#t: red riding hood's basket

[princessmacedon]

"Daein apple chips," she repeats, so she will be sure to remember. And what a magical thing they are! There is a depth to the sweetness that feels like it came from a hearth, from a home; would it taste like that if she made them, she wonders? Could apple chips from Macedon taste similarly full?

(Logically, the answer is yes, so long as one follows the preordained method -- but where is the magic in that?)

"I can almost see it," Maria murmurs, eyes fluttering shut in fractions. Though the place she sees is not Daein, but somewhere else, somewhere familiar. All too clearly, the image of Miss Lena comes to mind, a finger cleaving her smile in twain, though hers be much more graceful. How that simple home might smell like sweet autumn... baked away in Edward's warm whisper until her imagination takes its rest.

"Hee hee... I'll remember that," she whispers back, fingers framing her mouth just so. Lips pull back as eyes crinkle, expression writ in all sorts of narrowed, longwise shapes and fondness. As if to mirror him, she bounces back as well, her own hands clasped rather than clapping, but the exuberance the same. "Thank you, Edward! That makes me really happy! I want to learn how to make it, and share it with my brother and sister, and send it back to Miss Lena... heeheehee! I want everybody to be able to have sweet and tasty things, together! It's a promise, okay?"

Pulling her knuckles up to her chin, her smile skews slightly toward the ground, morphing into a faintly perplexed purse of the lips.

"Can you make chips from other fruits, too? Like, mm..." She does not consider how her brother and sister would know Macedon's fruits so much more easily, how much slower she is to recall them -- how much less time with them she has had. "Oranges? Pears?" A pause, then a soft gasp. "Pomegranates? Grapes?"

After all that, she rocks back onto her heels, laughing brightly. "There are so many different textures of fruit, aren't there? It isn't only apples that can be chips, is it? Please say it isn't!"

Grey eyes take in her reaction with delight in all its joyous familiarity — Rosy-cheeked and smiley-faced, the soft crack of the chip an echo of the crisp crunch a fresh apple would give, but no less tasty for it. That’s it, that’s the look of someone who likes apples! For all the cheek, all the gentle jokiness, it’s the kind with that same crumbly-sweet quality of a good pie crust, fleeting but filling, warm and perfect to sneak off for later.

“That’s the power of Daein apple chips, Maria,” He grins, wide and proud to make something that would even possibly convert someone to an apple enjoyer, hands on his hips as he puffs up a little again, give a little faux-official depth to his tone. “Maria from Macedon!”

 While he does wonder what the holdup is in scarfing the rest down, the root of it’s revealed soon enough; It’s natural for a lover of apples to ask about all its other joys, isn’t it? What more, it’s endlessly thoughtful to take a Nevassan’s habitual thought of longevity and spin it into a gift. Grey shines like stainless steel, brighter with a snap of the fingers into a pump of the fist, leaning forward just slightly in his gusto.

“Yeah! I learned from a lady who runs a bakery where I live. She makes pies and pastries with them, and the jams she puts in them are soooo good.” An emphatic hand-wring, before he goes on, gesturing excitedly. “And it means she can make them practically year-round! Get a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of honey in there to really preserve the autumn-y feeling from it…” A drop into a whisper, powdery and light. “It’s the secret to how good the chips are, and the honey also makes them last longer, hehe.”

Bouncing back, Edward clasps his hands together with a loud smack and a little wiggle, clearly excited. “But yeah! Of course I can teach you! I’d be happy to!!! It’s too good to keep to yourself, you know!”

[prettypumpum]

Title: Crossed Dimensions I Logan Howlett x Reader

Summary: You were living an ordinary life until the day a portal throws you into the Marvel universe. Trapped between an unbearable Deadpool and a Wolverine as troubling as he is charming, you discover powers you didn't know you had and an unknown past with certain heroes. As your anxiety grows in the face of this new reality, will you be able to find your place and perhaps become the hero they need?

Warnings: strong language, +18, smut

I had wide eyes and continued to stare at him. I was unable to move; I had fantasized so much about his pecs and hairy abs. My eyes narrowed on the handles of the basket.

Finally, my gaze rose to his face. His eyes were fixed on mine, watching every one of my movements closely. I ended up letting go of the basket and reduced the distance between us. I was so close to him that I could smell him, the mix of whiskey and citrus driving me insane.

I gently stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. Logan responded fiercely to the kiss; I willingly let him take control. I found myself with my back pressed against the wall as the mutant devoured my lips hungrily in a messy kiss.

“I forgot the laundry,” I said stupidly when the mutant let me catch my breath. Logan glanced at the basket I was no longer holding, half of the laundry had slipped to the floor.

“It doesn’t matter,” Logan replied, starting to kiss me fiercely again. I felt like Little Red Riding Hood who had played a bit too much with the wolf. I completely abandoned the stupid basket, wrapping my arms around his neck and sinking my hands into his hair. He took the opportunity to slip his hands under my hips and lift me; reflexively, I wrapped my legs around his waist and continued to kiss him, winding his hair around my fingers and tugging slightly, making him growl.

Logan held me firmly against him, his lips leaving mine to place burning kisses along my neck. I gasped at the feel of his teeth against my skin; I pulled his hair harder, but in response, he bit me. I let out a small cry of surprise but started laughing when his nose brushed against a more sensitive spot. I could feel his carnivorous smile against me as I squeezed tighter.

“You smell so good,” he murmured in my ear after taking a deep breath against my neck. I blushed at his words and rested my forehead against his, rubbing my nose against his.

“I thought you weren’t interested,” I said softly, afraid of breaking this moment.

“I would have shown you just how much I liked you if we hadn’t been interrupted in that damn bar,” he murmured back before starting to kiss me fiercely again and tightening his grip on me before carrying me to the nearest flat surface.

He took advantage of finally having his hands free to start sliding them under the Deadpool t-shirt that Wade had lent me. The sensation of his fingers on my skin made me shiver, his lips devouring my neck, then my collarbone before descending even lower. I tried to hold on to him, digging my fingers into the muscles of his back.

Logan tugged at the collar of my t-shirt to continue exploring my body. He pulled so hard that the fabric ended up tearing.

“You know I don’t have many clothes right now,” I said sadly, looking at what was left of the garment.

“It was horrible anyway,” he replied, kissing my bare shoulder and gently rubbing his nose against my skin.

I had barely removed what was left of my t-shirt when the mutant was already attacking the rest of my clothes, tracing lines of kisses over my breasts as he freed them from the useless bra while his other hand played with the elastic of my sweatpants.

My breasts were so sensitive to his touch; the hairs on his face tickled me, and electricity coursed through my body each time his lips touched my skin. When I felt his tongue lick and nibble at my flesh, I let out a breathless moan and dug my nails into his back.

He continued his trail of kisses on my stomach and began to remove my pants while letting me fall to my knees.

I found myself half-naked, panting and blushing, sitting on the living room table. Logan was kneeling in front of me, kissing my thighs as he gently spread them apart. I let my fingers play in his hair as he moved closer to my wet panties.

I slightly tugged on his hair, trying to bring him back to me, when I realized what he wanted to do, but it was in vain; he didn’t move. When he looked at me, my breath caught when our eyes met.

“You don’t have to do this,” I told him, trying to bring him back to me.

“Don’t you want me to?” he asked, frowning.

“I… my ex almost never did it… and when he did, it wasn’t great.” I saw his jaw tighten at the mention of another man. “I don’t want you to do it because you feel obligated,” I said, feeling less and less sure of myself.

“Believe me, I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I sensed you.” I blushed as I realized that all this time, he knew how excited I was by his presence. “Let me take you,” he said, his deep voice creating a tingling sensation between my thighs. I nodded, allowing him to resume his position.

He dragged his lips to the wet cotton between my legs, and I moaned as his nose pressed against the fabric. He took a deep breath. He pulled my panties down slowly, sliding them down my legs, until they were off my feet.

Now that I was completely naked in front of him, my legs wide apart, exposing my glistening sex. My insecurities began to surface again. What if he changed his mind, or I wasn’t enough? Was this something fleeting that we would never speak of again? Did he also want more?

My doubts quickly faded when I saw Logan; his eyes were those of a predator with its prey at its mercy.

He moved slowly toward me and rubbed his nose against the inside of my thigh, making me gasp and shiver. I could feel his breath getting closer and closer to my burning core. I squirmed with impatience; he placed one of my legs on his shoulder, and his large, calloused hands gripped my hips to bring me closer to the edge of the table. His long tongue began to trace small circles around my clitoris, and I let out small, desperate whimpers as he devoured me as if he were starving. He licked and sucked every sensitive part of me. The sight of Logan between my legs drove me insane.

When his tongue slid inside me, I arched my back and let out a small cry, grabbing his head, practically rubbing against his face, desperate for more contact. I felt his nose brush against my sensitive clit. I felt a knot slowly forming in my stomach, tightening more with each of Logan’s movements. I let out a plaintive moan when he pulled his tongue away and withdrew, but when one of his big fingers entered me, I arched my back again, clenching my wet muscles around him.

The mutant was not missing a single detail of the show I was offering him; his eyes were captivated by each of my movements. I was at his mercy; I would have done anything for him to make me come on his fingers.

My hands desperately clung to the edge of the table, my knuckles white, my nails scratching the wood.

Logan added another finger, and I gritted my teeth, panting. His thumb resumed its small circular movements on my clit. The knot continued to tighten, and my breathing grew increasingly frantic. When Logan placed his lips back on my clit, the knot finally burst, and I let out a hoarse moan as I came, mumbling his name incoherently. My orgasm made my sex pulse around his fingers. The mutant hurried to clean every sensitive spot, his strokes of the tongue sending shivers of ecstasy with each pass.

When he finished, I was breathless, my chest rising and falling with each labored breath. Logan looked at me with a small smile, watching me regain my senses. When he stood up, I sat up on the table and kissed him tenderly, savoring my own taste on my lips and in his mouth.

When I noticed he was still dressed, I abruptly tugged on his belt loop, smiling. My movement almost made him stumble toward me; he looked surprised and stared at me in shock at my sudden action.

“You’re still in your jeans; that’s not fair,” I said with a little mischievous smile. He looked at me more closely with a small smirk as he undid his belt. I could feel the large bulge hidden behind the rough denim, and I was already wet with anticipation.

His muscles rolled under his skin with each of his breaths. I desperately wanted to let my hands caress his warm skin and trace every vein with my tongue. I licked my lips, imagining everything I wanted to do to him.

I lifted my head and plunged my gaze into his, throwing myself at him hungrily. I began to kiss him brutally, sliding his belt through the loops of his jeans before letting it fall to the floor with a metallic clang. I could feel my sex convulsing in the emptiness, eager to be filled, desperate as I quickly attacked his fly and helped him get rid of his clothes.

I pulled back to look at his cock with appetite. It was thick, with large veins coursing through it, the tip glistening with pre-cum. I gently grabbed his member and made slow back-and-forth movements, which tightened the mutant’s face and made him let out an animalistic groan that sent my blood boiling.

“If you keep this up, kid, I won’t last long,” Logan said in a hoarse, deep voice while I continued my movements.

“Then fuck me,” I whispered in his ear.

That was all it took for the mutant to violently pull me toward him. I abandoned his member in surprise and let out a small cry as I felt Logan rub the tip of his cock against my wet heat. He pressed his forehead against mine and slowly began to penetrate me. The sweet burn he left in his wake as he slid between my wet and tight muscles was delicious. My breath was labored, and my face tightened as pain and pleasure subtly mixed.

“You're so tight,” Logan said softly, grimacing as he filled me completely. “I don’t think I’ll last long.”

I dropped small kisses on his lips as I awkwardly tried to adjust to his member. I finally managed to make small movements and nodded as we were still pressed against each other. He tightened his grip on my hips, his first thrust strong and brutal; I let out a small cry that he responded to with another similar thrust. I threw my head back as he placed small kisses on my neck, collarbone, and breasts. His rhythm quickly became erratic and desperate; he slipped a hand into my hair and pulled me closer to him, his thrusts growing faster and more feral. I was mewling louder and louder, the familiar knot beginning to form again, tightening with each thrust from Logan.

“I’m going to make you come all night,” he whispered in my ear in a husky voice. I felt his teeth graze my skin just where my pulse throbbed. As I let out small cries of pleasure, I bounced against him.

When he slid a hand between us to draw small circles on my sensitive clit, my orgasm burst again, and I cried out breathlessly. Logan’s thrusts intensified as my sex pulsed around him, each thrust prolonging my orgasm a little more.

His breathing grew more and more erratic, and his movements became increasingly disordered. He buried his face in my neck and pushed himself into me as deeply as possible. I felt his face tighten against my neck, and he let out a primal and beastly sound when he came. I felt his warmth spreading inside me as Logan made a few lazy thrusts, pushing his seed deeper into me. He held me firmly in his arms, his cock still deep inside me. I gently caressed his skin and hair, practically hearing him purr.

We stayed like this for a moment before he picked me up and carried me into the bathroom, his cock still inside me.

[pls-hold-me-im-justa-weeb]

Zoro x fem Reader Fantasy AU! NSFW! Could you do something like a Little Red Riding Hood AU where S/O is Red and Zoro is the Big Bad Wolf, but it’s more like every time she visits her grandmother, Zoro tends to follow and protect her in the shadows from any dangers. If you can, can you put Werewolf Zoro in heat? If not, any other scenario leading to NSFW is fine too!

👀👀 sdlkfjsdifjsdkfnsdifj I see you I see you. On my knees for werewolf!zoro 🧎‍♀️ As you wish, my lovely.

Note: for those who don't know what a knot is, in ABO (alpha, beta, omega) dynamics, it is often described as a 'bump' or a ring that goes all the way around the base of the penis, and 'inflates' when the character is about to cum. It's used as a sort of plug to lock in the cum to help ensure that pregnancy occurs. In this story, pregnancy is NOT mentioned, I'm just saying what it's usually for. I'm not entirely sure if there's a consensus if it's a harsh edge or a sloped one, but let me tell you what I imagined for this scenario- it's a thick ring the same hardness as a super hard dick (like about to cum hard), and it doesn't really have a harsh 90 degree edge to it, but blends into the skin like how (generally) the sides of a white person's nose does. if that makes sense lol.

Warnings: teasing reader, rut, reader has a praise kink, reader in sub space kinda, SMUT, oral (m and f receiving), references to a/b/o (he just say's he's an alpha, which ofc he is and calls reader omega) Zoro has a knot, vaginal sex

Also I'm going FERAL over this amazing, incredible art by @philandresi - and the rest of their art omg.

Anywho, without further ado-

Big Bad Werewolf!Zoro in rut with his Little Red Riding Hood fem!S/O NSFW

You inhaled the sweet, fresh scent of the woods. Pine, grass, flowers, and water swirled in a delicate perfume you could never ever begin to recreate. You exhaled, cracking a small smile as you heard a twig snap nearby. He always found you so quickly.

"You're not sneaky, you know" you called out. An answering scoff answered your quip.

"Only 'cuz you know I'm here." Warm arms encircled your waist from behind before letting go quickly. You quirked a brow in surprise. Normally he wouldn't let go of you until you smacked his arms off. You turned around, letting the red hood of your short cloak fall to your shoulders. The skirt of your dress brushed his legs and you shifted the basket to your wrist so you could hug him fully, but he stepped back. Your brows scrunched in confusion.

"You okay? Your face is flushed, and you're sweating. Are you sick?"

He shook his head.

"I... I can't stay long. You should stay at your grandma's for a few days too."

"What's going on? What's wrong?" you stepped forward, a hand raised to reach out in concern. He grabbed your wrist, and seemed to fight with himself before he ripped his hand away.

"I... I don't want to force it on you. It's..." the last few words were mumbled low enough you couldn't understand him.

"It's what?" you asked gently. He ran a clawed hand through his hair, wolfish ears flattening briefly as his fingers passed over them. You noticed his fluffy green tail flicking behind him. You frowned. Normally he didn't have his tail out, and he always sheathed his claws around you.

"my rut" he mumbled, looking down at the ground. His hand rested at the back of his neck, and you tore your eyes away from his heavily muscled bicep. Understanding bloomed in you mind, but you kept your face blank. He'd explained werewolf culture to you over the years you've been seeing each other, and you remembered everything.

"Ohhh.. I remember you mentioned it before, but I can't remember what it is." You cocked your head to the side, eyes wide and innocent. You licked your lips, leaving them shining and parted. You knew exactly how that look affected your werewolf boyfriend. He gazed at you for a second before seemingly shaking it off.

"You ever see an animal in heat?"

You made a show of thinking.

"I think so? I think there was a cat that lived around my house that was for a bit. She kept yowling really loud. Eventually she showed back up pregnant. Are you saying you want to howl really loud?"

You struggled to keep a straight face at Zoro's reaction to the intentional comparison to a simple domestic cat and your question. His brow furrowed and his lip curled.

"Don't tease me, mate." his voice deepened to a timbre at the last word, vibrating through your chest. His fangs elongated slightly and his eyes glowed red. Ah. I got caught. Heat began to pool in your abdomen, and you shifted your legs to avoid rubbing them together. A evil smile curved your boyfriend's lips, and he ran a tongue over sharp fangs.

"I can smell your arousal, sweetheart" he leaned forward, nosing the area of your neck beneath you ear. You whined.

"I don't care that it's your rut, Zoro. I want to help you through it. I want to be with you. I love you, so take me."

He growled, and tore himself away from you. It seemed to cause him physical pain, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What about your errands?" he said, nodding to your basket.

"I can make them quick. I should tell grandma I won't be coming for a few days anyway."

He furrowed his brow.

"I could hurt you" he whispered. Pained worry danced in his eyes, nearly hidden under a scowl. You smiled gently.

"You would never. Remember? I'm your mate. Even when you stalked me through the woods for a month, trying to take the food, you could never bring yourself to do it because you couldn't hurt me. You can't hurt me."

His tail flicked behind him.

"You realize that once we start, I won't be able to even let you out of my sight for days"

You nodded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I want to spend your rut with you. I trust you completely. God, Zoro I've even been waiting for you to ask if you can make the mating bite, which is more permanent than human marriage. I want to spend my life with you, ruts and all. I want you to be mine, and I need to be yours. Please." You stepped closer to him while you spoke, raising a hand to cup his cheek. He nuzzled your palm, a breath of relief shuddering through him.

"I was gonna do it next rut" he muttered. Your heart skipped a beat.

"You were?"

He nodded sheepishly.

"I was going to tell you after this one so you had time to consider it. It's a huge commitment. I knew through all the ruts I've had so far that I would've sealed the mating bond whether or not you wanted it. That's why I spent them alone" he admitted. Your heart melted.

"Zoro..."

"There's something else you should know."

"What is it?"

"There's... There's a chance you'll change into a werewolf too" he said, looking resolutely in your eyes.

"I know. That doesn't matter as long as I have you" you whispered. His eyes widened, then he surged forward in a bruising kiss. You accepted it, letting him control it. His tongue entered your mouth, sliding over yours and exploring your mouth. You moaned. A quiet growl escaped from his chest. You pulled back, breaking the kiss. A string of shared saliva broke from your bottom lip.

"Let's drop the basket off real quick. I also should pick up a change of clothes I have at my grandma's" you muttered with a smirk. You've never been carried at the speed Zoro went to your grandmother's house.

----

By the time you reached his dwelling (a surprisingly cozy and developed cottage-like structure carved out of the side of a hill), Zoro couldn't keep his hands off you. He threw you down on the nest of blankets and pillows he had in place of a bed before sitting up to rest his hands on your knees to smirk down at you. You swallowed, nervous lust making the wetness between your legs grow.

He tore off his shirt, ripping the fabric down the middle. Your eyes widened. It wasn't even close to the first time you two had sex, but it the first time you've seen him so intense. Your hands rose to unclasp your cloak, but he stopped you.

"Keep it on. Wearing that fucking cloak in the middle of those woods was a mistake, Mate. You caught my attention, and now you're mine."

Oh. oh. Yeah, you could play along.

"Oh do tell, Mr. Wolf, how exactly you're going to make me yours" you smirked. You moved your hands to rest by your head and arched your back slightly, offering your body to him. A deep growl emanated from his chest, and you couldn't hold back a soft groan. He dragged one hand up your thigh to rest on your hip, hiding under the skirt of your dress. The other fondled a breast through the fabric.

You could tell he was rapidly losing his sense. Before you could open your mouth to say anything else, he unsheathed a claw from the tip of his index finger and sliced easily through the entire length of your dress. You expected this, but the casual show of killing power made you moan and you felt yourself grow wetter.

"Off" he grunted. You sat up and shimmied your arms out of the sleeves and tossed the ruined dress to the side, leaving you in your cloak, bra and panties. He pushed you back on the bedding and crawled on top of you, resting his knees next to your hips. His mouth began to suck blooming red and purple marks on your neck, and he dragged his fangs over your jugular. You hissed in a breath, rubbing your thighs together. His hands found their previous positions, one fondling your breasts and the other pinning your hip to the blankets as he rested some of his weight on it.

"Zoro~" you moaned. You let your hands trail up his back, dragging your nails lightly over his tanned skin until your fingers tangled in his short green hair. You let your hands run over his ears. You knew they were sensitive, and he rewarded you with a harsher bite to the top of your breast. He unsheathed a claw and sliced open the front of your bra, letting your breasts fall free. His warm, calloused thumb circled a nipple, pebbling it under his touch. His tongue laved over the other, circling it and suckling it until it was hard. He popped off and switched his mouth over to the other one, showing it the same attention as the other cooled quickly. Your fingers scratched his scalp as your hands curled a little in pleasure. He hummed, and you moaned at the vibration against your nipple.

"More. Zoro. Please"

He chuckled darkly at your plea, removing his mouth from your breast to look up at you. His irises were red, and he ran a tongue over his fang.

"Begging already? I've hardly even touched you." His voice was deeper and more gravely, and it made your breath hitch, sending heat to pool in your abdomen. You whined, tugging gently on his hair to guide him between your thighs.

"Not yet, mate. I want you to do something for me first." He ground his clothed cock against you wet panties, groaning deeply at the friction. He was hot and hard in his pants. Your eyes widened at the heat coming off him. You nodded frantically. He smirked at your eagerness.

"There's my good girl." Your body relaxed back, mind starting to feel fuzzy at the praise. He sat back on his heels and stood, and you reached out, already missing his warmth. One of his hands met yours, and you heard a rustling of fabric as he stepped out of his pants.

He helped you sit up on your knees on the bedding, back close to the wall. He stood in front of you. You were face to face with his bobbing cock, and you licked your lips. You've sucked him off before, but he seemed even bigger. Your middle finger and thumb normally could just barely touch if you squeezed around his cock, but now as you roughly teased it, they were about a centimeter apart, and he was even longer. He threw back his head with a groan at your harsh touch.

"You're bigger" you muttered.

"You can take it, can't you?" he cooed. There was a note of worry in his tone, but you nodded, looking up at him. Shadowed with the setting sun filtering through the window at his back as he looked down at you, his eyes glowed red. The orange light reflected beautifully off his green ears. Your heart skipped a beat and your breath hitched with love and lust. He thrusted forward, tapping the tip of his cock against your lips, and you opened obediently and sucked him down. It took some adjusting to get used to his new girth and length. You couldn't swallow him down immediately like you have in the past.

You popped off and stroked his length. He was warmer and heavier than usual, and you tried again. This time, the extra lubrication from your saliva made it much easier, and you hummed around his dick. He swore and gripped the sides of your head in desperation. You bobbed your head a few times, getting used to his length and coating it with your saliva. You let a hand pump the rest of the dick you couldn't reach with your mouth. The ring of his knot was already beginning to form at the base of his cock.

"Shit. That's it. Taking it so good. Fuck!" You moaned at his praise, laving your tongue in circles around the tip, closing your eyes to focus. Once you were used to it, you trailed your free up his thighs to his hips, pushing and pulling slightly. He took the hint and eagerly began fucking your face. You let yourself loll your tongue out, gagging once or twice. It was messy, and tears gathered in your eyes at the burn at the back of your throat as he sheathed himself into your mouth. You felt your saliva dripping off your chin onto your lap, and you looked up at him, tears in your eyes. His brow was furrowed with building pleasure, mouth open as he huffed in breaths as he thrusted. He looked so close, and you had just the thing to send him over the edge.

Your free hand cupped his already tightening balls, and the other that was wrapped around his cock squeezed harshly on his knot. You gagged around the tip as it slipped into your throat. He froze in that position, shaking as he threw his head back with pleasure. His hands tightened around your head, claws lightly scraping against your neck.

"Ah! Fuck! Shit I'm-"

His release spurted hotly down the back of your throat, and you massaged both his balls and knot. His hips stuttered and his hands released your head and slammed on the wall behind you to keep himself upright. You hummed proudly around his cock, and his hips stuttered as the last wave of his orgasm bordered on overstimulation. He slowly drew his hips back, a string of your saliva connecting your lip to the reddened tip.

"You little fucking minx" he growled. You looked up at him with wide eyes, catching your breath and uselessly trying to wipe away the saliva from your chin as you smirked. You watched as he knelt in front of you so you were eye to eye.

"C'mere."

He grabbed the edge of a blanket and wiped your face and thighs, cleaning you quickly before kissing you roughly. His tongue explored your mouth, and you let him before exploring his elongated fangs with yours. Once satisfied, you pulled away.

"Good?" he muttered. You nodded, jaw too tired to form words. Without warning, he maneuvered your body so you were standing with your back resting against the wall. He unclasped your cloak, tossing it to the side. You looked at him curiously as he knelt back down.

"Your turn" he growled. Your stomach swooped. He sliced your panties off your body quickly with a claw, and slung one leg over his shoulder and held your ass as he lifted the other leg over his other shoulder. You squeaked, grabbing his head for balance. He stood easily, sliding your back up the wall and burying his face in your pussy. He held your ass and thighs on his biceps, and his hands grasped you over your ribcage, pinning you back to the wall. The easy demonstration of strength turned you on like nothing else, not to mention what he was doing with his mouth.

You knew that he could change his tongue, but it took you by surprise every time. He was devouring your pussy, nose pressing into your clit as his tongue dove into you, wiggling around and finding your sweet spot with his unnaturally long tongue. You were already close to finishing from the previous sloppy blowjob and his shows of strength.

"Ah! Z-Zoro! Please I'm already close!" you wailed.

"Cum on my fucking tongue" he demanded. The sound of his deep voice vibrating the flesh around your cunt had you spasming in his hold as he laved his tongue over your clit. He swirled his tongue around your clit, extending your orgasm. Your back arched as he suddenly shoved his tongue into your pussy, devouring your release. Your heels dug into his back and one hand clawed into his hair, and the other desperately scratched at the wall behind you.

"Fucking delicious"

You could only moan at this point, and he lowered you down as you twitched on the bedding. He was rock hard again already, and he stroked the purpling tip with a smirk as he licked his lips. His chin was shiny from your release, and he lapped it up with his elongated tongue. Your chest was still heaving as your caught your breath.

"Ready for your alpha's cock, mate?"

He'd never referred to himself as an alpha during sex before, but it did something to you. You nodded eagerly.

"Face down, ass up, baby girl"

You froze in place for a second, staring in shock and desire as your stomach swooped with arousal. You scrambled into position, arching your back with your knees together under your hips. You reached around to spread your cheeks and thighs open for him, revealing yourself to him. The growl he let out was purely animalistic.

"Such a pretty omega pussy. Wanna be filled?"

"Zoro~~ Please! Please fuck me!"

His cock rubbed through your folds, then slid between your slicked thighs. He roughly grabbed your arms, holding both your wrists in one hand, pinning them to your back. He leaned over you, resting his weight on one hand, clawed into the bedding by your head. You moaned at his dominating presence.

"Is that how you address me?"

His cock dragged teasingly along your clit as his hips met your ass. You moaned.

"A-alpha?" you guessed through your sex-hazed brain. He rewarded you with a nip on your shoulder.

"Good girl"

He leaned back to rest his heavy arms on your hips, spreading your ass just a little further. You whined as he dragged his hot dick from between your thighs and aimed it at your soaked cunt. He started out slow, but as soon as you mewled and tensed your back in pleasure, he bottomed out with a harsh thrust. You screamed, the sudden painful stretch blending into ecstasy. He held still, curled over your form as he fell onto his free hand by your head, the other gripping your wrists as he held back from destroying you.

"Good omega" he cooed harshly in your ear. You mewled.

The Zoro you were familiar with was gone. His arms were shaking with the effort of not slamming into your sloppy cunt until it bruised. You wiggled your hips, a silent invitation for him to move. He took it. He sat back up and gripped your hips like handles, releasing your wrists from his grip. He yanked you back to meet his thrusts halfway. His claws dug into your flesh, but didn't draw blood. You were shaking with pleasure, and it felt like you were continuously orgasming. You moaned loudly for him, gripping the blankets beneath you desperately.

You lost track of time, only knowing the cresting and receding continuous pleasure. Your tongue lolled out and your eyes rolled back, whines and moans escaping your throat. Low curses and groans rumbled from Zoro's chest, almost drowned out by the wet sound of skin meeting as he pounded your soaking pussy. He got impossibly faster, and you screamed as he hit something deep inside you. He quickly adjusted his aim, hitting that spot every time his hips slapped against your ass.

"Shit. Fuck. Keep tightening up like that. Fuck. Good omega" he muttered behind you. You felt his knot hitting the rim of your entrance, almost bullying its way into your pussy. Your pleasure was close to cresting, higher than you've ever felt. You could only moan. His knot finally caught on your rim, popping back out once before he slammed it back in. The movement made the tip of his cock push harshly against that one spot deep inside, and you screamed again, body clenched and shaking. His hand snaked around you hips and rubbed your clit, and you fell apart.

Blinding white pleasure sang through your body as your muscles clenched. You felt yourself squirt onto the sheets as Zoro leaned over your back, sinking his fangs into the junction of your neck and shoulder. It hurt for a brief second, but the magic of the bite took hold, and the white hot pleasure of both of your orgasms rocked through your body as he pumped his thick cum into you.

"Fuck I love you, omega. Mate!"

You heard his cry as your vision faded.

You must've passed out, because the next time you opened your eyes, Zoro was cuddling you from behind, his cock slipping out as his knot began to deflate. You must've been asleep for a while if he could pull out.

"Omega awake?"

"mmhm"

"Good. Drink." He ordered, shoving water in your face. You sat up, grimacing as the squelch of cum oozing from you made itself known. You gratefully drank the water, looking at your mate. He was already stroking his cock back to full mast. You smirked. Apparently, you were just getting started.

[adarkrainbow]

A Little Red Riding Hood variation: Little Golden Hood

I am currently reading "The Land of Lost Things", and something struck me - the name used for Little Red Riding Hood. Blanchette. A French name for sure, but a name composed of "white" (blanc) with the female diminutive "-ette". So, "small white one". Quite a strange name for a Little Red Riding Hood, but I just passed over it.

And even more recently, I saw people talk on Tumblr of an alternate Little Red Riding Hood story titled "Little Golden Hood". And what a surprise when I hear that... It is supposedly a French folktale!

Here is a rough English translation of the original French text, shared around the Internet:

There was a little girl that was called Little Golden-hood. She was pretty and nice as a star in its season. Her real name was Blanchette, but since she used to have on a wonderful little cloak with a hood that was gold-and-fire-coloured, she was called Little Golden-hood. Her Grandmother had given it to her. She was so old that she did not know her age.

One day the mother said to the child: "Let us see, my little Golden-hood, if you know now how to find your way to Grandmother's house by yourself. You shall take this good piece of cake to her for a Sunday treat tomorrow. Remember to ask her how she is, and come back at once, without stopping to chatter on the way with people you don't know. Do you quite understand?"

"I quite understand," replied Blanchette merrily. And off she went with the cake, pleased with her errand.

But Grandmother lived in another village, and there was a wood to cross before getting there. At a turn of the road under the trees, suddenly she heard an animal among the bushes.

"Who goes there?"

"Friend Wolf."

He had been prying on her since she left home that day, seeking a safe place to attack and eat her. But then some wood-cutters appeared near-by. So instead of falling on Blanchette he came frisking up to her like a good dog.

"It is you, nice Little Golden-hood," said he. So the little girl stopped to talk with the wolf, even though she did not know him in the least.

"You know me, then!" said she; "what is your name?"

"My name is friend Wolf. And where are you going, pretty one, with your little basket on your arm?"

"I am going to my Grandmother, to take her a good piece of cake for her Sunday treat tomorrow."

"And where does she live, your Grandmother?"

"She lives at the other side of the wood, in the first house in the village, near the windmill, you know."

"Ah! yes! I know now," said the Wolf. "Well, that's just where I'm going; I shall get there before you, no doubt, with your little bits of legs, and I'll tell her you're coming to see her; then she'll wait for you."

The Wolf cut across the wood, and in five minutes arrived at the Grandmother's house.

He knocked at the door: toc, toc.

No answer.

He knocked louder.

Nobody.

Then he stood up on end, put his two forepaws on the latch and the door opened. There was not a soul in the house, for the old woman had risen early to sell herbs in the town, and she had gone off in such haste that she had left her bed unmade, with her great nightcap on the pillow.

"Good!" said the wolf to himself, "I know what I'll do."

He shut the door, pulled on the Grandmother's nightcap down to his eyes, then he laid down in his full length in the bed after drawing the curtains.

In the meantime, Blanchette went quietly on her way, as little girls do, amusing herself here and there by picking Easter daisies, watching the little birds making their nests, and running after the butterflies which fluttered in the sunshine.

At last she arrived at the door. Knock, knock.

"Who is there?" said the wolf, softening his rough voice as best he could.

"It's me, Granny, your little Golden-hood. I'm bringing you a big piece of cake for your Sunday treat tomorrow."

"Press your finger on the latch, then push and the door opens."

"Why, you've got a cold, Granny," said she, coming in.

"Ahem! A little, a little . . ." replied the wolf, pretending to cough. "Shut the door well, my little lamb. Put your basket on the table, and then take off your frock and come and lie down by me and rest a little."

The good child undressed, but kept her little hood on her head. When she saw what a figure her Granny cut in bed, she was much surprised.

"Oh!" cried she, "how like you are to friend Wolf, Grandmother!"

"That's because of my night-cap, child," replies the wolf.

"Oh! What hairy arms you have got, Grandmother!"

"All the better to hug you, my child."

"Oh! What a big tongue you have got, Grandmother!"

"All the better for answering, child."

"Oh! What a mouthful of great white teeth you have, Grandmother!"

"That's for crunching little children with! "And the wolf opened his jaws wide to swallow Blanchette.

But she put down her head crying, "Mamma! Mamma!" and the wolf only caught her little hood.

The wolf drew back, crying and shaking his jaw as if he had swallowed red-hot coals. The little fire-coloured hood that had burnt his tongue right down his throat. The little hood, you see, was one of those magic caps that they used to have in former times, in stories.

So there was the wolf with his throat burnt, jumping off the bed and trying to find the door, howling and howling as if all the dogs in the country were at his heels.

Just at this moment the Grandmother arrived. She was returning from town with her long sack empty on her shoulder.

"Ah, brigand!" she cried, "wait a bit!" Quickly she opened her sack wide across the door, and the maddened wolf sprang in head downwards. For once it was he that had been caught.

The brave old dame shut her sack, and next she ran and emptied it in the well. The vagabond wolf, still howling, tumbled in and was drowned.

"Ah, scoundrel! You thought you would crunch my little grandchild! Well, tomorrow we will make her a muff of your skin, and you yourself shall be crunched, for we will give your carcass to the dogs."

Then Grandmother hastened to dress Blanchette, who was still trembling with fear in the bed.

"Well," she said to her, "without my little hood where would you be now, darling?" To restore heart to the child, she made her eat a good piece of her cake and drink a good draught of wine. After that she took her by the hand and led her back to her home.

And then, who scolded her when she knew all that had happened? It was the mother. But Blanchette said she would never more stop to listen to a wolf, so her mother forgave her.

Blanchette, the Little Golden-hood, kept her word. And in fine weather she may still be seen in the fields with her pretty little hood, the colour of the sun.

But to see her you must rise early.

I found back the original French text, "Le Petit Chaperon d'Or" or rather "La Véritable Histoire du Petit Chaperon d'Or" - there are segments which were cut from the story, such as an entire paragraph opening the tale by saying "You all heard of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but today we know the REAL story and this is the one you will hear today". And the source for this story is a 1888 book by Charles Marelle, called "Affenschwanz et cetera: variantes orales de contes populaires français et étrangers" (Oral variations of French and foreign folktales).

Now who was Charles Marelle? He was a folklorist and poet of the 19th century who spoke and wrote in both French and German - he notably taught French literature in Berlin. He was born in 1827 and died after 1903 (we do not have his exact date of death). He published two works in German: Italienische Volkslieder (1887) ; and Die französischen Mährchen von Perrault : von G. Doré illustrirt, mit der deutschen Bearbeitung Moritz Hartmann's und einigen Stücken aus der Grimm'schen Sammlung verglichen. He also published two French works: On the pronunciation of the silent "e" ; and Folk-tales and Folk-songs of France. He also published a collection of "small fables, songs and poetry for children".

The work above, "Affenschwanz et cetera" was first published in German in 1888, then translated in French in 1894 : Variétés littéraires et caetera. He even received a prize from the Académie française for this book. As the name says, the purpose of the book was apparently to collect oral variations of famous fairytales - after all, the 19th century was the start of the great collect of oral and folkloric fairytales opposing the literary ones.

In the introduction of the book, Marelle explains this tale was told to him in 1880, by a lawyer named Lucas living in Crésantignes (Aube), who himself had heard the tale by a school teacher of Romilly.

The English text above is a very ROUGH translation, and I insist on that because I discovered that the English text cut off some parts of the French tale. For example, when the Grandmother is introduced there is a whole segment missing that goes as such: "Se had given her this hood ; it was supposed to bring her good fortune, because she claimed it was made out of a ray of sunlight. And, since the good old woman was rumored to be a bit of a witch, everybody also believed that the little cap was a bit bewitched. And it was indeed, as you will see." Another deleted segment is when the story explains that the hood was one of those "magical caps" of the "olden times" - the English text cuts off the mention that the caps the narrator refers to made their owners "invisible or invulnerable". Finally, there's some translation mistakes - the exchange "Who goes there? Friend Wolf" is not a dialogue in the original text, rather it is the narrator who goes "Oh, but who goes there? Why it's Mister Wolf!".

But outside of the bad translation, I want to talk about the story itself and of how... How weird it is. As in, when you know your Little Red Riding Hood, this variation is very, very weird.

For example, if you have been here for some times you might remember I posted about the "original" version of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, the reconstruction that has been made of the primitive, oral version of the tale before Perrault rewrote it entirely - I already evoked it here while talking about the Sandman comic, and then I went into more details about this reconstructed ancestor here. And this oral variation bears absolutely no mark of the original oral version of the story. No meat or wine awaiting the girl, no dark abrupt ending, no disturbing strip-tease by the chimney, no excuse to go to the natural toilets... This story clearly belongs to the post-Perrault world - for example you have this strong focus on the hood, which was an element brought forward by Perrault, and you have a variation of the "Tire la bobinette et la chevilette cherra" formula from Perrault's fairytale.

But even more than a post-Perrault fairytale, you also see contaminations by the German version of the story as the Grimms would illustrate it, because you have the protagonists surviving in the end, and topics such as the capture and drowning of the wolf. Remember, Charles Marelle was all about linking together French and German culture... The deleted paragraph about "Perrault's story is false, THIS is the real story" also shows a very clear intention of opposing and rejecting the literary creation of Perrault, reflecting this very typical approach of the 19th century folklorists - which lasted up until the second half of the 20th century - of considering any type of oral story collected, any type of "countryside variation" of a given fairytale, superior, above and "truer" than their literary counterparts. This mistake was notably what led generations of fairytale folklorists (at least in France) to consider that the literary versions of fairytales should not be taken into account in the evolution and formation of these stories, despite them being usually A) older than the oral versions collected and B) massively popular to the point of being part of everybody's popular culture.

But here is the big clue that shows this version is less "folkloric" and more "folklorist-invented". I won't call it artificial, but there is this BIG element that clearly makes this story stand out as a perfect example of 19th century-folklorists belief. The sun motif. The fact that Little Red Riding Hood now becomes a "Golden Hood", that the Hood made of sun-rays is of a fire color and burns the wolf, and the entire ending where the little girl can be spotted shining in the fields early in the morning... This story makes it so that Little Red Riding Hood becomes a solar story. And here's the problem... The idea that fairytales are all solar myths - Little Red Riding Hood especially - was mostly an invention of 19th century folklorists, perpetuated by 20th century folklorist and authors, and only recently debunked. It is true that some famous stories have a solar motif to them - Sleeping Beauty for example has a strong solar motif, that cannot be denied. But to consider, for example, Cinderella or Bluebeard as solar myths is definitively going too far... And while Little Red Riding Hood could be understood as a solar myth, it truly isn't. Because those that defend this idea A) use the brothers Grimm version of the tale where the little girl escapes the wolf's belly to illustrate "day returns after night", ignoring that this was a recent addition to the story after Perrault's time B) focus strongly on the red of the hood... When we know today that making the little riding hood "red" was an innovation of Perrault, and not originally present in the story.

Here you have all the markings, clues and imprints of someone who was trying to enforce the "solar myth theory" into the Little Red Riding Hood story, and clearly re-created a so-called "folkloric" version just to spurn Perrault's story. The simple obsession with the hood, explaining why it is here, giving it special powers, and focusing so intensely on its color, proves that this was a story created with the intention of opposing and rivaling Perrault's own story, since all the versions actually "folkloric" show a neglect of the hood or the color in favor of focusing on elements such as the cannibal meal, the paths of pin and needles, or the escape naked through the woods.

That being said, I personally do enjoy a lot this story. I find it fun and clever. I greatly enjoy the role reversal where it is the grandmother, not a woodsman, that saves the girl ; I enjoy the grandmother becoming a witch and the element of the magical golden hood. It is a very pleasant and fascinating variation of the story, very feminist before its time.

BUT context and analysis is greatly needed to understand that this is not some sort of "proof that Little Red Riding Hood was originally the golden grandaughter of a witch, and the embodiment of the sun". This story was clearly artificial or crafted after and in reaction to Perrault's story, with influence from German fairytales. It is no surprise that the sources for this variation were not people of the "low folk" but educated people of a higher class: the story wasn't told by a seamstress, a beggar, a farmer... But by a school teacher first, and it was then retold by a lawyer. So it is not so much a true "folktale" of France, as rather a scientific creation meant to become an oral folktale and be treated as such.

[creepypastalover97]

Little Red MK

Originally by coral animates 2.0 on YouTube.

Note: go check their channel.

Narrator: "once upon time, there was a little girl named little red riding hood. She was loved by all. Including-" *gets interrupted by mk*

Mk: "excuse me!?sorry to interrupt. But I'm missing something" *mk in his normal outfit*

Narrator: "oh yeah! Hold on, let me just" *materializes a red hood on to mk* "there you go bud"

MK : "thank you very much"

Narrator: "one day at pigsy's restaurant-" *gets interrupted again, but this time by pigsy*

Pigsy: "wait! Wait! Hold up! That's not in the damn script!"

Narrator: "I don't give a sh*t! Just go with it!"

Pigsy:*mumbles* "ok fine, Jesus"

Narrator: "anyways...one day at pigsy's restaurant. Little red MK had a very important order to make"

Pigsy: "I am not saying this sh*t"

Narrator: "pigsy just f**king read it!"

Pigsy: *sighs* "um... little red MK...I need you to go... and deliver this... food...to your grandmother......sun wukong... because he has fallen very ill"

MK : *visibly confused* "what do you mean? He's f**king immortal"

Pigsy: "anyways. you will deliver him these noodles and cookies. I need you to go walk though the forest, and walk on the path that's set for you. Whatever you do. Do not go off course. Or else you'll find some dangerous sh*t out there. You got me?!"

MK: "aye aye! Capta-" *coughs* "I mean...yes pigsy! I'm on my way~"

Narrator: "and so little red MK set out on his adventure. He stopped by the many places...to see mei"

*just mk and mei standing cutely together*

Narrator:"um"

*extreme close up of mk and mei*

Narrator: "yeah!"

*cuts to mk just wondering around in the woods*

Narrator: "but as little red MK was making his way though the woods, all of a sudden he heard some noises in the bush"

Random voice: "bush noises"

MK: "who goes there foul creature!"

*Cue macaque with wolf ears and tail*

Macaque: " Fi Fi fo fum! I come to steal yo-"

Narrator: "oh for f**-" *zooms in on Macaque* " Macaque! Macaque!"

Macaque: *looks at the narrator frustratedly* "what! What!"

Narrator: "what are you doing! That's the wrong story!"

Macaque: "look listen! I've existed for like four thousand f**king years! I haven't read the story in my damn life!"

Narrator: "macaque! Read the damn script"

Macaque: "ah Jesus Christ okay" *coughs and turns back to mk* "um hello there...child. good day wer-" *can't help but laugh at how bad the script is* "good day we're having"

MK: "why yes indeed random wolf...so what gives you reason to stop me"

Macaque: *looking at Mk's basket* "well I see you have some goodies with you and I was wondering if. Oh I don't know? If you could offer me some. or in other words. GIVE ME YOUR F**KING BASKET!"

MK: "THE HELL!? NO! THIS NOT FOR YOU! get your own!"

Macaque: "also if you don't mind me asking. Where are you going?...at a time like this. It's the middle of the night" *gestures to how dark the woods are*

MK: "okay first of all. It's..not"

*woods suddenly get brighter some how*

MK: "and secondly." *Gestures to the basket he's holding* "I have to go and deliver this to flower fruit...I mean...my grandma's house...um...grandma monkey king...yeah... that's where I'm going. Now if you'll excuse me. I got places to be. Goodbye."

* MK Walks off*

Macaque: "oh so he's going to that old hag's house is he. Well if that's the case it looks like I better take a sh-" *gets interesting by wukong yelling in the distance off screen*

Sun Wukong: *off screen* "I'll show you old hag!"

Macaque: *shouts at off screen wukong* "WUKONG! SHUT THE F**-" *gets interrupted by narrator*

Narrator: "both of you shut your dumb @$$es up! I don't care about your dumb fighting. Now stick to the script! Or do you want me to throw you both in the damn garage! Now. Continue please"

Macaque: "as I was saying before A MYSTERY VOICE INTERRUPTED ME!...I think it's best for me to take a short cut. I want to see where this little game goes." *Does a weird @$$ gremlin laugh* "why did I f**king laugh like that...OH GOD TAKE THAT OUT!" *Yells at narrator*

Narrator: "anyways.."

*cuts to a scene of MK randomly wondering around the woods again*

Narrator: "little red MK was taking the long way to Grandma's wukong's house. But before he got there. He stopped by a lumberjack....who happened to be nezha"

Nezha: *wearing a hat that says 'this is a lumberjack'* "why...why the hell am I here?" *Sees MK* "i mean good day MK...uh..what brings you out here? T-this lovely day...I..I think...what am I supposed to be doing? Am I chopping trees? HOW DOES THIS LUMBERJACK SH*T WORK!?"

MK: " well Mr.nezha, my grandmother is very sick." *Gestures to the basket* "I'm going to go and deliver this to him...her? Whatever pronouns he prefers to go by...um yeah...Grandma wukong. I'm gonna go...bring these to him."

Nezha: "oh well I hate that b@$$turd, but you know...you.. you'll be.carefull now. I guess. If something goes wrong...just yell..or... something. Ok?. You got your trusty uncle here to help you out..if anything-" *gets interrupted by MK*

MK: "yea. Ok...um...take care now...uh...Adios... amigo" *walks away*

*time ship*

Narrator: "after many hours later. little red MK finally reached sun wukong's house , and opened the door. Not even knocking! You disrespectful man!"

MK: "monkey king-" *coughs* "I mean..um...grandma? I'm... I'm here...where are you?"

*Macaque in the next room faking a sick old person voice*

Macaque: "ah MK-" *coughs* " I mean...sunny. come in, come in. In here. I'm very sick"

*MK goes in*

Narrator: "but when MK went to go see Grandma monkey king, something looked very off"

MK: "grandma are you okay? You look rather..."

*Macaque in wukong's bed, pretending to be him..... again*

MK: "emo"

Macaque: "b***h what!...I mean...um... whatever do you mean...child~"

MK "oh wow grandma...what...um...big ears you have"

Macaque: "better to hear your bullsh*t with"

MK: "and... what big eyes"

Macaque: "the better to see though your deceiving lies"

MK: "and what big teeth you have!"

Macaque: "tch...b***h you are my least favorite grandchild!"

MK: "wh..WHAT!"

Macaque: "wh..oh...f**k" *coughs* "I mean..to better to eat you with! Now GIVE ME YOUR F**KING BASKET, AS I CHASE YOU AROUND THE HOUSE!" *Begins chase mk, while barking like a rabid dog* "RAHWAFRAFWAFRAH!"

Mk: "oh sh*t! AHHHHHHH!" *Runs away from a barking Macaque*

Macaque: "RAHWAFRAFWAFRAH!"

MK: "GET AWAY FROM ME! AHHH!"

*Mk runs around and trips over something in the next room, with Macaque howling In the background*

MK: "AGH! OW! A F**KING FLOORBOARD!...wait?"

*mk moves floorboard and out pops wukong*

MK: "AHHH!"

Wukong: "MY SON!"

MK: "WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU DOING UNDER THERE!?"

Wukong: "MACAQUE PUT ME UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS!"

MK: "I'M SORRY!? HE WHAT!?"

Wukong: "THERE'S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! WE NEED TO GO!" *Trying to drag MK along*

MK: "BUT!WHAT! WHAT WERE YOU DOING THERE!?"

*Macaque comes in cornering then*

Macaque: "ah!ah!No!no!no! You two aren't going anywhere! You're at my mercy now! And now, I'm going to kill you both! So prepare to die!"

*nezha suddenly rush in out of nowhere*

Nezha: "HEY GREAT SAGE-" *sees Macaque*

Macaque: *looks at nezha* "what the f**k!? Who the f**k are you!?"

Nezha:"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THY NEPHEW THY CRETIN!"

*Wukong happy to see nezha*

Wukong: "AH! BROTHER! YOU HERE!!"

Nezha: *turns and greets wukong* "oh... hello wukong" *turns back and goes back to threatening macaque* "I SHALL CUT YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL AGAIN! YOU MONSTER! NOW DIE!" *Slashes axe at macaque* "SLICE!"

Macaque: "ack! OH NO! I FORGOT THAT THIS WAS THE VERSION OF RED RIDING HOOD, WHERE THE LUMBERJACK SAVES EVERYONE! GOD DAMMIT! UGHGhHHH!" *Dies... again*

MK: " oh thank you lumberjack nezha! You saved us!"

Wukong: "looks like he was a slice of life, wasn't he?" *Laughs at his joke*

Nezha: *turns and threatens wukong* " I will cut you"

*Wukong backs off*

Wukong: "how can I ever repay you brother!"

Nezha: "ok, first of all. I'm not your f**king sibling and secondly... let's get the hell out of here and like...just move you away because...f**k this place.. let's just go!"

*Nezha, wukong, and MK GTFO there while the intro to full house begins to play*

Narrator: "and that was the story of little red MK. the end."

[tuulikannel]

@lazytoufu and I have talked a bit about doing different princess themed karushuu stories. This isn't really a princess one, just based on a fairytale. I think I'll yet post this on AO3 too... once I figure out a real title for this. No, I will not be calling this Little Red Riding Shuu for real XD

But, yes. A Little Red Riding Hood retelling with some hints of karushuu in it. Funnily enough, it's exactly 3333 words atm. (And that's like, 2000 words more than I thought it'd be...) (I hope there are not many typos and other stuff, I wrote this in one go in the past 3 hours or so and now it's midnight here and I'm too sleepy to proofread more) (if you've any suggestions for a title do tell me)

The Little Red Riding Shuu (or whatever this'll be called)

In a grand house at the edge of a forest, a man called his son to him.

“I have an errand for you,” he said, offering the boy a basket. “You have to take this basket to your grandmother’s cottage.”

The boy gave the basket a long look. “I have a grandmother?”

“Of course you do.” The man pushed the basket to him. “There is also a map in there. Now, don’t dawdle. She has taken ill, and you have to make haste to bring her this medicine, so that…”

The boy snorted. “Yeah, sure. You’re sending medicine to people. Give me some credit, father.” He looked at the map and frowned. “She sure lives at a nice place, doesn’t she? Those parts of the forest are full of robbers and dangerous wildlife.”

“Is that a problem?”

He gave the man a sharp glance. “Don’t be stupid. I’m on my way.” He threw his red cloak over his shoulders and headed out.

As he started his journey through the forest, Gakushuu took a curious peek into the basket. There was a vial in it but there was nothing on the vial to indicate what its insides were. Medicine? He gave a little laugh. Hardly. Perhaps he would find out something once he found this so-called grandmother of his.

The road wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Yeah, sure, some random robbers attempted to attack him, but he dealt with them easily enough. One tried to stop him with poisonous gas, another, he had to admit, had a fairly strong grip in his hands (and an extremely annoying way of speaking), and then there was the absolute weirdo who seemed to be more interested in eating his guns than fighting with them. A sniper was a bit too close for comfort to get him, but in the end Gakushuu escaped him, too.

Evening was getting close and dusk was beginning to settle. He had left all roads far behind, but thankfully the terrain wasn’t too difficult. Gakushuu fastened his pace a little. He had hoped to make it back home before night fell, but he had spent a bit too much time dealing with the robbers. At this rate, he might have to spend the night at his “grandmother’s.”

“Well, hello there,” a soft voice suddenly said from the darkness, and he nearly gave a start.

He hadn’t sensed anyone watching him. Had someone truly been able to sneak upon him like this?

“Who’s there?” he asked, carefully keeping his voice even.

Someone – something? – stepped out of the dark forest. Gakushuu’s eyes widened a little, looking at the sight. Gleaming yellow eyes, a pair of rather fluffy ears covered in red fur, toothiest grin he had ever seen… He could just stare.

The other’s grin faded gradually away. “What? Never seen a wolf before?”

Gakushuu frowned. “You are… a bit red for a wolf.” Not to mention big. As far as he knew, a wolf shouldn’t be looking him almost in the eye.

“Shows what you know,” the other grunted. “I’m a red wolf.”

“Hmm.” Gakushuu wasn’t fully convinced, but in the end, the exact species of this beast was irrelevant. “So, what do you want?”

The self-declared wolf sighed. “Just to say hello! It’s quite an event to see a new face around here.”

“Okay then. Hello, and goodbye.” Gakushuu nodded and started walking on.

“Hey, c’mon!” The wolf ran after him. “We just met, don’t be in such a hurry!”

“Night is coming,” Gakushuu said shortly. “I want to reach my destination before that.”

“Ah,” the wolf breathed. “Of course. You poor humans and your lacking eyesight. I do understand. So…” The wolf jogged up to him to walk beside him. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“So suspicious…” the wolf sighed. “Come now, I know this forest through and through. If you tell me your destination, I could guide you there.”

“I don’t need a guide.”

“Mmm… if you say so. Juuust… if you continue down this way, you’ll soon run into thorny thickets that’s very hard to go through. It might seem tempting to go by it on the left, but that would lead you to a treacherous swamp. But if you head this way instead,” the wolf nodded to right, “you’ll soon find a path made by animals that just might be handy for you.”

Gakushuu said nothing but walked stubbornly on. He wasn’t foolish enough to follow a complete stranger – let alone a wolf – in a situation like this. Soon enough, though, he found those thickets the wolf had spoken about. He paused to consider. Yes, the terrain did seem easier, if he tried to go around this place on the left, but… hmm.

Was this a trap? He glanced at the wolf who was watching him with a much too innocent smile, and turned then right, against his better judgment.

“My offer still stands,” the wolf said, following him. “Just tell me where you’re going, and I’ll get you there in a moment.”

“And I bet you’re helping me out of the goodness of your heart, huh,” Gakushuu said dryly.

“Oh, of course! Although I would not mind it if you were to offer me something in return…”

“Like what?”

“Well, maybe a sniff of whatever you’re carrying in the basket,” the wolf said, and Gakushuu instinctively drew the basket closer. “Come now, that’s not too greedy, is it?”

“What is in this basket isn’t my property,” Gakushuu said. “So I’m afraid I can’t promise you any of it. Even a sniff.”

“Who are you taking it to, then?” the wolf asked, clearly curious.

“My grandmother,” Gakushuu said after just a short hesitation.

“Hmm.”

“She’s sick.”

“Of course.”

They walked a moment in silence. There really was, Gakushuu saw, some kind of a path going through the forest. It headed approximately in the right direction, so he started following it.

“So, your grandma lives in the cabin that’s by the brook down there, huh?” the wolf asked. Gakushuu said nothing, but the wolf ignored that and went on. “Well, it’s the only building anywhere nearby that you possibly could reach before dark. Funny though, I thought it’s just a hunting cabin.”

Gakushuu just shrugged.

“Follow me,” the wolf said after a while and left the path. “This is a shortcut.”

Gakushuu was still a bit hesitant to do that, but to be honest, he had just been thinking he probably should leave the path and head in that direction. Oh well. He’d just be extra alert and keep a careful eye on the wolf. If he tried something, he would yet regret it.

Soon enough he heard the brook, and then he saw the cabin. It did look like an average hunting cabin.

The wolf paused. “Sure you want to go in there?” he asked.

“What, you don’t like hunting cabins? Scared of hunters?”

“As if.” The wolf snorted. “But… ah, I forgot. It’s not just your eyesight that is lacking. This place smells all wrong.”

“Yeah?” To be honest, Gakushuu wasn’t surprised. This whole thing was clearly nothing but a test his father had created for him. But not delivering the “medicine” to his “grandmother” would equal failure. Therefore, he had no other option but to enter this cabin.

And he did so.

It was so dim there. He could see a desk and chairs, a cupboard… head of a deer on the wall… but there was no one in there.

“Hello?” he called out.

“Oh, hello,” a squeaky voice replied. “Is it you, my darling grandson?”

 “Yes… grandmother,” he said and walked carefully deeper into the cabin. “I’m bringing you medicine.”

“Oh, what a good boy you are!” the voice squeaked.

Gakushuu entered another room. A bedroom. There was a figure lying on the bed. A very big figure. Gakushuu squinted his eyes, trying to see. It was even darker in this room. There was, perhaps, a face half-hidden under a white sheet. Were those dark dots eyes looking at him?

“Grandmother…” he said slowly. “What tiny eyes you’ve got.”

“Still they see you very well, dear boy!” the voice squeaked. Yes, it clearly came from the bed. For a moment Gakushuu had suspected someone had merely placed some pillows into it to fake a body.

He moved a little closer. She saw very well, huh? Unlike him, in this darkness. But the body lying in that bed – if it was real – sure was big, that much he did see.

“What a large body you have,” he muttered.

“All the better to hug you with, my boy!”

Please don’t, Gakushuu thought to himself.

The sheet fell from the face as the form on the bed moved. The grin that was revealed from underneath it was much toothier than even the wolf’s.

“What a big mouth you’ve got, grandmother,” Gakushuu said, his hand grasping his knife.

“All the better to eat you with!” exclaimed the creature in the bed, and suddenly half a dozen tentacles shot at him. Gakushuu slashed at them with his knife, cutting two, dodging three, but one still caught him. Only for a short moment, though, as something red flashed in the corner of his eye and the wolf had sunk his sharp teeth into the tentacle.

“Augh!” Something big, yellow and tentacled, clad in black robes, stood on the bed, wailing. “That hurt!”

“That was the meaning,” the wolf said with a grin. “Mmm, tastes like octopus! Nice. It’s been too long since I’ve had seafood. Hey, Little Red Riding Hood, how about we make some sushi for ourselves?”

“You can have it all for yourself,” Gakushuu said. “And don’t start making weird names for me. I’m called Gakushuu.”

The yellow thing was flailing on the bed. “You! You would eat me? That’s so rude!”

“Didn’t you just say you’re going to eat me, grandma?” Gakushuu asked, jumping into a swift attack. The octopus monster dodged him, impossibly swift, and then yelped, having to dodge the wolf, too.

“Well, yes! But I’m the monster of this story, so that’s how it should be! The monster isn’t supposed to be eaten!”

Tentacles whizzed across the room, fast. Gakushuu had to rely on all his training just to dodge them. A counterattack was simply impossible.

“Tactical retreat!” the wolf yelled and dashed toward the door. Gakushuu didn’t really like the idea, but under the circumstances it seemed sensible.

They rushed out of the cabin. Gakushuu wasn’t quite sure if having more room would be a good or a bad thing against this opponent, but it did feel better than the cramped cabin.

“He’s coming!” he shouted as a yellow blur flew out of the cabin after them. Again, there was nothing he could do but dodge – well, at least there was more room to do that, now.

Again, the wolf jumped at a tentacle and caught it in his teeth. A sharp flick sent him flying and he landed in the brook. That didn’t stop him, though, and just a moment later he was making another attack on the tentacle creature.

“Ah! You’re all wet!” Again, the wolf was sent flying, but Gakushuu paused. A few droplets had fallen on a tentacle, and it was… melting? The wolf was back on his feet in an instant, and for a moment their eyes met. In a silent agreement they started dodging in a way that led the creature toward the brook. At one point, Gakushuu grasped a bucket that had been lying by the cabin, pretending to use it as a shield.

It took a good while of dancing around, but finally the creature stood right at the edge of the river at the perfect spot. Again their eyes met, and both knew exactly what to do. Gakushuu raised his knife, locking his eyes with the tiny beads of the octopus monster. He parried a tentacle, made a fake attack and then threw the knife toward its head. The octopus parried it with ease, but right then the wolf took a firm grasp of the hem of his robe and pulled, strongly. Gakushuu too flung himself at the octopus who fell toward the brook, suddenly shrieking in terror.

Somehow the long tentacles grasped a hold of trees and stones around the brook, stopping the fall in the last moment. The wolf landed on the octopus’s chest and Gakushuu already had the bucket filled with water, about to throw it at his face.

“Surrender!” the wolf growled, and Gakushuu paused. Huh? Wasn’t this a fight to death?

The octopus’s eyes had a strangely panicked look in them (for being nothing but little beads, that is) as he glanced from the growling wolf to Gakushuu grim face and the bucket that had almost been emptied over his head.

“I surrender!” he shrieked.

“Great.” The wolf jumped to the ground and grinned at Gakushuu. “Our victory, comrade!”

“Are we really going to let him live?” Gakushuu asked with a frown. “He was going to kill me!”

“No I wasn’t!” the octopus shouted. “Of course not! What do you take me for, some kind of a monster?”

“…you yourself said you’re the monster of this story,” Gakushuu pointed out.

“Well, yes, but…” The octopus flailed, flustered. “It was just for dramatic effect! Of course I wasn’t going to kill you! Your father would have been so mad with me!”

“Father.” Gakushuu sighed. “Of course. He hired you, didn’t he.” It wasn’t even really a question.

The octopus nodded, looking miserable. “He wanted me to test you, that’s all! I wouldn’t have really eaten you or anything.”

“And that vial… it was your reward, right?”

“Talking about which…” While they were talking, the wolf had gone inside to get the basket. “It belongs to me now, you know.”

“Hey,” Gakushuu said, ignoring the octopus who was wailing something about needing it. “I never said anything about giving it to you.”

“Oh, come now!” The wolf glared at him. “You’d have never done this without my help.”

“That’s debatable,” Gakushuu said, even though, to be honest, it truly wasn’t. He did remember the iron grip of the tentacle that had grabbed him right in the beginning. If the wolf hadn’t come to his help, the fight might have been over right then and there. “But,” he went on magnanimously, “you did come to my aid – even though I never asked for help – and it’s not like I needed that vial for anything, so… you can have it.”

“How very kind of you,” the wolf said dryly. “Would you help me…”

“But!” the octopus wailed. “It was promised to me! And I did my job, so I’ve earned it! Your father told you to give it to me, didn’t he!”

“I was told to give it to my grandmother, and you,” he gave the octopus a long look, “are clearly not that.”

“Buuuut! You don’t understand! I’m under a curse and unless I drink that magic potion I’ll never become human again!”

“Tough luck,” the wolf muttered. “Open it for me, won’t you?”

“So you too want to drink this?” Gakushuu asked, curious.

He picked up the vial and opened it. He glanced at the octopus. There were actual tears flowing down his round cheeks. Gakushuu sighed.

“If my father had this, he can surely get more. Just go ask for another vial”

“Have you ever tried to deal with your father,” the octopus whined. “Who knows what he’ll have me do this time!”

Gakushuu paused. True enough. And perhaps he shouldn’t hold his father’s actions against this octopus. He’d just been doing what he’d been told to, anyway.

“Well then. Fifty-fifty, how about that? Both of you get half of it.”

The wolf gave him a thoughtful look. “I’m not sure if that’ll be enough.”

“You drink half of it,” Gakushuu decreed. “If it’s not enough, you get also the rest.” He looked at the octopus. “That’s the best deal you can get.”

The octopus just nodded, still the epitome of pitifulness.

“Okay then.” Gakushuu carefully poured half of the liquid in the vial to the wolf who drank it. The wolf shimmered softly, his outline grew strangely blurry, and suddenly instead of a wolf a boy was standing there.

“Huh…” He felt carefully his arms and chest and patted then his head, grimacing a little. “I told you it won’t be enough!”

Gakushuu eyes were transfixed on the wolf ears on his head. “That’s not too bad, though, is it?” he said, reaching out. Yeah, the ears were just as fluffy and soft as they looked like. “They’re kind of…” cute, he was going to say, when he suddenly realized he stood there ruffling the ears of a stark naked boy of his own age.

He turned around swiftly, his cheeks hot. “You can have the rest,” he said, giving the vial to the octopus who gave it an uncertain look.

“…if I’m still going to have tentacles…” he mumbled, but still drank the rest of the drink.

Gakushuu waited with mild horror, wondering if they’d end up with some kind of an octopus/human chimera, but in the end the young man who appeared in the place of the octopus looked perfectly normal.

“Hmm,” the wolf-boy said, sounding a bit disappointed. “How boring.”

The man grinned. “Hey, this is…!” Suddenly two tentacles shot out from under his hair, and he gave a startled yelp.

“Oh, that’s more like it!” the ex-wolf stated happily. “Cool.”

Gakushuu sighed, turning away from the man who was freaking out, trying to see his image in the brook’s water. He would certainly have a thing or two to say to his father once he returned home. If he returned. He was certainly more pissed off with the man than probably ever before.

It was already dark. He started walking toward the cabin. He’d spend the night there and decide in the morning what he’d do.

The wolf-boy was suddenly by his side. “So! There’s only one bed there. Shall we share or will you sleep on the floor?”

Gakushuu spluttered. “Why the hell would I sleep on the floor!”

“You’re the one with clothes, so you won’t get cold.” The boy grinned at him, something extremely wolfy in his expression. “Or then we can decide who gets the bed in a fair fight.”

“I’m done with fighting tonight,” Gakushuu muttered. “Whatever. It’s a big enough bed, I guess.”

“Uh, I…” The man had rushed after them and was about to say something.

“You’re not joining us!” Gakushuu exclaimed. “You’ve your robes, you’re fine on the floor.” The man fell silent, a hurt look on his face. Gakushuu paid that no attention but marched into the bedroom, followed by the smirking boy.

“God,” Gakushuu mumbled as he settled down on the bed, still fully clothed. He was so tired. It had been a long day.

The other boy clambered into the bed too. “So,” he said, “what shall we do tomorrow? You wanna stay here or…”

“Who said we’re going to do anything?” Gakushuu said. “What you should do is to find some clothes. I’ll decide what I’m doing tomorrow.”

“I just think we’re a pretty good team, don’t you think? We could go adventuring together! I’m sure that together…”

“Yeah, sure, absolutely. Shut up, I’m tired.”

“Okay, okay. Goodnight then, Shuu.” The boy curled up next to him, a bit too close.

“I told you not to come up with stupid nicknames for me,” Gakushuu mumbled, but he was too tried to be really mad. “Stupid wolf.”

“I’m Karma,” the boy said.

“Figures,” Gakushuu muttered, on the borderline between sleep and waking.

Quite soon the two boys were in a deep sleep. In the other room the man lay awake quite long, trying to decide if he wanted to be the one to tell his employer that his son had eloped with a wolf, or if he should rather just run too while he could.

[reashot]

Red Riding Jaune. Part 2...

_________________________________

See part 1 here:

Ruby: *exhale* Oh. I'm so gonna violate him... 👹

But as the words slowly leaves Ruby's mouth. She starts shaking her head all of a sudden.

Ruby: No! You stupid horny wolf. You can't just mate with someone you just met. Don't you realize you are perpetuating bad stereotypes about the faunus. And besides just because Jaune is totally your type; cute, tall, blonde, handsome, kind, with blue eyes you can find yourself lost in... *shakes head* That doesn't mean that he's the one.

In fact I will smell his hankie one more time to proves it. *sniff*

Ruby: Oh Lord it just making me hornier... T-this is it! This is the proof that Jaune is the one for me. I'll make him mine no matter what. After all it's not rape if a woman does it, right? (Please do not listen to her.) If he ended up liking it in the end that means it's okay. (This is wrong.) And I bet that he doesn't mind taking care of our cubs. (Please someone call animal service on this girl.) That's it! I decided to violate Jaune, but how best to do it?...

Grandma Arc's cabin

*knock, knock.*

Grandma Salem: Oh that must be Jaune with my meal. Such a great grandson I have. *opens door.*

Oh what a cute little Faunus girl. I'm sorry I thought you're my grandson. I'm waiting for him you see. Do you want to wait for him I don't have many guest you see.

Ruby:

Salem: My what a big smile you have.... Wait what are you doing? No, no, no!!!

[localsimp4moms]

Yandere Fairy tale JJBA x Reader AU Concept

ome mindless idea I came up with that probably isn't that original. However I may as well post it lol

But imagen a fairytale where Y/N takes on the role of a young herbalist who runs into a range of troubled individuals whom they chose to take care of. However, in the world of magic and witchcraft there is only so  much Y/N can do with their medical abilities to take on those who are now in her care.

I feel like it would be fun to be able to write some stories such as imprinting, enchantment and so on depending on what characters YN takes in. For example ‘Lil Red’ aka Narancia Ghirga.

I feel like Narancia would be able to add a fun twist on little red riding hood, instead of being a defenceless little girl who relies upon others I can see him being someone desperate to prove there independence; though they went about it in the wrong way. As a young run away turning to crime in order to help themselves live day to day only to pay for it now that they are older and a furtive. Due to this them becoming someone who does not truly live like everyone else, instead living for the thrill of life day to day. With little or no care what happens to themselves... Until they meet their darling- a blessing sent by god in there eyes...

Below is some rough drabble of something that i may write for this example above. Please keep in mind this was not proof read just because I wanted to writing something about this au to see if there was any interest at all lol.

Small woven basket clutched tightly in hand, as you make your way down the dirt path. Trees overhead gently rustling as the mid summer breeze sweeps across your face. Song birds keeping you company as the world of green and brown makes you forget today's woes.

As the path of dirt slowly fades into a clearing all you can do is allow a faint smile, pulling the page of paper from your breast pocket. The ingredients needed for tomorrow's patients; it was a little more than you were expecting to have to collect… 

Oh well! You know these woods all too well,  it should not be an issue to venture a little deeper than you normally would.

It was easy to get the first couple of ingredients you needed, keeping them bundled together with woven string in the basket you clutched. Though you had come up short on something…  No issue, further you travel! 

Pressing on slightly deeper into the woods, trees grew slightly more dense and the shrubbery thicker. Slightly nicking at your ankles as you graze scanned for the elusive herb. It shouldn't be too hard to find…

Aha! There it was; the pure white flowers that stand tall, proud as if they knew they were to aid in saving someone. Deep green stems that reach up to the cracks of light that fought their way to the ground through dense leaves. 

“Finally found you!” The sound of your voice called as you see your goal. Eyes bright as you worked your way closer to the gift of the woods. The steps taken each time you get closer breaking small twigs that rested upon the ground. Though as you stumble your way closer, stepping upon a mossy log you have witness to a small birds eye view of the miniature meadow in front of you.

The sea of pure white, soldier-like flowers reaching out to their backdrop of brown and green -trees enclosing this small ocean of purity.  Though as one's eyes settle upon the centre of the scene in front of you the peace of white is disturbed; intended slightly damaged, missing.

Browning knitting into a frown as you go to inspect, what could cause harm to such a flawless place?

Gently stepping down from the log, keeping careful as to not harm nature's creations, you approach the place in which it was damaged. The sun seemingly envelops the patch in a golden glow. Though the closer one gets the smell of pollen and sweetness is overtunt to that of bitter iron, metallic. 

Less than 10 feet away the stains of red corrupt the small flowers, no longer pure white- bruised with deep reds that had begun to oxides to varying shades of brown. Your eyes widen for a brief moment, breath held in…

Placing yourself on your tiptoes… taking one more step forward…

There you bear witness the frail figure of a stranger, skin a tan colour… Face obscured from view by a nest of black upon them. Deep blues, greys and blacks adorning the body that lay upon its own back. Clasping tightly to a cloak that barely was draped upon their shoulders, a bright red that was abused with the marks of blood and dirt.

A sudden gasp of fear escapes from your lips as you stumble forward. Still unsure as to what was truly occurring in front of you, though the smell of something foul and metallic only allowed the imagination to run so far…

The crunch of flowers arise as the basket once clutched to tightly was abandoned and left behind, the sound continuing as your fumbling steps trample the ground and all else that lay in your wake… Inorder to help someone.. 

It’s not too late is it? How did they get here? How long have they been here? 

Not a single thought made a connection as you fell to your knees at the side of the stranger. The brown pants you wore deepinging in hue as you kneel into a sickly smelling substance that coated most of the flowers around you both…

Blood-

BlooD! What? Why is he bleeding so much?

No- That should not be the most pressing thing at the moment- Is he breathing? Lowering your ear close to the strangers mouth you tried to feel- hear anything. It may have only been a moment though it was silent…

Then-

The rough sound of gurgling had allowed itself to escape from the stranger. That is one victory at least- It wasn’t too late.

A myriad of cuts lay upon the strangers skin. Varying in depth and size… Though the largest one upon his stomach- he needed help. But you are in the middle of nowhere- There's no hospitals close enough-

Home! You can treat him to some extent at home! Call the doctor in the next town over immediately  when you get there- But how?  How were you going to move the young man? 

You can’t- 

He will bleed out- Compression? How? 

Mind running amuck causing more strife than any good you simply followed your gut… Screaming of seams fill the air as the shirt you hard warn becomes a makeshift bandage… Once white of the purest kind the   cotton soon found itself soaked in red…

…

…

…

The once warm breeze of the summer's day was dwindling into that of the cool nights. Song birds had long gone to sleep and the quiet humm of night life within the wild animals took their place. Though the song of a young out of breath herbalist echoed on as the harsh sound of weighted feet upon cobbles accompanied the noise.

Before long a bash of a heavy door against ageing walls is the welcome home an empty house received. Dark without light… The creaking of floor boards is ignored as your tiered figure places a groaning young man upon your own bed.

Quickly reaching for an oil lamp, to allow for some light to aid you in your fleeting hope to help this stranger, you strike a match obtained from the bedside table. Struck it and like magic you now have a faint light…

The cluttering of glasses, mortar and pestle and so on carried themselves out through the night… Only ever so often interrupted with the sound of water being dumped into the yard or the yelps that escape this strange man's lips.

…

…

You had never spent so long washing your hands before, no matter how much you tried to wash them they seemingly did not lose the deep red colour- or smell. Though it could just be your mind playing tricks on you.

You were yet to see someone as hurt as that young man in your bed. 

With a quick sigh, you shake your head dumping the bucket of water out once more before you hurried down the street to the well for what felt like the hundredth time… The soft glow of yellow showed you the sign of a new day, though no birds sang just yet. It was only you with the sound of rope being yanked as you drew a new bucket from the well… 

As you enter the house, you take the bucket to the bedroom in which the stranger still layed. Placing it beside the bed as you retrieve a cloth from the kitchen, you could finally try and clean some of the grime that had dried to his skin that would not budge before.

Folding the soft fabric that was in hand before plunging it into the ice like water, slowly bringing it to the face of the stranger. Gently brushing it along his chin, trying to avoid harming the bruised skin that seemingly covered half his face. 

The tanned skin of the stranger slowly contorted in discomfort despite the attempt to avoid pain. Though you couldn’t help but speak to the sleeping figure. “I’m sorry… I know it’s cold- uncomfortable even… but I need to clean you up.” Your eyes soft as you gaze upon the slender man, a slight smile upon your face as you continue to clean dried mud from his cheeks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the doctor comes here soon. You’ll be the first he see’s… I’ll make sure of it.”  In all honesty you didn’t know if you were trying to comfort the man who laid in your bed or yourself more, though your voice reminded me softly as you smiled.

He’s stable, he will be fine.

Your eyes however soft in the gaze grew heavy, one of sleep over powering you. Though you could not sleep- not yet they still need the doctor… You need to keep watch…

Placing your head on the mattress you rested for a moment. Hearing the now regulated breaths of the stranger… 

You slightly chuckle to yourself as you grow more drowsy as moments pass by “I think I’ll call you… lil red. The cloak you held onto no matter what… and well- you seemed to be covered in enough red when I first saw you..”

The war with your eyes slowly lost as your vision faded to black…

…

…

…

It was not the sound of song birds that awoke you- but the sudden sound of yelling. Then the harsh pain of your hair being pulled by the root- Causing one's eyes to thrash open in a half asleep array of fear, anger and confusion.

Sight still blurred by this sudden startle- though the sound of a voice that was coated in rage.

“Who the fuck are you!? Answer me you whore- Or I swear I’ll strangle you right here and now!”

[tickles-ivory]

"A Hobbit in the Woods:  A Retelling of the Brothers Grimm 'Little Red Riding Hood'

by Ticklesivory (dedicated to @shantismurf)

Rated: T for violence

For Bagginshield Week 2023

A short little Bagginshield fairytale inspired by this Tumblr post:  (2) Ticklesivory on Tumblr  

Happy Bagginshield Week everyone! 

____________________________________________________________

Once upon a time in a small village that lay just outside of a dark forest lived a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.  He was a kind hobbit who lived alone and kept to himself.  He enjoyed cooking and would often take food to his friends and neighbors whenever one of them had taken ill.

One of his oldest friends, who had been a close friend of his grandfather’s, was known throughout the village as Gandalf the Gray because he wore a gray cloak and hat.  After his grandfather’s and parents’ deaths, Bilbo took it upon himself to visit the old man regularly.  He would often take him food and drink, and ease his own conscience by checking on the old man’s health.    

At least once a month, Gandalf would ride in his small carriage which was drawn by a sorrel pony with a blonde mane to the village to visit Bilbo as well.  When the old man’s visit was delayed, Bilbo sent a messenger to Gandalf’s cottage that had been built in the middle of the forest. 

The messenger brought back word that Gandalf was suffering from a bad cold and was confined to his bed.  Immediately, Bilbo began gathering items to take to his oldest friend.  Before he left, the messenger tried to warn him.

“Do be careful, Mister Baggins,” his neighbor, Mister Gamgee said.  “I met a woodsman along the way, and he told me there were wolves in the area.  One is particularly large.  It is the white wolf that was attacking Farmer Maggot’s sheep last winter.”

Bilbo continued to gather supplies and poured a pot of chicken broth into a small crock to take with him as well as several biscuits and a jar of blueberry jam he had put up last summer. 

Gandalf may be known for his gray cloak, but in the village of hobbits, Bilbo was known for his dark red jacket.  He wore it often and there were those who called him The Hobbit in Red, though not to his face. 

On his way out his door, he donned his red jacket and grabbed his favorite walking stick.  He promised Mister Gamgee he would stay on the path through the forest which was traveled often by hunters and woodcutters and was considered the safest route to Gandalf’s.  He thanked the messenger for his service and paid him the agreed wage, waved goodbye, and set off down the road. 

The woodland realm beyond his village was dense with foliage that blocked out the sun.  The ground was covered in shadow and occasionally, Bilbo would hear the trill of a bird or the cry of a rabbit.  What he was listening for was a deep growl, heavy paws breaking sticks, or even a glimpse of white fur.

An hour into his journey, not having seen anything to be alarmed about, Bilbo relaxed and began to enjoy his surroundings, only to be suddenly so badly frightened that he nearly spilled his basket. 

“Forgive me.  I didn’t mean to startle you.”  A deep voice told him that was coming from a very handsome stranger who stepped out from the heavy brush.  “I am Thorin Durin, a woodcutter by trade.  I don’t believe it is safe for someone of your station to be walking through this forest alone.”

Bilbo took offense.  He was a full-grown hobbit and could take care of himself, thank you very much!

“I will be all right, but thank you for your concern.”

The dark-bearded axe-wielder stepped onto the path right in front of Bilbo and gazed down his sharp nose at the traveler.  He was slightly taller than the hobbit, a dwarf, Bilbo believed based on the size of his hands and feet, but he wasn’t about to be bullied by him!

“You’re not even carrying a weapon,” the woodcutter told him with a smirk that Bilbo found to be surprisingly attractive, as was the clothing he wore – which consisted of coarse dark tweed and leather.  Not at all to Bilbo’s taste, but they looked remarkably well on the muscular dwarf. 

In Thorin’s hand was a long-handled axe he no doubt used to chop down the trees required to sustain his livelihood.  Bilbo gripped his tall, thin stick a bit more tightly.

“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,” he informed the dwarf proudly.  “And I have no intention of straying from the path.  I won’t be fooled by the wit of any wolf, white or not.”

The dwarf gazed at him with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes Bilbo had ever seen.  “The pale wolf travels on and off the path where he wills, and he disguises his appearance.  Sometimes he’s a wolf, sometimes an elf or an owl.  Be careful who you talk with in these woods and the things you say.”

Bilbo nervously shuffled his feet.  He usually wasn’t shy around people, but he found the dwarf incredibly attractive and was considering asking if he would escort him to Gandalf’s cottage.

As if reading Bilbo’s thoughts, the woodcutter smiled and stepped forward, eyeing Bilbo up and down before gazing into his basket of goods. 

“What’s in your basket?”

“Just a few things I’m taking to a friend,” the friendly hobbit replied.  “To Gandalf the Gray.  Perhaps you know him?  He lives beyond the north meadow in a brown cottage overlooking the Long River.  He’s taken ill I’m afraid and needs some looking after.”

Thorin’s dark brows furrowed.  “How do you know I’m not the white wolf in disguise?  You’ve just told me everything I need to know to set a trap not only for you but your friend as well.”

Bilbo lost his smile and shut his mouth.  He had no doubt that Thorin was just a woodcutter, but he needed to be more careful.

“I just know, but I will be more careful from now on.  I promise.”

“Good,” the dwarf said.  “I would hate to discover you were dead.  Not before I get to know you a little better.”  The smirk had returned which made Bilbo blush hot beneath the collar of his red jacket.

“Thank you for your concern.  Perhaps we shall meet again.”

“Perhaps so, Master Baggins.  Be careful and do not speak with any more strangers.”

Bilbo nodded and watched as the woodsman disappeared into the shadows created by the dense canopy of the forest. 

He continued on his way with a bit of a skip to his step as he recalled how the dwarf’s eyes shimmered and how big his muscles were, and the thoughts reddened Bilbo’s cheeks. 

Some time later he came to a game trail crossing the path and watched with delight as a few small brown rabbits scurried across it.  They were saying in their tiny, nervous voices, “Do not step on us!” as they hopped away and soon disappeared.

Bilbo didn’t always encounter animals within the forest, but it always surprised him just a little when he heard them speak.  For you see, the forest outside of his village was not only dangerous but enchanted.  Almost all of the creatures that lived inside of it had the ability to communicate with others.  Some Bilbo found quite entertaining and witty, while others were slow-witted and not very intelligent.  Much like the hobbits in his own community, he thought to himself with a chuckle. 

Along the way, he watched a turtle move slowly beside the path who greeted him with a ‘good morning,’ in its slow tortoise drawl.  At a turn, he spotted an owl in a tree.  Bilbo said good day to the bird, though it did not look very pleased to have its rest disturbed.  As a whole, Bilbo found owls believed themselves to be a bit superior and above the concerns of, well – everyone else. 

Bilbo continued on, his feet never straying, his eyes carefully taking in everything he could see.  At this point, he was halfway through his journey, and he stopped to drink from a stream running nearby and to take a nibble or two from one of the seed cakes he was taking to his friend.

As he lifted his head and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, he saw movement in the trees on the other side of the water.  Much to his surprise, a beautiful white stag stepped into view.  Its striking, icy-blue eyes viewed Bilbo cautiously before it stepped into the water and crossed the stream.  Bilbo stepped back to allow the animal room to move onto the bank and to stay clear of its broad set of antlers. 

“Good day,” he announced to the animal who lifted its head to gaze down at the hobbit.  “You are the prince of the forest, are you not?”

“That I am,” the large animal told him with smooth and deep vocalizations.  “Are you alone in these woods?  It is not advised for someone so small in stature.”

Bilbo tried not to take offense to that statement.  He knew how tall he was and that this creature towered over him!

“I’m not long on this journey,” he exclaimed.  “In fact, I’m headed straight to my friend’s home in the woods.  I’m nearly halfway there and should be able to make it back home by nightfall.  If not, then I shall spend the night there.”

The stag’s eyes widened as he tilted his head.  “Perhaps you should keep your business to yourself, Master Hobbit.  There are those that walk within these woods that would take advantage of such a helpless creature as yourself.”

Helpless!  That was the second time today someone had questioned his abilities! 

“I’m not afraid to walk through these woods,” he stated firmly while standing up tall and straight. “I’ve done it many times in the past and have never required bow, axe, or sword.”

The creature didn’t look that impressed.  “I am sorry to hear about your friend.  There a great many things that may happen to those who choose to live here and who do not belong.” 

What was that supposed to mean?  “Well, Gandalf has lived here for many years, and he does just fine.  It’s just a trifling cold he’s picked up.  You know, with that last late snowy spell we had, I know many a hobbit who are suffering from the same thing.  I do what I can to help since I never seem to catch anything.”

“That is good to hear,” the mighty stag told him.  “I will leave it to you then Master Hobbit.  Be safe on your journey.”

Bilbo watched with some fascination as the powerful muscles of the beast carried him upriver and out of the hobbit’s sight.  He just then noticed that to get a drink from the stream, he had strayed from the path.  It wasn’t the first time, however.  He had often stopped to get a drink here.  He found the water to be cool and refreshing.  No harm had ever come from it.

The path wasn’t very far away, and soon, Bilbo’s feet were back upon it.  A narrow gap in the canopy above him allowed a stream of sunlight to peer through and Bilbo glanced up to allow the warmth to shine down upon his face.  That was when he heard the snap of a twig on his left and he spun around, holding his walking stick out to protect himself if it was required.  He was relieved to find it was only the woodcutter again, the sight of which brought a smile to the hobbit’s face.

“Are you following me?” Bilbo said, half-jokingly.

“No.  Why would I do that?”

The words Thorin had said didn’t quite match the dwarf’s expression.  Embarrassment was evident on his handsome face and Bilbo found it to be quite charming. 

“I’m on my way to work in the clearing which I believe is just west of your destination.  If you wouldn’t mind, I could walk with you for a while.”

The invitation was well received and increased Bilbo’s smile.  “Of course, I wouldn’t mind.”

“You’re making good time,” Thorin noted after a moment.  “You should reach your friend before noon I should think.” 

“Yes, I’ve been lucky on this journey,” Bilbo told him.  “There have been times when I’ve twisted an ankle or the weather changed so quickly I had to turn back.  Today is a beautiful day, don’t you think?”

The woodcutter only grunted in reply and kept his eyes on the road.  “You’re from the village of hobbits, are you not?” 

“I am,” Bilbo answered, his brow lifting curiously. 

“And is that where…I mean…do you live alone?”

Bilbo smiled shyly at Thorin’s question, though not nearly as hesitantly as his new friend.  For someone so obviously strong and fierce, finding Thorin was a bit bashful wasn’t only surprising but endearing, and it caused his heart to flutter. 

“I do live alone, although just recently.  My parents passed a couple of years ago and left the property to me.  Do you live close by?”

“Not exactly,” Thorin explained.  “I’m from the dwarven realm of Erebor at the foot of the Lonely Mountain some ways from here.  I come here during the spring and summer to find work.”

“Ah, I see,” Bilbo exclaimed, trying to recall the distance from his village to the mountain.  If he was assuming correctly, it was just a few hours’ journey by carriage.  An easy trip he just might have to take in the near future. 

“If I were to say…wish to come visit you at your home…Maybe I could provide you with some firewood or perhaps we could…”

“Share a meal or enjoy a cup of tea over delightful conversation?”  Bilbo suggested trying to be as helpful as he could be and ease some of the dwarf’s discomfort.

“Aye,” Thorin responded with yet another pink blush on his face. 

“I’d like that.  Really, I would,” Bilbo answered back, while secretly observing the small smile that spread the woodsman’s mouth. 

“Good,” Thorin replied.  “For now, I will leave you to your walk.  I should return to work.”

“It was a pleasure talking to you, Thorin,” Bilbo told him as he began to walk away. 

“We shall speak again soon, Bilbo,” the woodcutter said in a way that caused a wave of delight to sweep across the hobbit’s skin.

“That we will,” he whispered as a promise to himself just before continuing along the path. 

Following another two hours, the road curved and opened into a small field, wherein sat a small stone cottage with smoke coming from its chimney.  He had made it to Gandalf’s house and Bilbo hurried down the path to come to the wooden fence and the sturdy gate before it.

It was unusual to find the gate ajar, he thought before brushing any worry aside.  Gandalf was ill and he probably didn’t have the energy to secure his property, Bilbo decided, only to become even more concerned when he found the carved wooden door on the front of the cottage wasn’t latched either.

He stepped slowly inside, pushing the door back on its hinges, and called out.

“Gandalf?  Are you here?  It’s me, Bilbo Baggins!  I’ve brought you some goodies from home that will hopefully make you feel better!”  He waited for a moment and listened carefully, unable to hear a reply.  “Gandalf?”  Bilbo called out once more before stepping further in and shutting the door behind him. 

The cottage had four rooms, and the one directly opposite him was the main bedroom.  Bilbo had been inside the home plenty of times and he didn’t think Gandalf would consider this an intrusion, so he continued on and pushed back the curtain divider. 

There, on the four-poster bed beneath piles of handsewn quilts, he saw a form, and Bilbo sighed in relief.  But then he noticed it wasn’t moving and hurried over to make sure his friend was actually all right.

Gandalf looked a little more pale than usual upon first notice, but he was breathing, which settled Bilbo’s nerves.

“Gandalf?”  Bilbo repeated the name softly, trying to rouse his friend to make him aware of his presence without frightening him.

The old man’s blue eyes shuttered open and his smile became broad.  “My dear fellow,” he said with a rasp that sent him into a coughing fit.  Bilbo immediately grabbed a pitcher and filled a glass on the bedside table to offer the man a drink.

Gandalf took a few sips and then waved the offer away.  “Thank you,” he said.  “What have you brought me?  Is that broth I smell? And perhaps some of your delicious biscuits?” 

Bilbo had never been an overly cautious hobbit.  He was trusting to a fault.  In the past, that had led him into a variety of dangerous circumstances.  He was trying to learn, and the woodcutter’s warnings replayed in his mind. 

How could Gandalf smell the broth he had brought if he was suffering from a cold, which should make that feat entirely impossible! 

“Ah yes,” Bilbo replied, trying not to gather suspicion.  “I brought some broth, a little wine, as well as some biscuits and jam.  I sent Mrs. Hardfoot earlier this morning to check on you after you hadn’t shown up for a few days.  I was worried about you.   Did you find her company soothing?”

The ill man eyed him and the smile that followed was unusually forced.  “Oh, yes.  Mrs. Hardfoot is a delightful woman.  So full of cheer and such good company.”

“Well, that would be quite miraculous,” Bilbo replied, just before he took a step backward.  “Seeing that she died two winters ago.”

Gandalf’s blue gaze narrowed, and his typical pleasing smile turned malicious. 

“You should’ve listened to the woodcutter,” he said in a voice that didn’t belong to him.  “Even I, myself, tried to warn you of the dangers of the forest, but you hobbits think you’re so smart and cunning.  We see who the most cunning is now, don’t we?”

Bilbo recognized that deep voice and watched with some stunned fascination as the man upon the bed transformed into a large, white wolf. 

“Azog,” Bilbo uttered, fear causing his voice to tremble.  It was the one he had been warned about time and time again – the shape-shifter, the enchanted creature who could change from any creature he desired.  “You were the white stag!  Where is my friend Gandalf?”

“I have placed him in safekeeping for now until I am ready for him.  He is old and will be tough to chew, while you, on the other hand, are far more delectable.  Young and plump.  I shall enjoy this very much.”

With those words, the wolf leaped up from the bed to attack Bilbo, but the hobbit moved out of the way quickly, causing the wolf to stumble and crash into the armoire.  The door burst open and Gandalf, bound from head to toe, bruised and battered, tumbled out onto the floor. 

The white beast slashed its giant claws in Bilbo’s direction and he had been too concerned about Gandalf to move out of the way fast enough.  The claws stripped through his dark red jacket and pierced his skin, creating bloody marks across his back.  He cried out in pain as well as terror and hurriedly glanced around the room for some type of weapon.  Nearby, he had laid his walking stick and he grabbed it, swung it as fiercely as he could toward Azog. It came in contact with the beast’s nose. 

The impact didn’t even cause the wolf to blink, and he dropped down on all four paws to stare at Bilbo with a deadly and hungry gaze, saliva dripping from his razor-sharp teeth.  Bilbo backed away until he bumped into a table, on which was a kerosene lamp. 

Just as the wolf pounced, Bilbo  broke the lamp, grabbed the largest shard, and plunged it into the beast’s throat.  The wolf howled in pain but wasn’t the least deterred, knocking Bilbo down onto the floor, to hover over him.  Now, not only was the wolf’s spittle dripping down onto Bilbo, but its blood as well. 

“I’m going to enjoy every last bite of you,” the creature hissed before opening its mighty jaws. 

Bilbo slammed his eyes closed.  If this is the way he was going to die, he really didn’t want to watch it happen.  He waited for the excruciating pain, but it didn’t come.  After a silent moment, he glanced up to find the wolf’s mouth was indeed open, but out of it came only a small squeak. 

Before Bilbo realized what was happening, the wolf was knocked off him and it slid across the floor. 

Bilbo sat up, his heart pounding, his eyes wide with fear, and yet there was hope.  It had come in the form of a handsome woodcutter who was wielding his axe.  The blade of the weapon was now covered in the animal’s blood, which was streaming from the wolf’s side.  The beast cowered in the corner, hissing and growling at Thorin, who seemed entirely focused on nothing but him.

The hobbit watched in growing alarm as the woodcutter approached Azog, embedded his axe into him not once or twice, but three times.  When he was finished, the wolf lay very still and Bilbo closed his eyes to block out the sight.  Regardless of its attack on him and his friend, he didn’t enjoy witnessing violence against any creature for any reason.   

Suddenly, there were gentle hands cradling his scalp. 

“Master Hobbit.  Bilbo.  Are you all right?”

That was Thorin’s voice and Bilbo forced his eyes open, doing his best to avoid looking at anything but the tender and concerned gaze searching his own.

“I’ve got some scratches on my back, but I’ll live.” 

“Come,” Thorin said, gingerly assisting Bilbo to his feet.  “Let’s leave the creature behind for a moment and help your friend.”

The two of them freed Gandalf and entered the common area where Thorin immediately insisted that Bilbo remove his jacket and shirt. 

With a solid red blush, the hobbit complied, hissing in pain to discover the blood-soaked material was sticking to his skin.

“There is some salve in the corner cupboard,” Gandalf told Thorin from a chair he had sat down heavily on, his breathing raspy, his voice hoarse.

Thorin retrieved the ointment and applied a generous amount to Bilbo’s injuries.  For such a strong dwarf with incredibly thick fingers, his touch was surprisingly gentle, the hobbit thought.

“I’m afraid your lovely red coat is ruined, as is this shirt,” Thorin informed him as he began ripping cloth he apparently found as well and started wrapping it around Bilbo’s chest. 

Once he stood in front of him, Bilbo realized how very close the woodcutter was  to him, and it caused his skin to turn ruddy and his breath to come out in pants. 

“Are you sure you’re quite well?” Thorin teased, a smirk lifting up the corner of his mouth.

“Just scratched up is all, I assure you,” Bilbo answered back as Thorin tied the ends of the bandage over his ribs. 

“I’ll be at your house in three days to check on you and make sure your wounds haven’t become infected,” the dwarf informed him. 

Bilbo would like to say there was no need for that, but he couldn’t think of anything more pleasant than spending additional time with such a lovely dwarf. 

“I’d like that.”  His words had come out much quieter than he had intended, and it caused Thorin to lean in.  Oh, if only they were alone, Bilbo would close the distance to thank the dwarf properly. 

But Gandalf was sitting close by, huffing and puffing, and staring at them quite incredulously. 

“What about the wolf?”  the old man asked once the tender moment had passed. 

“I’ll drag it into the woods as a warning to others who may have the same idea.”

Bilbo swallowed hard.  “You mean…there are others?”  he squeaked. 

“Oh aye,” Thorin replied.  “As I told you, these woods are full of dangerous folk and you would do well to…”

“Not speak to strangers,” Bilbo chuckled.  “I get it.  But if I hadn’t, then I would have never met you.”

A dark brow lifted on Thorin’s face.  “In that case, consider yourself lucky, as do I.” 

“Pardon me,” Gandalf cut in.  “But is there anything in that basket you brought Bilbo, or do I have to look for myself?”

“Oh!  Of course, of course there is.”  Bilbo replied, his thoughts quite distracted by the magnetic blue eyes that were following his every move. 

“I’ll take my leave now,” Thorin announced.  “And I’ll take the carcass with me.” 

Bilbo stepped aside, grimacing at the trail of blood that was being spread across the floor.  Before the woodsman left, however, all Bilbo had for him was a smile, and he did his best to make it one worthy of remembrance. 

Once they were alone, Bilbo returned his attention to Gandalf and proceeded to warm up some broth and pour him some of the watermelon wine he had brought.  Then, he went about the task of scrubbing away the blood from the worn, wooden floors.

It occurred to him as he rinsed out the bucket and brush and listened to the old man slurp that there were better ways to go about doing things.  He had never wanted a housemate, but having Gandalf closer would certainly be more convenient and free up a lot of his time.  And if he paid his neighbor, Master Gamgee, to look in on the old man from time to time, Bilbo could even manage to take a trip.  Maybe as far away as Erebor. 

He dropped the scrub brush back into the bucket of clean, sudsy water and smiled innocently at his old friend.  “Gandalf, my old friend.  Perhaps it’s time we consider relocating you to the village.” 

THE END

[abyssal-ali]

There is Just no Stopping this Thing Called 'Love' - Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

Pairing: Jaysteph

Rating: T+ (?)

WC: 1.3k

A/N: Written for Jaysteph Weekend 2023, Day 1: Helping Bathe | Ride or Die | Book Club Beta: Esme, many thanks! (Almostreasonable on Ao3)

This is a Gotham by Gaslight AU, which is based around Jack the Ripper stories. The date of the real-life Jack's activity was in autumn 1888 in London, so this story is set in the 1880's. Some of the period-typical actions or language may not be completely accurate, as most of the research I found focused on English etiquette etc, not American. Nonetheless, this is as accurate as I can write. Please excuse any discrepancies (especially if you're a Victorian history nerd:D)

If something doesn't make sense, it may be revealed in another day's chapter. Title from the poem 'Love has no Beginning it has no End'.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

The sound of running water trickled through the air, alerting the man who had just entered that his apartments were not empty.

With calm precision, he removed his coat, hung it on the coat tree by the bin where he deposited his dripping umbrella, and tossed his hat with flair onto the tip of the tree.

He appeared to be completely calm, despite several signs of another presence in his private space.

A plate sprinkled with the crummy remains of Alfred's tea biscuits lay beside a half-drunk cup of tea on his coffee table, shoes sat where they had been casually kicked off by the door, the lingering smell of perfume in the air hovered around him…

He nudged the cracked door to the washroom open further, steam hitting him and the unmistakable scent of lavender filling his nostrils. Only one person he knew loved lavender so much, but she had never done anything like this before. 

Water in the porcelain tub splashed over the edge, puddling on the floor, as the person in his tub turned to see who had entered. The dim light of flickering candles softened her features, giving her hair a golden tint.

He crouched by the edge, avoiding stepping in the water, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Hi, Feisty.”

“Hey, Jase.”

“I see you've finally made yourself at home.” He pulled the stool from the corner over and perched by Steph, rolling his shirtsleeves up to his elbows with quick efficiency. He took advantage of her semi-bare state to check for wounds or bleeding. Nothing came up beyond old scars, and she appeared to be healthy. So why was she here, in his tub?

She hummed, sinking deeper beneath the soapy water. “You got back late.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, reaching over her for the lavender-scented soap. He dipped the bar between the water, rubbing it to get a good lather, and gently pushed Steph’s forehead back with his free hand to wet all her hair. 

The dirty blonde locks floated up, thoroughly soaked, and he rubbed the bar over them, getting them completely lathered. “I was out late checking on the children caught in the rain.”

His fingers worked the suds all the way through her hair to her scalp, and she let out a little moan at his skillful massage.

He chuckled as she turned to mush beneath his fingers, dipping her head under the water to rinse the soap out.

“Leslie had some children in at the clinic earlier, worried their sister had pneumonia,” Steph stated. “I followed them back to their home-” growing up in the Narrows, both Steph and Jason knew ‘home’ was a generous approximation of the hovel they lived in “-but luckily she only has a cold. With the medicine I left and the basket of nourishing food, they should all be okay. I got caught in the rain on my way back, though, so I came here and broke in for a bath.”

He handed her a washcloth and the bar of soap, letting her wash herself as he moved to hang a towel by the heater. “You’re always welcome here, Steph. I gave you that key for a reason.”

“I have to keep my skills sharp somehow, Todd,” she replied airily. “What better way than breaking into the Red Hood’s home?”

“You’ve been spying on Selina too much,” Jason shook his head, grinning.

“Bruce’s party is tomorrow,” he said idly, shaking out the wrinkles in her purple dressing gown. This was the first time she would use it, he recalled. They were both committed to courting each other properly, which included not staying over…or bathing in the other’s tubs.

Steph made an agreeing noise, prompting him to swallow his nerves and finish his thought. “Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the Gala?"

Her blue eyes watched him from where she was submerged in the bubbles. “I’d be delighted to be your date.”

He moved across the small space quicker than usual. “Really? You’re ready to announce our relationship to everyone? Gotham’s gossip columns will be buzzing after that.”

She nodded firmly. “Make an honest woman out of me, Mr. Todd.”

His smile stretched widely across his face, unable to be contained. “Whatever you say, Miss Brown,” he leaned in, nudging her nose with his before pressing soft kisses to her lips.

Maybe he’d be able to use the ring Talia had given him years ago sooner than he’d thought.

Steph requested her robe and he held it open for her, politely averting his eyes.

She snickered. “What a gentleman you are. Thank you.” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and belted the robe. “Could I request dinner with all this first-class service?”

“Whatever you’d like, madam.” He bowed gallantly and left her to dress in privacy.

~~~~~

The next day, a box appeared on Steph’s bed up in her top floor room in Leslie Thompson's clinic/house. Steph’s hands paused from untying her apron as she took it in, then she made quick work of her apron and dress, stripping down to her underclothes and letting them fall, heedless of the wrinkles that would soon form.

Jason had told her to leave her apparel to him, and as she opened the lid and saw its contents, she knew he hadn't let her down. 

She lifted out a gorgeous red ballgown, its deep hues shimmering in the dim light her candles provided.

The scoop neck and cap sleeves were embellished with black beading, and the understated ruffles on the skirt and hem gave it a lovely elegance.

Steph quickly dressed in it, turning this way and that to admire herself in the mirror before she headed to her mother's room to ask her to do up the back and help with her hair.

Crystal oohed and ahhed at her beautiful daughter as she pinned up Steph’s golden curls and did up the jet buttons.

"Your man is going to be absolutely stunned, sweetie."

Steph pinched her cheeks for more colour and smiled at her reflection. She looked…relaxed. Happy. 

It confirmed for her she was making the right decision.

She grabbed her reticule and pulled on her snowy gloves and red plush cape.

"I hope so, Mama. Have a lovely evening. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!"

Jason knocked on the door, looking dapper in his evening suit, coat, and freshly brushed derby hat.

His jaw dropped a little as she slowly descended the stairs, determined not to rush and sprain her ankle and be kept in tonight. The love and warmth in his eyes multiplied in her middle, filling her with butterflies of the best kind.

She finally made it down the stairs safely, taking his hand for the last couple steps. He lifted it to his mouth for a kiss and smirked up at her.

"You look stunning, Feisty. You'll be the belle of the ball."

"Thank you," she blushed. He always made her feel gorgeous. "You look fine yourself. I'd better keep an eye on you and make sure no debutante snatches you up," she teased.

Jason dropped his eyes to his shoes. "I have an idea to keep the swarms away."

He pulled his free hand out of his pocket and extended a small leather case, just large enough for…

"Jase," she whispered, turning her wide-as-saucers eyes up to his.

"I love you, Stephanie Brown. Will you make me the happiest man alive and consent to marrying me?" His teal eyes were full of emotion as he held her teary gaze.

She nodded, flinging her arms around his neck. "Of course! Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"

He swung her around, pressing soft kisses to her face.

A throat cleared behind them and they paused their merriment, seeing Leslie's gaze upon them.

"Congratulations, you two. However, I believe you have a ball to attend?"

To Be Continued in: Chapter 2: The End

Taglist: @jaystephevents

Steph's dress inspiration

[fcundaticnsofdecay]

status: closed

pairing: billie & ezra

with: @darkwants

halloween was not a night that billie looked forward to. the sole reason for that was the fact that her boss always threw a costume party. it meant that she had to go find a costume every single year. every other year she usually just went with something simple. the previous year she had just worn a football jersey and put on the black eye grease. another year she had just dressed in an oversized ACDC t-shirt, some neon leggings and teased the crap out of her hair. it was all simple stuff that she could find at any secondhand store.

yet for the first time she knew that she wanted to make an impression. even if it meant getting hit on by the idiot drunks who were going to be sloppy by the end of the night. she had actually gone to a costume shop and searched for hours. of course she knew that she didn't want to go slutty completely. however she wanted to wear something to compliment her figure. she had looked through tons before she finally found the perfect one. she had texted ezra earlier in the day to ask if he was going to be stopping by the bar. she had somehow swung the early shift which meant that she wasn't stuck working till last call like usual.

she had decided to go all the way with it even if she knew it might be silly. for once instead of throwing it back in a ponytail or keeping it down, she put it into two pigtail braids. it had taken way longer than she would have liked but she figured it was no big deal. she had found a little red riding hood costume that covered everything but was still on the shorter side. it even included the red cloak that she almost didn't want to wear. yet she knew that it made the whole costume. after securing the small basket which she used for a purse and then headed to work. of course she had been met with a rousing round of remarks. some of which were plain disgusting and others only a fraction more kind.

the bar was jam packed and she was kept busy. of course she did end up getting rid of cloak which let everyone see every inch of her. the costume was tight fitting, having a rib corset that needed to be laced. the sleeves were off the shoulder as well. she was going to cash out someone's tab when she heard the door opening and someone yelling ezra's name. it made her entire body tense because she hoped that he would like it.

she slowly turned and went to hand the receipt to the customer. after that she was going to throw the coasters in front of ezra who was with a guy from the garage. if she remembered correctly his name was arthur. he seemed like the strong and silent type. she cleared her throat and put on a smile," seems to be like you guys missed the memo about the costumes," she teased," but what can i get for you two?"

[too-tired-to-write]

4.

Little Red Riding Hood was a darling girl, well-behaved, polite, always keen to help. And indeed, her Mother and Grandmother always had her busy with something – fetching water or firewood, dusting and sweeping, darning and stitching, scrubbing floors and baking bread.

When she had been younger, Little Red had never played with the other girls and boys in the village. There had been no time – she had to clean out the chicken coop, chop the vegetables, milk the goats. And if she didn’t get it all done, on time, just the way Mother and Grandmother liked it?

It was better not to think about it.

One day, Little Red’s Mother packed a basket with cakes and wine. Little Red’s Grandmother had been ill, and Mother asked her to deliver the basket to Grandmother to make sure she had good food to grow strong and well again.

But Little Red’s Grandmother did not live in the village. Grandmother lived all alone in a cottage in the woods.

.

Little Red Riding Hood was a smart kid. She knew that the woods could be dangerous, and the safest thing was to stick to the path.

But the deeper she walked into the woods, the more beautiful the flowers became. So many bluebells, like an ocean all around her! Wood anemone, primrose, violet, cowslip! How beautiful they were! How sweet they smelled!

Little Red was so enchanted by the flowers, she did not notice that she was no longer alone.

“Well hello there,” said a rich, dark voice, making the child jump. Padding by her side was a Wolf.

“Hello,” she replied, for her Mother and Grandmother had always taught her that bad manners would be punished.

“It’s a lovely day,” the Wolf observed. “Where are you walking to with such a heavy basket?”

“I’m going to see my Grandmother,” Little Red replied. “She’s been sick, and my Mother has sent me with cakes and wine.”

“What a dutiful and good Granddaughter you are,” the Wolf purred. “Tell me more about your dear Mother and Grandmother. You are the apple of their eyes, I imagine.”

“Oh, yes,” Little Red agreed. It seemed safest.

“They must have been very upset when you fell and hit your head,” the Wolf continued. “That’s a nasty bruise.”

“Oh, yes,” Little Red agreed. It seemed safest.

“Hmm. Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. You take care now, Little Red,” said the Wolf, and away he went into the forest again.

.

Little Red was smart and safe, and stuck to the path all the way to her Grandmother’s door. She knocked, as her Mother and Grandmother had always taught her that bad manners would be punished.

“Let yourself in, my dear,” Grandmother called, and goodness! How strange her voice sounded! She must indeed be most unwell.

“Mother has sent me with cakes and wine, Grandmother,” said Little Red.

“How thoughtful of her,” Grandma replied. “Do come in and bring them over to me.” Little Red stepped lightly through the shadowy cottage, quickly reaching Grandmother’s bedside.

Grandmother was not in her bed. The Wolf was in her bed.

Little Red Riding Hood stood very still. She kept her eyes meekly on the ground, and waited for the blow to strike.

“I’m not going to eat you,” said the Wolf.

Little Red still did not look up.

“Where is Grandmother?” she asked the Wolf, her voice a whisper. The Wolf considered his answer.

“Do you really want me to give you the answer to that question?” he asked.

Little Red hesitated, then shook her head. The Wolf sighed.

“Take your shoes off and come into bed,” he ordered gently. “I’ll make you some hot milk, and you can eat as many cakes as you like.”

.

Little Red ate cakes and drank warm milk, and then she curled up into the Wolf’s soft, warm fur and slept for hours.

She thought she heard her Mother’s voice once, though she was half sleeping and couldn’t say for sure. It seemed like the Wolf left her, and there was a snarl, or maybe the start of a scream. It was all very hazy and unclear. And anyway the Wolf was by her side in no time, nuzzling her cheek, telling her to go back to sleep.

[nudegayartist]

Why little red riding hood what a big basket you have ……

Two versions for those that don’t want a big sloppy D on merch lol

DoodleDude.redbubble.com

[kichimiangra]

Early outline:

The wolf character is stalking red riding hood from the moment she is handed a basket by her mother and told to bring the goodies to Gram-gram in the little cottage in the woods, warning Red to stay on the trail and not talk to strangers.

The Wolf internally exposits that the forest used to be full of wildlife to prey upon, but that attracted hunters and now there is so little to go around that the wolves have to resort to basically banditing and stealing from travelers passing through; merchants, loggers, traveller's, etc. But that the pickings are so slim Wolf has to resort to stealing from a literal child.

He follows Red along the trail and tries to make his move but she just literally pulls out some bear mace and maces him. He tells some sob story about being the runt of the litter and tries to manipulate her into just giving him the basket of goodies and letting him go but she just maces him again saying that they are for Gram-gram in the cottage in the woods and leaves on her way.

Not willing to allow that hit to the ego Wolf decides he's going to go traumatized the little girl by finding her GramGram and eating her, just so that when the girl finds the massacre she can forever think "oh if only I had just given the wolf the basket he wouldn't have been so desperate as to devour my Grandmother!"

Wolf follows the trail and finds the quaint little cottagecore cottage and tries to open the door, but it's locked. Being the devious little shit he is he just decides to come in through the window. He's a wolf, try and stop him amirite? Grandma must be home because he can smell sweet baked goods a'cook'in and who would just leave the oven running and leave the house? That's a fire hazzard!

Wolf breaks in and is exploring around when he's cornered by dun dun dun THE HUNTSMAN! He tries to play off not doing a B&E by claiming that red riding hood totally sent him with a message for her Grandmother and he has no business with the huntsman so he should just be allowed to leave his TOTALLY REAL message and be left to go (Alive, hungry and scared shitless but alive cuz he can't hit a win today).

The Huntsman reveals that HE is in fact Gramgram (Graham the Huntsman), Red is his niece, and he has been living out in this cottage for years as this place was supposedly the ideal place to hunt wolves so he can't let Wolf go as the wolves seem to have moved on. I dunno why he's hunting wolves, maybe it's the last on his scavenger hunt list. This is semi comedy so maybe his reason is just that stupid but played seriously straight. Anyway he became a secluded baker in the woods supplying fresh goods for his sister's bakery in town, and Red is the one who delivers ingredients but couriers finished products to the bakery. Or maybe they deal in herione I dunno yet. The whole time this is being exposited Wolf is trying to slip away unsuccessfully, Graham's got a hunting knife t his neck against a wall he ain't going anywhere until Graham's done with his backstory speech.

We eventually move on to the classic "My what big eyes you have" speech, but it's Graham appraising wolf. This is a yaoi oneshot, you know where this is going. Graham's gonna throw that wolf over the bakers bench and roll him, pat him, and mark him with a B if ya know what I mean lol I ain't choreographing that here.

Scene cuts to Red arriving at Graham's cottage, she gives Graham the basket, gets a different one in return, they have small talk, she mentions having seen a wolf in the woods and Graham assures her that the pitiful little wolf won't be harrassing any more travellers in the woods again. Final shot is on Wolf sitting on a dog bed in the corner, collar around his neck like a dog and fastenend to the wall. He really can't catch a win today...

Interrupting my brother's birthday to bring you:

"What if little red riding hood, but from the wolf's perspective, but wolf goes to grandma's house to eat grandma, but grandma is some giga Chad yaoi seme, and the wolf goes from predator to prey, and shit."

Goes back to birthday shit.

[the-original-skipps]

|| Happy Halloween || Mikey x Reader || (Not Bloody) Halloween Headcanons ||

Note: where I’m from halloween is pretty much everyone gets dressed and gathers and kinda walks around mingle shingle lol

You were excited that you get to spend Halloween together with Mikey. Wanting to see him get dressed up. Mikey suggested that he wanted to be his favorite snack, the taiyaki and you agreed.

That was until Emma suggested a better idea for a Halloween costume. For you and Mikey to be little red riding hood and the big bad wolf. Mikey wanting to see you in a cute dress immediately agreed with his sister's idea. Little did he know about what he was getting himself into.

On the faithful day, Emma appears with both your costumes. Only to hand you fake wolf ears and a tail to go along with it. While she shoves a dress and a red cloak towards a confused Mikey.

"Why are you giving the dress to me..?"

"Because it's for you!" Emma enthusiastically speaks while Mikey's face drops.

"Whaー"

"Go get dressed!"

As you wait for Mikey to get dressed, you try on your own costume. You fix the wolf ears to your head and attach the fluffy tail. Wearing the clothes you picked out to go along with it. You looked at yourself in the mirror pleased with the results. Emma ended up taking a few pictures of you because you looked great!

Eventually, Mikey is finished getting dressed and when you saw him, you felt your jaw drop. The dress was a perfect fit for him- the red cloak and white knee socks completing the outfit. (This is legit Mikey's official costume, if you want to see watch chibi rebe haha)

"I'm not wearing this!"

"What, but Mikey you look so beautiful!" You exclaim. As you try to snap pictures of him. Mikey groans when you plead for him to wear it unable to resist your puppy eyes he gives in. Emma is having a field day laughing at her brother.

"Emma, if you show this to Kenchin I swearー!"

Now you were both ready to head out. Mikey had to admit despite his embarrassing costume he thought you both matched well. Taking every chance he gets to touch your fluffy ears and tail.

At first, Mikey trails behind you as he feels people staring. Pulling his hood further to hide his face. However, when he spots a taiyaki stand he literally sprints to it. Luckily he's carrying a basket to fill it in with taiyaki.

As you continue walking, you both get stopped. Various people approaching you both to take pictures together. Mikey without his taiyaki would of straight up refused but he agrees to a few.

Then you realized that some girls get a little close to your boyfriend causing you to pull him closer to you while silently sending glares their way. You knew your boyfriend looked adorable but you weren't sharing.

Mikey also gets pouty when several guys asks you for a picture then tries to ask for your number. He quickly stomps over and stands in front of you, taking your hand in his and walking off. You had to admit the pouty Mikey in a dress is quite a sight to remember.

Mikey makes sure that you're both holding hands the whole time since there were a lot of people and you might get lost. He also makes sure to keep an eye out for creeps who think they can touch you.

A man reaches his hand out as your back is turned but before he could touch you another hand tightly grasps his arm. Mikey's grip on the man is hard as he is visibly wincing in pain.

"Try touching and I'll make sure to break both of your arms."

Despite his cute attire his face is deadly serious as he glares at the assailant.

Tired of all the walking, you both head back to Mikey's place to watch some horror movies. Declining his suggestion at going ghost hunting.

The basket he brought along filled with various candies and taiyaki. He sits close to you, wrapping a blanket around you both.

He feeds you candy throughout the movie. Also asking you multiple times to wear the little red riding hood costume since he still wants to see you in it. You agree if he puts on the fake wolf ears and tail.

Eventually, Mikey ends up passing out from eating too much candy but you don't mind as you fall asleep beside him. It was an eventful yet fun day spent with the person you love.

Bonus

"Oi, Mikey check out this picture Emma sent me!"

"EMMA!"

[keewriting]

Cove x MC - One Shot #8 (request)

[Read on google docs to insert your MC's name]

Follow me on Instagram for updates!

You stood in front of your mirror to scrutinize your costume once more. You wore a bright red hooded cloak. Your moms bought you a basket to use as a candy receptacle. You grabbed it from your desk and hooked your arm through the handle. There was not much else you needed to portray Little Red Riding Hood.

Cove was set to arrive at your house any minute now. You went downstairs to wait with your moms. Elizabeth was already out with her friends. Your moms permitted her to spend Halloween outside of the neighborhood.

Your moms wore their costumes even though they didn’t have any plans to go out. Ma, a vampire, was preparing a bowl of Halloween candy for the unlikely trick-or-treater. Mom was on the couch dressed as a pirate, flicking through TV channels looking for a good horror movie. They both looked up from their activities upon your arrival.

Mom: Would you look at that!

Ma: Our Little Red. You look wonderful, darling.

Your moms crowded around you in admiration. You complimented their outfits as well. A knock at the door interrupted the scene.

Mom: I’ll get it.

Mom opened the door to Cove standing awkwardly. He wore a gray t-shirt and blue jeans. A pair of fuzzy wolf ears jutted from his messy green hair. His left hand clutched a worn pillowcase.

Cove: Trick or treat… haha.

Cove tried to laugh but he was obviously uncomfortable. Mom ushered him inside the door.

Mom: I should have known Cove would show up as the Big Bad Wolf.

Ma: Quite a pair we have here.

Cove smiled and waved at you with his free hand. You walked closer to inspect his costume.

Y/N: Those ears suit you. But…

Cove: I know, I don’t have a nose. I was going to use a marker but I thought that might be a bad idea…

Mom: That would be a very bad idea. Wait here, kiddo. I have some eyeliner you can use.

Mom disappeared for a moment then returned with a black eyeliner pencil. Cove accepted it gratefully.

Cove: Thank you. Uh, Y/N. Do you think you could draw the nose for me?

You heard your moms stifled laughter in the background. Cove’s cheeks grew red, but his focus remained on you.

Y/N: Yeah, let’s go into the bathroom. There’s better lighting and no audience in there.

You shot your moms a playful glare. Cove followed you into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet lid. He clasped his hands on his lap. You held his warm face in one hand to tilt it upwards. He shut his eyes tight. You smiled deviously.

Y/N: Cove?

Cove’s eyes fluttered open and he almost spoke, but you interrupted him with a quick kiss. His face was beet red when you pulled away.

Y/N: This might tickle, hold still.

You traced a wolf nose onto Cove’s nose with heavy concentration. His lips twisted into a crooked smile. You heard a small hum from his throat. You stopped drawing to let him breathe.

Cove: Sorry, it does tickle.

Y/N: Almost done, hold tight.

You finished filling in the nose then drew a thin line from the base to his upper lip. Cove smiled up at you.

Cove: How does it look?

Y/N: You look stupidly cute. I hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me.

Cove looked away and huffed.

Cove: Oh my God, stop.

Y/N: Let’s go Wolfie, we have candy to collect.

Cove emerged with you out of the bathroom. Your moms stood by the front door chatting. Both of their eyes locked onto the pair walking towards them.

Mom: You guys aren’t going anywhere until we get some pictures.

Ma: There’s a nice spot outside by the pumpkin decorations. There should still be enough daylight to make it work.

You groaned, no matter how old you got your moms insisted on taking a million pictures. You felt bad that Cove got dragged into it.

Y/N: You get three pictures, so make them count.

Mom put her hands up defensively and chuckled. She ushered everyone outside. The pile of pumpkin decorations Ma set up stood neatly by the front door. Cobwebs populated with fake spiders clung to the exterior of the house. Orange and purple string lights blinked from above.

Mom: Stand to the side of the pumpkins, like that. Perfect!

Mom directed your positioning while holding her phone in front of her. Cove stood next to you with his arms stiff at his sides.

Ma: Get closer so you both fit in the frame.

Ma’s voice was teasing. You stepped closer to Cove and nudged his arm. He hesitantly draped it over your shoulder.

Mom: One, two… cheese!

You smiled brightly and heard the characteristic click of the camera sound effect.

Mom: Now, Cove. Put those paws up and give us a growl. Y/N, put on your best scared face.

Cove obliged without protest, desperate to get out of there. You turned to him and put your hands up to your shocked expression. Ma covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Mom: Hold it, aaaand… Perfection!

Another click. Cove immediately lowered his hands and relaxed.

Y/N: One more. What’s next?

Mom: Model’s choice.

You thought for a moment, then remembered that funny “awkward 80s couple photo shoot” trend you saw online.

Y/N: Cove is going to hate this one. We’re throwing it back to the 80s!

Ma: Oh, good times…

Mom chuckled at Ma’s wistful gaze. You guided a nervous Cove into position then settled yourself in front of him. You reached behind to move his hands onto your shoulders.

Mom: Ha! I see what you’re going for.

Ma: Give us your most uncomfortable smiles.

Mom: I don’t think that will be a problem for Cove. The poor boy is not enjoying this.

Cove laughed quietly. You turned around to offer an encouraging smile. Teasing Cove was fun, but you wanted him to know he’d always have you on his team. He squeezed your shoulders in acknowledgement.

Mom: Ready? Like, one, two, cheese!

It was hard not to break into laughter at Mom’s 80s valley girl impression. You grimaced with a wide smile. The camera clicked.

Y/N: Okay, I have to see that one.

You rushed over to Mom. Ma and Cove followed to huddle around the phone. She revealed the image and everyone laughed.

Ma: You two nailed it.

In the picture Cove had one eyebrow raised and a similar toothy grimace. Your faces reflected the exact goofy awkwardness you wanted to channel.

Mom: We finished just in time, the sun is setting. You two better head out before it gets too late.

Y/N: We’ll see you guys later.

You hooked your arm into Cove’s and headed into the night. Your moms called out behind you.

Ma: Remember the ru—

You released Cove’s arm and faced your moms while bouncing backwards, careful to avoid tripping over the uneven sidewalk.

Y/N: We got it! The rules, we’ll be fine. Thanks for the pictures!

Mom: Stay safe, kiddos.

Cove waved to them politely. He swung the pillowcase over his shoulder. You caught up to Cove and inhaled the cool night air. Darkness engulfed your path. Sporadically lit and decorated houses lined the neighborhood. Most of the residents didn’t decorate much for Halloween.

Y/N: Let the horrors begin! We’re skipping candy and going straight to the graveyard.

The devilish grin on your face caused Cove to roll his eyes. He gently swatted you with his pillowcase.

Cove: I want to pretend you’re joking, but I don’t think I can.

Y/N: I’m mostly joking. But come on, this is the first time our parents have afforded us a Halloween to ourselves. Don’t you want to do something exciting?

Cove scoffed.

Cove: Exciting and I don’t exactly go hand in hand.

You intertwined your fingers into Cove’s free hand.

Y/N: Maybe not. But we do. And I’ll always be by your side.

Cove held your gaze with burning cheeks.

Cove: Are you trying to butter me up?

Your joyous cackle broke through the chilly night.

Y/N: Trying? Succeeding? Who knows.

Innocence oozed from your coy smile. Cove deflected its power with the executive decision to turn into the first decorated house. You followed begrudgingly but flashed your best “gimme candy” smile when Cove pushed the doorbell. The residents gushed over your matching costumes and dumped handfuls of candy into your receptacles.

Y/N: Maybe trick-or-treating isn’t such a bad idea. It’s like we’re still little kids.

Cove: Well we are and pretty much always have been the only kids here. They have to unload their candy onto someone.

Y/N: Aaaand because we’re adorable.

Cove didn’t notice your wiggling eyebrows as he dug through his pillowcase. He extracted a lollipop and unwrapped it. He slipped the cherry red sweet in his mouth.

Y/N: That was a world record candy-opening. We’re still on their lawn.

He shrugged and slipped the lollipop out of his mouth only to speak.

Cove: It’s a tradition at this point.

Y/N: New tradition incoming.

You hopped in front of Cove and opened your mouth. The surge of your heartbeat surprised you. Cove’s face twisted into a smile.

Cove: You are relentless.

He offered you the lollipop. Your tongue traced around it before it disappeared into your mouth. Eye contact with Cove didn’t break. His eyes narrowed as you pulled back.

Y/N: Thanks, Cove. Very sweet.

Cove returned the lollipop to his mouth and mumbled..

Cove: Anytime, Y/N.

Cove walked ahead without another word, cheeks stained red. You conceded to trick or treating without any more resistance. The next house gave another handful of candy.

Y/N: Score! Look at all the Reese’s we got.

You skipped across the lawn while unwrapping the candy. Your hood flopped off your head. Cove caught up to you and pulled the hood back onto your head. He rested his hand on your head for a moment and gave you a twinkling smile.

The rest of the houses on your street followed the pattern of complimenting your costumes and unloading hoards of candy. You crossed streets and turned corners all throughout the neighborhood until you stopped recognizing the houses.

Y/N: It’s a shame Miranda and Terri couldn’t join us. There’s plenty of candy to go around.

Cove: Mhmm.

Cove finished chewing on chocolate taffy to speak.

Cove: Miranda’s mom was pretty insistent they spend Halloween with the family.

Y/N: This poor neighborhood will never know what a bustling Halloween is like.

Cove: I think that fits. This neighborhood is allergic to fun. .

Cove shoved a handful of sour candy into his mouth and grimaced at the punchy flavor.

Y/N: When I move out I want to live somewhere that takes Halloween seriously. Decorations at every house. Costumed kids wandering the streets for candy. The moon would be full and bright with stars dotting the sky.

You fell into a daydream imagining your perfect Halloween. You loved the holidays you spent with Cove and your family, but you missed out on the classic seasonal vibes.

Cove: Sounds like you want to live in a horror movie. But I get it. I would love that for you. You deserve it.

Cove absentmindedly dug through his pillowcase again for more candy. You chose to munch on a piece of chocolate from your basket.

Y/N: You better be okay with it, you’re gonna be joining me after all.

Cove’s eyes widened at your bold proclamation, but he didn’t argue. There was an unspoken and shared desire to stay by each other's sides forever. You walked in comfortable silence until you neared the end of your neighborhood. Having pillaged every available house, your basket weighed down with candy. Cove mumbled through the strip of licorice he was gnawing.

Cove: End of the line.

You popped another piece of chocolate in your mouth dejectedly.

Y/N: The night is still so young.

Cove: Maybe the night doesn’t have to end yet.

You perked up.

Y/N: What are you scheming?

Cove: Not scheming anything. But if you were serious before we could go somewhere scary…

Y/N: Graveyard! We’re going to the graveyard.

Cove: Actually, I was thinking of something a little less cursed.

Y/N: But I want to get cursed.

You crossed your arms and stomped defiantly. Cove shook his head in amusement.

Cove: Hey, impersonating Jeremy is my job.

Y/N: Spill it, where are we going?

Cove: You’ll have to find out. Maybe I’ll blindfold you…

Cove pretended to consider that option seriously.

Cove: I’m kidding.

Y/N: Sure you are.

He slipped his fingers between yours and tugged you along. The direction you walked in was unfamiliar. You ended up in a part of your neighborhood that you didn’t frequent. Every house on this stretch of road was dark. The flickering street lamps above provided the only light source.

Y/N: Did you get us lost?

Cove: I swear we were retracing our steps…

Y/N: So that’s a yes.

You turned onto a road lined only with trees. The maze of houses stood in your past. The silence was staggering. The crash of the ocean was no longer audible from this distance.

Cove: If we keep going this way it will probably loop back to our street.

Y/N: Are you as excited as I am for this adventure? Don’t answer that, I already know you’re not.

You bounced excitedly at the spooky stretch of road ahead of you. Cove tightened his grip on your hand and chuckled.

Cove: I’m determined to get us home unscathed.

Y/N: Unless we run into a masked mechanic impersonator I think we’ll be okay.

Your heart surged as you took in the eerie path. Crunchy leaves fluttered in the chilling breeze. The streetlamps dwindled as you proceeded. Darkness consumed the uneven slabs beneath your feet. Cove hummed to fill the silence.

Y/N: Life’s no fun without a good scare.

Cove: You got it!

Y/N: Well it is the only Halloween movie you can stand to watch.

Cove: Because it’s not that scary.

Y/N: It’s not scary at all—

A faint glow in the distance caught your eye and halted your sentence.

Y/N: Speaking of scary. I think we’re coming upon something.

You pulled ahead, leading the still-attached Cove behind you. As you drew closer you noticed a tall wrought iron fence. The creaky sign loomed above the entrance. Cemetery.

Y/N: Fate must have led us here. The Halloween gods do care.

Cove: We’re not going to go inside, are we?

Y/N: Think of it as a shortcut. We’ll pop out on the other side of this road in no time.

Cove shifted beside you and released your hand. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. You clung to his arm and looked up at him pleadingly.

Y/N: Come on, you’re my big bad wolf. You have to protect me.

Cove: I thought we agreed on “not-so-bad.”

You poked out your bottom lip.

Y/N: I’ll feed you my candy.

Cove: Now you’re baiting me.

He paused for a moment to consider his options.

Cove: Let’s go in.

Cove stepped toward the entrance and waited with an open palm.

Y/N: I see. Anything for candy.

Cove: Anything for you.

You accepted his hand and walked side by side into the graveyard. The winding dirt path felt soft beneath your feet. Patches of grass and weeds sprouted from the dirt. The crumbling headstones were barely legible under years of erosion and moss. A blanket of mist lingered over the ground in the distance.

Y/N: This place is ancient. Look at how old the headstones are.

Cove: I’m sure the ghosts don’t mind.

Y/N: Don’t tell me you still believe in ghosts.

Cove: I stopped believing in them around the same time I stopped believing in mermaids. But this place feels… I don’t know. Active?

Y/N: I feel it, too. An ominous energy. Like the wind is calling us. Tempting us to the other side…

Cove adjusted his slippery grip on your hand, his tenacity waning.

Cove: Where’s that candy you promised me?

Y/N: Ha! Okay, okay. What do you want?

Cove: Mmm, surprise me?

You blindly shuffled the candy around in your basket and felt the familiar shape of a foil-wrapped chocolate.

Y/N: How about I give you a Kiss?

Cove’s mouth opened to protest, then he noticed the small shiny chocolate presented on your palm.

Cove: Oh, good. I thought you meant a kiss kiss.

Y/N: Hey! Rude.

Cove: I’m only kidding. I’ll take both.

Y/N: Chocolate first. Then we’ll see if you even deserve a real kiss.

Cove opened his mouth to accept the chocolate kiss. He smiled sweetly and hummed as he savored the flavor.

Cove: Can I get that other kiss now?

Y/N: I guess…

Cove puckered his lips. You stepped closer, gripping your wicker basket in front of you with both hands. The wind rustled the red hood against your head. Cove used his free hand to cup your face.

Cove: You’re the cutest Little Red—

A distant rumble split the romantic tension. Dust swirled around you in the charged atmosphere. Cove’s expression soured into fear.

Y/N: Looks like we’re gonna get rained out if we keep flirting among the dead.

Cove’s eyes darted away from you towards a nearby headstone. A screeching crow swooped from the tree above and perched on the ancient monolith. Cove leapt backwards with a hushed gasp.

Y/N: Scared?

Cove: No, Y/N.

Y/N: You’re not fooling me. Your hands are shaking.

Cove: Let’s keep walking. It’s getting cold and now the crows are after us.

You followed the path towards the other side of the cemetery. Cove’s clammy hand gripped yours tightly. Another loud crack shook the ground. The howling wind crescendoed and sent shivers down your spine. Crooked trees trembled with every gust.

Finally, you crossed over the threshold to the other side of the road. The misty cemetery was behind you. You analyzed your surroundings and noticed a familiar street sign.

Y/N: I know where we are! If we go in that direction then turn right we’ll end up back on our street.

Cove: That’s good news. I thought that place was gonna be endless.

You skipped ahead of Cove and twirled in your red cloak. A light drizzle dotted the sidewalk. The sky brewed menacingly.

Cove: Wait for me, it’s still scary out here!

The rain picked up with another booming clap. The sky flashed briefly. Cove jogged ahead to catch up to you. He looped his arm into yours and ran alongside you towards the sign. You turned right onto your familiar stretch of road.

Clouds swirled menacingly in the sky behind you. The rain slowed as you approached your house, but you and Cove were already soaked to the bone.

Cove: That was a quick storm.

Y/N: It wanted to wash us out of the cemetery. We were not meant to be there.

Cove: Wish the sky would have told me that earlier…

You stopped a few yards in front of your house to look at Cove. His wet hair flopped in his face. The black eyeliner on his nose smudged in the rain.

Y/N: I guess Mom didn’t use waterproof eyeliner.

He smiled sheepishly.

Cove: I look like a mess, don’t I?

Y/N: You look like a big brave wolf who conquered his fears. And I suspect it wasn’t entirely unintentional.

Cove clammed up and refused to meet your gaze.

Y/N: I mean what a coincidence that you got us lost and we ended up at the cemetery I wanted to visit…

Cove looked at you with an exasperated sigh.

Cove: Is it so bad that your boyfriend wanted you to have a thrilling Halloween?

Y/N: Ha! I knew it. You’re so easy to read, Holden.

Cove pouted dramatically.

Cove: I had you fooled, don’t lie.

Y/N: So there was never an alternative plan to the cemetery?

Cove: Nope…

Y/N: I appreciate it. It was stupid and sweet. The Cove Special.

You reached up to tousle his damp hair. He accepted the pat like a good wolf.

Cove: Can I get that other kiss now…

You wrapped your arms around Cove’s waist and pulled him closer. He tangled his hand into your hair and kissed you deeply. His lips tasted sweet with the remnants of candy. You pulled apart and admired his blushing cheeks in the dim glow of Halloween string lights.

Y/N: This was the scariest and best Halloween ever.

Cove: I agree. Can we go inside now and eat the rest of this candy?

Y/N: Yeah! It’s cavity time, Wolfie.

You walked with Cove into your house, ready to get cleaned up and dive into the rest of your candy. You felt excited to tell your moms about the adventure you had, hoping to avoid a lecture.