#the language barrier will not stop them they are too powerful

[n0isaac]

One of my most favourite things I’ve drawn ever I love u splatoon I love u tf2

[kizzer55555]

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

[sugudoe]

❛ 𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 愛 𓈒ㅤׂㅤ 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗿𝘂

✶ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: never one to trust old men in high positions, you decide to follow your guts and track down your best friend to question him on the rumors. what you didn’t expected was to be forced to sit in a small chair and play tea party with two little girls.

✶ 𝐚. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: it took me two days to write this, i’m super sick, but i love geto. i also really need to make a masterlist, but i don’t know how to make the link with the name, pls help sos. also reader’s domain name is embarrassing pls ignore it, i’m not good with names. english is not my first language. 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓: reader’s cursed technique is basically ‘enhanced’, anything they do is 100x more, and it’s heavenly influenced by their emotions, mostly anger and another one very special.

✶ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: friends to lovers, mostly fluff but has a bit of angst, mentions of murder, blood, violence, reader has no gender specified except one part where they are called ‘Queen’ but you can read as you please. reader is a special grade sorcerer. suggestive theme at the end. happy ending.

✶ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 4.8k

You know the Higher Ups can sense the aggressiveness in your aura. Even behind their so called protection nothing could stop you from slicing them with your bare hands, the thought of that ignites your energy. Behind you, someone gasp.

“I’m going to be gentle and kindly suppose this energy you are emitting comes from your anger towards the criminal Geto Suguru.” A male old voice makes itself present.

“If you want to believe that, then be my guest.” You answer in a heartbeat. Principal Yaga is by your side, that was supposed to be his reunion, but when you heard the talk would be about your best friend, Geto Suguru, you barged in the room before Masamichi.

“You are not supposed to be here, insolent girl.” Another voice, still old and male, speaks to you. You roll your eyes and snicker at it.

“You are talking about an important Special Grade Sorcerer, and I know this talk will reach me eventually. If it is true what you say, is either me or Gojo Satoru you will be sending to try to kill him.” Yaga sighs at your answer, but does not stop you.

“What we say? Haven’t you know? Haven’t you seen the pictures?” The first person ask, voice shaking in anger. “Geto Suguru is a monster who needs to be exterminated, he annihilated a whole village and we have prove to believe his own parents as well.”

“We will not send you, L/n Y/n, for your insolence.” A third leader speaks, much calm and colder than the others. “There will be no such thing as try to kill him, Geto Suguru is certain to die. You and Gojo Satoru may be special graders as well, but your loyalty is stained with the blood of those innocents. Someone else will do the job.”

Principal Yaga’s hand reached your back, you turned to him hesitant, you see his head pointing to the doors outside telling you your time here was over.

You moved faster than anyone could see, leaving the school grounds in mere seconds, you reached the forest and let your anger dissipate in the form of a scream, so loud and so yourself, a barrier was created leaving your throat and splitting the trees in front of you.

“Your cursed technique never fails to amaze me, Y/n.” Gojo appeared behind you, his hands falling from his ears. “Unconditionally, huh? Everything you do, you do majestically. Run, scream, jump, punch…”

“Shut up, Satoru.” The tall boy laughed at that.

“I wonder if it works for all your emotions, don’t you?” Gojo circled you, much like a predator ready to strike. “Your anger is your strong point, am I right?” He doesn’t wait for your answer. “Whenever you are angry, you could break Tokyo with just one punch to the floor.”

“Where are you trying to get with that, Gojo?” It had been too long since the last time you addressed your friend as that, your squeezed your eyes at him, but the boy was unfazed.

“Don’t you think the oldest, most powerful emotion in humanity could change you? Transform you into something more dangerous?” He stops in front of you.

“What could possibly be more strong than anger?”

“It’s, obviously, love. I can feel it in your aura the amount of love you have for Suguru.” Gojo says nonchalant, making you question if you heard right.

“What…”

“He is my best friend as well, Y/n.” The white haired interrupts you. “And I love him enough to want to go after him, but for some reason I can’t. I’m afraid I’ll see something terrible, sense the reality, and try to kill him.” Gojo takes your hand in his. “I don’t think I can kill him, but the thought of trying scares me. I can’t lose him, and neither can you.”

“What do you mean by all that, Satoru?” Your whisper barely reached Gojo.

“If it comes to meeting him, you should do it. Your love for him could be either his salvation or we lose you to him, but I don’t think you would mind that, would you?”

“You think he did it?”

“I don’t want to think.”

A week after that weird conversation, Gojo, Shoko and you had been meeting more than normal in private spaces. For the unknown eye, the three of you are just friends catching up after the loss of the fourth party. But in the reality of your room, Shoko has been using her secret weapon to make Gojo’s plan work — her messages with Geto Suguru about you, cute and overly sweet.

“I don’t like this. I don’t get this!” You mumble on your cat plush, a gift Geto gave you. Your whole face is pink and your lips are numb for the amount of time you have bitten it.

“I don’t get it either. She already loves him too much, no need for this torture.” Shoko laughs at your embarrassed state, when she turns to Gojo, the girl scrunches her eyebrows. “What is it, weirdo?”

You turn to look at Gojo and he is intensely staring at you, which makes you feel uncomfortable, and a little scared.

“You can’t feel it?” He simply ask.

“Feel what?” Taking the pillow from under you, you hug it tight to your chest.

“Feel Geto.” Gojo whisper. “Can’t you sense where he is?”

“How on earth would she be able to do that, Satoru?” Shoko mumbles before grabbing her cigarette and moving towards the window. Unfortunately Ieiri is in Gojo’s presence, and the boy follows her quickly to complain about the smell.

You turn your face down to meet the fluffy cat under you, it’s quite ugly but lovely behind its weird black shaggy tissue. Geto had given it to you after one of your first missions together, he took you to a fair and got you the little fella you kindly named ‘Catoru’.

In your heart you could sense the connection to the ugly thing, linking a string that connected your core to its own, and if you turned down the sound of Shoko and Gojo’s bickering, you could feel a third presence in it. You wondered silently if Satoru was right and your so called love for Geto could create this bridge between the two of you, enough that you could sense him anywhere he was. Could Suguru feel you too?

You tried to focus on that silver string that laced both your heart and the plush, closing your eyes you scanned the deepest part of your soul, of your technique, that you had never been knowledgeable about. It was only in what seemed hours later, you opened your eyes with goosebumps all over you.

You turned back, seeing Gojo and Shoko still arguing — it had only been a few seconds. Maybe you were stronger when it came to fondness, love.

You took some days practicing this new technique and also to make sure Geto was still in the same place, not moving around like the criminal everyone thought of him. If he was still that meant he was innocent, right? It had to be.

Gojo barged into your room on the fourth day, his breath unhinged. You jump out of the bed in a second.

“They already send someone!” You stared at your friend with confusion all over your face. “This Grade One from Russia, they said he will become a Special Grade if he kills Geto. He is strong, I could feel him all across the campus.”

Gojo didn’t stop you when you moved to your bathroom and returned with your uniform. You turned to him, who was now sitting on your bed and hugged his shoulders.

“If this is the last time, you need to know you are my best friend as well. And we may fight a lot, but I would burn this world for you.” You let Gojo go and move towards your door, he stays petrified at the ideia of losing you and Geto. “Tell Shoko I love her as well.”

You leave so quickly, lifting dust from the floor and creating a warm breeze that kisses Satoru’s cheeks and tears.

It takes your half an hour to reach the other string — the location Suguru is. And you find him almost instantly, in the garden of the temple he has settled, he uses traditional clothes and his hair is half up and down. You are taken back by his new look, but mostly by the fact he is fighting the russian sorcerer, and he does seems to be nearly losing.

One of Suguru’s curses launches at the unknown male, and that’s the moment your friend notices you. By the look of his face, he was normal, but his hands instantly trembled in your presence. You start to walk towards him, but the foreigner appears again, his sword nearly slashing Geto’s arm off.

You can feel fear creeping your veins, and it’s not good — Fear makes you weak, but how to avoid it when the man you hold so dearly is fighting a life and death battle?

“I wouldn’t oppose to a little help, sweetheart.” Geto’s voice snapped not only you, but the russian, he punches Suguru, who falls, and turns to you.

“They warned me about you.” He says with a thick accent, pointing his sword in your direction. “They gave me the green light to kill you if you come here. So be patient, love. I’m right at you, gotta end this one first.”

You are disgusted by him, but the way he says “Love” reminds you of your mission, and so you look at Geto, who is already staring at you. He simply smiles, and that turns into fuel for your next movements.

It’s like sliding through water, in a quick second you are behind the foreigner. He turns to you startled, and Geto uses the opportunity to move inside the temple. Before the man can do anything, you punch him in his face, and during his dazed state you move your hands, making your signal.

“Domain expension, Unconditional Disaster.”

It’s not long before you come inside the temple, blood drips from your head to your toes, but you are unharmed. Geto knows this, but he can’t help himself and lunges at you, holding your wet face and searching for any bruises, as if him himself isn’t scattered with some.

“My savior.” Geto laughs quietly, and you can’t help but mimic him. He takes you by your shoulder, tainting his robes, he moves with you to somewhere you don’t care to know. You are in his arms and that’s the place you were meant to be. You wonder if Gojo was right, would you trade anything for Suguru?

Inside an ancient decorated room, Geto grabs a pair of clothes you could only guess belongs to him, he takes your hand and you follow him into the bathroom. He doesn’t say anything when he turns the water to cold, as you have always enjoyed.

During the shower, you can’t help but wonder what is going to happen now. Would another sorcerer be sent to kill you and Geto? Would it be Gojo? He wouldn’t do it, you knew that. A part of you was growing accepting your place besides Suguru, maybe Satoru and Shoko, even Nanami, could come as well, you all would be happy.

You left the bathroom already dressed with Geto’s black sweater and pants, while drying your hair you notice Suguru is not there, and also the eerie feeling the whole building has, with that you hold the towel with a bit of strength, before returning it back to the bathroom. You move towards the door, needing to find Suguru like your life depended on this, but before you reach the door pain shoots through your feet.

“Argh! What the hell…?!”

You turn to look down, and what you would expect to be a knife, turns into a mini lego castle, now dismembered. You scrunch your eyebrows, turning your attention from the toy to the room, you start to notice how Suguru’s room is splattered with a couple of children’s plaything. On the wall next to you there is a mini wooden kitchen, with an equally small dinning table. To your other side, near the bed, a fortress made with blankets, massive pillows and fairy lights, there is also an immense amount of animal plushies. Was Suguru trying to heal his inner child or something?

“Getou-sama!” A high pitched voice comes from behind the door, you jump frightened and for the second time, you land on the lego, now breaking it, a few swear words scape your mouth. “What was that? It’s that his girlfriend, Mimiko?” You don’t hear an answer to that. “Hey lady, can we go inside, pretty pretty prettyyyyyy please?”

“Nanako! Getou-sama told us to let her alone.” The second voice, much more calmer interrupts the first girl.

You bite your lips trying to contain a laugh, especially when you notice the doorknob being shaken. If you could guess, the little girl is trying to open but her height doesn’t help. You sigh, grabbing the broken toy near your feet, dropping in a box near the door and with a slow movement, you open it.

“Oh, you are prettier than Getou-sama described.” The blond girl says as soon as she sees you.

She doesn’t wait for your reaction, quickly grabbing the other’s hand and moving both of them inside the room. You turn to her, but keep still at the door, waiting for maybe Suguru to come in and address what is this.

“Come on, please. I want to have tea with you.” You can guess by her voice and direct personality that she is Nanako. She lefts her friend by the small kitchen and comes to you, closing the door behind and grabbing your hands, she moves both of you towards the dinning table, where she makes you sit. You don’t tell her you are uncomfortable sitting on the extremely small chair, but you can bet she wouldn’t care.

While you are fidgeting in your seat, both Mimiko and Nanako are playing pretend with the fake food in the kitchen. You take the opportunity to stare silently at them. Nanako is, obviously stated before by herself, the extroverted one. The girl keeps glancing at you from time to time, giving you either cute smiles or funny faces, to which you start to return back and she laughs sweetly. Mimiko, you could tell since the beginning, is more shy. The dark haired keeps her head down, she steals some glances at you, but when she notices you are looking, she goes back to her play with crimson cheeks.

“What pie do you want?” Mimiko asks with a slight tremble in her voice. The child comes to you with a plate decorated with wooden pies, you pretend to be inspecting each-one.

“What is your favorite?” Your question takes her by surprise. The plate starts to shake a bit but in her lips a small smile is forming.

“The blueberry one.” Mimiko whispers, pointing with her small finger the one of her choice.

“Then I want that one.”

The girl goes back to the kitchen, putting your ‘desert’ on a pink plate. Nanako turns to you with an also pink teacup.

“Then can you have my favorite tea?” Her pretty brown eyes stare at you like a sad puppy, you know she is trying to make you fall for her, and you do within a second, nodding your head.

When your tea and pie is in front of you, the girls fix their own plates and take a seat on the chairs by either side of you, Nanako specially moving hers closer to you.

“Gerou-sama talks about you a lot.” Nanako says while pretending to eat her raspberry pie, she ‘cleans’ the side of her mouth before looking at you. “Mimiko and I have been begging to meet you. He told us you needed to rest, but I think a tea party is the best way to rest.”

“I agree with you, honey.” The girl smiles at you. “And where is Geto?”

“We waited ‘till he was in the shower.” Mimiko answers you, less shy now. You can’t help but laugh with how sneaky both of them are.

“What does Geto talks about me?” You grab your teacup, raising your little finger like Nanako told you to, and pretend to sip on it.

“He talks about how strong you are, stronger than anyone he had ever met.” Is Nanako who answers you, and Mimiko nods. “Getou-sama also says you are his best friend in the whole world… Well, now he says we are his best friends as well. That’s why we wanted to meet you, the four of us can be good friends, right?”

“Yeah, we are going to be the bestest of friends.” Nanako smiles at that.

“He…” Mimiko starts but pause when you turn to her, you smile encouraging. “He also says he likes you a lot.” The little girl whisper, with her small hands on her mouth. “Do you also like Getou-sama?”

Before you can answer, there is a knock on the door and soon it’s opened by none other than Suguru. Long gone is his traditional clothing, now he wears something identical to you, a large pastel pink sweater with sweatpants. His hair is in his famous bun with his charming bang decorating his pretty face. Suguru’s eyes find you instantly, before catching two little girls who are running out of their seats to try to hide behind you, giggling loud.

“Hm.” Geto simple hums, before closing the door and moving toward you, and you bite your lips to avoid laughing. “You know, Y/n, I was going to introduce you to two little sisters I met a while ago, but I couldn’t find them. You haven’t seen them around, have you?”

“Oh, I haven’t, I’m just here by myself having an one person tea party.” You hear two small laughs after your answer.

“Then why is there two extra plates?” Geto sits in the chair in front of you, in his lips is a large smile you haven’t seen in a long time. You are wonderstruck for a moment, before blinking your eyes and staring at the girl’s plates.

“I was very hungry.” At that, Mimiko and Nanako can’t help but laugh louder, coming out of their hidden spot and tackling Suguru with hugs. He closes his eyes and hold the girls in both his arms. Staring at them, you feel your chest warming with a good feeling, he was still your charming Geto.

For some time, the four of you spend the tea play pretending to delight in the fake food, laughing at Suguru’s imitation of a monarch and addressing both Nanako and Mimiko as princess.

“If Getou-sama is the King, then that means Y/n-sama is his Queen?” Mimiko asks after some time, taking you by surprise.

“Hm, I don’t know. Why would that be?” Suguru turns to the little girl who shrugs her shoulders.

“Well, of course, Mimi!” Nanako answers her sister. “Can’t you see?”

“See what, Nanako?” You catch yourself asking.

“You guys are best friends who love each-other, it’s clear as crystal.” The girl get up from her chair and sits on your lap. You pat her little head and stares at her, avoiding Suguru’s eyes, but you can sense he is focusing on you.

“I think it’s time to go to sleep, girls.” Suguru gets up slowly, when you look at him he is picking Mimiko in his arms. “Don’t even try to give me your puppy eyes, Nanako. I’m avoiding them.”

“But…” Pouting, the girl shifts in your lap, hugging your body and staring at you. Damn, she does have puppy eyes that make you want to give her anything. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetie. I’ll be here in the morning.” You shouldn’t have said that, what if Suguru is only opening his house for you for today. You look at him worried, but sighs when see his beautiful contempt smile. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Nanako smiles triumphantly, before getting off your lap with a quick kiss to your cheeks, you get up as well and move towards Geto, before you can do anything, Mimiko also kisses your cheek, hers again burning pink.

“Thank you for coming back to Getou-sama.” The girl quietly says, and you pat her head while she hides her shy face in Suguru’s chest. Nanako grabs the man hands and the three of them leave the room, with the girls waving you goodbye.

You turn to the toys around the room and start to clean the dinning table and fix the little mess, trying to occupy your mind from the persistent question: would Geto come back? You hoped so, you wanted to question him on the rumors, but could you possibly do it? You moved towards the bed and sat on it, looking at your hands and remembering the amount of blood you had in it just a couple hours ago — did the same happened to Suguru? Would you still be by his side if it was true?

The door opens a moment later and Geto moves your way so quick, like both of you are magnets. He sits by your side and takes one of your hand in his, his breathing is calm but a part of you can sense the turmoil of his heart.

“How did you knew where I was?” It’s the first thing he says you, his eyes are focused on your tangled hands. “That I needed you? The moment I started to lose that fight, can you believe I prayed for you? And you came.”

“I’ll always come to you, Suguru.” You whisper back, catching his face with your other hand and making he look at you, there is a yellow bruise on his cheek that has your heart breaking. “I knew where you were for some time. Gojo helped me with this… Honestly, I don’t know what it is, there is a connection between you and me, and I followed it to you.”

Geto uses his free hand to caress the one you have on his face, he closes his eyes as if he was finally in peace.

“You want to know the truth, right?” You nod, he doesn’t open his eyes but you know he can sense you do. “I did it.” It’s a quiet confession that has your core shaking. “I went to that village, killed the curse and had to swallow it, the same thing over and over. The monkeys… The non-sorceress took me with them to an abandoned house, leading me to a makeshift cell where there were two sisters, little girls, so beaten their eyes were closed and bruised, their whole body was covered in bruises.” You gasp when you realize Suguru is talking about Mimiko and Nanako. “They have cursed energy, but they didn’t do it, I killed what was tormenting that village and still they were blaming the girls. How could they be so cruel and terrible to defenseless creatures?”

Geto catch his breath before letting go of your hand on his cheeks, he sighs when you remove your hand and his eyes open, moving to the ceiling. You know he wants to cry, that he is frustrate and sad.

“They told me, demanded me, to kill the girls. I couldn’t do it, Y/n, it’s not in my nature, y’know that.” You nod, squeezing his hand. You wouldn’t have killed the girls if you were in his place, but would you have killed the humans? “So, I took the non-sorceress outside and told them everything was fine, the girls were innocent. I begged to take them with me, the assholes wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore. And guess what? They denied me of it, although the girls are orphans, they wanted them for themselves. I was going to open that prison with my bare hands and take Mimiko and Nanako whether they wanted or not. But when I turned back to the house, a man said he would kill the girls himself, and the others agreed.”

You closed your eyes, already knowing how the story ended. Catching your breath, you move your head towards Geto’s chest, and he hugs you instantly.

“What…” You voice is trembling. “What about your parents?”

“I explained to them what happened, but they are non-sorceress, they didn’t understood. Humans are selfish and only trust themselves, they believed the villagers, even when they saw the girls covered in bruised, limpering. I sometimes regret it, but I was so angry, I snapped.”

Suguru’s arms hold you tighter, you could sense the fear he was having right now. After all, he had dropped all his cards at the table, the truth of his murderer nature in front of you, bleeding honesty and terror. You raised your face from his chest and stared at him, the tears shinning his purple eyes fixated on you, only you.

“You can go, if you want.” He says after some time, pain evident in his voice. “Go back to the school, tell them what happened. You can even give them my head if you want.” It hurts your heart that he thinks that of you. But should you do it? Leave Geto, go back to the High Ups and a world of fighting battles against curses, to be killed and replaced by a younger version who will follow your steps, dying as well.

“I want to stay.” You say minutes later. “I want to stay with you, with Nanako and Mimiko. If you would have me.”

Geto’s hands move to your face, staring at your eyes in search for uncertain, for maybe a lie, you can’t tell. You stare at him back with love, after all Gojo was right, you love Suguru more than anything, and have always loved him. From the first day you met each-other, especially right now, where the reality of this cruel life shifted everything you knew. There was no questioning if this decision you made was right, you couldn’t go back to the school after this, your place was by Geto’s side, had always been.

Suguru caress your cheeks, a beaming smile forming on his perfect lips, he touches your forehead with his and the two of you close your eyes. In that moment, you feel his lips on yours, and you don��t take a second to answer his movements, letting his tongue slips in your mouth and his hands fall into your tights, bringing you to his lap. Geto Suguru kisses like a starving man, starving for your love and affection you grant to him so easily, he whimpers under you.

You let his kisses fall to your neck and chest, goosebumps sure to follow, you let Geto be devoted to you like the a deity he worships. He holds you so close, afraid you might disappear somehow, slipping through his fingers. But you don’t, you bring Suguru to your embrace with the same strength he shows you.

That night you know your life changed forever, and maybe the old men with unknown faces and strong powers might send a thousand soldiers to try and kill you, but with Suguru by your side no one could touch you. After all, the ancient and strongest feeling on earth, Love, was the fuel for your powers. And love was with you, in the bed and tangling sheets, love was also in the room next door, sleeping with teddy bears. It was at the other side of Tokyo, white hair and cigarettes, in the future exchanging secrets letters and secret hangouts, even playdates with two more little loves.

You were surrounded by it, emerged in the pure essence. No High Up could come near you or your family, you would make sure of that.

⠀© packsvlog, 2024, 01 june.

[codenamesazanka]

rant. this was a vent in response to the final chapter, but the anime reaching the heteromorph riot arc got me all whiny again. embarrassingly personal.

On "Peaceful Resolutions" + general heteromorph riot arc stuff

When I was in elementary school - I forget what age - there was a snow day. Children love snow days. Me, my younger sibling, and my grandmother went outside to play. We wanted to use the neighborhood hill to sled. Unfortunately, it was already being used by some older kids. Middle schoolers only a few years older than me?

They didn't want to share the hill. So they pushed and shoved us. They threw snowballs at us. When I cried for them to stop, they laughed. When my grandmother, who didn't know English, who spoke only Chinese, yelled at them to stop, they laughed, and mocked her. "Ching chong ching chong." After that, no matter what me or my sibling said in English, they pretended not to understand and just kept chanting slurs. There is nothing more frustrating than screaming out your pain that you know people can hear and understand, and having it fall on deaf ears; more than that, your pain is enjoyment for them.

Was this discriminatory incident resolved peacefully? Well, me, my sibling, and my grandmother cut our snow day short and went home. Our retreat was 'peaceful', but I guess the incident wasn't exactly resolved.

Would attacking them back helped? No, of course not. (And not that we could. We were two elementary kids and an elderly woman. Understand that bullies nearly always purposefully target those weaker than them, ones who can't fight back without negative consequences.) Indeed, things would've just escalated. But we didn't want to retaliate. We didn't want revenge. We just wanted them to stop.

Did we do anything about it? No, it was just some kids being mean. A very minor thing (even as the incident, only one among others, continues to destroy our perception that this neighborhood was ever safe for us, truly our home. But my town had an active neo-nazi gang that liked to vandalize houses and slip posters into newspapers, so it was never going to be safe.) We didn't know our neighbors well because of language barriers, because we stood out as a Chinese family in a largely white neighborhood and people didn't talk to us much either. We wouldn't know how to alert the parents of these kids. And we thought, even if we did complain - a non-violent method of action - they might just find us annoying. They might hate us more. What if the language barrier leads to more confusion and conflict? We didn't want to risk it. We kept our heads down and let the incident go. My family became more reluctant to go out, to let me and my sibling outside to play. We maintained the peace.

Understand that it doesn't really matter what an discriminated minority does to resist discrimination - the perpetrator can find any act of resistance inappropriate. That is their prerogative by being in the position of power.

Shoji saved a girl, gave the community peace by preventing them from having to grieve her death. His village then bashed his face with a hoe for daring to resist and break the norms of the village, for daring to touch the girl to save her life.

A third party, of course, can come and resolve the incident by de-escalating everything. But for my incident, it was not me that this third party needed to stop. We did not engage in violence. It was the older kids. And had I retaliated - idk how, as a child; tackle them? - to protect my grandmother, my younger sibling - that would be self defense, likely because I wanted the bullying to stop and had to resort to violence when nothing else worked; because I feared the violence they were about to do to us more than my fear and reluctance to engage in violence in the first place. Maybe self-defense is too strong a word here for schoolyard bullying, but the principle is the same.

(It wasn't just schoolyard bullying, obviously. There were other incidents, from when I was younger, when I'm much older. This incident is one that I feel is less revealing/personal/vulnerable to tell.)

There was no peace in that incident that wasn't broken by the perpetrator to begin with. Not that the peace was peaceful for us in the first place. Bringing about true peace is solely on stopping the perpetrator, and ultimately on dealing with the root cause.

“Discriminatory incident” is so vague. An incident can be anything. “Peaceful Resolution” implies responsibility on all parties. What we're told isn't 'Shoji stops the bigots nonviolently'. (Also: The bigots are afforded this. Villains must be put down with violence, but not the people throwing rocks and spraying pesticides on children. I'm of course of the opinion that violence shouldn't be used to stop bigots or Villains except as a last resort, but the manga has demonstrated that no Hero ever stopped a bigot using the same methods they use on Villains. Why is that?) It isn't 'Shoji saves victims of hate crimes'. Judging by Shoji's own statements and how the heteromorph arc plays out, a peaceful resolution is stopping both the heteromorph victim (who may or may not be lashing out - in response to the hate crime) and perpetrator - If anything, more stopping the heteromorphs.

I’m going to suggest that rarely, heteromorphs ever actually retaliate with violence. True, the heteromorphs we see (Shoji, ordinary lady, Koda's mom) aren't part of the rioters but are we to believe all these rioters are people who react with violence every time, and it's their first solution? When they stopped the damn riot themselves because they didn't want to hurt the healthcare workers? (and even the riot wasn’t purposeless, indiscriminate violence - they were solely there to retrieve Kurogiri). Pig Nose guy says he's been beaten up for no reason, so he's already at the receiving end of violence that justifies self-defense, but we can assume he didn't actually lash out any of those times because he's the one who stops everyone, feeling so bad about just the idea of hurting someone.

I can’t say that’s 100% canon that none of the heteromorphs ever lashed out (and of course ‘statistically’ some of them must have), but overall, for most of them, it’s a legitimate assumption to be made. The heteromorphs from the Jeda or 6/6 incidents were fully massacred. Shoji and Spinner were children - Shoji was on the ground, getting bashed in the face with a farming hoe wielded by an adult. Spinner got sprayed with pesticides for walking outside and became a hikikomori, saying that he accepted being a ‘lizard freak’, he was ready to give up. (And he only took action when the extraordinary moment of Stain getting on TV made him realized he hated this suffocating world where Heroes failed him, never protected him.) Ordinary Lady never lashed back out at her attackers. Koda’s mom had to be protected by Koda’s dad.

Even the PLF agitator - his wound is a long deep scar on his head - a head injury that would’ve thoroughly incapacitated him, if not kill him. It is likely not the wound of someone hitting back with self-defense as if the PLF agitator was the one attacking someone and they were fighting back for their life.

These are the ‘Discriminatory Incidents’. What does a peaceful resolution look like, here?

The heteromorphs at the hospital aren’t there to get revenge. They’re there because they’ve been pushed into a corner and probably have become afraid for their lives, their future. During a national crisis where Heroes order civilians to go into hero-guarded shelters, these shelters had the audacity to refuse heteromorphs, leaving them out on the streets, vulnerable to the dangers of jailbreakers and lack of resources.

The peace was broken first by discrimination. The heteromorphs probably took Spinner’s call to action as a life preserver. Heroes had refused to protect them during the collapse of the state; and so they likely found truth in Spinner’s word that if Heroes win the day, nothing will change. They weren’t there to hurt anyone at the hospital - they were there to take back Kurogiri.

But Shoji framed the whole thing as revenge, as being avengers. He accused the heteromorphs of being violent and non-peaceful, without ever naming the first act of violence on the part of the non-heteromorphs. He didn’t want to risk the heteromorphs’ hard-won reputation and status (“You’ll set us back 30 years.* They’ll target your children.”) He wanted the heteromorphs to do what my family did - kept our heads down and let the incident go. Maintained the peace.

Shoji said that those who hurt the heteromorphs weren’t justified, but he then says “there has to be a better way”. We never find out what this was, beyond the vague ‘Shine bright’.

(I shined bright, too. I was a straight-A student. I did extracurriculars - piano, viola, art, softball. As did my sibling. My family were hard-working citizens. My mom worked two jobs. I hate telling these details, because they don't matter. My worth as someone who doesn’t deserve to face discrimination does not and should not depend on my grades or trained skills, how pleasant or cool I seem to someone. None of that matters to the people who wanted to hurt us because they simply saw being visibly Asian American as the offense.)

We don’t find out how Shoji’s better way works in the final chapter either. Just that he resolved the incidents ‘peacefully’. Because he wanted to solve discrimination peacefully. As do everyone, oppressors and the oppressed. But ‘peace’ often means something different to oppressors, and something different to the oppressed.

(Did Shoji resolve the heteromorph riot peacefully? Not really. He shouted a lot to the crowd, but he also fought Spinner (ah, you might say - well, Spinner was using violence! Shoji has to react to that with punching as well! Yeah. That's what I mean.) Koda had birds shoved someone off a building.)

Shoji’s better ways - I will assume it’s stopping the blood cleansings. That is a noble goal. It is a necessary and vital goal. And so, how? How does he cover the large areas of rural land, so that he’s there to stop these hate crimes? How does he know when something will happen? Is it a campaign and community-level action? Uraraka’s tackling of Quirk Counseling is a ‘project’, widespread and implemented on a macro level. Shoji’s efforts are on what’s implied to be individual incidents. But putting that aside for now, I will assume “resolving” is talking down the perpetrator. I will assume it’s protecting the victim while negotiating with the person holding the weapon.

Peaceful implies that he does so without violence (as he should! As a Hero Law Enforcement of the State!); but a blanket label of ‘peaceful’ also implies stopping the other party (the victim) asking them to stand down as well.

I just think - during my Discriminatory Incidents, how can anyone have me stand down, have stopped me, when I haven't done anything in the first place? And if I did have to be stopped from engaging in self-defense, that's not a resolution. That's a save. That's someone saving me from the violence, saving me from having to resort to violence.

Heroes save people. There's no question of 'peacefully' when they fight villains to save people. There’s no framing of ‘peacefully’ when they do so. But it seems heteromorphs are not allowed the same language of ‘peacefully’ and 'save'.

-

tl;dr. idk. the heteromorph mini-arc’s writing and message is awful.

-

*re: “set us back 30 years.” I know we don’t know exactly what happened 30 years ago, but we can guess - and so I don’t think guessing one of the named massacres is too wild. From my own experiences, the murder of Vincent Chin was about 40 years ago. I grew up with Vincent Chin as a horror story.

Being told that, due to whatever actions I was doing, would set back all that progress Asian Americans made since then is just cruel and wrong and illogical in all ways. Vincent Chin didn’t deserve to be murdered whatever he did 40 years ago, and he deserved to have his murderers be brought to real justice. The sheer injustice of that case is objective. There is no way someone can tell me that I’m setting time back to when the murder of Vincent Chin happened, that I would be causing injustice like that again, I’m responsible for any more murders that happen, and have that be in any way true.

Related— On Bnha's apparent ideal of "a hero is someone who is willing to suffer in silence" and "we'll get it right next generation!"

From Asian American Dreams, by Helen Zia:

The reaction within the Detroit area’s small, scattered Asian American population was immediate and visceral. Suddenly people who had endured a lifetime of degrading treatment were wondering if their capacity to suffer in silence might no longer be a virtue, when even in death, after such a brutal, uncontested killing, they could be so disrespected.

[...]

Vincent was part of an entire generation for whom the immigrant parents had suffered and sacrificed. Other Asian Americans also found a strong connection to the lives of Vincent, Lily, and David Chin. Theirs was the classic immigrant story of survival: work hard and sacrifice for the family, keep a low profile, don’t complain, and, perhaps in the next generation, attain the American dream. For Asian Americans, along with the dream came the hope of one day gaining acceptance in America. The injustice surrounding Vincent’s slaying shattered the dream.

[messierthanthou]

Just a little short thing for my fellow Astarion lovers out there! This man... the things he does to me...

AstarionxF!Reader, rated E, a little over 800 words, just a taste of what's in store for the future of my writing

“My love,” he whispers sweetly in your ear where he lies behind you, pressing his body against yours in a tight embrace, and you know what he plans to do.

And even if you didn’t know, his hard cock pressed against your ass would be a clue. You grind just a little against it, enough to let him know you’re awake and interested, but playing coy never hurt anyone.

He hums pleasantly at the gentle friction between your bodies, and his chilly hands runs across your breasts, making the nipples perk up both from the cold and from the attention. He massages you so expertly that it sends sparks of elation down to your cunt, and you sigh with a smile.

Twisting around just slightly you manage to catch his lips for a kiss more passionate than kind, and he bites your lower lip just hard enough to draw a bit of blood, which he sucks up and licks clean between kisses. You’ve gotten used to this certain behavior of his, and the tiny twinge of pain is worth it for the reward you gain for feeding him.

With ease he crawls in between your open legs, and you wrap them around him as soon as you can. No words are necessary as you enjoy one another. He rubs your clit with the head of his cock and rocks back and forth occasionally, establishing a most delectable rhythm as you kiss and grind together in his lavish tent on this morning.

Outside you hear the others walk about and chat, and while you aren’t shy, it is a lot of fun to fight down your moans of pleasure. 

You turn your head to offer him your neck, but Astarion fed last night as you rolled around in sheets then, too, so rather than biting, he kisses. His lips on your exposed flesh sends delightful shivers through you, making you run hot and sweaty, your pussy wet as the sea and ready.

Astarion doesn’t need to be told when you want him inside; he has learned from all your times sharing the same bed, learned your body language and those tiny whimpers you let out, which becomes a loud and delighted gasp as he slides into your hole, and you bite down on your still sore lip to keep from letting out too enthusiastic sounds.

You catch him staring with a pleased smile as he slowly and tentatively slips in and out of you. With a hand he cups your face and runs his thumb across your swollen lip, wiping up a few drops of blood before sucking it clean off his finger, and now you are the one to stare as his eyes roll back in ecstasy and his thrusts become more ardent.

He manages to keep the rhythm of flesh pounding against flesh as he fucks you in increasing passion, and you can sense that he’s keeping quiet with those incredibly delightful grunts of his that makes fire course through you.

Astarion is learned in your body, and finds your g-spot without fail in every thrust, and just as you let out the first hint of an uncontrollable moan, he presses a hand to your mouth.

“Quiet, pet,” he speaks with surprising calm considering how vigorously he thrusts into your heat.

Your eyes lock together, and as it is with every sensual meeting between your bodies, you become one in this moment, no barriers between you as your naked bodies collide and the fire in your gut explodes into an orgasm that has you curling your toes and rolling your eyes back.

“That’s it,” he whispers, “Come for me, my dear.”

You breathe heavily through your nose and he lets you ride it out on his cock, clenching and seizing with white-hot, heightened pleasure.

He doesn’t stop, and as he releases your mouth and grabs on to your hips for leverage as he brutishly pounds your spent body, you understand that he is close himself, and you do your best to aid him by catching on to the rhythm. An act that works wonders for him, you can tell. His fingers dig into your flesh as he with a final powerful thrust stills all motion when he cums inside you. He chokes on his own moans and grinds against you as if he could bury his cock any deeper in your pussy.

Astarion then braces himself against the bedding, his hands planted on either side of your head as he shudders through the last bits of his orgasm, and then heaves for air. You, too, have gotten quite winded, and the two of you smile at each other in pure bliss.

He stays inside of you as he lays down on top, nuzzling his nose against your rapid heartbeat, and you embrace him, ready to drift off for an hour or so more before adventure calls.

[petrichor-idyllic]

Hey! I wanted to request a fic with minho maybe where the reader (she/her) is shy? And a mom friend too maybe like feeding everybody 24/7 and caring all sort of stuff with her like band aids and napkins.

(Sorry for any mistakes english is not my first language)

I think I can just about manage this.

This is kind of short because I really could just not think of a decent plot for the life of me.

Writer's block is a killer man.

SOFT AT HEART

MASTERLIST | MINHO MASTERLIST

SUMMERY: See above. Takes place before the arrival of Thomas.

You've been harbouring a long-term crush on Minho, but the problem is you're shy and nervous, and Minho is anything but. Of course, Minho isn't the only Glader you care about, but it's hard to bond with a group of rowdy boys sometimes. So, you show your affections by taking care of them instead. Unbeknownst to you, your subtle acts of kindness give Minho the drive he's been missing for a long time- and maybe he needs a bit more than what he's getting.

WARNINGS: None, really.

You're the odd one out in the Glade. Of course, there's the blinding obvious that you're the only girl amongst, but also you're more reserved than your counterparts.

You've always felt like there's a strange barrier between you and the other Gladers- maybe it's because of your gender, maybe it's because of your personality. But it doesn't matter; something about you just doesn't quite click.

It's not that you don't like the boys. You love them, in fact- they're normally kind and understanding with you even though they aren't with each other. They have a lot of respect for you.

And the feeling is mutual.

But, you can't exactly go around telling a bunch of teenage boys how much you care about them without them getting the wrong idea. Not that you're great with your words to begin with. So, you show your affections through acts of service.

You offer food and water to tired Gladers who are too busy to stop working to have lunch- mainly Buliders, Track-hoes and Slicers. You carry bandages and band-aids for slight injuries that happen to those around you, and you always offer an understanding ear when the boys want to vent their frustrations, even if you don't always know what to say.

Maybe your subtle acts of kindness would just be a typical friendly gesture if it weren't for the fact that you have a massive crush on Minho.

You swore to yourself when you first came up in the Box that you wouldn't get romantically involved with any of the boys. And you've made that painfully clear to everyone. They're your friends, and they all see you as the big sister role you've put yourself in- but Minho?

Minho.

A flaw in your plan, to say to the least.

It's not like you guys talk all the time or spend loads of time together, but you have got into the habit of getting up early and meeting the Runners at the Doors to give them their lunch and drinks for the day.

You only do this so they can have more time in the Map Room before they leave for the day, which is some much needed precious seconds. You started doing this after you overheard Minho complaining about feeling like there's not enough time in the day. So, when you started showing up first thing in the morning, waking up earlier than most of the Glade, he definitely took a shine to you.

It's a simple gesture, really. One that doesn't seem to faze the other Runners in the slightest, but Minho always seems more determined and happier after seeing you. Even the Runners have pointed out a shift in work ethic to Ably.

Though, with you starting to cooperate with talking to Minho and having actual conversations, the way he looks at you is starting to make you melt.

You don't really know what it is about Minho. He's sarcastic and kind of mean sometimes, and he's definitely not scared of speaking his mind or acting recklessly. He's one of the highest regarded Gladers around, for obvious reasons, but he's probably also one of the most feared and powerful.

You've actually witnessed Minho tell Alby what to do.

What a day that was.

But that might be why you started liking him- because he isn't like that with you. Sure, you'll get the occasional witty comment or eye roll, but for the most part, he's kinder with you. It's kind of common knowledge that you're the Glade's soft spot, but that's more applicable to Minho than anyone else.

"Dude, you're staring again," Ben leans against a tree at the edge of the Deadheads where him and Minho occasionally spend free time away from the other members of the Glade.

"Hm?" Minho hums, sitting on the ground, not really paying attention to anything Ben has to say. That's nothing new.

"You're staring- again," Ben scoffs, crouching down next to him, "yanno you can talk her without her feeding us at the Doors?"

Minho glares at his friend. "I'm not staring."

Minho is a liar. You've plagued him for a while, even before you started providing for them. Of course, this is the expectation with being the only girl, but Minho has changed- like said before.

"You totally are, shuck-face."

"Slim it, Ben- you don't know what you're talking about."

"You're soft on her, man; everyone can see it."

"Everyone's soft on her, shuck-face. That's why she's made it clear she's not gonna date or any of that klunk with us."

"I mean..." Ben drags out the word, "you never know, right?"

"Dude, what are you getting at here?"

Ben shrugs. "I don't know, man, I'm just... picking up a vibe." Minho squints at his friend, bewildered that Ben thinks that's any kind of explanation.

"The shuck are you talking about?"

Ben sighs. "You've just been better, dude. It's nice having you back to normal."

Minho didn't need to ask. He knows what Ben's talking about. Before you showed up, Minho was rapidly losing hope. Having fully mapped the whole Maze and still without an exit, or even so much of a sign of an exit, it's kind of hard to keep hopes up.

But when you came up and started going around trying to raise everyone's spirits, despite being slightly awkward; he started to pick up speed again. The Glade became more positive, and Minho started to gain feelings for you.

Despite what you'd made clear.

"I think you're looking too much into it," Minho huffs, sitting back properly, leaning fully against the tree.

"I don't-"

"Hey!" You attempt to shout over to the boys, realising they're yet to come to dinner after the long day. You're holding two bowls of stew as you walk over. "You guys okay?" You ask, passing the food to the boys in turn.

Minho takes the dish from you. "Playing Glade mother as per usual?"

You avoid his gaze. "Yeah, well, you guys haven't eaten yet and Frypan is impatient- can't have our best Runners going hungry, can we?"

"Ah, so you think I'm the best?" Ben's tone is a kind of fake flirty, probably to gauge Minho's reaction. You just blink at him.

"I-I mean, I don't really know much about running, but I'm pretty sure Minho is the Keeper for a reason- so, uh, sorry?" Your words don't quite make sense, not wanting to insult Ben, but making your opinion known.

Minho can't help but smirk at this as Ben fake pouts. His eyes land on you, flickering up and down for a second, almost unintentionally; which makes your face feel warm.

"Anyway," you clear your throat, "I'm gonna..." You throw your thumb over your shoulder, "yanno."

"Yeah, catch you later." You give an awkward wave to Minho before you turn and walk slightly faster than normal away.

"You're whipped, bro," Ben chuckles between eating spoonfuls of stew, resulting in getting punched in the leg.

"Shut up, man."

Minho thought about this for a while- longer than he'd care to admit. He does like you, and you seem to be more friendly and talkative with him than you do the other Gladers.

Maybe he should just bite the bullet.

Maybe just asking you on a date wouldn't be that bad of an idea. I mean, the worst you can say is no, right? And you're a nice girl, of course, you'd be gentle about it.

Unless, you're not and you reject him and humiliate him.

Okay, so Minho might have a fear of rejection that he didn't know he had. It's not worth the awkwardness.

It's not until the next Bonfire night that Minho reconsiders this. You've taken a shine to the new Greenie.

And by "taken a shine", I mean the poor boy is rocking back and forth, curled into a ball and you're desperately trying to comfort him. He does seem to have relaxed a bit, but the Maze is a lot to take in.

He's been given Gally's Special Brew, and the alcohol has definitely calmed his nerves. So, you take a break, retreating to a more secluded area- still within shouting distance if you're needed, but far enough away to take a breather. You lean back against a log, letting your head test on the wood.

"Here," your eyes flicker open, seeing Minho standing over you, a drink in his hand.

He'd been watching you for a while, and seeing how dedicated and caring you've been literally all day has shown him he needs to make some kind of move.

"Thanks," you sit up straight, taking the drink off of him as he takes the spot next to you, both of you facing away from the festivities. "You not joining in?"

"Nah," he scoffs, taking a sip of his own drink.

"I guess you never really do, huh?" He smiles at you; he always feels warm inside when you show him that you pay attention to him. You pay attention to everyone, but sometimes it feels like you pay extra attention to him.

Probably because you do, but he doesn't know that.

"You know me so well," he scoffs and you roll your eyes before he playfully shoves you- something you wouldn't have the courage to do.

"'Course- I always pay attention to people I like," a smirk appears across Minho's face as he slightly raises his eyebrow. It takes you a second, but you quickly realise what that sounded like.

Your face immediately starts to burn and you look away. "I didn't mean-"

"Uh huh."

"I didn't!"

"Why do you look so embarrassed then?"

"Shut up," you grumble, hands coming to your face as Minho laughs at you. You've never been good at the flirting thing, and it's not hard to fluster you, but since you actually like Minho, it's drastically worse. "I didn't mean it like that- I just- you're my friend and I-I respect you- and-"

"Do you wanna go on a date?"

You freeze, turning to face him as you blink.

"What?"

Minho stares straight ahead, mainly so he doesn't freak out. "I just figured I'd stop thinking about asking and just actually ask you." You open your mouth to speak but he doesn't give you the chance. "I know you've got this whole dating rule, and you don't want any of that klunk- but I like you, (Y/N). And I used to think that if a girl came up here, I wouldn't care 'cause I've got the Maze to deal with. But, I can't help it- you're just... Good. Everyone here likes you and you're just a good person."

He looks at you, second guessing himself when he sees your completely blank expression.

"I-I don't mean- shuck it," he laughs. "You can say no and I won't be upset; I get it. But I just thought I'd ask. It's just one date, if you want, and then we don't have to do anything else or be anything and forget it even happened if you regret it. I don't wanna make you uncomfortable."

"What would we do?" The question is out of a genuine curiosity than anything. It's not like there are many restaurants or movie theatres in the Glade.

Now it's Minho's turn to blankly blink. "Well, we uh, we could go for a swim in the lake, or I could rob Frypan and we could have a picnic in the Deadheads, or we could just chill somewhere and talk about dumb klunk- whatever you wanna do."

"You've thought about this, huh?" You smile, warmth fluttering through your body as Minho turns a shade of pink, scratching the back of his neck.

"I mean... just a little." You've never seen him be embarrassed before.

It's kind of cute.

"Okay," you say after a second.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll go on a date with you; that picnic sounds good."

He grins. "Yeah?"

"Yeah... I kinda like you too, so..."

Minho can't stop smiling, even when you avoid looking at him again.

"You like me too?" You glance at him. He looks perfect, his lopsided smile, his dark hair and face illuminated by the flames behind him.

"Yeah," you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, "I like you too. A lot, actually."

"Cool," he clears his throat, "cool, that's cool."

"(Y/N)!" Newt calls you, "the Greenie's freakin' out again! Give us a shuckin' hand!"

You roll your eyes, standing up and smiling at Minho once again. "So, it's a date then?"

"Yeah, it's a date- I'll figure out that picnic and let you know."

"Sounds like a plan," you say as you step over the log, trying to hide your smile and not squeal the entire Glade down as you go back to your daily role.

Minho watches you walk away, letting his head drop back when your out of sight. He's completely buzzing and feels on top of the world.

"So," Ben approaches, chuckling at his friend's love-drunk state, "you finally asked her then?"

"Shut your shuckin' mouth."

Yo, here's another Minho piece, though I am struggling with all the Minho work atm. He's one of my favourite all time characters but I'm running out of new ways to do the same thing, if that makes sense? So sorry if this one isn't as good- my quality is going down hill lmao.

I still hope you kind of like, regardless :))

[justbelievinginmagic]

ariadne's thread ⎯ pt. 7: the wild hunt.

pairing(s): hyunjin x fem!reader, felix x seungmin x minho if you squint, felix x fem!reader, seungmin & fem!reader, minho & fem!reader, bang chan & fem!reader, jisung & fem!reader series summary: when tempted by an intoxicating offer by hyunjin the goblin king of the underground, you fight against him to find your own sense of self once more while in his labyrinth. glimpse: Tumbling far into the Direwoods, you cant help but feel like something or someone is watching you, hunting you, in the never-ending darkness of the forest. will you be caught in their claws or will you survive the Wild Hunt? warnings/tags: inspired by the 1986' movie Labyrinth, follows majority of the movie's plot points with lore divergence, 3rd person POV, use of Y/N, no hyunjin appearance this chapter fyi, faerie lore, wild hunt!, world-building, pain, injuries, blood, bruises, cuts, canon typical violence, pg13 language, fear, anxiety, danger, invading personal space (like a lot), one-sided affection, kisses, licking, suggestive content, uneven power dynamics, magical choking. animalistic minseunglix, felix is down bad for y/n, clingy felix, tatted mINHOOOOO. listen, these boys are feral. eldritch horror felix, eldritch horror seungmin too tbh, werewolfy eldritch horror minho lol., let me know if there needs to be more tags! word count: 11.4k previous chapter <- -> next chapter series masterlist

The Runner’s fall was great.

Unlike falling to the oubliette, she was tumbling and rolling down the hillside violently. Her ribs and back thudded against wet earth and rocks over and over until she came to a rolling stop at the bottom of the gorge. Pain radiated through her body. Crackling dead leaves crunched beneath her as she tried to sit up. Her arms, bruised and scratched, trembled as she struggled to push herself up before, finally, she just flopped back on her back.

“Dammit,” she groaned, her head plopping against the mossy ground.

Her back ached, streaks of blood coated her body from scratches and knicks. Leaves littered her hair. Her ribs heaved as she took a deep breath. She let out a cough, a hand going to press against her stomach as a pain radiated there. Just a bruise but damn.

Everything felt like so much. Each turn of the Labyrinth proved she was alone and each time she was left crawling for her life. The oubliette, the cleaners, this. She was frustrated and in pain. Her arms rose up to cover her face as she took a trembling breath.

“Y/N!” she heard an echo of her name far above her.

Looking upwards, she couldn’t make out anything. It was like all the light from that grand rotunda had been sucked away. There was a strange cloak-like barrier between the woods and the Gardens high above. A darkness that clung like a fog to the tops of the trees, consuming them in a shadowy haze that ungulated like a wave over the branches and foliage. While the Underground was dark before, the Runner hadn’t realized how many false lights there had been. This place felt truly dark. So dark, she couldn’t see the form of Chris as he called down.

“Are you okay?” she heard Chris faintly. It was like the darkness truly was a barrier; even sound was muffled.

“I’m fine!” she yelled back.

There was silence for a moment, overshadowed by the hum of bugs and shuffling of flora. Then, she heard him reply, but it was so distant, so so far away.

“What?” she called again.

There was a noise from Chris that sounded like confirmation. Before… it was quiet.

And that was it. She was alone again with only herself and the murmur of bug-life and creatures of the darkness. She felt hopeless. The feeling clung to her chest like a parasite sucking out any hope as she shut her eyes once more. Wounded hands rose to scrub at her eyes, eyes that burned and a nose that grew heavy in her skull.

Crying won’t do anything except make her feel exhausted. Even more exhausted than she already felt in her bones. She breathed out, her nose burning hot and stuffy-feeling. She can cry later. She can cry later she reassured herself again and again as she bit back the feeling of cotton in her throat. But, God, did she want to cry now.

The Runner pushed herself up, sitting up with moss and mulch clinging to her clothes, and she took in her newest challenge.

The woods were thick and plentiful around her; large oversized plant-life grew here but, unlike the Gardens, they didn’t seem to be infused with magic. They were over-grown and lush – like it hadn’t been touched in millennia. If it wasn’t so cold, she’d think it was a rainforest. But it wasn’t humid here. There was a chill that clung to her and soaked into her dirt-damp clothes. The tall trees around her seemed to sway with their blue-shadowed trunks and twisting branches. It was so dark it was hard to really judge anything beyond a few feet.

Sighing out, she rose to her feet. Luckily, she hadn’t twisted anything falling down to the bottom of the woods. Her body simply ached like she had worked out the day before or… fell down a large hill. After trying to scale her way up the hillside she had fallen from, her shoes slipping through the too-soft dirt and mulch,  she huffed out a sigh and began her trek through the woods. There had to be a way out of this forest. The Runner couldn’t just give up. Not after all this.

Continuing onwards, she carefully walked around plants, climbed over twisting tree roots, and scaled rocks in her way. Footsteps squelching in icy mud. Bird-like creatures whistling over one another in the foliage. Heavy-wings flapped overhead but she could barely make out a blur of a form flying high in the darkness. Deeper and deeper into the woods, she continued on.

The darkness was eerie. The gentle sounds of creatures didn’t reassure her any. Cricket-like scratches of bug legs. Hoots of owl-like birds. An odd humming sound hovering around her. All almost familiar yet decidedly not. Like, they were from another time, their crows sounded deeper, more Jurassic and less modern.

Animals were around her, hidden and ancient. It made her feel gooseflesh climb up her spine. Maybe there were beings like that crimson creature and being of light that had attacked her and Chris here. Fierce and calculated.

She walked quicker.

There could even be people in the darkness, watching her. Was she even in the jurisdiction of the Labyrinth here? Was Hyunjin watching after her (and why in this forest was that almost reassuring?) It made her skin crawl and her thoughts spiral. Ideas twisted with fear in her head. Like a child afraid of the dark believing monsters lived under the bed, she began to see things in the dark. Shadowed figures with swaying limbs. Bulging eyes on her. Flickering of somethings in the corner of her peripheral. Tricks of the eyes making her look behind her every moment now. She paused in her walking and glanced around, holding onto a nearby trunk.

A bug scampered over her hand and she jumped away with a yelp. She tried to see what it was; all she had felt were thousands of little legs. But even with her face to the tree she couldn’t see. There wasn’t anything she could truly see around her. The darkness was too thick. Her mind imagined false forms and ever-watching eyes as if this was a haunted house attraction but… all she saw was dark. It made her shudder out a breath. Hands dragging over her face in frustration. She felt wound up like a toy doll, waiting for something to spring. Either her own self or something around her.

There was a flash of light to her left and she yelped, jumping into the tree. Her shoulders brushed into a fern; its sharpened leaves caressing her arm like talons. She shuddered and scurried faster away from whatever that was. Hoisting herself up another rock in her path, there was a flicker of something in corner of her eyes. Like a lightning flash, a light leak from a camera. She froze and waited, watching to see if it’d appear again. Another flashed by, rushing towards a tree she had touched.

(She couldn’t see in the darkness but it could. Her hand that had touched the twisting tree left a remnant of her. Of rubied blood, staining the deep-blue of the tree bark. Marked. Throughout the entire forest, she had left her trail in the form of iron-blood – powerful and tempting. And it had caught the attention of whatever crept forwards in the shadows of the dark.)

“What’s going on?” she cried out finally as she saw another flash of technicolor-light, closer now to the rock she had just scaled and crouched upon. “What do you want?”

The creature from before – the being of light – was following her. She reached for a nearby stone, nails digging into the rock. She tried to predict where itd be, holding her rock steady in between her fingers. Another flash to her left. The Runner threw the rock into the darkness.

It hovered mid-air, caught as if by a ghost. A whimper left the Runner’s throat as her eyes widened in shock.

“You really are a human?” the voice was unlike anything she ever heard before. Deep as the sea. Deep yet angelic and soft.

He shimmered into existence from the shadows, a whirl of prism light and sparkling magic. Golden tanned skin, constellations of honeyed freckles across his nose and cheeks, and fair blonde hair. For a moment, she swore it was the King, but his face wavered and formed a more heart-shape, softer jaw, a more petite nose upturned. His eyes were so so soft with brown orbs that seemed to swirl a pinkish glow. His smile was bright and made his cheeks glow. He tossed the rock up before catching it again, coyly.

Tendrils of bright blonde hair framed his face, dancing in a non-existent wind that made her look around him for the source. His inhuman light illuminated the darkness and she could see the forest just a smidge clearer. Creatures scurried away under blue-green foliage. The tree beside him crawled with moss and millions of multi-colored bugs. All these things lingering around her unknown, brought to light by the angel of a man in front of her. He looked like an angel, aglow in the darkness. A star of light as he smiled at her from ten feet away.

She couldn’t help but awe, even as her eyes flew to the corners of the forest she could see. He couldn’t catch her attention even while being the brightest thing in this place. He cleared his throat, bashful sounding as he drew her eyes to him finally again.

His smile grew and his chin tilted, pleased. God, he was a beautiful thing and she felt a pull towards him, like a twist in her stomach. Like there was a leash around her lungs pulling taut, urging her to move towards him.

But he beat her to it, eagerly. He crept closer. Lunging forwards with long limbs that if she looked at him from the corner of her eye seemed to elongate and shift. He sniffed deep through his nose, his chocolate-strawberry eyes rolled back. His body shifted with rolling and cracking motions; his back arching and displaying his lean abs as his woven shirt rose up. He sighed out before leaning onto the rock she was perched upon. Arms folded over one another as he looked up at her with an awe in his eyes. He looked enamored with her.

“You are a human - and a woman,” his voice deepened - if that was even possible. “Hello sweet thing.” 

His fingers crept forward onto the rock, playful in nature as they crawled towards her ankle before he tried to swipe at her ankle like an animal jumping upon a prey. He jolted forward, hand reaching out so fast that she flinched and pushed back off the rock. Stumbling to her feet, she put the large rock in between them, only able to see his face and him hers.

He giggled out, the sound higher than his voice, almost hyena-like. There was a fizzle of magic and he was beside her once more. She shrieked and jumped aside to put him in front of her rather to her side.

“So jumpy; I don’t bite, sweet heart,” he hummed. “Unless… you like that?” He flashed his teeth, nothing monstrous about them. In fact, they looked pearly white and straight. Perfect. Everything about him seemed to scream perfection, angelic. Like he was the epitome of beauty – the male version of Venus.

“No.” she replied bluntly.

He pouted a bit before smelling deeply again. He huffed out; eyes bright and rosy.

“Oh, you’ve got magic around you, ancient type – like me,” he giggled almost childlike as he bounced on his feet, teleporting here and there before he was in front of her again with his angelic light.

“I’m not of magic,” she bit out, defensive against him.

He felt wild as he giggled again, moving closer and closer. His billowy white shirt seemed to spill open as he shimmered closer. Magic drifted off him like he was a flower and pollen drifted off him in sparkling dust. His smile was sweet as he leaned in as if he telling a secret. Y/N leaned back faintly. His breath was cold as the night around them, coming out in a puff of condensation.

“You’re a Runner, right?” he queried, his eyes flashed as he raised his eyebrows teasingly. “You’re protected by magic, sunshine. Goddess forbid if you were tainted by little old me while on your quest.”

His hand rose and he brushed a stray hair aside from her cheek, gentle and soft. Fingertips softly caressing her skin as he tilted her chin his way. He waited and she simply stared at him blankly. Brows crinkling after a moment longer. His smile was like sunlight before he cackled, the sound lower than the hyena-esque laugh before.

His visage flickered in and out of existence as he danced away from her. He was excitedly bumbling about. It was like he was a trick of the light as he flickered in between the tall dark trees. His form becoming blurry-like, like a light leak in real-life, before his form rematerialized again and again. He looked like he was made of sweet nightmares with how he frolicked, the only light in the darkness yet his giggles felt foreboding. With how he had prowled after her, she knew he was trouble.

“I am a Runner,” she nodded tentatively. Swallowing, she tried to phrase her sentence how Han had taught. Direct. Ask the right thing. “I need to make it to the Castle. Do you know a way?” That was fine, right?

The fae paused in his celebrations, looking over his shoulder at her. He smiled, all fangs this time, and excited eyes. “Oh, sweet heart,” he beamed as he whooshed to be in front of her. “I know a way.”

His hand reached out to grasp her wrist. He shivered at her bare skin under his hand, and there was a moment of pause as his fingers seemed to caress her skin with wonder. His breath was shaky, eyelashes fluttering. He looked up to meet her eyes again and he saw how she simply stared; a brow raised.

“You are protected; this is so much fun.” The blonde looked electrified.

He dragged her along, his gait fast and animalistic. If she had to think of a comparison, she thought he moved like a deer, swift and erratic at times. He darted this way and that; sharp branches biting into her skin. She let out screeches every now and then as the wood cut into her arms and face. All he did was giggle. He swung her about, waltzing in the dark like it was a dance floor and not a forest. He managed to avoid large bushes and tree stumps, his arms swooping her up and pulling her close to his lean chest.

“I haven’t heard a woman’s shrieks in ages,” he commented, his voice light and airy.

The world down here was dark, full of sharpened branches and tall inky dark trees. It felt like she was in Snow White’s Forest, frightening figures and darkened tendrils reaching out for her. Swirling and whirling in the dark. The fae man didn’t let her get caught, for she was already his prey in his grasp, dragging her along in a wild waltz with a snarl of a grin on his face.

He let a whistle out, high pitch and sharp, as he slowed and placed her on her feet once more. His hair was windswept, fingers grazing over her waist as he slid his hand down to her hand. Fingers intertwining with hers.

“C’mon, a chuisle.”

They were in front of a maw of a cave (not a path, not the Labyrinth she noted bitterly). Fire-smoke tumbled out in big plumes, turning the world hazy. He led her, tugging her inside. The Runner was slow, carefully. The fae man kept glancing back, a smile that felt less reassuring and more tempting engulfing his face.

Inside the warmed cave, there was a living space made of naturalistic materials all around a firepit, lit with an unnatural blue flame. The light painted the cave in long casted shadows. A table of stone with four chairs; a collection of coins, bread, a steaming piece of meat, and dried flowers rested on what looked like an altar in front of the fire. A pile of pelts was layered up in a corner, making up what looked like a large bed-pallet. Crude drawings were on a wall above the mussed bed.

“I really need to get back on the path,” she insisted to the other.

“Sweet thing, you’re a proper Little Red Riding Hood,” he teased, playing with her fingers. “Minus the red hood.”

The look she leveled him was unamused. He smirked, tugging her by her hand. She stumbled forward, her other hand going to press against his chest to keep her balance. His form was lean and firm. His lips pressed against her knuckles; his lips cool as ice.

It was strange how she didn’t feel… pulled in by him. He was attractive like Hyunjin… she had swooned before Hyunjin upon first meeting. But this fae… despite his prettied façade and his pretty gestures, she couldn’t let herself be swept up. She didn’t have the time. She couldn’t.

His lips trailed to the other side of her hand as he hovered over her veins, button-nose pressing against the inside of her wrist.

“Because I’m with the wolf?” she retorted dryl, her words not light and airy like his. “You said you’d help – you know a way to the Castle; I need to get there.”

“Because you were getting distracted,” he replied, nodding towards where she was looking. “Our altar of offerings. I like the flowers the most. My hyung loves meat – but usually something, well, more fresh.”

The meat there looked fresh – freshly-cooked that is.

“Not reassuring.” She said evenly.

“Not trying to be, sweet heart.”

He was still close as he invaded her space, her fingers still held reverently in his grasp. His eyes were locked on her hand in his. Fingertips grazing over her skin slowly. His lips pressing butterfly light across her skin as he trailed up her arm to look at her with those chocolate-dipped strawberry eyes of his.

She was not wooed and it made his neck creak, looking at her like a puppy.

“What’s the way to the Castle?” she said simply. “You’re getting distracted.”

He chuckled lowly. His breath fanned over her cheeks in a whirl of rosewater, coriander, and something sweet and musky. “Distractions aren’t always bad.” He whispered, eyes flickering to the Runner’s lips.

“Please,” her eyes rolled, frustration building in her.

He grinned wolfishly, his other hand going to press at the small of her back. Dragging her closer until his firm body was pressed against hers.

“I like you begging.” He rumbled, eyes dilating like a cat’s. An inhuman pink glow in their pupils caught her attention before she focused back on his sharp smile, pearly white and sweet. No fangs once more. He kept changing.

“I’ll play nice,” he conceded. “I promise to help you; just let’s-” 

There was a rustling of the brush, her head swinging to look towards the mouth of the cave. A creature was prowling closer with reflective blue eyes. He looked like a beast out of nightmares, and there was a frightening thought that maybe these were the faeries that made up bad dreams. The faeries that had centuries of folklore written about to warn silly girls and boys from making wishes, from wandering in woods, from playing in faerie rings.

“What have you brought to our den, Felix?” the creature spoke with gnashing, glowing white teeth. Snarling electric-blue spit foamed and dripped into the mud as it prowled inside.

Like Felix, there was more that met the eye with this monster. The creature seemed to grow and morph until it was bipedal, until it was standing upright, draped in furs rather than being a fur-covered beast. He wore dark linens, blending in with the darkness of the forest easily but, within the blue light of the fire, she could see his features more and more clearly. He had dark-brown hair that fell across his brow, shadowed by the hood of what looked like a bear fur resting atop of his head. Purpled scars of claw scrapes and cuts decorated his handsome face, a long cut on his cheek bone only emphasized his strikingly blue eyes, shadowed by his furrowed brows. His lips were dry of the slobber of the creature he was before and instead revealed a scowled lip, firm and strong, as he stared her and the fae named Felix down.

He was defensive, the epitome of a predator. 

Felix, whom still had her in his embrace, let go of her suddenly to reveal the red-blood on his palm. Blood. Her blood. When had he—She looked over her body trying to find where he’d press his palm against her to come away with a palm coated in red? A scrape down her arm had his fingers imprinted in a bloody scrawl.

His face seemed so innocent as he approached the fur-clad man. His blue eyes seemed to glow brighter at the sight of the red on Felix’s palm. A growl grew in his chest as he grabbed Felix’s wrist to pull it closer to his nose. That was when she saw the dark inky tattoos that decorated the new fae’s skin. Creatures of all sorts – some real and others mythical-looking - crawled up his arm in ink. A wolf’s visage was painted on the back of his hand in elaborate, delicate lines. The wolf’s eye seemed to gleam blue just as the fae’s did.

He took a deep breath against the palm of Felix’s hand.

“A human.” he growled out.

“A breathing human,” the voice that interrupted was smooth and crisp like a cold wind as another fae joined them from the shadows.

This time instead of being a beast he simply melted into existence from the dark. But unlike Felix, who danced between a technicolor-blurred form and a human-form, the fae had shadows clinging to his form like a cloak of never-ending night. She couldn’t see his feet like he was nothing more than a ghost. His hair was pitch-black and curled over his forehead, hiding his brows. His black eyes shone like the stars in the middle of the cold desert. His shirt tunic was made of the night sky, black shadows draping over his shoulders in a transparent-like cloth. His bared chest revealed with the sharp v of his blouse. He sparkled in the dark like his body was made of monochrome diamonds.

He waved with a curl of his fingers.

Her heart raced as his words processed. A breathing human. She needed to get out of here, she decided. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good. None of the other fae she had met had threatened her so openly.

A shushing. Shh, shh, shh. It was Felix’s voice, her eyes flashing to where he stood only to watch as he warped back to her side in a flurry of multi-color light. His hands cupped her cheeks fondly, blocking her view of the other fae for a moment. Her own blood was slick against her cheek, sticky between her skin and his palm.

“He’s teasing, little sweet heart.” Felix reassured before turning to scowl at the dark fae who grinned wolfishly as he passed by them.

“I’m not.” he deadpanned.

She couldn’t help but shiver as he passed; it felt like he carried a chill of night with him. Even the nearby fire flickered, its blue flames shuddering in a technicolor whirl of sparks before they settled once more.

“Seungmin, that’s not very nice,” Felix chided as he shifted her in his arms protectively. His arms felt cold, a freezing thing despite the warmth of the fire nearby. His sharp chin pressing into a shoulder as he eyed his Sluagh, as if pleading with him to scold the dark-fae.

His voice vibrated against the column of her neck: “He scared her; I feel her heart jumping. Its dancing.”

There was an annoyed grumble that came from Seungmin as he crept into the living space of the den. He didn’t sit. He stood beside the altar, eying the contents.

“Don’t play with your food, Yongbokie,” the beast-like fae scolded the blonde. Yongbok – or Felix.

She wondered if this was like Han’s name situation. Which was Felix’s Jisung? Which was his true name? Was he truly Yongbok or was he truly Felix?

“No, no, I’m not – look at her,” Yongbok chittered in her ear. “Look at her eyes, hyung.”

The creature-esque man prowled forward to look. He hadn’t lost his predator appearance. His eyes looked dangerous as they gleamed an electric blue. His hand reached out to grasp her chin, his fingers curling over his jaw as he tilted her head this way and that. Claws dug into her cheeks. The motion made her throat bare itself to the fae, overstretched and tense.

The Runner was getting tired of being man-handled, moving to shove her chin out of his grasp, and even struggling against Yongbok’s tight embrace. He complied with a giggle and only for a moment before his arms instead went to her waist rather than around her shoulders. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, loving the curves of a woman once more. She felt his hands caress her hips, sluggishly slow dragging over her form before tightening his arms around her middle. He buried his face into her neck, breathing in deep.

“See, Minho.” His voice was a gravelly low whisper. “She’s not enraptured by me. She’s not lovesick. She has ancient magic on her.” His voice was buried in her hair. She could feel his lips grazing the sensitive skin of her neck, all wet tongue and grazing sharp teeth.

“I do see.” Minho breathed, eyes sparkling as his clawed hand caught her chin in his grasp again. His snarl-grimace curled into a smirk. Almost pleased. The planes of his face turned sharp with the change, and Y/N felt her heart race at the sight. 

“I’m trying to reach the Castle. I was in the Labyrinth before I fell here.” She spoke up. It felt like she had somehow been caught when Yongbok, or Felix, had promised aid. Rather than being helped, she was stuck. A fluttering bird in a cage, pawed at by cats.

The Runner didn’t see the wild grin Felix buried into her hair. Minho leaned in, sniffing the other side of her face that Felix wasn’t buried in. Picking at a tendril of hair, bringing it to his nose, he smelled deeply.

“You’re a Runner then. I haven’t seen a human in these parts in—” there was another deep breath and she swore she heard a rumble in his chest like he was purring. His eyes gleamed in the light of the fires beside them.

“A long time,” The one called Seungmin finished for him from his spot behind them.

She moved to push Felix’s arms away, the way they tightened around her waist reminding her of chains.  Minho’s hand left her chin but not before he leaned in and licked her bloodied cheek with a roughened tongue. It made her squirm and jolt in their grasp. In a moment she feared he’d bite a chunk out of her. A squeal was on the tip of her tongue as she squirmed.

The laughter was low in the smokey air as Minho moved away.

“Let her breathe, Yongbokie,” Minho chuckled as he moved away for the Runner, and approached the table. “She’s the King’s; I’m sure he’s unhappy to see her curled up with us fair-folk.”

He grabbed a slice of bread she saw sitting on the altar, sneering at the cooked meat, and turned to watch the others. His leg propped up on a chair as he sat upon the edge of the stone table. He was always in a posture that made it seem like he was one moment away from lunging at her. Perhaps it was his unfeeling blue eyes, even as he smirked at her.

Felix grinned as he swayed her in his arms, “Even more reason to hold her close then.”

“Spoken like a true Gancanagh.” Seungmin’s voice commented. She couldn’t see him in the shadows, but the moving chill of air reminded her he was there.

Felix hummed pleasantly in agreement as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist, turning her around in his grasp. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her once-bloodied, now-saliva-sticky cheek, delicately sweet. She flinched back at the motion, squirming in his grasp as she fought his embrace again.

For a moment, Y/N swore he looked like Hyunjin. The slope of his nose fading into a different shape; his bottom lip plumping. In a blink, Felix was himself once more. He smiled at her sweetly.

“I’m not the King’s,” she retorted. “Let me go.”

“Jumpy heart,” he murmured, his lips against her jaw. “You can be mine.”

His closeness felt suffocating and she squirmed in his grasp, trying to move away. His eyes gleamed in disappointment, fire building in his chest. She rejected him over and over and Felix wasn’t used to it from mortals. She pushed at his arms, firmly.

“Let me go, please,” she insisted, shoving him away and stepping away with a huff.

“You are a brave soul,” Seungmin commented, walking up to the altar with a trail of shadows slinking off him. The dried flowers there wilted in his presence. She turned her head to look at the shadowed fae.

She swore she saw a shadow tendril, curl over Seungmin’s shoulders as if someone was hugging him or clinging to him. But the shadows that seemed to encompass him in a halo of darkness was always shifting, pulsating behind him like a living thing. His eyes hadn’t left her form since he arrived, staring at her with such intensity.

“Or dumb,” Seungmin added after a moment. He smiled; his mouth curled into a humored laugh.  

Felix was back upon her with his affections, a hand moving her hair aside to rest his chin on her shoulder and stare up at her. His gaze burned her cheek like fire.

 “Please, stay for a while?” he whispered.

Felix’s voice was so soft and gentle. Luring. It reminded her of Yeonjun – except Yeonjun hadn’t felt the need to wrap about her like a snake (but he had wrapped himself around Soobin.) While he was handsome, she had bigger things to focus on than a touchy faerie.

“I need to make it to the Castle,” she argued, moving to push Felix’s arms away from her waist. She felt nails dig into her skin as she pulled away from him.

Turning to meet his eyes, she saw Felix’s form shiver and shatter as his face revealed despair. His face merged and flickered; he looked not like himself suddenly. His features shifted and shimmered as they seemed to roll through different faces until they landed back on the freckled-soft features that she had met Felix with. His hair, however, darkened to an oil-slick blue-black, shrinking to a shorter cut, as if his displeasure showed through his appearance like a chameleon. He snarled a bit as he pushed past her to Minho’s side.

“He’s not used to his charms not working,” Seungmin crowed out, his laugh sounding like a black raven’s as he faded into the shadows behind him, tumbling back in giggles.

Minho’s arm slung around Felix’s shoulders as the once-blonde let out a whine deep in his throat. At the other’s touch, it seemed as if Felix calmed slightly, his pink-honeyed eyes that blazed with rejection rose to meet his elder’s. Minho’s lips curled in a smirk, reassuring the blonde silently as they settled their gaze on the Runner once more. Minho brought a piece of bread to his lips, crunching into it.

“I can’t stay,” Y/N reaffirmed steadily.

“How many hours do you have left?” Minho queried casually. “It’s been a long time since there was a Challenge. I remember only one other reaching these parts – and she was the last Champion.”

Now, that flooded her with optimism making her perk up. That was reassuring! She was on the right path somehow and if this other Runner made it, maybe she can too.

Felix buried his face into Minho’s shoulder. The older patted Felix’s bum, reassuringly. His eyes remained on hers.

“A few more hours are on my side,” she replied. “Did you help the other Runner then?”

He smiled with a laugh, the sound huffing out of him like a dog’s bark.

“No. We didn’t. There were others that wanted her though. Fire-creatures.” He commented. “A few hours left, and you ended up here. . .  poor human.”

“I’ll only steal 30 minutes,” Felix promised from Minho’s side, eyes flickering with the firelight. “I can make it feel like hours, a chuisle.”

“He’d steal far more than that,” Seungmin’s voice was damp on her ear. She jolted away, pushing away at his chest (despite the fact he was still half-submerged in darkness beside her). He laughed as he tugged playfully at her ear making it tingle with the feeling of maggots and soil burying into her ear canal.

“You are a cute one,” Seungmin commented, his tone cool and offhandedly before he faded into darkness again.

Felix’s irises were crawling up and down her form as she rubbed at her ear. Minho’s gaze flickered to the darkness and then to Felix beside him.

“I think we should play,” Seungmin whispered in the darkness.

“Can we?” he whispered to Minho. “Hyung, please. She won’t break.”

The shadows climbed over Minho’s shoulder; Seungmin materializing from the darkness to stand beside the fur-clad man. Felix eagerly looked back and forth from his hyung to her in a way that made her feel like prey.

She was prey here, stuck in the wolf’s den.

It was quiet except for the crackling of the blue flames on the floor. Minho’s gaze was steady on hers, like a wolf’s on a rabbit in the brush. He finished his slice of bread, wiping crumbs from his fur and tunic. Large hands went to remove his hood from his head, each move of his was deliberate. He watched as the Runner’s eyes flickered from one action to the next, to him and then to Felix, then to Seungmin, finally back to him.

She didn’t let him speak first. When she spoke again, she was careful with her words.

“Yongbokie,” she began, hoping she used his true name. “Promised he was going to help me.”

Minho’s neck creaked with a violent crack as he looked over at the once-blonde who now edged away from his Sluagh’s embrace and towards Seungmin’s side.

The head of the trio cackled, echoing in the air and vibrating in the darkness.

“Did he?” Minho hummed.

“Yongbok promised.” She insisted.

Felix grimaced at her from beside Seungmin who grinned at his brother.

“I like her,” Minho growled out.

“Clever wean.” Seungmin muttered.

“I need to get to the Castle; if you don’t know the way, let me leave. That’d be help enough,” she reiterated. Her heart thudded in her veins as she looked between the three men. “Promise fulfilled.”

Minho’s cool blue gaze didn’t flicker from her. Seungmin’s stoic expression grazing the once-blonde with disapproval. And Felix who both seemed to be smiling and scowling at once. Impressed but angered.

Felix murmured: “I promised I knew a way. I didn’t say it’d be easy or free.”

“You promised to help me.” She said firmly. “I know what was said and who said.”

He turned away, scowling. Curses were muttered under his breath in a language she didn’t know.

“Play a game with us and we will help. Easy trade.” Seungmin retorted glancing at her. “It’s like hide and seek.”

Minho’s lips twitched towards a smirk.

“You run; we seek,” Felix continued.

“How is that helping me?” she retorted firmly, trying to clamp down the fear that was pounding in her chest like a drum. She had to hold onto what the fae promised.

“Help is subjective, isn’t it?” Minho commented, his voice sounding awfully condescending. “Help could be us keeping you here as your hours of mortality trickle away. Help could be us leading to the path to the Castle. Help could be us summoning the King for your capture. Or – “

“You play with us; we help how you want us to,” Felix chimed, brightening at his Sluagh’s words.

There was a reason they followed after the Sluagh. He was cleverness and instinct all wrapped up. Powerful both in strength and mind, he was ruler here and this was the reason.

“We haven’t had a Wild Hunt in some time, Minho,” Seungmin commented.

“Call it, call it, call it,” Felix chanted, almost demonically.

“How do I win this game?” she asked. “Hide and seek usually ends when the person is found.”

“Should we tell you?” Felix countered, pouting. “You’ve been so mean to me.”

“Yongbok,” he scolded firmly, making Felix’s mouth shut. Seungmin chuckled lowly.

Minho approached her, steps reminiscent of a wolf stalking forward. She stayed still, breath low as she tried to figure out a way out of this. His stare felt powerful and mythical. Like he was more than himself for a moment. There was a shuddering in the air, magic whirling in the air as the camp fire flickered violently. Embers surrounding Minho in a whirl of electric-blue light. He looked like a demon, like a mythical beast as magic flurried around him

Felix grinned and faded into the shimmering-flashy prism of light he could be. Seungmin faded into the darkness.

“Make it to the end of our borders and you win.” Minho instructed. “You’ll know the moment you see it, mortal.”

“And if I don’t make it,” she breathed out.

His lips twitched into a smile. He leaned forward so their eyes met at one another’s level. Blue magic swarmed his eyes until they were fully glowing, making them look as if they were fiery blue coals.

“Depends on who captures you.” He admitted. “Regardless, we will see how powerful that ancient ward is, human.”

Death wouldn’t let her escape the King. She knew that. But she didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to be hurt. He could smell her fear and it made his mouth salivate.

“Run, Runner.” He whispered, a low chuckle bubbled up in his throat. “I’ll even give you a head start – out of helpfulness.”

“10, 9, 8-“

She didn’t linger longer to hear anything further.

The Runner ran.

Scrambling out of the warm cave towards the break in the trees, she ran. There were hoots and hollers that were loud in the darkness. Spooking animals and creatures of all sorts. Rustling and croaks and crinkles of wild life echoed around her as she sprinted.

A piercing howl broke through the noise. Her heart sped up and she pushed herself over a rock, faster.

The Runner ran and ran.

Her legs ached already. Her feet hurt from the hours of walking the Labyrinth but still she kept sprinting. The soil beneath her feet was slick and deep. Sinking into the grime as she rounded a tree. Her fingers brushing past the wood as she tried to listen for Minho’s voice. Or was that howl him? Was her extra time up? Where were they? Where was she? She didn’t pause as she continued onwards.

The Runner ran and ran and ran.

There were no hints for a way to go. She was scared this forest was tricked like the Labyrinth was. Was she just going in circles? No, no, she had to hope not. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she hopped over a fallen log.

There were no sounds now – no hooting, no hollering, no yells. She slowed for a moment, panting too loud. Her heart thudded deep in her chest as she bent over as she caught her breath. Her eyes, blurred at the edges with white, from her exhaustion and lack of air. She looked this way and that way, hands on her knees as she breathed in.

There was no hint of a path this deep into the forest. No whisper of living beings. It was quiet.

So quiet except for her panting in lungfuls of air. No birds. No rustling. Too quiet.

She paused. Holding her breath. Listening closely.

A body slammed into hers violently, thrusting her into the ground with a scream. His body writhed against hers for a moment as she struggled against ferns and clovers and dirt. He pulled away as he crouched over her, feet on either side of her body.

“I could track you without shifting,” he commented, squatting over her. Minho’s lips curled up with pride. “Iron-blood is so strong once you catch its trail.”

With flailing limbs and knocked wind, she pushed herself through the dirt and mulch – until her back hit a tree. It didn’t budge against her weight, scratching at her elbows as she tried to use it to hoist herself up. But the creature-esque fae was upon her with a pounce. He smelt of wild grass, rotting animals in the heat, and rain-watered mud.

Minho’s grin was feral. His nose brushed over her cheek as he breathed in. His own breath was ragged, hot like an animal’s against her sweatied face.  

“For a Runner,” he murmured lowly, a corner of his lip rising into a smirk. “You aren’t very fast.”

His claws tightened against her shoulder as he pinned her into the oak tree behind her. He had his prey and like a big cat he took pleasure in playing with his mouse. His eyes flashed blue as he raised his other hand up; the darkened claw-like nails glowed an unnatural blue. His thumb dragged over her throat delicately, slowly. Almost playfully. Scratching back and forth but not tearing into her skin.

“Clever but not fast,” he whispered. “Hm?”

He had arrogance in his tone as he tilted his head at her, faux pout on his lips. She struggled against his grasp again, dirt kicking up.

“Let me go,” she whispered back.

Their words felt loud in the eerie quiet of the woods.

“Humans have always been fair game in a Wild Hunt, written with our blood upon the ancient ruins,” he whispered as if telling her a secret. His eyes were steady on hers. “I wonder if ancient law overrules ancient magic. You’re the first human hunted in so many decades – and here you are cowering.”

His claw dug into her throat and she let out a cry, pushing herself away from him as far as she could. Blood dripped from the fine cut. It wasn’t deep (Minho was holding back, toying with her) but it still ached.

“Your immunity is the only intriguing thing about you. I wonder if you could survive my jaws,” he crooned, his hand rose from her shoulder. His fingers were gentle as they combed through her mussed hair.

His other hand that had clawed at her neck grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, a screech tumbling from her throat now. His teeth bore into many many rows of sharpened teeth.

There was a blur in her vision and she felt the weight of Minho get shoved off her with ferocious power. A body of light tumbled with the half-transformed Minho. An unearthly groan of anger grumbled from the tumbling forms.

“Yongbok!” she could hear the beastly growl that was Minho.

“I want first bite, hyung,”

Felix’s deep rumbling voice was almost poutful. But Y/N didn’t focus on that for long. No, she hoisted herself up and bolted in the opposite direction of the two fighting fae.

Around tree stumps, dark rocks, and hillsides, avoiding anything that would slow her down. Her feet splashed through a puddle of water, making her body jolt with adrenaline. Keep going, keep running. Where was she? She was running so quick there was no way she kept track of what tree or rock she had passed. Was she going in circles? Looking back, she saw no followers. Perhaps they were still caught up in one another.

There were tall trees ahead, made of pine rather than the twisting mulberry trees. She didn’t want to stop, her lungs ached but she feared that the moment she froze that theyd find her again. Turning to follow the path of pine trees, she wove between the large trunks. Stumbling over pinecones she hissed out as she stumbled into the brush.

“Fuck.” She cursed out.

Scraped knees and all, she stumbled to her feet and edged away from the pine needled cover floor. Looking around, the darkness felt like it was creeping into her. Tunnel visioning her. She could hear water, rushing water. It sounded close. She turned towards it and started to run, only for a grand flame of blue fire to burst forth in front of her, blocking her.

“Where are you going, chreiche?” it was growled out in the shadows.

She stumbled back, eyes wide. Her sweat gleamed in the blue light; hair wild as she looked around to find the voice. Her breath escaped in rough puffs as she moved away from the flames that licked at the pine needles and forced her away.

There was no Minho, no Felix. She swallowed, the taste of iron in the back of her throat and the smell of smoke in her lungs. She tried to gather her bearings. Maybe she was on the right path when the fire combusted in front of her. Was she close to their land’s boundary? She didn’t know. It wasn’t like she could win this game – she just had to escape.

There’s a howl in the darkness. She froze. It had to be Minho. She just knew it. Like an instinct hidden deep in her. She ran again, moving away from the flames in front of her. Feet moving before she could even think. Away from the blue flames that seemed to grow, following her to keep her within imaginary boundaries.

Rounding a corner, she stumbled as she came upon a large cliffside, blocking the path. It looked tall, creeping into the dark fog that clung low to the woods.

“No,” she cried out, kicking at the dirt before turning away from the dead-end. She had to keep going even as her lungs argued. She wheezed as she took a step forward. But she couldn’t breathe in.

Her breath was stolen, gone from her throat. Her lungs ached and she tried to suck in air, but she couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t she breathe? Her hands rose to grasp her throat; it was damp with blood – the scratch from Minho painting her hands red. She felt her own throat muscles contract. A rasped gasp cracking through her mouth. But that didn’t help. Hunching over, she gasped and gasped. Coughing at air as if it was water.

Until she felt a tug on her ear, pulling her up from her squat to press against a firm chest.

An arm wrapped around her waist, a large hand pressing against trembling lungs. He pressed at them firmly.

“Do you wish to breathe?” Seungmin’s cold voice queried.

She nodded, frantically. And like that, the weight on her chest lifted and she took in the deepest breath she could. Sagging against him completely as her face faded from its reddish hue as she sucked in lungfuls of air. Shadowed limbs curled around her, caressing her cheeks, poking at her wounds with curious phalanges.

The shadow-fae hummed lowly, almost disinterestedly as he shifted her in his grasp as he took her weight onto his chest. His skin was icy cold against hers and it felt good similar to the way gasoline smelled good. The shadows licked at her skin, pressing kisses to the wounds. Her heart slowed, thudding steadily as she gasped and gulped air.

“Humans are simple,” Seungmin commented after a moment. Dead man’s lips cold to her ear. “Your fates so easy to manipulate and snap.”

His hands rose into her view, and yet she still felt phantom arms around her, holding her in place with their cold embrace. She felt his smile against her ear as his hands rose to her eye-level. With a twist of his wrists, a fine thin black string materialized tangled about his fingers, pulled taut between his hands. It thrummed and quivered and she couldn’t help but feel her own heart shudder with its vibrations.

“This is you,” he whispered. “Y/N.”

She hadn’t said her name to them and yet he knew. It made a whimper climb up her throat. She tried to move but she couldn’t. Entrapped in his tendrils. Seungmin breathed out a laugh as he thumbed at her fate-string. She felt it. Felt her chest shudder like a guitar’s string.

“Its strong. Even stronger with the ancient magic protecting you from us.”

The thing glowed faintly, shimmering in the nonexistent light.

“I can’t snap it like others, but I can do this.”

He pulled the string taut, and her heart ached. She pitched forwards, the air pushed from her lungs unpleasantly. He giggled.

“Stop.” She wheezed.

“Intriguing, huh?” he commented almost analytically. “How long can it go before it snaps on its own? Can it?”

There was a growl from the brush. Seungmin’s eyes flashed up from the string to the foliage. He looked at the shadowed animal with excitement flickering in his eyes like fruit flies around a rot.

“Hyung,” he chimed, sounding brighter than she had heard him yet. “I caught her.”

There was a growl, a sound in between a bear’s rumble and a wolf’s growl. It was harsh.

Seungmin sighed out. Disappointedly.

“Threads were fair game before!” he complained.

A bark of a snarl echoed out as the creature known as Minho crept forward. Her thread disappeared into the shadows once more as Seungmin’s hands went to grasp her shoulders.

“I found her,” he argued. “I win. Don’t change the rules, Minho.”

The snarl was vicious this time, a thing she imagined only monsters containing the strength of bursting forth from his chest. She could see him now. Minho was a beast larger than the wolf’s façade he wore before. No, he was something that towered high above the overgrown flora and fauna. Raggedy battle-torn fur and large scapulas making his large head fall lower on his body. He looked like a creature torn between the agility of a wolf with the form of a bison. His feet were paws not hooves as he approached with a bellowing growl.

“Sore loser,” Seungmin egged on, like a child.

Were all fae so obsessed with winning? With being the best? These three seemed to want and want and want. Yet humans were the ones who were greedy – ridiculed for wishing and then placed in a challenge? The trio had turned their backs on one another over and over for her. Selfish creatures. Childish.

Minho’s footfalls became faster and faster. He charged at them. Seungmin’s hands rest back on her shoulders, squeezing tight. Waiting until Minho pounced, Seungmin disappeared from behind her and Y/N dodged to the side.

The beast slid in the soft soil, mud matting in his fur before in a blink, the beast was replaced by the humanoid figure of Minho, kneeling and ready to pounce. Not at her but at the shadowed fae who was being tugged into the darkness once more.

“No threads, Seungmin,” Minho growled out, blue eyes flashing at the shadows. “Cheater.”

The shadows shifted and moved like an ocean’s waves. Wiggling annoyed.

“Loser,” Seungmin countered. Minho lunged for the other with a growl aching in his mouth, needing to put the death-fae into his place below him.

Breathing in deep, she watched as their attention focused on themselves, ignoring her as she clung to the thick trunk of a pine. Slowly creeping away, she tried to keep herself small and unseen as she escaped the bickering two.

As soon as she was far enough away, she broke into another sprint. The forest wasn’t as dark now with magical flames of blue licking at the far distance of the woods. Blocking her way out. Water trickled nearby and she turned to follow it. It didn’t sound like a rushing river but more like a small creek. Maybe she’d find a path out of here if she followed it?

She ran and could hear the rustling of Minho and Seungmin’s tussle in the distance. Growls and grunts that she tried to avoid heading anywhere near. Rounding a corner, the pines had melted into large weeping willows with leaves of curtains engulfing her every step. Moving through them, she ducked and brushed through the flora with harsh hands until she was near tangled up in the tree’s long curtains. Pausing to untangle herself, she huffed and puffed. As she turned to continue onwards, she jumped back at Felix in front of her.  

A maniacal grin glowed on his lips as he swung from a branch like a tempting serpent.

“Hi, little sweet heart,” he chimed, voice soft. He hung down from the tree, upside-down face to right-sideup face with her. “You’ve been doing so well.”

Empty praise given like whispered sweet nothings.

She glared and he smiled brighter.

“I should’ve kept you my secret,” he admitted as he let go of the branch with one hand, swinging like a sloth as he eyed her. His head tilted.

“Sharing a human isn’t my strong-suit and neither is it my brothers.”

Their bickering made her feel like a piece of meat between animals, being tugged this way and that as she is torn apart for their selfish hearts.

“You were going to keep me until my hours were up,” Y/N confirmed as she moved to run the opposite direction.

There was a fizzle of magic, a flash of light as Felix blocked her way with his lean-form. “No, no,” he pleaded with a gentle tone. His eyes were puppy-dog sweet as he reached out to her. “I was going to save you.” Empty promises, Y/N. “C’mon, come with me, and I promise you’ll be safe in my arms. Hmm?” he tempted, his words gentle and soft.

His voice was even a different tone, becoming something less deep and more warm. Sickly sweet, sticky. She glared at the oil-slick hair that seemed to glimmer in between dark and blonde in the shimmering light that consumed Felix. He wasn’t truthful. He had lied before. Promised before. And now, here she could see he was nothing but a snake. A chameleon reptile trying to eat her like a bug. Chew her up and toss her aside.

“I’ll take my chances alone,” she muttered as she dodged his needful arms and ran through the brush. Tangling vines, scratching palm leaves, and twisting roots stumbled and pried at her but she continued onwards. There were no forwards, backwards, sideways, or other ways in the woods. It was an abyss, endless except for when flames consumed her path.

Trapping her in this mess of a game board.  

A shadowed figure rush towards her.

“Nothing escapes me!” Seungmin’s shadow hands grazed her waist like the fingers of a dead man – damp and clammy.

A screech left her as she stumbled away, dodging towards another path through briared rose bushes. Thorns scratched and clung to her pants but she pushed through. Flames erupted in her way, blue and whirling up with wild magic.

“I found her first, she’s mine! I want to play; I never get to play with humans fairly!” Felix’s voice sounded like glass as it shattered into a deep monstrous thing. He dove to grab her. His face distorted in the blue light and she realized he didn’t look like himself at all. Too many eyes, too many mouths.

She shrieked and dove to the side, evading his inhuman leap. Flames were hot against her sweatied form, making her arms feel like they were sweltering with the change in temperature. Icy hot to boiling cold. She kept running. The world around her melted from the unending darkness of the woods to this blue-casted jungle. Bright from licking electric flames consuming it all. She slid down a small incline, grunting as she did so.

“I hunted her down,” Minho countered, nearly inhuman in its growled words. There were loud footsteps, his paws thudding against the dirt with bellowing strides. She didn’t look back as she dodged another flicker of flame bursting forth from her right. “She’s mine.”

“No!” It sounded like it was all three of them crying out, different voices mingling into a cacophony of a growled inhuman gurgle. Greedy and selfish, they were still fighting with one another, arguing about rules of a Wild Hunt over the beating of her human heart and lungs aching for more than a second of air.

She splashed through a creek, ankles rolling as she dashed over algae-slippery rocks. The Runner didn’t stop even as she heard a howl, loud and angered. She didn’t stop as she heard the calls of Felix. “Swet heart, stop!” She didn’t stop when she felt the delicate fingers of Seungmin’s play with her heart, making it feel as if it was pulling and pulling and pulling in her chest.

“You’ve won, little mouse,” she heard a yell of a growl from Minho. “Return. Return.”

“Come back, human!” Seungmin’s voice pleaded.

“Leave me alone!” she cried out.

Return? He was crazy. They all were. She turned back from her spot high on a hillside; she saw them prowling at the small bubbling brook. Minho pacing, Seungmin’s shadows stopping at an invisible barrier, Felix… sobbing into his knees. She was free of them; they couldn’t cross the rushing water. She won. But she wouldn’t go back. No. That was a fool’s errand.

“Don’t leave,” Felix cried out, monstrously so.

He sounded unrecognizable other than the deep accent that he had. She swallowed before turning her back on them and continuing her climb. The trees were less overwhelming as she climbed, thin and branchy. Nothing was blooming and there were more half-alive things than alive here. The hill came face to face with a cliffside. Dead-end.  It towered high above her with rough terrain, rocks jutting out this way and that and magic flowing through the cracks of dirt. High above, she could make out the beginning of the familiar brickwork of the Labyrinth’s walls as it was engulfed by the dark layer of shadows.

She was so close, but now there was this cliff. She looked back to hear Minho’s call. Taunting. “She doesn’t know the way. She needs us.”

It made her chest burn. Burn with anger. She didn’t need them, she didn’t need anyone. As soon as she thought that, something magical happened. A rope fell down to her from high above in the foggy darkness. Looking up, there were no signs of who threw it but she needed to get back to the Labyrinth. So, she climbed and climbed. Until a hand wrapped around hers and tugged.

“Y/N?” the voice was familiar and she thought maybe it was a trick of a fae, and it made her want to sob.

“Y/N, that’s you?” he queried again, heaving her out by her arm. She crawled onto the cobblestone path, fingers digging into the stone as she curled her feet away from the ladder. The darkness of the woods didn’t touch her here and she swore she heard Felix crow out, “You’re welcome, sweet heart!”, as the darkness engulfed their voices.

She peered up at her rescuer and her eyes widened.

A familiar face was staring at her with concern in his jewel-toned eyes. He was kneeling beside her, a hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t a trick. No, it was him.

“Han!” she fell into his arms, hugging him close.

She did it. She really did it. She was away from the dangers of those woods. Away from the shadows, flames, and embraces. No, she felt sturdy as she grasped onto the lesser-fae, burying her cheek into the worn vest of his.

“Y/N.” he breathed as he held her close for a moment. She was sturdy, unharmed. Salt-sweat on her brow, hair tousled, warm blood on her skin and through her veins.

Safe nonetheless.

When he had heard her shrieks and tracked her to the edge of the Direwoods, he had feared the worse. He knew the Direwood inhabitants were rowdy folk. Creatures of myth and legend live there. Hyunjin had hated dealing with them – even if Minho was a reasonable leader of his lands. How’d she end up in their borders? It looked clearly dangerous. Why would she go there?

“Why were you in the Direwoods?” he scolded, pulling back to look her in the eye. “Are you stupid?”

“I didn’t—I fell after something attacked us,” she argued back. “I didn’t know it was going to be like that.” She shivered. She didn’t know how to explain Felix, Minho, and Seungmin. She felt like they were true fae – which was funny considering she was amongst fae folk everywhere here. But Han didn’t feel dangerous like they had. Chris didn’t.

It felt like the stories of dangerous fae were written after those in the Direwoods, unlike the dreamy stories told of the Goblin King.

“Those woods are full of shifters and death fae,” he filled in the blanks, his hand going to push her hair away from her neck. Oh god, her neck was bloodied-red. He swallowed at the sight. Poor human. “Minho and his little clan of spitfires.” He spat.

Her ears burned. She had truly ran into the most well-known of all in the Direwoods.

“Y/N,” her name was spoken like a warning. “Did you meet Minho?”

She smiled bashfully up at Jisung. It did little to calm him especially with the half-there blood drawn over her cheek in a rune of old that read ‘mine’, and her body bloodied and bruised. His eyes only filled with horror. His breaths escalated as he went to grasp her jaw in his hands. Examining her eyes this way and that. Thumbs brushed over her cheeks, rubbing away the rune as they searched for a temperature. A fever of lust.

“Who. Did. You. Meet?” he held her head in between his hands still as he demanded.

“Minho, yeah, uh, Felix, and Seungmin,” she listed off.

“Did Felix touch you?” His voice was sharply concerned as he looked in her eyes carefully. “Y/N, you have to think carefully.”

She had yet to see Jisung this fearful – even when he was confronted by Hyunjin, there was never this tremble to his eyes as they took in her state of being.

“He’s a Gancanagh,” he worried. “One touch and you’ll be addicted to him.”

She didn’t seem addicted. He’s seen humans fall head over heels for Gancanaghs, destroyed and driven mad when the fae left. She seemed normal. She wasn’t crawling her way back to the Direwoods, instead her hand rose to cup the back of his own hand softly.

“He couldn’t keep his hands off me actually,” she admitted. “But it seemed like it was only because he said I was protected by magic?” she offered. “I don’t feel any different. Just scared.”

Jisung’s eyes that had danced over her cheeks, worriedly wondering if her flushed cheeks meant a fever, flashed to her eyes at that. She’s scared. What if he could’ve prevented this? The peach in his satchel was heavy as he leaned away. He swallowed softly; fingers gentle on her skin as he pulled away.

“Okay.” he conceded. “Makes sense – Hyunjin wouldn’t want his Runners becoming addicted to another. Okay.”

There’s a moment as he looked over her form. God, she reeked of iron-blood, her skin cut up from branches and claws; her poor throat bore a scratch; there were greenish bruises forming on her as well.

“You’re all beat up,” he murmured, frowning. “Goddess below, why’d you run into those three?”

“Yeah, but hey,” she shifted to show the collection of jewels – his jewels – tied to the belt loop around her waist, safe and sound. “These are still safe!”

“I don’t care about those right now,” he huffed, rolling his eyes as he tore at the fabric of his shirt, the hemming and more tearing away. His toned stomach was revealed, sparkling remnants of magic highlighting his abs. He then tore his hemming into strips of cloth that he soon began to wrap around her wounds. “You’re hurt, stupid.”

His tone didn’t sound harsh as he continued to care for her injuries.

“Where were you?” she queried.

“Trying to find you after you ran towards danger – again. You really need to be more careful!” he scolded her as he shifted her hair to one side.

He went to his belt and pulled a flask made of gator-looking hide. Han poured the contents over a rag before wiping away her bloodied neck before wrapping it in a bandage carefully.

“You’re the one that refused to help someone in danger and ran away from me.”

“If they’re in danger of their own making, it’s their problem – not ours right now,” he countered, leaning back on his heels. His arms rested on his knees as he looked over her form. She looked beat up still. He brushed the dirt, mulch and leaves off her back. Picking leaves and pine-needles from her hair.

“That’s the same thing you said about me,” she said.

“And look where helping you got me,” he huffed.

His hair fell in his eyes and he blew air to push it out of the way as he tied a makeshift bandage on her arm.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she admitted softly as he tied a bandage around her palm. “Friend.”

His fingers slipped against the fabric of the bandage as he spluttered a bit. It made her laugh, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder.

“I—I,” he bumbled out. “I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

“Y/N!”

A familiar voice cried out in the distance.

“Chris?” she popped up onto her feet, leaving Jisung on his knees.

“Chris?” he repeated after her, clambering to his feet beside her as he watched a hulking force of nature barrel through the woods towards them. Jisung’s eyes widened as he moved to stand in front of Y/N.

“Y/N, you’re okay!” The voice was joyful as Chris, shirtless still, appeared from the brush. The smile on her face was bright as she shifted from behind Jisung to meet Chris half-way. His smile was bright as he wrapped her up in a bear hug. Her feet left the dirt ground as he hugged her close.

A laugh tumbled from her as he squeezed her close, laughing in turn.

“You’re okay, too!” she exclaimed as she was placed back on her feet. Released from his hug, she could see his bared chest, the injuries from before had formed a shiny-matte-like appearance, healing into the beginning of scabs while they were parted.

“None of these are new, right?

He shook his head, his brown hair flopping about wildly before he hugged her again, burying his face in her shoulder.

“I’m so happy I found you – I can’t believe we got separated.”

“Its okay. I ran into some, uh, some trouble, so it’s probably good you weren’t there. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Jisung couldn’t help but let the shock cross over his face. Him, getting hurt. Compared to her? He didn’t get it. Y/N was clearly the more vulnerable, the one who needed to be protected here. Yet here she was babying this mountain of a man (despite their heights being comparable if Jisung ever wanted to point out.)

He cleared his throat after the hug continued for a moment too long in his opinion. The pair separated, one with a grin and the other with a cautious look beneath a furrowed brow.

“So, this is your new friend, Runner?” Jisung queried, flicking dirt from under his finger nails. He looked ‘Chris’ up and down. “Hello Chan.”

“Hello, Lord Han,” Chris murmured carefully, bowing his head.

“Lord Han!?” Y/N exclaimed, her mouth falling open in shock.

[nikkeora]

𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 - p.j

summary; percy comforts you after finding you on the fire escape.

pairing; percy jackson x neighbor!demigod!reader

word count; 4.6k

warning(s); themes of abusive relationships. do not interact if this is a trigger for you, and please, reach out if you need help and are able. the world is full of people who can help, even if it's just little things like consolation.

a/n; sorry this took so long!! english isn’t my first language, so there might be a couple errors. feedback is always appreciated :) // takes place between the fourth and fifth book of pjo

request(s); HI HOPE YOURE HAVING A GOOD DAY/NIGHT CAN I PLEASSSSEEEEEE GET PERCY X READER "58/ "Who did this to you?"" WITH PROTECTIVE PERCY I WILL CRY!!!

Hello! Can I please request Percy Jackson x reader with prompt #58: “Who did this to you?” Thank you!

Every time Percy made his way back home after Camp, he expected all sorts of monsters to come pounding at the door. He was the son of Poseidon, after all—the more powerful a demigod was, the easier they were to smell out.

And they kind of did; dracaenae in the grocery store, pit scorpions in the gym and pretty much everywhere else. He even saw a cyclops from his bedroom window once, lumbering pretty dam close to the apartment before shaking his head, seemingly confused, and wandering off. Well, that was strange.

Percy had tried to think of anything that could have thrown the cyclops off his trail. Maybe he smelled another half-blood somewhere, or maybe he just didn't feel like having son-of-the-sea-god fillet for dinner. None of those seemed likely.

Or maybe the cyclops just lost the trail, simple as that. But in Percy’s opinion, that was even less likely than the other two options. Being a son of one of the Big Three gods, Percy was pretty much a beacon for monsters everywhere, which was why he was always hesitant when coming home after camp. He didn't want to put his mom in danger because of him (and Paul Blowfish was really nice, too).

The only way to get rid of his smell, as far as he knew, was by covering it with a stench so foul that it got masked, making Percy smell like just a rather horrid mortal to monsters. Yeah, his mom got an apartment in a shady neighborhood to sort of do just that, but a shady neighborhood wasn't nearly enough to confuse a monster like a cyclops. He needed Smelly Gabe levels of stink, at the very least.

Another reason Percy thought the whole shady neighborhood plan wasn’t what had thrown that cyclops for a loop was because of you.

Now don't get him wrong, he liked having you around. A little too much, even, which he was embarrassed to admit. You were one of the first and best friends he'd made at camp, and you had a personality that could brighten anyone's day. But two demigods living in the same building? Going to the same school, no less? That had to be a recipe in some sort of demon cook book somewhere, just imagine—'easiest-ever cheesecake with half-blood garnish: start by catching two half-bloods, preferably from the same building to keep them fresh...'

Strangely enough, though, nothing ever seemed to get near him when he was with you. No dracaenae disguised as pregnant ladies in the store, no pit scorpions crawling out from between the bookshelves in the library. Not once while hanging out with you did a monster decide to stop by for a quick snack, which was a pretty big deal considering he never left your side if he could help it. He never understood why that was.

Until tonight.

Percy never slept well at home. Sure, it was great to be there, but this wasn’t like Camp, where a magic barrier kept anything dangerous from getting in. This was a regular mortal apartment, where a Laistrygonian giant could easily lob a giant ball of fire at if he had a half-decent aim. He lay awake most nights, which was pretty frustrating since he couldn’t use a phone or something to distract himself, and trying to read just made the words float off the page. So, naturally, he used the sound that flooded through his bedroom window as a sort of white noise to help him fall asleep.

Tonight was especially difficult. He was up way past the point where his body usually started to give in to the drowsiness, and it was really pissing him off. Every time he shut his eyes and tried to force himself to go to sleep, they just opened again a minute or two later, feeling a lot drier.

Suddenly, he heard someone open then slam their window shut a few floors up. Someone slipped onto the fire escape and started climbing down. Who in Hades would be out there at this hour?

The footsteps stopped almost as soon as they started, and nothing but the usual busy murmur of the Manhattan night continued once again. How long had passed? Ten minutes? Twenty? Percy realized he hadn’t heard another window open or close. And the footsteps never passed by his window, so Percy figured whoever was out there was maybe two or three stories up from his floor – somewhere near yours – and decided to go check, grabbing Riptide in its pen form off his bedside table.

If it was just some mortal who’d decided to hang out up there, that’s fine and all. He might have to scare them off if they were too close to your window, but no one would be in actual danger. If it was a monster trying to sneak up on him, or you, for that matter, he would take care of it and come back inside. He didn’t have anything better to do, anyway. He slowly opened his window and slipped outside, being as quiet as he possibly could considering the fire escape was practically ancient.

What he found when he climbed up, however, wasn’t some rando or a monster. It was you. And while normally the sight of you would fill his stomach with butterflies so strong they practically made his skin tingle, what he saw now made his heart drop umpteen stories to the Underworld.

You were wearing your pajamas, which any sensible person would say were much too cold for the season. It was nearing winter a lot more than autumn now, and the temperature was low enough that he could see your shaky breaths. Even so, you still sat out there in nothing but a paper-thin long sleeved shirt and some sweats, hugging your knees to your chest as to either bring yourself some comfort or warmth. Probably both. Your whole body was shaking pretty hard, and Percy didn’t need to see your face to know that you were crying.

He put Riptide into his pocket and shuffled his feet a little as he got closer to you, deliberately making his presence known so he wouldn't startle you when he sat down next to you. Quickly wiping your hand across your face, you tried to clean any trace of tears as you looked up to see who was there.

“Hey, Perce,” you said, smiling at him the way you always did. Your voice would’ve sounded normal if it wasn’t so raw. The way you tried to act as though nothing was wrong made Percy want to punch something. Or someone. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the amount of sheer anger he felt. The silence was deafening as he tried to calm himself down.

“Who did this to you?” He finally asked, his voice shaking. Whether it was from anger, or the sheer amount of willpower he had to conjure to stop himself from beating whoever was the cause of this senseless, he didn’t really know. Your smile wavered a bit.

“What d’you mean?” You replied, trying your best to look confused and oblivious. If he hadn’t caught you actually crying, he was sure he would have bought it. “No one did anything to me, Percy. I’m perfectly fine. Just peachy. All that stuff.”

“Y/N, you’re crying on the fire escape in the middle of the night. I’m not that stupid.” Percy sighed, frustrated. He was your best friend, and as your best friend, it was his job to make sure no one stepped out of line around you, the way you did for him. Like how you gave anyone who tried to talk bad about him a glare so intense they would immediately shut up and run in the opposite direction. “Who did this to you?”

You stayed still for a minute, seemingly weighing your options. On the one hand, you could play dumb and go back home, the way you always did when someone asked what was wrong. You really didn’t want Percy to see you like this. On the other, he already has, so there was no point in trying to hide it.

Besides, the thought of going back to your own apartment made your blood run cold. You ran your hands up and down your arms as chills made their way along your spine.

“My boyfriend,” you finally muttered out, looking away from Percy as you spoke. “He usually stays over since my place is always empty. Practically lives there. We had a big fight about… you, actually. He said you were bad news and told me to stay away from you. I told him you were a good person who just got caught up in some pretty bad situations sometimes. He made a few accusations. Told me—”

You choked on your words. Percy put a hand over your shoulders, a bit hesitant as he wasn’t sure if you wanted him close by right now. After all, he was part of the reason you were out here in the first place. He breathed a little sigh of relief as you leaned into his touch, pressing yourself against his side as he pulled you close.

“He told me I followed you around like a puppy anyway, so to be a good little dog and run home to my master. I didn’t see a point in arguing with him, so I told him that maybe I would. He, um, didn’t like that too much.”

You let out a shaky sigh. Now that you recounted what had happened, it didn’t seem like much of a step up from what your boyfriend usually did. He never liked it when you made friends, so why did him trying to separate you from Percy feel so much more personal than all the other times he told you to cut yourself off?

While you were contemplating the reason for it, Percy was plotting a murder.

He was pretty sure Rachel had a step-by-step guide on it somewhere. But then again, why read a book when one of his other best friends was literally the daughter of the goddess of strategy? And Clarisse.. well, as much as they didn't get along, he was pretty sure she liked you more than most of the other campers, enough to threaten to pulverize anyone who hurt you with the full intent of following it through.

First things first, Seaweed Brain, Anabeth’s voice said in his head (it did that from time to time; Percy assumed he didn't really have his own voice of logic, so his brain borrowed it from the smartest person he knew). She's freezing.

“Right,” he muttered, giving your shoulders a little squeeze. You flinched. First things first, he mentally repeated, and pulled the both of you off of the cold metal platform with an apologetic look. “Let’s get you back to my place, yeah? Get you warmed up.”

You nodded and started to follow him down the stairs. Your legs were unsteady from being folded for too long in the cold, and you stumbled on the first few steps. After the first flight, Percy stopped in his tracks and looked at you for a moment, deciding whether or not carrying you was a bit too much considering there was only a floor or two left to his window. Then he decided that he didn’t care if it was and scooped you up, carrying you bridal-style.

To his surprise, you didn’t protest. He felt you wrap your arms around his neck and hug him tightly, the act making his face go warm. If someone were to see him right now, he was sure the mix of anger and butterflies would have made his face look the color of canned tomato soup.

Once he reached his floor, he put you down and climbed in first, offering you a hand once he was inside. You smiled to yourself as little butterflies fluttered to life in your stomach, but they soon vanished and left you with a sinking feeling that quickly spread everywhere. He was just being a good friend. He doesn’t like you in that way. You have a boyfriend, you shouldn’t be thinking like this–

Percy sat you down on his bed, rummaging through his clean clothes to find something useful. Most of his clothes were really worn out, so it wasn’t much of an easy task. Then his fingers brushed against something soft, and he pulled it out to examine; it was a blue polyester sweater his mom had bought around the end of last winter. He’d worn it a lot over the last few months, but it had been washed more recently than most of his other winter clothes.

“Put this on.” He threw it across the room at you. You caught it and did as you were told, pulling it over your shirt. The scent of ocean breeze fabric detergent and a hint of sea salt washed over you. Percy took a seat beside you on the bed, his gaze boring into you as you tried your best to ignore what had just happened. A second ago, being upset had felt justifiable. Now you were just embarrassed to have been caught.

Again, that wasn’t any worse than what he did every other day. Why did it bug you so much?

“So, you don’t naturally smell like ocean breeze, huh?” You commented, trying to lighten the mood. Or maybe distract him from what he’d just seen. Hey, why not both? “A shame, really. You’d be useful in the Hermes cabin—can’t get cleaned up for inspection most of the time, so smelling nice would definitely be an improvement.”

Percy ran his hand through his hair, his frustration starting to get the better of him. “Does this sort of thing happen often?” He asked. When you didn’t answer, he gently put his hands on either side of your face, making you look at him. Finally, you sighed.

“It’s not usually this bad,” you offered, giving him a small smile. “He never means what he says—or what he does, for that matter. He just gets a little carried away when he’s worried. He’ll apologize in the morning, I’m sure. Always does.”

Usually?

Never?

Always?

This had been going on for a lot longer than Percy had imagined. How could he have let this happen? Was he so dense as to notice the signs? He’d met the guy, for fuck’s sake. He realized now that you weren’t flustered or anything like that whenever your boyfriend dragged you away from him all those times. You were dreading what would happen once no one else was around.

“This isn’t okay, Y/N,” he muttered, moving his hands to hold yours instead. His thumbs traced little patterns on your skin, and you could swear it sent little electric shocks up along your nervous system.

“He’s the best I can hope to get…” You replied, a bitter smile on your face. He told you so all the time. Your best friend got a funny look on his face, something you could only describe as ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ That look then faded into anger, then sadness, then anger again. His expression alternated between the two as he took a breath, then said,

“Tell me everything.”

You were almost certain he almost said something else, but you figured it wasn’t too important. If it was, it would come up again, eventually.

You bit your lip. You didn’t really like telling anyone about your relationship. But then again, this was Percy. He would understand, wouldn’t he?

Percy’s gaze softened as he noticed how hesitant you were. “Please? Promise I won’t judge.” He added.

Oh, come on, that voice was cheating. How could you say no?

So, you started from the top.

From the beginning of your relationship, every time you made some minor mistake, your boyfriend would swoop in and clean up the mess as a ‘favor’. Even if you knew for a fact you could set things straight on your own or didn’t want his help, he was always there to act like it was this huge deal. He would tell you that you were a hot mess, and that no one else but him would ever want to keep you around. He only put up with you because he loved you. And after a couple months, you started to believe him.

Later on, he used those favors against you to guilt you into doing things you didn't really want to do. It started with little things, like getting you to wear what he wanted all the time.

“C’mon babe, remember when I did that thing for you? Just think of it as a little thank you. You can do that for me, right?”

To quote your boyfriend, you were to wear ‘nothing too long, but nothing too skimpy, either’. You weren't allowed to take your coat off in public if you wore a dress that went above your knees, or if your top showed off a little more than what he deemed necessary. You used to joke that you felt like you were dating a high school teacher, but what little humor you managed to find in the situation gradually disappeared as your entire wardrobe was stripped of your own personality and taste.

He became more demanding over time, doing things like taking you out to party with people you barely knew in clothes that made you feel downright uncomfortable, letting his friends ‘borrow’ you if they needed arm candy for a family dinner or something to get their folks off their asses, etcetera. You’d very nearly avoided giving him your first night on his fifteenth birthday—however mad he got, that was the one thing he couldn't guilt out of you.

That was the first time he’d hit you.

“He apologized afterwards,” you quickly added, feeling Percy’s grip tighten. The two of you were now sat facing each other on the bed, shoes kicked off on the floor and legs crossed, with not much space in between except for your intertwined hands. “Like I said, he always does. He was as surprised as me when he did it, and we avoided each other for a week before he came back with a written apology. He told me he wouldn’t go further than anything PG-13 if I wasn’t okay with it.”

He nodded, but you could see his eyes getting darker with each word, their usual sea green color changing until it had more of a stormy blue tone.

Wait a minute, why were you defending the boy who hit you, again?

You continued to tell him how your boyfriend was really insecure, though he tried to hide it in public. You did your best to try to help him, reassure him that he didn’t have anything to be insecure about, but he was almost impossible.

He didn’t like it when you had friends who weren’t also his friends, or when you hung out with anyone else more than him—which, considering he went to a different school than you, meant you weren’t allowed to interact with people much other than the basic stuff. You always distanced yourself from everyone to appease him. So, seeing how much the two of you were around each other, Percy wasn’t exactly popular with your boyfriend.

He murmured passive-aggressive comments whenever he saw you with him, never directly accusing you of doing anything with him but making the questions abundantly clear. He had tried on several different occasions to get you to push him away, and every time you refused, he just got a lot more persistent.

He picked out all the times Percy had supposedly gotten you into trouble, blissfully ignorant about the world of live-action D&D that practically required you to be in danger ninety-nine percent of the time. He made comments about Percy’s ADHD and dyslexia, which you shut down immediately every time. It wasn’t cool to be rude towards people for something they couldn’t control.

Your boyfriend wasn’t used to not getting his way with you for so long, but quite frankly, you didn’t care. Percy was special to you—with him, you could pretend you were just another pair of stupid teenagers doing stupid things. Ironic, considering he was front and center for every major thing that went on. He made you feel like you could breathe, and you’d be damned before you let some sorry excuse of a person take away what little freedom Percy offered.

You made sure to leave that part out, though. There was a time and place for everything, and this wasn’t really the time to confess you had a crush on your best friend, despite having a boyfriend.

That was a secret for another time, if it were to be told at all.

Every time you’d told someone about your boyfriend so far, you’d tried to explain to them that it wasn’t all gray skies and rain. He was so sweet to you back when you were friends, before you got into a relationship; you were sure he just needed some time to get used to the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing before he bounced back to his regular old self. This time, though, you skipped that part completely.

Something about how Percy treated you made something inside you snap. It had been two whole years, and you were tired of thinking he would change, tired of holding onto hope in a hopeless situation. You were sick and tired of your boyfriend, and it was time you stopped making excuses for everything he did to you.

But, old habits died hard. You felt the all-too-familiar words on the tip of your tongue, and so, on complete impulse, you stopped yourself from starting the obligatory ‘he’s not that bad’ speech by leaning forward and burying your face against Percy’s shoulder. You could tell he was as surprised as you were, and froze on the spot. Red alarm bells blared through your head as you held your breath, waiting for him to make the next move.

Oh fuck oh gods oh fuck—

You fully expected him to push you away, but he didn’t.

Instead, one of his hands snaked around your waist to pull you closer, and closer, and closer, until you were on his lap with your legs on either side of his. He rubbed your back—not exactly in a steady rhythm, but it was comforting nonetheless. You thought you’d cried everything out earlier, but, evidently, you were wrong. Tears made their way down your face and onto Percy’s pajamas, and you choked out apologies between sobs. For what, you didn’t actually know. Getting him wet, not telling him sooner, for making him find out like this… everything.

“I’m sorry,” Another sob racked through your body. “I’m so, so sorry…”

“It’s okay, it’s going to be okay.” He said. “Come on, let it all out.”

You stayed like that for a few moments, and Percy only pulled away when he felt your breathing start to level out. When he looked at you again, your eyes were a lot redder and he was sure they’d be really swollen in the morning.

“You said he… hit you, right?” You nodded, and Percy felt his blood physically boil. “Can I take a look?”

You didn’t say anything – tired out from all the crying, he guessed – and pulled up the back of your shirt instead. Percy hastily got out from under you and got one of the first-aid kits stashed around the house, flicked on the bedside lamp, then pulled out a tub of Arnica.

Apart from the scars and stuff from general life as a demigod, your skin should have been free of any unusual marks. But it was black and blue. A lot of the bruising was more recent, a few just starting to form, so the cream would work fine. But some of it was older and had more of an ashen tone. Those would be tricky to treat, as they would require a lot more long-term care. He dabbed on some of the ointment from the tub and rubbed it in, careful not to put too much pressure. You visibly relaxed, feeling like jelly under his touch.

Once he was sure he had gotten every single bruise, he tugged your clothes back down.

“I think you should stay over tonight.” He concluded, putting the first aid kit back in the general area it had been in. You drowsily agreed, your eyelids already drooping. Neither of you were eager to get back to your boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend, you decided, telling Percy as such. You’d put up with him for way too long. You would break up with him officially the next day, and tell him to pack everything up and get the hell out of your apartment and out of your life. A weight lifted off your chest at the thought, the pressure that had been built up over two years suddenly dissipating.

When you snapped out of your thoughts, Percy had started to make his way out of his room, muttering something about sleeping on the couch. Before he could get a hand on the door, you caught his sleeve and gently pulled him back to you. You didn’t want to be alone after the night you’d had. And, to be a bit more honest, you wanted to be around him. You wanted him to stay.

“Or… you could just sleep with me.”

Percy’s face turned bright red and you realized how that sounded, sputtering out a few sentences of ‘literally sleeping together’ and ‘didn’t mean it like that’ before giving up and just pulling him down next to you. The two of you got settled under the sheets on opposite ends, which didn’t really do much because Percy’s bed had a single-size mattress. Eventually, though, the two of you moved into a cuddling position to avoid dangling off the sides.

“You don’t mind?” You asked, snuggling closer to him and making his heart skip one or two beats. “Me staying over, I mean.”

“I couldn’t sleep anyway, so you can’t really make it any worse. I think you’re helping, actually,” he replied. “So no, I don’t.” He felt you nod slightly.

“Thanks for everything.” You whispered, hugging him tight. He couldn’t see your face, but he knew by the way your arms slackened and your breathing evened out that you drifted off immediately after.

That was when it hit him.

He was in bed.

With a girl.

And not just any girl, either.

He was in the same bed as you, his best friend, who he had been holding back feelings for, for as long as he’d known you. And you were cuddled up to him, the way all those couples that died really early in all the scary movies his mom loved to watch. It made his heart beat a little faster. A lot faster, actually.

The couple part, that is, not the dying early part.

No, no, no, no. No. This was not the time. If he were to tell you how he felt about you, he would wait until you were healed, mentally and physically.

He hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. He’d help you get there if you’d let him.

His eyelids slowly got heavier and heavier until they closed completely. He hoped his mom wouldn’t be too surprised and scream when she walked in her son’s room and found that you had just magically appeared in his bed.

“For the record,” he murmured, finally feeling the clutches of sleep dragging him down into the abyss. “You deserve so much better. You deserve the world…”

I’d give you mine, if you want, he wanted to add, but those words could wait until another day.

[tired-creator-sagau-au]

Beginning of the journey

Warning: OOC. English is my second language

In every godlings lives there comes a time, when they want to leave The Core World, travel through Sea of Chaos and, after analyzing, absorbing and purifying enough Chaos energy, create their own world.

You weren't an exception.

When time came, you did goodbye to your siblings, and left Core World, taking a dive in the Sea of Chaos, in a vortex of black and any possible colors.

__________

During your journey, you found Blazing Echoes of a World. World, that supposed to be inhabited by dragons.

It looks like some of your siblings got bored and abandoned that world. They left, and The Sigil of Freedom blazed in the dead sky of the stagnated world. Right above the heads of the world inhabitants.

You were curious. You talked to them.

You tell them one of your names.

[Y/N] [L/N]. Nice sounding name. You choose this name. You like this name.

Dragon king called himself Nibelung. He liked the sound of his name. He said, that he choose this name. He liked this name.

You quickly formed a bond with dragons.

But you wanted to move forward.

You wanted your own world. Finishing this one sounded as a terrible idea.

You gave dragon a choice.

You left.

And you took every last dragon with you.

__________

Teyvat was doing great.

World, where humans and dragons lived in peace.

Nibelung, your good friend, ruled over dragons, with help from Seven Sovereign.

You ruled over non-dragons. You joked with Nibelung about appointing your own Seven Sovereign. It will end up in playful banter and laughs.

You do appoint seven guardians. One for each nation, that were fine with you being on the throne.

There were independent groups. They didn't want to be directly under your command. You let them. As long as they don't do anything terrible, they were free to live their lives in their own way.

The world was blazing with life.

Humans were close to forming nations. They were happy. You gave him anything they want. You let them live their lives.

Dragons were a part of humans' lives. As friends, as companions, as protectors.

You, Nibelung, Seven Sovereign and your squad of warriors were making sure, they Teyvat grow strong.

_____________

So why did Teyvatians betrayed you and Nibelung?

_____________

Teyvat was young. The barrier, that protected New World from the Sea of Chaos, was still fragile. So, when news about Breakthrough reached you and Nibelung, you weren't surprised.

Of course, you have Protection Charms in Teyvat. They supposed to turn into stone anything Unpurified from Chaos.

But you can't just lazy around, while there is a threat of Corruption.

You and Nibelung went to the Break.

You remember scar-like crack in the barrier.

You remember the trap, that leads you and Nibelung to be soaked in the gooey waters of Sea of Chaos.

You remember, how your own charm turned you and Nibelung into stone statues.

And how people of Teyvat circled around you two.

You recognized them. Most of them were from independent groups. Others were from seven groups.

They were few in comparison to all inhabitants of Teyvat.

But it was their fury, that trapped you and Nibelung.

_________

You stopped counting days.

You stopped counting, how many times they were extracting your life forces, while you and Nibelung were trapped in stone.

You stopped counting, how many times you begged them to stop killing you and Nibelung.

You might be trapped, but you still were connected to Teyvat.

You felt wars, that tore through Teyvat.

Against dragons.

Against each other.

And your captors used powers, that they stole from you, to destroy, how people view you.

In their eyes, you and Nibelung became tyrants and monsters.

__________

“They are nothing, but two tyrants!” your captors' eyes were full of hatred. They despised you for existing. For not being human.

“You were on the throne for a hundred years! It’s already too much!”

“Why are you hiding knowledge from The Void outside Teyvat? Why you make that spell, that turned everything, that came from outside Teyvat's borders turn into stone?

“You will only bring calamities!”

You were so tired…

_________

When your warriors finally found you two, your captors fled.

You were rescued.

You and Nibelung was finally free.

And Teyvat has no place for you two.

There was no place for Creator [Y/N].

There was no place for Dragon King Nibelung.

You were so tired…

You saw it in Nibelung's eyes.

He was tired.

His dragons were banished.

His Sovereigns have fallen.

Your people were afraid of you.

Your people hated you.

With flap of wings, you two flew away.

But, despite everything, you still loved Teyvat.

You left books, that let people, who wrote in them, reach you directly.

You left guards that would protect Teyvat. You order them not to kill people of Teyvat. Not to punish them for wrongdoing of others.

That day, Creator and Their Dragon left Teyvat.

______________

Few thousands years later

______________

Nibelung carefully walked down the corridor of your Palace. Despite being able to transform into human form ever since you two left Teyvat, he still wasn't used to move on two legs.

He approached the giant door. Door to Sanctuary, where you kept The Book of Teyvat.

You weren't delusional, you knew, that people of Teyvat hate you. Still, you were Creator. You hopped, that one day they will reach out to you.

With one shove from Nibelung, the door was opened. Former king saw your figure. You were looking at the open pages of the Book of Teyvat.

Nibelung sighs and walked towards you.

"Guardian... [Y/N], you really should stop spending most of your time here. Empty pages won't be filled."

You raise your head and looked at your old friend. Your lips barely moved.

"They aren't empty anymore."

Nibelung froze. He moved forward, standing now behind you. Draconic eyes stare on the text written on the page.

Someone named Cosanzeana wrote to you. No, she wrote in one of the Message Books you left, as it as a simple diary. Of course, it was delivered straight to you.

"What is melusine?" finally spoke Nibelung. You shook your head.

"I have no idea."

You took a pen you keep on the desk, where is the Book of Teyvat was kept.

You have some writing to do.

___________

You have been "talking" to melusines for a month. Cosanzeana shared "cute talking book" with her sisters. They shared news with you, asked you questions and answered yours.

And you don't really like some answers.

Hilichurls, abyss, prophesy, Fatui...

Something was deeply wrong with Teyvat.

And it was your duty to save it.

_____________

You and Nibelung were standing before The Gate. Behind it was your world, your Teyvat.

"I am not delusional." whispered you. Nibelung moved closer to you.

"I knew, that what we will do won't change, how they saw us." continue you. Nibelung

g hummed.

"But, despite everything, above all else, my duty lies with all of them." you sigh.

"Our duty, my old friend." spoke Nibelung.

You shared one last glance and stepped into The Gate.

This day, a tired Creator and their dragon returned to Teyvat.

[lazyveran]

what are katara and azula's favorite things about each other's culture? least favorite?

oooh excellent question!

for katara, her favourite thing about the fire nation is probably their sense of romance. it really pervades nearly everything in the fire nation. (this is all hc i fear BUT) the fire nation has an obsession with passion; be it the physical form in an ever-so-obvious erotic fixation with strong powerful (naked) bodies, the visual language of someone through clothing colour and manner, even violence and death - the fire nation weaves romance through everything, all behind these layers of disicipline and self control. fire nation arts are therefore prolific in every level of society and known to be MELODRAMATIC AS HELL. they adore poetry, theatre, performance, all of it, with romantic tragedy at the core. what im essentially saying is the fire nation is both somehow repressed and obssessed with emotion, and katara resonates with that. she's a romantic at heart herself, and this kind of thing is really attractive to her. of course, it's only once she understands the fire nation that she really falls in love with their ideas of love

her least favourite? where to start! the fire nation's militantism, their bone tight grip on self control, the professional distance expected between everyone who isn't family (and everyone who IS family), the fixation on hierarchy within every level of society. their violent discipline, the dehumanisation of it's leadership figures, their obsession with fighting, death and war, and so on and so on. katara has a big issue with a LOT of the fire nation, though admittedly some of this is her stubborn refusal to understand or adjust her own world image. the fire nation is so unapologetically violent to itself, and as a healer she HATES that. she cant wrap her head around it. just STOP KILLING EACH OTHER.

i think the crux of it is that she simply can't understand how the fire nation expects complete self containment and obedience, all in the pursuit of a rigid sense of order (to avoid the harm that fire causes by it's very nature). it's just... not something she's ever had to contend with. water can't burn a country to the ground with an accidental spark, afterall. from her own cultural background all these rules and complications is a complete anthesis. she thinks its really stupid, honestly

for azula, there's honestly a lot she respects about the water tribes. most of all is their way of life, the tribes are chiefly hunters that harmonise with their environment. in that way, they take up an 'apex' role, and are intimately involved in the cycle of life. birth, living, death, the tribes slip into each role as both a teacher and a student. and i think that kind of simplicity of life impresses azula - the strong and the weak, the community, the easy way everything fits, that everything is used and appreciated. there's no sense of excess, really, to the water tribes and it's deeply satsifying for her. plus, for a princess that's trapped up in a thousand barriers in her own society? i think she's fascinated with the tribes way of allowing oneself to BE oneself. (there's that fire nation romanticism too)

what azula dislikes about the tribes? there's no certainty about them. the community and it's needs are fluid and adaptable. they don't have hierarchy, rules, rigid centuries old protocals to follow. she hates that. they don't have a formal military, they don't have an independant judicial body, they don't have a formal branch of religion. as much as the tribe fits into a harmonisiation with the world, azula wants RULES. she wants ORDER. she wants DISICIPLINE. the water tribe has NONE of that, there's little to no lines in the sand dictating who and what. its so frustrating for her. it's basically just azula not understanding how the water tribes can function as an ever changing thing. shes like a fish out of water (forgive the pun), as her entire life is defined by rules and absolutes.

also, and more pettily, azula is a traditionalist that actually adores the tech and metal of the modern fn age. where's her central heating?? what do you mean they only have a central fire for warmth?? she wants a SPA, NOW. shes a brat

[bonefall]

I’d there any info on one eye EATING Tom??? That’s so wild but I hope one eye didn’t get heartburn from eating that dead beat

I'm still working out some key details of Thunderstar's Justice, especially since I'm at One Eye's part in my reread and things are really starting to come together.

But here's the current draft of One Eye and Skystar's tale so far, isolated from the "Grander Story" of Thunderstar's Justice;

To set some exposition a bit; Thunderstar's Justice is the SE following BB!DOTC. It begins after the First Battle. In BB, the main arc happens entirely before that point.

It opens on the burial. The sun rises on a hot summer day, the living cats commanded to bury the bodies to receive their lives.

But the day is hot and the clearing reeks. The bodies of their friends are decaying and there's too many to put to rest in one day.

(Sunlit Frost is a survivor of this fight, but he was badly bitten on the paw and yet he refuses to sit this out, digging and burying with a fresh wound. He develops an infection that permanently disables his hand. But that's off in the reeds)

The point here being that the summer stench of hot decay summons One Eye. A god of war, among other things.

And of course he takes a shine to Skystar right away. The Clans are weakened from losing so many cats, and ambitious Skystar is eager to recover his strength quickly.

So of course he is now getting more... "openminded" about accepting people into his Clan. There is a language barrier he's now considering bridging; where all his cats were previously Tribemew speakers, he decides that perhaps mean-looking Townmew and Parkmew speakers "deserve a chance"

Tom is one of them, but if there end up being any traitors, murderers, or other exiled cats from the other Clans, they are going to end up here.

NEW addition compared to previous drafts.... One Eye was quite loyal, at first. Useful, observant, helping Skystar in his plans to grow. But Skystar started noticing that One Eye was... too good at running things.

In fact he was quite charming. Always seemed to know what to do. Like he'd been a leader before.

This is still Thunderstar's story, with occasional cuts to Skystar. He isn't aware that SkyClan isn't currently planning conquest, but absolutely doesn't trust Skystar.

He's EXPANDING. He's accepted the person who got Turtle Heart killed into his Clan, plus other rogues, and Thunderstar stopped him before he was able to kill mama Bright Storm during the First Battle. No, he doesn't believe for a second that Skystar isn't planning something with those 8 extra lives he's got now.

He only hopes his own 8 will be enough as a deterrant.

It doesn't take long though. SkyClan is back on its shit and unstoppable

There's a few battles that are curbstomps, displaying how much power One Eye is lending to SkyClan. So Thunderstar has a taste of what he could have if One Eye was on his side.

At some point, Thunder remarks that the spirits were trying to give Sky a chance to change his ways, and yet he's only ever gotten worse and worse. One day it'll catch up to him!

Skystar shrugs this off. Of course. "I'm Just Trying to make my clan strong"

BUT, at one point... Tom breaks the code and kills someone. There are two rules and he just broke half of them.

And Skystar takes him aside to punish him... but One Eye comes along. In spite of Skystar trying to tell him off, because HE is supposed to be leader.

"I'll decide how to punish my own cats"

"But will you do so properly? Allow me, I've been waiting a long time for this."

"I said get out! This is MY cat and I decide what happens!"

But when Tom tries to join in on Skystar's scolding, "Yeah winky! Know your place!" One Eye bites his paw clean off.

Sky is too shocked to do anything. Tom is screaming

Is One Eye bigger, suddenly??

He has prepared the obituary ahead of time, licking his lips; "The pain you cause seeps into your meat like a flavor. You have sins deeper than your bones, soaked into your very marrow, and I will savor each bite."

Heavy_TF2_Nom.mp3

Clear Sky realizes something in this moment...

He needs One Eye, but One Eye does not need him. He is a leader. He is a monster. He is a God.

He is everything Skystar is, but stronger. Unstoppable.

And what will happen when One Eye ceases to want him around? And what did he mean-- 'waiting for this?' Sins? Flavor seeping into the meat-- like a marinade??

A lightbulb goes off in Skystar's head; "Tom was lunch and I'm going to be dinner. Good god I'm being seasoned!"

So, Tom's death is an important turning point. It's where Skystar's ambition is ground to a halt because of self-preservation. He fears death, and he fears a death as gruesome as what happened to Tom.

He realizes that what he's unleashed on the forest isn't mortal, and he has no control over the situation. He's fucked up BIG time... so badly that he needs the other Clans if any of them are going to hope to survive.

SO that is the context around Eat Tom. I'm still working on specifics here though, while this is technically a reworking of everything post-First Battle up to Thunderstar's Echo, this is practically a new story lmao.

I also left out the main story from this summary which is mostly Thunderstar as he considers what leadership means, how his anger influences his decisions but how far he's come from the main series, encouraging Bright Storm to retire and become the first elder, while connecting with Frost who feels like he's losing meaning in his life; now that both an arm and his dominant hand prevent him from building.

[legitimatesatanspawn]

I've realized why it bothers me so much when characters in fanfic use unusual terms in the same manner of "oh my God": it implies there is a religious worship in the style of gods/angels/saints of whoever or whatever they're talking about when often times the entities in question are either not that powerful or not that revered.

For the record: I'm not saying "so y'all stop doing it". I've just been wondering why it kept bugging me so much when I generally don't give a flying leap about religion in general.

I realize that most writers probably don't think too much on it beyond "I'm going to avoid using common religious-tone idioms with something that sounds more local to the setting". But the questions it poses are interesting to me.

Using Danny Phantom as an example? "Oh Ancients" / "Oh my Ancients" or specifically going with "Oh Clockwork!"

Considering how much chaos the Ghost Zone is, the idea that ghosts would swear by their names (or worse: by Pariah Dark's)... especially Danny. Canonically (or at least within the show) the Ancients were never identified but the common ones are characters like Undergrowth, Vortex, Nocturne, Clockwork, and sometimes also Pandora and Frostbite. Danny might respect (most of) them or at least their strength but he'd still beat their asses six ways to Sunday if the need arises and communication breaks down. But if the use of such language is common, does it paint ghost civilizations as factions? Would a character using all the Ancients be viewed as a worshiper of multiple faiths or hiding who they are aligned with?

Another example is with Hero Academia fanfics where you see Izuku cry out something to the effect of "Oh sweet All Might" before or after he gets mentored by All Might.

Izuku's a huge hero fan but would he place All Might on par with a god? (... well... maybe.) If characters use such language, is it common or just specifically with All Might given his sheer overwhelming power? Would eventually characters use similar language for AFO (Satan-style), Izuku, and the past OFA users (angels/saint-style) or would by the end of the series even All Might's praise gets tarnished with disillusionment in the hero industry as a whole?

And Undertale! I've seen people write Monsters using Asgore and occasionally Toriel's names like this.

This is a different situation given that while the king and queen known entities if long-lived due to their boss monster status... in the game the characters talk about how when the time comes Asgore will take into himself the Seven Human Souls and break the Barrier. Is it weird to place god-tier status on someone who will obtain god-like power in the future? Would it be isolating and make Asgore uncomfortable? And in the cases where they use it for Toriel as well when Asgore's on the throne (not to be confused with the Swap variants of AUs where Toriel has Asgore's role), does that mean they think she's dead or that Monsters are praising her as a god's bride?

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Loving the Kaiju AU and I have a few questions

How would yuu react to the other staffs being like a father/uncle/grandfather/brother to yuu? how would the other boys see yuu as? Will any of the staff and boys would try and communicate with yuu?

Well, for the most part, Yuu’s reactions are up to you guys since it’s meant to represent us/our charactesr as the MC just like the game. I try to keep it as open to creative freedom to inspire you guys since everyone reacts differently. >v<;

Anyway, I did discuss the Kaiju trying to communicate with Yuu in this post here, where we also learn that Grim can, in fact, understand human languages! (Yes, languages, not just English or Japanese) Despite the language barrier, Yuu will manage to learn how to replicate the sounds and frequencies they hear…including certain ones that should be impossible for normal human vocal chords. Hmmm… >.>

But! We’ll cross that bridge sooner or later. In the meantime, more “Help! I’m trapped on an island with no memories and I’ve been adopted by two Kaiju dads!!” for all of us~! >vÓ

So we know that Yuu (as would anyone in their position) was baffled and floored at the realization that Nevermore and Crewelfang adopted them, let alone the fact that the two were…gentle towards them. It was sweet…in a terrifying giant monster sort of way, and tat the moment it was their saving grace against the other creatures of the island.

And then came the rest of the “family”.

Once the rest of the staff came into the picture, Yuu and Grimfang were safely hidden behind Nevermore’s forepaws as the others investigated the duo with curious eyes. It doesn’t take long for Yuu to figure out that they’d been accepted by this group of powerful monsters that—according to MIRA—not even the researchers had been able to observe to such an extent. In a way it’s kinda nice having the extra security of their extended “family”.

Some took their new familial role as “surrogate uncle” a little too enthusiastically though. ^_^;

///

Crewel: *trying to groom Yuu* “How in the world did you get yourself so filthy walking outside the den? Hold still, pup!”

Yuu: *glaring at Grim, who bumped them into a muddy water puddle* [“Traitor!”]

Grim: “Hey, it’s not my fault you don’t know how to groom yourself.”

Crewel: “Don’t think you’re getting out of a grooming session. Your fur is a mess!”

Grim: “What?! No fair! I can keep myself cleaner than the human!”

WHUD!!!

Vargas: “Good morning!” *standing on top of a massive whale-like creature* “I’ve brought the nibblings breakfast, freshly hunted from the sea!”

Crewel: *long-suffering sigh* “Ashton…two things. One: get that thing out of my den before it starts to reek! And two: surely you don’t expect the pups to eat that whole thing in one sitting?”

Vargas: “They’re both skin and bones. If they’re going to survive in this pack, they need to build up their muscles!” *begins shredding the carcass into chunks with shark teeth* “Once they’ve finished this, they’ll need to eat eggs to help them grow big and strong—like me!”

Crewel: “That is far too much for either of them to eat!”

Yuu: *hiding behind Crewel’s paws* [“What is happening?!”]

Crowley: *outside* “Why is there a fish blocking the entrace?!”

//-------//

Yuu: *trying to follow MIRA’s instructions to build a makeshift survival “bed” out of leaves and sticks* [“I’m pretty sure this isn’t going to be very comfortable…”]

Grim: “So why are you wasting your time?”

Yuu: [“Ugh…what I wouldn’t give for a mattress. Even a sleeping bag would be an upgrade!”] *continues trying to tie the twine…before stopping with a shudder* [“…what was that…?”]

Grim: “What was what?”

Yuu: *whirls around, gasping in horror* [“AAAAA-!!”]

Grim: *turns and sees massive spider-like chameleon emerging from the trunk of a tree* “FYGAAAAAAAA-!!!!”

Crowley: “What is going on out there?!”

Sam: *fully materializes just as Crewel and Crowley come charging out* “Hello, little imps~! So sorry for scaring you both.”

Crewel: “Sam? For Seven’s sake, we thought the pups were in danger!”

Sam: “My apologies! I brought gifts for your new litter of imps—in stock! And I guarantee there will be something they’ll want in there."

Yuu: *notices something odd about Sam and squints* [“…is…that Kaiju wearing a satchel?”] *yelps as Sam dumps the contents of the satchel onto the ground, the pile towering over them* [“Wha-?!...whoa! Whoa!! Look at all this!”]

Crowley: *tilts head in confusion as Yuu starts digging around the pile, Grim joining shortly after out of curiosity* “Well, they certainly seem interested in your selection. Now, say that they do find something. What do you want in exchange?”

Sam: “Just a simple trade this time, since most of the stock is unusable to us. A few mango seeds and a crystal from your mountain nest will suffice!”

Crowley: “Deal! Such a generous offer~!”

Yuu: *has already found a satchel and a several duffle bags, filling it with small items, towels, and blankets* [“Wow. How did he even get a full shower caddy with soap and shampoo?! Score! Now I can take a proper bath!”]

Grim: *grabs and drags out a large mattress* “The heck is this?”

Yuu: *gasp!!!* [“BED!!!!”] *dives off the pile onto the mattress before bouncing off, climbing back on and sprawling out with a grin and giggling happily* [“Oh, I’m going to sleep well tonight!”]

Crewel: “They seem quite taken with that slab in particular.”

Grim: “Huh…hey, move over, I wanna try it too!”

Yuu: [“Wha-? Hey! No! Get off! You’re gonna squish it!”]

Grim: “I’m not gonna squish it! Quit hoggin’ the good stuff!” *lightly pins Yuu down under his arm*

Yuu: *squirming to get out from under him* [“Move your big butt! Nevermore!”]

Crowley: “Play nice, you two!”

Crewel: “Don’t make me put you two on the discipline branch again!”

(In the end, the two wound up sharing the mattress with Yuu occasionally sleeping on Grim’s back or belly. When he wants to be mischievous, he’ll flip the mattress over while Yuu is on it)

//--------//

Crowley: “…perhaps it was unwise for Grim and Lucius to meet…”

Lucius: “Rrreaaaarrrl!!”

Grim: “Shut up! Yer the one who stole my snack!”

Lucius: “Hissss!”

Grim: “Why you-!”

Trein: “Enough!”

Grim: “But he started it!”

Crewel: “Down boy!”

Crowley: “Are you sure you can handle them both, Mozus?”

Trein: “You forget that this is not my first time raising hatchlings or kits. They will be fine while you two patrol the island.”

Crewel: “I’ll hold you to that.”

Yuu: [“Wait, where are you guys going?”]

Crowley: “Be a good hatchling for Mozus while we’re gone. We will return at noon.”

-Several hours later-

Crowley: “We’re ba—oh.”

Trein: *the air is filled with flickering images of creatures and scenes, scales shimmering while a gentle thrum radiating from Trein’s chest as he continues telling a story to an enthralled Yuu and Grim*

Yuu: *can’t understand what Trein is saying but enchanted by the illusions as they try to piece together what the story is about*

Crewel: “Hmph…so you do still have a few tricks up your sleeve for an old dog. Well done.”

//---------//

I think it’s safe to say that Yuu has had a lot of interesting encounters with their new adoptive family members. XD But how would they feel in the end after everything is said and done?

///------------///

After everything that had transpired throughout the last few days, it was no surprise that Yuu was exhausted. Despite this, however, they found themselves lying wide awake. Wrapped in one of their new blankets with their back pressed to Grimfang’s side as they both shared the mattress, it was like they had their own portable radiator…that snores. And like a massive pair of organic walls that blocked the chill of the night, Nevermore and Crewelfang encircled the two with their heads resting on each other’s haunches. The den was filled with quiet breathing, the wind howling outside sounding muffled.

In the silence, Yuu’s thoughts swirled: ‘Who am I?’ This was a question that had been plaguing them since they were first grounded to the nest with nothing to do but think. They could remember things like what objects or fruit were called and how they functioned, or how to work with things like a computer. And yet the more they tried to remember their life before the beach, the harder it became to recall even the most basic information.

Name? Age? Easy. School? Nothing. Job skills? No clue. Friends? Family? Pets?

Complete blanks.

All they could recall was a vague feeling of warmth and comfort, that someone out there cared for them. Who, they couldn’t say for sure…and the thought terrified them more than they thought. Would…they ever remember what their life was like? Who they were as a person?...

Yuu blinked as a rippling wave of shimmering gold light crossed their vision—no, their mind—before a small drop of emerald joined in, followed by a feeling of warmth and worry not their own bloomed in their chest. Raising their head from the mattress, Yuu was met with Nevermore’s golden gaze as he watched them—a sight they’d grown accustomed to after the first night’s scare he’d had.

What had MIRA called that color phenomenon before? ‘Echoing resonance’? They’d thought it had been part of the dream the first night it happened, but ever since they’d been experiencing it from both Nevermore and Crewelfang. [“It is unique to Kaiju in that they may direct the frequency to a group or a singular individual. Researchers believe this to be an evolutionary trait designed to communicate between young offspring and other pack members akin to echolocation. Study has shown that humans may experience this from Kaiju test subjects, though no further information can be gleaned due to the rarity of the phenomenon,”] the computer had told them.

…pack members and offspring…

“…I don’t understand you at all,” Yuu told him, his ear twitching as he tilted his head in response. “I mean…you’re not even human, and yet you decided to ‘adopt’ me because of that stupid serum. Do you even know what I am? Or do you just not care?” That last part sounded more frustrated than they’d intended, but Nevermore’s expression seemed…softer than before now, colorful ripples of blue and violet filling their mind as a wave of calm washed over them. “…then again…I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t found me that day. And since I can’t even remember them…you’re the closest thing to a family I have now.”

Nevermore gently lowered his head to rest it next to the mattress, his eye watching them as a quiet sigh escaped.

Reaching out to pet his cheek, Yuu couldn’t help but chuckle when he began to “purr”, the sound more akin to a soft, whistling warble. “Thank you,” they whispered, their eyes heavy now as a sense of security filled them. “For everything…”

[specialagentlokitty]

Daryl x reader - no angels here

Part 11:

You and Balthazar made your way to the seal that you had placed in the middle of the community, he stood on one end while you stood on the other.

Pulling two knives from your belt, you handed him one and he held it to his hand and you did the same thing.

“Is this going to destroy the earth? Cause I mean I’m not down for that.” He said.

“No idiot, it’s going to strengthen the barrier, create another seal which will be half my power and half yours, if I die, you come here and break that seal, break them both, my power will become yours.”

Balthazar looked at you in worry.

“You’re not going to die though, right?”

You gave a sad smile, shrugging a little bit.

“I can’t be sure, but just in case. I want a back up plan you know? Because if they kill me they will come here, they will try to destroy this community.”

“I know…”

Balthazar gripped the blade in his hand and you did the same thing.

Blood from both of you followed the seal you had already made, and it created another larger circle around it, creating a second part to the seal which was half beige and half gold with a hint of black.

You both began chanting in different languages, letting the seal spread out in all different directions, creating larger and larger seals.

When you were done, the seals faded into the ground, your wounds healed and you both put your knives back into your belts.

You walked over to him, turning back to the sky to see more so called stars falling to the earth, every time one of them hunt the ground there was a small vibration.

“How long do you think we have?”

You knelt down, placing your hand on the ground.

“Going by the amount of them landing, probably a day, two at most I would guess.”

“The whole of heaven?”

“No, a good amount of them though. I imagine it’s for show, they know they can’t deal with me. Only two angels could.”

“Lucifer and Micheal.”

You nodded your head, and stood up.

“Lucifer really doesn’t care what happens up here, and I’m his favourite so he wouldn’t do it, Micheal on the other hand he’s a bastard, he could have a good chance at fighting me.”

“So you reckon it’ll be the all righteous Micheal?”

You nodded again.

“Yup, he’s always hated me anyhow, if it weren’t for the fact my fate was a mass vote in heaven he would have killed me. Instead he got to come up with my punishment.”

“Are you sure you want to do this alone?”

“I haven’t too, you need to stay here to keep these people safe Balth.”

You spent the night getting everything ready, building your power, checking your make sure you had all your weapons.

You were doing this well into day, sitting on the tallest spot in Alexandria, staring at your knife and your halo.

You wanted to bring it with you but you knew better, this is what Micheal would use in order to get the upper hand in the fight.

Putting your knife away, you grabbed your halo and jumped down on the street, making your way to the church where the council was meeting.

You walked inside, straight over to Daryl and you set it down in front of him.

“I want to say thank you but what the fuck is this?” He asked.

“It’s my halo. I need you to keep it safe.”

He carefully took it, and he set it next to where he was sat on the bench.

“Alright, why?”

“Just.. I need you to look after it for now.”

Daryl furrowed his brows a little bit and you smiled gently at him.

“Thank you.”

You turned around and left, making your way to the gate.

“Hey!”

You stopped to look at Daryl and the others as they came over.

“Where are going?” Gabriel asked.

“There’s some things I need to do, I’ll be right back.”

“Nah, you’re gonna go fight them.” Daryl said.

A heavy mist rolled into the community and you began backing away.

“I’m sorry everybody.”

You spun around, jogging towards the gates in order to try get out of them before anybody found you.

Your plan didn’t go as you thought because apparently as soon as everybody’s vision was clouded Daryl ran straight for you.

He knew these streets like the back of his hand, and he cut you off, standing in front of you.

“I ain’t lettin’ you go alone.”

“Daryl this isn’t a debate, these are celestial beings, and dear my father be a badass when it comes to walkers and people, but angels? They would kill you in a heartbeat.”

“They’ll kill you if you go alone!”

You walked over, placing your hands on his shoulders, moving one of them up his neck to his cheek, running your thumb along his skin.

You smiled softly at him, brushing some hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear.

“Daryl… I’m an Angel… I have demonic powers… I’ve fought my brother before.. I can do it again..”

“Yeah, you had wings then. The fuck are you gonna do if he takes off huh? You clearly ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

You sighed softly.

“Daryl I know you want to come with me, but I can’t let that happen.. I’m sorry..”

“I’m comin’ with you.”

You brought your other hand up, placing it on the back of his head, pulling it down to press your forehead against his.

“Listen to me darling…”

You took his hand, leading up to the curb and you sat him down, crouching down in front of him, taking his hands in yours.

“Daryl I love you so much… I never thought I could love anybody.. let alone love someone the way I love you…”

He let out a sound which sounded like a scoff, but you knew it wasn’t actually a scoff.

“Stop.”

“I cannot bring you into this fight knowing that you’ll die within seconds.. Micheal he… he can destroy living creatures with the snap of his fingers… I’ve seen him do it before… he’ll do that with you…”

You sighed a little bit, resting your head on his knuckles.

“I’m not going to stand there and watch my own brother kill you… it’s bad enough I probably have to kill him.. but I’m not going to watch him take away the man I love…”

You closed your eyes.

“I need you to stay here and keep my halo safe, because if he gets his hands on that, if he breaks it he’ll kill me…”

“What if I accidentally break it or some shit?”

You laughed a little bit, lifting your head to look at him.

“You can’t break it darling don’t worry, only celestials can, so you’re fine.”

He nodded his head.

“Still comin’.”

“You can’t, okay? You just can’t. I’m doing this to protect you, I’m sorry.”

You stood up, backing away to head to the gates.

“I’m trying to protect you!”

This made you stop.

Daryl stood up, running a hand through his hair, and he marched over, standing in front of you.

“All this fuckin’ time I’ve protected you, kept you safe. Now you just think amma let you walk into that shitfest alone? Nah. Ain’t happening.”

“I have to do this alone Daryl, for everybody here, for you.”

“I have to come with you for you!”

“Daryl you can’t! I’m not going to let you come!”

You clenched your jaw a little bit, wings stretching out a little out of reflex to try and intimidate him.

He scoffed this time.

“Put that shit away you ain’t scaring me.”

“I’m doing this alone and that’s final!” You snapped.

“No you ain’t!”

“You have this hero complex where you think you have to save everybody Daryl but you can’t save me! Don’t you get that?! You can’t save me! I’m too far gone! You’re doing this because you think you have to!”

Daryl stormed over, grabbing your face in his hands he slammed his lips on to yours, moving one of his hands to the back of your head.

You grabbed his jacket, pulling him in closer closing your eyes as you leant into the kiss.

Daryl pulled away, brushing his nose against yours.

“You ain’t too far gone dumbass…” he whispered.

Daryl pulled away, and you smiled gently at him.

“I ain’t doing this because I have too… I’m doing this because I… I guess I love you too…”

You laughed a little bit at that, leaning up to quickly kiss him again before stepping away.

“I’m so sorry… but this is for your own good…”

You placed your hand the side of his face, and caught his body as he fell limp, lowering him to the ground.

Taking your jacket off you folded it and placed it under his head.

Reaching into your pocket, you placed a blue flower into the pocket of his jacket, leant down and kissed his forehead pushing yourself up.

You finally made your way to the gates and jumped over them, following the road down to where you knew the army against you was gathering.

The sun was high in the sky, and clasped your hands behind your back as you looked at the angels lined up on each side of the road as you approached.

“What a welcoming party, I could never imagine you would do this if I returned to heaven.” You mused.

You stopped short of a crossroad, hours away from Alexandria, in the middle of nowhere.

You watched as a black haired man with pristine white wings folded against his back.

“Ah Micheal. You still look like a dick.”

He chuckled a little.

“As pleasant as ever I see (Y/N), have you come to finally kneel, accept your fate and the fate of this cursed world?”

You scoffed a little bit.

“You would like that huh? Get rid of the Angel that kicked your ass halfway across heaven, and burnt your own little slice of happiness to the ground.”

“That library held some of the only books created spamming thousands of years back!”

“Oh relax dear brother of mine, they’re just books.”

Micheal sneered and you smirked a little bit.

“You killed your own siblings.”

“Oh please so have you, so what? You’re creating pitiful angels just to try and scare me.”

Micheal clenched his jaw.

“If you give yourself up now, I’ll leave those humans you care for alone.”

“Yeah, I know that you won’t do that. I’m not stupid Micheal.”

He pulled out a sword, and you pulled out your knife which made him scoff.

“Serious? A knife to a sword fight?”

“Oh how cute you brought a toy knife to a fight to the death.”

You laughed bitterly.

“Oh? You think this is what I’m going to use to kill you? No, this was just the starer.”

You tossed the knife into the air, the sun glinting of it, and you caught the hilt of a sword, twirling it between your fingers.

“No Micheal, but I’m sure you remember my sword that father gave me right? Traps any souls I harvest inside of it, and I’m going to trap yours, then I’m going to throw you into the deepest pit of hell.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Micheal lunged for you, and you easily dodged his attack, hiding your wings from him.

He went to slam his elbow into your back and you dodged him again, swinging your sword only for him to block it with his own.

You stood side to side with him, your red eyes locked on to his golden ones, and you grinned a little bit.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you…”

You kicked your leg under his, and he rolled backwards to jump back up, swinging his sword, white flames coming straight for you and you countered it with your own, sending both in all directions.

“I’m going to kill all of you if I have too! If you get in my way you’re dead!” You yelled.

You lunged for Micheal again, flames burning away at your body as you attack him head on with your whole strength

[roonyxx]

The Raven: Part 9

Summary: A new threat to the world brings the boys back in action. She is big and bad, very bad. But is everything as it seems or is there more to her story?

Pairing: Dean x reader

Trope: enemies to lovers

Word count: 1868

Chapter warnings: language, a heavy dose of angst, anger, tears, a dash of violence.

A/N:  We are nearing the end! hope you enjoy, i go hide now.

The Raven Masterlist

My Masterlist

Buy me a coffee

“I think I fell in love with your eyes first. At first glance they seem like any other pair, but pay closer attention and you can see all the flecks and colors combining into something so unique. I could look at them forever.” I say as I brush her hair back behind her ear, careful to not mess it up.

“Those big beautiful y/e/c eyes, they pulled me right in. I was so distracted that I didn’t even see the punch coming my way.” I look at her and laugh, a few chuckles can be heard around us but all my focus is on her. “You have a mean right hook, baby.”

“I though you were a shifter! Don’t leave out the important, they will think you’re marrying a crazy woman.” She quickly adds.

“The only crazy here is me about you.” I wrap my arms around her waist and tug her close to kiss her. A few flashes go off and I’m sure it’s Jody taking a picture of us.

“My speech sucks, you know I have always been more of a do-er than a talker but Y/n, you are my everything, my sun, my moon, the love of my life. There is no tomorrow without you. I love you.” I finish my lame speech with another kiss and I can feel the wetness on my face from her tears. I cup her face and gently wipe the tears away.

“That didn’t suck at all baby” she cups my face.

“Forever I will love you, I will love you until we’re nothing but dust between the stars and I will never leave your side. It’s you and me, forever. I don’t want tomorrow without you. I love you too.”

She crushes her lips onto mine and our friends and family erupt into cheers and whistling. We are covered in little white petals when we walk between our friends on our way to the car who will bring us to the bar.

Y/n is smiling so bright and I can’t stop looking at her.

I am so happy.

Until I fall to my knees with an explosion of pain in my chest, and the last thing I see is Y/n crying and screaming my name.

Then nothing.

“You FOOL!” before I can process what I just remembered after what Cas said, R is on him.

Her body changed to her horror corpse, she’s chanting and curling her hands. Sam and I are slammed back by the force she’s using on Cas.

I can feel the rage rippling of her in waves, it is making the bunker shake.

Enormous clouds of black and purple smoke fill the ceiling, she calls them down to wrap around Cas.

I jump into motion, using every ounce of strength to push against that barrier of her power. My first two steps slip away, but my third holds and so does my fourth.

With small pushing steps I come near.

“RAVEN STOP!” I yell over the tumbling smoke, but she’s lost in her rage. She’s leaning over Cas, her nails gripping his jacket and holding him up while she let her smoke work.

I can see her face, her eyes, the sockets are glowing bright orange, like her insides are on fire.

I push through and get near enough to grip her arm. The moment I touch her, her head snaps in my direction. I can feel the heat of that fire deep inside her, but I do not back down.

“Y/n, stop.” I say, keeping my grip tight, preparing for her next blow, preparing for the sting of her nails, preparing for her denial.

But it never comes.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, her body transforming back to her regular one. The smoke disintegrates and the bunker stops trembling.

She opens her eyes and looks away from me to the unconscious Cas, with a wave of her hand she heals him, his eyes open and look at her, terrified.

She steps away from him, saying nothing.

“Wait!” I go after her, stopping her, “You’re not leaving, you need to explain, what- what happened.”

She turns to me, slowly and looks up at me, into my eyes.

“You remember.” Is all she says.

“I do.”

“Then I don’t need to explain anything. I need to go.” She turns away again.

I grip her arm and tug her back, “No! I’m not letting you leave. I can’t.”

“What is going on, why did you call her Y/n?” Sam asks.

I don’t turn away from her, I gently reach up and take off her sunglasses. Her eyes are down cast.

“Y/n, please look at me.” I ask softly.

Her eyes look up, they’re filled with water from tears but I can see it. I caught a few glances of them before but now that I have time to look closer I can see how unique they are.

“That’s why you took them out? Why you’re wearing the glasses? To hide them.”

“I knew you would see right away, I had no other choice. I- couldn’t… tomorrow was gone, Dean.” She looks at me and lets her tears flow freely, “Nothing was right, I had nothing. Nothing mattered because you died, again.”

Sam came closer, realization setting in his eyes. “You’re Y/n… you did this.”

“What do you mean, again?”

“This was the thirteenth time I lost you.” She breathes out, “Thirteen times I had to say goodbye, build a pyre, wrap and burn your body, console Sam and our friends, live without you. I always found a way to bring you back. Selling my soul, going back in time, asking God, necromancy…

I don’t want a world without you in it. So I broke it to save you, and every time, I gave up a part of me, I became someone- something else.

We fell in love every time and every fucking time you died within the next five years.” She takes a shaky breath, I can see she’s digging through painful memories and my chest aches for her. I don’t remember any of that…

“And I- I thought it worked.” She continues, “We were happy for over five years, you asked me to marry you and it finally felt safe to say yes. And on our wedding day… you got shot by some drunk nutjob.” She sobs and falls to her knees, her hands clinging to her chest.

I go to my knees to touch her but she starts talking before I can, and the look on her face is pure rage.

“I had enough.” Her jaw clenches with rage, “I was sick and tired of the universe taking what’s mine again and again. So I took something from it, and became the first Visata.”

“Visata?” Sam asks, “What is that.”

“It is a universe witch. I control the rules now. I am the beginning and the end.” She looks at me with such a determination.

“How is that possible.” Cas breathes out as he stands up, “Even God couldn’t do that.”

“Because God wasn’t as desperate as I. And I was ready to pay the price.” She answers.

“What price, what did you pay Y/n?” I stand up. she had already sold her soul once, faced off God, became a necromancy witch. She had done horrible things for me…

I can’t imagine what can be worse.

She stands up too and looks at me.

“Me.” She breathes out, “I could become the new game maker, if I decided to become a monster. If I agreed to be the villain. So that Dean Winchester, the ultimate hero, would never love me.”

I look at her. At this ‘monster’. “You’re not a monster.” I tell her.

“I killed people to get where I am.” She standing straight, her face void of emotions.

“They must have deserved to die, because you are not evil.”

“I am. I broke the universe because I am selfish and cannot live in a world void of you.”

I shake my head, I can feel her lie in the air. I step closer and touch her hands, “I’m not dying again.”

She pulls her hands away, “You already did, once we did more than just touching and you died. We can never be together Dean. I’m a monster. I just… I need to fix this and you can go on living your life.” Her hand reaches up to my forehead.

“What are you doing” I step back.

“Making it easier, if you don’t remember any of this, you will be safe.” Tears are rolling down her beautiful face again.

“No! I don’t want to forget you! I-I love you.”

She freezes, “Don’t say that.” Her eyes are wide, ready to fight death itself.

“I do. I love you.” I look straight into her beautiful eyes.

“There is no tomorrow without you.” I say.

A sob breaks through and she lowers her hand, “I can’t loose you again. I can’t Dean. If you die now, now that you know, I won’t be able to stop it. I can’t stop time. I tried, I tried so hard.”

“You brought me back before, the universe is under your rule now, make new rules.” I tell her.

She shakes her head, “I did, but Death can't be controlled and Time doesn’t listen. I can bend it, pause it even, but never stop. As long as you don’t remember, you stay in this time line. You can live.” She pleads with me.

“So you’ll erase my memories and disappear? I don’t get a choice? We can figure something out.”

“WE CANT, I tried everything! This is the only way.” she clenches her fists, “Please Dean…”

I look at her as I try to think of another way, any way.

“I don’t want to loose my memories of you. I felt empty and lonely before you, and I didn’t know why. I don’t want to feel like that ever again.”

“You know the consequences, you could die when we get too close and this time I can’t bring you back.”

“Excuse me? You died?! When!” Sam asks.

“Not now, Sam.” I snap back.

“What are my other options. There has to be something.”

She searches my face, as if the answer will be on it.

“I leave, and we never see each other again. And you control your thoughts, dreaming is okay, but not when awake. Do you understand?”

“But…” I start.

“It’s the only other way to keep your memories and be safe.” She cuts me off.

I slowly nod, “If that’s the only other option, then… yes.”

She looks at me for a second in silence, baffled that I said yes to never seeing her again. My heart breaks at the flash of hurt across her eyes.

She nods and wipes her hands down her shirt, trying to compose herself.

“Then this is goodbye.”

“Goodbye Y/n, I will always love you.”

I can see more tears streaming down her cheeks before she disappears.

“Sam,” I start.

“Yeah?” he hesitantly answers.

“When is a monster not a monster?” I turn to look at him, my eyes blurry with tears.

He doesn't answer me.

“When you love it.”

“You have an idea?” he asks me?

“Of course I do.”

Forever Tags 2023: @jay-and-dean @flamencodiva @magssteenkamp @snowlovespie @awkward-and-indecisive @hobby27 @yvonneeeee (yvonne, your tag doesn't work, check your settings if it is allowed)

Dean tags 2023: @akshi8278 @brilovesdeanwinchester @mrspeacem1nusone @pink-sparkly-witch @verytoadpapersoul @eevvvaa @alwayskeepfightingsweetheart @supernatural79impala @thoughts-and-funnies

The Raven: @globetrotter28 @jerome-valeska-trash @deans-spinster-witch @sassy-pelican @jamerlynn @pallographsunspot (tag also not working, check your tags) @nancymcl

(I will be removing tags who don't interact with me (a reblog is all it takes) tags are a lot of work and most of these are blogs who haven't been active in a while, if your name is bold and cursive, it means you're on the exit list, dm/ ask me is you want to stay.)

You can support me here if you loved it :D

[iwanthermidnightz]

This Pride Month, Billboard asked artists to write a series of love letters to their LGBTQ fans, highlighting what the community means to them, as people and as artists. Below, MUNA‘s Katie Gavin expresses her affinity for a community that can “bend and transcend” barriers.

My Dearest and Queerest,

This love letter won’t be long enough. There’s too many things I want to say and not enough of a permitted word count. In fact, I wonder how I can express my love for this community in words at all, when words are so often what we strain and rage against — what we bend and transcend. One of the things I love most about us is the way we play with language and identity as if we can change the world that we inhabit, because we can. I delight in our late night living room conversations, where we debate over which words belong to whom, where our belief systems are challenged, where we reinvent our community over and over.

My love for us spills into all the different corners and crevices of the city under our colorful canopy. I love the twinks, the pillow princesses, the stone butches, the leather daddies, the bears, the gold stars, the transmasc lesbians, the closeted queers. The asexuals. The bisexual cis girls with armpit hair. The dolls. The black trans women who unceasingly create a culture and a beauty to which we all aspire. The nonbinary bois who don’t want top surgery and the nonbinary bois who do. The passing and the proudly clockable. The promiscuous and the celibate. The neuro-divergent and the neurotypical. The monogamous and the polyamorous. The queers that are in states and countries where they are safe to live freely, and especially the queers that are not.

One of the things I’m most thankful for about being queer is that it liberated me from fulfilling others’ expectations of me, and forced me to focus on what gives me joy. It also forced me to rely on others’ love and affection, to stop seeing myself as terminally unique. If we are going to survive the sixth mass extinction and live to know the next chapter of this world (lol), I believe it will be partially because we as humans learn how to follow and protect our joy, and how to cherish and invest in community. Ours is not perfect at this yet, but I still think the straights have a lot to learn from us.

What did I say — not long enough. I was just getting started.

Happy Pride. I love you. – Katie