#she shouldn’t be able to recognize monsters immediately because she’s used to the monsters she fights to be obvious

[theamazingannie]

One thing I really don’t like about the pjo show is they are very tell not show about EVERYTHING. One thing I loved from the books is them teasing who the monster or god they were meeting was and getting the chance to pull from prior Greek mythology knowledge and figure it out myself. It was like a game and, yeah, most of the time it was someone new and I couldn’t guess but it was still fun having a tease up until a reveal and THEN they would share the story for those who didn’t know. The show just keeps straight up telling the audience who everyone is and instead of unknowingly walking into a trap and building suspense they go in expecting something to happen and then have a less exciting trap happen later (Medusa and the Lotus Hotel being the main ones). It’s like they both want to cut the teasing because the book readers already know and want to explain things simply to show watchers who probably aren’t well versed in Greek mythology but it takes all the whimsy away. One part I loved in the Lotus scenes in the book was Percy figuring out that they were in a time warp because he meets the kid from the 1970s and realizes what’s going on but in the show he notices cuz it’s…dark outside? Like yeah okay it works but going “it’s dark outside even tho it feels like it’s been 20 minutes and that means we are in a time warp and oh yeah the flowers are in the air even tho I’ve given no reason prior to have figured that out” is not NEARLY as compelling as “I lost track of time cuz I was having fun but huh this guy I’m playing with talks weird and dresses weird and oh boy he’s from the 1970s and now that I’m pulled out enough to look around I see that everyone here is wearing period clothes and this is trouble”. I know the extras were wearing period clothes but it never cuts to them long enough to make it seem like it’s anything but a costume that would be typical in a Vegas casino. You can argue that the Hermes scene wasn’t pointless but aside from Grover’s scenes to an extent it just wasn’t compelling and not just in an inaccurate adaptation way

[spinchip]

NEVER THE DARK

CHAPTER 14

Read on Ao3

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13

the girls are fightingggggggg

WHEN IS A MONSTER NOT A MONSTER? /// OH, WHEN YOU LOVE IT.

“We have to think about this objectively,” Cole insists, “These people may not have our best interests in mind.”

Kai paces up and down the length of their room, clenching and unclenching his fists as he ruminates, “Lloyd is strong,” He says aloud, ignoring Cole, “If Birdy were to try anything, Lloyd would be able to fight him off.”

Jay picks at his fingernails, worrying at his cuticles as he watches Kai, “Do you really think Birdy would hurt Lloyd?”

“No!” Cole bursts out, “He’s shown us he won’t hurt us- he had several chances to do something way before we got here.”

“We can’t rule anything out.” Kai says grimly, once more dismissing Cole's words.

Cole is on his feet before he has time to think, “Will you listen to me for once!?” He doesn’t shout, but he raises his voice- and he never raises his voice. Maybe it’s this place effecting his mind, bringing him to his breaking point- maybe it was because Birdy acknowledged that he spoke when his own boyfriends wouldn’t- maybe he was just sick of never getting a word in edgewise. Kai’s stopped pacing and they’re all staring at him with wide eyes. He takes a deep breath and brings his voice back down to a reasonable level, “Ever since we first met Birdy-“

“I have been listening, Cole,” Kai interrupts irritably, “But everything you’ve been saying- Everything you’ve been saying- ugh, everything you've been saying is just a bunch of-“

Cole’s mouth drops open as he recognizes Kai’s repetition- it’s his tell for when he’s had too much to drink, “You’re drunk!” He accuses sharply, pointing a finger in Kai’s face.

Kai shoves his hand away, “I had one drink-!”

“Okay, Stop!” Nya’s voice cuts through the argument sharply as she shoulders her way between them. She separates them both with a firm hand on their chests, “That’s enough. This argument is getting us nowhere!”

“Birdy wouldn’t hurt Lloyd.” Cole says confidently.

“But you heard what everyone’s been saying,” Jay butts in, “Even Ila admitted he murdered Farley, that’s what you said, and she’s the only one that seems to have a soft spot for him.”

“I heard that from a woman who works for a tyrant with a grudge against Birdy.” Cole shoots back, “They obviously weren’t being truthful or- or they were twisting the truth.”

“Samira is afraid of Birdy!” Kai immediately retorts, “She told me he’s dangerous!”

“We. Are. Her. Prisoners!” Cole enunciates every word, “Maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t trust the woman who’s trapped us in her palace dungeons!”

“These are too nice to be dungeons.” Jay comments.

“Is that really what you’re focusing on-“

“Boys!” Nya shouts and the room goes quiet. She lets out a stressed, pent up breath, “We can’t let this divide us- no matter what, we have to be a team. We have no guarantee that Birdy will harm Lloyd,” She looks firmly at Kai with that, “But there’s also no guarantee that he won’t.” She shoot Cole a meaningful look this time.

Tension leaks out of the room slowly. Cole sits back down, and Kai resumes pacing.

Jay looks over at Nya, “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” She admits, playing with the water in her glass. She sighs and lets the little globe of liquid plop back down with a splash, “Kai’s right in that they all have the same story- even Ila, who’s shown favoritism towards Birdy, described his actions against Farley as the work of a monster. Cole’s right in that these people have nothing to lose bad mouthing Birdy, and everything to gain. If they can convince us Birdy is a bad guy, then we’re vulnerable and desperate. We’ll need them.”

“I’m with Kai,” Jay says quietly, even if his heart winces at the thought. Birdy warned him to take off his watch… Birdy talked to him… but Birdy hurt people, “He was sent here for a reason, right? Maybe people like him… just don’t change.”

“He’s a good person,” Cole says softly from where he’s laying on his cot staring up at the ceiling.

No one says anything for a long moment.

“How can you be so sure?” Jay asks, voice vulnerable.

“I just am. I can feel it.” He’s not sure how to articulate it- how does he tell them that he feels a connection with this man? That when Birdy raised his hand to tuck that strand of hair behind his ear, when he thought he might kiss him, Cole had leaned in? When Birdy looks at him, the weight of his gaze feels familiar, “He listens to me.”

“I listen to you.” Jay claims with a frown.

“Yeah.” Cole says, rolling over onto his side, “I’m going to sleep.”

He misses Zane in the pit of his chest so deeply it aches. He’s been thinking about Zane a lot, recently. Since they arrived in the Realm of Madness. He always thinks about Zane- one of the loves of his life- but after three years he had been able to put Zane away. He could go in the kitchen without bursting into tears. He could smell oil without his heart aching. He could catch snowflakes and only cry a little bit. These past few days, Zane is all he could think about. He was there in the back of his mind during every second of every day, even if Cole tried to gently close that door.

He wonders, maybe, if Kai and Jay are right. If Birdy really is this bad guy who wants to hurt them- and Cole is too blinded by his love for Zane and can’t see what’s right in front of him.

Because the truth is, Birdy reminds him of Zane. The sound of his laugh, his dry humor, his manner of speaking- even the way he moves his hand when he gestures. All of it is a facsimile of Zane. Maybe Cole is ascribing trust to Zane, not Birdy- but Zane is dead, and Birdy is a murderer.

His eyes are wet.

He wishes he could ask Zane what he thought about all of this. He can almost hear his voice.

We should be on our guard… But everyone deserves a second chance.

He wipes away the tears on his face.

Would Zane still think that way, after Aspheera killed him? Would he still have that kindness in him? Would Zane think Birdy is a monster?

He falls asleep before he can think on it any harder.

Morning comes and they're still divided, a chasm opening up between them. Maybe it had been there a while. Cole is exhausted despite his long rest, and he barely manages to pull himself together when Wox comes to escort them to the grand hall.

Samira smiles at them all kindly when they arrive. She’s once again seated at the long table and there are piles of food around her, a sweet smelling screen hanging in the air. The room is full of other residents of Oasis, all at the tables lining the walls, eating and drinking as well. Barath is sitting quietly in his place on the Dais, scribbling in his notebook again. The other seats at Samiras table are empty and she beckons them towards herself invitingly, “Would you like breakfast?”

Cole picks the seat farthest away from her. Kai sits directly to her right. The food on the table is so sugary it makes Cole's stomach turn- his favorite food may be cake, but these buns and jams and even strips of unknown-animal bacon are painfully sweet. He chokes down a roll so he has something in his stomach and pushes his plate away. No one is talking.

Samira finishes her food and leans back in her chair, picking up her cup to swirl the not-water they’d been served with breakfast, “They are late.” She announces grimly.

Cole clenches his eyes shut and looks away.

“Late?” Jay asks nervously, “Was this mission timed or something?”

“I know how long it takes to get to the mist and back in this stage of the evershift. They should have been back by now.”

Kais face is cold and hard, “We should go after them.” He says firmly.

“I’m afraid I cannot let you do that,” She says apologetically, “It’s in all our best interest to give them more time... if Birdy feels rushed or cornered, I fear what he might do.”

Kai scowls at his plate before pushing it away and standing from his chair. For a second, Cole thinks he might try and leave anyway- but Kai just starts to pace again, walking up and down the hall with an intense, frustrated look on his face. Nya and Jay eat on quietly.

They stay here, in the grand hall, waiting. Kai keeps pacing. Samira moves back up to her throne at some point, and thanks Ila when the woman brings her a glass of wine. Cole thinks, in any other situation, he might have been bored to tears. Here though, he’s lost in his thoughts, ruminating over every aspect of this nightmare of a trip and examining everything. He feels like there’s something he’s missing- some piece of the puzzle that hasn’t revealed itself yet. He feels wrong-footed and out of sync but… at the same time, he feels whole. It doesn’t make any sense.

Nya and Jay are talking in low tones, just audible enough that Cole can catch snippets of their conversation.

“I know.” Nya sighs dreamily, “I miss the garage too. What I wouldn’t give to be in the basement fixing up a mech right now…”

“I wonder if Prime Empire has released any new updates…” Jay says just as longingly as Nya.

Cole shelves his brooding thought to join their conversation, “I’m most looking forward to a hot bath.” He says with a short laugh, running fingers through his grimey hair  as he sticks out his tongue and pulls a disgusted face.

“Oh, don’t even get me started on a shower…” Nya exhales, pillowing her cheek on her hand. “I wonder what Pixal is up to…”

Jay winces, “Oh, she's definitely working herself to death trying to figure out where we went.”

“Maybe Skylor is helping her- she'd come out of retirement if Pix was the one to ask, I'm sure.”

“What is wrong with you all?” Kai snaps irritably, stopping by Jay's shoulder with a scowl.

Cole blinks, taken aback, “What do you mean?”

“You’re sitting here just-” He makes disdainful, jerky gestures with a tense hand, “gossiping when Lloyd could be in serious trouble!”

“Kai, calm down.” rising from her chair, Nya reaches out a hand to steady him.

He flinches away from her and glares at the floor, “No, I am not going to calm down. Lloyd is out there with a murderer and I am powerless to help him.” His breathing picks up and his hands start to shake as he works himself up, “I promised myself I would never be this helpless again- but look at me! Standing around doing nothing!”

Cole stands up too, finally understanding. Kai had lost his elemental abilities when Zane died. “Kai…” He starts quietly.

“Kai?” another voice chimes in, this time from the mouth of the cave.

Lloyd stands there in all his unharmed glory- well, unharmed may be the wrong word. The edges of his clothes are discolored and curled up and he looks like he’d been rolling around in the dirt, and there’s a few scrap pieces of fabric rolled up into his nostrils that are brown with old blood.

Kai spins on heel and his whole body relaxes at the sight of Lloyd, safe and back under his watchful eye.

That moment of bliss vanishes the moment Birdy comes around the corner behind him.

Jay jumps to his feet while Kai wastes no time throwing himself towards the two. He grabs Lloyd's arm and yanks him around so Kai can get in between them, and the moment Lloyd is clear Kai draws his sword in a wide, dangerous arc.

It’s only Birdy's paranoia that saves him. He reacts automatically, whipping his staff around to deflect Kai's sword before it can sink into his thigh and incapacitate him. He shoves it down and Kai’s swing slides off the staff's blade with a hiss of clashing metal. Kai leans into the move, turning his hand to try and bring the sword blade-side-up in another attempt to fight off Birdy.

“Kai!” Lloyd repeats, shocked, “What are you doing?”

Jay manages to stop Lloyd from charging into the fight with a hand tangled in the back of his suit, “You don’t understand, Lloyd!” He pleads, pulling him backwards.

Jay doesn’t have the strength to stop Cole, though, and he takes advantage of that to barrel past them to shove Kai away from Birdy. “Lloyd is fine! I told you-”

Kai bares his teeth, “Fine? Look at him!” He gestures of Lloyd's bloody nose before he swings his sword around to point the bladed tip at Birdy's throat, “He’s hurt, and this is all your fault!”

“That’s enough-” Nya shouts, trying to intervene, but Kai is having none of it.

“No! We know what he is!” He snaps, “He’s not going to just walk away from his crimes scot-free!”

“What am I?” Birdy asks, and though his voice is bewildered Cole can feel the looming sense of dread at what the answer might be.

Glaring at him, Kai mustered up all his distrust towards the man and nearly spits out his reply, “A monster. You are a monster.”

The words sink in.

Birdy loses all will to fight. His staff goes slack in his hand.

“What?” Lloyd asks shrilly, eyes wide with disbelief.

“My warriors,” Samira’s voice breaks through the moment with an amused, dangerous smile, “Surround them.” She orders politely, lounging back on her throne with a satisfied air around her.

The other people in the room, the militia Samira had put together, rise from their seats and rush the ninja. Cole and Birdy are shoved into one gap, Jay and Lloyd in another. Nya and Kai are both alone when they’re surrounded by the mutated army. Almost instantly they are trapped and outnumbered. Nya’s hand twitches towards her throwing knives and one of the men beside her presses his sword to her throat.

“What is this?” Kai spins around to look up at Samira, shocked.

The woman doesn’t even stand from her chair, still sitting back relaxed in the cushions of her throne. She grins at him and it’s all teeth, “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘divide and conquer’?”

“Wox,” The wolf snaps his head over to look at her where he’s looming over Birdy, “The flowers.”

He nods briskly and goes to shove his hand into Birdy's bag, but the man beats him to it. For a moment Cole hopes he pulls something out of his bag that could fix all of this. C’mon, Mary Poppins!

But all Birdy does is wordlessly fish the bundle of flowers out and hand them to Wox with no resistance.

The silence hanging over the room is palpable as Wox brings the prize to Samira. She takes it from him with a brilliant smile and delicately unwraps the buds, running her fingers lightly over the petals. “I had my doubts, Birdy.” She says into the room, still staring reverently at the cure in her hands, “The flowers grow so deep now, I didn’t think even you would be able to make it back.”

She turns and passes off the flowers to Barath. He takes them eagerly and scurries off out of the room to get started on synthesizing the cure.

Cole looks at Birdy, pleading, “You have a plan, don’t you?” Birdy looks back at him dumbly, and shakes his head softly.

“Be quiet.” Samira orders sharply and the two redirect their gaze back up to her. She pulls the curved blade stabbed into the arm of her chair out with an easy flick of her wrist, dragging her finger over the blunted tip with a cold, satisfied smile on her face, “You completed the task, Birdy. Well done.”

“You promised you would allow us to pass through if I did.” Birdy reminds her, but his voice is empty and hollow.

“I did.” She nods graciously, but her eyes are sharp and burning when they sweep over the six of them, “But I gave you that deal before I knew the stakes. You kept things from me, and now our arrangement just isn’t fair.”

“Fair?” Lloyd echoes disbelievingly, “How is any of this fair to begin with?”

“You were working with her.” Kai accuses Birdy hotly, hands tightening on the hilt of his sword. “Weren’t you? You were working against us all along.”

“Are you serious?” Cole snaps back immediately.

Birdy is shaking his head, “I just want to help you.”

“Why?” Kai frowns at him, voice combative and challenging, “Why would you want to do that?”

“Because you are important to me.” Birdy barely chokes out, cringing away from his words.

“What?” Nya asks, confused.

“We’re… important to you?” Lloyd joins in, eyebrows knitting together.

“You… I am…” He can’t seem to find the words to explain himself. Cole’s holding his breath without realizing it- he can feel that puzzle piece sitting in the room with them, the piece of information that would make this all right again. Birdy is struggling to swallow it back down.

“Now Birdy, there’s no need to be shy for my sake!” Samira chastises, sipping from her wine glass again. She flashes a deadly smile, “I’ve already figured it all out. Really, you all made it too easy.”

Cole feels a cold chill sweep down his spine, “What?”

“He’s from Ninjago. Of course you’re important to him- you five are the elemental masters of creation, after all.” Samira lays out all her cards, and her eyes glitter like a lion who’s successfully downed an elephant.

It’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

Jay laughs nervously, “Wow, that’s- funny! That’s funny!” He laughs again and it is obviously forced, “Us, the elemental masters- hoo! Samira, I didn’t know you were a comedian!” His laugh this time is hysterical and infused with growing panic.

Samira doesn’t even acknowledge Jays words, “Three funeral flowers- that's just not enough payment for assets like these.” She says, almost apologetically, to Birdy, “Do you know what we could do with lightning alone? The luxuries we could have with fire and ice? The infrastructure I could build with earth?”

“How?” Nya finally asks what they’re all thinking, “Did… did Birdy tell you?”

She looks almost insulted at the question, “I am not stupid, Nya. Birdy didn’t have to say anything. All I had to do was get you talking and you slipped up on your own.” She smiles again, “After all, There’s only so many Uncle Wu’s in Ninjago-” She looks pointedly at Lloyd this time, who’d dropped that tidbit of information to her unknowingly, “And considering your attire… Well, it wasn’t a difficult connection to make. You’re color coded to your elements.”

“No.” Lloyd whispers, horrified. He looks around at the situation- they were all cornered. There were too many enemies. Nothing was in their favor.

Samira had... beaten them.

“Let me guess,” She says with a playful hum before she points to each of them in turn, “Fire, Lightning, Energy, Earth,” She points at Nya last, a confident smile on her face, “And Ice. Ninjago will miss you, I’m sure, but three funeral flowers simply isn’t enough to allow people of your status to leave us. You’re going to stay here for a long, long time.” She nods at a few of the warriors surrounding them and chains are pulled out, fully intending on binding their hands and incapacitating them.

“You were close,” Nya plants her feet and snarls defiantly up at Samira, “Ice is gone- I am water.”

She throws her arms out and every drop of liquid in the room springs into action. The wine in Samiras glass surges up and splashes directly into her face, blinding her momentarily. She shouts in surprise, jerking away so hard she falls off her thrown into a heap on the floor. Juice, the realms equivalent of water, coffee (maybe?)- all of it explodes in the faces of the people surrounding them. There’s a string of curses thrown out as everyone flinches, scrubbing the wet from their eyes.

“Go!” Lloyd shouts, and the Ninja take off running.

They come skidding to a stop at the bottom of the hallway that leads out into town, more warriors posted there- with Ila at the head. She looks sad, but not sad enough. She draws her own sword, “Surrender.” She orders.

“Follow me!” Kai spins on heel and takes off up the hallway, splitting off down a branching hallway seemingly at random. They race through the halls frantically, the sounds of pursuit thundering after them.

“What’s the plan?” Cole shouts, sprinting next to Birdy.

“There’s an opening in the mountain, it’s where the jelly farm is!” Kai informs them, breaking right hard at a fork in the hall, “I memorized the way there!”

“We are too high up,” Birdy informs him seriously, “We could not survive a jump.”

“That’s fine, because we’re not going to jump!” Kai says cryptically as they burst into the wide cavernous portion of the palace that the floating jellyfish are caged in.

He zigzags around a few of the interconnecting beams, heading straight for the only Jelly that was floating low enough for the six of them to leap on top of.

“Catch them!” Samiras voice orders sharply, not far enough behind them at all, in Coles opinion.

It’s Cole’s turn this time, and he skids to a stop. He slams his foot down behind him and the stone beneath his feet groans then cracks sharply and loudly, ominous spider-webbing fractures forming. Samira doesn’t slow down, using the precious few seconds of stability the stone has to make it far enough so that when she dives over the path, she’ll make it safely to the other side.

Kai swings himself up and over the rope railing, landing feet-first on Miss Emma's bell. Immediately she bows a little lower, “Come on!” He snaps to the others. Jay and Nya join him easily with Lloyd right behind. Birdy grabs Cole by the scruff of his suit and hauls him towards the jelly, shoving forward so that Cole has an unobstructed pathway directly to the others. When Cole turns around, Birdy has stopped running

Heis back is to the ninja, staff held out hostile, and Samira is standing in front of him. Her knife is in one hand and her Sword is in the other.

“I will hold her off.” Birdy informs them tightly.

“Birdy…” Samira says it like a plea, “I cannot allow you to so openly defy me.” The threat is there. Move, or I'll kill you.

Birdy just holds his staff tighter.

There’s a curve to his shoulders, a defeated slump that’s been sitting there since Kai said the word monster. He knows she’s going to kill him. He’s… going to let her.

Before Cole can get his bearings enough to leap back to Birdys side because, uh, we’re not leaving you! Lloyd is beating him to it. Lloyd’s dismount is ungraceful because of Miss Emma's soft, squishy bell, and he crashes into Birdy's side. Samira lunges the moment they both look off kilter but Lloyd is prepared for that. He uses his arm protector to deflect her sword- she shoves her knife forward then, and Birdy angles the two of them tangled together just right so the blade would crash into his side instead of Lloyds-

Where it just skitters off of, leaving his skin unharmed.

Lloyd strikes out at Samiras leg and she folds, crashing to the ground with a grunt. The second she hits the dirt Lloyd is pushing Birdy towards the others, and the two of them leap onto the jelly while Samira tries to get her bearings.

When Birdy sinks into Miss Emma's bell, she droops dramatically, lowering herself enough so that she can pass underneath all of the rock scaffolding surrounding her.

She proceeds to sit there and not move an inch.

“Uh, what was the plan again?” Jay asks, glancing at where Samira is being helped to her feet by Wox, who’d found an alternate route to the group, along with a gaggle of incoming warriors behind him.

Birdy spins to face Kai, “Jellys will chase warmth.” He says urgently.

Kai gets the message. He flops onto his stomach and presses his palms flat against the elderly Jellys bell. Heat pours into his fingers and Miss Emma immediately begins to lean into it, moving them closer to the exit at a snail's pace. “C’mon, Miss Emma!” He encourages, guiding her through the empty jellys pens so she wouldn’t accidentally run them right into another Jellys paralyzing tentacles.

Jay looks down at her fearfully, “Can’t this thing go any faster?” And no sooner than the words leave his mouth does he see the lines. Weak, fluttering things that web together under her bell, pulsing slowly in time almost like a heartbeat. He drops to his knees and presses his fingertips hard into her skin. Electricity. It is a heartbeat- and it’s too slow.

Jay had learned a lot about his element over the years, about the effect of electricity on the body. He knows with a great deal of certainty that a shock can be just as helpful as it is harmful, in the right situations. It can help the heart.

Like a pacemaker.

He shocks Miss Emma once, twice, three times, four- each time she surges forward a little faster, her heartbeat responding positively to the beat Jay had set. They’re moving faster, but already arrows were wheezing past them. They needed more space between them and the mob after them.

Birdy swings his satchel over and starts digging in the pack, rummaging around until he pulls out that seed he had scavenged in the desert earlier in the week. He rips off the wax wrap and hands it to Cole, “Crack it along the seam.”

Cole doesn’t hesitate, pressing it in his palms. He has to exert far more strength that he initially though, but the edge of the seed splits with an audible pop!

“It is not like a grenade,” Birdy takes the seed from Cole and spins around, “It is a grenade.” He throws it as hard as he can straight up. It flies into the midst of the stalactites as it reaches the apex of it’s toss- and then it explodes.

Miss Emma had already moved far enough away that the falling debris didn’t effect her. Samira and her warriors weren’t so lucky.

Finally, they reach the opening out into the realm, and Miss Emma eagerly shoots out into the open air. She flies them away from the nightmare behind them, and the ninja all take a collective sigh of relief.

Birdy stands at the back of the Jelly and looks out across the widening gap between them and Oasis. The smoke from the grenade begins to disperse, and Samira is standing at the bridge at the mouth of the cave, sword dropped by her side in defeat.

They’re looking at each other.

Samira holds her hand high in the air and slowly, carefully, as if she’s feeling out the letters and trying to find the truth there, signs four distinct hand signals at Birdy.

He goes still, body rigid.

“What did she say?” Lloyd asks from where he’s sitting on Miss Emma's bell.

Samiras hand drops, Birdy's silence all the confirmation she needed. She looks almost sad. She turns away, and disappears back into the caves.

“My name.” Birdy answers, voice heavy with dread, “She said my name.”

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 4 of Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure, in which Mashiro wonders how she can become stronger, and an old friend of hers returns to town.

The episode begins with Sora and Mashiro on a morning jog, with Mashiro having difficulty keeping up with Sora. Mashiro admits that she wants to become stronger, like Sora. Sora, however, thinks Mashiro is pretty great as she is.

Sometime later, someone rings the doorbell of Mashiro’s house, with the group wondering who could be there this early. Sora goes to answer, and is immediately hugged by an older girl going on about how long it’s been since she last saw Mashiro before noticing she hugged the wrong girl. Mashiro recognizes the girl as her old neighbour Ageha, who she used to spend time with.

Ageha Hijiri introduces herself, explaining that she and her family had to move away some time ago, and back then she tried running away to avoid having to move. Mashiro tells her they don’t need the whole story yet, sticking to the introductions. Sora introduces herself as well, and accidentally gives away that she’s from another world and that Ellee is a princess, despite Mashiro’s attempts to tell her to stop talking about that. Mashiro tells Ageha to just forget everything she just heard. Ageha, a bit confused, agrees not to press the subject, although she is curious and hopes they’ll fill her in on the details sometime.

Ageha explains that she came back to Sorashido City to take a job at a nursery school there. Mashiro explains to Sora that Ageha has been working towards becoming a nursery school teacher for some time. Mashiro asks Ellee if she has any ambitions for when she’s older, but guesses based on Ellee’s confused reaction that it’s probably too early for her. Sora then asks Mashiro if she has any goals, only for Mashiro to realize she has no idea what she wants to be. She knows that a few of her classmates have certain goals in mind, and wonders if she should have one too.

As she ponders this, she’s distracted by the sight of a pig resembling Kabaton walking towards a mushroom underneath a basket propped up by a stick. She quickly deduces that this is some sort of trap by Kabaton, but Sora falls for it and quickly rushes in to save the pig. Kabaton reveals himself, boasting at how great his disguise was while a bemused Mashiro looks on. However, Kabaton quickly reveals the purpose of the trap, revealing that he snatched Sora’s Mirage Pen so she wouldn’t be able to transform. Confident he can defeat them and take Ellee now, he creates a Ranborg from the mushroom he brought along. The commotion scares passerbys away, while Ageha witnesses the event from the nearby building, and goes to get Mashiro to safety.

Sora gets captured by the Ranborg, and insists that Mashiro go with Ageha to safety. Ageha suggests they head inside since the monster is too big to follow them there, but Kabaton simply has the monster form a smaller minion to chase them. Ageha and Mashiro make it to a rooftop and lock the smaller monster out from following them. Ageha tries to think of a way they can save Sora, wondering if they might have a chance if they could find some sort of weapon. Ellee senses the presence of a Mirage Pen forming within Mashiro as she thinks of how much she wants to save her friend.

As Kabaton threatens to harm Sora if Mashiro does not surrender and hand over Ellee, Mashiro manages to muster up the resolve to make her Mirage Pen form, but Kabaton then shakes her resolve to make her hesitate in taking it, telling her she’s not strong enough. Ageha, unsure of what is going on, reminds Mashiro of the day she tried running away from home, and that Mashiro despite being sad about Ageha having to move away too, tried to keep a brave face and look on the bright side of things because she didn’t want to upset Ageha further.

Ageha tells Mashiro how her actions that day made her realize that being kind is another way of being strong, and that Mashiro shouldn’t let anyone tell her or tell herself that she’s not good enough, with Sora nodding in agreement with Ageha’s words, making Mashiro realize what Sora really meant when she said Mashiro was fine the way she was. Finding her resolve, Mashiro grabs her Mirage Pen and Ellee provides the final item Mashiro needs to become a Pretty Cure.

Mashiro transforms into Cure Prism, but initially finds herself jumping too far back because she isn’t used to having such power yet. She quickly recovers and hits the smaller mushroom monster with a flying kick, knocking it into Kabaton and making him drop Sora’s Mirage Pen. Cure Prism follows up by attacking the main Ranborg, weakening it and making it loosen its grip on Sora enough for her to free herself and take her pen back. Sora transforms into Cure Sky and joins the fight, taking on the main Ranborg while Cure Prism deals with the smaller one. Both purify their opponents, and Kabaton retreats.

Sora apologizes for letting her guard down and getting Mashiro involved in the fight, but Mashiro tells her not to worry about it and to not say she’s not good enough. Ageha runs over with Ellee, amazed at everything she just witnessed, and noting that having seen their secret for herself, it won’t be easy to just forget about all this.

Another good episode! We get the debut of Cure Prism, as well as Ageha who will probably become a Pretty Cure herself in a later episode. Judging from the next episode preview, though, Sora might still be a bit reluctant to let Mashiro fight.

Well, with that, I’m all caught up on the episodes so far. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[adventofheroes]

Short Story-Hero of Clay

She turned around swiftly, "You shouldn't give up on your dream Crearo. They come for those who are low on dreams."

A small business owner decides to close down his art shop after several years, giving up on his dream. Then he's suddenly attacked by monsters and saved by a mysterious woman. Short story inspired by tokusatsu genre of heroes!

Adrenaline. Clutching my sword, I pressed a button on it and the blade itself turned into energy. Sporting a rainbow color, the blade extended and split itself into two parts like scissors. My elemental armor resonated with the energy sword turning me rainbow as well.  

My enemy, called a Screech screamed at me. Its head was dark grey, the back, and top of the head containing spikes. It also sported long blue claws and wore an unhappy face mask completing the creepy look. Its scream was terrifying, but I had grown used to it.

      I readied my sword preparing for the final strike, but you’re probably confused. Who is this man with the clay armor? Why is his face a pattern of dots? Well, to be honest, I’m not sure what to make of it all myself, so maybe if I go back to the very beginning, you’ll be able to understand better. To be honest I just wanted to start out my story with a bit of a bang.

I was formerly a simple artist running a small business art and hobby shop. I called it, Art Emporium! Unfortunately, when an Art Mart opens up a few miles down the road business doesn’t exactly boom. In fact, I was ready to call it quits. At first, I thought people would still come to the store because running this place was my dream. What I didn’t realize was that people didn’t care about my dreams or my feelings; there was no realistic way I could compete.

It was then when I was closing up shop, a customer came up looking for some art supplies. She was an older woman in strange grey robes with white outlines. I lived in a small town and I sure didn’t recognize her. In all honesty, I was annoyed to see her, why couldn’t she have come at a time before I was closing? I had no idea at the time, but that woman would play a part in getting to the sword stuff.  She was looking for some clay and was molding it instead of paying for it immediately. Another thing that annoyed me, I placed my fist on my cheek waiting for the day to be over.

“You know people can make almost anything come to life with art. That’s what I love about it, any dream can become a reality,” she spoke softly.

“Anyway, you can make customers out of that clay?” I mumbled to myself.

She turned around swiftly, “You shouldn’t give up on your dream Crearo. They come for those who are low on dreams.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking, and how you know my name, but can you please just buy your clay?” I asked thinking little of her words.

She then bought her clay and walked out. As I was locking up, I passed by some original wooden statues I made. They were about the only thing the other store didn’t have, and nobody bought them. I took a long look at them and examined them.

The idea honestly made me angry and threw the wooden figure against the wall in frustration. I then quickly locked the doors, just in case any other strange women would try to come in. The sun was going down and I began walking across Main Street past the library to get home. I thought about her words.

She was one of the lucky ones, not everyone gets to keep their dreams. I’ve run that store for five years only for all my customers to immediately go to the competition. What can anyone do about that?

It was then I heard some terrifying screech coming from the nearby woods. I paused and looked around me, perhaps some teenagers were playing around. Someone then walked out of the woods dressed in some sort of costume? Except it wasn’t a person, it was the thing I was telling you about before. It growled at me. I honestly didn’t what to do or how to react, how would you react? The creature lunged at me claws forward, a claw strike brushed my arm as I fell over. My hand was bleeding and I slowly crawled backward as it inched ever closer. I had a feeling in my heart, that this was truly the end. My life began to flash before my eyes. My head hung low.

“What are you doing?!” shouted a voice.

Suddenly rainbow colored darts flew by slashing the monster. Did they seem to resemble paintbrushes? An armed female figure was walking towards me. Her armor was half colored silver and the rest brown, it seemed to look like clay. On her right arm was a giant color wheel containing the primary colors. She wore a grey hood with a white outline. Her mask also seemed to resemble paint blotches.

She walked over to me and pointed and then slapped me. The impact, however, felt surprising.. weak like a child’s, yet left a red spot on my cheek. She grabbed me by the shoulders.

“We don’t give up! You hear me?!” she spoke sternly.

The monster from before got up and screamed again. She turned around to see it rushing towards us.

“Color Cycle,” she spoke softly spinning the color wheel.

It spun for a few seconds before staying on red. The silver on her armor then glowed completely red.

“The artist’s eyes burn with fury!” she shouted.

She pointed her fingers upwards as if she had claws and lines of fire came shooting out hitting the monster’s feet. She spun the wheel again this time landing on green.

“Inspiration is gained by nature,” she spoke calmly raising one of her arms upward.

The monster already softened up by the fire was then met with an attack by large vines popping out of the ground. The vines grabbed its limbs and tore it apart into several pieces, and it crumbled into many marble pieces. She picked up a piece and crushed it in her fist.

“They’re called Sreeches. And they prey upon people without dreams,”   she spoke turning around to face me.

Then it hit me, her stance was different but the voice was the same. She was the older woman from earlier! Why she was taken such an interest in my life, I do not know.

“How can something hunt people without dreams? This all seems silly.” I spoke not really believing what had just happened.

“If you live your life according to what makes sense, you won’t have much of a life, but for the record, I don’t know exactly who they come from. Now follow me we’ve got work to do,” she commanded.

I followed her trying to keep safe, “But who are you?”

“My name is Imaerou and I am a Clay Warrior. Sometimes there are thoughts or ideas so powerful they manifest into reality. These creatures and I share same but different origins.” she explained.

“Usually this is part of the dream where I’d realize these sort of things don’t happen in real life and then I’d wake up.” I thought out loud as we walked further down the street.

“But you know this is not truly a dream when you almost felt death,” she replied.  

“Wait where are we going? It’s over now, you stopped it.” I asked concerned.

“Crearo, when you gave up on your dream you attracted them, but when you accepted death.. it made you a target. These things travel in packs, and their Alpha wants you. The one you just faced was merely a scout.” she continued.

“Are these going to keep coming after me?!” I wondered.

“Yes. Which is why you believe in your dream,” she stated.

“My beliefs aren’t a light switch, I’d need a reason to follow my dream again.,” I argued.

She went silent as we arrived upon a suburban home, it was a bit run down and surrounded by trees. Some appeared to be dead. Imaerou signaled for us to be quiet, and I started feeling like a trespasser as we walked around the backyard. She spun her color wheel and it landed on yellow. The silver part of her armor lit up giving us some light. She pointed to an easel. The painting on the easel was clearly made by a young child, from what I could tell it was a jungle with a wooden swing on a tree. Nearby was a smiling tiger. I wondered if she got the materials from my store.

“Well?” I asked confused.

Suddenly, Imaerou shoved me towards the painting, I closed my eyes and waved my hands bracing for impact but I landed on the ground somehow, and when I lifted up my head I was greeted by a smiling tiger sniffing me.  I turned around and I could see a giant-sized Imaerou. Was I inside the painting? But that was impossible? Right? She looked at me.

“You’ll be safe here. You won’t be able to leave unless you’re like me, and you can’t be like me unless you’re able to tirelessly pursue your dream.” She explained.

She turned around and walked off into the darkness. I was left alone confused and frightened. I sat down and my mind took me back to the past. I was younger then and I had just opened up the Art Emporium. I was hanging up artwork on the walls trying to set everything up before the grand opening. I loved art, I practiced in all mediums and helping others bring forth their creations to something really made me happy. It was easy at first, customers came in and out. I remember that night in the first week where I stayed up all night making those little wooden figures. They didn’t work out, but it was a fond memory at least. I laid down on the ground that was surprisingly soft and closed my eyes hoping this was all going to be over within the morning.

It wasn’t.

I awoke to the sounds of voices when I opened my eyes I could see Imaerou again. She was in the form of the older woman this time, and she was with a little girl. By her height and features, I guessed that the little girl was in elementary school. She was leading Imaerou to the swing, and they played. I began to wonder if anyone could see me and if I was forgotten about. Then I noticed something in her hand, it was a little wooden giraffe. I recognized the style, it was mine. I made it several years ago, but I could tell what was my own work. She sat it on a little table and studied it. Imaerou handed her a glob of clay. Was it the clay she bought the other day? She molded it attempting to shape something, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

“Keep trying.” Imaerou encouraged.

“The contest is in a month, and my giraffe still isn’t good enough.” the little girl replied.

She sat the glob of clay on the table and stared at it.

“You shouldn’t worry about that right now Hannah, just keep practicing,” Imaerou answered.

“Mom says that the Art Emporium will close down soon, because of the bigger art store,” Hannah mentioned.

Did my wooden figures inspire this girl? And what did Imaerou have to do with her?

“It won’t close down,” Imaerou said confidently.

“How do you know?” Hannah asked puzzled.

“The shop owner won’t give up on his dream, I’m sure of it, so you shouldn’t either!” she gave Hannah a thumbs up.  

“Well one day I’ll be able to make a giraffe just like him.” she smiled.

I had never seen this girl before, but it seemed that we were indirectly connected in a strange way. I had no idea, no concept of something I made would do this. It was fascinating. Suddenly the backdoor to the house opened up and a middle-aged woman came out.

“Hannah, time to go to the doctor.” her mother spoke worriedly.

Hannah turned to Imaerou, “I have to go now. The doctor needs to find out why I’m fainting.”

She ran to her mom waving bye to Imaerou.

“Talking to your imaginary friend again?” the mother asked.

“Yes. Imaerou is my hero.” Hannah answering smiling.

I looked back and forth at Hannah and Imaerou. Imaginary friend? Imaerou’s previous words echoed in my head.

Sometimes there are thoughts or ideas so powerful they manifest into reality.

But that was impossible, right? Then again everything I’ve seen so far seemed to be impossible. I wasn’t sure what to think about all of this. How long would I be in here anyways? Imaerou walked up to me.

“I looked around all night for them, but they’re proving elusive since they can’t find you,” she explained.

“You’re not real!” I exclaimed wanting answers.

She stared at me for a moment.

“I’m real. Most people just can’t see me, though I worry how real I would be without her,” she said looking at Hannah.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Hannah and I share a special bond, but in some ways, I know more than her. I can feel it inside her, she’s sick.” Imaerou’s hand extended forward as if trying to grasp Hannah as she climbed into her mother’s car.

“I’m s-sorry,” I answered softly.

She walked over and reached inside pulling me out of the painting.

“What do you know?” she said staring.

I think she realized she was acting in anger, as she wasn’t saying anything. I was too afraid to say something. She dropped me to the ground.

“Sorry, but I should have done this hours ago,” she spoke softly.

I scratched my head confused but then I heard the trademark screech, as several screeches came out of the woods seemingly out of nowhere.

THUMP!

Behind me, a much larger Screech with a tail and wings landed. It turned its head sideways looking at me. Imaerou picked me up and threw me back inside the painting.

“Just as I thought, they were in hiding. I’ll deal with the Alpha and these guys.” Imaerou stated as in a flash she changed into her previous form.

I watched in amazement when something hit my head. It was a simple paintbrush. I didn’t know where it came from or if I was supposed to do something with it. I instead watched the onward battle. Imaerou spun her color wheel as four Screeches surrounded her. It landed on blue.

“Let ideas flow,” she stated as the grey portion of her armor started to turn blue.

She jumped in the air as a flood of water came rushing in from seemingly nowhere knocking the creatures to their feet. She landed on the ground only to be easily swapped by the Alpha Screech. It snarled at her as she got up spinning the wheel again landing on red, she counter-attacked by spewing fire at the beast. It only seemed to annoy it. It swung its tail at lightning speeds towards her, she tried to jump up but was still knocked away by the impact. I felt guilty that she was taking hits for me, I was beginning to wish there was something I could do.

“You can be like Hannah too Crearo. Tirelessly pursuing your dream.” Imaerou encouraged as she was getting hit by the group of Screeches.

The paintbrush in my hand glowed. Was this the key to becoming like Imaerou? And was I ready to be like Hannah? After all, I inspired her in some way. And these things were after me, they were somewhat my responsibility.

“Just create what you’ve seen before you in your own way. I believe in you.” Imaerou spoke.

I picked up the paintbrush and imagined a canvas. I looked back and forth at Imaerou’s armor for inspiration. My painting was unfinished, I had merely painted half of the armor. I dug into the dirt underneath me and molded it like clay combining the two images. It was all impossible, but here it didn’t matter. The armor stood before me, my design was slightly altered from her’s. However, I didn’t want to go weaponless. So I painted a quite long sword. When finished I stepped back. The armor glowed and I blinked. When I opened my eyes, I was now wearing the armor. I clenched my fist in confidence as I gripped my sword jumping out of the painting landing in the real world. Energy buzzed when I feet landed on the ground. The Screeches all turned around to look at me. Imaerou took the opportunity to jump up escaping their attacks. She landed next to me as the Alpha approached us.

“I’m not sure you have any idea what you’re doing, but let’s deal with the small ones first,” she stated.

I nodded.  We charged forward as I sliced violently at three of them flinging them into the air, Imaerou spun her wheel landing on green and she used the vines to tear them apart like before.

“Hope you have some tricks up your sleeve.” she teased high fiving me.

“It isn’t just a sword,” I said as the fourth screech started screaming at me.

Clutching my sword, I pressed a button on it and the blade itself turned into energy. Sporting a rainbow color, the blade extended and split itself into two parts like scissors. My elemental armor resonated with the energy sword turning me rainbow as well.  The Screech screamed as I readied for my finishing attack.

This is where I started. My big final moment! However, before I could strike a rock hit me ruining my sync with the sword and forcing me to lose my balance. I’m glad I have a helmet otherwise I’d be tasting dirt. I got up as Imaerou kicked the smaller Screech away. I turned my head to face the Alpha, which was charging towards me. I was not quick enough and both of us were trampled. The attack did a number on me, and from the looks of it Imaerou as well. We slowly began to get up.

“The Alpha was created through your willingness to give up, only you can stop it, ” she spoke helping me up.

I got into a fighting stance as Imaerou grabbed the fourth Screech by the head throwing it towards the Alpha. The Alpha sliced the Screech into pieces and roared at us.

She looked at me and said, “It was worth a shot.”

“If I could just get it within my sword..” I muttered.

The Alpha Screech flapped its wings hovering above us intending to smash us yet again, but this time we rolled out of the way. Imaerou and I spun our color wheels, landing on red. She shot fire at the beast again, while I charged my flame through the sword and slammed it down sending a flame of fire upward knocking the Alpha out of the sky.

“Spin again!” she shouted.

We spun again, this time on yellow we shined brightly blinding the creature, she switched back to green and attempted to restrain it with vines.

“Now!” she commanded.

I pressed the button on my sword and it turned into energy once again, as the Alpha tore out of the vines thrashing its claws wildly, my blade spilt into two. I got its hand between the scissors-like blade and cut off the Screech’s hands. Then I slashed upward flinging it into the air, and I too glowed rainbow.

“I understand it all now, it isn’t just some monster. It represents my doubts and fears, but I’m never going to give up on my dream!” I spoke to myself.

Catching the Alpha in the blade, I twisted the large scissors like blade. Cracking sounds were heard, as cracks in the Alpha glowed. Twisting and crushing it caused the body to fall into pieces. The second the battle was finished, the sword faded away as I dropped it from exhaustion. I kneeled as my armor faded away as well. I looked around at the damage to the backyard, but everything was seemingly turning back to normal as if there was no combat at all.

“When you tirelessly pursue your dreams, all setbacks simply fade away.” she touched my shoulder no longer in armor either.

“That was amazing!” I clutched the paintbrush I used to create the armor in my hand.

“It was. I knew you wouldn’t give up in the end.” Imaerou smirked.

“I won’t forget this day, but I’ve got to get going. Lots of work to do if I’m going to save my business.” I stood up smiling.

“I’ll be checking up on you.” she extended her hand.

I shook her hand, “I look forward to it.”

Over the next few weeks, I didn’t see Imaerou anymore. I was very busy, so I didn’t think about it much. Thanks to my new strategy and aggressive marketing I’ve been able to stay afloat. I actually see Hannah often, I’ve been teaching her how to make clay art. It was nice. Imaerou never did mention what she was sick with, I assumed that all was well. Soon years had passed, at least sixteen. Hannah was like a niece to me, and I wished her well. Still hadn’t seen Imaerou since that day, I begin to wonder if I could even see her anymore. Then one night I was closing up shop.

“You’re getting close to my age.” a voice said.

I knew who it was. I turned around to see my old friend.

“Imaerou! I’m not that old!” I said pointing at her.

“Glad to see this place is still up and running,” she smirked.

“Where have you been? Why are you in armor?” I asked.

“Catching up will have to wait, we’ve got some work to do. Get your paintbrush,” she spoke.

I took it out of my pocket, I always had it with me. The paintbrush glowed. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew in my heart I was ready for it.  

[princessamericachavez]

Welcome to the Party

It’s been days since Eddie was able to close his eyes without the constant threat of being hunted down —either by a bunch of angry middle classed religious fanatics, the police or a supernatural monster—, for the first time he has a semblance of peace, of knowing he’s surrounded by people who would help him in case whatever gets to him first comes knocking, so he should be able to sleep at least for a few well-deserved hours. Right? 

He can’t sleep. 

Every time he closes his eyes, adrenaline spikes through his body, every nerve screaming that he’s at risk and he should be alert and ready to flee once more. Again. And again. Always running. 

With a sigh, he gets up and carefully tiptoes around the sleeping kids spread through the abandoned cottage, a mess of knotted limbs, clenching to one another, their paused breathings intermixed with the faint sound of Max’s life-saving music. 

Eddie makes his way to the kitchen, searching for the bottle of Whiskey whoever used to live her left half-finished on a drawer, but once he has it at hand, he hesitates. His mind races back to those fucking demon bats, and the perspective of fighting them while buzzed is terrifying enough to make his stomach turn. He can’t even drink in peace anymore, apparently. 

“Fuck,” he hisses, as he makes his way outside. At least he can have a damn cigarette to calm his nerves.

As soon as he opens the front door, three pairs of eyes turn towards him. It shouldn’t surprise him, in hindsight, their hyperawareness and the tension that lingers behind their haunted eyes a couple seconds until they recognize he’s just good old Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson and not an otherworldly threat. Still, something about those looks makes his skin crawl with some primal awareness that he’s in the presence of dangerous people, even as they look away and get back to their business. Apparently, he’s not the only one who can’t sleep. 

Upon further inspection, he notices that Wheeler’s eyes are red-rimmed and that Robin and her are speaking in low hushed tones, voices shaking with held back tears here and there. So he decides to take himself and his cigarette elsewhere, until his feet find Steve, a few feet away from the house, swinging around a baseball bat like he’s preparing for a match or something... except the bat is filled with goddamn nails.

“What the hell is that?” He asks, stopping his approach. 

“What?” Steve asks, like he isn’t holding what could be a murder weapon in his right hand. Then, he looks down and fucking shrugs. “Oh, it’s actually not mine. Well, I guess it is. It was Jonathan’s, he let me keep it.”

“Byler?” Eddie asks, eyes darting back towards the front porch. 

He regrets the move immediately, because Steve’s eyes follow his and his expression sours. 

“Sorry.”

Steve shakes his head, dismissively, without looking away, but whatever pain crossed his expression earlier is quickly replaced by concern. Eddie takes a drag of his cigarette and leans next to the car, by Steve’s right. 

“She alright?”

“Yeah, it’s just... that thing, fucking Vecna was taunting her about Barb.”

“Barbara Holland, right? That’s the girl that went missing couple years ago. Why would- oh.” Eddie connects the dots a little too slowly. He thinks of Crissy, of Patrick, of how many more must have been taken by these monsters without anyone ever finding out. “Shit, dude.”

“She was taken from my house, actually,” Steve’s voice sounds hoarse, as he leans back against the car too, his eyes distant. “We were- we didn’t even realize, didn’t do anything. Nancy... she could never forgive herself. Or me,” he adds that last bit with a bitterness deeper than anything Eddie would’ve thought him capable of a couple days ago. 

“It’s not like it was your fault,” he offers. 

Silence. Steve doesn’t even dignify the attempt with a reply, he just shakes his head again, eyes boring into the grass between their feet. Eddie runs a hand through his dirty hair, nervously, trying to find a way out of this dark hole of a conversation. His nervous eyes land on the bat hanging limply between Steve’s hands. 

“So how’d you end up with that, if it’s Byler’s?”

“Oh, this?” Steve wakes up slightly, letting out a huff that is barely a laugh. “First time I fought a monster.”

“First time?” Eddie’s eyebrows arch. “When did Henderson drag you into this?”

“Dustin?” Steve finally looks up, face full of surprise. “Nah, man. I was in it way before I became friends with Dustin. Kinda dragged myself into it, to be honest.”

“How?”

“By not walking away. I was- Nancy and I, we were dating back when Barb went missing and I was... well, I was kind of an asshole back then. I mean, I- I’m not anymore. At least, I don’t think I am...” he rambles absentmindedly, running a hand through that stupidly fluffy hair of his like he wants to pull it off his skull. Eddie’s brow knits. The possibility of still being an asshole seems to disturb him far more than anything they saw in the Upside Down. And then, Harrington forces a smile and looks up at him. “Anyway, I was as much of a douchbag as you probably think I am.”

“Thought,” Eddie corrects. “Thought you were.”

“Either way,” Steve goes on like Eddie didn’t interject, “some... stuff happened, and I went around to Byers to apologize and Nancy was there and I thought she was hurt and- I don’t know, I guess I freaked out, so I barged in expecting a fight or something, right? But I found them gearing up to fight a monster.”

“One of those bats?”

“What? No. The first monster we told you about! Demo- something.”

“A demogorgon?!” Eddie’s back straightens as he recalls the illustration from the Monster Manual. 

“That’s the one,” Steve purses his lips. “Anyway, if you think you were freaking out back at the lake, you should’ve seen me. I fucking ran out of that house as fast as I could. I was losing it, man,” he pulls at his hair again, eyes low. 

On one hand, Eddie feels a wave of fucking relief at the notion that he’s not the only coward who ran away as soon as he set eyes on one of those horrible things. On the other, nothing he’s seen about Steve Harrington so far fits with that idea. It doesn’t add up. 

“So I’m outside, right?” Steve keeps going. “And I’m struggling for my keys, desperate to get away... and then the fucking lights start flickering. And the monster is back. So I... I ran back in, picked up Jonathan’s bat and hit it. Again, and again, and again, until we were able to trap it and light it on fire. Byers let me keep the bat after that.”

“Wait, you’re telling me you saw one of those things, and you ran back in to fight it?”

“Yeah,” Steve shrugs. 

“W-why?” Eddie asks, surprised that his own voice sounds so indignant. “Why would you- why would anyone do that?!”

Steve’s eyes bounce quickly to the porch, then back at him. His face is open and honest and almost sad when he says, “I couldn’t leave them to fight it alone. I just- I couldn’t.”

And there it is. The Steve Harrington he’s known for about 48 hours. The dude that came to his rescue only because Dustin Henderson asked and dove into a lake to search for an interdimensional gate and tried to brush off the fact that he almost got eaten alive. 

“I would have run,” he admits, quietly, shamefully. 

“Yes, but I’m an idiot,” Steve deadpans. 

That startles a laugh out of Eddie, a little too loud. Steve smiles back at him, satisfied. 

“So Henderson...”

“Fucking ambushed me outside of Nancy’s house one day, hopped into my car and demanded I brought the bat along.”

“Sounds like that little shit,” Eddie sighs, flopping down until his back is resting against the car’s hood and his eyes on the stars.

“Yep. So I did... I signed up to be a babysitter that fights monster dogs and tries to keep those kids alive.”

“Because you’re an idiot.”

“Now you’re getting it, Munson.”

Except Steve’s not an idiot. At least, it’s not the word Eddie would use to describe him. There’s other words, all out of his fantasy books and games, that would fit him far more, but he doesn’t want to risk saying them out loud and losing the chance of actually being friends with Steve. Cool guys that make out with pretty girls and co-captain sports teams and fight monsters don’t tend to associate with nerds like him. 

But Steve Harrington lets his weight drop next to him and sets his sight on the dark sky above them like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“Honestly? Don’t tell Henderson this, but that’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever done. I mean- Sure, he and his friends are a pain in my ass and I’ve nearly died trying to keep them in one piece at least a dozen times, not to mention being tortured by some Russian spies, and-”

“What?”

“Not the point. Thing is, after Nance... before Robin... it was all kinda shitty. Kinda lonely, you know? My friends were assholes so when I ditched them... I was alone for a bit.”

Lonely. Finally something Eddie understands. He sighs, turning to look at him. Steve Harrington, bruised and battered and dirty, glaring at the stars with some kind of heaviness that is oddly familiar to Eddie. He’s never really been alone, not like that, at least. He has the Hellfire Club, and he has his band, and he even has his uncle... but he wonders if any of them like him enough to fight monsters, to fight the claims that he is one, if any of them would go to hell for him the way Nancy and Robin did for Steve last night. He isn’t sure. Whatever binds those three together is stronger than anything he’s seen before. Whatever it is... he craves it, too.

“So what’s the deal with Robin?” He asks, as his mind spins around this tangled web of people he’s found himself in. 

Steve’s face turns abruptly, eyes finding his, expression suddenly tense, oddly defensive for a guy who was just spilling his guts a second ago. Something about that expression, suddenly all hard edges, makes Eddie want to recoil in fear. He is sharply reminded that he’s dealing with someone dangerous. 

“What about her?”

Eddie swallows thickly, before he dares push the words out. “I- I mean- what’s her deal in all this? How did she- you know, how did she get involved?”

Thank goodness, it’s not the wrong question. He doesn’t know what the wrong question would’ve been, but this one must be alright judging by the way Steve’s face softens. 

“Oh, right, that one’s on me, actually,” he says, voice all warmth again, like nothing happened. “Though, really, she kinda dragged herself into this, too. I mean, she can blame me all she wants, but she’s the one that insisted on decoding the Russian secret messages.”

“Seriously, are you fucking with me with this Russian thing?” Eddie asks, propping himself on an elbow to glare down at Harrington. 

“I wish,” he deadpans. 

Eddie’s eyes narrow with disbelief and that is apparently what gets Steve Harrington to lose his nerve. 

“Oh my god!” He groans, shaking his hands like he wants to strangle him before sitting back up. He grabs him by the arm and all but drags him towards the front porch, marching indignantly all the way through. Eddie doesn’t fight it (not like he could, because Harrington is way stronger than he looks). Steve stops right before the girls, whose quiet and calmer conversation halts as they look up at them, eyebrows raised in mirrored bemusement. “Robin,” Steve says, pointing at the girl, “were we or were we not tortured by Russian spies last summer!”

“We were! Though I think you got more tortured than I did. I only got the truth drugs.”

“See?” Steve gestures at her, like her sole word is definitive proof he’s telling the truth. 

Eddie, to his own surprise, believes her. 

“You’re shitting me.”

“They are not,” Wheeler whispers behind her cup of tea. Her eyes are still swollen, but she miles before taking a sip. 

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“It’s alright,” Robin smiles cheekily at him. “I was the new kid once. You’ll catch up.”

There’s a promise there of a future, of time to catch up, of being the “new kid” because he belongs to the group now. It makes Eddie’s chest feel wide and warm, like it might burst. 

“I think I need to lay down.”

“You should sleep,” Nancy says. And then, more firmly, “you both should.”

Steve opens his mouth to complain, then closes it again. He repeats the movement a couple times, like he’s a fish gapping for air. Nancy’s eyes pin him down like a hook. Robin stares, chuckling, like fishing is her new favorite sport. 

“Right, okay, fine. I guess I could use some rest before I bleed out or something,” Steve finally grumbles. 

“C’mon, man, we better go before she makes you bleed again,” Eddie grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him inside. He can hear the girls giggling outside. Neither struck him as the giggling kind, but he’s learning to let go of whatever idea he had of anything by now. 

They go back inside and each find a spot close to the children. Max’s miraculous music still sounds faintly in the dark. Steve groans as he sets himself down. 

“You good, man?”

“Yeah,” Steve’s voice sounds clipped, though. Holding back something. Pain, probably. “I’m good. I’m used to getting the shit kicked out of me by now.”

“Harrington, do me a favor, alright? Leave the self-deprecating humor to the cowards like me, okay? When cool monster-hunting dudes try it, it only sounds fake.”

Steve laughs, a little too hard for the dark silence of the cottage, and the sound turns into a groan. “Whatever, Munson. Next time, you can get eaten alive by monsters, and then you can make the jokes.”

“Next time?”

“Oh yeah, didn’t I tell you? That’s the thing with this group. Once you’re in, you’re in forever. Life’s never gonna be normal again. Sorry.”

Eddie breathes slowly, trying to figure out if the fear or the excitement in his chest will win. In the end, both emotions come to a tense standstill. For now, at least, he doesn’t want to run. He almost feels brave when he says, “good.”

When sleep comes, it does without warning. In the darkness, his last thought is that if he dies tonight, at least he’ll do it surrounded by friends. And if he lives... maybe he’ll do it surrounded by friends, too.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

This Game of Yours

Father of Mine – Part 1 and Part 2

Jason was beautiful.

And somehow that scar that went from the right corner of his mouth up to his temple only made him that much more beautiful to Y/N.

Those blue eyes were the same color of water on a stormy day in the Irish sea. And somehow Y/N knew they held the same tempestuousness.

The white streak weaved with his jet black hair so naturally that Y/N would’ve believed he was born with it.

His shoulders were so broad, making his 6’3 height feel even more imposing. He had a presence. People noticed every time he walked into a room. It made Y/N wonder how he was ever able to sneak up on people as Red Hood.

He was wearing a black hoodie underneath his black moto jacket.

Y/N knew Jason didn’t give a shit about fashion. Yet he was well-dressed without any effort – more so than most of the models Y/N had shot throughout her career.

Not being able to control herself any longer, Y/N raised her camera and took a photo.

Jason stopped surveying their surroundings and his gaze snapped to her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

But his growl didn’t scare her in the slightest.

“Anyone who’s by me when I have a camera is at risk of getting their picture taken. No one is safe. Not even you,” she answered his question unapologetically.

Y/N was working on a personal passion project for her next show. Her collection would be about the poverty and crime of Gotham. Half of the photos would show the heaviest crime areas of the city. And the other half would expose the lifestyles of the wealthiest people in Gotham.

Why did so many suffer from the same system that helped the rich get even richer?

When Bruce found out Y/N was going to Crime Alley and the Bowery by herself, he was visibly upset.

But he realized that Y/N would do as she pleased, so his plan b was to give her protective detail.

However, Y/N didn’t know that Jason had volunteered, almost immediately.

Instead, all she heard was Jason grimly telling her, “You’re lucky you haven’t been fucking murdered yet.”

She had only responded with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m not your escort so you can take my picture. I’m here so you don’t get raped or murdered.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?”

His only response was a glare.

Jason loved playing this game. The game of pretending to be irritated with her when actually he was absolutely infatuated with Y/F/N Y/L/N.

“The easiest way to stop getting your picture taken is to always be the one holding the camera,” Y/N added with a smirk and wink.

Jason didn’t answer, only thinking what a shame it was that no one got to photograph her.

Suddenly, the sunlight hit the top of his head perfectly, creating a halo around that thick and messy hair of his.

Y/N snapped another photo.

“Will you stop?” He warned.

It only succeeded in making her laugh.

And that just excited his heart even more.

“Jason, you were born to get your photo taken.” 

There was no joke underneath her words, only sincerity.

“Whatever,” he mumbled.

Jason had a hard time believing that. His skin was riddled with scars. And he was convinced that she’d be singing a different song if she saw his chest, with its thick autopsy scar amongst the so many others. The absolute last word he’d use to describe himself was beautiful. Strong and imposing? Yes. But never beautiful – or any other positive adjective, for that matter.

“I’m not kidding. If you ever want to stop the whole vigilante thing, you can easily become a model.”

Y/N had noticed it as soon as Jason took of his helmet that night. His domino mask had done nothing to prevent her from noting the obvious.

It didn’t take long for Y/N to realize Jason wasn’t like his “brothers.”

“Brothers.” What a strange word.

Should she consider all of them as hers?

Only Damian was actually related to her – and technically he was only her half-brother.

Y/N had watched Jason get on his motorcycle and leave the cave that night she’d almost died.

She’d agreed to stay for dinner and get to know everyone. And a part of her brain was excited to get a better read on the masked man that sat by her bedside as she’d recovered.

“He’s not staying?” Y/N had asked Bruce as he guided her to the stairs that led back up to the manor.

He only shook his head, but she noticed the disappointed expression.

Soon she found out that Jason was the black sheep of this strange family that had taken her in.

Dick was the one who told her about Jason’s dark past. All of it seemed unbelievable: murdered by Joker and brought back to life from a mysterious pit. Only to return to the family who appeared to have replaced him and never sought vengeance on Jason’s behalf. 

But it was true; Y/N had seen no lie in Dick’s eyes when he filled her in.

Suddenly there was yelling coming from around the corner.

Without hesitation, Jason shoved Y/N behind him.

He reached for one of his guns and then realized that he didn’t have any.

Y/N was rather vocal about hating them, claiming they made her extremely uncomfortable.

Her expression alone as she said it was enough for Jason to swallow his stubbornness and leave the things at home.

Bruce was rather taken aback by the gesture. Nothing he’d ever said was enough to get Jason to do that.

A gang of young men came marching around the corner like they owned the place…because they did. This was their territory.

Jason immediately recognized them as some of the Russian mob.

Despite pulling Y/N behind him, they still caught sight of her and looked her up and down without an ounce of shame.

“Hey, beautiful. How you doing?”

“Продолжай идти, придурки,” Jason growled at them.

He was outnumbered. But there must’ve been something about his body language that made the gang realize they shouldn’t pick a fight with him. Maybe it was the muscles or his height or that he looked like he wouldn’t even blink before murdering them.

So they just…walked away. Some of them mumbled threats or insults at him. But they realized they shouldn’t even so much as look at Y/N.

A split second before they were gone, Y/N took a picture of Jason.

“Really?” He asked.

She shrugged. “You look like a different person when you’re protective.”

Y/N was beautiful.

Jason watched as she passionately explained her work to a potential buyer.

He recognized the man as a local politician – luckily, one of the few that hadn’t been corrupted from this shitty city.

Y/N had the intimidating energy of her father, but the kind eyes of her mother. At least, that was what Bruce had told everyone, and they all took his word for it.

She wore a stylish white jumpsuit that made her look like a 1980s villain and black stiletto heels. 

Jason watched as men cowered in her presence, hating the fact that she proudly stood taller than them. She was just one less woman they could intimidate or manipulate – and they couldn’t stand it.

But Jason loved watching the emasculation in real time.

The bastards didn’t deserve her anyway.

Dick was one of the very few men Jason knew who didn’t blink at a woman towering over him. In fact, his older brother had a track record of preferring it.

“Surprised to see you here,” Bruce said beside him, catching Jason watching Y/N.

“Well, I was her personal bodyguard through all this. Figured I should see if it was worth me wasting my time or not.” Then he tossed back his champagne and slammed it on the tray of a waiter passing by. “Plus, free alcohol.”

Bruce just quirked an eyebrow, silently telling Jason that he knew he was lying.

“Are you buying something?” Jason asked, trying to change the subject.

“I have been strictly forbidden,” Bruce sighed.

Jason chuckled.

He knew if Bruce had his way, he’d buy every single on of Y/N’s pieces.

“I have to know,” Bruce began. “What exactly is holding you back?”

Jason finally ripped his gaze away from Y/N to give Bruce a questioning look.

“What are you talking about?”

“Y/N. You care about her.”

“All of us do,” Jason brushed off. “Even the demon spawn.”

Bruce knew there wasn’t a chance Jason would admit his feelings – especially to him.

“Not that I think you care…but you have my approval.”

Little did Bruce know, Jason did care.

Jason had convinced himself that their rocky relationship and past fights meant that Bruce would die before he let Jason be anywhere near his daughter.

And Jason could hardly blame him.

He didn’t deserve to be loved. He lost that right after he died and came back a monster. And that was the story Jason told himself over and over again.

So he would love Y/N from afar. And hope she would pick someone who was worthy of her love.

“She’s basically my sister,” Jason groaned in fake disgust.

It was quite the performance.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “We both know that isn’t what’s stopping you. And you’ve made it clear you don’t consider us your family.”

“Whatever, Bruce.”

Jason walked away, having enough of the subject.

“What was that about?” Clark asked as he joined Bruce’s side.

“Jason refusing to let himself be happy,” Bruce sighed.

Clark already knew what Bruce was talking about. He’d seen Y/N and Jason dancing around each other for months now. He’d never really seen Y/N take an interest in anyone before, so it was all new for Clark.

“Don’t worry. Y/N won’t let him get away with it for much longer,” Clark said through a smirk. “She gets what she wants.”

And Bruce believed him.

“It doesn’t bother you – the two of them together?” Clark asked with genuine curiosity.

“Jason reminds me every day that I’m not his father. And I’m hardly Y/N’s.” A soft smile formed on Bruce’s lips. “He’ll look after her. And she…I think she’d be good for him. I just want them to be happy. Both of them.”

——

Jason headed home rather early.

He’d never actually went to say congratulations or even hello to Y/N.

Every time he was about to go over, someone else stole her attention. He didn’t want to get in the way of her talking to potential buyers or even just friends.

Jason was just about to make himself something to eat when there was a knock at his door.

He froze.

Very few people knew where his apartment was.

Jason grabbed a gun and tiptoed to his front door.

With a peak through the peephole, he let out a irritated sigh.

Jason whipped the door open, “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot your head off.”

“Maybe don’t own guns and you wouldn’t have to worry about shit like that,” Y/N snapped back.

“What are you doing here?”

“You come to my gallery opening and don’t even say hi?” Y/N accused as she stepped around him and into the apartment, not waiting for an invitation.

Jason eyed the paper bag that was in one of her hands.

“By all means, come on in,” he called sarcastically as he slammed the door behind her.

Y/N started searching through his cabinets. “Where are your glasses?”

“The one to your right. What are you doing here?”

Y/N had the brightest and almost mischievous smile as she pulled a bottle of champagne from the paper bag.

“I brought this as my thanks for you making sure I don’t – and I quote – ‘get raped and murdered.’”

Jason glared at her.

Here was the game again.

Y/N being charming and hilariously provoking..and Jason pretending like he hadn’t fallen for her.

She poured them both a glass. They weren’t flutes or coupes, but she couldn’t care less.

“We’re chugging these, by the way,” Y/N informed Jason as she handed him a glass.

He sighed, but obediently clinked his glass with hers and tossed it back.

Barely giving them a second, Y/N immediately refilled them.

“So, why didn’t you come over and say hi?” She repeated.

“Didn’t want to bother you,” Jason mumbled with a shrug.

She narrowed her eyes at his answer. “You’ve never bothered me before, Jason.”

Now he felt guilty.

Jason bowed his head. “I should’ve come and talked to you,” he agreed. “Your work…it looked – it’s amazing, Y/N. Congratulations.”

Apparently Y/N hadn’t expected such a sincere compliment from him, and she was stunned to silence.

“Thank you,” she managed to whisper once she’d recovered.

She cleared her throat, trying to maintain her edge. “And really…thank you for being my own little security detail.”

If Jason was healthy about expressing is thoughts and feelings, he would’ve told her that it was the highlight of his weeks. That he looked forward to her calls or texts, telling him that she was going to photograph another shady area. “Be there or don’t. I’m going no matter what,” she’d text him with her usual snark.

But Jason didn’t express his thoughts and feelings.

He kept them bottled up – with the same energy he used to keep Y/N at a distance.

So instead, Jason said, “If it wasn’t me, one of the others would’ve done it.”

Y/N winced slightly at that.

‘You’re such a fucking asshole,’ Jason told himself.

“You know…we can see each other even you’re not my bodyguard.”

Jason was impressed by her boldness. But she didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t understand that he wasn’t good. He couldn’t play the loving boyfriend role. She belonged with someone like Dick or Clark – or literally anyone but him. And Jason was willing to be an asshole to make sure she understood that.

Y/N took a step closer to him, invading his personal space.

Without breaking eye contact, she threw back her second glass of champagne and then placed it on the nearest counter space.

She stepped even closer.

This was simultaneously Jason’s worst nightmare and most desired dream.

Her eyes moved from his eyes to his lips.

But before she could make her final push, Jason took a step back and cleared his throat.

He looked down at the ground as he said, “You should go.”

When he looked up, he expected to find Y/N heartbroken or embarrassed.

But she was neither.

No. She looked irritated.

Not because she wasn’t getting what she wanted, but because she was sick of his games.

Y/N sighed and stepped back. “Fine.”

Jason rubbed his face in frustration as she grabbed her purse and started for the door she had walked through only minutes ago.

She opened it and paused.

“You know what? No. Fuck that,” Y/N snapped before slamming the door closed.

She whipped around and strutted back to him with purpose.

Jason was suspended with both fervor and awe.

Y/N grabbed his face and pulled him down to her lips.

All self control went out the window. Jason couldn’t continue his game. It was all over for him.

He kissed her back almost immediately. How could he not?

Y/N bit his lip slightly, making him hiss in surprise. It was his punishment for making her wait all this time.

Eventually they needed a moment to breathe.

But Y/N didn’t let go of his face when their lips finally parted.

“Choose your next words very carefully,” she breathed.

He swallowed nervously. “You’re kind of fucking terrifying. You know that?”

Her smile was pure evil.

Apparently this was the right response.

“Are you done being an idiot?” She asked.

He nodded quickly.

Her hands moved down and then lingered on his neck, tracing the bottom lines of his jaw.

She smiled again and then looked him up and down.

“What?” He questioned.

“Nothing,” she laughed. “I’m just…I’m not used to being shorter than men.”

“Is that the only reason you like me? Huh? My height?” Jason goaded.

“Of course not,” Y/N scoffed. “It was the whole ‘I look like I could murder everyone and I can, but deep down I’m a big softie’ that did it for me.”

Jason’s grip tightened on her waist. “Oh, yeah? You’re one to talk…”

“Me?!” She yelped. “I couldn’t kill anyone, even if my life depended on it.”

“Maybe. But your terrifying in basically every other way.”

Y/N laughed at that.

Jason couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the sound

“So…still want me to leave?” She asked.

And this time, she would if that’s really what he wanted.

“Fuck no,” Jason answered, almost threateningly.

Then, for good measure, he picked her up by the back of her thighs and carried her to the couch, before he started to kiss her once again.

Y/N knew things weren’t always going to be this simple.

Jason had his demons. 

And honestly, so did she. They were nothing like his. And maybe they were silly in comparison. But she wouldn’t be the perfect partner. Just like he wouldn’t be. 

They’d drive each other crazy. But it would be the good kind of crazy.

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

+ Childhood

[yhwhsdaughter]

pairing: trevor belmont x fem reader

content: forced vampirism, monster slaying, main character death, pining, angst, mention of animal death, usage of the word ‘assault’ to refer vampires feeding on reader

- this was meant as platonic soulmates but it can be seen as romantic too

“It hurts…”

Feet dragging across the rocky ground, you heard screeches of pain from behind, though they soon diminished. You could only focus on the pulsing sensation at the side of your neck; it was like fire rushing through your veins.

Preoccupied with your agony, Belmont was able to sneak up. He raised his whip, ready to kill off the last of the creatures when you suddenly turned, and with glossy eyes you said, “Help me…”

The whip managed to leave a thin horizontal line across your cheek as he pulled back, causing blood to drip out slowly. Now illuminated by the moon, Belmont saw the damage on you. Skin exposed by the ripped clothes showed multiple bite marks. Blood stained the corner of your lips.

She’s been infected..

Belmont didn’t see a monster but a scared woman who’d just been assaulted by vampires. He knew what she’d turn into, but he couldn’t kill her… not when she looked at him like this. Sunrise was approaching so he had to act fast.

Draping his cloak onto your form, Belmont proceeded to carry you into the nearest building, which so happened to be where the carnage had occurred. Upon recognizing the place, you began to panic, shaking and looking at him with distrust. “You’re safe. I killed every last of those bloodsuckers.”

The two of you stayed like that for a while, in that shitty stinking room. Eventually tiredness overcame your senses; Belmont felt weight settle on his shoulder. He wonder how a vampire could look so innocent whilst sleeping.

“Hungry…”

You felt parched; it felt like your throat had dried up, barely able to utter a word.

“I know.”

A rabbit was placed in front of you. Blinking at it, you directed a confused glance at the man. “I’m—this is.. for me?” He nodded. Taking the animal with traces of disgust, you raised it to your mouth. Blood gushed into your mouth; feeding made a horrible slurping that would certainly haunt you but there was relief amongst those troubling feelings.

You gulped every last drop, draining the poor creature of its life. Still, your hunger and thirst weren’t satiated. Biting your lip, you pondered on the next move. Because this man had saved you, daring to kill him or even feed off him seemed… rude. Not to mention, he seemed way stronger than you in terms of experience. Prior to this, you were a regular citizen. Maybe you could run away?

“Here.”

Trevor could see your turmoil. Most vampires needed to drain at least one human every time they fed—if they were being generous. They could survive weeks without blood but it made them weaker. Besides, it was older vampires who had this kind of self control. Newborns tended to be more unstable.

“Just take it before I change my mind.”

You did as told, though you were still unsure. Hesitating, you licked your lips before nearing towards the vein on his wrist.

Trevor let out a grunt when your fangs pierced him. Although you tried to be gentle, it was an uncomfortable feeling nonetheless. As he became lightheaded and you full, the mouth that was attached to his wrist removed itself with a ‘pop’.

After making sure he was alright, you asked for his name. “Trevor. Trevor Belmont.”

“Oh..”

“……”

“Oh! I’m (Name) (Surname).”

─── ☾☼☽ ───

“It’s dangerous.”

“I still-still want to go!”

The last remnants of sun were gone. Ever since your first encounter with the rugged monster hunter, you refused to part from him, following the latter like a lost puppy.

“I’m not much of a fighter.. b-but watch this!”

On cue, you punched the nearest tree, cracking it and making a sizable hole. You looked back proudly towards Trevor; except when you tried to pull your hand out, you were having difficulty.

“Ah. It’s stuck.”

Trevor couldn’t help but chuckle, walking away, clearly amused with your display of power. You pulled harder, “Hold on! Don’t leave me alone! It’s scary..” you muttered the last part while chasing after him. Despite being a creature of the night, the world and its evils still frightened you.

At the sound of a branch snapping, you yelped, grabbing a piece of Trevor’s cloak for security.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Belmont when you punched a head clean off, practically decapitating one of the attackers. He might have been seriously injured if you had not intervened.

“Trevor.”

Gazing at you under the moonlight, he saw the hunger in your eyes as you held a man whom was still alive but struggling. His neck was exposed. Even so, you waited.

The Belmont turned away, giving you privacy to feed.

He knew that by allowing you to live, you would continue to take blood from others. Normally he wouldn’t feel soft towards a monster but whenever he thought of you, it was different.

His guilt was lessened when you drank from scum. Before putting the lives of innocents in danger, he would offer his own.

“Are you done?”

The corpse of the man was dropped unceremoniously as you joined Trevor, a light skip to your step.

─── ☾☼☽ ───

Despite adopting a nighttime lifestyle, Trevor was still human and had to conduct business during daylight hours.

He’d left your lodgings, which was an abandoned cottage, for a while. Nobody really passed through there anyway, so he thought you were safe. Worst came to worse, you could handle yourself. But as your self proclaimed protector, Trevor felt uneasy leaving you alone.

Maybe he should’ve listened to his gut because when he arrived, the door was wide open with dirty footprints leading in all the way to your coffin.

Two men had opened it—staring at the peaceful expression on your face, unaware that they were here to end you. To them it was obvious what you were. Even with that frilly white dress that made you look somewhat angelic, they couldn’t be fooled. As they raised their weapons to strike, Trevor used his whip. His sudden entrance startled them but it gave you the chance to wake up.

Eyes snapping open, you jumped onto the other man, taking both of you to the ground. His screams echoed shortly as you tore into his throat. The remaining one had no chance; Trevor left the room, closing the door on his way out, killing the light that entered and cutting off the way to escape.

Left alone with your prey, a smile crept up your face.

When you opened the door again, the dress which decorated your body was now stained red. There was hardly a clean piece on the material. Even so, you greeted Trevor with a hug.

“Trevor..”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“M-me too..”

─── ☾☼☽ ───

Forty years passed in the blink of an eye.

“You should retire.”

“Belmonts don’t retire. The only rest they get is when they’re dead.”

“Well I don’t want you to die.”

“I have to, someday.”

“No you don’t.”

It’s been like this for the past few years; Trevor was sixty now. His body didn’t look that of an aging man, but the expression on his face did. He’d seen too much and as time passed, it was harder to fight monsters by himself.

Of course you’d noticed that and suggested turning him. It was an ongoing discussion; Trevor didn’t fancy the idea of living an eternal life but the thought of leaving this earth without you was disheartening. He didn’t say it but the situation tore him apart.

There was also the fact that he was too old for you; forty years to be exact. You’d maintained your youth, looking lovely as ever. His doubts were shot down when you immediately said that you didn’t care about that.

“I just want you.”

He always kept pushing the conversation away and you were patient. Trevor supposed that you could’ve taken him by force if you wanted and when he inquired, you told him it would be like violating him, robbing him of the choice you were never given.

As understanding as you were; the time would come for him to decide and confront you about it.

That time was now.

He should have been more careful, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Trevor watched as the sun slowly descended. Would you make it here before he passed? Would he die without seeing you one last time?

When you woke night had already fallen. Trevor wasn’t home; he’d been late plenty of times before but this occasion felt different.

Upon stepping outside, the smell of blood hit you. It reeked, staining the very air. You immediately recognized the source—how could you not? You’d fed from Trevor countless times.

Rushing in that direction, you prayed to whatever entity was listening to keep Trevor safe. The world and its gods could condemn you, but not him.

Not him.

You found him sprawled on a big rock, a creature hovering over his crumpled figure. Without thinking, you tore it to pieces. Blood rained as his mangled body flew to various parts of the forest.

“Trevor!!!”

He let out a groan, which would’ve made you sigh in relief but his visible injuries proved otherwise. You were no doctor and even if you could carry him into town, it would be too late. There was no other option. If you didn’t do anything, you might lose him.

“Trevor. Let me do it.”

Still conscious enough to reply, “I don’t want to become—”

“A monster?”

“I cannot become what I sought to destroy..”

Tears escaped your eyes, blurring the image of the person whom you treasure most. “Please.. please please please..! Don’t leave me alone!”

You begged, knowing it was unfair to pressure him in such way but you couldn’t bare the thought of existing if he wasn’t present. He was your salvation, your companion…your world. And yet, he was being robbed from you.

So soon… It’s too soon!

You always imagined Trevor living well into old age, spending the remainder of his life with you, being happy. He was destined to die peacefully, not like this. Not in this shitty place, by the hands of a shitty monster!

“I can’t. I’m sorry..”

Grabbing his hands, you lowered your forehead on them, crying your heart out. It was unfair. Life was unfair.

“Kiss me.”

Despite the pain that he was in, Trevor found it in himself to smile. For you. “Kiss me one last time.” Tears dropped slowly as you heard him. Shaking your head; you couldn’t kill him.

“I want it to be you..”

His words struck a chord.

Lifting him by the neck in a gentle manner, you pushed the collar of his shirt aside, exposing his carotid. As you bit into his familiar skin once more, your other hand caressed him, trying to make this goodbye as painless as possible.

With every sip you took, tears fell down.

I love you! I love you! I love you!

His warm hand turned cold.

You held him in your arms like he once did to you, with the outmost care, with the love he deserved.

Since Trevor didn’t say where he wanted his body to be buried, you chose the nicest spot. It was a secluded place where it wouldn’t be dug up by animals or people—but not so hidden either.

Whilst cleaning the blood that covered his body and face, you found a piece of cloth with writing on it. Staring at it, you recognized the Belmont insignia. Turning the material, you managed to read the words…

Take this. Go to Alucard.

Trevor must’ve written that in his final moments; probably in case he didn’t make it before you arrived. The letters were sloppy because of the blood but you could read it well.

Clutching it to your chest, you sobbed until the light of day began to burn. For a moment you wished to stay there and disappear. Perhaps you could join Trevor.

Together even in death..

─── ☾☼☽ ───

The journey was rather long.

Looming in all its glory, Castle Dracula. You looked at the last piece of your beloved, holding it tighter in your hand.

“Okay. Let’s meet this Alucard.”

[buckyownsmylife]

Walk Away - Tom Hardy smut

The one where Tom is your mentor and really shouldn’t feel this attracted to you.

Warnings: smut, age gap, famous!reader, mentor!Tom Hardy, breeding kink, risky sex, tiny insinuation of a size kink, (blink and you’ll miss), mention of a panic attack with barely any descriptions of it

Word count: 3k>

Tom’s P.O.V.

“Tom.” I stopped rubbing the sleep off my eyes the second my name fell from her lips. I didn’t need her to identify herself - I didn’t need to check the caller’s ID. I’d recognize her voice anywhere, regardless of just how groggy I was. But the tone in which she said my name, the tired, dead feeling shining through it, was what really startled me awake. “Tom, I need you.”

The desperation in her voice scared me, and I was out of bed before I could even realize what I was doing. “You’re home?” I confirmed, waiting only for the expected answer while I looked for my keys. “I’ll be there in five. Hang on tight.”

The night was cold, but I don’t think I would have noticed it if it wasn’t for the chill that had me freezing from the inside. I didn’t even consider changing out of my sleepwear - sweatpants and a loose shirt - mostly because I didn’t want to waste time on something so trivial, especially since it wasn’t that different from what I’d normally wear around her.

I’d known her for over four years now. I’d never witnessed this level of distress on her. In fact, she was never anything short of enthusiastic and happy, a bubble of sunshine that managed to energize everyone around her. For her to be this way, something big had to have happened, and it pained me to imagine just what could have been. 

It pained me to imagine her suffering, and not being there to help. So I stepped on the pedal, driving madly, knowing my own heartbeat would only get back to a regular pace once I had her in my arms again, could smell her perfume as I buried my face in her hair.

She wasn’t by the door when I got to her house, so I let myself in with the extra key that I had, noticing all the lights were off. There was only one place she could be. 

My feet took me there without even having to think about it, like there was some sort of instinctive calling from her body to mine. When I got to her bedroom, a dim light showed just how effective that connection was, as I pushed in to find her laying on her bed, waiting for me.

“What happened?” She sat up when I pushed the door open, quietly closing it behind me, and for a second there was no reaction as she took in my presence, like she needed time to realize I really was there. But then her eyes glistened, denouncing a flow of tears, and she just shook her head, as if asking me to contain my curiosity for just a bit.

“Can you just hug me?” She asked, and I felt my heart squeeze at the realization of just how unaware she was of my feelings for her. I’d do anything, anything for the woman in front of me. A hug was nothing, and I ached to have her in my arms anyway.

I sat by her side and immediately, she was on me, climbing on my lap until she could hide her face on the crook of my neck, and I froze only momentarily before wrapping my arms around her smaller body. Despite how wrong it morally felt - particularly when I remembered I wasn’t wearing any type of underwear - I couldn’t deny how right it was to both my heart and my body, how much it comforted me to feel her this close.

So there we stayed, for God knows how long. We didn’t speak - I was waiting for her decision to explain what had happened, and she clearly needed to come to terms with whatever it was. Just being there for her was enough for me, so I kept rubbing her back, eventually pulling away to press kisses on her temple, trying to ignore how her little sighs of comfort made me feel.

“I-I think I’m ready to talk.” The second I couldn’t feel her warm breath against my neck anymore, I felt cold again, but to my surprise, she didn’t climb down my lap, didn’t try to put some space between us. 

Instead, her arms remained around my shoulders, fingers playing with the collar of my shirt, making me shiver every once in a while when her nails dragged along my flesh.

“Okay,” I encouraged, only because she seemed nervous to say whatever it was that she wanted to tell me, her eyes avoiding mine before she finally managed to meet my gaze again, after taking a deep breath.

“Shawn broke up with me.” A sharp inhale resonated throughout the room, and it took me a few seconds to figure out it had been my own doing. I’d never liked her boyfriend, not ever since she first told me they had been going out, and despite how hard I tried to hide it from her, she had always been aware of my true feelings for him. 

Knowing he was the one to blame for her current state of mind only served to turn my concern into anger. 

“Why?” That was the only thing I could think to ask, the only thing I could focus on as I struggled not to throw her on the bed and run out after him. But I’d never be able to leave her alone, especially not since she was so clearly vulnerable.

There was another second of hesitation before she finally revealed, “It was because of you, actually.” Now that froze me into a state of shock. I couldn't speak, couldn’t think, all I could do was stare down at the face of the woman I loved who looked like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me.

“What?” Her giggle made my heart skip a beat for a second. It felt good to know that she was already starting to feel better, it felt even greater to know that I was the reason for her laughter, even if I was still fucking confused.

“Don’t worry about it.” Now that just wasn’t good enough. I needed to know, needed to understand. How had I been the cause for their break-up? But she didn’t seem too eager to open up about this specific part of her day, and so I decided to break out the big guns.

I laid her down on the bed, hovering over her so our eyes remained connected. “Tell me,” I quietly begged, and although she still looked anxious, I knew she was close to breaking. “I really want to know.”

She sighed, eyes closing for only an instant and for that instant, I allowed myself to believe that she was breathing me in, appreciating the feeling of being covered by my much larger body, exactly like I did.

“He was jealous,” she finally admitted, but the frown in my face only deepened, asking her for more information. “He felt like I prefered your company over his, which to be fair, it’s the truth. When I’m with you, I never want to leave.”

I didn’t know what to say. So I just stood there, frozen, looking deep into her eyes, searching for any sign of mockery, but found none. She looked hurt, but not like she regretted what happened. It just looked like she needed me there.

And so I stayed. I laid down by her side on the bed and pulled her to me, so her head rested on my chest, and I thought. I thought long and hard about what she’d told me and about how I felt. I thought so much, in fact, that I could see a panic attack forming, as the weight of my feelings threatened to suffocate me, and before I could realize what I was doing, I was already sitting up on the bed and looking for my keys.

“Where are you going?” She rubbed the sleep off her eyes as she tried to understand what was happening, but to be quite honest, I didn’t understand it myself. I just knew I needed to get the hell out of there, or I would end up saying something I’d regret. “I’m so comfy, can’t you just stay?”

It was so hard to breathe that my chest heaved with the labour of getting each breath in and out, so I forced myself to focus on it, stopping only for a few seconds, but it was enough to have me spilling things I’d been managing to hide for years.

“Don’t ask me that. Please.” My voice sounded hoarse, like I hadn’t used it in too long. “Because I’ll stay, and it’ll only hurt me further.” That caught her attention, wiping any remnants of sleep from her in an instant. 

“I wish I could walk away from you. Time and time again I wished for it, when you began dating that jerk, when I first realized I had feelings for you… but I just can’t. I’d do anything for you. All I can think about is you, all the fucking time. I want you so fucking much. I love you way too much. And being just your friend, your mentor, your confidant, is killing me.”

I closed my eyes to catch my breath, trying to focus, trying to make anything make sense again. In that time, I feared the worst. I thought about her leaving, her hand leaving a warm imprint on my face as she slapped me. I thought about her (rightfully, in my mind) accusing me of betraying her, calling me a monster, a pervert. 

I thought I had imagined every possible scenario, but I was still surprised when I opened my eyes to find her seating on the edge of her bed, gaze resting on mine, licking her lips. “I wanna feel you,” she said, and my mind swirled with this unexpected outcome.

“Excuse me?” I scrambled to keep myself up, finding a hold in the back of a nearby chair, my entire body trembling with the effort to hold back, the effort to think and listen, instead of just doing what my instincts begged me to do - pounce on her and fuck her raw.

“I want you inside of me,” she calmly stated, like it was no big deal. It was clear that it was the best way she had found to ask me for what she wanted, but I just couldn’t believe it.

Y/N’s P.O.V.

“Y-you want me?” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, understanding the delicate nature of this situation, anxious to not let it slip through my fingers nor hold it so tightly it would end up breaking and hurting me in the process. 

I closed the gap between us, getting out of the bed to come stand in front of him, hoping the proximity would ease him the same way having his body near would calm me.

“I’ve always wanted you,” I confirmed, hoping he’d see just how truthful the statement was, needing him to see how much more I wanted to say. “But right now…” Without thinking, my hand reached out to fiddle with the edge of his shirt, the sight of the boner struggling against his sweatpants unmistakable to me. “Right now, I’ll do anything if you just touch me.” 

A sharp exhale of breath, his warmth hit my face, giving me a taste of what was to come. But I wanted the real thing. I wanted to know how it felt from his lips, to have his tongue forcing my mouth open, making me forget my need to breathe.

“I need you.” I got what I wanted then. His face lowered to mine, mouth finally close enough for me to reach, after what felt like years of desire. And it was everything that I’d always imagined his kiss to be - overpowering, dominating and overwhelmingly him. I was instantly addicted.

When he finally allowed our lips to part, taken by his need to breathe, I slowly began to peel away my clothes, fingers trembling in quiet desperation for him to see this for what it truly was: the meeting of desire and lust after years of denial and repression.

“Please fuck me,” I pleaded as my naked body was revealed to him inch by inch, willing to do whatever would get me what I needed. “I swear I can handle you.” That last part was added almost as an afterthought, when I watched his hand curl around a tightness I’d never witnessed in real life before.

I knew what was going through his head - the fight between what was expected of us and what we wanted, our feelings and our professions, but nothing else mattered to me more than knowing he’d spear me open with his length.

“Lay down and spread your legs for me.” Just that order was enough to have me whining low in the back of my throat, but I did as he said, even held my ankles so his view of me would be unobstructed. But that meant I had to watch him as he knelt by the bed and took a hold of my legs, licking his lips in desire at what he saw.

“Please, please, fuck me,” I repeated, knowing I wouldn’t handle his lips on me right now. I needed his thickness, his hardness, I needed to be filled by him, to feel him inside of me.

“Let me just get a taste,” he tried to convince me, eyes focused on the apex of my thighs. I almost laughed at how it looked like his mouth was watering as he stared at my exposed pussy, but my need was far too great to allow me any sort of distraction.

“Later, okay? You can eat me out as long as you want, just… later.” That had his head snapping up, gaze at last meeting mine with a soft sentiment that I knew was at least half vulnerability.

My poor Tommy. Even after all of my confessions, he still couldn’t believe that what was happening was actually real. He still doubted I would want him in the morning, as something more than what I wanted him when I called him tonight.

“Touch me, Tom,” I quietly asked, raising his hand to where I was aching for him, rubbing myself with his thumb. “Touch me right here, please, I’m begging you.”

Hearing those words fall from my lips changed something in him. Where once he was hesitant, a sudden confident smirk, almost arrogant, slowly spread over his lips, taking over his entire aura.

Tom’s P.O.V.

“So needy for me…” I whispered as I witnessed the truth behind my statement. She was sopping wet, almost dripping down the duvet, and as much as I wanted to get my mouth on her, I could accept that we’d have the time to do that later.

I loved the idea of a later.

“I’ll take care of you, darling.” I whispered as I climbed up her body once more, occupying the space between her thighs like I was always meant to be there. “Let me take care of you.”

I brushed my lips against hers, relishing in this closeness, in the moment just before it all changed. I was sure she could feel the weight of my cock against her thigh, and it was probably what prompted her to wrap her arms around my shoulders, breathlessly telling me, “Yes. Yes, please.”

Hissing as I finally slid my length inside of her, I knew I was in trouble the second I bottomed out, biting on her shoulder to keep myself from groaning and drowning out her delicious little sounds. She felt too good. No one should feel this good.

A broken gasp (or was it a moan) called my attention, taking me from my efforts of restraining myself to her, completely. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked, brushing the hair away from her face as I watched her open her eyes and blink a few times, trying to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks. “Does it hurt?”

But she just shook her head, hands searching mine until she could lace our fingers together. “No,” she breathed, hips jutting up in a silent way of asking me to move. “It feels so good.”

I bit the inside of my cheek in an effort not to smile widely at her admission, finally allowing myself to slowly begin dragging my cock out of her tight channel before pushing it in again.

“It does?” I questioned, loving to hear her say it. “Well, I’ll always make you feel this good, baby. How does that sound?” She moaned out loud as I lowered my head to lave her breasts with attention, relishing in every little sound that escaped her beautiful lips as I pounded her on the bed.

“Fuck, you’re such a good girl, darling.” Another loud moan was all I got as a response, paired with her fingernails biting on the skin of my back. “My good girl, yes?” I insisted, rubbing my jaw against her neck, breathing her in.

I was drunk on her, on this entire experience, still not quite believing it was really happening. She was really here, getting fucked by me. “You’ll be my good girl? Just mine? Forever?”

A smile spread out over her lips, even as she threw her head back to moan a “Yes.” I chuckled against her chest, starting to suck little bruises here and there, wanting to see her all marked up on me, when she interrupted my plans with a breathless comment, “You talk dirty.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” I chuckled against her lips, right as she started to convulse underneath me, clinging to my back for dear life. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Her nails scratched me as she found her bliss, and I wasn’t too far behind. As I started to pick up my pace, really milking her orgasm while searching for mine, it was her words that brought me to my ultimate release.

“C-cum inside, I want it inside of me.” I knew she wasn’t in any form of contraception, and I also knew this wasn’t the right time for either of us to become parents, but to say the idea didn’t arouse me was a lie. 

Flashes of her young body with my baby in it had my cock twitching, the risk of getting my perfect future right then too exciting. She’d be the perfect mother, I just knew it. And the fact that she would take the chance of becoming the mother of my child right then affected me so much that even after I emptied myself inside of her, I was still hard.

Her fingers played with my curls as I rested my head between her breasts, breathing her in, trying to catch my breath. “I can’t believe I get to sleep next to you tonight,” she said, melting my heart right then and there. “I hate it when you’re away.”

I did too. But I’d never need to be again.

[witcher-and-his-bard-archive]

Promise Me Your Heart

a follow-up to Good as Gold.

Geralt has never voluntarily brought someone new into his life and for a long time, he wasn't sure how to go about it. Eskel has been with him almost as long as he remembers. Vesemir too. Even Lambert has been around since very early on, but Jaskier? Jaskier still feels new even after all these months. But they're making it work and Jaskier has so much patience that some days Geralt doesn't feel like he deserves.

He had expected things to be a disaster, but they're not. Even his inexperience with relationships and Jaskier's total lack of knowledge of anything monster- and survival-related, things are... good. Geralt is happy.

Then he's contracted to protect a wedding party from a pack of drowners that's been hanging around.

It's a good job. Simple enough and they're offering good pay to ensure the beasts aren't seen by the party guests, but Geralt is hesitant. There's not a scrap of doubt in his mind that he adores Jaskier. He's totally useless out here on the Path, but he tries and what Jaskier can get a grasp on he does well and he does often.

But Geralt sometimes worries that Jaskier's unhappy. Lately, he's been catching him looking pensive, scribbling things in his notebook but never seeming to present a song or poem like he normally would. Perhaps Jaskier has a journal as well. When Geralt was young and struggling to deal with emotions he was told he shouldn't have, Vesemir gave him a journal. It was a relief to be able to get all of his emotions out without having to share them and he wonders if Jaskier is doing the same now. He loves Geralt, so maybe he doesn't want to admit that this life isn't what he expected. Maybe he wants to return to Hagge but doesn't want to hurt Geralt's feelings. The thought of it makes his chest tight, but Geralt hasn't been able to bring himself to mention it.

Because what if Jaskier does leave?

Geralt wants him to be happy, but the thought of losing him now... he doesn't even want to think about it. So taking him to a wedding feels like rubbing a life in his face that he will never have.

When he tells him about the contract, Jaskier is delighted, at least outwardly, but there's a tense scent of worry just below the surface that Geralt is nervous about. He frowns and it earns him a swift smack on his arm before Jaskier presses up against his chest.

"Stop sniffing at me," he scolds, "I know you're doing it. I worry every time you take a job and you can't do anything about it. I love you, my darling. I don't want to think about my life without you, but here you are running off into danger every other moment." Geralt opens his mouth to speak, but Jaskier interrupts. "Ah-ah, I know. It's your job, but I'm still allowed to worry." He tips forward, pressing a soft kiss to Geralt's lips. "Now, let's get you into that armour, hm?"

Jaskier has become an expert at helping Geralt into his armour - and even more an expert of getting him out of it again later. The next few minutes pass in a blur and then Jaskier kisses him goodbye to go and play at the wedding and Geralt is alone again.

He throws himself into the hunt, clearing his mind of any doubts and insecurities. Because he knows how to do this. He can get this done and protect those people - and Jaskier. Whatever Jaskier wants can come later; he'll deal with it in its own time.

But as soon as he's finished - and has thrown himself in the river to rinse away some of the gore - he returns to find Jaskier in the centre of a circle, playing his lute and beaming. This is where he belongs. Geralt forces up a smile and crosses toward them, keeping an eye out for the mother of the bride. She holds his contract and he'd like to be on his way as quickly as possible.

He finds her with little trouble, talking with a group of people and he stands off to the side to wait. She's quick about excusing herself and she pays him extra and promises to pay Jaskier for his performance as well. It's unusual to find someone so generous and Geralt says as much, but she assures him he has earned it for protecting them.

Once everything has been sorted, Geralt slips away.

The woman has offered them a room in her house, but Geralt prefers the anonymity of an inn or the forest floor. Reluctantly, he accepted her offer to pay for the room. And he's grateful for it now, able to just return to the room and collapse without bartering or worrying about being turned away.

He strips out of his armour in the doorway and steps into the waiting bath. It was poured this morning, so it's cooled down, but he warms the water quickly enough - and it's warmer than the river in any case.

Evidently, Geralt doesn't realize how exhausted he is, because the next thing he knows, Jaskier's hands are in his hair and when he opens his eyes, the room is dark except for a few sparse candles.

"Hey, shh," Jaskier whispers as he bolts upright. "It's just me, love. You must have been tired."

He’s emotionally tired, more than anything, but he doesn't say anything. He warms the water again with igni and lets Jaskier wash the remaining muck from his hair before getting out. Jaskier leads him to bed and strips down to his skin before climbing in after him. Geralt clings to him, tucks his head under Jaskier's chin because if their time is limited, he wants to enjoy him as long as he can. Jaskier cuddles closer, holds him tighter, and for a long time, it's silent.

"Geralt?" he asks after some time. "Are you awake, love?"

"Mm."

"Do you ever... want something but you're afraid to ask for it?" he scoffs at himself almost immediately. "Never mind. I know you do. How do you... deal with it?"

Geralt's chest tightens. He's been waiting for this, but he still doesn't know what to say, how to act. All he knows is that more than anything, he wants Jaskier to be able to find the kind of happiness he's given him.

"If you want to go... I understand. I would never keep you here if you're unhappy." Jaskier pulls away immediately and Geralt knew it was coming, but it still feels abrupt and painful.

"Geralt, I- I don't want to go." His voice is low, he smells scared.

"I want you to be happy."

"I am. Geralt. I don't want to leave."

"You looked so happy this afternoon. At the wedding. Surrounded by all those people."

Jaskier huffs a soft laugh and slips his hand into Geralt's between them. "My love. I was happy seeing the bride and her new husband, the love they shared. I was happy because I thought... maybe we could have that, too?"

"You know I love you," Geralt whispers and Jaskier smiles soft at him, leaning up to press their noses together.

"I know love, and I adore you. I- Geralt, I want to marry you." Shock and delight rush through him in equal measures and Geralt isn't quite sure what to do with himself. He stares blankly for a moment while Jaskier looks at him. "Um?" Jask tries. "Say something?"

"No one would marry us."

Jaskier sighs. "Geralt, I know my upbringing means I'm supposed to marry for money or power or some such nonsense, but-" Geralt cuts him off with a soft kiss, cupping his jaw. He really does love that Jaskier doesn't even consider the obvious.

"Not because of your family, Jask. Because I'm a Witcher. No one would willingly bind another person to a Witcher."

"Then we'll have to do it ourselves." Before Geralt can even reply, Jaskier is slipping out of bed and crossing to the other side of the room and his bags.

When he returns, he's holding a length of blue silk in his hand and Geralt recognizes it. He leans up on one arm, focused on the cloth in his hand and Jaskier smiles as he climbs back up onto the bed.

"I thought you might remember this," he grins and Geralt can't help the way his pulse picks up. Apparently, Jaskier notices because straddles Geralt's hips and dips down to kiss him. "Marry me first," he whispers, "and we can do whatever you want with it later, hm?"

"Okay," Geralt breathes and Jaskier beams at him, kissing him quick and hard again before sitting up.

"I need your hand," he says and Geralt offers it freely. Jaskier winds their fingers together and twists the silk around them, tying it in a knot below their joined hands.

Geralt doesn't know much about marriage, but he knows enough to know this isn't exactly the way it's done. But maybe that's better. Maybe going against tradition is more appropriate for them anyway.

"As this knot is tied," Jaskier starts, "so are our lives now bound. The promises we make here tonight strengthen our union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth. Do you- do you still seek to enter this ceremony?"

"Yes," Geralt whispers and his fingers tighten around Jaskier's.

"Do you promise to be a faithful partner in life? To love me without reservation?"

"I will." Geralt pauses and Jaskier nods. "And you?"

"I will."

"Do you promise to stand by me in times of joy and of sorrow?"

"I will."

"I will," Jaskier echoes. Gently, he unwinds the silk and runs his thumb over Geralt's fingers. "I don't-" he cuts himself off, pulling one of the rings from his left hand.

It's plainer than the others and Geralt has never quite understood why he likes it so much, but Jaskier holds it up, showing him the ring of buttercups on the inside of the band.

"I bought this for you so long ago I'd forgotten about it. But I was afraid to give it to you then, so I wore it myself as a way to keep you close. I want you to have it now." He slips it onto Geralt's finger and it fits surprisingly well.

"How long?" he asks and Jaskier shrugs.

"Long enough."

"I don't have one for you."

"That's okay," Jaskier hums. He takes one of his other rings, the one Geralt knows to be his favourite, and slips it off.

"Let me?" Geralt asks and Jaskier gives it to him. He takes Jaskier's hand and he doesn't realize how badly he's shaking until he slips the ring over his finger, pressing it down into place. Jaskier clasps their hands together and leans down to press his forehead against Geralt's. "I think you're supposed to kiss me now," Geralt hums.

Jaskier laughs as their noses bump against each other, then he kisses him, long and soft and sweet. When he pulls away, he doesn't go far.

"My husband," he whispers and something warm and possessive spreads through Geralt's chest.

"Husband," Geralt repeats, testing the word on his tongue. He decides he quite likes it.

[darkmulti]

can you make a pt2 Y!CEO!JK taking employer!reader by force to be a surrogate mother. where the OC falls in love with tae who is a powerful lawyer, she tells him what jk and his wife are doing about the baby. They lose custody of the child the oc have the custody so jk takes revenge on his wife

-> sorry for any mistakes

-> this is going to be hella dark so click away if you don’t like dark themes

-> Part 1

⚠️: YANDERE BEHAVIOUR, mentions of forced pregnancy

In part one, I mentioned at the very end that you were pregnant with another man’s child

Well, Taehyung is that other man

(Imagine being the baby mama of Jeon Jungkook AND Kim Taehyung’s child. Like only y/n can do that✋🙄🌚)

You met Taehyung three months after giving birth

That was when you started cutting Jungkook off

You even resigned and never showed your face there again

Of course Jungkook was angry about it and wanted to go after you but his wife got angry at him so he couldn’t do much

You ended up hooking up with Taehyung because you were super wasted

The next morning you woke up in his bed, naked

Although he didn’t know you well, he made you breakfast and helped you shower

You were going to leave but he begged you to stay and confessed that he felt a connection with you

You stayed with him but ended up crying about your life situation

Taehyung couldn’t believe that you gave birth to a child

You sure didn’t feel like it last night

You were tighter than ever

He felt bad and told you that he would be able to help you out

You asked how and he told you that he was a lawyer

Taehyung is an extremely successful lawyer

At the beginning of his career, of course it was challenging

He would win some cases and lose some cases

But over time that stopped

His clever mind always managed to finesse the system somehow and since then he has won every case

Taehyung pulled you onto his lap and hugged you

“Don’t worry, princess. I’m going to help you.”

Meanwhile, Jungkook was blowing up your phone

He hasn’t seen you in a year

He was out with his wife and kid but instead of spending time with them, just like how they planned, he was too busy trying to figure out where you were

His wife got mad at him, telling him to stop bothering you but Jungkook pushed her away and said that you’re “apart of the family.”

He got up from the park bench and went to his car

“I’m going to see if she’s in her apartment.”

His wife sighed heavily

She knew her marriage was falling apart but she didn’t want Jungkook taken away from her

She wished that she wasn’t infertile

If she wasn’t, her and Jungkook would’ve been the happiest couple alive

She also despised you

You weren’t infertile, you caught the eyes of her husband and you were the mother of Jungkook’s son

Even though she was Jungkook’s first love, she knew Jungkook would leave her for you

She hated you

She started showing some hatred towards your son as well

After all, it wasn’t her biological child anyway

While his wife was sinking in her own thoughts, Jungkook was at your front door, banging on it

Your phone location was off and there was absolutely no sign of you

Jungkook was worried

What if something happened to you?

He was driving in downtown when suddenly he spotted your figure on the sidewalk

He honked his horn and signalled you to come to his car

Taehyung’s office was in downtown and you decided to tag along

He had to do some paperwork so you told him that you’re going to get some food for him

He wanted to come along but an important phone call stopped his from putting his coat on

You kissed his cheek and told him you’d be fine

He gave you his debit card for the food, but you put it back on his desk and said that you’ll pay

He frowned but since he was on the phone, he couldn’t argue

Like I was saying, Jungkook honked his horn and gestured you to come to him

You didn’t want him to bother you for the rest of the day so you went to check what he wanted

You didn’t went to get into the car so you told him to park and come out

“I can’t park and come out. *your son’s name* and *his wife’s name* are waiting for us at the park

“Park? I can’t go. I have to work.” You lie

“Please, get in. We have to talk on the way to the park.”

“Jungkook, I’m not getting in the car. For the last time, I gave birth to our child and gave him up to you and your wife. I don’t want anything to do with you. What happened in the past stays in the past. I moved on and you should focus on your kid and wife.”

You walk away from his car, not looking back

“Wait!” Jungkook said, parking his car and jumping out

You pulled out your phone, hit the record button and put it back in your pocket

He ran up to you and pulled you to a bench nearby

“I want to have another baby with you. I’ll leave my wife. We can have our own family. We can get married and we’ll have two children. Please, it’ll be perfect.”

You scoff and get up

“You’re disgusting, Jeon. I wasn’t willing to be your surrogate in the first place. You forced me into that shit. Now you want to leave your wife and marry me? Now you want to have a family with me? The audacity you have. I will never marry a monster like you. In fact, I’m taking this shit to court. I want full custody of my child because I didn’t agree on being your surrogate.”

You got up and ran away but Jungkook followed you

You ran into someone’s chest and thank god it was Taehyung

“Hey, are you okay? Why are you running?”

“Y/N!” Someone screamed behind you and that’s when Taehyung saw the problem

Jungkook stood in front of you both in shock

“Who is this, Y/N?! Are you cheating on me?!”

“Ha, “cheating” on you. When did we even get together?”

Jungkook’s blood was boiling

You were seeing another man behind his back

“You only belonged to me! How dare you?!”

“I don’t belong to anyone. Even if I did, I wouldn’t allow myself to belong to a married man.” You snap back

“I told you I’ll get a divorce. We can have our own family.”

“I don’t want to start a family with you. In fact, I’m pregnant with Taehyung’s child.”

Both of their eyes widen but then Taehyung pulls you for a tight hug

“Y-you’re pregnant with my child. You just made me the happiest man alive.”

Jungkook clenched his fist and threw it towards

Luckily, Taehyung stepped back and Jungkook missed

“What the hell Jungkook?! You-”

Taehyung held your hand and pulled you towards him

“Don’t waste your breath on him, Y/N. We’ll see you in court.”

You and Taehyung left Jungkook in disbelief

Court Day

Taehyung sat beside you with all the important papers laid out

He rubbed the back of your hand under the table, reassuring you that everything will be fine

You told the judge your experience and how everything happened

You then pulled out your phone and played the conversation you and Jungkook had

Then Jungkook told his side of the story and said that you “agreed” to be his surrogate

The judge asked for the surrogacy paper which would show that you agreed to everything and signed the paper but his lawyers face went blank

They were then found guilty and you won full custody of your child

You hugged Taehyung then ran to your son

He immediately recognized you even though you haven’t seen him in a year

He hugged you and cried on your shoulder about how much he missed you

Jungkook was sentenced to jail but of course his wife bailed him out because he was loaded with money

Months later

Three months ago, Taehyung proposed to you

You guys know each other for a little over a year plus you were pregnant with his child so of course he wanted to settle down with you

You were six months in so your baby bump was very visible

Taehyung treated your son like his own and kissed your belly every day

Finally, everything was coming together

Your son was happy

Taehyung was happy

You were happy

Everything was perfect

Jungkook on the other hand, was furious

You were pregnant with another man’s child

And now you’re getting married to another man

If only Jungkook didn’t propose to his current wife, maybe, just maybe he would have been with you

He went upstairs and threw all his wife’s clothes out the window

“This is all your fault! I shouldn’t have married you! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have to watch the love of my life run off with another man!”

His wife’s heart crumbled into pieces

“I want a divorce! I want you out of my house and out of my life!” He screamed

“No! Please, Jungkook! I love you so much! You can’t leave me for that slut! She’s taken! You’ll never get her anyways! Just let me stay with you! I love you! You’re my first everything! You can’t just-”

Jungkook slapped her

“Don’t you dare call the mother of my child a slut. Get out of my house. You’ll see, I’m going to get her back.”

Omg this was so messy! I’m so sorry

[justasimptm]

The Bride C7

The walk to the village he doesn’t let a moment go quiet, poking and prodding, making jokes or inappropriate comments. His favorite is to tug on the laces of my corset, never enough to undo any of the knots, but just enough to make me jump and glare at him. Everytime he does it he lets out a hearty laugh at the look on my face, puts his hands up in surrender and swears he’s going to stop, only to do it again minutes later. I try to keep myself out of his jeering, far enough ahead he can’t reach me with his hands and far enough he doesn’t see the flush that coats my cheeks as he whistles at me. As annoying as it is, he does keep it at least mostly respectful which does soothe my fraying nerves some.

“Say, sweetheart, is that a new corset? I don’t think I’ve seen you in it yet, and I definitely would remember,” He calls out, voice dipping down an octave. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something I shouldn’t, but this time he takes my silence as an invitation to continue. “If you ever need help getting into it again-or getting out of it, you know where to find me.” That pulls a sharp, quiet breath from my lungs, surprise causing me to whirl on him, jaw dropped and eyes wide. He couldn’t have behaved for a few minutes longer, we were on the outskirts of the village, so close to the end of our journey. The smirk laced across his lips tells me he is expecting me to ignore him again, to turn back and finish this.

I can’t tell which makes me boil more, that assumption, or the fact he had the gall to say something like that to me, knowing who I am and who my mother is. He steps closer, bordering on too close but far enough not to be rude, tips his head down slightly and stares at me over the rim of his glasses, waiting for me to do something. As smoothly as I can I close the gap, completely entering his space, having no more than a few inches between us. He freezes slightly as I reach up, calmly pinching the arms of his glasses and pulling them down off his face, leaving us eye to eye. I smile sweetly, tucking the arms in and then into the collar of his shirt, patting his chest with two gentle bats. I pretend I don’t notice the firm muscle under my palm, or the way his breathing hitches slightly as he tries to hold still.

“And what, exactly, makes you think I would ask you for that kind of help, hm?” I whisper, cocking my head to the side, “I’m sure that if that’s something I wanted, I could find someone more, how can I put this, experienced.” His eyes narrow, “Maybe you can find a toy in the gaggle of sad little ducklings we’re taking today. I bet if you ask real nice Mother Miranda might let you keep one.” The teasing tone in my voice is more than obvious, and I know he hears it, but he seems finally stunned into silence. Taking this as a victory I back up, grinning at him before making towards town to finally put an end to our less supervised trip. I make it roughly two steps before his hand latches onto my wrist, jerking me slightly off balance. Enough to wobble but not enough to crash down or into him. My eyes snap to his in a fraction of a heartbeat and I have no words to describe the look I find embedded in his. It’s the oddest mix between ego, surprise, and fire, and it sends tendrils of fluttering through my stomach.

“You should be careful how you use those pretty words of yours. Don’t need you getting in any trouble you can’t handle.” He states gruffly, briefly flickering his eyes down and back up before dropping my arm like I burned him. “Come on. We should get this done before your mother worries. We both know that we don’t want that.”

The rest of our walk towards the square is finally quiet. Heisenberg stopped pulling on my strings, physically and metaphorically, and part of me is wishing the silence wasn’t so harsh. It feels like it’s drowning in rejection, stinging and unforgiving. The excited chittering of our soon to be unwilling experiments helps drown it out, they keep to themselves mostly, but I can feel the way they side eye us. We don’t typically interact with them in a group like this, Mother Miranda tells them that they’ll only see us if she has something special for them. They think this is going to be an honor, and how blissful it is to be unaware of the horrors waiting for them at that church, in Moreau’s laboratory. To them Miranda is a God, my mother and the others their protectors who they only hear whispers of when we need more of them, they are so so naive of the monsters we really are.

God I envy that. The flaming jealousy streaks through my chest before I can stop it and I know my face has soured. Unable to tone it down very much I elect to keep my face forwards, walking at the beginning of the pack, a few paces in front of everyone. Heisenberg’s taken up the back, I know it’s to keep his Lycans at bay, but part of me thinks it’s because he wanted to be separated. I catch a breeze of one of the girls speaking. It’s too quiet to make out fully but she sounds so happy. What a fool.

Mother Miranda greets them all joyously, opening her arms and thanking them all for joining her. They nearly collapse to their knees at the sight of her, a flood of thanks and awe soon floods the still air. She takes a few moments with them all, taking down their names. They think it’s so she can address them, but really it’s for their labels so she knows who was the most successful. As she reaches the end of the line she tosses a nod at the two of us, as we hover by the door unsure of if she is expecting us to stay or not. She asks them all to thank us for guiding their passage, for keeping them safe from ‘the devils’.

Our murmur of praise is much shorter than hers was, very clear they’re only doing it to please her. None of them spare us another glance as she dismisses us. The air is smothering as we step back outside, just the two of us again. I hesitate for a split second and he sighs, choosing to break the silence.

“Let’s go sweetheart. Gotta walk you back up to Castle Doom.” He mutters, motioning with his hand for me to start walking. The way he says it is defeated, like he has no interest in doing it but he has no choice. Stubbornness flares up inside my chest and I have to fight a snarl as I roll my eyes.

“You don’t ‘gotta’ do anything, Heisenberg, Just go back to your fucking factory doing whatever the hell it is you do up there. I am more than capable of walking myself.” My voice is filled with anger, shaking with it in fact and he is visibly taken aback. The fact he’s acting like I’m a child that needs babysitting absolutely burns my core. He doesn’t have to watch me, make sure I don’t fall down and get a boo-boo. I have more than enough ways to protect myself.

I don’t give him a chance to argue back, to tell me that he does in fact need to escort me back, because Mother Miranda can’t risk something happening to the source of her progress. Yet another thing I have to exist for that isn’t myself or my choice. Instead I let the fluttering beats of my rage turn into the beats of wings, swarming from my full form into my mass of moths. Vaguely I recognize the sound of his cursing as I take off towards the castle. Everything feels so much calmer when I’m like this, simpler. Just move the wings, keep the destination in mind and trust in myself to get there.

I make it to the gates before I force myself to reform. Mother doesn’t like seeing me like that. Says I should use it for emergencies only because it leaves me more exposed between the fact I’m literal bugs and the time it takes for my body to set back. I push the heavy iron gates open with a resounding creak, surely announcing my presence to everyone inside that I’ve returned. My feet barely step over the barrier when I hear him shout my name from behind me. Why couldn’t he just leave, I wonder, especially if he is oh so concerned about my safety. He calls out to me again, closer this time, but I set my pace with purpose, not slowing or stopping when he curses again. Steeling my bones as I hear the gate slam back shut loudly so I don’t jump. I know my mother is waiting for me inside, ready to ambush me, to push me for every last detail to make sure I behaved appropriately. With some luck, hopefully my sisters will be off somewhere, tormenting some poor servant so I don’t have to deal with them immediately as well. Given how frayed my nerves are, I don’t entirely know how well I would be able to keep myself from doing something I would be punished for. But honestly, after all of that, it might be worth it just to blow off some steam.

@foggyturtleknightangel @beingviolentlyhappy

[miyaniacs]

PROLOGUE

NAVIGATION

summary: Reader: female; 20 years old ; Apparently you know something… but what this something is you still got to find out.

But curses, good and bad sorcerer now want to get you into their hands.

Ending up in the hands of the good ones, y/n finally meets her old best friend again - Yuji. Now Yuji and his friends make it their mission to keep you save in this whole new world. Days turn into weeks and you become closer and closer to your ‚bodyguards‘

Warnings: blood & not proof read bc I’m lazy

A/N: feedback & reblogs are welcome, especially since this is a new fic / story form I’m trying to do ^^ I hope you’ll like my lil attempt to give you all a jjk otome ‘game’ haha tell me if any of you wanna be tagged ^^

Cold air blows into your face as you exit the library. Looking up at the stars, you sigh. You‘ve lost track in time studying for your finals. It’s your third semester now and depending on how you’ll succeed in your finals, you either get a step closer to getting your dream job or all the semesters were for nothing.

Yuji always joked about you wanting to get rich, to help him succeed going on a date with one of his famous crushes… well with a certain one.

“Yuji - how would you be able to suddenly appear right in front of Jennifer Lawrence and save her from a monster - IF you don’t have the money to appear in whatever country she’s in?”

“And you’d give me the money??”

“That’s what your sugar mommy is for right?”

“In no where - NEVER - you’ll pass as a sugar mommy!”

“Lemme get that cash and the clothes and you’ll see.”

So here you are, trying your best to get an A in your business class to be able to turn the 2 weeks internship at Zenin Enterprise into a one year one and hopefully a job after graduating.

‘I’ll show you Yuji- you’ll get a check in your mail someone …’ you think.

Even though you haven’t seen him that much after the incident in your high school, you still texted every day and somehow managed to see each other about three times a year. At first you were pissed, because he didn’t tell you what he was up to and why he changed schools - but you leaned to accept it, he was still your best friend and nothing would change that.

Walking over the campus you make your way towards the train station smiling when you see Yujis name pop up on your screen.

“Hey hey Yuu~” you smile as you pick up the phone.

“Y/n! Where are you right now?” He asks, panic lacing in his voice.

“Just got out of the library, why what’s up?” You ask, your bows furrow a bit.

“Get back inside. Now. Immediately.!” He scream shouts.

“Yuji why- my last train arrives in a few minutes.” You whine, but stopped walking.

“Trust me Y/n. Please.” He begs, “I’ll be there in a few minutes!”

“Okay okay- is it because of the thing you can’t tell me about?” You turn around and start jogging back towards the library.

“Yes.” he says.

“Okay I trust you, I’ll be in the library in ab- AHHHHHHHHH”

“Y/N - Y/N TALK TO ME - Y/N!!!”

“THERE IS SOMETHING COMING CLOSER - YUJI WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE A MONSTER”

“NO NO NOOO RUN - RUN NOW!”

And you start running, this thing comes closer and closer, you can hear it’s steps getting faster and faster.

Your legs move faster than you thought they could, mentally your thankful for forcing yourself to go to the gym regularly.

Yet the thing gets closer.

You can now hear it’s breath, feel it in your neck.

All the small hairs on your skin turn up and tears stream down your face.

“Y/NNN!!!” You head Yujis voice coming closer from the distance.

“YUJI I AM HERE - HELP ME!!” You cry out.

Suddenly something slimy wraps around your ankle and you fall flat in the ground.

Screaming out in pain, you feel yourself getting dragged over the hard ground, some sharp claws digging into the flesh of your leg. Feeling the blood run down your leg, you try to grab anything and everything your hands can reach to stop the monster to … to eat you?

Your finger tips get bloody while you try to desperately hold onto the asphalt, just to feel your body getting dragged further away from panicked voice of your best friend.

Then - you stopped moving.

The force that dragged you away stopped. Turning around you see the lifeless arm of that thing hanging on your lap, but the rest of it is still moving, with one arm missing.

A blond haired man stands in front of you, some sort of short sword in one hand. He glanced over his shoulder, “Why are you still here? Run!” He says in a way too calm voice.

Trying your best, you try to get up, flinching as you now feel all the wounds on your body.

Your left leg, with the arm still hanging on it, collapses again and again whenever you try to put some pressure on it.

Something soft nudged your leg and pushes onto the arm. Looking down you see… a dog? Or a wolf? You’re not quite sure but whatever it is- it helps you getting that thing off.

“This takes way too long.” You hear someone saying and in a matter of seconds your thrown over the shoulder from some guy, you think you’ve seen someone during your FaceTime chats with Yuji.

“Care to help us?” He says to a white haired man with a blindfold on.

“Mhhh… no. I think you students should be able to finish this thing alone.” He smiles brightly, yet the man carrying you clearly seems annoyed. “But you can leave her with me, I’ll take care of her ~”

A silent scream escapes your lips, as the men sets you down, rather … rough, causing you to put pressure on your injured leg.

“Megumi! Haven’t I taught you how to treat a women!” The white haired male sighs and puts a hand on his forehead, shaking his head dramatically.

“This isn’t some sort of joke.” The blond one, that practically saved you from the monster, walks over to you.

“Well… the curse is tho - we thought they’d send something strong to get her, judging by who badly everyone seems to get her - but no. They sent this joke.” He gestures towards the monster, which is now surrounded by three younger looking men.

The one that carried you, another white haired one, with the neck of this jacked turned upwards and … Yuji!

Your eyes lit up the second you recognize your best friend.

He meets your eyes and a small smile appearance on his face, no wait… his mouth shouldn’t be there … why is it on his cheek?

You blink a few times, but his mouth now seems to be as normal as it can be.

The blood loos probably got to your head.

Right blood!

Looking down you see the blood still running down your leg. Reaching down, you touch the wound, regretting it the second you did so.

“Hey, wait, I get some first aid bandages out of the car.” The blond one says in a calming voice, gently grabbing your hand and guiding it away from your wound.

“Sooo you’re the girl Yuji always talks about?” the white haired men asks and tilts his head to the right, the index finger of his left hand tapping against his chin.

“Uhm.. I guess? He’s my best friend…so..” you mumble. How is he having such a normal conversation with you, when Yuji and the others are fighting this thing just a few meters away?!

“Huh… haven’t thought he’d be able to have such pretty friends.” The male mumbles.

“Excuse me?!” Your head snaps towards him and you glare at his covered eyes. “SHOULDNT YOU BE HELPING THEM?!” You gesture over to the three.

“Nahhh - they can handle it - but they are taking way too long - I was really lacking on training them.” He sighs and shakes his head.

You watch as the white haired man standing next to Yuji opens his zipper and says something- suddenly the monster collapses.

“About time.” The calming voice of the blond haired man echos through the now quiet campus.

“Here sit down.” He points to a bank and helps you sit down.

Carefully he cuts off the ripped leg of your jeans and gently places a tissue on your leg, trying to clean it up.

“Okay, I’m sorry if this hurts now, but I got to make sure that it won’t get infected.” He says and puts something to sanitize your wounds on the tissue.

“Y/N!!!!” Yuji screams and runs over to you.

“Yuj- AHHHHH” You head looks over to the blond male.

“Sorry.” He mumbles.

“Y/n. I’m so sorry I’m so so sorry!!” Yuji sits down next to you and takes one of your hands on his.

“It’s not your fault.” You smile gently at him, trying to ignore the pain.

“How did you know that I was in danger?” You ask and look around.

“We heard from many sources that basically everyone was looking for a girl named ‘Y/n.’ - Yuji quickly figured out that it was you they were looking for. “ the blond says and wraps a bandage around your leg.

“Now we want to know why.” The white man says and towers over you.

“How should I know. I don’t even know what this thing was- neither do I know what you are??” You start rambling. The shock finally leaves your body and the realization hits you. “WHAT WAS THIS MONSTER ?!” You screech.

“Hey, it was not as gorgeous as I am, but we’re not monsters.” A deep voice comes from Yuji. Confused you look towards him.

“Shut up!” Yuji says and slaps a hand over his cheek. But then a mouth appears on the back of his hand.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” You scream and jump up, almost kicking the blond male who was still holding your leg.

“I CAN EXPLAIN!!” Yuji panics, “SUKUNA SHUT UP AND LEAVE US ALONE.”

“IS THIS WHY YOU COULDN’T TELL ME WHATS UP WITH YOU?!”

“Yes …” he looks down, “It was all… well … difficult to explain to you so I just chose not to.” He looks up at you with his puppy eyes and you sigh. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

“I hate you.” You sit down again and lean against his shoulder. Putting an arm around you he leans his head on yours.

“I know … I know.”

“Okay cool- but again. What do they want from you?” The black haired guy says and his piercing green eyes seem to try to read your mind.

“I - I don’t know. I haven’t known about all of this until now.”

“Tuna, rice.” The white hair male, who now has the zipper up again, says.

“Agreed … she at least was able to see the curse.” The other white haired male says.

Your face should clearly show the confusion, but it seems as if everyone just ignores it.

“Did anything happened the past weeks? … anything strange?” The blond one asks and stands up, adjusting his glasses.

“No… not really… my boss acted strange yesterday - well he always does - when he gave me some packet to personally give to someone.”

“What packet? How big was it?” The black haired asks.

“Uhhh I thought there was some expensive watch in." You look around confused. Everyone looks over to Yuji.

“Why? What’s wrong?” You look around.

“Who did you give the packet to?” Yuji asks.

“No one actually… The male wasn’t there, so I took it with me - I planned on giving it back to him tomorrow.” You stutter.

“Who’s your boss?” The white haired one asks.

“Naoya Zenin - I got an internship being his secretary.”

Everyone stares at you now.

“You’re coming with us.” The white haired one grabs your hand.

“Nanami - you and Yuji go to her home! Find that packet - if it’s still there.” He looks over to the blond male, before addressing you again. “Anything else you heard or saw before he gave you this packet?”

“Uhm… I overheard him talking to a man… “ you stutter and he grabs your hand, dragging you with him.

“With who? What did they say?”

“I - I don’t know…” you whisper.

“Then REMEMBER!” He says in a harsh tone.

“I DONT KNOW - HE LOOKED STRANGE …” you scream, annoyed the way he dragged you with him.

“Well until you know, you be staying with us.”

TAGLIST (open): @laceymorganwrites

[elizabeethan]

Watch the Sunlight Fade: 15 / 17

Emma Swan finds out that her boyfriend has been hiding something from her: he’s in a gang and trying to get out. Reluctantly, she decides to support him, sticking it out with him until they have enough money to flee to Florida. All she has to do is wait and ignore that feeling in her gut that something is seriously wrong. With the help of a kind and handsome stranger, she just might make it out alive.

Or, alternate summary: I’m horrible at summaries, please just read it.

Something of a cross between a What Still Remains AU and a Sons of Anarchy AU.

A/N: get ready for some whumpy aftermath

Rated M

Get added to my tag list

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Read on Ao3

~~~~

Emma creeps through the building, eyes scanning each door for any indication of Elsa’s whereabouts. Robin told her in haste as she was leaving that Elsa lives in this building, too, but he failed to inform her of what unit she was in. 

 As she walks the halls, a door opens slowly and reveals the face of someone she recognizes and is relieved to see. “Tink, hi.”

 “Looking for El?” 

 She nods. “Killian asked me to make sure she’s safe.”

 “Is he okay?” she asks with concern. Emma almost smiles at how much his friend truly cares about him. 

 “I don’t know,” she shakes her head. “They really hurt him.”

 Her voice is heated. She won’t get past the anger that boils the blood singing through her veins. They hurt the man she loves, and she isn’t sure how she’ll get past that fact without making someone pay. 

 “Well, let’s get the hell out of here so we can get him help.”

 Tink shows her where Elsa’s apartment is and she knocks on the door, answered quickly and coldly. “Yes?” 

 “Elsa,” Emma greets, confused by her clipped tone, less confused to see that she looks entirely unharmed. “Killian wanted me to check on you.”

 She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure he did,” she says sarcastically. 

“We have… we have a safe place for you. Come with us,” she tries. She doesn’t actually want to even bother convincing her, but she knows it’s what Killian wants.

 “Safe? You’re full of it.”

 She knew it. Killian feared that she had the information tortured out of her, unable to believe that she could have betrayed him with her own free will, but Emma had a sinking feeling that that wasn’t the case. Now, she thinks she’s right. “You told them,” she accuses. 

 “Yes, I did. He should know better than to try to betray the club like that.”

 “He trusts you,” she tries. “He loves you because you loved his brother.” 

 “I love my family,” she argues vapidly. “Killian tried to destroy it by shacking up with you and killing one of our own. He betrayed Neal, just because he can’t get over what happened to Liam.”

 Tink laughs, shaking her head, and Emma says, “They killed Liam! How can you not see that?”

 “Don’t tell me what I can or can’t see. You don’t know anything; you certainly don’t understand the inner workings of the club or why Peter makes the decisions he does.”

 Her thoughts are swirling in her head, moving too quickly as she tries to straighten out what Elsa says to her. She’s too forgiving, too accepting of what’s happened to the man she was supposed to love. Her actions have been too cruel. Someone who loves Killian wouldn’t have given him up; she wouldn’t be taking such a black and white stance if… 

 “You knew,” she accuses knowingly, without needing to ask. “You’ve known all along that they killed Liam.” 

 With a roll to her eyes, she says, “Liam’s actions no longer reflected his promise to the club. They did what needed to be done, and I understood that-- unlike you. The club has been my family long before Liam came around.” 

 “How could you…” she whispers, unable to say anything more. She can hardly vocalize how horrified she is to learn that someone she thought was sweet and innocent has been working against the people who love her all along.

 With a scoff, she says, “I don’t have to explain myself to you. Go back to your real boyfriend, you slut. You’re lucky he even still wants you after all you’ve done to betray us.”

 “You’re a monster,” Emma grumbles, backing away from her. “I don’t know how you can do this to someone who really loves you.”

 The sting against her cheek is immediate and sharp, Elsa’s hand delivering a solid slap and making Emma and Tink gasp in unison. “The club loves me. They’ve taken care of me since I was a kid. Now get away from me before I tell Peter what you told me about a safe place,” she goads. “Go back home, and maybe you won’t get hurt.”

 “Like Killian did? And Liam?” 

 “They got what they deserved. If you’re not careful, you will, too. I’m willing to look past this transgression, only because I know Neal loves you and thinks you’ll be a good candidate at carrying on the bloodline. But make no mistake; fuck up again and I’ll be taking this little conversation to Peter.”

 Emma couldn’t have convinced Elsa to come with them if she tried, because she wasn’t even able to try. The door slams in her face before she has a chance to get another word in.

 ~~~~

 His surroundings are barely visible before the pain sets in again. 

 It’s blinding, no matter what he does. Opening his eyes is painful. Keeping them closed is, too. 

 He doesn’t need to be awake to know where he is, either. The waves rocking the boat violently give away their location.

 “I think he’s waking up,” someone says with a voice he doesn’t recognize. “Get over here.” 

 “Mate,” he hears from Rob, his voice vaguely recognizable through the fog in his brain. “Killian, come on.” 

 “You shouldn’t have let him sleep. He probably has a concussion.” 

 “You try stopping him.” 

 “Shut up,” he groans, his lip cracking again as he speaks. Each of the men by his side laugh in relief. 

 “Killian,” he hears Robin breathe. “You alright, mate?” 

 He winces as he tries to take in a grounding breath, his ribs protesting vehemently. “Where is she?” he asks, barely recognizing the sound of his own voice. 

 “Who’s that? The one looking for me?” 

 “Emma,” Robin confirms, and Killian forces his eyes open. He only hopes that the look he gives his friend is enough to relay his fear and anger at him telling this stranger anything about the woman he loves. Doesn't he know she’s in danger already? “Don’t look at me like that, mate,” he says, although Killian can detect a hint of relief in his voice at seeing his open eyes. 

 “What did you do?” he asks, unable to expend the energy it would take to say much more. 

 “This is David. You, and especially Emma, might recognize him as James Spencer.” 

 Killian groans as he lifts his head, the crushing pain of his headache almost unbearable. Truthfully, he thought he would be worse off. Sure, he’s quite certain several ribs are broken, and he worries that he might have a fracture or two in his cheek from how many times Cassidy beat on him, but the pain isn’t quite as bad as he expected it to be. 

 It’s still bloody excruciating, though. 

 “Spencer,” he answers, looking at the familiar stranger. “The cop?” 

 He nods. “You’re girlfriend’s good. I’m with the FBI now, deep undercover. I thought we’d buried everything.” 

 “Of course she is,” he agrees, trying to take a breath deep enough to actually fill his lungs. He digs his fingers into the thin mattress and winces. “So, what now? Where is she?” 

 “She’s meeting me here,” Robin tells him. 

 “You left her alone?” he asks angrily.

 “You told her to round up Tink and Elsa. Begged her. I had to get you the hell out of there before they bloody killed you.” 

 “Why the hell would you listen to me?” he grumbles, rolling his eyes painfully. “How long has she been gone?” 

 Looking down to his watch, Robin answers, “About two hours. But she’s smart, she’ll get out of there alright.” 

 He can’t even answer, can’t even tell his friend how stupid it was to let Emma go off on her own, unprotected, before Nolan speaks up. “Your friend tells me you always seem to have a plan.” 

 “Give me some water and something to get rid of this damn headache and I’ll be much more amenable to talking.” 

 He can barely keep up with his surroundings, too disoriented and dizzy and in too much blinding pain to keep his eyes open or to form a coherent thought beyond his worry for Emma. He isn’t even sure how much time passes, how long it takes for the glass of water to appear in his hand.

 “I checked you out,” David says after what must have been a few minutes, the water finally washing away the taste of blood from his mouth. “I have field training. I think you have some cracked ribs, but I don’t think your face is broken.” 

 With a sigh and a roll to his eyes, Killian says, “Well aren’t I lucky.”

 The medication he gives him sets in after a few minutes more, numbing the pain slightly and making it so that Killian can finally breathe in enough oxygen to not feel like he’s drowning. Satisfied with the lessened pain, he takes another gulp of water and says, “Aye, I think I have a plan.”

 “Go on.” 

 “Peter’s on a rampage, ready to destroy whoever he can, but I’m assuming that if you’re here, the Kings of Elsinore must be close.” David nods in agreement. “He doesn’t know they’re coming. He planned to attack them first. Have your gang found the Lost Boy’s clubhouse yet?”

 “No.”

 “Good. We can tell you where to find them and you can set up a raid with the FBI, take both clubs down at once. On one condition.” 

 A particularly forceful wave rocks the boat again, the one that’s all too familiar to Killian, and sends David stumbling to the right. Killian’s stomach flips once more. “What’s that?” he asks once he gets his bearings. 

 Despite his pain, and his desperate need for some chapstick, Killian smirks. “You’re going to help us get out of this mess.”

 ~~~~

 It’s almost midnight by the time Neal finally falls asleep. His adrenaline and anger has kept him up, his anger directed at his plaything being taken from him rather than his girlfriend potentially being hurt before he finally crashes. He hasn’t even noticed her swollen, red cheek, too busy focusing on his rage. 

 She plays it up dramatically, acting like she’s relieved that he finally found out and got her out of the dangerous situation, while also terrified at the fact that it happened. Really, she knows she’ll be having a similar, but still drastically different, exchange with Killian the moment this is over. 

 She takes a final look around the apartment once he’s sleeping, looking for one thing and one thing only and unable to find it. She isn’t sure what he’s done to her only possession; the children’s book is the only thing she cares about aside from her friends' safety. But she isn’t surprised to know that he stole or destroyed it given his complete disregard for her well-being in any capacity. 

 She sneaks out the front door, content to never return, and creeps down the hall towards Olivia’s unit. 

 “It’s time,” she says once she gets there, her voice just above a whisper. 

 As they quietly tiptoe across the dock once they arrive, she briefly wonders how Robin will know of their arrival, before her question is answered for her. He pokes his head out of the cabin of a rather large yacht, and Emma scans the area before hurrying towards him. 

 “You made it,” he exclaims, taking her backpack and helping her onto the deck of the boat. “Where’s Elsa?”

 “Where’s Killian?” she asks, willing to ignore his question and put her out of her mind a bit longer. 

 “Below deck. He’s awake.”

 She’ll tell them about Elsa soon. Right now, she has more important things to worry about, and she can’t imagine bursting Killian’s bubble once again by telling him the truth. 

 Stepping down into the cabin is daunting. The boat reminds her of the clubhouse, weapons on display wherever they can fit. She wonders about how safe that can be, the clubs and knives and primitive looking tools bound to fall eventually with the way the waves are rocking the boat. 

 “Killian,” she exclaims, excitement to see him sitting up on his own taking over her resolve to stay strong for him. The tears are leaking from her eyes before she even realizes she’s about to cry, and she hurries towards him. The last time she saw him, he was so broken that she was worried she would lose him. 

 He breathes her in when she collides with him, wincing as she puts too much pressure on his ribs but not releasing his firm hold on her. 

 “You alright?” he asks her, his lips brushing against her neck as he speaks. Leave it to him to worry about her after he was beaten within an inch of his life. His hand reaches up to touch her cheek, the redness fading but evidently still noticeable enough, at least to a man who truly cares about her. “What did he do?” 

 “I’m fine,” she answers. She wants to crawl onto his lap and hold him in her arms for the rest of their lives, but she knows she can’t. They have to move. “Can we go now?”

 “Where’s El?” he asks, confused. 

 Robin interrupts, not letting Emma answer, and says, “we can’t go yet, unless we want to get arrested. Emma, meet Special Agent David Nolan.”

 Her eyes widen when she looks up and sees a man she recognizes, stunned to have his identity confirmed for her. “James Spencer,” she says, nodding her head. “So you are undercover?”

 “I am. Props to you for figuring it out, although it’s a bit disconcerting.”

 “I didn’t tell anyone,” she shrugs. The agent laughs. “Plus, I thought you were just a cop.”

 “Close enough.”

 “Emma,” Killian says softly, his hand closing around hers and squeezing again. “Where's Elsa? What happened to you?”

 She bites her bottom lip when she looks into his eyes again and is met with his painful stare. It’s unfair that she has to be the one to tell him this. That a woman he thought was his family should betray him like this and she has to be the one to pass the information along and to see the look on his face when she does. 

 “Killian,” she answers softly. “Olivia and I went to her and tried to get her to come with us. We told her we had a safe way out, that we would help her escape. But she wanted nothing to do with us.” 

 He touches her face again, the concern written across his face pulling at her heart. “What happened?” he nearly whispers. 

 “She said some awful things,” Tink tells him. “Emma told her she was being stupid, essentially-- ripped her a new one for selling you out-- and El gave her a good slap.”

 His fingers dance along her tender skin once more as he shakes his head in disappointment and disbelief. “She did this to you?”

 “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to tell you--”

 His lips find hers effortlessly, his touch gentle and delicate and careful not to let things between them get too passionate while they still have an audience. She’ll have to tell him about Liam eventually, but it’s too much right now. He’s so broken, and she worries that telling him that his sister-in-law knew about his brother's death could put him over the edge when he has to focus on healing. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I can’t believe she would--”

 “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really should get moving. The SWAT team will be here soon.”

 “SWAT?” 

 “Love, David is planning a raid on the clubhouse. We’re going to give him the club’s location in exchange for our freedom and immunity during any investigations.”

 She lets her jaw drop in surprise, her expectations of their evening completely shattering before her. “Oh shit…”

 “Aye,” Killian confirms. “We just need to figure a way to get them all to the clubhouse. We need Peter to call another family meeting, but me simply being gone likely wouldn’t be enough of a reason.”

 “If I may,” David offers, Emma looking up from Killian’s distracting eyes at him. “Isn’t she the leader’s girlfriend?”

 “She is called Emma, and if you think she is going back there, you might as well just haul me off to jail right now because I’ll bloody beat--”

 “Killian!” she insists, placing her hand on his and squeezing to try and calm him down. “Just hear him out. He might be onto something.” 

 He turns to her, his cheeks flushed in his pain and anger. “I’m not sending you back there! You just left; I’ll die before I let anything more happen to you.”

 She rolls her eyes, but it’s only to protect herself. The fact is, he did almost die in favor of letting anything happen to her. “No you won’t,” she says definitively. She stands from her place beside him and looks seriously at the agent. “What did you have in mind?”

 “Emma--”

 She turns around sharply. “After everything you’ve been through today, don’t you dare tell me I can’t do something to protect you. We can end this, Killian. We won’t be on the run; we’ll be completely free to live the lives we want.” Turning back to David, she asks, “Right?”

 “She’s right,” he agrees, though he’s looking at Killian. “With all of your cooperation, I’m positive I can get you off scot free.”

 “Killian,” she whispers, sitting back at his side and taking his hand once more. “I can do this.”

 “I know,” he agrees immediately with a firm nod, a look of consternation on his pained face. “I’ve yet to see you fail. I just hate that I have to put you through this.”

 “You’re not,” she promises. “I am. And I’ll be fine. I can handle Neal.”

 “Aye, you’ve proven that much,” he smiles, his hand finding her cheek again. His eyes are starting to look heavier and heavier, whatever he was given for the pain taking over his consciousness again. “You’re a mighty strong lass.”

 “You sound so much more British when you’re high,” she laughs, leaning over to kiss his broken bottom lip softly. 

 “I just happen to know you like my accent,” he flirts, and she giggles in response, pecking the tip of his nose. 

 “Alright, my love,” she whispers. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

 ~~~~

 “Neal,” she whispers when she arrives in his bedroom. Their plan is a solid one, fully formed and ready to be put into action. That fact doesn’t make her any less anxious. 

 Killian gave David plenty of information on the club before she’d arrived. He told him about the millions in merchandise they’ve stolen, and where to find the pieces and the blueprints for evidence. He told them about the countless murders they’ve committed, including that of his own brother and where his body can be found. He told them about the illegal pornography business they’ve been running, and in exchange, David and his team will look past Olivia’s involvement. 

 Now, all that’s left is to gather the club for a family meeting and wait for the shooting to start. 

 She won’t be there, though. She and Killian made sure of that, making a plan just before he fell asleep and just after David left to make a call to his superiors. 

 “Neal, baby, wake up,” she says, appealing to his distorted senses and shaking his shoulders. 

 “What is it?” he asks grumpily, pushing her hands away. 

 “I found something.”

 He groans and snaps, “Just tell me what it is.”

 She clears her throat awkwardly and says, “I was able to pin Spencer’s last known location. He’s here, in Storybrooke. I think the whole gang is.” 

 He sits up suddenly, his eyes glowing meanly in the moonlight and making her shudder. “An attack,” he says, his tone definite, as if he’s the one who figured this out. 

 He doesn’t bother to even question how she found out, but she’s fine with that. “I think we should ask Peter to call a family meeting. This changes the whole plan, right?”

 “You’re right,” he agrees. “Come on, get dressed.”

 For once in her miserable relationship with him, she happily does as he commands. 

~~~~

~~~~

@courtorderedcake @kmomof4 @stahlop @klynn-stormz @laschatzi @emelizabeth88 @lfh1226-linda @kday426 @elisethewritingbeast @timeless-love-story @captain-emmajones @gingerpolyglot @ebcaver @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @superchocovian @itsfabianadocarmo @tiganasummertree @gingerchangeling @jrob64 @onceratheart18 @xhookswenchx @winterbaby89 @swampmedusa @ultraluckycatnd @dancingnancyy @love-with-you-i-have-everything @shireness-says @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @ouatpost @daxx04 @the-darkdragonfly​ @donteattheappleshook @therooksshiningknight @eeteeaytay @xsajx​ @itsfridaysomewhere​ @alexa-fangirl-forever​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @qualitycoffeethings​ @rapunzelsghosts​ @spaceconveyor @badcats-andmice​ @batana54​ @sailtoafarawayland​ @deckerstarblanche​ @zaharadessert​ @xarandomdreamx @pirateprincessofpizza​ @captainswan21​

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

What do you think of Camila? Do you think she’s a good mom to Luz? I’ve seen her getting a lot of hate recently especially after Yesterday’s lie’

Ah, an Owl House ask! Thank you so much for this, anon!

Camila is an absolute sweetheart. Anyone who works in Veterinary medicine earns my respect for the intelligence and hard work that takes, as well as the kindness in their heart. Speaking as the kind of person who would also set animals free from traps, I relate to Camila and respect her considerably. However, being a good person and being a good parent are two different conversations. I can understand why people may have been critical of her during Season 1, what with her seemingly trying to make Luz change herself and forcing her to attend that camp. Still, even in S1, I thought to myself that she was an imperfect parent but that she was truly trying her best, just that she was going about things the wrong way. I never got the sense that she felt anything but love for her daughter. Still, my theory after the finale was that Luz was never going to return to the human realm, simply because the Boiling Isles understood her better and accepted her so quickly. But the inclusion of those letters and of "Creepy Luz" made it clear that we weren't finished with Camila, that she would appear in the future. Hey, come to think of it...the letters never got explained, did they? Based on the flashbacks we saw, Vee's impersonation began as an accident, but the letters from "Luz" would suggest that this was more premeditated. So either Vee is lying about what happened, which she would have no reason to do anymore...or there's something else going on here, another player in this game. This could be unrelated and unimportant, but did anyone notice how the second parent in that family photo had their face obscured? I wonder...

Never mind that for now. As of the most recent episode? I don't see how anyone can hate Camila People are entitled to feel however they do about the characters, but I've seen how swift the turnaround was about Vee, and I was the same way. She is baby and must be protected. But you know who's agreed to protect her and take her in, and been generally wonderful about having her entire life and worldview upended? Camila. She's such a human character and she's not perfect, but she's kind. Even in the beginning of this episode, it was shown that the stark shift in "Luz's" personality was troubling her, and when she thought everything was a trick, she was relieved to see that Luz was "being creative again." So she never wanted to squash her daughter's imagination, just make sure she would be able to function in society. Whether she went about it the right way is open for debate, but it is clearer than ever that she was just trying to look out for her. I have to commend Camila for how she handled everything that she learned. Saw a literal monster and her response was perfect. She recognized, as a mother and as a veterinarian, that this was a vulnerable child who needed rescuing, who needed acceptance. And that's exactly what she gave. She didn't recoil in fear or disgust. She didn't act betrayed or hold Vee accountable for the deception. All of which, Vee was probably expecting. But no, Camila was a damn hero, saving and then adopting her.

Through all this, she's grappling with the understanding that demons and other worlds are real. But that's not even the biggest bomb that's been dropped on her. The child that she thought was Luz for these past few months was actually an impostor, a different child. And Luz herself has for all intents and purposes, been missing. Trapped in another world full of magic and demons. I'd imagine that Camila's feeling a fair bit of guilt right now. Any parent in her position would be wondering why they failed to recognize the disguise, how their own daughter could have gone missing for months without her noticing. She's probably going to beat herself up for all this, for a while yet to come. And that's not even getting into the reveal that the end. That Luz came to the Boiling Isles deliberately. I wonder if there are fans who took issue with the line "Was living with me so terrible?" Because it guilts Luz, a kid who's known for her imagination, for simply wanting to see a fantasy land. I'm sure Luz feels even worse about all this now. And I agree, Camila shouldn't have said that. But it was her kneejerk reaction, her immediate question. She shouldn't have said it, but I don't blame her for feeling that way, for wondering that very question. For feeling a little abandoned. She probably feels like she drove Luz away by limiting her creative impulses. But it's far from being that simple. Luz didn't feel accepted in the human realm, and Camila was basically the one thing she even had that tied her there. Camila was the reason that Luz was even bothering to try and go home.

This is a tragic situation that's unfolding and it breaks my heart, but I don't think anyone is at fault here. Luz and Camila are both so very human. They're good people with weaknesses and flaws, suffering from an impossible situation. I am glad, more than anything, that Camila knows the truth now. And that she's supportive of Luz, even if she was hurt by the knowledge that Luz left on purpose. (Seriously, I think the way she handled the Vee situation tells us everything we need to know about her.) I suppose something else that people might take issue with is her extracting that promise from Luz that when she makes it home, that she'll stay. That's one hell of a position to put Luz in, considering the life that she's build in the Boiling Isles. But here's the thing. Camila doesn't really know about all that. We don't see most of the exposition relay that Luz gives her. So there's no reason to assume that Camila knows about Luz attending school and training to become a witch. That she has best friends, that she has a girlfriend now. And honestly, even if she does know about this...it's still her daughter, who's only led this life for a few months. Wouldn't you have done the same? Wouldn't any parent in that situation just want their child back? Camila is responding to emotion in this scene and I don't blame her for asking what she asked of Luz, though again, it's still a problem. In fact, I once again worry what this will mean for the future, because I'm willing to bet that this promise will come up again. And play a role in how the series ends. Luz might have to say a permanent farewell to her friends in the Boiling Isles because she feels obligated to keep this promise. Or, she might elect not to return to the human realm or to stop trying...because she knows that if she succeeds, she'll have to stay there. Technically, she only promised to stay if she made it back, after all. Either way, I foresee heartbreak.

[babybatscreationsv2]

Spider-Verse: Predators ch24

Marvel | Starker

Peter Parker is barely keeping it together. Dealing with Gwen Stacy's death, Harry Osborn going MIA, and MJ refusing to take his calls, has the guy feeling seriously run down. Now to top it off, his uncle Ben is facing serious prison time. Fortunately or unfortunately, New York's own Kingpin of Crime, Tony Stark, has offered him a deal to save his uncle. On a positive note, this Kingpin guy is kind of hot. Is it wrong to sleep with a murderous criminal?

Rating: Explicit

Read it on Ao3

The lab was in shambles. Lights hung from the ceiling, bits of metal and glass littered the floor. It was impossible to safely navigate the place without his suit. Even Tony wore his fancy new nanobot tech as he investigated the damage. On a normal day, Peter would be babbling and investigating the swarm of intelligent minibots that covered the man's body, but now he sat, watching the crack in the glass start to grow.

“How long... do you think?” Peter asked.

Tony swiped a hand through his hair. “A few hours as best. Once the glass breaks-”

“I know. We can't keep him in stasis without the chamber. You really don't have another one?”

“I'm sorry, Pete. That alien freak broke everything. There were three others, but they're all broken.There's one we might be able to repair, but I don't think it will be in time.” Broken glass crunched over his feet as he left the tech he was fiddling with to come stand behind Peter. His large metal hands covered his shoulders. “What's your plan when it does break?”

“I don't know,” Peter sighed. “I don't know, Tony...”

Tony kissed the top of his head. “I'm here with you, baby.”

Yes, Peter felt warmer, safer to hear it. He even let his eyes close for a moment and pretend none of this had happened. The problem was that Tony couldn't protect him from this. When the stasis chamber that was containing the half formed Lizard broke, Harry's transformation would begin again. He would be left mindless and destructive. And there was no cure. Tony had been trying for months to find one and never did. They could sedate him, keep him tranquilized, but would it work? There were no guarantees.

“Let's fix it. The other chamber.”

“Okay,” Tony agreed. Peter was admittedly surprised. He expected the man to remind him how much work it would take and how much time and how little time they had. He had expected Tony to insist on putting a bullet in Harry's face the minute they realized that the glass was breaking. Peter had changed something in him after all. He cared a little bit more. Or maybe he just cared about Peter.

They got to work. Half of their time was spent by Tony explaining to him what every little part was for. Peter knew machines well enough, but he wasn't the genius who built his own stasis chamber and there was a lot to learn. More time was spent teaching Peter what to do before they could do anything, than Peter would have liked. After a few hours, he understood well enough what everything was and they settled into a rhythm in their repairs. Most of Peter's work was done at the 3D-printer while Tony fiddled with the machine, but it was a system that worked well enough.

Peter was repairing a broken wire when Tony put down the tools in his hands. His head tilted up toward the ceiling and he sighed.

“What is it?”

“We should just let him out,” he said, looking away at the wall.

“What?” Peter stared. He couldn't be serious. Let the Lizard out?

Tony looked at him. “Murdock wants his blood. You heard him, right? He wanted his alien pal to get the blood from the cooler, but they didn't get it. There's not a single bag or vial missing. If we turn your lizard friend loose then Matt will go after him.”

“We can't do that! He could kill someone.”

“And Matt could kill you! Or your aunt for that matter. I don't know if you've noticed this, but Matthew is a literal fucking ninja. If he wants to slip into Aunty May's house while you're not around, I can't promise you that my people will notice.”

Peter shook his head. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the wall. “Then I'll go home. Until we get him. I should have been home.”

Tony turned his head away and Peter knew that he'd hurt him. It was the obvious thing to do, but Tony could be surprisingly fragile. He needed Peter close. If he stopped coming to the tower it could damage their relationship. He couldn't leave May to die either way. He'd do a lot of things for Tony, but not that. Maybe he'd been naive to think that she was safe all this time.

His spider sense flared up at the back of his neck. There was someone else in the lab. Peter turned, watching, listening. He raised his arm, ready to fire and Tony followed suit. Then a woman entered the room.

Peter recognized her blonde hair and glasses. Betrayal cut at him. He had sort of thought they were allies. Elsa held her hands up in innocence.

“I know you're mad. I get it, but I think we can help you.” Her eyes wandered to Harry, half covered in scales, in his cracked containment chamber.

“Is my security team sleeping? How did you get in here?” Tony said.

“We're good at getting into places we're not supposed to be.”

“Oh yeah? Who's we?” Tony asked. Before Peter could explain, there was Venom rising in a goopy, snake-like form from Elsa's shoulder. “Alright, explain yourself.”

“Murdock betrayed us, too. He helped us once, because he hoped that we would owe him. Except that it didn't go like he planned.”

“You're not making a great case for yourself,” Peter said.

“Yeah, maybe get to the part where we care,” Tony added.

Elsa sighed. “Men,” she huffed. “My other isn't stable. Never was. I created it, but things happened, we bonded too soon. I shouldn't have taken it out of containment until it was ready. Long story short, I needed something to stabilize it. After months of research, my work suggested that something like Spiderman wasn't so different from my symbiote. In theory anyway. I don't know how he found out, but Murdock came. He said that he could get me a sample of Spiderman's blood. If I were willing to kill Spiderman for him.”

Peter heard the whir of Tony's repulsor charging. “Please wait,” Elsa sighed. “You'll only piss them off and we didn't come here to kill you.”

Tony let the charge die, but he kept his arm raised.

“Anyway,” she began again. “He got me the blood and it helped, for a while. Spiderman's blood stabilized Venom and gave them new abilities as well. We were stronger than ever. And then the bond started to break. We got sick.I realized that something in your blood was breaking down our cells. You might have spider-like abilities, but you're not actually a man bonded to a spider. You're still made of human parts. We aren't.We're an amalgamation of two different creatures. Like the Lizard. We need to know what keeps the Lizard's form stable once it bonds to a human body.”

Tony whistled. “That was a lot. You think that up on the cab ride over?”

“It's true!” Elsa shouted. Venom growled.

“Eat him,”it hissed.

“Hush, love,” she said. “Please, Mr. Stark.”

“What is it you want?” Peter asked. He finally lowered his arm and took a step forward hoping to resolve the tension before another fight broke out. All it would take was another hard hit and the glass protecting Harry would shatter. They'd have a whole host of other problems.

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself. Venom nuzzled into her hair. “If we allow Venom to bond with this lizard boy, I'm almost certain that Venom will be able to separate the lizard parts from the human parts and bond with them. We've been practicing. It's possible that it won't work, but if Venom can bond with the Lizard and draw it out from the boy and carry it over in to me it will save the boy from the Lizard and possibly give us a way to stabilize our bond.”

“If that's even possible, it makes sense... Sorta.” Peter shrugged.

Tony sighed. “It's your boyfriend.Your call.”

Peter shot a glare over his shoulder. Then he crossed the dirty floor and he looked at Harry sleeping in his goop. Maybe they could fix the other chamber, maybe they could sedate him if the glass broke too soon, maybe they could eventually engineer a cure, but how long would Harry stay this way? He could wake up an old man. His heart ached. He'd done so much to hurt him already. Maybe he could save him. At least from this. From the first big mistake Spiderman ever made. And maybe he could finally be free of the Lizard himself.

“We'll try it. What are the odds this hurts Harry if it doesn't work?”

Elsa shrugged. “I'm sorry, but no one has ever done anything like this before. He could reject Venom immediately. Venom could make a mistake and separate the wrong cells.The Lizard could do any number of unpredictable things. There's no way of knowing.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “For what it's worth, I know that my other will do everything possible. We have a stake in this, too.”

If she were telling the truth, she would die if this didn't work. Not just Harry. This could easily go from a cure to a disaster. If they didn't anything try at all, Elsa would still die. Despite having destroyed Tony's lab, she seemed like a decent person who just wanted to live with the slime monster she loved.

“Please,Spiderman,” Venom rumbled.

Peter nodded. “Okay. Let's give it a shot.”

Elsa helped Peter clean off a cot for Harry while Tony went to his computer. It started draining the goop from the chamber. Then they could remove the IV and all the sensors and pull him out. They might not have long before the sedation wore off once the IV was out.

“Do you think we should keep him sedated when we pull him out?” Pete wondered. “He could take someone's head off.”

“It could put Venom out, too,” Elsa frowned. “We'll just have to be careful.”

“I have something that might help, but it won't work forever,” Tony said. He went to the storage along the wall. Half of the cupboards were smashed, but one that was intact unlocked at Tony's touched. “I didn't make them big enough to fit a lizard man, but they'll hold him until he'd fully transformed.” He held up a pair of dense metal handcuffs.

“If all goes to plan, he never will,”Elsa said.

Peter sighed. “Nothing in my life goes to plan.” Still, he pulled open the door and caught Harry as he slipped out. Tony grabbed his legs and together they moved hin onto a cot. Harry groaned in his sleep.

“Clock's ticking,” Tony cautioned.

Elsa stepped up to the bedside. Venom stretched, becoming a long, writhing, stream of goo that moved from Elsa into Harry. The goop seemed to absorb through his skin, disappearing without a trace. Elsa gave a huff of breath. Nothing seemed to change with Harry, but Elsa was visibly anxious. Her shoulders twitched and her eyes were locked on to the spot in Harry's chest when Venom had disappeared to.

“How long do you think?” Peter asked.

She didn't move, didn't look away. “We practiced on rats mostly. It took a few hours. Could be days given the size and complexity of a human/lizard hybrid. And they'll be taking the most possible care.”

Tony eyed the room around them. Peter remembered just how badly it was all falling apart. It was a miracle the building overhead didn't sink down into it. “Elsa, do you have somewhere we can keep them until it's done?”

“I can monitor things from my apartment.” She reached out, her hand going to Harry's arm only to draw back. “I'll call you if anything happens.”

“Good or bad,” Peter agreed.

Cradling Harry's scaly form in webbing, Peter dragged him up the broken elevator shaft. Tony carried Elsa. She seemed distraught and Peter felt for her. He and Tony were codependent enough. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be separated from a partner who you otherwise shared a body with. It was obvious just how romantically attached they were and how odd was that in the first place? To be in love with the sentient goo you made in a lab.

Elsa lived in one of the cheapest apartments on this side of the city, or any side for that matter. Peter remembered how bad this particular building was from his time looking at apartments with MJ. The place smelled as bad as he remembered. The clutter of old food containers in Elsa's apartment certainly fit in with the aesthetic of the place and there was a faint smell of something dead coming from the overflowing trash can.

Peter tucked Harry into Elsa's bed. He grumbled as he Peter set him down. “Call me if he changes at all. If he moves, if he says something, anything.”

“You got it.” Elsa stood, leaning against the door frame. Her face was twisted with worry. He wanted to assure her that this would work, that everything was going to be fine, but he just didn't know. This was all her research, all her experiment, and yes if it went sideways then it would all be on her. Still, it was her life that was at stake, hers and Harry's. She caught his eye and they shared a look that said it all. She nodded, then he brushed gently passed her.

Tony was toeing at a stack of science magazines that could have been dated years back.

“Ready to head out?”

Peter nodded. He looked over his shoulder and sighed. “I guess so.”

“Sure you don't want to hold your boyfriend's hand until he wakes up?”

Peter shot him a glare. “What's your problem?”

Tony shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Whatever. Let's not do this here.” Peter flipped out of the window and dropped down toward the street. He swung up on a web over the next building then down again. He swung his way up a few blocks, letting the rush of air calm his mind. He had enough on his mind with Harry's life being in danger. He didn't need Tony's jealousy weighing on him. Why had he even bothered to help him if he was going to be a dick about it? Swinging past a window covered in signs for the upcoming mayoral election, it occurred to him that it might not have been about him at all.

Tony was in his office when Peter swung back in through the window. He'd taken off his suit and was fiddling with the sleeve of his under armor. He kept his back turned as Peter came in, but they were going to have it out whether he wanted to or not.

Peter tapped his foot on the floor, debating where to start. “Were you ever actually looking for a cure?”

Tony turned. His expression was insulted. “Was I- of course of I was. Would I have given it to the boy if I found it, though? That's the question you should be asking.”

Peter's jaw clenched and he shook his head. “Why the hell did I ever trust you with this?”

“Because you had no one else,” Tony pointed out. “And because you can trust me.”

“Can I? You were going to use him as leverage against Norman. Why? So you could campaign against him?”

Tony snorted. “I don't need to be mayor, Peter. That's just silly.”

No, Tony was Kingpin and unfortunately that made him more powerful than the mayor. “You were going to get him elected.”

Tony nodded and gestured for him to continue. “And then? What happens next in my genius plan?” He turned away to pour himself a drink.

“And then you control the legal side of the city as much as the underground. Because you have his son. Because if you had a cure you could hold it over him. You wanted to let Harry out so that Norman would owe you everything when you cured him.”

“Well not exactly.” Tony sipped his drink. He leaned back against the table. “I didn't lie to you, Peter. I will never lie to you.” Peter didn't fall for his melting chocolate eyes. “There is no cure. Not yet. By the time we have one, the Lizard will be no more, one way or the other. I was going to let the boy out, let him do some big scary property damage, eat someone's cat, whatever, and then let Osborn know that I know that the Lizard is his son.”

“And he wouldn't want the city to know that. He'd do anything.”

Tony smiled. “Bingo. Now you're thinking like the Kingpin.”

Peter shook his head. “Fuck you,Tony.”

The man rolled his eyes. “I was never going to let anything happen to your boyfriend.”

“He's not my boyfriend! You are!”Peter tugged off his mask and paced the floor with it in his hands.“I wish you would just act like it instead of confusing me with all your jealously immediately after pretending that you're capable of putting all of that aside and helping me when I need you to and I don't get you, Tony-” He looked up, realizing then that Tony had set his drink down to stalk towards him somewhere during his babbling.

There was a dark possessive quality to his eyes. Peter let him crowd him in until he was backed into the wall. “Tell me again,” he rumbled. “Who am I?”

There was so much heat rolling between them it was smothering. Despite that he was barely two inches shorter than Tony, he was leaning over him enough to make him feel small, arms caging him in.

“My boyfriend,” Peter answered.

Tony nodded, a grin threatening to curl his lips. “And what are you?”

“Yours?” Peter said, hoping to appease whatever dark desire was growing in his eyes.

Tony's hand twitched against the wall and he could feel it against his throat without it ever touching him. “My everything.”

“Yours,” he said again, in a daze.There was a tension building between them. When Tony pressed their bodies together, Peter sighed with relief as the tension resolved.This was everything he needed. He let his hands wrap around the back of Tony's neck. He soaked up the press of Tony's hands on his waist. The man buried his face in his neck. There was no kissing or teasing, just warmth and comfort as they resolved their jealousy and hurt without another word. They stayed that way until the press of the wall into his back became uncomfortable and Peter gently pushed Tony back a step.

Tony sighed. “I've been selfish, asking you to come back here all this time while Murdock is out there. He'll recover from his injuries soon. You should be with your aunt.”

Peter pressed his forehead against Tony's. “It's going to kill me to be without you.”

"We can survive anything."

"I'll only be a call away."

Tony grinned. "Don't I know it."

[barnesbabee]

The Boss Doesn’t Like It || C.J

Summary: Don’t fuck around where you shouldn’t be.

Pairing: Choi Jongho x Reader

Words: Bruh ngl it’s long as fuuuuck :/

Genre: Smut, Angst

⚠ Mafia!au, metion of drugs, mentions of blood, usage of guns, degrading, spanking, hair pulling, dirty talk, thigh kink ⚠

A/N: This is for the lovers of the Mafia!au then. Enojy 💖

ᴄʀ: ʙᴀʀɴᴇꜱʙᴀʙᴇᴇ

    His hand flew across your cheek, and an incredible, stinging pain spread through your face.

    “I’m gonna ask this one more fucking time, and you better answer properly, or else…” The dark-haired male pulled a gun from his thigh gun holster.

    He pressed the cold barrel to your temple harshly, forcing you to slightly cock your head. You were trying your best to remain calm and not seem pathetic, but you couldn’t help and freak out a little over the gun pointed at your head. Breathing was suddenly hard and small beads of sweat rolled down your forehead.

    “I’ve fucking told you three times. I don’t work for anyone. You got the wrong idea, it’s not my fault.”

   It was entirely your fault. You should have told your drug dealer to fuck off, that he was going to deliver them to you in a reasonable place and that you sure as Hell wouldn’t step into that part of the town, but of course your thought process didn’t go as far as considering the consequences of your dangerous actions.

    The very second you stepped foot into the dark street decorated with used syringes, broken glass and rusty knives, you were knocked out by a harsh blow to the head. You woke up tied to a chair, in a cold, cement room that had nothing but a table with pristine tools on top of it, that, to be honest, scared the living shit out of you.

    The tall mal smacked you with the gun barrel, proceeding to shove it back where he had taken it from. You winced at the pain, and soon after felt the warm blood.

    He turned his back, visibly infuriated by the response, and walked towards the metal door.

    “She doesn’t leave.” He told the man standing outside, just as he walked away from the scenario.

   The door was slammed shut with a loud noise. You finally let yourself break down, and never-ending tears streamed down your face as you bit your lower lip to try and suppress your sobs. You felt like puking. You felt claustrophobic because of the tight ropes you couldn’t wriggle out of.

    Suddenly, just as you were about to lose hope, your eyes landed on the tool table. The scalpel. You looked towards the door and started conjuring a way out, before they eventually killed you, or made you bleed to death. If you tried to move closer to the table in your current situation, the chair would creak against the floor and the man outside would hear you. He had to be gone… But how on earth would you be able to do that…

   An idea popped into your head, and you remembered your previous thoughts.

   You felt like puking.

   You bent over in the chair so that the ropes would be pressing tighter against the mouth of the stomach, triggering your gag reflex. You immediately started salivating and gagging in the air, loudly.

   The man outside heard this and burst inside immediately. He saw you hunching over, salivating onto the floor. The male gripped your hair and forced your body back to his original position. He removed his hand and approached his face to yours.

   “Boss doesn’t like his shit messy, so if you puke you’ll clean it right back up”

   You took the proximity of your faces as the perfect opportunity. You swung your head back and smashed it against his nose as hard as your body allowed you to. The man stumbled back and, by pure luck (for you), hit his head on the pipe behind him, and fell to the ground unconscious. 

    You wasted no time in grabbing the scalpel once you had gotten close enough to the table, and started by undoing the ropes around your wrists, then around your torso, and finally around your feet. Before you fleed the room, you rummaged through the man’s body until you found a gun. Did you know how to use it? No, but you felt safer with it in your hands knowing that probably everyone you’d run into had one of these with them.

    You blindly made your way through the halls, just praying to God that wherever you were going lead to a way out. Surprisingly enough, you were able to escape the building. The gun immediately slipped from your hands the second you stepped into the outside world and you ran away like some monster was out to get you. You didn’t stick around to hear the boss’ angry yell when he found that some mere girl was able to knock out the man whose specific instructions were to not let you out, and then escape. 

   He was beyond furious, because you had beat him. And no one beats Jongho. He swore on his life he’d find you and bring you back, and then he’d decide your fate.

   Enveloped with fear and paranoia, you barely left the house the following month, only when it was absolutely necessary. But as time passed, and as the weeks went by, you felt safer, the crazy thoughts washed away and you felt like you could start living your life again. Slowly your life began coming back, and as a celebration, one night, you hesitantly left your apartment and made your way to the club as a way of cheering for your returned freedom. 

    As the night went on, you started becoming more free and careless, living the party. Every shot you took was like piecing back together your confidence, and you eventually let go of your worries as the music played through your body. 

   The third song since you had been on the dance floor started playing, and you felt a pair of hands encircle your waist and pull you closer. Your back hit their chest and for a second you were worried and a little anxious, but when you glanced over your shoulder to see the person’s face, you were pleasantly surprised. You smiled at the good-looking, red-haired stranger and he replied with a smirk.

    “Hey pretty.” He whispered in your ear.

   Instead of replying, you began moving your body once more, swaying your hips to the music, making sure your ass was grinding against his crotch. His grunts and small squeezed were an incentive to keep going, and you gladly did.

    He lowered his head, so his lips would be leveled with your right ear.

    “What do you say we take this somewhere else, beautiful?”

   You turned around and encircled his neck with your arms. You placed a long, teasing kiss on his plump lips and pulled away right after, wanting to give him just a taste of what awaited him. 

    “Let’s go?” You asked, stepping away from the male’s body. 

   He answered your question by placing his hand on your ass and squeezing it, while he lead the two of you out of the crowded club. 

   Your legs were a little wobbly as you tried to keep up with the pace of his long legs. Your eyes wandered around the place you were heading towards. It was… odd. It was very dark and it seemed empty, compared to the rest of the city. A chill ran down your spine and you decided to walk a little bit behind the stranger, as you started feeling the fear creeping up again. You wanted to ignore it, because it was most probably still remains of your previous fright, but you couldn’t shake it. When the male grabbed your wrist and pulled you into an alleyway, you stopped being scared and became terrified.

    Everything was dark, but you could make out three figures standing in front of you.

   “W-what’s going on?” You asked and gulped.

   Your mind immediately went to the worst-case scenarios: kidnapping, sex traffic, you name it. Your legs were visibly shaking, until a car’s headlights turned on. Your body froze and you covered the light with your hand for a second, as it was too blinding. When you moved your hand and looked at the men standing in front of you, you became unable to think. There stood the male you had been avoiding for months, the man you swore you were safe from. 

   Your heart beat a million times per second, it felt like it was going to jump out of your chest at any second and breathing became hard.

   “Good job Mingi.” He said, in a stern voice to the man beside you. 

   You watched as the stranger that you had been following up until now nodded his head and joined the other men in front of the car. 

    The male you tried to avoid started stepping towards you, and, just as he opened his mouth to say something, you felt dizzy, and you suddenly felt light. It was all too overwhelming, too terrifying, and you couldn’t take it. You didn’t remember anything else, but the cold feeling of the floor as your body collapsed.

    You woke up, cold and uncomfortable. You tried to move, but you were obviously restrained by something. Your head was pounding, and for a second all you remembered were the insane amount of shots you took. When the rest of the memories hit you, however, your eyes shot open and you sat up, wherever you were. You moved a little too quickly and so your vision became blurry for a second, but that didn’t stop you from frantically looking around the room, trying to make out where you were.

     Oh great...

    One of your hands was handcuffed to the pipe in the room you had once been tied in a chair, except this time the tool table was nowhere to be seen. You cursed yourself for being so naive the previous night and following that stranger into this mess… 

    Whoever you were dealing with was smart, that much you could deduct. They must have been following you for weeks, tracing you and camping outside your home for the longest time, and you hadn’t even noticed. You shivered at how terrifying that was.

    Long streams of tears escaped your eyes, and you honestly couldn’t tell if they were from the stress, fear, desperation, or sadness. You reached your free hand up to your cheeks and wiped the tears. You looked at your fingers after your face was dry and saw all of the black mascara smeared on them.

    “I’m gonna die ugly I can’t believe this…”

    And so you began to cry once more at the thought of death. 

   The big door burst open and slammed against the wall. A red-haired male you recognized from the previous night approached you holding a key and knelt down next to you, beginning to undo your handcuff. The memories of what he had done to you hit you like a truck, and the shame and fury bubbling inside of you couldn’t be contained. You gathered all of the courage you had in you (which was not much at this point) and spat in his face. Straight between his pretty, cat-like eyes.

    “Asshole.” 

    He looked at you with a threatening expression and you cowered a little in your spot. The male cleaned the saliva on his face with the sleeve of his sweater.

    “I was doing my job.”

   You rolled your eyes and let yourself be pulled up by the man after he had uncuffed you. You didn’t try to run, you weren’t completely dumb and you were totally aware that not only was he much stronger, he was probably much faster too. 

   He pulled you along for a couple of meters and up a flight of stairs until you reached a pair of big, dark wood doors. The man opened the door, threw you in, and slammed it close, leaving you in there to your own fate.

   “You know….”

  You stopped facing the door and turned around to look at the familiar voice’s owner. He was wearing a white button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, tucked inside a pair of black jeans. The male seemed to miss the point of a button-up shirt, as it was very much ‘buttoned-down’.

   You watched each of his moves carefully and warily, as you were a little concerned about what awaited you. 

   “I’m very curious about how you managed to escape. Yeosang won’t tell me, admittedly because he must be very embarrassed a girl we came to find out is just a university student managed to knock him out and escape,” He paused, sipped on his whiskey and walked towards you, until you were chest to chest “ and I’m very, very, interested in your little endeavor.”

    You pushed him away with your index finger, very disturbed by the proximity. He looked at your finger curiously, and honestly amused about the way you behaved before someone who owned several guns and had threatened you before with one. 

    “I used my head, okay? Just kill me or torture me or do whatever you’re going to do, get it over with.” You didn’t want to go any farther.

    Jongho shrugged and leaned against his desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest in the process. 

    “You know princess, the problem is, I don’t know what it is that I’m going to do to you…”

   You looked at him confusedly, what kind of gang member was he? Did they just spin the wheel to decide what to do?

   “What is that supposed to mean?...” You question, crossing your arms as well.

   “What’s your name, princess?” 

   The pet name left his lips in such a natural way that you couldn’t help but like the sound of it.

   “You can just keep calling me princess.”

   Jongho chuckled and smirked, absolutely in love with your fierceness. Perhaps it was bravery, perhaps it was stupidity, but whatever it was, Jongho had never seen it in a woman and he was stunned, to say the least.

    “I like you, princess. I like the way you behave. You came into this side of town, got captured by Mafia members, got threatened by their boss and didn’t give a fuck, proceeded to knock down one of them, left the building, then you were caught again and now you’re here,” He approached you once more, this time taking your chin in his hand and tilting your head up to look him in the eye properly “talking down to the Boss.”

    You shivered in place, but maintained your confident posture. Jongho chuckled, his gaze never leaving yours.

    His eyes traveled along your body, followed by his hands that explored your curves shamelessly. 

    “I might just need to give you a punishment for being such a brat…”

   “You’re a lucky one.”

   You looked at the tall man that lead you to a random room you hadn’t been told what it was. 

    “How am I lucky?”

   He glanced at you as if you were stupid and chuckled.

   “Jongho took a liking to you, he’s invited you for dinner, pretty. You’re lucky you didn’t get on his bad side after what you did… My best guess was that you were going to die, in the best-case scenario.”

    You swallowed dryly, a little thankful for having a future to look upon. 

    “Here it is, fix yourself, you look like shit.”

    You scoffed at the tall male and entered the room. It was an enormous bathroom, marble-decorated bathroom. You looked yourself in the mirror, fuck, you did look like pure shit. Disheveled hair, runny makeup, and torn up dress. You questioned Jongho’s taste in women for a second…

   Your thoughts came to a halt when you saw white fabric sitting on the counter right beside you. It had a small, handwritten note. You picked it up to read it.

   ‘Wear this tonight, if it doesn’t fit you can wear nothing ;)’

   How long ago had he planned this!?

   Nonetheless, you stripped from yourself and cleaned your face the best you could so you could slip on the white dress without staining it. You had to admit, Jongho knew how to dress women well. The dress was absolutely stunning: it was a white, off-shoulder dress with a v-neck and a pencil skirt. 

    You fixed your hair quickly and made a braid out of it with the hair tie that was always on your wrist. Admittedly the dress was a little tight, but it was better than the other option.

    You opened the bathroom door once you were done and found the same tall, blue-haired man waiting for you.

    “Ready?”

   You nodded, and he silently lead you through the halls to what you supposed was the dining area.

    “Behave, Jongho isn’t as friendly as he looks.” The tall man advised before opening the door.

   He pushed it open for you to enter. Before getting in you looked over your shoulder.

   “Jongho seems to enjoy it when I misbehave.”

   You winked and finally stepped into the dining room. Jongho was already there, now in black dress pants instead of his previous jeans, looking outside of the building.

    When he heard the door close, he turned around.

    “Princess, you look beautiful. Although I have to say I’m a little disappointed you didn’t choose option number two.”

    You smiled at the cheesy joke and joined him looking at the pretty sunset. 

    The male noticed how the dress hugged your body, and suddenly the most beautiful sight wasn’t the sunset.

    Jongho’s eyes were glued to how well he could see every single of your curves through the dress. Your big bust, your wide hips, your thick thighs… The man grabbed your hips and pushed you against the wall, trapping you between it and his body. You were a little taken aback at the sudden movements.

    “You know, I don’t think I can wait until after dinner, I might have to punish you now.”

    “Wait but-”

    “Y/N,” He paused, and his tumb caressed your lower lip “you misbehaved, you’re lucky you’re not dead.”

   He did know your name. Of course he did…

    “Although depending on what your sexual preferences are, you might wish I had just killed you after what I’m going to do to you.” 

    You had never felt like this. You had never felt the urge to become this submissive to anybody… Excitement took over you and every trace of discomfort evaporated as you gave into his touch.

    Jongho noticed the shift in your behavior and smirked. He swung you over his shoulder, as if your body was made out of feathers, and made way for his bedroom. You were surprised at how easily he lifted you, and you couldn’t help but imagine how effortlessly he could maneuver you.

    Once he’d reached the bedroom, he closed the door with his foot and threw you on his king-sized bed. You watched him undress from his shirt at the speed of light before hovering over you, each leg beside your waist. One of his hands held him up while the other caressed your thigh.

    “I can’t fucking wait to take you off of this dress.” He whispered.

   Your hands caressed his arms, feeling and squeezing his biceps that you now loved. 

   “Why don’t you then?” 

   His eyes turned a darker shade and his hands immediately gripped the hem of your dress and peeled it off of your body. The tight fabric gave you no space for a bra, so as soon as you fell back on the bed, your boobs bounced on your chest, and Jongho’s cock hardened.

   He gripped both of your tits in his hands.

   “No bra? Such a fucking slut… Practically begging to be fucked.”

   He lowered himself so his lips could meet yours in a harsh, sloppy kiss. Your spit mixed with his as your tongues fought for dominance in a fight you were sure to lose. Jongho pinched your nipples, causing you to whimper and buck your hips. As you did so, your crotch rubbed against Jongho’s, making him groan into the kiss.

   He pulled away from the kiss and attached his lips to your neck, pampering it with kisses until he found soft spots. He bit down of them and sucked harshly, then making sure to lick around the place that would be marked soon enough. As he worked on your neck, his hand teased your clothed pussy.

   “I’m gonna fuck you so well princess, I’m gonna make you scream my name.” He said against your neck.

   You chuckled and sucked in a breath.

   “Are you sure you can do that?”

    Jongho’s grip on you grew tighter and he locked eyes with you for a second. The look in his eyes told you you’d struck a nerve, and you felt satisfied with yourself. Jongho’s fingers pulled your panties down and threw them on the floor of his bedroom.

    The man undid his belt and pulled down his zipper so he could strip from his pants. Then, in one swift movement, he wrapped his arm around your waist, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed you on his bare thigh. The feeling of your naked core against his skin alone made you hiss.

   Jongho grabbed your ass and spanked it harshly.

   “Ride it.”

   You looked at him as if the instructions were unclear, and he slapped your ass once more.

   “I’m gonna make you ride my thigh until you beg for my cock you fucking whore.”

   He gripped your hair and brought your face closer to his. You whimpered in pleasure when you felt his fingers tug on your hair.

   “You like this? Hm? Let’s see if you can take it, start moving baby girl.”

    Your hips started rocking slowly against his hips, but his big hands on your ass forced you to move faster. Jongho teasingly flexed his thigh against your core, and he could feel the wetness spread on his thigh. 

    You started moving faster looking for a release, but you knew it wasn’t enough, you needed more of him, you wanted more of him. 

   Jongho saw the desperation in your face as you gripped his shoulders and sunk yourself harsher and faster on his thigh. His hands gripped your ass tighter, as he wanted to push you to your limit, he wanted to hear you beg for him, and eventually, you gave in.

    “Jongho… Jongho please I need you.”

   He hummed, not quite please by your words.

   “You need me doing what? What do you need me for?”

   You held back a moan as his thumb found its way to your clit.

   “I-I need you fucking me. I need your cock in me Jongho.”

    Finally happy with your begs, Jongho picked you up effortlessly and pushed you down on his bed. He slid down his boxers, letting his cock hit your bare pussy. You whimpered at how big he was.

     Jongho ran his tip along your folds, teasing your clit with it for a second.

    “You want my cock? Hm? Do you want my cock in you my little whore? Beg for it.” He demanded. 

   You gripped the sheets in anticipation and looked up at him.

   “Please Jongho, please fuck me, I want you in me.”

   With no further notice, Jongho pushed into you. He thrust his hips into your body almost in an animalistic way. The headboard hit the wall violently but you couldn’t hear it, you were too focused on Jongho’s grunts as he fucked into you. 

    Jongho squeezed your sides, loving the way his fingers dipped in your skin.

    Your hands landed on Jongho’s biceps once more, squeezing them. You loved the way he looked so fucking big on top of you.

    He slapped your inner thigh and you whimpered at the pleasurable pain. 

    Jongho hit such a deep spot inside of you, even if you wanted to you couldn’t hold back your squeals and moans. Jongho gripped your waist and flipped you, so he’d be sitting on the bed with you riding him. He just loved to hear the way your ass slapped against his things.

    Your fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as you felt your orgasm building up.

     “J-Jongo fuck… You feel so good…”

    He smacked your ass once more and picked up the pace once he felt your walls tighten around his cock.

    “Cum for me princess, I wanna hear you.”

    You lasted about six more seconds before your body gave in. You slammed down on his cock one last time before an overwhelming orgasm washed over you. You hid your face on the crook of his neck as your whole body shook and you cried for his name. 

   Seeing your bratty, snappy figure crumble like that made something twist inside Jongho, and the final tight feeling of your hole clenching around him threw him over the edge. He shot his warm, thick load inside of you, filling you up to the brim. 

   Neither of you moved, you just sat like sat catching your breaths for a couple of minutes. You only lifted your head when you heard him chuckle. You gave him a puzzled look, and the male ran his hand up and down your back as he planted a kiss on one of the hickeys he’d given you.

    “I think I want to keep you for myself.”