been cleared, for the most part.

“Check it out, man.” Oscar mused, shining a flashlight against a closet door that was shifting back and forth. “Must have missed it last night.”

“It’s probably just one or two of ‘em.” Daryl replied. “Don’t look like they got much fight.” He poked at the door before shrugging. “They ain’t going nowhere. We’ll take care of it on the way back. C’mon.” He whistled to Carl, urging the kid to follow them as they scoped out the basement levels of the prison. Oscar stayed back a bit to scope out the dead end of the hallway before heading back over. “You know, my mom, she liked her wine. She liked to smoke in bed. Virginia Slims. I was playing out with the kids in the neighbourhood. I could do that with Merle gone. They had bikes, I didn’t. We heard sirens getting louder. They jumped on their bikes, ran after it, you know. Hoping to see something worth seeing.

I ran after them, but I couldn’t keep up. I ran around a corner and saw my friends looking at me. Hell, I saw everybody looking at me. Fire trucks everywhere. People from the neighbourhood. It was my house they were there for. It was my mom in bed, burnt down to nothing. That was the hard part. You know, she was just gone. Erased. Nothing left of her. People said it was better that way. I don’t know. Just made it seem like it wasn’t real, you know?” He trailed off, letting the silence fill the hallway.

“I shot my mom.” Carl said quietly. “She was out. Hadn’t turned yet. I ended it. It was real. Sorry about your mom.”

“I’m sorry about yours.” Daryl replied. Iris pressed her lips together, following silently. It was terrible that Carl had to do that. It was terrible Daryl had to witness that. Life sometimes was terrible. And sometimes it just got worse before it got better. Iris hoped, wholeheartedly, that it would start getting better soon.

“Oh, that’s what I’m taking about.” Oscar muttered suddenly, ducking down a hallway. Iris stopped, pulling back to see where he went. Carl and Daryl followed, and the three of them watched as Oscar knelt beside an abandoned pair of slippers, laid neatly in a solitary confinement cell.

“The hell you need slippers for?” Daryl asked.

“You know, end of the day, relaxing.” Oscar replied, shrugging as he returned Daryl’s judgemental look. Iris chuckled, shaking her head.

They all whipped around at the sound of a growl, a walker four feet from Daryl reaching his arms toward them. Iris threw a knife, Oscar and Carl fired their guns, and Daryl shot his crossbow all at the same time. It was a little overkill, but hey, it worked.

“Alright.” Daryl huffed, standing straighter.

“Must’ve been in the cell at the end.” Oscar suggested. “We checked everywhere else.” Daryl shone his flashlight down at the walker and they all blinked at the knife in his neck. Not Iris’ throwing knife, but another knife. Iris slid it out from the walker’s neck, examining the blade.

“This was mine. It’s the knife I gave Carol.” Iris said, her eyes wide as she turned to her companions. She wiped the knife off on the walker’s coveralls, slipping it into her belt. The basement was clear, so they sent Carl and Oscar back up to the rest of the group and stayed to deal with the rest of the walkers. Iris made to reach for the door, but Daryl slid down the wall, sitting amongst the dead walkers and glaring at the floor. “You okay?”

He said nothing, so she turned and sat down across from him. She’d wait as long as he wanted. They sat for a few minutes while he picked at his boots, the walkers inside the cell pushing against the door, trapped by a fallen body blocking the way. Iris just waited, but the noise was likely getting to Daryl. 

He huffed as he pushed to his feet, kicking the door hard so it would shut. Iris stood as it bounced between the wall and the body. Daryl peeled the body away, gripping a knife tight as he ripped open the door. Iris let out an audible gasp. Carol sat, barely conscious, against the wall, her foot pressing against the door jamb, keeping it from closing. 

“Carol.” Iris whispered, kneeling down beside her and checking for wounds. She offered a meek smile, her head lolling back and forth. Daryl put his knife down, hurriedly scooping her up into his arms and they moved back up to C Block.

-

TAGLIST:

@heidiland05

@ryoujoking

@catlalice

@maxinehufflepuffprincess

@lowkeyhottho

@fadingpalacebonkpsychic

[envihellbender]

What if: Mike Crew was an assistant thrown to The Vast by Gertrude, and Michael gave himself to The Spiral through a Leitner

Characters: Mike Crew, Gertrude Robinson, Michael Shelley (The Magnus Archives)

Content: plot swap/roleswap, referenced abuse, mental illness, injury/violence

Mike

Gertrude had been attempting to convince her assistant Mike to attend a work trip to investigate York Minister with her for a few months now. He made sure to always have plans, his diary always full whenever the possibility came up. It seemed like a job that could be done by anyone, the fact Gertrude was so adamant that Mike should attend cause him to be suspicious. Plus, he didn’t even like his job. He hated working on statements and pretending to care about other people’s whining. The only reason he was there was to figure out what the scar that clung to his body was. Having his leering, cantankerous boss with wandering hands made the most mundane parts of his job even worse. The official story for his scar was he was struck by lightening, that was t true. He knew it wasn’t. He saw the angular, beast of fractals and electricity, it came from the sky and ran across the ground. He needed to know what it was, and he needed to know why when he snuck into the tunnels it began to glow and crackle.

Eventually, Gertrude decided to force a work trip. Mike was staying late in the archive, he was pretending to be working but the files he had open were all on Lichtenberg scars. He thought he was the only one in the building, so when Gertrude entered the assistant’s office he tried not to jump or look surprised. He didn’t react until he felt a cold, bloated finger run down the back of his neck. He winced and tried to pull away, instead he was pulled closer. His white t-shirt was pulled down exposing his collar bones, before he could react there was a sharp scratch against his chest, he looked down to see a mysterious liquid being injected into him. The image of Gertrude’s hands clinging to him stuck in his mind as his vision grew blurry and his head empty.

The next thing Mike knew, he was in a heap in the backseat of Gertrude’s car. His limbs ached, and he stretched trying to feel human again. He groaned and groggily sat up. It seemed Gertrude was forcing the York trip. He held onto the driver’s seat to keep himself up and stared at his boss who simply stared forward and didn’t reply. Through the windows he saw houses and the dark sky, nothing to give away where they were.

“Erm. Hi. So, what the hell, boss?” Mike asked, raising his voice slightly next to Gertrude’s ear. She didn’t reply, she just a deep breath and kept staring forwards. “So kidnapping, that’s definitely going in my annual evaluation or feedback or whatever.”

“We don’t do feedback,” Gertrude said simply if there was a hint of sarcasm or tongue in cheek nature in her comment it wasn’t clear. She was quiet and didn’t speak after that comment, after some silence Mike spoke again.

“You know, we should do feedback. Elias needs to know what a shitty boss you are. Need to stop getting people who miss your arse about how great you are,” Mike rambled with a cruel tone to his voice. “So what’s-" As the car stopped suddenly, so did he. His body jolted forward, his hands on Gertrude’s chair was the only thing keeping him in place. Around the parked car there was a paved courtyard that was lit up by watery orange street lights. There were bushes across the road teasing at a hidden park, and they were surrounded by some closed high street shops. Most importantly however was what was directly in front of the parked car- a large church, a gigantic building with a sign with intricate writing that declared it as York Minister. Before Mike could say anything Gertrude got out of the car and stood patiently until Mike followed suit. When he got to his feet and began to shiver, realising he was only in a t-shirt and jeans, Gertrude grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in the direction of the tall, imposing church.

“Really? Going to pray now?” Mike joked nervously, stumbling over his feet as he was pulled quickly forward. The doors had been left open for them - despite the fact all the lights were off and none of the candles were lit. Mike was pulled into darkness, all he could do was follow Gertrude. “Erm, boss-”

“You know, you’re the only member of your family who wasn’t Christened,” Gertrude interrupted, her breath wheezing as she began to walk up a stone spiral staircase. One that took Mike by surprise. He stumbled, only staying upright because of Gertrude’s grip. His shins were grazed by the stone and knees knocked against the cold hard surface. Mike swore under his breath as he stumbled and struggled, he didn’t answer until he was on his feet and stable, when he did he sounded tired and angry.

“Yeah. So? What’s your point?”

“Your family are perfectly fine with you being thrown to the depths of hell, does that concern you?”

“Not really,” Mike shrugged. He knew his family, and not a single thing Gertrude could pull from his head would surprise or horrify him.

“Yes, quite the staunch atheist aren’t we.” Gertrude sounded amused, as if she was mocking Mike. “I don’t believe in heaven and hell either but your parents do, but they were happy to throw you into eternal damnation. Ever wonder why that was?”

“Nope,” he answered simply. He focused on being pulled up the stairs without falling onto the stone. “Where you taking me?”

“I’m going to give you an answer.” Gertrude sounded smug and all Mike could do was sigh in frustration at the lack of an explanation.

“What? What are you talking about? Answer to what?”

“To your scar.”

“What- you- why can you tell me not-”

“You don’t have to be conscious for this,” Gertrude interrupted.

“Huh?”

“And if you’re unconscious, you are silent.” Gertrude pursed her lips and groaned as she grew exhausted and her throat ached from her exertion. Mike was dragged behind her, smirking a little at how much she was struggling.

By the time they reached the top of the tower, Gertrude wheezed so intensely Mike was sure her throat was bleeding and her lungs were about to implode. Mike snorted in laughter and opened the emergency exit door in front of them, sticking his head out. Its cold, and the view is beautiful. Before he can catch his bearings however Gertrude shoves him forward and joins him on the roof next to the bell tower.

“So gonna answer me now? Where’s the answer to my scar?” Mike asked, he paced up and down on the dark paving stones. He felt calmed by the height, the lights from down below over the edges of the church and the thin cold air from this height. Gertrude watched him with a frown and an intense gaze.

“Over here,” she said as she clicked her tongue. She walked to the edge of the roof and Mike followed her. Before he could react she wrapped a bloated, fat arm around her waist.

“I don’t-”

“It’s down there,” Gertrude whispered into Mike’s ear interrupting him. She pointed down at the ground, Mike looked, excitement filling his body at the idea of falling but Gertrude pushing him made it far less fun of an idea.

“What- I- what the fuck do you mean?” Mike spluttered, he attempted to pull away from Gertrude but as always she was stronger than anyone would expect.

“That terrifying scar burned into your skin. The one that hisses and glows, I know what it is,” she bragged, smug and arrogant like a god.

“What? What is it? Tell me.”

“I’ll show you, just look down.”

Before he could reply he felt two hands violently shove him forwards. His stomach lurched as he began to fall. The cold air was piercing his skin and his bones felt as if they were cracking and shattering. He didn’t scream, that was what surprised him. He felt his scar burn and spark to life, and the Vast, the Sky Blue, and he began to open himself up to being completely surrounded filled by the great emptiness. He knew Sky Blue wouldn’t let him fall, he knew it would save him.

Michael

“What have you got there?” A voice said, an accusation filling the air with an aged, formal edge creating a false sense of kindness. Michael stopped, gripping the Leitner in his hands, he needed this book. He couldn’t afford it, of course he couldn’t, but he couldn’t let it escape his grasp. Just simply having it in his hands made his chest and stomach feel warm and calm. He could feel the beast in the sky hunting him almost ‘lose’ sight of him. He couldn’t give up this book, he thought, he’d rather gouge out his own eyes. He eventually turned around, he towered over the little old man who owned the bookstore, but his clothes were more ragged where as the bookseller looked clean and smart. Michael fiddled with the tog on his duffle coat as one arm held the book so tightly he felt it burn against his skin.

“I think it would be best if you let me leave,” Michael answered slowly. He stepped backwards towards the door and the shopkeeper stared at him, baffled and indignant.

“Excuse me? I believe you may have stolen a piece of my stock.”

“I haven’t stolen anything that belongs to you.” Michael was careful with the words he chose, he knew the book shouldn’t have been here and it truly belonged to Jurgen Leitner. Anyone else who tried to take ownership of it always lost it, even Michael would only have it for the time he needed it. When it came to it he was sure it would escape, he planned to give it to Gerry but… he thought the book had other plans. He felt he could communicate with it, simply anyway. And the book wanted to be with him.

“So what’s that in your hands?”

“A book I promise you you won’t recognise.”

“Show me.”

“No.” Michael took a step backwards, he was taken by surprise when the bookseller jumped forward, surprisingly agile for his age and dove on Michael. He acted on instinct, he grabbed the man’s collar, pulling him backwards by his shirt, sighing in relief as he was free.

“It’s mine,” the bookseller hissed, almost frantic. Michael looked at him sadly.

“I am really, really sorry for this you know. I can bring it back when I’m done,” Michael explained. The bookseller stared at him, lost for words for a moment. Michael looked genuinely sad and apologetic when he grabbed the back of the old man’s neck and slam his face into the wall next to the door. He let go and let the man stumble and yell out, Michael turned on his heal and ran. He ran through the door and down the busy London street. His feet slamming the background and the wind causing his hair to be even more wild. He didn’t pay attention to any of the people he pushed out of the way, all he did was avoid looking at the strange creature in the sky. The large dark blue tentacles. That was the best way he could describe them, they were slowly writhing and growing over the void above him, and as they covered his view from each horizon, they would lower themselves down towards Michael. And this thick tome, “THE HOUSEUOH EHT” as the first page declared it, that would keep him safe. He stopped suddenly as the crowd thinned out and opened the book as his fingers shook. It was time.

“Come on. Come on Distortion, come on,” Michael said under his breath repeatedly and manically, sighing in relief and giving a twisted giggle pitched giggle as he began to read the pages.

[anon-apple]

Hot Soup and Soft Bread 20

Table of Contents and Synopsis <- Chapter 19 Read on WordPress

Chapter 20: Wild Onions Fried Rice II

Zhou Cunqu realized that throughout their relationship, Zhong Qiuyan always listened to Cunqu talk about his matters but never really talked about himself. Everything Cunqu knew came from things Da Yu and A’Shan said. After the Zhong family of three finished eating and Qiuyan brought him to the woods to play, he casually mentioned that Zhong Baochen wasn’t his biological father. His biological father had passed away from illness when he wasn’t even one year old. Qiu Xuemei remarried Zhong Baochen later. Qiuyan didn’t know this when he was little. But there were always nosy people in the village who went out of their way to tell him. He was seven or eight years old then. Finding out that his dad wasn’t his biological dad, he was quite at a loss.

At that time, Zhong Baochen was still working at a crematorium. His job wasn’t anything great, and the kids at school often used it to make fun of Qiuyan. There was a period of time when Qiuyan especially didn’t want to go to school. One day. Baochen got home early from work and saw Qiuyan sitting in front of the little shop at the village entrance watching other kids play cards. 

Baocheng asked him why he wasn’t in school at this time. Qiuyan didn’t respond. Instead, he stood up and sprinted off toward the creek's bank. Baochen rode a bicycle and chased after him. Qiuyan cried, “It’s you, it’s all because of you.”

When Baocheng caught up to Qiuyan, he grabbed his arm and didn’t let him run off. So Qiuyan hit him and knocked the things he was holding out of his hands. They were the cards that the kids were playing with in front of the shop. Baochen had bought two packs for him. A tad awkwardly, he asked: “Did you want to play with these?”

Qiuyan lowered his head. His tears fell onto the cards on the ground. 

--

Qiuyan, hitting the weeds and wildflowers growing out of the ground with a tree branch, said to Cunqu: “Anyways, Zhong Baochen is a pretty good person.”

The two of them wandered around on the mountain for a while. Qiuyan picked some wild onions, saying they were especially fragrant when fried with rice. The two of them returned to the house and placed the onions in the courtyard in passing. When they came back out, Baochen had already cleaned the onions with water and put them on the wooden counter.

Before becoming a bus driver, Qiuyan had studied cooking, so he had a bit of skill. Cunqu stood at the back entrance of the kitchen and watched him fry rice. When Qiu Xuemei walked by, she uttered: “Impressive. The great chef only touches the stove once a year.”

After cooking, the two of them each held a bowl of fried rice and sat down on the daybed[1] in the backyard to eat. Qiuyan asked Cunqu if it tasted good. Cunqu replied: “Very good.” 

Qiuyan then asked: “How is it, are you a bit tempted to offer yourself in exchange?”

Cunqun started laughing with rice still stuffed in his mouth. 

--

In the evening, Cunqu sat on Qiuyan’s desk and leafed through the sparse number of books on the bookshelf. Qiuyan had gone to help Xuemei apply medicinal ointment. Cunqu took out a novel. The inside had already been torn out by Qiuyan and stuffed with a stack of random cartoon stickers. Cunqu laughed involuntarily. He took out another book; it was a yearbook from high school. Qiuyan had written on the first page, Name: Zhong Qiuyan, Astrological Sign: Gemini, Life Maxim: If you don’t even try, how would you know? 

When Qiuyan returned, Cunqu was still flipping through the yearbook with interest. Repeating keywords in the commentary about Qiuyan from his classmates were: rowdy, talkative, and potentially ADHD. 

Qiuyan blushed and took the book back, mumbling: “Don’t look anymore. These are all things of the past.”

Cunqu tugged him close and hugged his waist, asking: “How come there’s someone who wrote: ‘Forget me, you will find someone better’?”

Qiuyan complained noisily: “This is a prank, it’s written by some guy. Ge, just look at this chicken scratch handwriting.”

Cunqu innocently said: “But I’m also a guy.”

Qiuyan was momentarily speechless, then he drew Cunqu towards himself and said in a spoiled tone: “You’re different~ You’re my little darling. My baby, my obedient wife…”

Cunqu laughed: “Stop, I’m getting goosebumps again.”

They started kissing, tongues gently intertwining each other. Qiuyan placed Cunqu down on the bed and kissed his waist. Cunqu took off his shirt, and Qiuyan bit down on the cherries atop his chest. Cunqu couldn’t help but moan. He stroked Qiuyan’s hair and asked: “Do you want to try today?”

He then looked at him and continued in a peculiar tone: “If you don’t try, how would you know?”

This time, Cunqu loosened himself. He purposely pressed against Qiuyan’s ears and let out difficult-to-endure moans. Qiuyan kissed Cunqu's hair and continued to kiss and bite his neck. Cunqu said: “Come in slowly.”

Qiuyan obediently followed his instructions, slowly entered bit by bit, and then slowly started moving. Cunqu hasn’t done it in a long time. When Qiuyan first entered, he sharply sucked in his breath and yelped. Qiuyan, holding Cunqu’s hand, moved faster; The more he moved, the quicker he went. Cunqu finally couldn’t hold it back anymore and reached down to touch himself as he cried out. 

For a moment, Qiuyan lost track of what he was doing. All that was left was an empty feeling on the top of his scalp. He held Cunqu, bit him, kissed him, and didn’t react when Cunqu started calling out: “It’s enough, Zhong Qiuyan. Ah, you, stop for a second.”

He couldn’t hear anything at all. The sentence “If you don’t try, how would you know?” suddenly crossed his mind. He finally knew now. After Qiuyan released the first time, he grabbed Cunqu and wanted to go a second round. Cunqu’s physique was relatively weak to begin with. After the first round, he had no strength left in his entire body. His legs were spread, and he leaned against the headboard of the bed; the flush on his cheeks had yet to go down. Qiuyan started biting Cunqu’s inner thigh again. The latter pushed his head away and said: “Qiuyan, are you a Gemini whose Chinese Zodiac is a dog[2]? Stop biting. Ah-- I’m telling you to stop biting…”

That night, they continued until Cunqu said slightly tearfully: “I really am tired. I already told you that I’m tired.” Qiuyan finally stopped and kissed Cunqu’s hair as he held him. He said, “Baby, you need to exercise more, you know? Otherwise, our future happy life…”

Cunqu kicked his shin.

When they finally went to sleep, Cunqu groggily really wanted to just sleep. Qiuyan, still holding him, said, "I’m a bit too excited to sleep. This is my first night. Ge, it’s very meaningful. Let me check my phone’s calendar. What’s today’s date again.”

Cunqu shut his eyes and perfunctorily nodded. Qiuyan then grabbed his face and started placing kisses everywhere. He said with dissatisfaction: “How can you have this attitude after sleeping with someone, honestly.” Cunqu didn’t know how and when he fell asleep. Qiuyan kept hugging him and refused to let go. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he was overheated from how Qiuyan was wrapped around him and almost had difficulty breathing. Qiuyan, on the other hand, was sleeping without a care in the world; his eyes were curved even when he was asleep, having some sort of a good dream.

Cunqu shut his eyes and perfunctorily nodded. Qiuyan then grabbed his face and started placing kisses everywhere. He said with dissatisfaction: “How can you have this attitude after sleeping with someone, honestly.” Cunqu didn’t know how and when he fell asleep. Qiuyan kept hugging him and refused to let go. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he was overheated from how Qiuyan was wrapped around him and almost had difficulty breathing. Qiuyan, on the other hand, was sleeping without a care in the world; his eyes were curved even when he was asleep, having some sort of a good dream.

Cunqu shut his eyes and perfunctorily nodded. Qiuyan then grabbed his face and started placing kisses everywhere. He said with dissatisfaction: “How can you have this attitude after sleeping with someone, honestly.” Cunqu didn’t know how and when he fell asleep. Qiuyan kept hugging him and refused to let go. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he was overheated from how Qiuyan was wrapped around him and almost had difficulty breathing. Qiuyan, on the other hand, was sleeping without a care in the world; his eyes were curved even when he was asleep, having some sort of a good dream.

Cunqu shifted a bit. Qiuya, like a crab, gathered him up and clutched him even tighter.

Footnotes

[1] The word used here was 凉榻(Liáng tà) which is a classical-style Chinese furniture with a very long history. It’s a rectangular low, narrow seating area/bed. See here for google images: https://tinyurl.com/3xervpwp [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac There are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac (including dog), and it’s based off birth year instead of month. Cunqu is joking that Qiuyan’s like a dog with how much he’s biting him, but it’s entirely possible that Qiuyan actually is a Gemini in the Western Zodiac but a dog in the Chinese one lol. 

[the-captains-mop]

hii, I've been struggling to find a blog where someone actually writes for henry danger lol but can you do a henry x reader where the reader is very shy? I don't know if your requests are open so I'm sorry if they aren't

Sorry this took so long. I couldn't quite figure out how to make the character shy and it kinda came off as awkward, so I'm sorry. Please let me know what you think.

-------------------------------------------------

You grabbed your backpack and shoved your Math textbook into your backpack and prayed you could make it out before the sea of kids. "Hey, Y/N-" 

You flinched as a person came up beside you out of no where, you looked to see none other than Henry Heart. Confused you shoulder your backpack and glance around. You didn't see anyone, maybe it was some kind of joke. 

"Can I help you? I've got to go, I'll be late for work," you said keeping one hand on your strap and stepping away from him.  

"I'm Henry, you're in my English class," he said with a smile. 

You nodded, "I know who you are." 

Henry smiled wider, "I like you, Y/N," you blush and drop your head down. "You're so pretty, and smart, and I was hoping to get to know you," he said reaching out to twirl a strand of your hair. 

You froze not sure what to say, you could hear footsteps coming down the hall and decide to bolt. You took off running hoping at some point on your run to work the ground would swallow you whole. 

Around 9 that night your shift ended so you stepped outside not saying a word to the coworkers and started walking. You had wallowed in enough pitty, cursing your fight or flight. You always seemed to choose flight these days. 

About a block over is where Junk N' Stuff is... so you decide to bite the bullet and just go and see if Henry was there. You really wanted to get to know him too. So you walked to the junk shop, hoping that Lady Luck will help you out a bit. 

You peaked in, cursing the closed sign and saw Henry alone. You pushed it open thankfully it wasn't locked yet. 

"Sorry, We're closed," he said without turning around. He was placing tiny figurines on a table. 

You swallow down the panic, "Yeah, I saw the closed sign," she said pointing to the door as he spun around with his eyes wide. "But I really wanted to apologize for running earlier." 

"Hey, Y/N," He said with a smile. 

You opened your mouth to speak but someone started talking from the back, "Hey Henry, do you know where Jasper put- Hi, Y/N!" Came Charlottes panicked yell.

You stared at Charlotte who was wearing a really weird disguise. She ran out without saying a word. 

"I'm- I'm sorry for running earlier. I wasn't quite sure what to do, and I ran. I really do want to get to know you too," you said. "I do also want to know what that was about," You said pointing to the back where you heard whispered arguing. 

Henry shrugged and took a step closer to her, once again twirling your hair, "she's just.. really weird sometimes."

You nodded, so was he according to the rumors. You took both of his hands and smiled up at him, "I really am sorry about running today," you apologized again as a man walked out from the back. Must be Henry's boss. 

Henry leaned over a bit to pull your attention back to him, "How about instead of apologizing, you should let me take you out to dinner this friday-" 

"I need you friday," his boss interrupted.

"Saturday," Henry said without hesitation. 

You smiled up at him, "No- I mean, yes. Yes ill go on a date with you, I'm not sure why I said no. I'm very nervous and you are very handsome and I'm rambling. " you said taking one of your hands from Henry and putting it over your mouth. 

Henry chuckled, pulling you into a hug. When you two pulled away Jasper and Charlotte were out in the lobby. 

"I've got to get home and study. Thank you for not being upset with me," you said walking to the door and turning to face him, "and the date. Bye Henry's friends and his boss," you hurried out the door and let it close behind you and you stood there for a moment to catch your breath. 

You giggled to yourself, you had a date with the very handsome Henry Hart. You adjusted your backpack and headed home with a big smile that never wavered. 

[oss-punishment]

Chapter 4-”Ma” Survival: Elluka; Scene 2

Original Sin Story: Punishment, pages 87-91

The children of god aren’t born.

.

The children of god aren’t found.

.

Someone must become mother.

.

She must birth the children of god.

.

…She had heard the ‘Voice of God’ so often when she was a shrine maiden that she’d grown sick of it.

And it now rang through Elluka’s mind for the first time in years.

This voice, the gender of which she couldn’t discern, sounded to Elluka as though it was commanding, or even imploring her.

Were the gods getting impatient?

Impatient to be reborn soon onto the ground world.

--For what purpose?

To save the world…That was the theory proposed by the senate.

Supposing for argument’s sake that were true, then that would have to mean that the threat advancing on the world had to be mighty enough that it could rival the gods’ power.

She had yet to see a single omen of such a thing anywhere.

.

“The Clockworker Magic Workshop”.

So read the sign that had been set up outside the building that Elluka entered.

It had been a while since she’d come back here.

And just like always Kiril was quietly engrossed in his job before his workbench.

He realized that Elluka was there, lifting his face.

“Welcome home, Elluka,” he said, giving her a clumsy smile.

“Good to be back…Darling, have you gotten a bit older?”

“Haha, feels like the last time I saw you was…close to a thousand years ago.”

“It hasn’t even been a single year.”

“The work has been piling up around here for a change. I suppose my exhaustion must be showing on my face a little.”

--Kiril’s trade was that of making music boxes, but it was a little difficult for him to make a living based on solely that.

The only people who came to buy music boxes were those among the decently wealthy who enjoyed music. The amount they paid was alright, but music boxes weren’t the sort of thing you came to buy several times a year.

For that reason, in addition to his sale and repair of music boxes, he would also take contracts to perform maintenance of precision equipment such as clocks and the like.

Ever since Elluka started working at the shop, they’d also taken to working on small magical devices as well. This was something she’d done for free many times in her days of being a shrine maiden, but here with the inclusion of Kiril’s skills and knowledge, they were able to easily handle restorations that would have been difficult for her back then.

“We must make a good team.”

She recalled them saying things like that, smiling together.

Taciturn, unfriendly, unable to understand what he was thinking—that was the first impression she’d gotten of Kiril when she met him at the temple.

But she supposed that was just a result of his ‘mental illness’. As he was now, Kiril was bright and cheerful. He probably still couldn’t be called sociable compared to a normal person, but Elluka rather liked his sincerity.

He was always kind, and he could be a little timid sometimes. But when it came to his work he had a stubborn side too.

After countless squabbles, eventually the two of them had naturally���yes, quite naturally…fallen in love—

--The inside of the shop was fairly clean for having been busy lately.

His work tools were properly organized and put away on the shelf.

“Looks like Irina’s been coming home pretty frequently.”

“That’s because she’s such a busybody. I’m always telling her she should be more sparing about her visits so it won’t get in the way of her duties at the castle, but…”

“It’s been pretty dull where we are. I actually wonder if she’s not helping out here to distract herself, with that personality of hers.”

The previous Clockworker head…Kiril and Irina’s adoptive father, he had passed away five years ago.

From then until Elluka showed up, the shop had been run by the two of them alone.

“Well, if you’ve been busy then that means the shop is thriving even without me here, so that’s good at least.”

“I certainly wouldn’t let the shop my father left me get closed down in my time.”

The previous family head had been a former member of Apocalypse, and as such he apparently hadn’t had a very good reputation when he first opened for business. But with the way he handled his trade, opinion began to improve with time.

At the same time, after he’d atoned for his sins he’d gone on to provide aid to some of his former comrades that had been left out in the cold. Kiril and Irina themselves had supposedly been orphans of some Apocalypse members.

“…Either Irina or I will become queen very soon,” Elluka cut in, after a few moments of troubled thought.

“…That’s right.”

“When that happens, one of us won’t be able to come back here again.”

“True…but you did come here today.”

“Yeah…This might end up being the last time…So—"

Elluka embraced Kiril.

“Kiril…I love you.”

“And I you…Elluka.”

The two of them kissed for a long time.

.

--She’d be breaking curfew soon. She’d get scolded later.

But she had no intention of returning to the castle tonight.

<<prev------directory------next>>

[anncanta]

Free will argument

Fandom: Dracula (2020)

Characters: Count Dracula, Agatha Van Helsing, John Seward

Relationship: Dracula/Agatha Van Helsing

Rating: Mature

@alma37 @hopipollahorror @ravenathantum @flutteringphalanges @ladyhaley28​ @dragatha @khyruma​ 

Read on AO3

Or read below

Zoe's voice trailed off in her head, and Agatha went to the window.

Light rain glittered in drops on the bushes and benches of the hospital park, the evening sun peeped through the rare clouds. Slowly Agatha put on her jacket and dialed the number she found in her grand-niece's phone.

‘Jack, get me out of the hospital. I'm discharging myself.’ It sounded confident. The young man on the other end of the line tried to object, but Agatha said: ‘Hurry up,’ – and dropped the call.

They rode in the taxi in silence. They stopped once – at an antique shop. Digging through Zoe's memory, Agatha found this little store in Soho, selling all sorts of unnecessary trifles along with false antiquities and pseudo-magic nonsense.

Climbing out of the car, Agatha returned five minutes later. Leaning over to the open window, she put the bag with aspen stakes on Jack's lap and, going around the car, got back.

She did not know why she was going to Dracula and did not know what kind of reaction she expected from him. And she really had no idea what she was going to do.

‘You don`t look very surprised.’

‘You don`t look very dead.’

‘I`m getting there.’ Agatha walked through the open door and, staggering slightly, sat down at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack follow her apprehensively. She heard her own voice telling how easy it was to find Dracula's apartment.

When Dracula grabbed the guy by the throat, Agatha woke up abruptly.

‘Let him go,’ she said, feeling the pain rise inside Zoe's body in a hot wave. Why is she here?

‘Why?’ Dracula turned to her with interest.

The pain squeezed her chest and then gone. Agatha swallowed.

‘This is England,’ she said, catching her breath. ‘Conversation preseeds dinner.’

So little time, Agatha thought, looking at how Dracula threw the young man away and, turning to her, leaning with both hands on the table. Almost unconsciously, she mirrored his pose, inside fleetingly noting that she had never been in a more stupid situation.

Except when she died aboard the ship, which she herself blew up, hoping to kill the vampire. Agatha frowned, shaking her head. She needs to concentrate. She thinks about the wrong things.

‘– waiting for someone?’ Jack's voice came to her through the fog in her head.

‘Lucy Westenra.’ The name of the girl Dracula killed brought Agatha back to reality. She raised her head. ‘Do you expect her to rise up and come to you? I have to disappoint you – she was cremated.’

Agatha was surprised by Dracula's reaction. Anger, disbelief, irritation – and a shadow of horror suddenly replaced each other on his face. Did he really feel something for that child, Agatha asked herself distantly. Most likely, however he just…

Dracula's ferocious monologue was interrupted by a sharp ringing at the door. He paused, looking first at Jack, then at Agatha with a victorious smile.

‘You underestimated... hmm... vampires' liveliness,’ with flashing eyes, he said and went to open. He turned around halfway. ‘Dr. Seward. She was your friend, wasn't she?’

Agatha spent the next half hour desperately battling nausea, pain, and fear. The scene with the ill-fated, half-burned Lucy was disgusting, and Agatha almost regretted bringing Jack with her.

It is better for old acquaintances to meet in private.

‘...at least she died well. This is a rare quality, believe me.’

Agatha shuddered.

‘Quality or taste?’ she asked, turning to Dracula.

‘Oh, taste,’ Dracula nodded mockingly. ‘Her taste was unique. I've never seen anything like it before. It was as if she was in love with death.’

‘That`s it!’ Having doused Agatha simultaneously with pain and heat, understanding came. ‘That`s everything.’ She looked at Dracula, frozen in bewilderment. She turned to the tear-stained youth. ‘Jack, go away.’

‘Dr. Helsing, I can't…’ he protested. ‘I will not leave you…’

But Agatha did not listen to him.

‘I need to speak to Count Dracula. It's very personal,’ she said, looking Dracula in the eye. ‘He wouldn’t want anyone else to hear it.’

‘Why not?’ Dracula asked.

‘Because now I know exactly what you fear most,’ Agatha said. She straightened, returning his victorious smile. The pain receded, she suddenly felt at ease.

‘Well, I don’t know,’ Dracula looked at her with childish delight.

‘I know you don’t,’ Agatha replied.

‘Dr. Seward, you may leave,’ Dracula said without turning to Jack.

‘Get out,’ said Agatha.

She glanced at Jack. He looked at her questioningly, as if he expected her to explain everything to him and tell him what the hell was going on here. Agatha sighed slightly.

To tell the truth, she was not sure of anything. Least of all – how what she just realized will help.

‘Today is going to be a beautiful day,’ she said to Jack with her eyes pointing to the curtained window. Deciding that he understood her plan, the guy nodded and left, finally leaving them with Dracula alone.

For some time after his departure, Agatha stood with her head bowed. Pain, faintness, and weakness returned again. I can't do it, she thought.

For just a second, she let go of the expensive tabletop, on which she was leaning so as not to fall, and found herself in the center of some kind of hurricane. She was hugged, held close to Dracula, and he showered her face with kisses. Agatha froze, slightly stunned from all this and from amazement without even trying to escape.

Dracula hugged her with both hands, stroked her head, touched her vertex with his lips.

‘I missed you... I missed you so much,’ he whispered into her hair, laughing.

His lips were unexpectedly warm and soft and he was strong and she was so tired. So confused, so worn out. A stranger in this time, in this place, in this life, and in this body. Pressing her cheek to his shoulder, Agatha briefly allowed herself to just be where she was. She felt good.

Unexpectedly, this thought sobered her.

‘Let me go,’ she said emphatically. He, oddly enough, obeyed instantly. ‘What do you mean – you missed me?’ looking up at him, asked Agatha.

‘That means that I badly wanted to see you.’ He smiled. Agatha frowned in annoyance.

‘You set it up. Zoe... you offered her your blood.��

‘She wanted it herself.’

Agatha flared up.

‘Do not try to confuse me!’

‘It's not that easy to do.’ He took her chin. ‘Agatha,’ he said, looking at her carefully, ‘tell me what you understood about me.’

This simple request uttered without irony and the usual mocking subtext suddenly made all her diligently accumulated anger disappear.

Walking around Dracula, Agatha slowly, overcoming sharp spasms twisting her body, went to the curtained window. She raised her hand and jerked the curtain down.

After waiting for the fuss and screams to subside behind her, she turned around.

‘It`s one hundred and fifty million miles away. What would it do to you?’

Dracula sat on the floor, shielding his hand from the sun, and looked blankly.

Suddenly softening, Agatha walked over. She dropped down next to him.

‘Have you ever thought,’ she asked, ‘why are you the only one of your... kind who is afraid of the sun? Why could Jonathan stand it and why was the girl in your basement not afraid of it? Like the cross, by the way. And Lucy Westenra, by the way, came here before dark.’ Agatha watched his expression slowly change. ‘Why?’

He frowned.

‘I do not know. I thought it was –’

‘Just habits,’ she said. ‘The things which you taught yourself to be afraid many centuries ago, so as not to think about the most important of your fears.’

She turned around, leaning her back wearily on him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, and in some incredible way, this gave her strength.

‘All your fears lead to one,’ Agatha said, closing her eyes and throwing her head back on his shoulder. ‘Lead to the fear of death. You are a warrior from an old line of warriors, and therefore you hate this fear and are ashamed of it. That's why you came up with all your superstitions and signs.’ Lord, the pain was terrible. Agatha grimaced. ‘Simple as two times two.’

He kissed her again, now somewhere on the cheek or temple. Agatha did not have the strength to resist and argue: Zoe's body was slowly fading away, she every minute waited for the blessed night to fall on her.

Agatha did not remember her last death. Her awakening in the twenty-first century was abrupt and rather awkward. Waking up in a body that she shared with a frightened and lost grandniece, Agatha spent the first few days looking around and trying to understand what was happening and what to do with all this. It was not easy to establish contact with Zoe – she was exhausted and stubborn, overflowing with a sense of guilt. It took three months before her weakened mind was able to listen to something other than itself.

Agatha reproached herself for missing the time. Perhaps she should have been more persistent. Perhaps then young Lucy Westenra would be alive.

It was easy to explain to Zoe why Agatha went to Dracula. Much harder – to explain it to herself. She did not have any means and even physical strength to fight him, and no support, except for a frightened young man, gripped by double grief – because of the loss of his beloved and a friend he was about to lose. Why did she do it?

Because there is free will in the world. Agatha smiled without opening her eyes, remembering how she argued about it there, in the wine cellar, with Dracula. He convinced her that she was looking for violent passions and great adventures, deliberately choosing the dangers – and he believed that she was right in this. Her position, however, rather confirmed his words – even if Agatha did not know what exactly was happening, one thing was obvious: he kidnapped her and kept her with him.

‘What would await you in the monastery, Agatha?’ he said during one of their conversations at chess. ‘Monotonous days, hard work, and prayers to someone you don't even believe in.’

‘I believed in Him thanks to you,’ Agatha answered, and he smiled incomprehensibly and strangely.

Agatha opened her eyes.

‘I lost,’ she said quietly. ‘I lost because I teased the wolves.’

‘I wouldn't jump to conclusions,’ there was a whisper in her ear, and the warm lips moved down to the base of her neck. They played and teased and caressed her until…

‘Will you ever leave me alone?’ Agatha asked, looking up from the chess table in front of her. She opened her mouth again, about to say something harsh, and suddenly realized that the pain was gone. During the three months that Agatha spent in Zoe's body, the pain became so familiar that it was as if, after the even creaky sound that tormented her day and night, there was suddenly quietness.

She looked at Dracula. He sat without saying a word, as the last time, demonstratively clutching a glass of blood in his hand.

‘It's poisoned,’ Agatha said, pointing to the glass.

Dracula was still silent.

‘What do you want?’ Agatha asked almost plaintively. Confusion and fatigue hit her at once. Dracula put the glass on the table, stood up, walked around it, and stopped in front of her.

‘Agatha,’ he said softly. She got up. He smiled. ‘I want to offer you... a choice.’

Agatha frowned. It didn't take a big mind to understand what he meant. Zoe's blood was poisoned, but apparently not enough to kill him. She looked into his eyes.

‘Either I will finish you off, and your death will be quick and easy,’ Dracula spoke her thoughts out loud, ‘or let me convert you.’

The last word made her recoil. Turning away, Agatha walked around the small room several times before remembering that it was impossible to escape from it. Desperately, she looked at Dracula. He stood where he was, not trying to speak to her or stop her. And that moment she clearly realized that he would not force her.

She went up to him again.

‘I have about ten minutes left to live,’ she said softly.

‘That's enough for me,’ Dracula assured her. ‘Although, judging by your blood, you have at least two weeks.’

He was serious. And it was more frightening than all his previous bullying. Agatha ran her hand over her face.

‘You want to make an animal out of me. If only to save me, and you could continue to play with me, you are ready to make me a primitive creature driven by hunger.’

‘I'm glad that you think so highly of me.’ Now in the voice of Dracula, there were familiar, risible notes. ‘But your prejudices prevent you from seeing the essence. At this time, the vampire no longer needs to be a hungry animal,’ he said impatiently. ‘You don’t even have to kill to live. My lawyer delivers blood to me at my first order. Given the required parameters and the talents that I am looking for. Yes, he is quite inventive,’ Dracula smiled in response to the dumbfounded expression on her face. ‘You don’t have to hide, you’ll no longer be an outcast. It would be all the joys of this world before you, including the sun.’ He raised his hand and stroked her cheek. ‘Hate me, if you want, leave me by slamming the door – whatever you want, please. But allow yourself to use this chance.’

Out of place, Agatha imagined what would have happened if she had actually stayed in the monastery. Probably, she would have lived a peaceful life, which would have found its completion in a modest cell on the slope of long fruitless years. She looked at Dracula. He tore her out of that life by the roots, throwing in the face of the self-confident and naive nun the consequences of her own impulsive actions. He killed her, returned her after one hundred and twenty-three years, and offers her... a life without him. Shaking her head, she laughed.

‘Why are you sure that you will succeed?’ she asked without preamble. ‘If I remember correctly, you told Jonathan that most of those whose blood you drink die. How then are you going to?..’

‘Jonathan helped me understand how simple everything is,’ Dracula replied with a smile. ‘And difficult at the same time. Free will, Agatha,’ he said, seeing that she still didn't understand. ‘It's all about free will.’

Agatha frowned, but not because he was now literally quoting what she was thinking.

‘Lucy… you told her something… that in four hundred years she was the first to give you her blood voluntarily. She wanted you. She wanted to stay with you. Like that girl in the basement, probably. But Jonathan,’ Agatha said immediately, ‘Jonathan definitely didn't want that. He begged you to let him go.’

‘He wanted to leave me,’ Dracula agreed. ‘But also – before he died, he swore that he would do everything in his power to stop me. But what could an exhausted, almost drunk dry, sick person do to me?’

Agatha's eyes widened.

‘To fight you, he had to become your equal,’ she said, barely audible. ‘He became a vampire because he wanted to.’

‘Like everyone else,’ Dracula nodded. ‘It's a pity that I realized this so late.’

Agatha just brushed aside another dark joke. Turning away from Dracula, she stared ahead of her for a while.

When she looked at Dracula again, her gaze was direct and open, and she did not need to say a word. He already understood everything.

The next thing Agatha saw was the sun's rays. They shimmered, shone, covered her body from head to toe, spread a sheet of bright light under her. Fascinated by this incredible sight, she did not immediately realize that she was naked and was lying in the arms of a naked Dracula, who touched her shoulder with a kiss.

‘It always seemed to me that the conversion had to be... painful,’ she gasped in amazement.

Dracula smiled, looking up.

‘After all this time, did you think, I`d let it hurt?’

[hitoshisbabygirl]

Authors Notes ♡: WHEW I LOVED THIS I had a time trying to come up with an idea and then it hit me : a princess being saved by fantasy au! Dabi. I’m still nervous with my smuts but heh I enjoyed this a whole bunch to write . Dabi is my favorite villain and I just love him so much, I tried to make him a soft inside and hard outside man in this , I Had fun for our free for all collab and I hope I help give it just a fun twist to fantasy and Halloween spirit ~ I hope you enjoy reading this and much as I did writing it ~ bunny ❥

Warnings :UH NSFW! Demon dabi has two dick (and their thick) , pet names, unprotected sex , a tad bit of a size kink? , a bit fluffy at the end but I think that’s it!

Word count : about 2k give or take!

Paring(s) :Dabi x F! Reader

Even with this being NSFW I had to make it a soft fluffy ending I’m sorry ♡

———————————————————————

Enchanted flames

Dabi

“If you have found this letter the Princess of Yuei needs your help. Meet me in the Enchanted Woods tomorrow night. Ill escape with you if you can save me from the proposed wedding - Princess [ ]”

With a sigh [. ] dropped the letter out of her window hoping someone, anyone , could save her from the doom that awaited her from an arranged marriage that had been planned from her kingdom to be to the neighboring ones prince, a smaller and very...purple hot headed boy by the name of Mineta who was unsavory for a lack of words. Sighing as she watched the paper fall she secretly wished her type of prince would come save her from this hell she expected.

As the night approached she slipped past her guards, telling them she was going out for air in her garden. The two towering men who looked down at her agreed, moving at the way to let the young woman past them and out into the halls, her dress dragging behind her as she headed out the giant doors to her garden. Taking in a breath she climbed over the perfectly managed hedges andddd off into the forest adjacent to the castle, roaming through the woods to her chosen spot to hopefully meet someone who could save her.

“Hello there little sheep, you called for help, correct?” A low, raspy voice called out as [ ] turned around , looking into the dark abyss in front of her. “ Hello? Helloooo? Who's there?” the girl called out as she heard something heavy land behind her. Turning to her right she saw bright blue eyes look back at her from the shadows. Before she could react a rather warm hand covered her mouth as the person or thing dragged her throughout the woods , the two of them slipping into the night. As soon as [ ] woke up her eyes adjusted to a dark but brightly lit and beautiful chasm, cyan and turquoise crystals of all types surrounded the room as she felt intense heat from everywhere around her. Standing up on shaky legs she felt eyes on her from behind. Letting out a deep breath she turned only to run into a barely covered chest.

Looking up from the revealed purple and pale skin , she saw those same blue eyes , lit with curiosity. “Ah you're awake..welcome little sheep to my...well..living quarters” The mystery man spoke as [ ] blinked at him, a grin spreading over his face as he continued to speak “Well i guess the princess doesnt know she isn't in her little castle anymore. Haven't those guards of yours realized they can't leave royalty alone or guys like me come along and take them out of their cute little homes” He said as [ ] gave him a suspicious look , her own thoughts taking over her face as a sense of calm rested over her features “Ohhh so you're the one who found my note..” She said as he gave her an unreadable look , soon walking away to leave the girl in her own world. “I guess he did” she thought to herself as she heard the male come back, a pile of things in his hands. “Here; a change of clothes and something to eat. I tried to be gentle taking you out of those dreaded castle grounds and through the woods but your dress isnt the smallest thing in the world” he said as [ ] let out a giggle , picking up the dark shirt and skirt he had given her along with the meal : some type of rice and meat with soup. Before she could ask the man answered “No i didnt steal it, i told you this is my home , its only natural id have something in this god forsaken place to eat.” He said as he pointed down the cave. “Theres a waterfall ahead if youd like to freshen up there.” And with that [ ] walked down the empty carved walls, finding the waterfall he was talking about.

Once she was finished getting cleaned and dressed she headed back the way she went, seeing the male now cloaked in a dark cape , fiddling with a pile of wood before setting it ablaze with a bright blue flame. “Ah i see you're finished , ILl be heading out , i'm gonna find us some more wood so you don't get cold. Theres a pot over there where you can reheat your food and get more if you like.” As he finished he proceeded to get up and head down another pathway, presumingly to the opening of the chasm “Wait!” [ ] called out as he stopped, turning to the girl with a questioning look back at her. “Yes princess?” he responded to her as she felt a unnatural wave of heat spreading to her face from simply calling her by her actual title. “What can I call you? And how long will you be gone?” She questioned. “Aw are you worried about me?” He cooed as she puffed out her cheeks “I was just curious” She lashed back as the male in front of her laughed , giving her a crooked smile. “ The names Dabi, and i won't be gone too long, an hour or so” Dabi said, giving her a smile as he started to leave again.

“Oh yeah , and there's a spare jacket in the back if you get too cold or that fire goes out.” and with that he left [ ] by herself as she finished up the dinner he had made which was exceptionally good, even better than what she tended to have at the castle. While she waited around for dabi to come back , [ ] looked at her royal dress, the red and pinks making her want to revolt as she pushed the fluffy tooled pile up into a blanket of sorts, covering her legs as she sat there thinking about her predicament “I really ran away...but what else can you do when youre gonna be married off to someone years older than you for land and alliance” she thought with a sigh as footsteps came from behind her , Dabi pulling his hood from his head as he smiled to himself at the girl in front of him “Im back princess” He declared as she turned to him, giving him a small smile as she stood up, dusting off her dress , coming up to Dabi “So...whatcha find?” She started as he pulled the bag from behind him , dumping out different goodies for the two of them. An array of food, wood and fresh buckets for water collections. “Here, this is for you too” Dabi said as he passed her a well woven balck dress, better than the two piece he had first given her. Taking in a deep breath he spoke up “I didn't want you to struggle with rags , so i got you something a little more comfortable and well...suitable for a run away princess” and with that she looked up to him and giggled which was heaven to his ears. ‘Why thank you Dabi..i'm flattered” [ ] said as she took the black dress , running to a hidden corner to change as Dabi smirked “Oh boy..what have i signed myself up for”

Weeks later and multiple posters for the lost princess later, [ ] had a rhythm living with Dabi. They cooked together and he left out to get things from shops ans out in the woods. Word spread that the princess had been stolen and the ugly grape himself had put a reward out for her safe return. Unknown to everyone she was quite content with the dark demon mage Dabi and his home in the woods. He explained the chasm as his work space, a place he could hone in on working with his flames and different elixirs that people needed. He was a half breed of human and demon, his father ridding of him to hide his affair with an otherworldly being, to keep the peace of his people and the overworld people as well. He really wasn’t a bad man, just someone who stayed in the shadows and kept to himself. And [. ] ‘s heart went out to him, as his did out to hers as she explained her own situation. ”Well damn sweetheart at least i saved you hm?” Dabi said as the two of them laughed together about their lives and what they'd like to change.

As the night drew on and they had their fair share of drinks and food that night “Thank you Dabi..for everything” [ ] said randomly as they relaxed by the fire he had started , [ ] wrapped into the oversized fur Dabi made her as the male laid against a log watching the tired girl mumble to him. She gave him a sleepy smile once he put his warmed hand on her face. “You're cute yknow...i'm not gonna let anyone get to you okay?” He said as she shook her head, moving herself closer to him , laying her head on his lap as he rubbed her head until she fell asleep, him soon realizing he was in love with the rogue princess in his lap.

As the next month rolled around , the princess and her demon mage had started a loving relationship, the two of them growing fonder and fonder of eachother. [ ] noticed that Dabi had tried avoiding being around her when she was fresh from the shower or even roaming too close behind her, he even took more time to come home with more ingredients or even sleep opposite to her. She didn't understand the switch from wanting to hold and hug her to avoiding her all day. One day she was able to catch and trap him with her. “Yes princess…?” Dabi ased as [ ] crossed her arms around her chest , the simple movement making him turn from her. “Did I..do something…?” She asked, her eyes bouncing between his as the turquoise she learned to love ignited with heat.

”Oh no doll...you haven't done a thing but make me want you even more..”

And with that comment her eyes widened. “What..?” She questioned. And with that Dabi picked the smaller girl up, pinning her to a crystal wall as she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck.”Dabi…….?” [ ] called out as he started to kiss her neck ,running his rougher hands up the soft flesh of her thighs. “I think i'm in love with you doll..youve been invading my head or a while and all i can think about is making your cute little body want me the burning way i want you...I wanna make you cry out for me all night long...make you mines forever.....is that okay?” He whispered in her ear. With a shudder she agreed , letting him kiss the swells of her brest as he gave her a lopsided smile, picking her up and taking her to a pile of pelts and wool they made into a bedroom to rest in. Placing her down lightly he towered her , taking off his vest to reveal his toned and scarred body “Youre quite a beauty yknow...im glad you trust me…” He said with a smile as [ ] herself smashed her lips against his, cutting off his mushy talk. With a groan he pushed her dress up , letting her breast bounce out from the top. Pulling away from the kiss she helped him take off the dress over her head. With a shy smile [ ] covered ehrslf and laid back, spreading her legs lightly to expose her glistening lips to him

“Well damn, i havent even toughed you yet and youre this wet..what a little slut you are”

He growled out as he leaned back over to give her a kiss , pulling her lower lip as he licke dhis was down between her legs, giving her clit a hard suck as she whinned , closing her legs over his head as he slurped away at her pussy, making sure to watch her through hooded eyes, a tail whipping from behind him as a pair of horns appeared from atop his head, one mangled and cracked the other long and curled “Surprise” Dabi called out as his voice dropped octaves, it coming out as a low rumble as [ ] felt her walls clench at the sound , a chuckle coming from him. Going back to slurping and sucking on her labia and clit , Dabi watch with glee as the gilr under him started to shake, her hips rolling back to his mouth as he bit lightly down on her lips and pulled away from her , laughing at her pleas and whimpers “Turn sound baby and let me show you how much i love you” Dabi said , watching as [ ] rolled over arching her hips back as he smacked her ass, loving the moan she let out. Pulling down his pants he pulled his throbbing member out, rubbing it hard against her clit as she felt her heart jumped at the feeling of how thick he was. All of a sudden she felt hands pull her cheeks apart as a finger rub around the tight rings of her ass. With a gasp she looked back to see not one but two swinging dicks between the burning up male, a feral look in his eyes as he let a low rumble come from his chest “ Sorry babygirl..when I change there's more than just one of me to deal with, i promise i'll be gentle” He said as he rubbed her tight muscles just loose enough to put in the tip, her lower lips drooling as he slid his true size into her throbbing walls, moans and grunts tearing through the chasm as he pulled his hips back , starting to set a rhythm to his hips. While he picked up the pace, [ ] felt herself being full as the two dicks of his stuffed her. She could help the feeling of her walls getting tighter as she came once then twice and not once did Dabi stop, he laughed as he gave her more and more , pushing himself deeper in her as he let out what sounded like a howl of pain as he doubled in pace, reaching down to rub her clit as she screamed, soon feeling a hot and warm gooey feeling flood her senses. Dabi slowed his hips down as he pulled himself from her ass first, then from her pussy and cum started to leak from her holes.

“Shit...im sorry princess I didnt mean to go so rough…” Dabi breathed out as [ ] turned around giving him hr own lopsided smile as she saw him transform backto himself, those turquoise eyes softening as he saw the woman he had fallen for spent out from his own actions. “Geez when you said you were a demon i didnt think it was true…” She laughed as he scratched th back of his neck “Ive never transformed like this around someone….especially during sex but that means I trust you a lot….well doll..let me clean you up and then...we can go fro round two hm?” He smirked as he watched her pussy clench and relase more cum once he said that. “Mhm...clean me Dabi then we can have some more fun..”

[theredsuzuran]

Yandere Muzan x Reader

I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors, also for my crappy writing I hope It does not bore you lol. Slight mention of gore

It was the time of summer

A multitude of people hovering over one another in the vast space of the lively Asakusa city occupying the streets like tiny ants. Unfortunately it was same monotonous sight for kibutsuji Muzan progenitor of the morbid demon race, who seems to be roaming around uninterestingly looking for a suitable prey to hunt. The fleeting lives of mortals, their compassion, happiness, sorrow, pain held no value to him. They are pests who belong in the dirt or beneath his feet, inferior compare to a perfect being like himself. Nothing more than a tool that he won't hesitate to discard after his desires are fulfilled. All of a sudden his gaze felt upon a petite figure near a tailor shop, a large number of people gathering around her.

What's the matter, mister? Muzan inquired to a man next to him.

"if you are new definitely try her kimonos, now make way" the man said quickly as he rushed to the shop pushing all the people away. He was interested to know what the deal was about so he decided to stay for a while hoping it's worth the wait.

After a long delay muzan finally got the chance to view the women. As their eyes locked the dazzling city lights broader than the day itself felt dull in comparison for a moment, the once monochromatic world seems to change vibrantly with her luminous presence, As if goddess Amaterasu, the diety of sun herself have ascended from the heaven into the mortal realm. The demon lord stood there mesmerized by her breathtaking beauty, how can someone so close to perfection exist alongside those barbarians.

"How can I help you mister?" She questioned politely with her soft vocal. His endless thoughts were interrupted breaking the silence.

"Show me your kimonos"

And so his obsession started..

Days passed since his last encounter with the woman. He have come across numerous marvelous humans in everlasting lengthy life but never have his ruby eyes caught a glimpse of someone as alluring as her. The girl possesses an unique aura that differentiated her from the rest of the crowd, able to draw attention from the cold hearted creator of cannibalistic demons. At first muzan was just curious to know about that woman, possibly persuade her to become one of his underling because of the potentials she may carry. He frequently begun to visit her shop to but or sew different fabrics. Gaining basic information, like her name, likes and dislikes, etc. Her grandfather owned the tailor shop which sold finest quality garments from the beginning and were highly respected for their excellent tailoring. Continued by (y/n) at her family's will, who runs the shop with equal undying devotion.

She treated him with such kindness even though he was a ruthless demon not that she knew about it or let alone the existence of demons. The deepest corner of his dark heart illuminated with pure light whenever she was around and he came to the conclusion that she was the ray of sunshine he desires to perceive. Eversince he was cured from his fatal illness the only goal in his life was to conquer the sun which prevents him to achieve absolute perfection, in order to live an eternal and indestructible life or so he thought until that very day his eyes laid upon you. It would be stupid to think that demons are capable of experiencing love, concepts of feelings are completely foreign in their conciousness, it was more like obsession. His megalomania makes him believe he needs you no he wants you.

Alas, if only it was a fairytale. The king does not always gets what he desires and same goes for the demon lord when he finds out that his beloved darling already has a lover. As he witnessed the sight of you hugging your partner with passion. The way her eyes flutter infront of him when he caresses her cheeks making her turn away bashfully and how she hold his hand with her delicate ones while exchanging vows of love and loyalty towards each other made his blood boiled with fury. If anyone who can hold her fragile frame is none other but the demon lord himself yet there she was sharing intimacy with some filthy creature. His narcissistic self was put down with a lowlife, he cannot accept that his (y/n) was claimed someone else's. It was something he would never allow to happen.

"Kibutsuji san would you like to buy something today as well?" The women who now acknowledge his presence asked him cheerfully.

"Should I visit you later" a force smile graced on his pale features.

"Oh no, it's fine, let me introduce you to my fiancee" she said excitedly.

"Nice to meet you kibutsuji san" your fiancee said

"Pleasure to meet you as well" The demon scoffed under his breath but Kibutsuji was quite adamant he knew it was not hard to turn the tables anytime sooner as with a blink of an eye he can get rid of him by simply ordering his underlings without even hesitating to dirty his hands exclusive for his precious darling. But that was not what muzan was planning to do at all as his mind was engulfed with much sinister thoughts.

To insanity?

"You have been restless for a long time, what's wrong my child?" A man asked with a look of concern written all over his face looking straight at the figure of an anxious woman roaming around impatiently within the house.

"Its been a week father since he last wrote a letter to him" she mumbled softly disappointment painted across her features. The father could not help but laugh a little by her daughter's remark.

"Father please it is serious"

"I am sorry sweetheart but it might be that your fiancee is busy with wedding preparation" which made sense because the wedding would be taking place after three day and it was obvious that he was caught up with the arrangement. However there was a strange feeling inside her stomach which made her believe otherwise.

As the days passed the wedding day came close, with (y/n) still not receiving any message from her lover. Worried her to the core at this point all she wanted was to make sure of his safety as something constantly felt off. The guests came in one by one for the wedding ceremony but there was no sign of the groom.

It was getting unbearable for her to remain confined. Ignoring her father's request to stay inside she went outside in hope to check whether or not her lover was approaching but once again she was greeted with emptiness. Her eyes swell up with tears forming on both corners allowing her body to slowly hit the surface as she convinced herself that her lover will never come. The worst was yet to happen and before she could make any movement the ground beneath her feet started shaking and a shoji door opened consuming her into the darkness.

It was just the start of her miserable life under the demon's control.

"So you are finally awake", a sudden voice came echoing into her eyes as she slowly opened her eyes after regaining her consciousness. She moved her hands upwards in order to ease the headache only to find her hands tied up with shackles, a chilling sensation of overwhelming fear filled her entire senses as she remembered what happened prior.

"Where am I? Why am I chained?" Who are you?" she demanded furiously at the mysterious figure infront her which was now advancing at her direction from the dark corner of the dimly litted room.

"You are quite an impatient one?" The man gripped her chin roughly as her eyes protruded out with bewilderment.

"Can't even remember your daily customer?" A wicked smile curved across his countenance.

"K..Kibutsuji san" she parted her lips. Tears forming in her eyes once again. This made muzan even more irritated as he tightened his grip on her chin. (Y/n) whimpered with pain crying out loud.

"Your shouting won't help dear nobody apart from me can hear you scream" he said bluntly with his cold apathetic voice.

"Why?" (Y/n) lowered her head down holding his hand with her delicate ones trying her best to get a hold of him.

"Pardon?" Muzan inquired as he stared at your quivering form with his souless eyes there was no empathy in them or whatsoever although he felt pity. He cannot deny the fact that he was indeed attracted to her that's the reason why he put her into so much hassles.

"Where is my lover?" She asked sternly with her voice shaking a bit.

"Oh" muzan responded his hand still holding her chin tightly. This made her even more anxious she was unaware of the power he might possess and definitely she didn't had any intentions to risk her life.

"Why can't you humans move on and accept circumstances given before you?" it startled her as she cannot process what he meant.

"I don't.. u..understand" she said.

"Then you have to learn to accept me as your partner" muzan replied coldly (y/n) sat there looking at him with disbelief her heart and soul belonged to someone else and for a long time they have been together it's absolutely impossible to change the reality she was accustomed with just because some maniac wants to make her his partner.

"I can never" she murmured with disgust hinted in her voice. "I love him" throwing daggers in his direction not ready to submit her futile attempts of protest should pissed the demon lord even more but to her surprise she saw him smiling menacingly and in the corner of her eyes she saw the figure of her debilitate lover.

"Start from his fingers" muzan ordered one of his subordinate as they began chopping one of his finger making him scream in pain.

"No! please don't hurt him" trying to break free from the shackles she was tied with realizing it was fruitless she fell on the demon's knee begging with all the strength left within her in a last desperate attempt.

"You left me with no other choice, dear" he explained playing his sick games of manipulation on her. This was exactly what he needed to break her mind and she cannot help but rely on him pleading for his forgiveness feeding on his massive ego providing him ultimate satisfaction to witness the quivering frame of his darling clinging onto his knee in pure submission.

"Please I will do anything you say" she requested shaking like crazy.

"Anything?" Muzan questioned raising his eyebrow

"Yes" she replied without any hesitation.

"Be mine"

She already knew that he wanted this and she readily obliged in order to save her beloved, sacrificing her own life. Her only purpose was now to satisfy the demon lord, he was successful until the very end and it won't take long to make her completely his.

[aressss1]

Through Fire and Ice Chapter 5

(Technoblade x Reader)

Chapter 5

< Prev Chapter | Next Chapter >

~~~~~~

Dream felt you shift into him, his arms tightened around you to keep you steady. The two of you were almost to the mines. Spirit was running through the snow like a champ. When it was just starting to snow again, he sighed in annoyance. George and Sapnap were going to have a hell of a time getting back. He just hoped Techno wouldn’t cause too much trouble… ‘Should’ve just left him. He wanted to be alone anyway.’ Dream thought to himself rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

 He looked down at the patch job he did on your shoulder, pleased that it still was holding, even if it was bloody. You were going to need a real doctor soon, between that and your sickness, you really weren’t doing well. You were hot to the touch and it was worrying.

It had taken around two hours, but he could see the community village everyone lived in or nearby. It was surreal seeing it without life. Everyone had been evacuated underground. He even saw his old home; it was weird to think that his home wasn’t his anymore. So many memories happened behind those walls.

“Dream!” A voice called from the community mineshaft. A hooded shadowy figure waved cheerfully. Dream smiled at BadBoyHalo from behind the mask, happy to see him. Bad was carrying supplies and he was struggling to keep them in his arms when he waved to Dream. His tail swishing back and forth. Dream steered Spirit up to the mine. “Who’s that? And where’s George and Sapnap?” Bad’s eyes flicked from you to the surrounding area, looking for Dream’s team.

 “Bad, I’m going to need help, with her.” Dream carefully jumped down from the horse, keeping you in his arms. “The others are fine, but she is sick and injured.” Bad’s tail swish in curiosity. His eyes flicked to the bloody mess that was your shoulder. “Please tell me we have health potions.”

 “We might…” Bad looked up in thought. “But the amount of injured people we have, might have used up all the glistering melons we had… The food situation isn’t any better…” Bad looked back to Dream, as he grabbed ahold of Spirits reigns.

 “Once Phil gets here, we can start production.” Dream started pushing past Bad into the mine. It was a long way down, but he had been through these mines many times. He was just thankful the mine had been widened so Bad could follow with Spirit.

 “I don’t know if the doctor will help her right away…” Bad peered over Dreams shoulder at you.

 “Why’s that?” Dream asked his arms tightening around your frame.

 “He’s… not the nicest doctor around.” Bad hesitated. “He has a huge room full of patients, I think it’s wearing him thin.”

 “Is he from our village?” Dream was trying to think of who it could be.

 “No, he’s not. But he’s all we have.” Bad sighed. Dream could hear the exhaustion in Bad’s voice.

 “We will see what happens.” Dream shrugged. It didn’t take long for him to reach the end of the staircase and it led to a short hallway, with an iron door at the end of it. He could hear an immense amount of activity on the other side of the door.

 “Are you ready?” Bad asked with a tint of excitement. Dream slightly nodded his eyes trained on the door. There used to be a small room on the other side of that door. But with the amount of activity, he was hearing, he didn’t think it was that small anymore. When The iron door was just in front of him, Bad reached around and pulled the lever for Dream.

 Through the door… A man-made cavern lied in wait for them. Dream felt his eyes widen at the sight of it. People had carved out holes into the sides of the walls, working on where their houses were going to be. People on the ground floor were rebuilding shops and other buildings. The ceiling of the cavern was covered in clusters of glowstone.

 “Med bay is this way.” Bad pulled at Dreams sleeve and led him to their destination, Spirit still in hand. There were still parts being worked on in the cavern, but Dream watched the activity around him. A tree farm was being built, the huge hole was already carved out and Tubbo was seen placing around bee houses near the trees. Awesamdude was placing down grass, while showing a reluctant Tommy how to farm. None of them paid Dream any mind and they kept working on their project. Bad pointed out something ahead of them.

 “We can keep Spirit here.” Bad said cheerfully. He was pointing at a nicely half-built stable. Where other horses were being kept. Dream nodded and Bad handed the horse off to a nice enough woman manning the stables. Dream promised the horse he would be back, receiving a nudge from Spirits nose. Spirit did well in the last two days, he was proud of that horse.

“Bad… This is amazing,” Dream couldn’t stop staring. The glowstone from above shimmered and cast a nice warm glow on everything. The best part about all this though… Was it wasn’t cold. It was a little humid, but it was going to work out.

 “I don’t think anyone slept,” Bad beamed, “I’m glad you like it, because this is going to be our new home! Might as well make the best of it.” It wasn’t long, before Bad stopped in front of a blank cave wall with nothing but a wooden door leading into it. “This is it. I hope he helps your friend out quickly. I gotta go find Skeppy.” Bad, with his arms still full of supplies, gave Dream a half wave before he walked back the way they had come.

 Dream had kicked at the door, trying to simulate a knocking sound. A few seconds had gone by and a woman had answered the door. It was Nihachu. She had looked tired. She hadn’t got a wink of sleep it seemed. Her eyes scanned over you and she brought her hand up to her mouth.

 “Oh no!” She held the door open for Dream to come through. The inside was just as plain as the outside and Dream bit his cheek looking at the long line of other patients. Niki followed his gaze, and she had anticipated what he was going to say next. She had heard it from all the others before him, but he had to try.

 “She’s in really bad shape, Niki.” Dream stated, almost pleading.

 “It-” Niki was tripping over her words. “We have others in bad spots…” The look she gave Dream was apologetic. “It’s not my call, Dream…”

 “She’s sick and injured,” Dream swallowed dryly. “She needs medical attention now.” Niki opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off completely by a voice behind her. The owner of the voice had just walked into the room.

 “If she’s sick, leave. I will not have her contaminating my other patients and worsening their lives more.” The voice came from an older man with a rather large nose. “We run on a first come first serve basis here. You can’t just expect to jump ahead of these people.” He motioned to the people in the waiting room. Dream supposed he was right… but having a closer look at the people waiting in the room, they had only suffered minor injuries. You had a hole in your shoulder…

 “I don’t give a fuck,” Dream spat stepping toward the doctor in an almost menacing way. “This woman was stabbed, and you think a swollen ankle trumps that?” Dream motioned to someone who had a swollen ankle resting up above their heart.

 “Listen.” The doctor hissed, his eyes narrowing at Dream. “No, I do not think that a swollen ankle is more important than a stab wound… That’s preposterous. What I do think is… That she could make the people who have bad wounds worse. They do not need to get sick. We don’t have the resources for illness here.” The doctor turned away from Dream, this made Dreams blood boil. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. And that girl in her condition will die anyway. I can’t waste resources on someone who I think will die.” With that he turned to Niki. “Miss Nihachu, please escort this man out.” And with that he was gone, walking into the backroom where the groans of the wounded were.

 Niki hesitantly stepped up and Dream stepped away from her. If his mask wasn’t on, she could’ve been able to see the daggers he was glaring at her. She bit her lip and turned, walking to a bag left on the ground. She fished around it and when she found a pouch that she was looking for, she stood and handed it to Dream. Dream felt the stares of all the other people in the room boring into his back.

 “I-I’m going to have to ask you to please leave…” She didn’t want to say it, but she had to, and he knew it. Taking the pouch, he gives her one last look, wishing she had taken his side. “Dream… I wouldn’t stand for this if others didn’t need my help. Find my bakery, Its one of the spruce buildings by the entrance. The key is in there.” She whispered, pointing at the pouch. “She can use my bed in the back, and you can use what I have left in that pouch.” Niki gave him a sad look. “Good luck.” Her eyes flicked to your wound. The bloody material needed changing.

 Dream huffed, retracing his steps, his legs moving on a new sense of urgency. If the doctor could take one look at you and think you were on the brink of death… Then he had to hurry. He couldn’t bring himself to just easily give up on you or anyone else. He wanted to help lead these people and how could he lead the people if he couldn’t save even one?

 When the plain square building, that was still under construction, entered his vision, he breathed a sigh of relief. The sign from Niki’s old bakery leaning against the wall next to the heavy spruce door. At least it had walls and a roof. When he walked up to the door, he kneeled, setting you briefly onto the ground. He opened the pouch and fished out a key. The pouch seemed to be a mini first aid kit. A small vial of health potion sat in the pouch along with bandages sutures gauze, and some hydrogen peroxide. Taking the vial in hand he examined it. He didn’t think it was enough to close a wound like yours, but it could help. He quickly unlocks the bakery and promptly gets you inside.

 There was no furniture in the main room, but he remembered Niki said something about the bed in the back room, he wouldn’t bloody her bed… So, he opted to clean your wound on the floor. The inside of the bakery was bare bones, the walls didn’t have any insulation yet and the floors were still stone. ‘This would do for now.’ Dream thought to himself while carrying you to the middle of the room, a lantern hung just above his head. Lying you down on the stone floor, he lit the lantern, and carefully sat down next to your body. He inched himself closer to you and brought your head to rest on his leg. Peeling back the sloppy patchwork and cringing when some of it stuck to your skin. He took his mask off to get a good look at the wound.

 “Shit.” He hissed through his teeth. It looked as though an infection was starting to set in. Taking some of the gauze he soaks it in the hydrogen peroxide, dabbing at the skin around the wound cleaning it. The peroxide bubbled on contact. He cleaned your wound as best as he could and waited for the peroxide to dry. He then took the healing potion into his hand, uncorking the small vial. This amount would have been great for small wounds but not for some thing as big as this.

 He pours the vial of health potion into your wound, careful not to spill it. Just as expected, it only heals a tiny bit of the wound. Any progress was progress. He bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes skimming over the sutures still resting in the pouch. That was when he felt you stir below him. His eyes meet yours and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He felt a blush creep up on his cheeks, and it never occurred to him that you might wake up in the middle of him tending to you, especially at the worst part to come.

 ~~

 Your eyes fluttered open to a dark room, and you were thrown for a loop between the pain in your shoulder and the dizziness. The only thing grounding you was the persons leg your head was resting on. When you finally had focused in, your eyes met a pair of green ones. A halo of light circled around his head and you reached up, your fingers caressing his face. You were questioning if you were alive at this point. He slightly leaned his face into your touch, and you felt your heart flutter.

 “Is this real?” Your voice was hoarse, your throat ached, and your lungs burned. His hand came up and around yours, tenderly holding it.

 “Do I feel real to you?” His fingers interlaced with yours and he gave your hand a squeeze. You gave a nod pretending that you didn’t feel the blush that spread on your cheeks. Hearing him chuckle he lets go of your hand. “I’m Dream, what’s your name?”

 Your throat burned as you uttered your name to him, trying to clear your airway, “Where’s Techno?” You asked your eyes searching around the barren room for him. An irritated look crossed over Dreams features at the mention of Techno, for a split second, though you had missed the look altogether.

 “Not sure…” He said leaning down over your shoulder, “He’s on his way here, but knowing him he’s not going to stay anyway. He’s not the best person to be around anyway.” You were surprised by his words. He seemed fine to you… When you gave him a questioning look, he sighed, and he showed you his neck. You had to sit up a bit to see it fully. On the back of his neck, was a scar, just under his hairline on his neck.

 “O-Oh.” You bit your lip, you quickly set your head on his leg again, your body needed to rest and you sitting up was taking a toll on you, even if it was just for a second.

 “Techno,” Dream began, as he inspected your shoulder, “isn’t to be trusted. I nearly lost my head to him. He can’t control himself, and I would hate to see you getting hurt because you don’t know what he’s capable of.” Dream withdrew a suture. You weren’t sure that he was talking about the same man… He seemed very caring, it seemed like he had a hard time showing it sometimes. He even had his tender moments when you two had shared the bed for warmth. You had woken up many times during that night and when you would move, his arms would instinctively pull you closer even though he was asleep. Is that why he moved away from other people? Because this was what others thought of him?

 “I-,” you hesitated, “I’ll be careful, I promise.” Your eyes flicked up to Dreams again. He gave you a soft smile and brushed some hair from your face.

 “Do what you want, I won’t stop you. But if you need my help… Come find me, and I’ll be there.” He spoke the last words earnestly. You would remember that. After a few moments of silence, he changed the topic to your shoulder. “This is going to hurt… Badly.” He warned. You gave a nod and swallowed back your fear.

 “Let’s just get this over with…” You eye the suture in his hand. He gives you a nod.

 “Don’t worry… I’ll take care of you.” His words echoed in your head. The next few minutes were filled with excruciating pain.

 --

 Techno rode in the back of the caravan with Philza. Phil was on his back trying to get some sleep, his hat covering his face, and Techno let his eyes wander over the sling Phil had his arm in. He felt horrible, he had lost control… Again… And in the heat of the moment, he would have killed Philza. Guilt riddled his thoughts.

 “Mate.” Phil said, “I told you, you can’t blame yourself for this…” He sighed. “I’m just happy you’re alive.” Techno was silent. “You can’t let it eat at you, and I can feel your self-loathing from here.” He could hear the smile in Phil’s voice. Techno inwardly sighed, ‘If only it were that easy Phil…’ He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. The silence that followed rolled into minutes.

 “So…” Phil started as he peeked out from under his hat at Techno. “You found a girl?” Phil let out a laugh as Techno looked away sheepishly. “I approve, but you’re going to have to teach her how to defend herself better.” Phil joked.

 “We’re just friends, Phil.” Techno said in a huff.

 “For now,” Phil repositioned the hat back over his face again. “I still have to apologize to her.” Phil simply said, “Maybe we can work off of that.” Techno looked over at Phil with irritation. He just wanted the subject dropped.

 When there was nothing, but silence coupled together with light snores from Philza, Techno sighed and lied down himself. His eyes staring up at the fabric of the caravan. He wanted to take you to Nihachu’s bakery and find out your favorite foods. He would help you build your house. He wanted to be there as a familiar face, as a… friend.

 ‘She’ll leave, once she figures out what you are.’

 ‘She’s going to betray you.’ The voices rang clear through his mind. He was so exhausted; he couldn’t even push the voices away in his mind. He wanted to give you a chance, and he would do just that. He felt his eyes become heavy, and before he knew it, he had drifted away into the land of sleep.

[harrenhalyuri]

for us, the wounds kissed long before the lips

23rd of Sun's Dawn, 1E 461, Alessian Empire.

During the coronation of Emperor Gorieus, the Hortator and the head of House Dagoth steal a moment for themselves.

tags: drinking & talking; angst; one-sided relationship; attempt at worldbuilding

ao3 version here

They stumbled forward laughing and shushing one another as the heavy oak doors closed behind them - the warmth and merry of the coronation feast left behind as the two stepped out into the garden.

Nerevar recalled walking the streets of Nirnbuldihr - the cyan glow of the giant mushrooms reflecting on the windows of several shops. One in particular caught his eye, and he crossed the cobblestone sidewalk to inspect it more closely. Blown glass sculptures, colorful and intricate in the way the dwemer favored.

His favorite had been a piece hidden in the back of the window, as if outshined by more complex, elaborate pieces upfront. It had been a white glass diorama, depicting a cottage surrounded by trees swaying in the breeze - the sort of simplicity the dwemer had no interest in.

The garden reminded him of that diorama - covered in a blanket of snow, completely undisturbed by the world around it.

Voryn pulled him under the arches that covered the path to the guest wing, but the Hortator held him back.

“No, let us stay for a bit.” He answered, arm still draped around the back of his friend’s neck as he stepped on the soft snow. Voryn sighed, yet allowed Nerevar to lead him.

“Frolicking amidst the cold? Do you plan on inviting the Nords to join us?” The head of House Dagoth said snidely as he crossed his arms to warm himself.

Nerevar laughed and shoved him away.

“The snow never belonged to those s’wits, you’re simply thin-blooded from living under the shadow of a volcano.”

“Perhaps, and rightly so.”

The snow softly crunched under their boots as they wandered near a tree - now completely stripped of leaves, its gnarled branches seemed to reach towards the sky.

“It always snows in Akamora.” Nerevar inhaled deeply, enjoying how his lungs burned as he took in the crisp, cool air. “In the mountains, at least. The paths are sharp and winding, and it freezes over during winter. No caravans may come or go, not until Sun’s Dawn.”  

The Hortator grabbed a handful of snow, the ice leeching the warmth of his skin through the kagouti leather gloves. Absent-mindedly he shaped it until a white sphere rested on his palm. Secunda and Masser bore down on them - the moon glow glinting on the high windows of Skingrad’s castle.

Nerevar recalled the moon glow glinting on the tip of ice spikes, sharp enough to be spears, at the highest peak of Akamora.

Azura had come to him then, for the first time, to bestow Moon-and-Star upon the captain - his fingers had been so stiff from the cold that he could barely feel them anymore, the goddess’s touch as foreign as the ring she had slipped on his finger.

When he came down from the mountain, the first ashlanders had hailed him Hortator, and it had felt just as foreign as the ring on his finger.  

“It must be rather grim.” Voryn commented, the cyrodilic brandy swirling inside the bottle as he brought it to his lips. The distaste in his face was plain to see - it couldn’t hold a candle to the Dagoth brandy.  

Nerevar smiled, his short-lived melancholia forgotten.

“How can you say that? Short-tempered caravan masters, cheap mazte and all the comforts of a straw bed...” The captain delighted at Voryn’s growing distaste as he spoke. The head of House Dagoth was a creature of comfort and status, something that had made the duo different as the sun and the moon.    

"Lovely, I'm sure." Voryn replied with a sour expression. Nerevar laughed.

"For a researcher, you spent far too much time cocooned up in Kogoruhn." The Hortator recalled several jars containing fungi species and creatures preserved in a strong alcoholic solution, one more outlandish than the other. In his curiosity, the captain had pestered Voryn with questions until he nearly dropped one of the jars. The head of House Dagoth had snapped at him to stop before he accidentally unleashed a deadly plague and got them both killed.

That had been many years ago, before the war, when Nerevar was still seeking support from the great houses. The somber, willowy lord that had greeted him in Kogoruhn had been the first to join him - his support had been won easily, but his friendship had not.  

"And due to that, couriers are eternally indebted to House Dagoth. Why would I waste my precious time wandering through mud in a thrice-damned swamp?” The councilor huffed, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

Nerevar laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

“And what if your Hortator commanded you to?”

The previous distaste vanished in a second as the sharp, haughty aristocratic features softened; the ruby-colored gaze meeting his, warm as the liquor sloshing inside the bottle.

“I’d wander until time itself ceased to be if Muthsera willed so.” Despite the devotion, the lord councilor had steel in his voice; unwavering as the very core of Nirn.

Nerevar let the snow sphere fall to the ground, the reverence in those words overwhelming as he broke his gaze away, before joining the councilor on the stone bench. The orange glow of a candle reflected on the windows above; a small flickering flame moving as a servant crossed the corridor. The former captain followed it until the speckle of light vanished behind stone walls.

“I miss it.” He blurted out, seized by a deep longing as the world seemed to be reduced into that snow-covered, unperturbed garden; as if its two occupants were the only souls in Nirn.

“By the Three, how I miss it! To Oblivion with those titles and thrones and crowns; I miss the road, I miss the ache after a long day’s march and falling on the straw at night too tired to think.” Nerevar leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands. Azura had blessed him with the strength to carry the title of Hortator, yet he craved the simplicity of being nothing more than a captain, with no past nor future beyond the next town.

The Hortator missed walking through the crowded streets of the bazaars; the cramped food stalls with ill-tempered merchants that served meals with enough spices to burn his tongue; the shady cornerclubs where you had to watch both your tongue and your coin purse.  

Now he signed papers, spoke with lords, and followed the proper etiquette befitting his rank; he watched the streets through the high windows of his palace, as if his brethren were tiny ants. The former captain pulled his hands away and felt a tear roll down the bridge of his nose; the liquor was truly getting to his head. He placed a hand on his councilor’s knee; the several layers of red wool soft under his glove.

“Let’s leave - just the two of us and the road ahead, like it was before the war. We’ll name ourselves whatever we wish, we’ll sleep under the stars and chew on marshmerrow pieces as we travel.”

“Where shall we go, sweet Nerevar?” The young lord played along; his voice soft as a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the stillness around them.

“Wherever you desire - do you still wonder about Hammerfell? I’ll take you to see the dunes that stretch as far as the sun, you’ll study their beetles and giant scorpions for as long as you wish, then we can drink qishr and break bread with the nomads.” Nerevar found himself smiling as he recalled the heat of the desert and the loose, colorful fabrics the natives wore.

He turned around and reached for the bottle, fingers brushing against his confidant’s. Only then, Nerevar realized his councilor had forgotten his gloves inside the hall; the golden skin contrasting against the snow, the long, elegant fingers trembling with the cold.

“Oh, Voryn.” The former captain frowned, quickly pulling his own gloves off and taking hold of the other’s wrist; the scarlet nails vanishing into the supple leather as he adjusted the glove.

“Remember when you fell sick, five days after we departed Kogoruhn? We had to-” The sentence fell on deaf ears, vanishing under the branches heavy with snow as lips met his, swallowing his words with hunger. A hand connected with his chest, closing into a fist as Voryn pulled him closer; as if it weren’t enough.

Distant and haughty Voryn, who ate sparingly and never smudged the red paint he wore on his lips, bit the Hortator’s lower lip before pulling back; eyes half-lidded as he brushed the tip of his nose against Nerevar’s in a silent plea.

The ink-colored hair contrasted against the pale golden skin; the black fur collar brushing against the captain’s chin; a pale pink blooming on his cheeks, either from cold, the brandy, or something else-

Heart hammering against his ribcage, blood drumming on his ears; it was the slightest tilt of his face that thrice-damned him as Voryn’s lips smashed against his; a devotion he was unworthy of every time their tongues met; muffled prayers in form of sighs and whimpers.  

Unworthy, unworthy, unworthy. A voice whispered in his mind, taunting him; in his mind’s eye he saw peach-colored lips curled in derision, teeth bared like a wolf’s. Almalexia’s snarl.

Somewhere, a door groaned open and the sounds of the feast reached the garden, shattering their sanctuary; the weight of being Hortator came crashing down on his shoulders. Nerevar pulled back as if he had been burned, his palm on the young lord’s shoulder firmly holding the other back. He looked down, unable to face the confusion, the longing. Too much, it was too much. His hair was disheveled, pale strands falling against his face and he felt grateful for the cover.

“Nerevar-” The head of House Dagoth began, voice hoarse and breathless.

“Forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, I’ve wanted-”

“It was a mistake.”

“Oh.” Voryn inhaled sharply as if his lungs had suddenly been emptied.

“I’ve...I drank more than I should have. We both have.” His words feel hollow, and he can no longer tell if the bitter taste on his tongue belonged to the brandy, or the shame. The silence stretched; neither dared to move.

“I see.” His voice is flat, devoid of emotion; the usual aloofness reserved for others. Out of the corner of his eye, Nerevar watched him straighten his posture; the dark hair falling like a curtain, obscuring half of his face.  

Other guests left the feast; their chatter and laughter permeated the garden as they walked down the path to the other wing of the castle. Nerevar felt the red gaze pinned to his back, yet no words left his lips. He watched the snow under his boots; watery and muddy as it mixed with the dirt below.

At last, he heard the rustling of fabric as Voryn rose to his feet; impeccable posture as he towered over the Hortator.

“May this servant be excused, Muthsera?” The words rolled easily off his tongue; the sharp formality of it made Nerevar wince.

The Hortator forced himself to lift his head and face his long-time friend; clad in red wool and black fur, the snowflakes melting on the long, inky hair; the blank expression betraying nothing, except for his lips; the red paint had been smudged, contorting their shape.

“Yes.”

From the cradle, the heir of House Dagoth had been taught the games of persuasion and deceit; a master in concealing his thoughts behind a mask.

Nerevar took a hollow, cowardly comfort in it.

Voryn Dagoth bowed before him, as etiquette mandated, before vanishing into the corridor; the sound of his footsteps hammering inside the Hortator’s head until they vanished, leaving him with nothing but a headache and the cold.

After finishing the bottle by himself, the former captain laid in bed, watching the moons slowly crossing the sky through the windows; his dreams haunted by both his closest friend and his wife; one seeming to shift into the other as they pinned him against the sheets; ever-hungry as they sought out his lips.

It was late morning when he rose; mouth dry and head throbbing like it had been split open with an axe. The hearth had been tended to recently, the fire crackling as it consumed the logs. He turned in bed, still wrapped around the sheets.

Voryn will understand, he understands the importance of duty better than anyone. He reasoned with himself.

A single kagouti glove on the floor, as if someone had pushed it under the door.

Across the hallway, a lord painted his lips red; immaculately framing the natural shape of his lips. His unbalanced emotions shattered the mirror into a thousand pieces when his fingers trembled for a second and a smudge appeared.

Duty, he’s devoted to duty, the lord repeated mentally, as he collected the shards.

[iam93percentstardust]

i was about to ask you to continue your marvels unsolved ‘verse but then i saw your specific ships so i’m going to ask for a fantasy au with winteriron!! but tbh you should do whatever makes you happy it’s your birthday month!!! (happy birthday! your writing makes me so happy thank you so much for it)

Thank you so much!! I’m so happy you like my writing!!!

I ended up being inspired by the magical flower shop AU I wrote last August, but that’s not necessary to read to understand this fic. Since tumblr is still having issues with links, I won’t include the link here but if you’re interested in that one, it’s Chapter 27 of AU-gust

As always, this fic can be found on my ao3!

Roses and Rowan

It’s storming when Bucky drives past Ravenspoint’s limits. The rain is coming down hard enough that he almost misses the sign for the little town in all the gloom, but then there’s a flash of lightning, illuminating the foreboding faces of the town patriarchs glaring down at those who would dare enter their town. Bucky shivers, resolutely turning away as he continues on his way.

He’s not here for them anyway. The patriarchs are long dead, their only descendants long since fled. There’s another flash of lightning, this time illuminating the hill off to the left and the old manor on the hilltop. From what little bit he can see through the storm, it looks like it was once a stately mansion but it’s falling into disrepair now. Bucky blinks and suddenly he can see the golden glimmer of the wards around the whole hill, sealing the house and grounds off from the would-be adventurers brave enough to test their mettle against the ghosts of Rosewood Manor.

Another shiver runs down his spine. The magic is strangely familiar, though he can’t place where he might have seen it before. He blinks again and the golden glimmer of the wards disappears from his view. “Spooky,” Bucky mutters. In the passenger seat, Alpine mraows her agreement. He reaches over and scratches under her chin, grinning when she purrs loud enough to drown out the music coming from the car speakers.

They pull into town a few minutes later, only knowing it by the stoplight Bucky just barely manages to make out through the sheets of rain pounding down. He would have missed it otherwise, the storm too heavy and the buildings too dark to see in the night. Ravenspoint is a small town with a population of only three thousand people, exactly one stoplight, and two streets that run the length of town, connected by a series of smaller cross streets. It’s exactly the last place Bucky ever thought he would find himself and yet here he is, searching for someone who had made it clear he didn’t want to be found.

“What am I doing, Alpine?” he asks the cat. “He told me he didn’t want me to come after him.”

Alpine can’t respond but she rolls over, exposing her belly to him, and he gets the sense of reassurance through their bond.

“I know,” he responds. “Tellin’ people he wants to be left alone when that’s usually the last thing he wants. But let’s be real here, this place is pretty far off the beaten track.”

Another pulse of reassurance.

“Well if you ask me—” the helper figment starts to say.

“I didn’t,” Bucky interrupts before it can say anything else. Damn figment’s been more trouble than it’s worth this whole trip. “Where’s the turn?”

The figment gives him a sullen look. “In five hundred yards, off to the right.”

Even as the figment says it, Bucky spots the glowing lights of the shop in the distance. He slows down and pulls over into one of the parking spots off the street, peering up through the rain at the shop sign above the door.

“Bluebells and Belladonnas,” he reads. “He always did like alliteration.”

“Great,” the figment says waspishly. “Can I go now? I got a hot—”

Bucky flicks his fingers and the figment disappears back to whatever dimension figments come from. Alpine flicks her tail lazily, giving off a sense of amusement and a little bit of hunger. Bucky laughs and scratches her chin again.

“Yeah, I would’ve let you eat it if it wouldn’t have given you indigestion,” he says. “’nother couple of minutes. I’m sure he has fresh tuna for you.”

He sighs and looks at the shop again. The sign on the front says it’s closed but there are lights on inside both in the shop itself and in the apartment above the shop, telling him that the owner is probably still working.

“So what’re you doing sitting out here?” he asks himself. He gives another baleful look at the stormy clouds and the rain still pouring down, groans, and then shrugs his hood up over his head. Nothing for it. The rain isn’t supposed to let up for another couple of hours and Bucky doesn’t feel like sitting in the car that long.

“You gonna be good out here?” he asks Alpine. She blinks slowly at him. That’s a yes, then.

Quick as he can, he gets out and dashes for the cover the awning provides. Once there, he throws his hood back and then knocks on the door. He waits about a minute before knocking again, this time a lot louder. It takes a moment before he sees a person-shaped blob behind the water-streaked glass. He knocks for a third time. The person gets larger as they move closer and then the door unlocks and swings open with a wave of the person’s hand.

“What—”

“You know,” Bucky says, stepping over the threshold. He bites back a shiver as a wave of magic washes over him, verifying that he has no ill intent. “You are a hard person to find.”

“Yeah, some people would take that as a hint,” Tony Stark states flatly, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares at Bucky.

~

Bucky is born with the ability to see magic. Or, at least, that’s the sfigmentlest way to explain it, if not the most accurate. Just about everyone can “see” magic but what they see are actually just the effects of magic—what was produced or what was done. Bucky has the ability to actually see the threads of magic. It’s a Barnes family gift, although none of the Barnes mages have had this ability in nearly two centuries. Bucky is the first in a very long time and because of that, he ends up having to go to school rather than being trained at home by the family mage (also known as Ma to Bucky and his sister).

It's at school that he meets his best friend, Stevie, and Stevie’s other best friend, Tony. Tony is a bit of an oddball, not that Bucky and Steve are incredibly popular either. Steve should be popular because of his dragon heritage and the power that brings him but he comes into his inheritance late and has a strong sense of morality and that gets him into trouble, more often than not. And Bucky just ends up following behind him.

But Tony—Tony is hard to pin down. He has incredible amounts of power, which is unusual in a mage from the Jarvis line. He’s a lot younger than most of the other kids, which isn’t so unusual for people with a lot of power—Bucky can think of a couple examples off the top of his head of people who went to school early because of their powers—but all those people went to school early because they didn’t have control, and Tony is nothing if not controlled. He doesn’t much look like either of his parents and the way he acts sometimes… it’s clear that he’s been through a lot, is all.

It’s not until their fourth year that Bucky starts putting the pieces together, and it starts when he finds out that Tony doesn’t actually get his powers from the Jarvis line but from the Carbonell line instead. He wasn’t supposed to overhear that but he and Steve had gotten in trouble again and were sitting outside the Headmistress’s office while she finished up a meeting with the Jarvises.

That’s when he’d heard it: “The Carbonell magic is strong in Tony,” the Headmistress had said, and that had been all Bucky had heard as the pieces had started falling into place. It had always puzzled Bucky how Tony’s magic, so suited to big things, had come from the Jarvises, both of whom were more skilled in household charms and enchantments, but if Tony was adopted… Adoption was rare in magical families, as magic was so often tied to filial lines, but it wasn’t unheard of, and that explained so much about Tony.

He spends some time in the library after that, researching the Carbonells. They’re an old line, originating in Italy, before coming to the Americas in the late sixteenth century. They’re known for producing powerful mages with the exact same proficiency in metallurgy that Tony’s always demonstrated. The last of them, Maria, had married one of the Starks, a newer family with a proficiency in elemental magics—another of Tony’s skills, Bucky realizes—and that’s where the trail goes cold. He never finds another mention of the Carbonells, or the Starks for that matter, in any of the old history books.

But there has to be more to the story, Bucky knows. Because there’s Tony, who looks just like Maria Carbonell, and that means there has to be more. However, he never brings it up. That’s Tony’s story, and if he doesn’t want to tell them, he doesn’t have to.

He never stops hoping that Tony will, though.

~

Tony is looking at him now, eyes dark and arms crossed. Bucky has changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt he’d brought with him as his clothes had ended up drenched, even from just the short run from the car and back out to grab Alpine and his travel bag. His clothes are drying by the fire now as Alpine explores the apartment, sniffing around curiously. Bucky is curious as well, but he’s been so busy drinking in the sight of Tony after almost two years of nothing that he hasn’t taken the time yet to look around.

“What are you doing here, Bucky?” Tony asks eventually.

He shrugs. “I came to find you.”

“Thought I made it obvious I didn’t want to be found.”

“I thought we had unfinished business,” Bucky says quietly. He gazes at Tony steadily until Tony squirms and turns away, busying himself with the coffeepot on the counter. He prepares two cups of coffee, one with more sugar than most people can stand and one with more milk than coffee, and hands the one with milk to Bucky.

Bucky takes one sip and blinks in surprise. “This is decaf,” he says.

“Yeah, and?”

“Tony, you don’t drink decaf. You called it the devil’s brew.”

There’s a hint of a smile lurking around the corners of Tony’s mouth as he raises his own cup to his mouth. “I’d forgotten about that.”

“Seems like you’ve forgotten a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Like how I promised you I’d follow you anywhere.”

Tony stills for a moment before he puts his cup back down on the counter. “Bucky—”

“Tony, why?” Bucky asks, not even bothering to hide the anguish in his voice. It’s how he’s felt every day since Tony disappeared two years ago. “You told me we’d talk the next day, only I woke up to find you’d run. Did I push too hard? Was it not what you wanted?” He stops, frustrated and upset, and scrubs his hand over his face.

“Bucky, no,” Tony says, dismayed. He moves forward, taking Bucky’s hands between his. “It wasn’t you. You have to believe me. It was never you.”

“Then what was it?”

Tony bites his lip, hesitating. Even without using his Sight, Bucky can see golden magic swirling under Tony’s skin, pooling at his hands where they’re touching Bucky’s. He blinks and now he can see his own magic, cool silver, gathering at his fingertips, aching to reach out and touch Tony’s. Their magic has always been compatible, always stronger when they’re together, even before Bucky figured out his complicated feelings for Tony.

“Doll?” he asks, immediately regretting the pet name when it makes Tony flinch. He doesn’t take it back though. This is who he is, a little old-fashioned and a little flirty and a lot in love with Tony Stark.

“It’s me,” Tony eventually admits, looking down at their hands as though he can see the magic too. “I got scared. It’s—I’m not who you think I am.”

“Not what? Not a Jarvis? Tony, I’ve known that for ten years.”

Tony’s head jerks up so fast Bucky’s own neck aches in sympathy. “What did you say?”

“Tony, I know you’re not a Jarvis,” Bucky says again, patiently. He’s never admitted this to anyone before, let alone Tony. He can afford to be careful right now.

“How did you know that?” Tony breathes. “We’ve never told anyone.”

“Except for the Headmistress,” Bucky points out. “You prob’ly had to tell her so she could help you with your abilities.”

“We did,” Tony whispers.

He shrugs. “Stevie and I overheard her one time. She said your magic came from the Carbonell line. I got curious, thought it might explain why you and the Jarvises are so different, so I looked it up.”

“You didn’t think that was invading my privacy?”

The words are harsh but Tony doesn’t look upset. He looks—hopeful, almost, like he wants to believe Bucky knows everything about him and doesn’t judge him for it. It makes Bucky bold and he steps forward, right into Tony’s space, as he tugs one of his hands free and uses it to tuck one of Tony’s curls behind his ear, fingers brushing against his cheek.

“You are a puzzle I’ve only ever wanted to solve,” Bucky murmurs, bowing his head to rest his forehead against Tony’s. His hand cups Tony’s cheek for the briefest moment and then falls to his shoulder. Tony closes his eyes and inhales shakily. “But the moment the trail went cold, I stopped looking. It didn’t seem right to keep digging.”

“What did you find?” Tony asks.

“Two names: Howard Stark and Maria Carbonell, that’s it.”

Tony nods. “Those were my parents.”

“Were?”

“Could be are. I don’t know where they went after they left me, but I stopped calling them mine the moment they were gone.”

“What happened?” He feels Tony tense under his hand and quickly adds, “If you want to tell me. Don’t feel like you have to.”

“No, it’s—I want to,” Tony says, sounding frustrated. The space between his brows furrows in irritation. “I’ve just never told anyone and—I’m not sure I’m ready to tell the full story yet. It’s a lot.”

“Whatever you’re ready for, then. And when you’re ready for the rest, I’ll be right here to listen.”

Tony takes a deep breath, steadying himself. “I was born at Rosewood Manor,” he says quietly.

“That place outside of town?”

“Mmhmm. That’s my magic you probably saw guarding it.”

Bucky sucks in a sharp breath. “Tony, that place looks like it hasn’t had anyone living there for fifteen years.”

“Over twenty actually. I was three when—when that happened.”

“You were three? And you had that kind of control?”

Tony laughs humorlessly. “Believe me, that night I had no control at all.” He falls silent. Bucky waits for more, but Tony seems to be done talking for tonight, so he turns his head and kisses the corner of Tony’s mouth instead.

“Thank you for telling me,” he says.

Tony grimaces. “Not like I told you much of anything.”

“You told me what you were comfortable with. Believe me, doll, after two years of nothing—”

“You keep doing that,” Tony interrupts. “Calling me doll.”

Bucky hesitates. “I thought you liked it when I did that.”

Tony looks away, a bitter twist to his mouth. “I left.”

“Yeah…”

“I left right after you kissed me because I was scared and couldn’t face up to what was going on between us even though I promised we’d talk.”

Bucky waits, sure that if he stays silent, Tony will explain further. It’s a trick that he’s used in the past and it’s always worked. Sure enough, after another couple moments:

“You know, I was so sure you were dating Steve? Let me finish please,” Tony says calmly, holding up a hand when Bucky opens his mouth. “You don’t know what it was like. I might have met Steve first but it was so clear that you two were a lot closer than I would ever be with him. So yes, I was convinced you two were dating and that I was alone in my feelings and when I found out I wasn’t, I panicked. I thought it was Tony Jarvis you liked, not—”

“I like you,” Bucky interrupts, unable to keep hearing Tony talk about how he’d thought Bucky wasn’t serious about him, when he thinks maybe it’s the only thing he’s ever been serious about. “I like you as Tony Jarvis, Tony Carbonell, Tony Stark, or just plain Tony.”

“Like?” Tony asks shyly.

Bucky grins and kisses the other corner of Tony’s mouth. “Do you think I would have kept searching for you for two years if I didn’t still like you?”

Tony leans back for a moment, searching his eyes for something before he eventually says, “And what about Tony Barnes?”

Bucky’s heart about stops. He wheezes out, “You—”

“It’s not—I needed a name when I came back to Ravenspoint. I didn’t want anyone to know who I was and it’s a small town. People know every other name I go by, but—I didn’t think you’d mind or I wouldn’t—”

Bucky can’t stop himself anymore. He frames Tony’s face in his hands and kisses him soundly. It’s closed-mouthed and chaste and it’s still the best damn kiss he’s ever had, next to the only other time he kissed Tony. Tony’s hands flutter in the air for a second before wrapping around Bucky’s waist, clutching him to him.

“I love you calling yourself by my name,” he says hoarsely, pulling away long enough to get the words out before he kisses Tony again. “And one day, I swear I’ll give you that name for real, forever and always.” This time, it’s Tony who whfigmenters and kisses him again, sucking Bucky’s tongue into his mouth as Bucky’s hands slide back into his hair to hold him right where he wants him.

“Wait,” Tony pants, struggling against Bucky’s grip to move away. Bucky lets him go reluctantly, gratified when Tony only moves a couple inches. “How did you find me?”

“Your magic,” Bucky tells him, trailing kisses across every inch of his face. “It’s been callin’ out to me since the day you left, leavin’ me a trail to follow.”

“Lucky me,” Tony whispers.

And as Bucky kisses him again, unable to resist for a single second, he thinks to himself, No. Lucky me.

[an-angel-in-the-garden]

Hello I was wondering if you could do a male reader x feral shadow wraith any thing works but please can reader also be a photographer like wanting to take photos of his wairth! Thank you

Male Monster x Male Reader

This took me so long and I'm sorry for that. I got two ask with wraiths one wanted dating headcanons with just a wraith of any kind and had no preference for gender so I'm mixing them with a fic about a male reader meeting a feral wraith and a second part with the dating headcanons for said wraith because this became so long hope you enjoy! CW: Cursing and when letters look like this its for thinking and this is the monster

It had all started with a job offer one that would send me to a small town within some mountains. Though it was nearing winter the pay along with the amazing sights I would be able to see made it to good to pass up so with a contract signed I got ready to set off for two weeks of hopefully blissful work. The first few days after arriving wasn't to bad the town had a nice cabin that could be rented out the stores had good products to buy and the people were welcoming, even telling me some places that would be great for my photography. After settling in and looking over the maps and walking paths of the mountain I asked one of the people I had seen walking the trail each day for some help.

" So I haven't seen one on the maps but I was told there was a small waterfall and lake on the mountain" I handed him the grainy photo I had been given" The man who payed me wanted me to take a better picture of this but I'm not sure how to get there." The man hummed taking the picture from me and looked at it for a moment " Well I've never seen it while walking but from the looks of this its not on the mountain its at the base" He smiles handing me back the print." You could ask Marie she gathers plants and the like from the base of the mountain she might have been there! I nodded, talking with him for a few more minutes before taking my leave hoping to catch Marie before she started work for the day.

I got lucky managing to speak with her about the photo and seeing if she knew about the area I was looking for. After walking with her to her shop Marie told me that she had in fact seen something like this before and if I was up for it could take me tomorrow, I agreed letting her know that I would see her the next day. We met right as the sun began to rise and the morning air was cold enough it seeped through my layered clothes. It was then I met Steven a man who headed down the mountain during the sunrise and came back to town once it set it seemed he would be the one taking us down. The ride was mostly quiet with small bouts of chatter every once and a while about both the town and places I've been before we would settle into the silence enjoying the view.

We arrived at the edge of a forest tall trees spanning who knows how far and looking full of life." I tend to take the main path when I'm looking for certain plant life but" Marie trails pulling a small parchment from her bag" since your looking for a lake we need to travel off it" "That's fine with me but hey Steven" He looks over at me" Would it be ok to leave those two bags in your truck I wont need them till tonight" Yeah sure no problem I'll be back right before sun down so just meet back up here" He laugh's" Not like I need to worry Marie wont let you get lost. I chuckle thanking him before taking my equipment bag out and grabbing my camera for if I saw something nice on our walk. Marie and Steven talked a little more while I looked around it was then I thought I saw something; quick and dark it rushed past the trees startling some rabbits that had been by one of them. " Is there something we need to worry about while were out here" Hmm not anything to bad most the animals can be scared off why" Just wondering" I turned back hoping to catch a glimpse of what it could have been.

Marie nodded before patting my back slightly moving past me to start walking down our off road path. It took maybe an hour or two for us to reach it. The large open body of water at the base of the mountain, from above cascading down the rocks was a brilliant waterfall the grass though slightly covered in a thin layer of frost still housed some wonderful flowers and plant life and I knew I would spend however long it took to get the perfect photo here. It seemed Marie could tell what I was thinking as she spoke up" I guess you like it!" yeah..yeah its so beautiful here" Well if you need me to bring you back here just let me know" I set my bag down on a smooth looking rock turning and giving her my full attention" I'm really grateful that you were willing to bring me Ill just stay around here so please let me know if you need help with anything" She just smiles giving me a wave before heading back the way we came with the promise she would be back when we needed to meet with Steven.

I was there for hours taking photos of wild life plants and the likes but no matter hard I tried to focus on just my work I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. No matter how much I pushed it away "I'm in the wild its normal to feel watched" I looked around signing before setting up for another picture 'But was that really the only reason' I shuddered upon hearing a branch break near me. It took me several try's before I got some photos I would be happy to show my client but I knew I would save some of these for myself already and after that I took a break. Pulling some food I had packed out of the backpack I ate letting the sounds of the waterfall and nature soothe me. I hadn't realized I had even fallen asleep but the feeling of something cold and heavy covering me is what caused me to awake. Something unknown dripping on my skin and pressing slightly on my chest I startled opening my eyes and bringing my hands up to push whatever it was from atop me yet when my eyes adjusted there was nothing. My breathing was heavy and the feeling of sweat on me was more noticeable then ever but nothing was out of place and I was fine " Y/N!" I heard Marie call out the sun was beginning to set" Right we have to meet back up" I packed my things in a hurry looking around the open area for anything and when it came up blank I sighed and headed to the opening.

" Well how was it" Steven ask as I reach the clearing" Mostly good I still need the main picture but with any luck I can get it tonight and start any editing he might want" Tonight! you plan on staying here tonight" Marie asked voice laced with worry'' Hmm yeah the other bags have my camping gear, dont worry I'll only stay in that spot and I dont plan on taking anything". I said heading over to the truck to get my bags" He'll be fine I'll make sure to pick him up in the morning' But dont you work" Marie cut in before I could say anything it seemed she really didn't like the idea of me out here" I'm sure he wont mind coming to town with me right" Oh um what town?" I only knew of the one on the mountain." Its a larger one past the forest you take a side road to find it plenty to do there" But what if.." Ill be okay thank you for your worry but I've done this before I wont do anything risky" She finally nods patting my shoulder again and telling me to be safe before getting in the truck. Steven gives me a thumb's up wishing me luck on getting the photo and with that their off heading back up the mountain as I head to the lake hoping what I felt was just a dream.

The nights were much colder but wrapped in extra jackets and laying in my tent with my camera set and ready I waited in hopes of seeing the moon light up the clear water. I could still hear the other animals around me but the feeling of being watched was no longer present "Maybe I was just being paranoid" Honestly this wasn't so bad it might be colder then I would like but the view and sounds were so mesmerizing that it made it more then worth it I really wouldn't mind spending my weeks out here for this photo alone. I didn't know how much time had past but I felt it again, the feeling of being watched like something was lurking right outside my vision maybe it was the drowsiness or maybe it was the fact that I needed to know I wasn't imagination it but with a shaky voice I called out.

" Look I dont know whether you're an animal or not but I just need to know if something is or isn't there okay!" Though nervous of what might be lurking I stilled raised my voice" It might just be an animal Marie said plenty are out here" you can see me" I moved my equipment into my tent as fast as I could pulling my body all the way and zipping it up my breathing was heavy and my heart was pounding in my ears when the area went quite. "You saw me" The voice was a harsh deep growl sounding loud yet distant but all encompassing just the sound made me feel like I couldn't breath. Against my better judgment I answered back "It already knows I'm here why bother staying quiet"

" s-So what if I did?!" Good...." as it spoke a shadow approached my tent, Larger then any human or animal it slowly crawled? over looking hunched while tilting what I think was its head to stared at the closed tent. "OUT" the voice was louder now echoing through the trees as the beast raised its body. Though shaking I moved forward opening the tent still staying inside. "WHAT THE FUCK" My voice broke body shaking worse then before as I took in the creature before me. Towering over me was nothing but blackness like spilled ink dripping down from above it sat? stood? just watching me pure white eyes unblinking and mouth colored red from something.

The beast seemed unfazed by my raised voice or what I said it simply lowered its head a long tongue falling from its stained mouth before wrapping around my throat it was cold and rough the goo that covered its body was dripping on me and my vision became hazy. All I remember after that was the sound of purring and the feeling of being carried.

Okay okay that it for now I will very soon make the part two with headcanons of the after and dating of the monster! This wasn't meant to be this long but I got carried away so I dont want to make this any longer by adding more it might also not be edited super well but I tried to catch any major mistakes! I hope you liked this part and look forward to more! - Lilly

[angelanimedesaray]

Wings in the Dark Chapter 6:  Stories From the Dark

AN:  I feel like this chapter should have been posted around Halloween, but there was NO WAY I was waiting that long XD  Also its a bit short, I think, to me, it goes a little quick, partially because I didn’t want to have to write Levi wandering around this little town this whole time having all this meaningless chit-chat meant to fish information, I decided summarizing was best with detail where it counted XD

Characters:  Levi, Fem!Vampire!Reader (Mentioned), Erwin, Various OCs and BG Characters

Pairing:  (Eventual)  Levi x Fem!Vampire!Reader

Warnings:  Descriptions of Violence, Descriptions of Murder Aftermath, Description of Fatal Injuries, Description of Buried Alive, Descriptions of Injuries, Language

Word Count:  5188

<----Previous Chapter    Masterlist    Next Chapter---->

*Levi's POV*

While taking such a sudden few days off might have caused a couple bumps in the way things were developing around HQ, but he knew Erwin would be able to handle it and smooth things over, so he stayed focused on the task at hand.

Stripped of any signia, symbol, or uniform resembling clothes that could suggest that he was part of the military, Levi was dressed in plainclothes, having taken a carriage out to L/N’s supposed hometown early in the morning.  He still arrived with plenty of time in the day to investigate the town and see what he could find on-site, taking in the small, easily overlooked town that was more of a loose collection of homes bordered by farms, with a central farmer’s market to keep some local trade and business going.  Any serious buying and selling probably consisted in a day’s trip to one of the larger towns within Wall Rose, but it seemed they had basic foodstuffs here.  He managed to find a blacksmith tucked away in a corner between a small grouping of houses, as well as an old, empty building that had a weathered carpentry sign in front of it.  So there had been more trade smiths around here, before the town gradually lost those businesses.

Talking casually with the blacksmith informed Levi that a ways past the farms, there was a home that was the reason for most of their outside visitors--people who could afford to would put their elderly loved ones in the care center, and there was a separate building for the mentally ill to live comfortably and get the care they needed as well.  Visitors to the town usually consisted of relatives visiting their loved ones in the homes, or they were descendants that had moved away but came back for the occasional hometown or family visit.

Which meant Levi, having no ties himself and not knowing about the homes, stuck out a bit despite his best efforts.  The communities of small towns were tightly knit and they knew their own, so it couldn’t be helped, and he would have to deal with the fact everyone was going to be curious why he was here.

While talking with the blacksmith, he also heard that the carpentry shop had been the family trade for the Frazier family--the family who lost the daughter sharing L/N’s first name.  With the murder of their only child, there was no one to take on the family business, and the building had fallen into disrepair after the parents had gone to the home outside town.

That had caught Levi’s interest.  They’d been in the home for years judging from the sign alone, and the impression he’d received was that only the well off could supply their own stay at the home, or their family members paid for it.  If there were no children to pay for them, and they’d only been a small carpentry business in a no-name town, how could they afford to be in the home?  He doubted it was by the grace of the community, though it was a possibility considering the tragedy that had happened here.

Moving on from the blacksmith so he didn’t ask too many questions in one place, Levi made a mental note to make his way up to the homes to investigate the still-living parents of the original Y/N.  Making his way to the farmer’s market, Levi perused for any small town hidden treasures and struck up conversations, looking for a town gossip to get talking about the town’s history so that he could eventually hear the more personal tale of the double homicide than the technical report Erwin had scrounged up for him.

While trying to get the man selling the baked goods to be a little more forthcoming, Levi overheard a small group of children, three or four gathered around each other as one of the older children attempted to scare the smallest of the group with a surprisingly gristly tale.

“...clawed at the wood of the coffin, screaming for someone to hear her, too afraid to realize her screams took up what little air she had.  Her fingernails broke and blood coated the coffin, her elbow busted open as she pounded and shrieked for help, but no one could hear her so far beneath the dirt.  Some say she did manage to break the wood, but halfway through the dirt falling on her she couldn’t breathe, and body’s still frozen in her silent scream, so close to freedom, no one above ground aware of the terror she felt before she truly died.  Now, so she doesn’t feel so alone, Screaming Sally’s ghost crawls out of her grave and drags children like you from their beds and drags them into her coffin below ground.”

The poor youngest was visibly trembling, tears of fright in their eyes before one of the other kids shouted and grabbed them, making the youngest shriek and cry as they laughed and continued to pick on them.

“Tch.”  Levi turned to them, a glare in his eyes that he pinned on the older kids who should have known better.  “Oi!  Cut it out.”

Spooked by the scary voice, and even more so by the scary man they saw glaring at them, the older kids bolted, with the youngest running away once they were free of the older kids, most likely to run home and find comfort from a parent.

Levi turned his attention back to the stall in front of him, a woman beside him buying a basket of rolls as he scowled over the childishly cruel display he’d just seen.

“That’s one messed up horror story for kids to be telling each other,” he muttered, paying for a loaf of bread and waiting for the man to finish wrapping it for him.  The woman beside him turned with a small shrug.

“All the children around here know about that stupid story about Screaming Sally.  It’s been around for decades, and at this point, it’s almost a rite of passage to hear it eventually.”

Levi looked at her, sensing he might have someone who would be willing to share if he asked the right questions.  “How did it start?”

The woman sighed, shaking her head.  “Some poor caretaker for the graveyard by the woods about forty years back snapped after that double homicide and started trying to tell people one of the girls crawled out of her grave.  Everyone knows it’s impossible, not to mention the grave was undisturbed when folks checked in the morning after seeing how sincere he was.  They had to put him in the home because he kept insisting he saw it, and eventually the story turned into the Screaming Sally legend the kids are always sharing to scare each other.”

Levi’s head tilted slightly to the side, eyes widening momentarily in surprise as the unsuspected connection jumped out at him.

For the briefest moment, he was looking back up at Kenny years ago as Kenny shared some outlandish story to try and scare him.  When Levi had called out it’s legitimacy and accused him of spewing a nonsense legend that wasn’t even possible, he’d suddenly appeared a little serious, a small frown appearing beneath the brim of that signature hat of his as he gave Levi the reply that now rang in his ears.

“There’s always a little truth to every legend.”

Pretending his surprise was over something else the woman had said, Levi took the chance to try and pry the local story from her.

“Double homicide?  Out here?” Levi asked, suggesting that kind of thing never happened in places like this.

In his opinion, they were more likely to happen out here, since it was so damn isolated.

As Levi took his wrapped loaf, the two started to walk together, just a little further down the path as she indulged his curiosity.

“I know--it’s the darkest stain on this town’s history.  Still unsolved, too--one of those locked room murders I think they call them.  Y/N Frazier and Victoria Schultz.  The Fraziers’ daughter had been out late the night before and came to her parent’s home to rest instead of going back to her own home.  She was sick the entire next day, and her best friend Victoria came to visit her.  Sometime between the moment Victoria and Y/N were in the room together to the time the Fraziers checked in on them a few hours later, some psychopath managed to find their way into the room, tore Victoria apart beyond recognition, and disappeared with the Frazier girl.  Without the Fraziers hearing anything amiss!  The police thought it might have been the Frazier girl, because it was the only possible explanation considering the bedroom door was locked and any attacker would have had to come in through the window, and neither girl made a sound, so perhaps Victoria knew her attacker--but Y/N’s body showed up on the edge of the woods a few days later, poor girl.  They never found out who did it, or what exactly happened.  It still haunts the people in the town who are old enough to remember it.”

As the woman spun the more personal version of the tale, Levi’s mind filled in the gristly details that had been in the report he’d read.  How there had been hardly any blood left in the mutilated girl left behind lying on the bed, but far less in the room than there should have been, how L/N’s namesake had been found lying just within the forest’s edge, neck bruised and broken, as well as several bones, covered in bruises and lacerations.  It was a closed-casket funeral for both.  They had no leads, no one with a motive, no mysterious footprint or shadowy figure seen leaving the crime scene.  They’d just been murdered out of nowhere, and nothing like it had happened anywhere near the town ever since.  It was a sudden, violent anomaly in their history, and one that was going to leave a mark that would never disappear.

Levi said goodbye to the woman with the bread roll basket, standing in the middle of the road with his gaze turned towards the homes he’d been told about, a thoughtful frown on his face.

It seemed he had two reasons to visit this place:  the Fraziers and the caretaker.

Once there, as curious as he was, Levi decided against visiting the Fraziers and asking about the events of forty years ago.  From what he’d been able to dig up, it was likely something that still haunted them to this day, and he wasn’t here to terrorize the elderly.

He did, however, pry into who was paying for their stay at the home.  Once at the front desk, he suggested that he wanted to pay for their stay, asking after the amount it would take and how often, before insisting whatever payments they were making themselves stop so they wouldn’t have to pay out of their own pockets.  At that point, he’d been politely turned down, the secretary informing him that the Fraziers already had an angel donor who was paying regularly for their stay at the home.

“Can I get a name so I can talk to them about splitting the payments?” Levi asked, leaning forward slightly in anticipation.

“I’m sorry, but...angel donors are what we call anonymous donors who don’t have any ties to the family but still pay for their care.  We don’t know who makes the payments, only that they’re made regularly and on time, so Mr. and Ms. Frazier can spend the rest of their days here.  I have no name to give you, not that I could, considering that would be sensitive information,” the secretary said politely, though there was a bit of a chill in her voice brought about by Levi’s questioning.  He ignored it, busy mulling over this new detail.

He had no evidence to support it, no reason to suspect it, but what if the angel donor was L/N?  He knew she was looking for ways to cut costs with how she spent her money, it was one of the reasons she had the tea garden at HQ--it would save her money in the future by cutting costs she spent on things like tea.  And her lack of personal belongings could also be from a lack of money to buy nice things for herself.  What if the money she saved from her salary was going towards the Fraziers’ well-being?

Again, he had no evidence.  It was just a thought, a far-fetched theory, but it was something to take note of and consider, just in case it wasn’t far off the mark.

Getting the hint from the secretary and knowing he was at a dead end as to who was taking care of the Fraziers, at least for what he would find here in town, Levi moved on to the next objective.

“All right, well, I also came to talk to someone in the psychiatric home.  He used to be a cemetery caretaker about forty years ago.”

Recognition immediately sparked in her eyes, as well as a bit of apprehension.  “We’ll need you to sign in, as well as put down a reason for visiting.”

“Fine,” Levi replied, taking the paper she slid over and writing Jacob, no last name--not that he’d have one to give even if he was using his actual name--and then wrote down social visit before handing it over.  Her eyebrows rose slightly and her gaze flickered up to him from the paper, and Levi gazed back at her calmly, waiting patiently for her to at least direct him the proper way.

“Room seventeen.  Follow me,” she said, leading them out the door--since they’d been in the home for the elderly--and a little ways away to the other building that acted as the psychiatric home.  Once inside she led Levi up two flights of stairs and down a fairly long hall to let Levi into the room marked seventeen in white paint.  “Mr. Briarton, you have a visitor,” she said after opening the door, allowing Levi to step into the room and take in a man in his late fifties, early sixties, suspicious pale green eyes narrowed at Levi as he stepped inside.

“I don’t knows you,” the man rasped.

“Jacob,” Levi said bluntly, stepping deeper into the room and staying conscious of the fact the secretary was temporarily lingering to make sure everything was going to be all right.  “I came to hear your story.”

“Hah?  Here to mock an old man?”  Briarton sneered.

“No.  Just to listen,” Levi responded simply.  Briarton sized Levi up for a moment, then looked at the secretary still standing in the doorway and gave a small wave.

“We’re fine, Janice, you can leave now.  I’s knows the rest of you’s is tired of hearin’ my tale.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Briarton.”

“Eh,” he grumbled, and Janice sighed and shut the door, leaving the two of them behind.  “Why exactly are you’s interested in hearin’ my story?  Everyone else says I’m’s crazy.  Locked me up for it, too!”

“I’ve heard the town legends.  Someone I knew used to say there’s always a bit of truth to the legends.  So I’m here looking for the truth,” Levi answered, leaning up against the wall with arms folded over his chest.

“Hmm…” Briarton hummed, contemplating Levi’s reason before he sighed.  “I’s guessin’ you’s already heard ‘bout the murders, if you’s here.”

At Levi’s nod, Briarton skipped over the events that came before, and went right to talking about the burial.  “Closed caskets they’s were.  Victoria had a pine box, Mr. Frazier insisteds on makin’ Y/N’s hisself, out of willow.  We’s buried them midday, six feets down in the grounds, six feets dried earth on those boxes.  I’s told they’s were both dead for sures, no comin’ back--specially poor Victoria.  Schultz’s weren’t allowed to sees hers it was so bad.  Course we’s all thoughts abouts it, we’s all hoped back then the killer’d get caught.  People kept comin’ by till it gots too dark and I’s closed the cemetery for the’s night.  My’s job was to make sure no ones messed with the graves, and I’s was patrollin’ like usual, and for the’s longest time, I didn’t hear nut-thin.  But sometime in the wee hours of the mornin’, as I’s was comin’ up on the girls’s graves, I saw somethin’ movin on the ground on tops of one.  I’s went to yells at them, to tell ‘em kids to scram, cause that’s what I’s thoughts they were.  But when I’s got close enough to see a bit better, I’s realized they’s was comin’ up from the ground--outta the ground.  I’s was frozen in place, watchin’ them’s drag themselves out of the dirt, clawin’ across the ground likes a wounded animal.  I’s was tryin’ to scream, but I’s couldn’t makes a sound.”

Briarton stopped, his wide eyes turned towards Levi.  “Do you’s know how heavy the dirts is on a coffin?  How hard it is to break open a coffin?  Impossible’s what it is!  My’s brother once locked me’s in one to scares me, and my’s mother lost it whens she found out.  I’s was kickin’ and screamin’ for what’s felt like hours tryin’ to break out, but all I’s got from it was bloody hands and elbows.  Ands that was without the dirts on tops of it.  But I’s swears this girl busted out and crawled outta hers grave.  Even if she’s managed to breaks the coffin, she’d’da been crushed bys the dirts.  But she’s still crawled outta hers grave.  She’s stood up, covered in fresh bloods and dirts, and she’s shoved dirt backs into the hole she’s crawled outta like a drunkard, gaspin’ and wheezin’ and wailin’ like a banshee, an’ then she’s disappears into the night.  An’ I’s ran for help, jus’ to get calleds crazy and locked up in here.”

Levi listened to Briarton’s tale in silence, studying the man’s face closely as he spoke to see if the man truly believed every word he was saying.  The terror in the man’s eyes was real, though, as he spoke of the impossibility of the haunting image, and there was no trace of insincerity in his face as he spoke.  He truly believed in the tale he was telling.  Considering the impossibility of it all, Levi also doubted, but he wasn’t going to call him out on in--enough people already believed this man crazy, Levi wasn’t going to add himself to the mix.

He only had one question.

“Who was the woman who crawled out of her grave?” Levi asked steadily, though the crawl of his skin as he said it told him he already knew the answer.  He just wanted to hear Briarton say it.

“Y/N Frazier.”

The day had cooled--in fact, it was starting to feel chillier, the sun frequently hidden by clouds that seemed to be gathering across the sky, hinting at fouler weather on the horizon.  After taking his leave of Briarton at the home, Levi went looking for the now infamous cemetery--infamous in his mind, at least--and had made his way to the grave of one Y/N Frazier, where he now stood in silent contemplation, staring intently at the headstone that had engraved upon its surface the girl’s name, a birthday and date of death that showed she had barely been in her twenties, and a brief, “Beloved Daughter.”

He wasn’t really seeing the grave anymore, though.  His mind was a flurry of thoughts, theories, memories, information...none of the connections he’d made here made any kind of sense to him, but there were far too many to be ignored.  There was something here, something that seemed to be staring him in the face, but he couldn’t see what it was, so he couldn’t use it.  Not yet, anyway.

Maybe Briarton really was crazy, maybe he hadn’t seen Y/N Frazier crawl out of that grave that night and he’d simply snapped like everyone suggested he had.  But there was nothing to have caused him to snap, no trigger.  Not to mention, the sheer coincidence was far too strong to be a coincidence.

So, he entertained the possibility that the bizarre and impossible happened, that Y/N Frazier somehow survived, a mistake had been made somewhere and she was buried alive, and managed to crawl out of this very grave.  Ignoring the impossibility of that scenario still didn’t give him many answers.  If Y/N Frazier was still alive, she would have been sixty, seventy years old by now.  L/N back at the Scout Headquarters was in her early twenties, and very clearly /not dead/.  So, L/N definitely wasn’t this Y/N Frazier.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be related somehow.  If the original girl did survive, it would be possible for L/N to be Frazier’s daughter, maybe even grand-daughter, though that was starting to push the theory beyond what he was willing to suspend believing as impossible.

One thing the Screaming Sally horror story had made him remember, and that Briarton’s recounting had brought to the front of his mind to offer him another connection, was the conversation the other day between the rest of his Squad and L/N.

He remembered the tremble in her hand, the stillness in her posture, the flash of soul-deep fear, trauma, and pain in her eyes as L/N had softly stated that her biggest fear was being buried alive.

He had something big here, but he wasn’t sure where it fit in this messed up puzzle he was trying to solve, and was missing some key piece that connected it to something else.  He needed more than ever to see what she was doing in the Underground when she snuck out at night--whatever it was, he was convinced at this point it was the missing piece he needed to make sense of all of this.

But first, he needed to do something that would give him a definitive answer amongst all these legends and tall tales.

It was a new low for him, he knew that.  The entire ordeal felt wrong and filthy on an entirely new level, but it was something he had to do.  No one else had thought to look, to disturb the grave of one of the murdered girls to see if there was any validity to Briarton’s claims, to the stories of Screaming Sally.  Everyone brushed it off as nonsense and went about their day, probably because it was so certain, and it was easier to believe the horror stories were nonsense.

Levi didn’t have that luxury.  He didn’t have the certainty, and the easier route was not the one he was going to take.  He needed answers.  So, he’d returned briefly to Headquarters in order to enlist Erwin’s help to give him the opportunity late that very same night to dig up the grave and settle once and for all whether Y/N Frazier had died.  It would help clear up some of the questions and theories when he found her body in the coffin, and it might put them back at square one in figuring out why this place and this name had been chosen by Y/N, but it would help bring them back to a world that made some sense, and it would help weed out a few questions that these legends and stories had brought up.

He didn’t want to think of the implications if the grave was empty.  He doubted it would be, but if it was...then this entire mess went far deeper than he could ever imagine.

Perhaps that was why Erwin agreed to help him, why he’d paid off the caretaker to make sure the grave was empty but leave the section Levi was going to be in undisturbed until Levi left.  Erwin clearly hadn’t approved of disturbing a gravesite, especially the gravesite of a murder victim, but Levi had strongly believed it was necessary despite his own misgivings, so Erwin had relented.

Now, Levi was in a hole that passed his head, digging the last few inches to the willow coffin Y/N Frazier had been buried in, filthy and tired but determined to get to the bottom.  Just a little further, and he would have his answer.  He would see the bones in an undisturbed grave, fill in the grave once more, go home, wash up, hate himself for a while for doing this to confirm what he already knew, and then go back to trying to figure out why L/N seemed so deeply connected to this place.

He hadn’t found any bodies frozen on its way to the surface, so he could already rule out the legitimacy of the children’s scary story about Screaming Sally, at least.

The shovel Levi was using scraped against something solid, and Levi paused.  Here it was.  He’d found it.

Kneeling down, Levi started brushing away at dirt so he could find the coffin lid, fingers brushing against wood, hand brushing a little harder to smooth away dirt--

He had to pull his hand back as he unexpectedly came into contact with splintered wood sticking up into the dirt, piercing his hand and drawing blood as he jerked in surprise, breath catching.

No…

A few more careful brushes with his hand, and he was staring at a coffin lid that had been busted open, shards of wood buried in dirt, but the hole clearly enough for a person to crawl out of.  He froze where he was as he stared at the sight before him, the odd, irrational fear that a hand was going to burst out of the hole and grasp his wrist strangely flashing through his mind before he pushed it aside.  He wasn’t breathing anymore, an admittedly trembling hand reaching out to pull back the lid, just to double check and confirm what he was seeing.

The grave was, in fact, empty.  The coffin was busted open with gouges that had old red stains upon them, as if it had been punched and clawed through from the inside.

His blood running cold and his breaths shallow, Levi had to fight not to think of the haunting image Briarton had described, the fear in L/N’s eyes, and the mental image of a woman trapped in this grave screaming and crying for help, having to tear apart her own body and defy all odds to crawl her way to the surface, tried not to imagine the terror of being buried alive like this.

Kenny had been right.  There was always a bit of truth to the legend.  He never imagined it would be this much truth, though.

When Levi returned to HQ, the first thing he did was clean himself up and get changed.  Then, he made himself some of the tea L/N had gifted him, choosing one of the blends meant to calm in the hopes that it would help settle his nerves after what he’d seen.

Outside, he might still appear stoic, but inside, he was shaken.

Once he was clean, he had his tea, and he felt he had a better grip on himself internally and he was ready for the conversation, he went to Erwin’s office and very solemnly relayed his findings to the man, who looked no less disturbed by this unexpected turn of events than Levi had been.  They’d expected some kind of secret while digging into the truth about L/N, they hadn’t been expecting a full blown conspiracy on this level.

Once Erwin was up to speed on Levi’s findings, they started to hash out some theories and details, both of them well aware that they were still missing something crucial as they attempted to make a broader picture with the pieces they were currently in possession of.

The running theory they were working with was that Y/N Frazier was L/N’s mother.  It was the most logical connection they could come up with, even though it dumped a whole new slew of questions into this mess.

Why did Frazier run after she crawled out of her grave?  Why not return to her home and family, alive and well?  Why leave the town behind and everyone in it believing she’d died so terribly?  Why never come back to tell who had attacked her and her friend Victoria?  What happened that night forty years ago?  How had she managed to crawl her way out of a grave?  Why had she instead disappeared somewhere inside the walls never to be discovered or heard from again, hiding her true identity remarkably well?  Or more importantly, how had she been alive?  How did she survive those injuries?  Had a mistake been made and she’d been assumed dead?  Was the report faked?

How was the Underground supposed to come into play in all of this, and what part did L/N have in it as well?  If Frazier was indeed L/N’s mother, was Frazier still alive and living in the Underground?  Was that why L/N went down there every now and then?  Why not bring her mother to the surface with her?  Why, when she came to the surface, did L/N take Frazier’s first name and not use her last name?  Why not use her real name?  How did the events of forty years ago play into now, and how had it had an affect on L/N?

As always, whenever they uncovered something about L/N, it always came with a thousand more questions.  They could theorize all they wanted, but it wouldn’t bring them closer to finding the answers that they craved at this point.

And still, despite the shock and the...unease he had felt to find the empty grave and realize the reality of what happened in that town--or at least part of it--Levi still felt like there was another reality altering twist in this dark tale that was unraveling in front of them that would be far worse.  He still felt like they were far off the mark, that the still failed to understand the reality of what they were stepping into.  More than ever, Levi felt there was something dark behind this, and he began to feel the first hints of malice surrounding these secrets.

Whatever L/N was hiding, at this point, Levi knew it had to be dangerous.

Erwin’s concerned eyes probed Levi’s expression as Levi gazed at the empty teacup in front of him, well aware that despite his feeble attempt to calm his nerves and thoughts, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep tonight.

“Levi--” Erwin started to say in a grave tone of voice, but Levi cut him off.  He knew what Erwin was about to say, and he already knew what he had to do next.

“I know.  All I’m waiting for now is for her to make the next move.  This time, she won’t shake me.”

Next Chapter---->

Levi Tags:  @clary-quinn @humanitys-hottestsoldier@whalerus @sunny-flo @thirstyforsometea​

Wings in the Dark Tags:  @regalillegal @animeluver23 @theshylittleelfgirl @queenthorin1 @dilucs-thighs @sociallyanxiousmouse