#that implies ghosts or the supernatural are real

[writer-at-the-table]

The Spooky Episode Where the Team Talks About Whether They Believe in Ghosts is always a fun type of early to mid-2000s network crime show

[yanderenightmare]

i love your hybrid au sm! the way you characterise each animal to suit not only it’s species, but the characters itself is so creative and nothing short of genius! so it got me thinking, how would you imagine the bnha characters as mythical creatures and monsters ??? ( eg. vampires, wendigos, harpies, werewolves ) etc.

Katsuki, Tomura, Hawks, Deku, Shoto, Dabi

TW: implied noncon, yandere, the supernatural?

gn reader

Shigaraki Tomura Ghost

You’ve moved into his old room, and though you furnish it a bit differently than he did when he was still alive, you’ve placed the bed in the exact same spot. It’s been all dust and dead moths up until now, it almost feels like he’s alive again as he sleeps next to your warm body.

It’s only small things in the beginning. Underwear that goes missing, unexplainable handprints on the foggy shower doors, your duvet on the floor even though you’ve never been one to kick it off in your sleep.

You’ve never been one to believe in the paranormal either, but something convinces you to search up the history of the house. You find out a boy had murdered his entire family here—parents, grandparents, his sister—and that the boy himself was never found.

Obviously, you shut your laptop with a bang and try and will it away from your mind. It happened years and years ago—whoever that boy was, he was long since dead. But the more it starts sinking in that you’re not alone, the more your belief feeds him—makes him feel real again, as though you’re slowly bringing him back to life.

Sometimes, you spot him in the mirror of your vanity, but when you twist around, there’s no one there. But you feel him—the gust of cold breath giving you goosebumps, the weight of hands and a chest pressing against yours at night, and the brush of coarse fingertips touching you in places—places that have you moaning his dead name.

Bakugou Katsuki Demonic spirit

He enjoys large houses—preferably something with a bit of history. But every now and again, some moronic humans decide it’s time to wreck the old and build something new—which means he’s often on the move.

He doesn’t mind living alone in his new house until you move in. He’s a little mad at you at first—he thinks you’re one of those wreckers, what with your renovations and whatnot—but then he understands that you’re preserving, not destroying. Apparently, the Gothic manor is your ancestral home built by one of your great-grandparents seven generations back in the 18th century—seems you were the only descendant who felt it was worthwhile to keep. 

He wouldn’t normally stay when someone else moved in—he’d often use his demonic means and scare them on their way. But with you, he settles for dwelling in the shadows, in the many dark rooms you haven’t found a use for yet. But when night comes, and you turn off the lights and go to bed, he can't help but end up in your room—watching you sleep, oh-so-peacefully and blissfully unaware of his presence. But he won’t do anything to you even though he could, even though you make it so easy—he’s grateful to you, his little housemate.

Your bedroom becomes awfully hot at night—you can’t explain it. Nor can you explain why the wind howling through the house sounds more like the groaning breaths of a beast. All you know is that your bed feels heavier than it should if you were the only one in it—and that you don’t dare twist around to see what it is sleeping next to you because whatever it might be, you don’t think it’s human.

You know it isn’t human. It’s too big to be, and its hands are too warm and too rough—and its claws too sharp where they rake into your skin and tuck you close to a chest that feels as though engulfs you. You don’t think it has a heart, only a stomach—and it sounds hungry.

You read up on sleep paralysis demons, and it brings you peace of mind, but only until night comes and you go to bed in wait. It’s the first time he talks to you. His laugh is like rusted clockwork, and his voice is like raked coals—hot and scratchy against your ear as he tells you how your human ways of rationalizing the things you don’t understand are cute and amusing.

Keigo Takami - Hawks Guardian Angel

Being a guardian angel has always been a fun hobby of his ever since the creation—he’s found it to be a nice break from all the other angelic duties he has bearing down his wings. Of course, it’s always sad when your human dies, but luckily, there’s always another one not far behind to steal your halo all over again.

You’re his most recent. He watches over you any minute he can spare, chuckling over all your silly human antics. And though he’s had plenty of humans before you in the long history of man and God, he can’t help but confess you’re his favorite so far. You’re just so cute with your big, adorable eyes and pretty smile.

He begins taking greater pride in his responsibility of being your guardian. He used to see it as but a menial little task he could take to when feeling up for a laugh, but something about you makes him want to watch over you every single second of every day.

And so he does—he has the feathers to spare, especially for something so important. But soon, simply watching over you doesn’t feel like enough anymore.

He knows it’s wrong—so very wrong—so much so he’s afraid he’ll be cast out if anyone were to find out. It’s not right for angels to feel amorous for humans—most would call it deviant and demonic. But he can’t help himself—watching you in your vulnerable state while you undress, bathe, and sleep.

Still, it doesn’t feel like enough.

Maybe he’ll come to visit you one of these days.

Midoriya Izuku - Deku Hybrid between fae and troll

He protects the forest and nurses all sick and wounded animals back to health, writing down the condition of trees and brushes in his notebook as he wanders for hours until he falls asleep in a moss bed beneath the stars. And though he knows his responsibility is purely to the forest, he can’t help but feel inclined to keep an eye on the little human who lives just beyond it. You’re just so cute with the way you walk the forest and sing songs you think no one hears—wearing your human clothing and living in your human abode behind walls and a door. He just finds it absolutely fascinating. 

Sometimes, you feel like there’s something following you when you walk about the forest next to your house. You’ll turn around to see a cluster of rocks and greenery you could have sworn weren’t there when you walked by—you look away before allowing yourself to think the pile looks an awfully lot similar to a larger human’s huddled form. But sometimes you hear it—the sound of stone scraping methodically, as though walking. You don’t humor the thought until you start finding his footprints outside your house, on the path to the forest—feet thrice the size of your own and sunken as though made by something very heavy.

Your legs go out from beneath you once you first see him—not like those times you’d turned around only for him to pretend to be part of the earth—this time, he’s pretending to be more like you, and it only makes it all that much worse. He’s bigger than a bear, grey-skinned with flecks that remind you of freckles and hair like fresh moss sprouts. His eyes are as green as the fox-fire fungi when night falls—glowing with nocturnal light. When you try to run, he follows suit, making the ground shake so bad it knocks you over. 

He carries you into the mountain where he lives and keeps you there from then on. After all, the part of him that’s fae has considered you his pet from the moment you took a bite of your first forest fruit. It was his gift to you whether you knew it or not, and now you’ll belong to him forever.

Todoroki Shoto Vampire

It’s an awfully boring world. Not much to do when you feel you’ve done it all twice over. The taste of blood has become stale no matter how many different types he drowns himself in at night. Sometimes, he humors the thought of setting his manor ablaze if only to watch the fire roar until the sun rears the top of the roof and finally puts him to eternal rest. But he’s been thinking about it for two or more centuries already, and he’s beginning to doubt his nerve.

Dead things can’t make vows, so he must go on as he decided to when he was still alive—that’s the curse—only another person can break it.

You seem doable enough when you stride into his manor with your little sharpened sticks and silver daggers. It’s been a while since a hunter has graced his presence. The scent of holy water makes him lick his fangs, and the nearly irresistible urge to drink you dry almost has him pouncing on you—but he knows it would be but a fleeting high unworth it in the end when he’d have to live another millennium without the warmth of the sun or another soul.

He drops down before you with grace. You have the tip of your silver dagger pointed up under his chin in the same second but get stunted by his pale porcelain face, showing no signs of aggression and rather riddled with a bleak sort of melancholy you’re not used to seeing on the godless creatures.

He simply stands there, straight-spined and high-headed, with his hands folded behind his back as though showing you respect—and then, unprompted and to your great surprise, asks if you would please make it quick and put him out of his misery.

Todoroki Touya - Dabi Hyrbid between incubi and vampire

He preys in nightclubs on those who have that mischievous glint in their eyes in dire hope their lust can match his. Every day, it’s a dozen new—he can never seem to find the right one—always starving and never sated no matter how much he gorges himself, always thirsting, always dying for more. 

Until you.

You’re but a dainty wallflower who doesn’t want to be there, but you have this scent about you—garden-fresh, like something he’s never smelled before, and his tongue yearns for a taste. He knows what it is once he gets closer to you—the opposite of sin of all things, it’s innocence, and oh, how he craves to devour it whole.

His silver tongue has had so much practice that using it on your gullible ears makes him all but drool, asking you if you’d like some fresh air. You nod your head, big eyes looking at him as though he were some sort of saint for offering. He laps it up—it’s all he can do to pace himself. But when he has you alone, it’s all over for you.

He’s going to corrupt every last piece of you until that once peachy keen taste of innocence has become an ever sweeter taste of syrupy sin. He’s going to make you exactly like him—and your tall fall from grace will leave you blasphemous and beautiful.

♡ BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA masterlist

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Ghost & König’s Reaction to You in a Maid Outfit

Warnings: 18+ (just to be safe), Implied Sexual Content, Rough Ghost & König, Dominant Ghost & König, Lashing (with a Belt), Restraining, Victim Blaming (Kind Of), Petnames, König is Basically Feral™, Implied Oral, Threats, No Pronouns used for Reader except ‘You’.

Ghost

Comes up behind you when you’re idling with something and straight-up just sticks his hand up your skirt.

He pulls you to his chest when you jump, squeal, taking advantage of your flailing to hook the band of your underwear and pull them down your thighs.

Confused, you’re given no time to react before Ghost has your hands pinned behind your back, held in place with handcuffs of bone, flesh and pure muscle as he shunts you against the countertop, something protruding – intruding – hard against your exposed centre as he presses himself tightly against you.

Your cheek pressed against the cold surface, you barely see or hear Ghost between your startled breaths, feeling only a shadow come over you as he leans down to your ear, his free hand slithering from your back to your face, where he slips a lock of hair from your vision.

“Did’ya really think you could get away with wearing this,” he said, low, dangerous, his hand coming to grip the hem of your skirt.

“Without consequences ?”

You can feel his hand on your thigh now, gripping the skin hard enough to leave a pale imprint of his lust. Fingers slithering up the expanse of your leg, resting just beneath where you’ll be screaming for him to have mercy half an hour from now.

It doesn’t matter what you do or say now – not that you can or will be able to do much of either with your arms bound and Ghost occupying your mouth with a meat delicacy you can’t buy over a counter (despite that being where you are now, ironically) in about ten minutes’ time..

“The time for apologies is over, Darling,” he tells you. You wince when you hear his belt hissing as he slides it from his jeans, the material crinkling in his grip as if the creature it hailed from was still alive.

And he cracks it. Once. Twice. Against your bare thighs, making you cry out, your stockings having withered under Ghost’s harsh stare.

“All you can do now is repent.”

König

Lures you into a false sense of security with low, soft praises of “How beautiful you look, Engel !” And “Won’t you come closer so I can have a better look at you ?”

By the time you may suspect something in König’s tone is unusually jovial, it’s too late.

You missed the feral glint in his eye, the shattering grip he had on his wine glass, discarded as he turns his attention to you now.

Before you can even wonder what it is he’s thinking, you’re slammed onto the sofa, König sinking down on top of you, his hands steel around your wrists as he holds them beside your head.

And now, you see it.

All at once, and entirely too late.

A predatory possession of all that was your kind, mild-mannered, sensitive König, replaced with a shadowed imitation, blackened by an almost supernatural depth of desire none but he could execute to its fullest potential.

And it shows in how his breathing is ragged despite you posing no real physical test to his strength. Rather, there’s something within trying to break free. And it has you in its sights.

Leaning down, König takes the skin of your neck between his teeth, biting it, sucking it, leaving a path of destruction in his wake as your skin reddens. There will be bruises soon.

Not that König will be letting anyone else see them. You’ll be lucky if you’re able to even leave the bedroom, nevermind the house.

That much is apparent to you in how König growls when you move, try to slip your constricted wrists into some position of comfort, making him clamp down on top of you, his thighs gripping your sides, your ribcage a shell in his vice.

“Don’t try anything cute, Engel,” König husks, voice deep and feral. His pupils are pinpricks, unhinged in a most biological manner. And his teeth seem sharper now. Somehow.

“Or I may be forced to try something unorthodox with you.”

The bulge between his legs, one which he presses to the sensitive spot between yours, tells you he’s deadly serious. If his killing smile wasn’t enough.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Masterlist [Continued] Masterpost Modern Warfare AI Masterlist

AO3 Wattpad

[forgetyoursingalongsandlullabies]

I’m kind of obsessed with the Jonmartin timeline and how Jon slowly fell in love with Martin, mostly off tape over seasons 2 and 3. I wrote a little bit of an essay trying to pinpoint the shifts and moments when we can tell something has changed. I love fanfics but I am just so interested in trying to figure out what happened in canon as close as possible. Of course this does involve speculation of emotions that we have no way of actually knowing because Jon Sims does not talk about his feelings.

Anyway it’s long-ish.

Jon fell in love with Martin over season 2 but didn’t start to realize it until late season 3 just before The Unknowing.

Martin starts the show with a crush on Jon. In MAG 22 when Martin makes his statement about the worms Jon feels guilty over how all of the pressure he’s put Martin under drives him to put himself in danger and he has Martin move into the archives to protect him which may be the first caring gesture he has made towards Martin but it’s a big one. Martin, who had a decent size crush on Jon beforehand, is blown away by this and his crush becomes a real big one.

Jon tries to continue being hard on Martin but he does noticeably soften towards him. His criticisms are half-hearted.

During Jane Prentice’s attack when Martin and Jon are in document storage Martin calls Jon out and properly snaps at him for dismissing the supernatural and Jon actually sees Martin in this moment for the first time. Martin had never talked back to him in such a way and Jon can now see him as not just his assistant who makes a lot of mistakes but as an equal who might know better than him in some aspects. They have their heart to heart and Jon is able to be honest for the first time since taking this job. He admits he’s scared and it’s okay, well it’s not okay because Jane Prentice might be moments away from killing them, but Martin doesn’t think any less of him. And then Jon asks if Martin is a ghost and he’s wrong and it was stupid but Martin makes fun of him in a way that doesn’t hurt and Jon isn’t used to that. And Martin, seeing this open and fragile and slightly dumb part of Jon, starts falling in love.

After Martin finds Gertrude’s body Jon is one track minded and focused on finding out what happened. Martin, giving his statement about the tunnels, is in tears not because he found a body and was scared, but because he accidentally left Jon. Jon was too distracted with finding answers at the moment but he heard it and absorbed it over time.

Season 2 Jon is full of nothing but paranoia and is unwilling to trust anyone but it’s his obsessive observations that lead him to getting to know Martin enough to love him. When Jon tries to come back from leave early Martin forces Jon to go home and rest more. Jon wonders what Martin is hiding but reasons that, no Martin is actually concerned about his health. Jon thinks Martin gave him a fake jar of ashes to calm him down, he doesn’t seem to think this gesture is part of a conspiracy, he genuinely thinks of this gesture as Martin lying to him to make him feel better. Jon notes that Martin has been very attentive to his needs and recovery and that he is interested to hear Jon’s theories about Gertrude. He remarks that he has observed Martin’s competence and cunning. Of course Jon is ridiculously paranoid and interprets this attention as some kind of plot against him to slow down his investigation and sees these positive attributes of Martin as reasons to see him as a threat, but again, Jon is absorbing it all. The lines in Jon’s supplementals about Martin’s attention to him implies that they’re spending a lot of time together off tape, at least more than they ever used to, probably at Martin’s insistence and Jon accepting this time by justifying to himself that he needs to watch Martin.

In MAG 53 Jon mentions that Martin hovers near him when he goes to the canteen and Martin says it’s because he’s concerned (based on Jon’s lie about how he got the cut from Michael). Martin offers to pick up a sandwich from the cafe and bring it back for Jon. He doesn’t ask Jon to come with him and Jon acts like he’s annoyed to be around Martin when he sits with him in the canteen, but Jon decides, No instead of me refusing the gesture for food or saying yes please pick up that sandwich for me, he says “I’ll come with” making another decision to spend time with Martin when he doesn’t have to. Maybe Jon tries to justify this to himself again by saying he’s keeping an eye on Martin but Jon has made no efforts to go spend extra time with Tim, who was an equal suspect, even before Tim was mad at Jon. (And may I add, if Jon tried this tactic with Tim, going out to lunch, watching him by spending time with him etc. maybe Tim wouldn’t have ended up being so angry with Jon.) But Jon is definitely making the effort to spend time with Martin when it frankly has nothing to do with his investigation no matter how he tries to spin it.

In MAG 56 when Jon makes Martin tell him what he’s been hiding and he finds out Martin had lied on his CV he is so relieved that he is giddy. He is smiling, laughing and stuttering. To Jon’s ‘rational’ mind this doesn’t fully clear Martin of suspicion but emotionally this really seems to be a weight off of his shoulders. On a subconscious level he can start to allow the time they’ve spent together to mean something other than just spying.

Meanwhile Martin can see what a hard time Jon is having and he can see him spinning out of control with paranoia and Martin tries really hard to defend him, maybe not the best thing, we know Martin is a bit of an enabler for Jon, but for Jon’s emotional arc of falling in love with Martin it is important that Jon hears Martin defending him to Tim in MAG 58. Martin never stops calling Jon out on his shit like when he tells Jon that he needs to talk to Tim and that Tim isn’t wrong but nowadays it feels like everyone is constantly calling Jon out, not that he doesn’t deserve it, but when Martin calls him out it’s still clear that he cares, whereas anyone else talking to Jon just seems to speak to him with malice.

At the beginning of season 3 Jon is hiding out and staying at Georgie’s place. We know from Season 4 MAG 149 that Jon used to go on about Martin to Georgie “a lot”. Georgie got the full story about The Archives in MAG 93 and Jon decides to move out of Georgie’s place in MAG 99 when he was then kidnapped by The Circus. There’s usually a week of time that passes between episodes unless otherwise implied and 93 and 94 take place over the same conversation on the same day so I’ll assume 5 weeks in which Jon was going on about Martin a lot with full context. He probably talked about him before then too only more cryptically. Importantly though in the Season 4 Q&A Alex asks, Who knew that Jon liked Martin first, Jon or Martin? And Jonny said “Georgie” so even though Jon didn’t know it yet, he was obviously smitten (at least obvious to Georgie who has dated Jon and recognizes signs of affection and romance in him more than anyone else would).

When Jon talks to Martin in MAG 102 there is a very slight almost imperceptible sweetness in Jon’s voice that we’ve never heard before. The way he assures Martin that it’s ok that he didn’t know he was kidnapped. There is a lot of awkwardness and frankly a lot of heavy breathing from both of them for probably just standing there. Their casual talk about the overall institute and Hannah who is having her baby and had that thing with the milk in the break room last year, Jon doesn’t know who she is but Martin knows that Jon knows her probably because they had been around her together since they spent so much time together last year but Jon was too paranoid and she had nothing to do with the plot, it’s just a very normal and domestic moment. Jon tells Martin he knows he’s been reading statements and Martin is just worried Jon will be jealous that he’s taking some of his job but instead Jon is just concerned for him. It’s different and they both know it’s different and they can both feel the conversation is charged with something but they don’t know what. “It’s not too late. Unless the world ends” means a lot in this conversation, yes it does literally mean it’s not too late for them to talk and continue whatever friendship they were stumbling towards in season 2. It’s not too late for them to pick up this weird, oddly charged and tender conversation that may be leading somewhere else. It’s also foreshadowing that it sort of is too late because their world will end when Jon effectively dies stopping the Unknowing.

By MAG 114 Jon says that he has listened to all of the tapes and has therefore heard the gossip about he and Martin. I think something clicked in his brain when he heard that Martin has a crush on him. He probably never considered that idea because things like romance are never on the forefront of his mind especially when he is in active danger, which he has been for the last 2 years, and even more so he wouldn’t expect someone to have feelings for him in general. Being conscious of the notion that Martin has feelings for him lead him to consider all of the strange feelings he’s been having about Martin over the last year and a half in a way that he might not have gotten to on his own until much later. It’s all part of the plan that Jon suggests Martin stay back at the Institute in front of Elias but Jon is genuinely relieved that Martin will be safer there.

In MAG 117 Jon talks about Daisy and Basira’s bond and how he’s been having to do everything by himself. He’s envious of their bond and we can tell he’s been thinking about how things could be if he had someone (Martin) by his side. I don’t think this part of his testament would have played out this way had he not been thinking a lot since he heard the tape. When he addresses the “office gossip” he is flustered. Possibly embarrassed that Georgie, who he trusts, was giving out this personal information to Melanie but I actually think he’s used to that specific type of gossip about him and I think that the nervous stutter and searching for words comes from trying to address the other part of the gossip, which he is still trying to wrap his head around.

It isn’t confirmed but I do think that Jon listened to everyone’s testimony before leaving and he heard Martin’s “I need him to be ok”. Later in MAG 139 Jon says “I need him to be okay. I just do.” I don’t think he’s consciously repeating the same phrase but I think this phrase has lived with him ever since he heard Martin say it and now it’s just organic to Jon too.

I genuinely do believe that at this point, as of MAG 117, all of Jon’s feelings for Martin are already there and internally he has at least accepted romantic feelings even if he wouldn’t have called it love then.

Jon is put in a 6 month coma the next night and is in a full tilt romantic arc the moment he wakes up. Not 20 minutes after waking from his coma he wants to see Martin, he’s surprised that Martin wasn’t there for him the moment he woke up. Maybe if you asked him the next day he’d say it was a silly notion for him to just expect Martin to be there at any given point no matter when he woke up, but a part of him accepted and knew that if Martin could have he would have been there.

Anyway, all this is to say that if he woke up from a coma desperately in love with Martin all of those feelings had to have been present before the coma. I know there was a lot more thought and consideration and emotional work that Jon had to do over season 4 before he could have been ready for his love to literally save Martin but all of the feelings were there by the time he woke up.

[wonies-cheeks]

The Book That Knows | l.hs

Synopsis: A day where reality and fiction collide, a seemingly normal day for you spirals into terror when you discover a mysterious book in your home. The book eerily mirrors your life, with each page recounting events happening in real time.

Genre: Ghostface!Heeseung, Psychological Horror, Thriller, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

W/C: 3.9k

Warnings: Violence, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Elements, Manipulation, Implied Threat of Death, Betrayal, Cursing

A/N: Sorry it took me a long time to post something new. University has been stressing me out and i just never had time to just sit down and write. Don't be afraid to send me requests, I'll make sure to try and answer all of them. And i will try to post often. I hope you enjoy!

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*

It was a dreary Sunday afternoon when you first heard about Ghost Face on the news. You weren't paying much attention at first, mindlessly flipping channels as the rain poured against your window. But something about the chilling report on the television caught your ear, making you pause. 

The anchor’s voice, calm but laced with tension, described a recent string of brutal murders happening in a nearby town. The killer —known only by the alias "Ghost Face"— had yet to be caught. The mask they wore, white with hollow eyes and a twisted, grinning mouth, had become infamous. What made it all the more terrifying was how they blended into the victims' lives, often posing as a friend, a neighbor, someone familiar — until it was too late. 

You shivered, reaching for the remote to turn off the TV, trying to shake off the eerie feeling creeping up your spine. It was just a story, after all, a terrible tragedy happening somewhere else to someone else. You were safe, tucked away in your cozy home, far from the horrors playing out on the screen. 

You had found an old, tattered novel at a second-hand shop the day before — a horror story with a faded cover, its title barely legible: “The Silent Watcher”. 

 Something about it had drawn you in, though you couldn’t quite place why. The pages smelled of old paper and mystery, and you had a hunch it was the type of book that would get under your skin. 

You settled into your favorite chair, the rain tapping softly against the windows, and began to read. 

The story started off simple enough: a small town, an outsider moving into a creaky, old house, and a series of strange occurrences. The protagonist, a person with no name yet, began to notice odd things happening around them—a door that wouldn’t stay shut, a strange knocking at night, the sensation of being watched. 

As you turned the pages, the descriptions of the protagonist’s life became unsettlingly familiar. They lived alone, much like you. Their house had the same creaking floorboards, the same slightly peeling wallpaper, the same view of the park across the street. You told yourself it was just a coincidence. Old houses often shared these traits, and plenty of horror novels leaned into these types of clichés. 

But as you continued, the details grew more specific. The way the house’s front door stuck if you didn’t pull it hard enough. The exact placement of the furniture in the living room. The faint stain on the ceiling in the kitchen that no amount of scrubbing could remove. Every description matched your own home. 

You put the book down, your heart starting to race. The rain outside had picked up, and the house was filled with that eerie quiet that comes after dusk. You stood up, walking to the window, peering out at the empty street. The park, with its benches and swings swaying in the wind, looked peaceful enough, but you couldn’t shake the creeping feeling crawling up your spine. 

Shaking off the unease, you sat back down and opened the book again. Maybe it was just a trick your mind was playing on you. Maybe you were getting too absorbed in the story. You continued reading, your fingers trembling slightly as you turned the page. 

The protagonist was now feeling watched, just like you had when you first noticed the strange coincidences. They began to hear footsteps at night, soft taps in the hallway that made their pulse quicken. You could feel your own breath quicken as you read, the words pulling you deeper into the mystery. 

Then came the part that made your blood run cold. 

The protagonist, unnamed until now, was given a name—a name that was yours. 

You stared at the page, blinking, convinced you were seeing things. The name was printed clearly. Your name. It couldn’t be. Your mind whirled, trying to rationalize. Maybe it was some bizarre fluke, or maybe your mind was playing tricks on you, inserting your own name into the story because of how eerily familiar it had become. 

You flipped back a few pages, scanning for when the name first appeared, but it wasn’t there. Your name hadn’t been mentioned earlier in the book. Yet now, it was all over the page, as if it had always been there. 

Heart pounding, you turned to the next chapter. The protagonist—you—was walking through their home, checking the doors, locking the windows, making sure everything was secure. As they—you—moved through the house, the words began to describe something new. Something you hadn’t done yet. 

You froze. 

The book was describing your exact movements, as though it was watching you. " You glance at the clock. It’s 7:14. You place the book down on the side table and stand up, walking to the kitchen to make sure the back door is locked."

Your eyes darted to the clock. It was 7:14. 

The book was reading you. Your movements, your thoughts, every detail of your life was being played out in the story, one sentence ahead of your actions. 

Suddenly, you felt like you weren’t alone. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier, thicker, like something was watching, waiting. You stood up, the book slipping from your hands, and glanced toward the hallway. The faint tapping, the sound of footsteps, echoed from the dark. 

You turned to the book, still lying open on the chair. You didn’t want to, but you had to know. With trembling hands, you picked it back up. 

"You walk slowly to the hallway, your heart racing. You know there’s something there. You know that, just beyond the corner, it waits for you."

The tapping grew louder. A steady rhythm, like fingers drumming against the wall. 

"Your breath quickens as you step closer. You don’t want to look, but you can’t stop yourself. You turn the corner, and there it is. The watcher. It has been waiting for you all along."

You took a step forward, the hallway looming before you, every nerve in your body screaming at you to stop. But you couldn’t. The book was in your hands, and you had to know how it ended. 

"The watcher is not human. It never was. Its eyes are fixed on you, unblinking, never leaving, always waiting. And now, you are part of its story. Forever."

You stopped at the edge of the hallway, unable to move. The footsteps had stopped. The house was deathly silent. 

Slowly, you closed the book, but you knew it wasn’t over. 

You stood frozen at the edge of the hallway, the eerie silence wrapping around you like a suffocating blanket. The book, now tightly gripped in your trembling hands, felt heavier than before, like it was something alive—breathing, watching, waiting. The words haunted you, the image of the watcher lurking just beyond the corner. But there was something else now, a new presence that made your skin prickle with a strange mix of fear and anticipation. 

A soft knock echoed through the house. Your heart skipped a beat.  

Someone was at the door. 

For a split second, you wondered if you should even answer it. Every instinct screamed that something was wrong. But the knocking came again, more insistent this time, pulling you out of your paralysis. 

You moved toward the door, the sound of your footsteps unnervingly loud in the stillness. When you finally reached it, you hesitated for a moment, your hand hovering over the handle. The knock came again, this time more insistent, followed by a familiar voice. 

"Hey, it’s me, Heeseung. You there?" 

Relief washed over you. Heeseung was your next-door neighbor, and more than that, your best friend. He was the first one who introduced himself to you once you moved here. He kept you company and helped you out when things got tough. He was the first one that felt like home. If anyone could calm you down from this bizarre, twisted night, it was him. You hurriedly reached the door knob, almost too eagerly, and opened it. 

 Heeseung stood there with his trademark grin, a hoodie pulled over his head and a baseball cap barely concealing his messy black hair that stuck to his forehead. He looked like he had just come from the rain, drops glistening on his clothes. His warm brown eyes scanned your face with an intensity you couldn’t place. For a moment, the world outside seemed to fade into a blur of rain and shadows. It was like the space around him didn’t quite exist, only he did—sharp and real, with an energy that made your pulse quicken.  

“Hey,” he said, his voice steady, almost too calm for the moment. “I saw your light was still on and thought I’d check in. You okay?” 

You blinked, unsure of what to say. The words felt heavy on your tongue. "What.... What are you doing here?" 

The man smiled softly, though there was something about it that made your heart race, a mix of warmth and something else —something unreadable. “I’m your best friend dumbass, your neighbour too,” he said simply. “But you seemed like you needed someone right now.” Something about his presence put you slightly at ease, as though he was meant to be there. Like he'd always been there. 

But your mind snapped back to the book, the horror of what you’d just read, and the watcher that had been described waiting in the shadows. Could this be another coincidence? Or was he something more—something tied to the terrifying mystery unfolding around you? 

"Hey," he said, stepping in without waiting for an invitation, "you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." He wiped the water from his face, his eyes scanning the room like he was searching for something. For a moment, he glanced at the book on the table, its pages slightly open, but he didn’t mention it. Instead, he leaned against the wall, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. 

You almost laughed at how close to the truth that was. "Yeah, I just—" You hesitated, glancing back at the book sitting on the armchair. "I was reading this creepy book, and it’s messing with my head. It… feels too real, Heeseung." 

He raised an eyebrow, peeking over your shoulder at the book. "What do you mean, 'too real?'" 

You sighed, trying to calm your nerves. "It’s like the book knows what I’m doing. It started describing my house, my movements, even my thoughts. And now I feel like something’s watching me." 

Heeseung chuckled softly, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Come on, it’s just a book. You’re letting it get to you." Heeseung tilted his head, giving you that playful, reassuring smile that had always made you feel better. 

Heeseung was right—this had to be your mind playing tricks on you. 

As you looked at him, it seemed as if he wanted to say something but was hesitant. You were about to ask him about it but he then spoke after a moment, his voice soft but firm, “But truthfully, I’ve noticed things too. Weird things. I thought maybe... you’d want to talk about it.” 

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. He had noticed things? Things like what? 

“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.  

Heeseung’s expression darkened slightly, his brows furrowing. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I think you’re being watched. I’ve seen someone—or something—lurking near your house at night. It’s hard to explain, but... it doesn’t feel right.” 

Your pulse quickened, fear curling tightly in your chest. Was it the watcher? The same figure described in the book? How could Heeseung know about this? How could he have seen it when you only just read it? 

As if sensing your rising panic, Heeseung stepped closer, his voice gentler. “Listen, I know how crazy this sounds, but I’m not lying. I’ve seen it. And I don’t think it’s just a person. I think it’s something worse.” 

The book’s words flashed in your mind: "The watcher is not human. It never was."

Your throat went dry. “How do you know?” you managed to ask. 

Heeseung hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching yours. “Because... I’ve been through this before. A long time ago, in another town, another place. It started just like this. The feeling of being watched. The strange occurrences. The book...” 

Your heart stopped. The book. 

Heeseung followed your gaze to the novel sitting on the table. His face paled slightly. “You’ve been reading it, haven’t you?” 

You nodded slowly. “It’s... about me. It knows everything. Every detail of my life, every move I make. It’s like it’s writing my story as I live it.” 

Heeseung ran a hand through his wet hair, his face grim. “It’s not just writing your story,” he said, his voice low. “It’s controlling it.” 

You stared at him, a sinking feeling gnawing at your stomach. “What do you mean?” 

Heeseung took a deep breath, his eyes darkening with the weight of what he was about to say. “Once you start reading it, it doesn’t stop. The book—"The Silent Watcher"—it latches onto you, like a parasite. It watches, it waits, and then it pulls you in. You become a character in its pages, trapped in the story it writes. The watcher... it’s part of the book, part of the story, and it’s after you.” 

Your mind reeled. The watcher, the book, Heeseung—everything was connected. But how? Why? 

“How do we stop it?” you whispered, dread settling deep in your bones. 

Heeseung looked at you, his eyes filled with both fear and determination. “I don’t know if we can stop it,” he admitted. “But there might be a way to survive. We need to finish the book. And whatever happens, we need to make sure it doesn’t write the ending.” 

The air around you seemed to grow colder, the walls of your house closing in as the weight of his words sank in. The watcher was out there, lurking, waiting. And the only way to escape was to face the story head-on. 

With Heeseung by your side, you knew there was no turning back. 

The book still lay open on the table, waiting for you to turn the next page. 

Together, you took a deep breath and plunged back into the story, knowing that whatever came next, you were no longer alone in this nightmare. 

The rain had slowed to a soft patter against the windows, but inside the house, the tension remained thick. You glanced at Heeseung, whose calm demeanor seemed to waver for a moment as he stared at the book on the table. His earlier words echoed in your mind—"The book is controlling your story. The watcher is part of it." 

But something about him wasn’t sitting right. 

You shook your head, trying to focus. This wasn’t the time for doubt. You had just discovered that your life, your every move, was being dictated by the book. You were living out its plot, a puppet in someone else’s hands, and now Heeseung was telling you that the watcher wasn’t just some figment of your imagination. It was real. But how did he know so much? How was he so familiar with the horrors unfolding around you? 

Heeseung shifted beside you, his eyes scanning the room as if he were looking for something—or someone. 

"Do you hear that?" he asked quietly, stepping closer to you. His voice was soft, but the way his eyes stayed fixed on the book sent a shiver down your spine. 

You strained your ears. The house was silent, save for the ticking of the clock and the faint dripping of rain outside. "No… What are you—" 

He cut you off, grabbing your wrist gently but firmly. "It's closer than you think. We need to be careful." 

Before you could respond, something clicked in your mind—something off about him. There was a confidence in his movements that seemed too practiced, too precise. The way he watched the shadows, as if he was waiting for something, felt more deliberate than concerned. And then there was his sudden arrival. Why had he shown up tonight, of all nights? How had he known to come? 

As Heeseung stepped away from you, pacing the room like he was calculating something, you caught sight of the reflection in the window. For just a split second, you saw it. The faintest hint of something dark, something familiar—the outline of a mask. It was familiar to the one you saw on the television just moments before. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but your heart lurched in your chest. 

You blinked hard, trying to push the thought away. It couldn't be true. Heeseung was helping you, he was your best friend. He seemed as terrified as you were, didn’t he? 

But as he turned back to face you, his eyes meeting yours, something in his gaze had shifted. There was a glint, a spark of something cold, something calculated. You had seen that look before. Not in Heeseung, but in the very stories you had read—where the killer wore a friendly face, a mask hiding the truth underneath. 

Your pulse quickened, the room suddenly feeling too small. "Heeseung," you said slowly, your voice barely above a whisper, "why are you really here?" 

Heeseung stopped, his expression unreadable. The silence stretched between you for what felt like an eternity. Then, he let out a low chuckle, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I told you—I’ve been through this before. I’ve seen it happen. I’m trying to help you.” 

But there was something wrong with the way he said it. The way his voice dropped, too smooth, too casual, as if he was reading from a script. And then, without warning, he stepped closer, his smile lingering just a little too long. 

You took a step back, your breath catching in your throat. "Help me?" The question came out shaky, your nerves fraying. "Or are you just watching? Like the book says." 

His eyes darkened, and for the first time, you saw it—an unsettling amusement lurking just beneath the surface. "It’s funny," he said, his voice soft, "how easy it is to blend in, to be the hero in someone’s story when really…" He trailed off, a twisted grin tugging at the corner of his lips. 

Your heart raced as the truth began to dawn on you. Heeseung wasn’t here to help. He was here because he was part of the story. He wasn’t just a bystander or some random figure from the neighborhood. He was the watcher. 

Heeseung leaned in closer, his breath warm against your skin, and whispered, "You should’ve been more careful. You never know who’s behind the mask." 

The room spun as the pieces clicked into place. Heeseung—he was the one watching, controlling the story from the shadows. He had lured you into this twisted narrative, guiding your every move, setting the stage for his own sick game. 

And now, you were trapped with him, the very person you thought was your ally. 

Fear gripped you, cold and unforgiving, as Heeseung’s hand drifted toward the edge of his jacket. Slowly, deliberately, he reached inside and pulled out the unmistakable white mask, the one you had seen in countless horror movies and nightmares. The very one you saw on TV. 

Ghost Face. 

He held it in his hand, turning it slowly, watching your reaction with a sick kind of satisfaction. “You really thought you could just read the book and escape?” he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “This story was never about escaping. It’s about survival.” 

Your legs felt like they would give out beneath you, but you forced yourself to stand your ground. The book had warned you, laid out the plot, but now you realized—you were never meant to win. 

Heeseung stepped closer, the mask now in place over his face, his voice deep and distorted as he spoke through the iconic grin. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure your ending is… memorable.” 

Panic surged through you, and before he could move, you bolted toward the hallway, your heart pounding in your ears. Behind you, you heard the low chuckle of Ghost Face, his footsteps slow and deliberate as he followed.  

You stumbled through the hallway, your breath coming in ragged gasps, trying to make sense of the nightmare you were trapped in. The sound of Heeseung’s slow, deliberate footsteps echoed behind you, growing louder with each passing second. He wasn’t rushing—he didn’t need to. He had the upper hand, and he knew it. 

How did it come to this? Your mind raced as you fought to keep yourself from spiraling into panic. Just hours ago, he was your friend—your ally in this strange, terrifying situation. But now, the realization that he had been the orchestrator of everything, the puppet master behind the mask, hit you like a punch to the gut. 

You skidded into the kitchen, eyes scanning wildly for something—anything—to defend yourself. The drawers. You lunged for them, pulling one open and rifling through its contents. A flash of metal caught your eye, and you grabbed a kitchen knife, gripping it tightly in your trembling hands. 

A soft, mocking laugh drifted from the hallway. “What’s the plan now?” Heeseung’s voice was calm, almost playful, as he spoke through the Ghost Face mask. “You think you’re going to fight me? You’re in my story.” 

His footsteps were getting closer. 

You backed up, heart pounding in your chest, gripping the knife so tightly that your knuckles turned white. “I’m not just going to stand here and let you kill me,” you spat, your voice shaking but defiant. 

Heeseung’s figure emerged from the shadows of the hallway, the Ghost Face mask a chilling, distorted smile in the dim light. His head tilted slightly, as if amused by your bravery. “That’s what I like about you,” he said, his voice dripping with a twisted kind of admiration. “Always a fighter. But that’s what makes this fun, isn’t it?” 

Heeseung raised a gloved hand, revealing the long, sharp blade of the knife that had been hidden beneath his coat. The sight of it sent a jolt of terror through you. You took a step back, keeping the kitchen table between the two of you, trying to buy time, trying to think of a way out. 

“This isn’t a movie, Heeseung,” you said, voice trembling. “This is real life. You’re not going to get away with this.” 

Heeseung chuckled, the sound dark and menacing. “But that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, twirling the knife in his hand like it was an extension of himself. “This is a story. And you’re still playing your part. You always have been.” 

Your back hit the counter, and you realized you were running out of space. Heeseung was toying with you, taking his time, savoring every moment of your fear. 

The book’s final pages flashed through your mind as you were trapped, the chilling truth seeping into your bones. You weren’t just a character in the story anymore. 

You were its prey. 

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*

Part 2?

[nanabansama]

dysfunctional

Hello! I am once again thinking about the yugi twins. Don't mind as nanabansama rambles on...

Specifically, I was thinking about how rough their relationship has been since the beginning! The relationship becomes very tragic when you step back and examine the entire situation.

(Before we go any further, note that I am a "Tsukasa Truther" meaning that I believe almost every Tsukasa is the same person. This means I believe 4th Birthday Tsukasa, Red House Tsukasa, and the one that came back are all Tsukasa. The only one I'm willing to bend on is "Tsukasa-kun", the one haunting the school in the changed world, but even then I'm inclined to believe it's still Tsukasa.)

anywho... the earliest Tsukasa we know was always resented by his dying older brother.

I find this really interesting. Amane is jealous and thinks Tsukasa is the "lucky" one, which is kinda true, isn't it? He lucked out and wound up with zero health complications. If I was Amane, I might feel frustrated, too. Not that it's Tsukasa's fault either, but...

I really like how, even when Tsukasa and Amane were alive together, and there was no doubt either was a fake, it wasn't going right! It's possible it's never once been going right, at least not since Amane was old enough to realize the innate difference between himself and Tsukasa.

You could maybe argue they were happy on the night of their 4th birthday, but Tsukasa still left that night thinking Amane hated him and was happier without him.

Even the instant Tsukasa came back from the Red House, Amane wasn't sure if he was real. While he had good reason to doubt it was Tsukasa, I think it's interesting how he couldn't wholly enjoy his brother coming back without feeling like something was...wrong.

Then Amane is burdened by this suspicion up until and after their deaths, while Tsukasa has firmly believed Amane hates him since he was 3-going-on-4 years old. And it's impossible to say how long that actually is at this point, haha.

There's something really sad about how Amane longs for the past, back when his relationship with Tsukasa didn't seem all that complicated, yet Tsukasa is on a completely different page because of something Amane did that he might not even remember anymore. And on top of that it doesn't help that Amane killed him, almost cementing Tsukasa's suspicions that Amane hates him...

I feel I don't need to touch much upon their strained relationship as ghosts, so I want to jump to the changed world. This Amane grew up without Tsukasa and is clearly miserable because of it. His preoccupation with making everyone happy by exploiting the supernatural proves this: no one happy with their life would do that unless they miss someone dearly. Yet we saw what happens when he gets to grow up with Tsukasa: they both die. Amane can't accept Tsukasa as he is and Tsukasa doesn't think he'll ever be loved. They're completely dysfunctional and every single scenario ends in ruin.

...well, I guess we still haven't learned what happens in a world where Amane Yugi died before he turned 4. Somehow I get the feeling things might've gone better there, but nonetheless very tragic. There's a good possibility Tsukasa might've eventually found some other way to use the supernatural to bring Amane back, though.

Looking at the photograph in Ch. 119, the parents both look pretty pleasant. They both appear to be smiling while Amane isn't, implying they took it better than he did. You could possibly argue Mrs. Yugi is wearing a neutral expression, but it looks more like a smile to me. Personally, this tells me that they both took Tsukasa's disappearance better than Amane, so the only ones Amane is really making happy are himself and arguably Tsukasa. It isn't difficult to imagine a brotherless Tsukasa meddling with the supernatural too, especially since he already did that in the original timeline.

Anyway... am I really here to argue that the Yugi Twins are completely hopeless? No, of course not!! Even though that is basically what I'm doing. BUT I really do believe they might eventually work this out, just as of right now it's looking really bleak. As we can see by the fact we are at 119 whole chapters now, it's taking a long time to mend their relationship and will probably take a lot more, if it ever works out.

While the changed world feels like Amane going a few steps backward, it might actually be progress. And even before the world changed, when Amane believed Tsukasa was a fake, I think that was an important step towards mending their relationship, too. If they can just confront their issues with each other properly, maybe they can finally move on with their lives and find peace. Who's to say! 👻 Thanks for reading.

[surelysilly]

i love your King Of Hell Danny (superphantom) au and i would greatly (very much) appreciate it if you could talk more about it (King Of Hell Danny) i love his (danny) smug cat energy (smug) in all of your drawing for it (hell is under New Management)

i hope you're ready for this some rambling but ask and you shall receive!!! yes i waited to post this for superphantom week i gotta shill for my own event, y'know :9

So. You want to know more about King of Hell Danny, is it?

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5

Well. Well. He's certainly Danny. Or more specifically I've decided as of recent, Dark Danny. I'm waffling on whether he's Dan Dark Danny or just... Phantom sans Plasimus. The latter feels less likely as i try to flesh him out, but you never know with these guys... he does prefer to look like his 14 yr old self though.

But whatever version he is of himself... it's post-TUE, and he hates himself more than anyone is allowed to know.

Not sure exactly how he ended up in the SPNverse (portal probably!), but he'd definitely prefer going back to his own world/dimension in a heavily buried sense of self-flagellation and unreliable narrator-ness.

Everyone is waiting for him there, not here, wherever he is exactly. This implies anyone is left alive, but he never said that. People (Crowley, etc.) just assume so.

and he's the worst lil jerk you could ever meet, at a first, second, and third, glance, anyway.

Smug cat, indeed. He does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants, and taking over Hell felt right. (isn't that where he'd go? he thinks, after learning Hell is actually real.)

he's overpowered for sure, but it also comes from a misconception for what he is. Not a demon, not human, a secret Third Thing: weird ghost.

i like to think most regular ghost counter measures work on him, but no one thinks to try them because that ain't no ghost??? He plays the part really well though, pretending to be a demon (and gets mislabelled a crossroads demon for his red eyes) -- it doesn't bother him to kill people, but he doesn't go out of his way to do it anymore.

KOH!Danny having it out for the Winchesters is a very thoughtless and fun thing, and it would piss him off when they try to summon Crowley, but in all actuality, he'd probably end up begrudgingly working with them or something.

And ultimately betray them.

I also think his goal would be to fuse with Lucifer when he's freed from the Cage. That should give him enough power to bust a hole back to his OG dimension, right?

maybe. Who knows.

You can certainly find him at DIY skateparks across the globe. He's an asshole to anyone and everyone, but god have mercy on anyone looking to cause trouble while he's trying to have a good time (he feels guilty about it, though, having fun -- it's a circle of shame/guilt/fuck it we ball mentality, here for a good time not a long time).

he can 'see' Castiel's wings and if in his presense, will pluck at them because he's annoying like that.

Crowley became his lap dog though, regardless of intial beheadings because... Hell generates a lot of paperwork the way Crowley was running it, and KOH!Danny don't got the time for all of that.

eventually I'm sure someone will figure him out, ghost weaknesses and all, but it's not 1:1 SPNverse ghost: no bones to burn, no records of him being alive ever, etc., but he's definitely solid enough.

i could see a later quest like what the Winchesters did to find Crowley's remains, but they'd spiral down a hole of "where hell did this creature even come from???" and the Men of Letters/Angels/anyone wouldn't know jack about what he even is exactly.

i'm so rusty on SPN though... but those are my cobbled together ideas. I'd place him mid-ish seasons Supernatural (because ive only really seen s4 thru s8...) but i think the 'hijinks' of later seasons could be fun with the seriousness of early, early seasons sprinked in!

[aftgficrec]

Staff Recs - Autumn Roundup 2024

Some fics with fall vibes to warm your soul. -AFTG Fic Rec Fam

previous recs:

staff fave Halloween here (includes previous Halloween recs and supernatural roundup)

Fall Exchange 2020 here

‘doubt thou the stars be fire’ here

‘morbid stuff’ series here

‘The End Is Up To Us’ here

‘Autumn Crocus’ here

‘The Suit Universe’ part 8 here

‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’ here

‘FoxTail Cafe’ series part 13 here

‘Apple Picking Day’ here

‘Fair Games’ here

‘little ghost’ here

‘Lucky Strike’ here

‘Foxglove Court’ series here

‘Thanks for nothing’ here

‘Teaching a caged bird to fly’ series part 5 here

‘Sugar, Spice, and Corporate Espionage’ here

‘The Massive Continuity of Ducks’ here

‘Spell it Out’ here

‘10 tips to stress less, without the tips’ here

‘Being So Normal’ here

‘Aidan Minyard’ here

Honeycomb by moonix [Rated T, 10871 Words, Complete, 2023, Locked]

In which Kevin owns a restaurant in a picturesque small town, Andrew is his chef, Neil disrupts the routine, no one gets poisoned with mushrooms, and life isn't so bad.

tw: implied/referenced eating disorders, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm

Seasons of memory by butallmystars [Rated G, 4772 Words, Complete, 2023]

Neil was all sorts of alluring and unusual; a thin strip of seemingly restless energy, eyes moving almost as much as his legs did, the bespoke lines of his blazer the most uniform thing about him and yet somehow not out of place.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse

you wish I was yours (and I hope that you're mine) by lesbiankaz [Not Rated, 9526 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

“Aaron Minyard,” Allison said in a dramatic tone. “Truth or dare?” Aaron rolled his eyes. “Dare.” Kevin wasn't surprised. He knew Aaron would prefer to do a stupid dare instead of telling a single thing about himself. “I dare you,” she paused, making suspense, “to spend seven minutes in heaven with Kevin.” - Kevin has a crush on Aaron. Allison tries to help.

5 ultra-cute fall date ideas that will make your man fall more for you by Bravbo [Rated G, 1364 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

The problem starts with one Neil Josten. Neil who has apparently never celebrated any holidays. Neil, with his blasé attitude about violence. Neil, with his distressingly blue eyes and freckles. Neil, who Andrew want to put on a jar and study like a bug. Yes, Neil Josten is a problem. It´s him that has driven Andrew to this, seeking advice on google like a teenage girl just to make sure Neil has the best holiday.

tw: fire

Float Down (Like Autumn Leaves) series by Apaleyellow [Not Rated, 7309 Words, Collection, Updated Oct 2024]

Part 1: fill my cup half empty (because it's never been half full) [5221 Words, Incomplete, Updated Sept 2024] The boy's face in the reflection was pale, almost translucent, with freckles dotting his cheeks and auburn hair falling in untamed curls around his face. His eyes were an icy blue, piercing and filled with a haunting sadness. Nathaniel Wesninski. The Butcher's son. The ghost of the manor. -- OR -- The one where Andrew is a best-selling horror author who visits the Wesninski Manor in search of inspiration for his next book.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: implied/referenced murder 

Part 2: would we survive in a horror movie? [2088 Words, Complete, 2024] Their moment was interrupted by Seth's booming voice. "Alright, losers. Time for a real story. Ever heard of the Butcher of Baltimore?" -- OR -- The one where the Foxes are telling scary stories around a campfire and only Andrew knows who Neil really is.

tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: implied/referenced murder 

penchant by rooftopkisses [Rated T, 5051 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

When Neil is recruited by Coach Wymack to join the track team at Palmetto High School, he draws the attention of Andrew, the artsy loner, as well as Kevin, the sport’s current state champion.

Rebel Rebel by Andreil_pipedream [Rated M, 7905 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

October settles down on the small town outside of Baltimore. Werewolves start haunting the forests and a certain orange cat gets curious. Nell meets an interesting girl who she may or may not have a crush on. After an awkward first meeting, things are made worse- or better- when she finds out they go to the same school. After a few risky decisions and oblivious flirting, she gets a date where everything starts to go wrong.

tw: child abuse, tw: extreme transphobia, tw: gaslighting, tw: confinement, tw: food deprivation, tw: implied/referenced murder

it's still the autumn leaves by TogeMythia [Rated T, 3389 Words, Complete, 2024]

‘Can I come with you?’ Andrew paused, he was sat on the floor with one foot awkwardly in the air and a black sock with an orange pumpkin pattern halfway pulled on. ‘What?’ He asked. ‘Can I come with you? Wherever you are going.’ - or Neil and Andrew spend an autumn afternoon together.

A Bushel and a Peck by justdk [Rated T, 1405 Words, Complete, 2020]

Andrew picked a few low hanging apples, handing one to Neil. They wiped them off on their shirts and snacked on them while they looked for the rest of the team. The sweet, tangy juice filled Neil’s mouth and ran down his chin. It tasted way better than a store-bought apple. Overhead crows called to each other and the smell of apples filled the crisp, autumn air. Neil closed his eyes and breathed in deep, holding in the feeling of freedom and possibility. When he opened his eyes, he found Andrew looking at him, hazel eyes warm and steady. [or: the Foxes go apple picking]

Bets, Blind Dates, and Dares. Oh My! by makebelieveanything [Rated T, 3761 Words, Complete, 2021]

Andrew loses a bet to Aaron and Kevin and he has to go on two blind dates - they go about as well as he would expect. Is Andrew stuck in a rom-com or is this really how life works?

gourd vibes only by otatop [Not Rated, 3750 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2021]

A mini road trip up through New England to meet the foxes.

Disparity by Jeni182 [Rated G, 3781 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2021]

Andrew is a criminal justice professor who keeps finding excuses to visit the library where a certain red head works.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm

hopscotch heart by moonix [Rated M, 2046 Words, Complete, 2021, Locked]

Podfic here

Neil has a terrible time at a party. Andrew shows up and Neil has a slightly less terrible time at a party.

tw: implied/referenced murder, tw: anxiety

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness by seaspeak [Not Rated, 869 Words, Complete, 2016, Locked]

In which Jean falls in love with the Fall, thanks to Jeremy

There Was Only One Pumpkin by familiarwildflowers [Not Rated, 2275 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2021]

To get Nicky off his back about his dating life, Neil decided to lie. Surely there would be no consequences? That's what Neil thought, until, while on a visit to a pumpkin patch, Andrew's lot steps in and he's forced to confront his lie.

Pumpkin Patch by H_bee69 [Rated G, 1600 Words, Complete, 2023]

Part 1 of Spooky times and autumn vibes 

Neil wants to go to the pumpkin patch and who is Andrew to deny Neil.

until I fell off from that peak by eeveepkmnfan [Rated M, 4817 Words, Complete, 2023]

Neil Josten lives and tries to come to terms with what that means. Or, Neil collects leaves - Andrew vocally protests.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Forever Falling by cshogg [Rated G, 1370 Words, Complete, 2023]

Snippets of Neil and Andrew's life during autumn: trying new things, rewriting traumatic experiences, and learning to love the seasons like normal people do.

[the-awful-falafel]

OKAY, so. Full overthinking Doise (and Peddito) headcanons incoming (assuming they're real and not just fictional characters made up for Noise's movie):

I have this idea that Doise is actually from an alternate universe, and he's that universe's Noise equivalent. He's been fleeing for years through tower secret portals and gates to various other universes in an attempt to escape Peddito (aka his universe's Peppino equivalent turned vengeful cosmic horror ghost, obviously), specifically by trying to lure Peddito to kill Doise's alternate universe counterparts / doppelgangers / whatever to try and cheat the curse. It doesn't work, obviously, but he's selfish and willing to try anything at this point (despite superficially acting like a far nicer guy than Noise).

This is also why he appeared on the NTV movie set-- maybe he actually signed up for the role and made it seem like just a funny acting gig while hiding his ulterior motives, or he appeared to fight Noise completely unscripted and Noise and the others just shrugged and left it in, brutal murder and corpse and all.

Doise brought this all upon himself in the first place by being responsible for Peddito's death in a certain incident that may or may not have involved messing with supernatural / cosmic horror forces. They used to be good friends in their home universe, but that's long gone. Doise refuses to take responsibility for any of what happened and would rather spend the rest of his life desperately running from the consequences of his actions.

In addition, through Doise doubling down and continuing to mess with forces he shouldn't in his attempt to avoid Peddito, he has granted himself a limited form of resurrective immortality as another way to cheat death. As implied through his boss battle background (and, although it's just a silly noncanon thing, the pre-update DOOM mod stream having two Doises also inspired this idea), Doise can body-horror mitosis and bud off into another Doise that has all of his memories, so him getting brutally murdered in-game does not mean he's gone for good, as long as he remembered to create another Doise beforehand. However, his soul is divided equally between all his bodies despite them being mostly autonomous beings from each other, so not only does he struggle to use this ability beyond creating two or three extra Doises, Peddito can sense and hunt down all of them the same.

Peddito, meanwhile, has been utterly fucked up and transformed into a true supernatural horror by whatever happened, and by this point he will not rest until Doise is dead and dragged down with him. He will brutally kill whoever is in his path to murder Doise, but assuming Doise isn't currently present, he's creepy but surprisingly benign to everyone else-- albeit uninterested in socializing. He follows most vengeful ghost rules with a dash of creepypasta logic, and just because he isn't currently manifested doesn't mean he's not watching.

(Also Doise and Peddito's home universe is probably home to a full cast of knockoff "original character do not steal" counterparts relative to the Pizza Tower universe, which is really funny to think about. I imagine Peddito was a pasta chef and Doise was a Broadway actor.)

[kakairu-rocks]

It is time for us to share with you the masterpost of all the creations made for the KakaIru Maze Challenge 2024: Alternate Universe!

Before we present the list, we would like to share a few fun stats with you!

There is a total of 47 works - 21 wonderful fics, and 26 amazing works of art!

The total word count of every fic combined is 98 380 words!

Five people completed the challenge, and managed to reunite Kakashi with Iruka! 

We also have a SURPRISE!

If you’ve participated in this event before, you might have noticed that in previous years, we’ve made an event fic, and released it in parts throughout different stages of the event… But this year, we decided to keep the entire thing a secret right through to the very end; and we would like to present to you, this year’s fic… 

The Real World, in which Kakashi & Iruka go on a massive world-hopping adventure! (Please remember to check the tags before reading!)

And now for the list! Everyone is so talented, and did such an amazing job with their creations 😍 Please take a look and give these creators some love! 

FICS:

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust - SockWritingThings

Rating: Not Rated, CW: suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, word count: 1k

2. The Mission That Changed Everything - @paxohana

Rating: Explicit, CW: graphic depictions of violence, word count: 3.3k

3. How to Win Your Tutor Over - @paxohana

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 1.7k

4. Wayward Son - By_The_Rivers_Dark

Rating: Mature, CW: none, word count: 5.8k

5. Helping Hands Across Time - @mtnikolle

Rating: Gen, CW: ghosts, word count: 1.5k

6. The Rage of the Whirlpools - @a-chaos-of-angels

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 1.2k

7. Feeling the Music - @kakairu-shrine

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 2k

8. How to fall in love in one day - By_The_Rivers_Dark

Rating: Mature, CW: none, word count: 34.1k

9. Making New Connections - @mtnikolle

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 1.6k

10. Leave It All Behind - @kakairu-shrine

Rating: Teen, CW: graphic depictions of violence, word count: 3.1k

11. Endless - @mtnikolle

Rating: Teen, CW: temporary character death, word count: 805

12. It’s Not the Walking, It’s the Rising - @borealwrites

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 1.6k

13. Favourite Places - @mtnikolle

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 841

14. The place You Need To Reach - @borealwrites

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 4.1k

15. There’s a niche in his chest where a heart would fit perfectly - @borealwrites

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 940

16. You’ll Strew Some Sage and Lillies - @borealwrites

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 4.1k

17. On the Run - @paxohana

Rating: Explicit, CW: none, word count: 3k

18. Welcome to the Family - @kakairu-shrine

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 3.3k

19. In the mind of another - @hkandiu

Rating: Gen, CW: none, word count: 12.5k

20. Kakashi’s adventure in the multiverse. w/ 2 art (1st, 2nd) - @justanotherfoolhere

Rating: Teen, CW: none, word count: 9.8k

ART: 

Akatsuki AU - @smallangstdemon

Konoha Con - IndianaJ

Apocalypse - @smallangstdemon

Assassin’s Creed - @kakairu-shrine

Angels & Demons - @microrockets

Royalty (3 pieces) - @smallangstdemon

Missing Nin - @teacher-tango

Roommates - @paperskeleton01

Futuristic - @microrockets

Me Tarzan, You Jane - IndianaJ

Magic AU - @paperskeleton01

Angels & Demons (CW: implied MCD) - @smallangstdemon

Criminal AU - @that1valiantcougar

Rogue Nin - @paperskeleton01

Ippon - IndianaJ

Chef AU - @paperskeleton01

BOTW AU w/ fic - @that1valiantcougar

Fantasy AU - @paperskeleton01

Iruka-dono - IndianaJ

Supernatural AU - @that1valiantcougar

Pirate AU - @teacher-tango

Fantasy AU - @that1valiantcougar

Icha Icha Betrayal - IndianaJ

ANBU Iruka - @that1valiantcougar

If we have missed you, or made a mistake somewhere (we did triple check everything, but Tumblr still likes to pull a fast one on us sometimes), please let us know ASAP so we can fix the problem!!!

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to everyone who has supported us! Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to run the Maze Challenge, so we really appreciate your involvement 🥰

We would love for you to check out the Kakairu Rocks forum, as well, where we’ve got so many other amazing KakaIru activities, and things to see!

Thank you for joining us on this adventure! We hope to see you around!

[foone]

So it's no secret that I'm a big fan of The Decemberists. They're probably my favorite band. I could easily name 10 songs that I consider to be some of the best music ever made. But The Mariner's Revenge Song, off Picaresque (2005), is the song that will be remembered in a hundred years after all their other songs have faded from the radio, even the oldies channels. It's their Bohemian Rhapsody.

It has everything!

Revenge!

Pirates!

Whaling!

Biblical allusions!

Orphans!

Dashing young men who seduce rich widows and ruin their fortune, driving them mad!

"It took me fifteen years to swallow all my tears"

Violation of confessional privacy!

Haunting accordion interludes!

Audience participation! (you have to scream like you're being swallowed by a whale)

Revenge destroying both the victim and the perpetrator!

Living just long enough to ensure they die alongside you in a horrible way!

Implied but not actually sung final chorus!

The entire song is a flashback!

It's a sea shanty for the ages but it's from the 2000s!

The word "roustabout". Do you even know what it means? It doesn't matter! It sounds great!

The Victorian Novel Disease! (tuberculosis)

The final words of a dying mother to her young child being an angry list of exactly how they should find the rake and kill him, slowly and painfully. The ones that echo in their head for the next 15+ years.

Ambiguously supernatural! Is the narrator's mother a vengeful ghost, following them around for decades, repeating her mantra and ensuring the whale happens and that both they and the rake survive? Maybe!

Is the whale supernatural? Yeah, real whales can't swallow people, but that's normal for mythological fiction. Also, the sky goes black. Poetic license, or is this a supernatural occurrence? Is the whale the dead mother? Who knows!

Nearly nine minutes of epic folk rocking!

"Find him, bind him / Tie him to a pole and break his fingers to splinters / Drag him to a hole / Until he wakes up naked / Clawing at the ceiling of his grave!"

LISTEN TO IT!

[iamhereinthebg]

A lot of theories have been out with the new tbhk chapter (101). And one I saw several times is the idea that Amane was a clock keeper of the present when he was alive. 

It’s understandable to see that so many people think this with the new chapter which seems to go into a new clock keepers arc, who are probably for now, one of the biggest question marks of the manga. 

In the new chapter, Amane is seen to repair a big clock. One which is now in a sealed auditorium. He was given the task to repair it, until the end of the festival. 

The idea of memory loss is the biggest point here. Because Hanako even remembers stuff from when he was 4.

If Amane was a clock keeper of the present, how would he have forgotten everything about them? It is possible that every clock keeper of the present forgets anything related to supernaturals once their contract ends, hence why it was never really implemented in the rumor that one of them is a human. 

Hanako is also far from being Amane, he is supernatural . Or there is the chance that he forgot all of his memories related to some stuff when he was sealed by Minamoto Grandma. He may have forgotten everything related to supernaturals involved with him when he was alive. Since we have no idea if he remembers Nene from when she traveled in time during the festival. 

 There are a lot of possibilities on why Hanako may have forgotten about all of this. 

Time is also a theme which is recurrent in a lot of things that concern Amane/Hanako. And this new page seems to highlight it.

Hanako is a ghost, a being stopped in Time. Time being stopped has a lot of time been associated with death in tbhk. And he is obsessed with Time, the idea to stop and manipulate it, and he has been since a long time in the manga. His first idea to save Nene was probably linked to the clock keepers, and he has a strange interest in Akane and his powers, going as far as to try to blackmail him to have something out of him. He wishes to stop Nene’s time or time in general. To save Nene, to enjoy the present, and to prevent his friends from moving on without him. 

Amane is the only human who got his fate changed. Aoi and Nene were about to have it changed too. I strongly believe that a supernatural being/occurence needs to be here for a fate to change. It’s not a stretch to imagine for Amane, that all those back and forth in time altered his fate. With Nene going back in time to see him twice, stealing a key in the first memory, and making him accidentally make a wish to see her again in the second. Tsukasa also has been back in the future and back to his time, and a supernatural thing was always the cause of it. 

So did the clock keepers change Amane’s fate or at least push him into this direction?

Even if Amane wasn’t a part of the clock keepers, there is a high chance that this clock is still linked to them. If the clock he was repairing was the clock keeper’s, then he would have had his time taken away, as the rumor said.

But it’s heavily implied that Amane killed himself. I personally don’t think it’s the clock keepers’ clock, because the one presented in the mysteries meeting is way closer in terms of imagery to the clock keepers’ clocks. It may be though, the clock keepers’ clock from the rumor. 

The clock we see during the mysteries’ meeting is probably in a boundary, so far away from human’s eyes. The one people may have seen may be the grand clock Amane is repairing. Amane may have been known for trying to fix this clock, and he died. People definitely knew he did, a (probably) murder-suicide in school would have been talked about between students, resulting in creating or altering the rumor of the clock keepers. Rumors and Legends always have a part of truth, but a lot of things in the rumors told by humans are wrong. About n°2, n°4, n°6 and even °7. Even if this is a stretch I still think it’s interesting to point it out.

There are a lot of question marks around this plot tbh or if this is even a real theory. There is also a lot which doesn't really add up for Amane to be part of the clock keepers.

The first one is the most obvious. The lack of reaction when Hanako met the clock keepers. Even if Hanako is really good at hiding stuff he doesn’t want people to see, his reaction to the clock is absolutely not controlled. Hanako never talks about himself, or at least tries not to divulge information. When he talks to Nene here, it’s mostly from shock, because he knows something happened, but he can’t remember what and why he was asked to take care of this clock. He fears not remembering things because he has no control over it. He acts like this in all his encounters with Tsukasa for example. When he meets the clock keepers, either in flashback or just meeting Akane, he has absolutely no reaction contrary to the way he is in front of the grand clock in the auditorium. If he was part of the clock keepers for 1-2 years (since he died at 13) I think he would have some reaction if it was such a big part of his last years of life. 

 The mysteries are absolutely awful at socializing but they still recognize and know each other, even if from far away. Some of them know what has been going on, and who has each seat. Yako and Hakubo still instantly recognized him as number 7, even if Hakubo clearly isn’t the type to go out often and Yako hasn’t seen Hanako in a long time. The only one who is not well known is, understandably, Akane who has been here only for 3-4 years.

The only character who knows absolutely everything that is going on, is number 5, Tsuchigomori. Who is also Amane’s teacher. I think their relationship would have been different if Amane was involved with supernaturals. He calls him Yugi and not by any number and he acts a lot with Amane, playing the role of the teacher, which he rarely does when he is known to be supernatural by the person in front of him.  I am pretty sure Tsuchigomori and Akane know each other from far away, Tsuchigomori dropped the biggest set up about Akane not being fully human after all when talking to Nene. 

I won’t cross the idea that AidaIro just wanted to hide it if Amane was a clock keeper, but I still think it’s strange. Especially when we know that this memory we see in the 4pm bookstacks is coming from Tsuchi and not Hanako.

So except if Hanako has lost all memories of the clock keepers (which is a pretty weak plot point in my opinion) I don’t think Amane was the clock keeper of the present. 

After all, what do we know about the clock keepers and especially the one of the present for now? 

I think there is a possibility that Akane is the first human clock keeper.

Let’s only focus on what we know in the manga for now,  it is pretty obvious that Hanako doesn’t know where the boundary of the clock keepers is. 

And it leads to some questions: We can see that Hanako here is talking with two clock keepers, except if Mirai can change shape, it is safe to assume that those two here are the clock keepers of the present and the past. 

Why would Hanako say this if he actually met the clock keeper of the present before? The first idea is that it is someone like Tsuchigomori, but Akane is human. Even if it makes sense for the representative of the present to be like this (he is living in the present with people contrary to all supernaturals) the idea that the present is a human, or at least, hiding as a student, is also a supernatural’s only rumor. This is something the humans who spread rumors never ever heard about.

 Number 6 seems rather shocked/confused to see a human stopping time. Akane can’t hide his presence from other supernaturals even with his glasses. Hakubo didn’t check if he was related to the supernaturals or not when Akane was not even wearing his glasses. Was he even aware of the fact that one of the clock keepers was human in the first place?

As I said before, If the clock keepers of the present were humans even before Akane, the only reason I can think of for them to never say anything or just continue with their life is because they forget everything once the contract ends.

The fact that the Minamotos never interfered when they did with Number 7 in the past (Minamoto grandma) is also pretty strange. Supernaturals, especially the mysteries aren’t supposed to drag humans with them or hurt them. Teru said that the mysteries are a threat now after the story with Yako and how she put students’ lives at risk. The clock keepers endangered  Aoi and Akane’s life. If they always used such methods to recruit each clock keeper of the present and then turned a human half supernatural, I think it’s enough to make n° 1 at the top of the ‘to exorcize’ list of the Minamotos. Teru even insists on the fact that he let things slide only because Akane is human.

 Another big point, is the names. Even in a bonus Hanako doesn't hesitate to name a dog with Nene and Kou. 

If the clock keeper of the present before Akane was human, they would have already given a name to them in my opinion. It’s a natural thing humans do, not caring/giving names is a really supernaturals thing.  Hakubo never had a name before Sumire gave him one either, his master despite being his parental figure never had a name, the mysteries call each other only by numbers (or insults). Sumire gave him one because she acknowledges him as a person she cares about, contrary to all the exorcists who had to give him orders before. Mirai uses the name Akane gave her to name herself a lot, even Kako reacts when he is being called. Akane doesn’t even like the clock keepers, says that he doesn’t care about how supernaturals are called but he still gave them names because they didn’t have any before he became one.

Mirai is canonly stupid, like really stupid.  Kako has more restraint so it makes sense for him to show absolutely nothing. But Mirai is really really attached to Akane, she doesn’t hesitate to jump on him or annoy him whenever she wants.  And she is also the one who noticed Akane when he was only a first year to recruit him. I really think if Amane had anything to do with the clock keepers she wouldn’t be able to hide it. Especially if she gets attached like this to the clock keeper of the present. 

Even if Akane is not the first human clock keeper of the present. I still hope we will have answers on what they really are and on how they are chosen, and where are the ones who were here before Akane, what happened to them?

 We are close to a new clock keepers arc with all the clocks imagery in this chapter. The clock keepers also have the power that most people want to use and which is acknowledged even by strong characters as a real advantage/threat since the beginning of the manga. A power that both side has been trying to have (mostly Hanako vs Teru first and now probably the main characters vs the broadcasting club). They also are the oldest mystery, and Kako always appears to have a lot of authority even if he isn’t techically the leader.

Natsuhiko coming to see Akane at the end of the chapter is also for something. The manga has been building up the fact that Akane is the weak link of the three and he has been approached by nearly half of the cast at this point. And not to have his help as Akane, but clearly because he is n°1. He has less knowledges than the other two, and mostly he is human. He has weaknesses and is mortal, he is way easier to approach and blackmail than the other two even if he is as he says ‘the lowest of the clock keepers’.

The next arc will probably be about number 1, and the grand clock has something to do with them. The red house imagery having so many clocks and the Yugis having so much time travel in their story must be for something.

I also really wonder what will happen if the grand clock start moving again and what needs to be done for making it work.

I can’t wait to see what AidaIro plan to do with all these characters and how linked to the clock keepers the Yugi backstory will be.

[booklove22]

Why last night was actually GOOD for Nace (even if it was hard to watch at times) - A Soulmate Theory

“Maybe we get more than one [soulmate]” – Nancy, 3x13 – the words we all hated. Loathed. And these words are now coming back around in a far more literal way than any of us expected. I have work things to do today (rude!) so can't get too wordy - so here is the gist of where I'm going with this:

Nancy and Tristan each house the dark (Tristan) and “leftover” light (Nancy) energy produced when the founders created the sin eater. They are basically human plugonia dolls. And much like Tristan’s dark-energy sin-eater soul has been reincarnated through time, so has the light-energy soul currently taking up residence in Nancy. This explains her connection to not only Tristan, but to Nashua in the mind-weave.

But its implied that the Sinner’s Sacrifice ritual that the Glasses want to do can cure Tristan. So it’s likely he also houses his OWN soul somewhere inside him too – not JUST the sin eater’s soul. Otherwise, how would he survive such a ritual? They’ve already laid some of this soul-sharing/intertwined souls groundwork with Odette, and with Charity’s soul pieces. So its not a stretch to think that Nancy and Tristan both have 2 souls – their own souls, and their sin eater, dark/light “plugonia” souls.

Which brings me to Ace. He is also clearly Nancy’s soulmate – but his soul is a match to Nancy’s REAL soul; while Tristan’s is a match to this plugonia-soul.

And if ALL souls reincarnate (not just sin eater/plugonia souls)…then it could explain why this ghost-girl and Ace have such an intense connection. Because she could be the ghost of an earlier incarnation of Nancy’s REAL soul (perhaps someone who was drowned?) "where did the sky go?" "i'm cold" "the sky is gone" "where is the sky?" "all i remember is my hair wrapping around mouth. then the sky was gone. then i was so cold." - all things that could align with drowning. Also something something Ace being able to talk to a dead person who maybe drowned after dropping a curse in the ocean.

Which is all to say, Tristan and Nancy’s soulsmatism is supernatural in nature and not reflective of their true human souls. But Nancy and Ace have been soulmates throughout time. And I mean….I’m crying/screaming/throwing up over the implications because when they realize this???? We’ve been talking/joking about the “soulmatism of it all” very unseriously but now it really literally is THE SOULMATISM OF IT ALL.

We had to suffer through the Tristan leg of this first, and it was painful to see. But knowing the Ace leg of this is coming up…. I’ve never simultaneously wanted time to move faster and slower than I do right now.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

The Wider Paranormal World

Shadow City AU - Chapter Four

A JSE Fanfic

I've been pretty busy this week, so here's another Shadow City chapter that I wrote a while ago ^-^ It's pretty much all a bunch of explanation about how the world of this AU works, so if you're a fan of worldbuilding this is the chapter for you! Jack moves into Chase's house, and the two of them get used to each other. And then, since Chase keeps asking about all the rest of the supernatural things in the world, Jack invites his friends over to visit and answer questions. Maybe Chase will make some new friends in this whole situation. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy <3

First Chapter | Second Chapter | Third Chapter

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was so strange for Chase to see someone else moving into his house. He wasn’t opposed to Jack being his roommate, that wasn’t what was strange. It was that he was still living here, and yet the landlord was not acknowledging him. Well—not living here. But existing here. Watching all of his things get moved out and moved around without his input. He didn’t mind Stacy taking most of his things, but it was just... strange.

Over the course of the past week, Chase had spent about half his time practicing his ability to touch and hold things. He was getting better, slowly. Though he still wasn’t able to move things, he could at least consistently lean on the wall and poke things and stuff. The other half of his time was spent in that strange not-sleep meditation state. 

Jack stopped by every couple days to check on Chase and also take care of moving business—signing papers and such. Chase always had a bunch of questions for Jack, and he answered them all promptly and clearly. 

Was ghost hunting real? “To an extent, I guess. A lot of the videos you see online and on TV are really exaggerated and even fake, but the actual instruments they use can work sometimes.”

How often did ghosts ‘move on’? “Maybe about half the time. Often if ghosts don’t get their unfinished business taken care of quickly, it gets harder and harder to help them. Like—if a ghost’s business was to confess their love to someone, that’ll be hard to do if that someone moves town or even passes away. A lot of stuff is like that.”

Did Chase have to worry about other beings moving into his house? Like demons or some shit? Did demons even exist? “Uhhh kind of? They’re not what you’re thinking, not like—Christian demons. There are malicious spirits out there—but don’t worry, I’ll make sure the house is protected. You’re such a strong spirit that you could probably fight one off, anyway.”

Were ghosts made of ectoplasm or was that made up for movies? “You’re more electricity than anything. But I think you do have some sort of... physical stuff. Ghosts can affect scales and weight detectors, so there’s something there. It’s not ectoplasm like Ghostbusters slime, but that’s as good a thing to call it as anything.”

If he figured out how to eat something, would he be able to taste it? “Honestly I have no idea. I guess you could try it yourself? I think the food would just pass through you anyway.”

Though there were some questions that Jack refused to answer. Mostly whenever Chase brought up this “larger supernatural world” that Jack had hinted at. With the fucking werewolves and shit. At first Jack said that was because Chase had to still get used to being a ghost, but near the end of the week his explanation shifted to “I think it’ll be easier if someone else explains that.”

“Wait, what?” Chase had said the first time Jack gave him that response. “Are you going to like—introduce me to people?”

Jack had smiled. “If you’re okay with that. I was thinking about inviting some friends over a bit after I moved in. Is that fine?”

“Y-yeah, I guess.” Chase wasn’t sure how to respond to that. These friends... Jack was implying they’d be part of this supernatural world. Did that mean they were witches? Werewolves or vampires? Something else? He probably could have asked Jack those questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer. Even if he was a ghost now, and therefore not at risk of dying, it would still make him feel weird to know for sure that a fucking vampire was going to come to his house.

Though... legally, Jack was the tenant now. Which was... weird to think about. Hey, if Chase didn’t have to deal with Mr. Wood anymore, that was a good thing in his book, but... he wasn’t being acknowledged. And that felt... he didn’t know how it felt. Just strange. And bad. But not bad bad... Ugh, he wasn’t good with feelings.

But now Jack was fully moved in, and things were starting to feel like a weird sort of normal now that Mr. Wood wasn’t constantly coming around to check on things for the new tenant. Chase had lived with other people in the past, mostly roommates in university. After he graduated, he and Stacy had moved right in together. So he definitely knew how to share a space with someone.

In a way, this was even easier than those previous situations. Chase didn’t have to worry about Jack stealing his food or using his shampoo or anything like that. He had no “worldly concerns” anymore. But sharing a space with someone as a ghost still came with its own challenges. For example, Chase had gotten into the habit of wandering around the house and going straight through walls in the past week. He had to unlearn that quickly after accidentally walking in on Jack while he was getting dressed. 

The house didn’t look too different now that Jack was here. He was doing his best to maintain everything the way Chase had, to keep him comfortable. The general spaces—the living room, the kitchen, the dining room—were the most similar. But even with Jack’s efforts to leave things untouched, things were visibly different. The bathroom and bedroom had changed the most, Chase’s towels and blankets and clothes replaced by Jack’s. Chase’s recording room was different too—more like the home office it was meant to be before. Even though Stacy had taken his computer, Jack had replaced it with a PC of his own. She’d also taken a lot of his knickknacks and things that his fans sent him. The room felt pretty empty without them. As bad as Chase was with feelings, he knew that seeing the blank space on the shelves made him feel sad. A heavy sadness... grief, for the life he had cut short.

He sometimes wondered who’d done it. Who killed him? Why? He wasn’t anybody special. Why go out of their way to kill him? He didn’t think he’d wronged anybody... Maybe it was a robbery gone wrong? Had someone broken in that night? Nothing was taken, though... you’d think they’d at least have grabbed the one nice watch he’d had, if his computer and game consoles were too bulky. But no, everything was in place. Stacy had been able to take everything home with no problem, no doubt keeping them to give to Declan when he was a bit older.

The question ate at him when he thought about it for too long. He tried to avoid it—to get used to ghostliness like Jack kept insisting. But he couldn’t forget about it entirely. Of course he couldn’t. He wouldn’t be in this situation if he hadn’t been killed. But... what could he do about it? He couldn’t even leave his house. He should focus on the present for now. On his more immediate problems.

Like for example—

“Hey so is it okay if three of my friends come over tonight?”

“Hmm?” Chase snapped out of his not-sleep trance. He was sort of floating idly in the corner of the hallway (that was something else he and Jack had to work around, since Jack apparently found it a bit off-putting to see someone staring into space in the middle of the room.) “Oh, uh, yeah, sure.”

“Cool.” Jack nods. “You’re not going to be overwhelmed or anything by there being more people here?”

Chase laughed a little. “Why would I be overwhelmed?”

“Well you haven’t really been around a lot of people as a ghost.”

“I’ve been around three people before, Jack. It’ll be fine.” Chase paused. “Are these... these the people who could answer some of my questions?”

Jack looked at him seriously and nodded. “Yeah. They’ll be able to, between the three of them. Try not to, uh, barrage them with questions, though. It might be a lot.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Chase said. “Uh... is there anything I should do to get ready for them?”

“Hm... did I explain what this mirror is for?” Jack pointed to the side. He’d hung up an old-looking mirror on the wall by the door. Its frame was coppery, carved in swirls and whorls, but it wasn’t actually copper, because its tarnish was black instead of the green rust copper gets. “I don’t think I did. It’s a Mirror of Revealing.”

“What’s that?” Chase asked, drifting over to look at it. He could see his reflection in it, but he could also see his reflection in the bathroom mirror so that wasn’t special. 

“It shows supernatural things,” Jack said. “Like ghosts and stuff. So, even though you can’t be seen without concentrating, you’ll always show up in the mirror even when you’re not focusing.”

“Oh!” Chase blinked in surprise. He waved his hand, but it still looked like this normal reflection to him. 

“Here, look at this.” Jack walked over next to him. “Concentrate on being seen right now.”

Chase nodded slowly. This was the part he still couldn’t quite get a hold on. How do you concentrate on being visible? Well... maybe he just needed to think about what he looked like? He narrowed his eyes, taking in his reflection.

...

Yep. It was still his reflection.

Though... maybe it was a bit... faded? Yeah, he was pale. Not like a normal kind of pale, though. It looks like everything about him is tinted with white. His skin, his hair, his clothes, everything. And... in the side of his head... He quickly looked away from that. How did he not notice that before?

“Yeah.” Jack nodded, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I thought it could help you practice. Your reflection will look more pale in the spots where you’re visible to other people. And the, um... the wound will appear. Of course, to everyone else, they’ll only see the pale parts, and you’ll be translucent. Unless they look in the mirror then they’ll see you there perfectly fine. Does that make sense?”

“Uh... yeah, it does.” Chase nodded slowly. “Um... wh-when will your friends be here, by the way?”

“Well, uh, sunset is at about 8:30, and I asked them to be here right away, so... given travel times... 9:10, maybe?”

“Sunset is important, then?” Chase asked, a bit nervous. He had an idea for what Jack’s friends were...

“Yep.” Jack nodded. “It’s traditional for the supernatural stuff to happen at night. That’s why it’s sometimes called the shadow world. Or the shadowed world. Either.”

“Hah. O-okay then.” Chase nodded back. He looked into the mirror. Right now, he looked normal... But... he wasn’t normal. So he shouldn’t... pretend he was. And besides, it would be awkward for Jack’s friends to talk to someone they couldn’t see, wouldn’t it?

He spent the next few hours practicing... or at least, that’s what he told Jack. In reality, he tried on and off for a little bit while occasionally drifting off into a not-sleep trance. It was... hard. Hard to see the way his reflection turned pale. It was also weird to think about his own appearance constantly. Yeah, that was his problem. He couldn’t concentrate. That was definitely it.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Chase started in surprise and glanced out the front windows to realize it was suddenly really dark outside. “Coming!” Jack shouted, walking down the hallway and into the living room. Chase quickly moved over to the far corner of the living room, standing next to the TV. He heard a hum as the speakers from the sound system flicked on—that was weird, but he didn’t think much about it. Jack glanced back at him. “Are you ready?”

Chase nodded silently.

“Alright.” Jack opened up the front door.

“Jack!” A man in a red hoodie immediately bustled onto the room, giving Jack a tight hug before heading into the rest of the living room. “Good to see you! Wow, this place is different from your flat. A lot bigger!” He took a deep breath. “Smells like tea, a bit.”

“Are we on time?” asked another man, one in glasses and wearing a long brown coat over a cream-colored sweater. He stayed on the threshold, looking into the room, scanning it.

“Yeah, you guys are right on time,” Jack said. “You can come in, Schneep.”

The man on the threshold—Schneep, apparently—nodded and stepped inside.

Jack closed the door. “So now we just have to wait for Marvin. But, uh, in the meantime, feel free to get comfortable.”

The man in red was already sitting on the sofa, spreading out across it. “Don’t mind if I do!”

“Jackie get your feet off the sofa,” Schneep said. “Jack is renting the place, you know. If your dirty shoes get the cushions messy the landlord will charge him.”

“Mr. Wood isn’t that strict,” Chase mumbled.

“Oh, sorry.” The man in red—Jackie—quickly moved his feet off the sofa. “So... where’s this ghost, Jack?”

“There.” Jack pointed. “He said that the landlord wasn’t that strict, which he’s right about.”

Jackie and Schneep looked to where Chase was standing. “Ah... we cannot see him,” Schneep said awkwardly.

“Yeah, I figured. Chase?” Jack gave Chase an encouraging smile.

Chase imitated a deep breath, the motion calming some of the nervousness in his stomach. Well, time to see if his scattered practice was working. He started really thinking about what he looked like, concentrating on it.

“Holy shit!” Jackie jumped slightly, almost falling off the sofa.

Schneep took a step back, but tried to be more polite. “Ah, you are Chase, yes? Chase Brody? It is nice to meet you.”

“Hah... yeah.” Chase nodded.

“Oh he’s going again,” Jackie said.

“I’m what?” Chase looked down at himself.

“Chase, you have to keep concentrating,” Jack said. “No matter what else you’re doing... or how they react.” He shot Jackie a dirty look.

“S-sorry.” Jackie sat up more straight. “I just... wasn’t expecting someone to appear out of nowhere, all pale and with black eyes. I-it’s unexpected.”

“Black eyes?” Chase asked, confused.

“You have to concentrate on letting your eyes be seen, too,” Jack explained. “Or they just look like holes.”

“Oh that’s freaky as fuck.” No wonder Jackie and Schneep reacted that way. “No hard feelings, guys, I would’ve been, uh, uncomfortable, too.” Chase imitated another deep breath and kept concentrating, this time trying to remember every part of his face and body. “Well.. how do I look? Normal?”

“More normal than you did before,” Jackie said. “Though, uh, still not perfect. Jack, is this normal for ghosts?”

“Well what are you guys seeing?” Jack asked. “He looks like a guy to me.”

Schneep cleared his throat. “Right now, we are seeing someone’s upper torso, very pale. The rest fades away.”

“Huh?” Chase blinked. Man, he really wasn’t as good as he thought he would be.

Jack laughed. “I guess you’re not very aware of your legs, are you, Chase? Yeah, that’s normal. Don’t worry. Keep practicing, Chase. Having these guys here should help you.”

“R-right.” Chase nodded. He slowly moved closer. “Um... hi. I’m Chase. Nice to... nice to meet you. Who are you guys?”

“Jackie! Jackie Sheach.” Jackie grinned. “And this is Henrik, but you can call him Schneep.”

“It is based on my last name, von Schneeplestein.” Schneep walked farther into the living room and sat down on the old leather armchair.

“Oh. So you’re... German?” Chase guessed.

Schneep smiled slightly. “Ha, indeed I am.” Wait a minute—his teeth.

Chase gasped.

“Oh shit you disappeared again.” Jackie said. “Uh, sorry, are we... upsetting you? I’ve never met a ghost before, I-I don’t really know how this goes.”

Schneep raised his hand to his mouth. “I think Chase just noticed something. Interesting. Most everydays do not notice the fangs, not unless they are a meddie like Jack.”

“So your friends are vampires!” Chase said, looking at Jack. “I knew it!”

“Whoa, hey, just because Schneep’s a vamp doesn’t mean I am too,” Jackie said. “I’m the exact opposite, in fact!”

“A werewolf?!” Chase asked, half-joking, half-serious.

“Yep!” Jackie smiled. “In the flesh!”

Schneep rolled his eyes. “Those stupid books convincing everyone that werewolves and vampires are ‘opposites’ or ‘enemies.’ That idea was not around before they were! We have more in common than not. Some vampires can even turn into wolves as well!”

Chase lets out an involuntary squeak. Luckily, it seemed like Jackie and Schneep couldn’t hear that. He didn’t expect to be right! But he quickly cleared his throat. “So... what about this last friend? Marvin?”

“Marvin’s a witch,” Jackie explained.

“Are witches... human?”

“Uh—they start out as human!” Jackie said. “And their DNA is still human and stuff. But once they start learning magic... I dunno, something shifts slightly. If they learn enough of it they become like... human plus. Like a superhero or something! Like, Spider-Man can do things regular people can’t, you know? He’s more durable. Witches are also more durable. Does this make sense?”

Chase nodded slowly. 

“Hey, your head became really solid right now!” Jackie said encouragingly.

“Are we alright with talking without him?” Henrik asked.

“It’s fine, we’re not going to start any activities or anything, just talk for a bit,” Jack said. “I was thinking we could play some video games or something eventually, if you guys wanted. And Chase can get to know you guys while you answer questions about all the supernatural stuff.”

“Cool.” Jackie nodded. “Alright, Chase. Ask away. You’ve got to have a million questions.”

Chase laughed. “I do, but honestly, I’m having a hard time coming up with them right now. It’s just... so weird. I-I can’t really believe it. But I mean... I’m a fucking ghost. You’d think I’d be used to strange things like this by now.”

Schneep chuckled. “Well, it can be very difficult to get used to things like this. Trust me, the two of us have been where you are now before.”

“Well not exactly,” Jackie corrected. “We’re still alive—oh fuck I shouldn’t say it like that, should I? That’s so insensitive, I’m so sorry.”

Chase laughed. “No no, i-it’s fine, rip the bandaid off. I know I’m not... uh, not going back. But... at least Jack says I’m a strong ghost?”

“Oh yes, you are.” Schneep nodded. “I have only met one ghost before, and you are clearly different than she was.”

“When did you meet a ghost?” Jackie asked, interested.

“It was when I first came to England. The house we moved into was haunted. It was a bit unnerving to see the ghost, but it was the first time I realized that there was more to this supernatural world than just the vampires.”

“Yeah um so—vampires.” Chase nodded slowly. “What’s... what’s the deal with them?”

Schneep laughed. “You will have to be a bit more specific, there are a lot of ‘deals’ with vamps.”

“A-are you, um...” Chase cleared his throat, even though he didn’t actually feel anything in there. “Are you... really... old?”

Jack walked around to sit on the sofa, pushing Jackie’s legs aside for space. “Actually Schneep is pretty young by vampire standards.”

“I am forty-five years old,” Schneep said. “And for fifteen of those years, I have been a vampire.”

“I’m thirty.” Jackie raised a hand. “I don’t age weirdly or anything. Well... there’s a slightly longer life expectancy. But that’s just for old age and stuff, it doesn’t include accidents or any other cause of death. I think with those included the life expectancies for wolves and everydays even out.”

“I, uh... I see.” Chase nodded. “Life expectancies. Huh.”

“Oh shit was that another thing I shouldn’t have said?!” Jackie gasped.

Chase laughed. “No, no, you’re fine! It really doesn’t bother me!” He looked at Schneep. “But uh... so. Vampires... live forever?”

“In the most technical sense of the word,” Schneep said slowly. “I do not know if you can count vampirism as a form of being alive. We consume, but we do not grow. Does that count as life?”

“You’re alive enough to annoy people, bitch,” Jack said teasingly.

“Ha!” Schneep barked out a laugh. “That is true, that is true. But, ah, yes, essentially that is it, Chase. Vampires will live until they are killed by other means.”

“By like... garlic and sunlight and stuff?” Chase asked hesitantly. Is it appropriate to ask someone what will kill them?

“Garlic has no effect,” Schneep chuckled. “The bulbs, at least. The blossoms are an ingredient for a sort of repellant. But sunlight—well, that is a different case. It does more damage to a vampire as they become older. At my age, I could last a day in the sunlight, though it would be terribly painful and I would not be in good shape by the time sunset came around. But as you get older, you become more sensitive, until eventually even a single second of direct sun will turn you to dust. But you must be very old for that to happen. Well over five centuries, I believe. But I have not met a vampire that old so do not take me at my word.”

“...huh.” Chase nodded slowly. “So... wooden stakes?”

“It has to be a special kind of wood,” Schneep said. “And directly to the heart. Here, let me run down the myths for you. Religious symbols do not work. Silver does work, though it hurts werewolves much more.” Jackie made a face. “Beheading does not kill a vampire but it will cause them to go completely limp until the head is reunited with the body. Fire works but it is no more effective than it is for a human. Lack of blood will kill a vampire eventually, but we will go into a mindless frenzy first. You do not want to be near a frenzied vampire.”

“And... mirrors?” Chase asked. “Do you show up in them?”

“Yes, most of them,” Schneep said. “Not in ones with silver backing. For the same reason, we will show up on digital cameras, but not old-fashioned silver film.”

“Interesting...” Chase said. “Do... do werewolves have weaknesses?”

“Not as many as vamps do.” Jackie gave Schneep a smug little look. “In fact we’re pretty tough! Definitely tougher than a normal non-magical wolf, in either form. But we do have that big silver weakness. Can’t even touch the stuff. Luckily you’re not going to find a lot of silver in places unless you’re like... a jeweler or a technician of some sort. God, imagine being in one of those lines of work, then you get changed. That’d fucking suck.”

“Yeah,” Chase said. “So, uh... h-how does one... become a werewolf? Or a... vampire? Do you just get bitten?”

“That’s how it works for werewolves,” Jackie said. “You have to get bitten on the full moon. For me, it happened in uni. I was walking to the bus stop after work, going to take it back to campus, when all of a sudden this huge fucking wolf appeared and bit me! I had to call the hospital to come get me because I immediately didn’t feel good—that’s the first sign, you feel dizzy right away. Easy to mistake for shock or blood loss. For the next month, things will feel weirder and weirder, and then you transform on the next full moon and boom! Werewolf forever. Becoming a vampire is a bit more elaborate, though. Right, Schneep?”

Chase looked at Schneep. “Yeah, uh, what’s that mean?”

“Well...” Schneep leaned back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Let’s say that becoming a vampire accidentally is much rarer than becoming a werewolf accidentally. First, you must be drained of most of your blood, to the brink of death. Usually this is done when a maker vampire drinks most of it, but you can bleed out by any methods. Then, before you die, you must have vampire blood in you. Again, traditionally a maker vampire will feed that to you, but it can also be injected through a needle.”

“A... ‘maker’ vampire,” Chase repeated. “Is that a special type of vampire or something?”

“No no, that is—The vampire who gives you their blood is your maker,” Schneep explained. “Any vampire can make another.”

“Oh. I’ve heard the word ‘sire’ used a lot in vampire media.”

“That’s a human invention,” Schneep dismissed. “‘Maker’ has been used for far longer. There are some vampires who will get mad if you use sire.”

“Vamps put a lot of stock in tradition,” Jack explained.

“Because they’re all old,” Jackie added.

Chase laughed. “Uh—so, keep going, Schneep. You need to have vampire blood in you, then what?”

“Then you... well, it looks as though you die,” Schneep said. “But really your body only enters a pretend-death state, in which your body and brain do not work but your soul is still there. This state will last for thirteen days. In this state, you must spend a full day, sunrise to sunset, enclosed.”

“Enclosed?” Chase repeated, confused.

“The coffin or casket is traditional, but it could be in any box, or buried in the earth, or even wrapped up tightly enough in blankets or a bag. If you are not enclosed in time, you will simply die as your soul leaves your body. If you are enclosed in time, you will awaken at sunset as a vampire, fighting out of the enclosure to search for blood.”

Chase tried not to shudder. He failed.

Schneep nodded. “It is a... upsetting moment, when you first wake up after being made. Even if you wanted to become a vampire, the differences are sudden and the new hunger is... not a good sensation.”

“See, I never understood this,” Chase said. “Why would anyone want to be a vampire?”

Schneep shrugged. “To live forever. And some people think it is cool to be a creature of the night, but I don’t think those people really understand it.” He paused. “Ah, but do not misunderstand, I am happy being a vampire. Even if it was an unhappy start.”

“R-right. Of course.” Chase nodded. “Are you, uh... comfortable talking about how it happened?”

A pause. “Well, ah... I was thirty years old,” Schneep said slowly. “I was starting my hematology fellowship. That is the last step to become a hematologist—a blood doctor, basically. Though there are many doctors that work with blood—anyway. Th-there was an English woman working with me by the name of Elizabeth. I only saw her at night and she said it was because she had a sensitivity to sunlight. She even made jokes about being a vampire. But it turns out, the jokes were not so joking. I went to her house one night, and there—well. I was not expecting it.”

“...oh. O-okay.” Chase could tell there was more to the story, but he could also tell that Schneep didn’t want to share anything more than that. So he decided to drop it. “But you came to the UK eventually?”

“Yes, ten years ago. It was then I learned about the Night Councils.”

“The Night Councils? Are those like... the secret supernatural government?”

“Basically,” Jackie said. “There’s multiple of them scattered across the country, though they don’t cover everywhere. Each one is based in a city and keeps tabs on it and the surrounding smaller towns. The goal is to make sure everydays don’t find out about the shadow world.”

“But why?” Chase asked. “I never understood this in stories. Wouldn’t it be better if the normal people—the everydays—knew about supernatural stuff so they could defend themselves against it?”

“Well, uh...” Jackie coughed. “There are... already everyday groups dedicated to defending themselves against the supernatural.”

“Monster hunters,” Jack said.

“Monster hunters?!” Chase gasped. “I thought you said that those weren’t real!”

“I said that ghost hunters mostly weren’t real,” Jack corrected. “Monster hunting groups did exist, and do still exist. And they’re assholes.”

Schneep nodded. “There was one group in Germany, the Helsing Gruppe.”

“And there’s one in this area, too,” Jackie added. “The Brotherhood of the Iris. Usually we just call them the Iris. Luckily they haven’t caused any trouble in Scuabyrg, but there’s always a chance they’ll show up.”

“And... do what?” Chase asked nervously.

“Uh... bad stuff,” Jackie said slowly. “You know... hurt people. But even if monster hunters didn’t exist, I don’t trust the military with knowledge that you can make super-badass wolves by having one bite a person. Anyway! You didn’t ask me how I became a werewolf! Why’d you only ask Schneep, huh?”

Chase blinked, then laughed. “Well you sorta already explained it. You were walking back from work when you got attacked.”

“Well yeah, but there’s more to it!” Jackie said. “The next full moon, the wolf who bit me found me and apologized, then said ‘hey now that you’re a wolf anyway, wanna join our pack? So I did, but those guys were a bunch of assholes, so I left and moved back home to Scuabyrg, where I found a new pack!”

“So—werewolves form packs, then?” Chase asked.

“Mm-hm!” Jackie nodded. “Not really sure why. It’s just... easier to group together, I guess. I think it’s because becoming a werewolf really amps up your need for socializing.”

“Humans already pack bond with stuff all the time,” Jack laughed. But then he stopped. There was a buzz from his pocket. He reached in to take out his phone, scanning the notification that appeared. “Oh. Marvin says he’s gonna be busy tonight, guys.”

“Did he get a lot of customers at the shop?” Schneep asked.

“Not sure. He only said something came up.” Jack began texting. “I’m asking him if everything’s alright.”

“He can probably deal with it,” Jackie said, somewhat dismissively.

“Be nice, Jackie,” Schneep said. 

“I am! I’m just saying, he’s pretty powerful, he can probably deal with it.”

“So... do you not like this Marvin guy?” Chase asked carefully.

“No, I—that’s not exactly it,” Jackie said slowly. “He’s... he’s a good guy, really. Chill and fun. I like hanging out with him. But it’s just... his magic is weird. I’ve never smelled anything like it, and he refuses to explain it. Like, just tell me if it’s nature magic or emotion magic or what, at least.”

Chase stared at him. “You can smell magic?”

“Oh, uh... kind... of?” Jackie said slowly. “Werewolves have really good senses. I-I can’t really smell magic once it’s... out in the open, but witches have a magical scent to them. It’s different depending on where they draw their power from, and Marvin’s weird sour smell is... completely unique. He’s definitely the only witch in the city drawing from whatever that is.”

“...Drawing from...?” Chase repeated, confused.

“Ah, perhaps Marvin is better suited to explaining that part,” Schneep said.

“Marvin says he’s fine, by the way,” Jack reported. “Looks like something’s happening with a customer of his. I’ll give him the time.” He put his phone away. “Alright. So... video games?”

“Ooo what do you have on here?” Jackie asked. “Wait, can ghosts play video games?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Jack said. “Maybe. At the very least if we give Chase a controller he could practice pressing the buttons.”

“Oh, so I always wondered how this works,” Jackie said. “Chase, why can ghosts sometimes touch things but not always?”

“Well, uh...” As Chase answered Jackie’s question—as well as all the questions that followed, all of which Chase himself had asked Jack in the past—Jack went about setting things up. Soon, the console was up and running. “So what are you playing?” Chase asked.

“I was thinking Smash or some other fighting game,” Jack said.

“I do not think I’ve ever played the Smash games,” Schneep said slowly.

“Oh, I just know you’ll get into it, despite how you look like the sorta guy who’d never like any games ever,” Jackie said.

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

Chase laughed. “Yeah, no, I agree with Jackie. You look like you’d say ‘Calling Duty’ instead of ‘Call of Duty.’”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Schneep huffed, offended. “Alright, I will show you both how good I am at video games. Give me a controller.”

After that, it was amazing how normal the evening felt. Despite how different everyone was, they acted normal. Sure, Chase might not have been able to hold the controller for very long, much less press the buttons, but he was happy just watching. Jackie and Schneep soon got really competitive, while Chase and Jack made jokes.

...He hadn’t had an evening like this since he was in university. It was sad that it took him dying for something like this to happen again. 

But he tried not to think about that. And soon, he was able to forget all about the strangeness that surrounded him and have some fun for the first time in a long while.

[destieltropecollection]

DESTIEL TROPE COLLECTION 2023 | DAY 8 | Case Fic

I'll Always Come When You Call | @blessyourhondahurley

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1,960 Main Tags/Warnings: Established Castiel/Dean Winchester Summary: Cas takes a quick case with Garth that turns out to be not so quick. Dean comes in with the assist.

Blue Like Grace | @aaronthe8thdemon

Rating: Mature Word Count: 3,226 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Season/Series 08, Fake Marriage, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Winged Castiel (Supernatural), Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Interspecies Romance, Angel Marriage (Supernatural), Repressed Bisexual Dean Winchester Summary: Dean ain’t used to getting to “decorate” things. Decorations are usually shit for other people with normal lives. He’d see it on tv when he was younger, in shows people would put up streamers for their kids’ birthdays or whatever. And also in bars during holidays, those tacky shiny things hung on walls and from ceilings. But Dean’s never done it himself. Which means that Cas, right now, is driving him fucking insane.

Just Say It | @curlynerd

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 7,494 Main Tags/Warnings: Post-Canon Fix-It, Case Fic, Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Ghosts, Day At The Beach, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Finale doesn't exist, (weakened)Angel!Cas Summary: A string of violent deaths at an otherwise charming B&B was all the excuse Dean needed to drag Cas down to Florida for some fun in the sun. Things had been awkward since Cas came back from the Empty and they could finally be together, but Dean was sure that a romantic getaway was the perfect thing to help Cas get out of the training wheels stage of Angel's-First-Romance and start acting like a real couple. Just as soon as they took care of a vengeful spirit. What could possibly go wrong?

Jupiter's Rings | @notastupidbird

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 7,527 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Fallen Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Solo Hunter Dean Winchester, Hunters For Hire, Monsters are Known, Case Fic, Meet-Weird, POV Dean Winchester Summary: “No, this is perfect! I was just about to put up a notice today.” Dean stops packing up his stuff and rests an elbow on the table. “Yeah? What for?” The man gives a quick look around the diner and then leans in close. “I got an alien in my barn.” - + - In a world where supernatural encounters are a normal part of everyday life, Dean works alone as a hunter-for-hire. After wrapping up a case in rural Missouri, Dean is just about to hit the road again when a man stops him and asks for help dealing with something Dean's never heard of before — an alien. Never one to turn somebody away, Dean takes the case and finds out that he's in way over his head when he discovers just what this "alien" really is — a fallen angel.

This Angel Is Naturally And Artificially Flavored | @aaronthe8thdemon

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 7,687 Main Tags/Warnings: Angst and Humor, Explicit Sexual Content, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Undercover as a Couple, Case Fic, Canon Compliant, Autistic Castiel (Supernatural), Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Surprise Ending Summary: “I don’t understand,” Castiel interrupts. “If you don’t require my assistance, then why did she pray for me?” “Dean, if you go there yourself, nothing’s gonna get done,” Charlie says, clearly resuming some type of argument that was taking place before he arrived. “You can just go with me!” is Dean’s response. “It’s a gay club, you’re gay, it’ll totally work!” “Yeah, if what you’re going for is the world’s least convincing lavender marriage!”

Forest Fever | @amaranthhiding

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 8,586 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Universe, Post-Ep 12x10, Monster of the Week, Forests, Monster Hunt, Mystery (a little), Hallucinations, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Humor, First Kiss, Emotional Sex, Angel Grace, Dean POV, Sam POV, Dean/Cas Stab Fest 2022 Summary: After the crushing events of episode 12x10 "Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets", Castiel is low on grace and morale. In an attempt to restore at least one of these two, Sam and Dean take him on a hunt. Things start going wrong when Sam gets injured and Cas seemingly disappears. They get worse when Dean turns from hunter to prey for something feeling far more at home in this dark, rainy forest than he does.

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies | @ariasune

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 13,575 Main Tags/Warnings: Castiel's True Form, Deep Sea Horror, First Kiss, Season 8 Summary: "Look, Charlie thinks the Men of Letters have something that can help you actually, you know, find this monster.” “Good,” Dean licks at his thumb to get the last of the chicken salt clean. “Cause right now it seems like we’ve got a monster that’s some 20, 000 leagues under the sea…” He stops. “This isn’t some 20, 000 leagues shit is it?” “It’s a submarine, actually.” Fuck, that sounds like a yes.

A Midsummer Night's Dean | @payphoneangel

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 16,949 Main Tags/Warnings: Casefic, friends to lovers, love spells, love confessions, getting together, canon-typical violence, POV Dean Winchester, Summary: When an uncanny string of deaths lead TFW to California, they're pointed in the direction of a kitschy hotel with a reputation for being haunted. Will they discover what’s causing the love-sickness, or will their stay end in (deadly) heartbreak?

Stranded | @malicmalic

Rating: Mature Word Count: 27,980 Main Tags/Warnings: Deserted island, Case fic, Idiots in Love, Fluff and Angst, Crack, Funny situations, Competitions Summary: Prompt: Cas and Dean are hunting and they touch a portkey/ artifact that transports them somewhere warm and sunny/ place full of couples. Artefact also temporarily stops Cas from flying back so they have to muddle through an activity. Snorkeling, abseiling, anything out of the boys comfort zone. Or how Dean and Cas manage to get themselves into some funny and interesting situations while stranded on a deserted island that isn't really deserted at all.

Under My Skin | @whichstiel

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 39,596 Main Tags/Warnings: Curses, Fae and Faeries, Fungus, Sex magic, Body horror Summary: Dean and Castiel head to a remote town in the Ozarks to investigate a series of mysterious deaths. In each case, the victim mutilates their own skin, gruesomely clawing at it until death stops their hands. They scramble for answers, trying to solve the case before more victims succumb. In this small town, the only motel room available means that they will be sharing a bed. They've never been more aware of each other, or the potential that lies between them. When they learn that an ancient sex magic ritual is the best way to stop the deaths? Well, somebody has to take one for the team.

Heart Shaped Box | @mittensmorgul

Rating: Mature Word Count: 43,504 Main Tags/Warnings: s15 fix it fic (human Cas, everyone lives), curses, references to past canon/trauma Summary: The bunker is full of dusty old artifacts. Only now that Chuck is out of the picture once and for all, and Cas is fully restored from the empty and in his first days of adjusting to humanity in Dean’s debatable care, does Sam really have a chance to start sorting through it all. The ornate little box he finds feels like the perfect gift for Eileen, but he both wants Cas to feel included and needed, and really wants a strong second opinion on anything in the bunker being safe to give anyone as a gift. Cas declares it a perfectly normal box, until Dean reaches out to give it his own inspection, triggering a spell that will pull them through their own history and open a door to allow them the time and space to settle all the open questions between them. Meanwhile back in the bunker, once the explosion of light resolves, Sam is left with a slightly radioactive looking box and the sinking terror that Dean and Cas had been cursed all because of him. A little trip down memory lane, Supernatural style, ensues.

Lonely Is The Night | @trenchcoatparadigm

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 50,420 Main Tags/Warnings: Prostitution, During Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Monster of the Week, Season/Series 09, First Kiss, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut Summary: “Listen, buddy. You can’t stay.” Five little words that had sent Castiel’s whole world crumbling down around him. What would he do? Where would he go? How would he survive now that he was human? That had been nearly 2 years ago. He did what he needed to get by. Had a roof over his head, just about. Minimal food in his belly, enough to keep him alive at least. And money in his pocket. Dirty, filthy money he earned by offering himself up to people that did unspeakable, sinful things to him. Once an angel of the lord, now left to lurking on street corners, hoping someone would give him the time of day just so he could stay alive. Whispers of disappearances had been rife through 5th street. But when familiar faces start vanishing, Castiel isn’t sure if people were leaving out of fear or something worse. Just when everything seemed its bleakest there was a tiny glimmer of hope, pinging brightly off chrome alloys and glossy black paintwork. The rumbling beast cruising through his neighbourhood, by his corner. He never thought he’d see that car again. The Winchester brothers brought to the city on a new case. A new case that sat a little too close to home.

[captainpangolin]

Anyone else think it's weird that only like half the ghosts in bbc ghosts have spooky powers? Like okay I get it, and I know they don't need to have powers, and this isn't really a criticism, I just think it'd be... neat, y'know?

Honestly tbh it's one of the few things I almost prefer about the cbs version - I like how they expand the lore and give almost all the ghosts powers, it makes things interesting. Trevor and Julian can move things a bit, Thor and Robin can fiddle with the electricity, Mary smells like smoke, Flower gets you high, Fanny can be seen in photos, Isaac smells like dysentery, Alberta can be heard singing, Hetty's husband makes you horny, and Rebecca Wisocky has implied Hetty has a power different to the one the other ghosts thought she had (sending people to hell), so there seems to be an expectation that each ghost in the US version has a power/ability even though not all of em have been revealed yet (i.e. Sasappis, Pete, Crash, and ofc Hetty). And it's the expectation of powers that makes me think it'll be all of them having one as the show goes on. Only 3 of the core cast of 8 ghosts (not including Crash, he's even less relevant than my guy Humphrey) do not have CONFIRMED supernatural abilities. Compared to BBC Ghosts, it's definitely a bit different.

I'm reminded by what Nigel said about Isaac's power - that he still has an effect on the living world from beyond the grave. So it kinda saddens me more than anything that the other 5 ghosts don't have anything like that, yk?

I just-- wouldn't it be cool, and hear me out, if the other British ghosts could do something in that way? Like okay I think it was kingofthefrog's Ghost Swap AU (it's on ao3 and plot bunnies on tumblr) suggested that Kitty can be heard with a spirit box? That's genius. Kinda like Alberta's thing where her singing can be heard and Alexa hears her. I'm not a very creative person, but what if the other ghosts are walked through and it makes the living person feel a certain way or they have an unusual reaction? For example, Kitty walks through someone and they get the giggles and/or dance fever, or it's Thomas and they're suddenly depressed and/or romantic and/or Scottish, or it's Captain and they get butterflies in their stomach/they get all lovesick or their heart starts hammering and/or they're really anxious or get the sudden urge to listen to Kylie Minogue, or it's Humphrey and their neck hurts real bad and the Marseilleise is stuck in their head. Some of those I'm kinda joking but I just think it'd be neat, okay?

Let them have some nifty and/or stupid ghosts powers pls it would be so awesome it would be so cool etc etc

(I mean, BBC Ghosts is ofc over, so... it's not happening. In canon. 😈)