#the monster keeper chapter 3

[lucienwrites]

The Monster Keeper - Chapter 3

NSFW!- after your encounter with the minotaur you check on some of your aquatic charges- merfolk- dubcon- threats- drowning mention- 2k words

Your body ached as you cleaned yourself up, you weren’t sure you could do a full day of this. But these creatures had been trapped in a strange world far from their home, so if there was anyway you could ease their homesickness you would do it. The next two ‘holding cells’ as you called them, looked different from the first, the concrete blocks were painted a darker colour and the frame around the door was a turquoise blue. This was where they kept aquatic creatures before their enclosures were ready. Curiosity overtook your wariness and you opened the door.

As soon as you did a young woman’s voice cried out, full of pride and anger, “How dare you imprison me!” she yelled “I am Halimede Princess of Neaera and you will show me the respect I deserve!” You bowed low, and when you raised your head you finally took a look at this princess. Her eyes were pale and glassy, wide spaced and lidless. Like a fish. Smooth silver scales covered the whole of her flat chested humanoid torso, from the tips of her clawed fingers to her face, to the almost imperceptible join between body and tail. Your eyes followed the line of her form, her top half wasn’t much larger than yours, but her tail curled and looped around itself, nearly filling the clearly inadequate tank. She snarled showing her long, needle-like teeth.

“Please don’t hurt me, your highness.” You squeaked.

“Why shouldn’t I?” she hissed, looking down at you with a disdainful yet smug expression, “I’m sure you would be delicious..” It seemed almost silly to be afraid of her when she was in the tank and you weren’t, but something about her confidence assured you that if she wanted to kill you she could.

“because,” you hesitated, “because if you kill me, no one else will come.”

“They will, they always do”

“I mean it, if I die nobody else will bother risking their life to look after you, they only sent me because I’m the easiest to replace.” A hint of doubt crossed the mermaid’s face. She stared at you, her lidless eyes unnerving and strange.

Then she nodded, “You believe your words to be truthful, whether or not they are is of no consequence.” You let out a sigh of relief and heard gentle laughter bubble from the princess’s mouth. “So you are here to look after me human?” she would have gazed haughtily down her nose if she had one.

“Yes, and the others from your realm.”

“Others?” intrigued she asked, “Do you know if my father is here?”

“Your father?”

“The King of Neaera”

“I’m not sure, You are only the third I have visited.”

“Ah, well I suppose he must be here, we were taken at the same time, quite rudely I may add.”

“I’m sorry your highness, I was not there but I believe it was for your own safety. There are some humans who would wish for your head mounted on a wall, or you body stuffed and displayed. I know this place is cramped and far from what you must have been used to, but at least we can protect you from people like that.”

She thought for a moment, stunned, “I suppose then that I am grateful, but that is not worth much if I am to starve to death in here.”

You blushed “I’m sorry, I will bring you food as soon as I can.”

“Human meat?”

“uh, no, sorry we don’t have any of that, but if I meet anyone who deserves it I’ll bring them straight to you.”

“Very well, I will have fish then but it must be fresh,” She sighed, but you had an idea.

“Is there any food, other than people, which is a particular delicacy for your kind? Perhaps your favourite food?”

“Urchins!” She blurted out, and from the gleeful hunger in her eyes you saw that behind her cold exterior she really was as childish as any pampered princess would be.

“I can get you urchins, not today, but soon I’ll bring you as many as you can eat!”

She grinned, sharp teeth shining. “I shall have to keep you alive then!”

“I would appreciate that” you laughed, “Oh um, if I do happen to meet your father is there anything you would like me to say to him?”

“No, king and father though he may be, he is still a bastard. But best not tell him I said that.” You nodded. “And a word of caution, the king is dangerous, he would not hesitate to feast on your flesh. However there is one thing he loves more than food.”

“What is it?” you asked though you could hazard a guess.

“Sex.” Of course “You are pretty, if you use that to your advantage you may live.” Great. “You may tell him that you are under my protection, he may ignore that entirely but in he’s in a good mood he may keep you alive to please me.”

“Thank you your highness. Is there anything you would like me to do before I go?”

“yes, leave a window open so I can hear if my father kills you, then I shall know not to speak to him again.” You did as she asked, though it did nothing to calm your nerves. “good luck human” she called after you as you left. You felt like you were walking to your death, but perhaps Halimede had exaggerated, you told yourself, she didn’t exactly seem fond of her father. And perhaps this next building had something completely different in? Merfolk weren’t the only aquatic monsters after all.

As you stepped into the building, pulse racing, you knew there had been no point trying to convince yourself. Not one but two mermen turned to gaze upon your tender, trembling human form. The hunger in their eyes froze you in place. The larger of the two, who you assumed was the king, grinned as you knelt before him, revealing that he had the same needle sharp teeth as his daughter.

“Your- Your Majesty,” you stammered, “I am (name), I am here to tend to your needs.” You bowed your head, nervously awaiting his reaction.

“hmm it looks delicious doesn't it” he chuckled softly.

“A fitting meal for one as great as you Your Majesty” the smaller merman replied. You blinked away the tears that had begun to form in your eyes, you could only think of one thing that could save you.

“Please, I am under the protection of princess Halimede and she has requested politely that you don’t eat me, but," you couldn’t believe you were saying this “but that you may use my body as you wish, as long as I am still able to perform my duties to her.” Your hands tensed up into fists as you bit your lip, awaiting your fate.

“What do you think my lord?” The king's courtier asked.

“Well I can’t deny a request from my daughter, especially when she has offered such a pretty gift.” He smirked, the hunger in his eyes now of a different kind. ”Come in my dear,” he spoke in a soft hiss, “We won’t bite” You took a tentative step towards the tank.

“Take off that fabric you insist on using to keep His Majesty from enjoying your form. I can assure you that you will not need it in here.”

You clumsily pulled off your uniform, leaving it in a heap on the floor, trying not to shake too much as you slipped your underwear off.

“Much better.” The King’s words felt like slime. -Just relax, just try to enjoy it- you thought to yourself, unsure if you’d be able to. You shivered as you walked naked to the awaiting mermen. The King’s eyes were fixed on you, on your soft fragile human body. The other gazed at his king, swimming lower in the water. Looking closer you could see that he was staring at a thin slit in his majesty’s tail. As you watched something long and smooth and tapered began to slide out of it, and you realised you were both staring at the King’s erection.

“This is what will soon be inside you” the king gloated “Make sure you appreciate it.”

“I’m sure they will, your majesty.” The courtier said as you nodded.

“Sh-should I come in now?” you asked, still nervous but admittedly getting a little damp between your legs.

“Well of course, you’re of no use to me out there.”

You slowly lowered yourself into the water, trying to adjust to the sudden coldness, but still let out a gasp as the surface touched your pussy. Once the water was up to your waist you felt smooth scaled hands gently stroking up your legs, along the inside of your thighs, and suddenly grabbing you firmly by the hips and dragging you under. You flailed your arms in a panic, trying desperately to break free from the kings vice-like grip. He watched you thrashing around, a look of pleasure on his face as his dick was stroked by his adoring courtier.

Then he laughed and let go of you “that’s enough now, Sargas hold her so her head’s above the water.”

You coughed and spluttered as you broke through the surface. Just as you were getting your breath back you felt movement in the water behind you as strong, green-scaled arms wrapped around you and held you steady.

“There, are you done struggling now my pretty human?” the king smirked.

“Sorry, I thought I was going to die…” your voice trailed off.

“Oh come now don’t be silly, why would I let you die when I can have so much fun with you when you’re alive?”

“Just, please don’t drag me under without warning like that, I’ll keep coming back to have sex with you if you like but please please don’t do that again.”

His face softened, perhaps realising he’d have to be kinder if he wanted to make the most of your little human pussy. “Alright (name) I swear to you that I won’t pretend to drown you anymore.”

“Thank you” It didn’t seem right to thank him for the bare minimum but you wanted to be safe.

Deciding that this part of the conversation had gone on long enough the king continued his earlier exploration of your erogenous zones. He slid one finger inside you. Despite the cold water and your recent fear he found that you were ready for him, your walls warm and soft and slippery. You gasped as he pulled you close, your bodies pressed against each other, your skin against his smooth golden scales. Though his arms were now around you you could still feel something moving between your legs, and you realised that he must have some amount of control over his cock. It found your entrance quickly and the tip slid easily into your eager hole. He let out a low moan. “it’s been a long time since I fucked a human, I forgot how good it feels…” He slid in further and further, his shaft widening with every inch.

His courtier was still behind you, and from what you could feel pressing against your thighs he was enjoying it just as much as you were

“Oh Your Majesty..” he moaned. Actually maybe he was enjoying it more.

The King still had a smug look on his face, so you tightened yourself around him, making him gasp.

“(name) where did you learn that?”

You didn’t reply, you couldn’t, The King had bottomed out in you and taken your breath away. You moaned in pleasure between the two mermen, one laying his royal claim to your pussy, the other slowly rubbing his manhood between your legs and crying out with pleasure whenever he brushed against His Majesty.

“I hope you’re ready little human, I’ve been saving this for a while.” The King groaned as something flooded your womb, while at the same time your squirt warmed the water around you. You felt so warm, so strangely comfortable. If you could, you would have stayed a little longer, not afraid of these strange creatures now that you had brought them such pleasure.

[unknownperson246]

master list 1 GNR:

Master lists: 2 3

Angst: 💔 smut: 💋 Fluff:🍄

Izzy

Sisters Keeper 💋

Fuck Me! 💋

Mommy Please Mommy 💋

Ladies First 🍄

It’s What Your Getting 💋🍄

Where We Eat 💋

Desperation 💋

My Whore 💋

Quiet Whimpers 💋🍄

Pretty Tied Up 💋

Young For Me 🍄

Raven and Dove 🍄

Killer Looks 🍄

All Better Princess 🍄

Let Me Do My Thing 💋🍄

Sweet Cake 🍄

Knitting 🍄

Closet Creeper 💋

One More Chance 💔🍄

Spilled Milk 💋🍄

Cruel and Kind 💔💋

Freaky Friday Part 1 💋🍄

Freaky Friday Part 2 💋🍄

Fangs 💋

In The Light 💋

Brand Spanking New 💋

Touring 🍄💔

The Bar 💋🍄

The Gig 💋💔

Losing His Mind 💋🍄

On A Hill 💋🍄💔

Sociopath 💋💔

Sociopath Part 2 💔

Sociopath Part 3 💋🍄

Spoiled 🍄

Hair Day 🍄

Our Litttle Secret 💋🍄

Standing Close 💋🍄

Last Straw 💋💔

Sex Tape 💋

The Bar Part 1 💋

The Bar Part 2 💋

Axl

Axl Rose SFW Head Canons

Nervous 🍄

Patience 💔 (this is from my other account)

Sweet and Salty 💋🍄💔

Romantic Dinner 💋🍄

4th of July 🍄

Sex In A Car 💋🍄

First Time 🍄💋

Call Me Professor 💋

My Sweet Darling 💋🍄

Water On Wires 💋

Running Away 💔🍄

Obliterate 💔 (this fic has James Hetfield)

Brat 💋

A Little Old 💋

Confused 💔🍄

Short Dress 💋

Duff

Your Going To Miss Me 💋

Blood Moon 💋💔

Lightning 💋🍄

Bloodless 💋🍄

Bunny Play 🍄

Delicate 🍄💋

What I Really Enjoy 🍄💔

Nightmares 🍄💔

Welcome Back 💋

Reassurance 🍄💔

So Tall 💋🍄

Mötley x Roses 💋

Fuming With Anger 💋

The Notepad 💋

Steven

Steven Adler Headcanons 🍄

I’ll Make Up For It 💋

Weekend Vacation 🍄

Friends and Fans 💔🍄💋

Slash

Mr.All Over Her 🍄

Young Love 💋🍄

Bitchy Brat 💋

Your My Girl 💋🍄

Jealousy Hurts 💋💔

Best Friends To Lovers 🍄

I’m Going To Miss You 💋💔

First Time 💋🍄

A Monster 💋💔

A Monster Chapter 2 💔

A Monster Chapter 3 💔💋

A Monster Chapter 4 💔

Naive 💋

Duff x Izzy x Reader

Like the Little Slut You Are 💋

Slash x Izzy x Reader

Fuck Me Clean 💋

GNR x Reader

Your My Rocket Queen 💋

Turns For Everyone 💋

Guns N’ Roses Headcanons:

When you get sick 🍄

Duff x Izzy x Slash x Reader:

Who’s first? 💋💔

Duff x Slash x Reader:

Sex Recording 💋

Julian Casablancas x Izzy x Reader:

All Three of Us 💋

[mrchaosman]

Three years of madness inside the palace is over now.

Howdy, happy new year everyone, I hope you're doing great today.

Welp, I just wanted to thank y'all for everything that you gave to me in 2024. It was a good times (and a bad times lol) so, I decided to do something for y'all for the love and happiness that you gave me, but first, let me tell you my story with this community.

Ahem.

In 2021, I was doing, like nothing, just being here, in existence, feeling a little depressed because I had, suddenly and out of blue, my little brother came to me and said: :DUDE, DELTARUNE CHAPTER 2 GOT RELEASED" and I was "Really???!?!??!?!" I opened up YouTube, Typed DELTARUNE chapter 2 and... it really released, like Damn, I never expected that. Later on, I got it on my cousin's phone (his phone is Glitchy is hell) and managed to finish it with him, and it was AWSAOME, and I really enjoyed it and loved it.

In 2022, it was the year that "secret bosses" would be a thing, and the first one that I saw was Lumia. If I remember correctly, I liked them, but not that much, like, they look decent, but still, I still like them.

Then I saw the immortal hydrangea, i believe that immortal hydrangea was the thing that made me believe that the Ch3 secret boss is a flower thing (or a flowey-like fella), I personally loved the it so much.

I also saw Huecycles's deltarune chapter 3 and her secret boss, Halojack, I really loved it a lot. back in the day when I was believing that Mike would be the main antagonist of Chapter 3 (not in a toxic way, I kept that opinion to myself, not telling anyone about).

Zet's Deltarune take was also so cool, i was a big fan of Helal, Occazio, and Billy Chance.

Then I discovered one of the coolest aus that ever existed, DELTARUNE: CHAPTER REWRITTEN, by the amazing and talented Winterer, which we got bangers like BIG BANG and BATTLE AGAINST THE WORLD, and honestly I find it very amazing and well-made, till, Y'know, some terrible has happened, like, The Winterer leaving the au and some other sucky shit, I don't want to go on details, you got the picture.

2023 came, and with it, more and more cooler stuff, and I can't mention anything related to the community without talking about Local h00ligan's DELTARUNE Take that with it, and it bunch of cool guys, Brandal C, Screepto and Fakres, and boy did I loved them, yup, I did, they are so cool, I personally liked Brandal more.

We also got one of the coolest deltarune chapter 3-7 takes, Vision Crew's Deltarune, by the coolest R.V Pine (who has blocked me on Tumblr), we got goobers like Tenna, Anne, Camellia, Hycrisik, Mentle Keeper, and Gonner and they all are amazing.

This year also marked the birth of the monster that we all know as "Woody Theory" by Spookydood on YouTube, which also leads of the Birth of thousands of "Friend Inside Me" images.

Deltarune: The Chapter in Sans and Papyrus' House, Sockswald, and other things dropped this year

While scrolling in Twitter, I found L1zardart1stre, who helped with some ideas in Deltarune: TCISAPH like Commander Dash, Friendo, and others, I also liked her secret bosses, and she is one of my main inspirations.

Sonic Theory also came out this year, and I really loved it a lot.

One day, while scrolling in Twitter, I found something, a fanart by L1zardart1stre, for a cowgirl holding a gun, I didn't know who she was and who was the made her.

Now I know who...

Tapes, Flowery, Petaly, Rosey the Revenger, and others, they all look very awesome.

However, I wasn't that happy at all. In 2023, I was actually suffering with some sort of mental illness that made me feel miserable in late 2023, and my cope mechanism was to talk to someone, I got tumblr like from long but didn't use it at all, the first person I talked in tumblr was Creepa, then Bluetheartblog (he also blocked me lamo) then I tried to talk to Emihead and Axniety but they also blocked me (I don't blame them at all, tho) and Mercair, Petra, Glitch and Grimm, and others.

And was the end of my merciless DMing spree and my stroy with this community, now, let's move on to the thanking part (I didn't draw anything for some of you, sorry).

Thanks, @creepa-b0t-inc . I'm really grateful for you and being an inspiration for me, I do love your work, and hopefully, one day, I can impress you

Thanks, @mercair . For being an awesome and cool friend and being there for me, and I really hope that you feel better and be happy

Thanks, @glitch-the-artist . I gotta be honest, one of the coolest artists I meet and befriended, and I really enjoy your work (especially Raily Roundup), and I hope you got the respect that you truly deserve.

Thanks, @petra-creat0r . A talented artist and a creative person, I enjoyed your little Fankids and your work. They all are amazing, and I wish you a very pleasant year.

Thanks, @imaginary-regret-608 . I really love your work, they all amazing, your Au are so good and very awesome, and i feel sad for that you don't get much likes, even the fact that your works are so good and well-done, and I hope people see how talented you are.

Thanks, @lostcausegeneralart . Another person who greeted me in this community, Grimm, is like one of the coolest people and friends I have ever known.

Thanks, Static. One of my earlier followers and friends, and despite acting very... immature and other things, but I still grateful for you and everything.

Thanks, @theauking . Despite that we didn't have many interactions, but I am still going to thank you.

Thanks, @sbtorms . I really enjoyed your Aus, and I am looking forward to seeing more of what you are cooking.

Thanks, @dinosaurstirfry . The fact that I saw one of your secret bosses long before i joined the community, you are so cool and amazing.

Thanks, R.v pine. Despite we have some bad interactions and that I was very much annoying, I still like your works.

Thanks, @quevod . Thanks for being an overall support and helpful.

Thanks, @bamthefox , I really don't have much to say, but I really love your goobers (especially the octopus girl)

Thanks, Bob, the coolest, awesome, and greatest friend ever. Sure, our first encounter wasn't that great (especially when I was still whining about it), but I still grateful for your advice and help.

And finally, thanks for @howlnessandresisaak3551 @roxroxtbm @shazos @kittblush @science2048 scrunchbug, Krispi, @huecycles @cheesyjester Boing @sepsis-tank @shrewdoodle @retropobor @marshiemonarch @jazminthegamer @missowo @temfling @cinnamonswirlsshadow Celtuft @uwacat @followerex funnyskelly, @ralk-is-peeved @leewayslounge LocalH00ligan

I love y'all

Now, time for the fanart.

[twstfanblog]

*~Period Drama~* Saturday

A/N: So I sneezed, which is why this is out before the RSA series chapter lol. But I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this series I can feel it. Word Count: 4.7K (Wow, around the same as the last part) Warnings: Period mentions, Blood mentions (Drawing blood) She/They OC Pronouns Pairings: Azul/Reader (Poly), Jamil/Reader (Poly), Platonic relationships with Floyd, Jade, Ortho, and Crewel. Enjoy! Start, Part 1 (Here), Part 2 (Heartslabyul), Part 3 (Savanaclaw), Part 3.5 (Diasomnia pt.1), Part 4 (Diasomnia pt.2), Part 5 (Pomefiore), Part 6 (Scarabia)

Jamil, Azul, Jade, Floyd, Grim, Ace, and Deuce stood outside of ramshackle, some of them sitting on the wooden steps. Waiting as patiently as they could for Crewel to give them a final order. No more than twenty minutes had passed before Crewel opened the front door. He looked their group over, coming to some sort of choice before he smacked the palm of his hand with his crop, “Octavinelle pups, you stay. The rest of you go on with your day.” “Wait, what!?”

“Sensei!”

“Why does he-”

Crewel smacks his palm again. The crack somehow perfectly balanced with the harsh shush he gives them, quieting the protesting group instantly. His glare softens at seeing their crestfallen faces, “Yuu will be in contact. I need to gather up the needed potions and resource materials. But for now, They’re resting and it would be best to have someone in the house with them. Both to get them whatever they need and to keep unwanteds out. Ergo, the Octavinelle mutts.”

Jamil frowns but doesn’t speak up. He knew that he would probably have damage control to do in Scarabia. Najma most likely called Kalim in confusion from his call, not entertaining the thought of actually waiting on him to explain his bizarre question. Kalim would have only half the story and no context which was worrying enough, so he was clearly panicking and amassing the other Scarabia students for a witch hunt. He should stop at Scarbia before going back to basketball practice…

Deuce steps forward, imaginary puppy ears drooping as he mutters out, “Is Yuu at least okay? I didn’t see much, but it looked like a lot of blood…”

Sighing, Crewel walked down the stairs, gently patting Deuce on the head as he passed, “They’re fine, pup. I’m going to gather the Shroud boy and then prepare a proper medical report. As far as we should be concerned, this is completely natural for Yuu, if a bit painful.” He reached into his coat, pulled out his pipe kit and started to fill it as he walked away, “But for now, Azul, Floyd, and Jade are to look after them until I come back. You other pups are to return to your scheduled activities and tell no one about this.”

Ace looked to the side nervously, thankfully unseen by anyone before he nodded and started to make his way down the path behind Crewel. Deuce sighs but nods, calmed by the info that Yuu was okay at least. He jogs down the path after Ace, none of them are really surprised when muffled yelling could be heard a little down the way.

Azul looked out of the corner of his eye, catching Jamil giving him an intense glare. He knew Jamil was upset at the turn of events, the very fact Azul was picked over him would be enough to anger the Scarabian student. Let alone being picked by their lover’s pseudo-father figure as their keeper. He turns entirely to him, smiling and opening his mouth to pacify his lover-in-law before Jamil interrupts him.

Jamil turned his back on Azul, walking down the path to get back to campus. He quickly scooped Grim into his arms, ignoring the monster hissing and fighting his grip, “Just make sure they eat something high in iron.” That was all he said before he was also gone from view, walking past the row of trees acting as a fence of the property.

Silence passes the three students before Azul squeals, smiling wide and pumping his fist, “YES! He trusts me! You both saw that! He gave me his faith that I would tend to our lover. It’s only a matter of time before I can talk him into transferring!”

Floyd rolls his eyes, walking back into the house with a snickering Jade behind him, “Either you take care of my Shrimpy or they’ll kill you themselves…” he mutters under his breath, pout turning into a frown as the scent of blood hits him harder inside.

Jade’s own mirth decreases at the smell. He hums looking around the dorm. Yuu wouldn’t want the windows open, not to mention the smell would simply travel over the campus. The last thing they needed was Malleus smelling Yuu’s blood in the air. Seven could only think of the disaster that would bring. He looks up the stairs, only half listening as Azul enters the dorm to bicker with Floyd.

“-fact you would insinuate I wouldn’t take care of my pearl is insult enough, Floyd.”

“Ehe~? I just said Shrimpy wouldn’t let you slide with shitty service. You scared of a little blood Azul~?”

“I will dock your pay-”

“I’ll go sit with Yuu, keep them company.” Jade smiled over his shoulder, already walking up the stairs. He pauses halfway up the stairs, tilting his head at their stares, “Unless I’m allowed free range of their meal?”

Floyd instantly perked up, rushing to the kitchen whining with a glare at his brother, “No way! You’ll make some weird mushroom thing that’ll make Shrimpy even sicker!”

Azul stays for only a moment before he follows Floyd, giving Jade one last look, “Do make sure my pearl is in good condition. If you can wake them up, ask if they would like a bath.”

“Will do.” 

Jade parts with Azul, walking onto the second floor and toward Yuu’s room. He rested his hand on the doorknob and breathed in deep. Yuu’s blood was interesting, he’s always found it to be since he first smelled that foreign flora that no one could place. But that didn’t mean he wanted to smell it so strongly. He took in another deep breath in hope if he smelled it thoroughly enough the tightness of worry would loosen in his chest. Once calm he creaked the door open, knocking on it gently as he peaked his head in, “Yuu, I’m coming in.”

A simple groan answers him. That was acceptance of entry enough for him. He closes the door behind him and walks to sit in the armchair, moving it just a foot or so closer to the bed. Yuu had rotated since he last saw them. Now lying on their front with the blanket uncovered to their calves, arms wrapped around a pillow and eyes closed. If it wasn’t for the brief moments of their eyebrows creasing in pain, Jade would think they were perfectly fine.

A few minutes pass before Yuu opens their eyes, vision slightly hazy from pain, “Hi.”

“Hi.” Jade smiles, leaning forward to poke their cheek in greeting, “I’m guessing whatever is going on is quite painful?”

“Very much, yes.” They groan, snuggling into their pillow, “Periods are a bitch.”

“Azul said something about that. ‘Period’. That’s what it’s called?” When Yuu confirms, he leans back into the chair, humming under his breath. Now that things had calmed down, Jade couldn't help but call the whole scenario interesting. Finding differences in biology was always a fascinating venture, “Tell me about it.”

“Are you sure? It’s kinda gross and like…as you saw, pretty bloody.”

Jade chuckles, raising a hand to cover his mouth coyly, “I already said I want to know! Please don’t tease me in such a way!” He preens, feeling a small wave of pride at hearing Yuu laugh.

“You’re so weird…Alright.” Yuu angled herself to look over to Jade, raising an eyebrow, “What do you wanna know?”

“Is the bleeding just the first step of it? Do you gain internal injuries to produce the blood? Is the pain a result of-”

“I’m gonna just…stop you right there…” Yuu took a moment, trying to not laugh again, not wanting to change their towels yet, “So…Periods are weird because I feel like I'm injured but it’s all natural because of hormones are whatever.”

“Your hormones make your internal organs stimulate injuring themselves?” he takes a moment to look around the room. Standing up to grab a notepad and pencil from Yuu’s desk before returning to the armchair, "We have basic health classes in middle school. But I've never heard of hormones causing internal bleeding."

“Eh…more like the hormones jumpstart a refreshing process? Not so much internal bleeding.” 

Jade smiled wide, his pencil poised to write down every word they said, "Do tell.”

Azul texted Crewel to bring an iron supplement potion along with the pain potions. Yuu didn’t have any food besides snacks and her childish cereals, how Floyd managed to find enough items for a seafood alfredo was nothing short of a miracle by Azul’s standards. Sure it wasn’t high in iron like Yuu needed, but it would be warm and something for her to eat.

They were still worried. How could they not be? Their dear friend was a floor above them basically bleeding out from an intimate area that shouldn’t be bleeding. Crewel’s behavior had calmed most of their nerves, Yuu strangely wouldn’t lie to Crewel nearly as much as she would any other teacher. And Crewel wouldn’t be half as calm if something had actually happened. But as Floyd had said to him, ‘It still felt gross’. All of them forced to twiddle their thumbs and wait for Crewel or Yuu to give them all the facts instead of just dismissing their horrific theories.

Floyd scooped the pasta dish into a bowl, as Yuu preferred it, shoving a fork in it and walked past Azul. He didn’t bother to listen to Azul tell him to stop and wait for Yuu to get up from her nap or call for them. He didn’t want to. The only reason he cooked instead of Jade was because his brother couldn’t be trusted in a kitchen alone without shoving mushrooms into something. At least not while Azul was as distracted as he was. But he was just as worried as the others, Yuu was his Shrimpy. He’d share with his brother and Azul. But as far as he was concerned he was doing just that, sharing. Shrimpy was his to look after for as long as she hung around him. And he was already in a bad mood from earlier thinking he had failed her.

“Floyd, Yuu might still be sleeping, we shouldn’t bother them.” Azul scolded him, trying to keep his voice down while making sure it carried a harshness.

“Don’t care. I wanna check on Shrimpy…”

Azul kept quiet before he sighed. He pulled out his handkerchief, if Yuu was still sleeping he could cover the bowl so they could eat later. It would be lukewarm at best, but it’d be clean and ready for Yuu when they woke up, “Fine. Let’s go check on them…”

Floyd didn’t bother to knock, opening the door one-handed and ignoring Azul’s groan behind him, “Shrimpy~, you awake?”

Yuu rolled over, smiling with an edge of weariness, and waved, “Hi Floyd~.”

“Shrimpy!” Floyd nearly dropped the bowl onto the bed sheets, moving to hug and squeeze his best friend. The scent of blood was still strong but just knowing that his friend was okay was enough to keep him in a positive mood. Pulling away, he passes the bowl properly to them, “You doing alright?”

Yuu smiles as Azul moves quickly to place his handkerchief onto her lap, a small comment on the bowl being hot. She kept eye contact with the cecaelian until Azul turned away with a blush. But, she does place the bowl on her lower stomach, the heat helping more than the boys knew, “Thank you for the food. And no, I’m in pain.”

Floyd’s relaxed expression instantly changes, dropping into a frown and downward brows, “Why? What happened to make you bleed like this Shrimpy? If we were in the ocean you’d be a chum magnet…”

Jade looked up from his notes, “Muscle tension.”

“Huh?” Both Azul and Floyd turned to him in confusion.

Jade taps at the notepad, showing the lines of neat handwriting with various questions sprinkled around it, “Yuu’s body is physically pushing the blood out by contracting their pelvic muscles. The involuntary spasms are causing some intense muscle cramps.”

Azul frowns, his hand moving to press on their stomach, almost trying to feel the sensation, “When will it stop? Losing this much blood can’t be good for you…”

Jade looked over his notes, sighing at his findings, “Yuu says this lasts four days normally for them.”

“Four days?” Both Azul and Floyd exclaimed, worry evident in their voices.

Yuu smiled, leaning against their pillows, “Seven is the standard.”

Azul whips his head back to Yuu, eyes wide and glasses nearly falling off his face, “Seven!?”

“How do you stop it?” Floyd looked the most distressed out of all of them, simply looking at Yuu’s lap with poorly veiled concern.

“Oh, Azul, you’ll love this.” Jade beamed, eyes reading over his writing, “This is apparently happening because Yuu didn’t get pregnant.”

…

Floyd turned to look at Azul, voice deadpan, “Azul, hurry up and knock Shrimpy up so we don’t have to deal with this.”

The scandalized look on Azul’s face makes Yuu burst into laughter, blood be damned. The cecaelian stuttered out a rambled form of scolding and excuses on how he couldn't 'Knock Them Up' and how it was no one’s business what he and his lover did in the bedroom. He only grew more flustered seeing the smiles on the twins' faces, knowing they were internally mocking him and his distressed state.

He snaps his fingers, a golden contract appearing beside him. Gripping it fiercely, he points to the four names signed at the bottom, "In any case! Per our official ‘Quad Agreement’, only Draconia is allowed to impregnate Yuu and that's not even in effect until they’ve both graduated!" With another snap, the scroll was gone, leaving Azul huffing and crossing his arms.

Yuu quiets their laughter, reaching out a hand to hold Azul’s, " Aw~. Are you mad you can't give me an octo baby?"

"I'm mad because you're in pain and the one way to stop this is something we can't do for years!" Azul does loosen his arms, both hands coming to cradle their outstretched one, "You've been acting odd all week before this whole bleeding mess even started. We were worried…"

Floyd pouts, resting his head on Yuu's shoulder, uncaring of how far he had to bend, "You punched me for trying to give you a piggyback ride, Shrimpy. Really hurt my feelings."

"You had seemed quite lethargic the past few days." Jade gave a worried smile, tone clear in just how concerned the past events had made him.

Yuu looked at all of them in shock, looking at the slowly cooling bowl of pasta before they covered their mouth. The room was silent until Yuu closed their eyes and tried to fight back the whimper threatening to leave their throat.

"...Yuu-"

"You guys care so much about me…so much…" Yuu lets go of the bowl, both hands fanning at their face as their eyes well up with tears, "And I've been such a bitch to you." Their voice cracked and slid into a high-pitched wail as the tears started to fall.

Jade’s eyes widened, his mouth opening in a silent gasp as he quickly shared a panicked look with Azul, " O-oh, oh no."

The cecaelian babbled, stuttering under his breath and hovering his hands over Yuu’s body. He wasn’t sure if Yuu wanted to be physically comforted, or even touched, “Yuu? What’s wrong, are you in more pain? Do you need me to call Crewel!?”

Floyd hesitantly pats at Yuu’s head, not wanting a repeat of being sucker punched in the face the last time he touched an upset Yuu, “There, there Shrimpy. Just eat your food…”

Still crying, taking shaky breaths while gathering a collection of noodles and seafood on their fork, “You guys are so nice to me. And I’m a bad friend…”

Jade was subtly leaning away, pressing his back deeper into the chair as he eyed Yuu with mild suspension, “No…You’re a perfectly good friend to us, Yuu.” Hormonal changes would explain Floyd’s notice of Yuu’s scent being 'off'. He assumed the different levels had only affected their body as they had stated. But it seemed their emotions were also being affected. A moody Floyd is something he grew up with, he knew every tell Floyd could give. A hormonally moody Yuu was new and dangerous territory as far as Jade was concerned.

Even with their reassurance, Yuu’s tears wouldn’t stop. The three males grew more uneasy, simply watching their friend bleed on her bed and eat lukewarm pasta while she softly cried. They shared a look between the three of them before Azul stepped forward, a nervous smile on his face while he gently caressed her hair.

“It’s…it’s ok my pearl.”

Yuu looked up, sniffling pitifully before pressing her head into his hand, “I’m sorry I’m so mean to you…”

Azul chuckles, pressing a kiss to their cheek before pulling away, “It’s ok. I will admit, I do like when you’re a bitch.”

The sweet air was gone in a second. Yuu’s crying stopping as though a switch was flipped. They glared up at Azul, “Did you just call me a bitch!?”

“...” Azul looked to the side then back to her, pulling his hand back, “I-”

“So you think I’m a bitch!?”

“No?” The confusion in his voice was clear. He looked at the twins who were just as puzzled, the two eel-mers quickly shrugging at his silent question as to what he did. 

They also had no clue how to proceed. Yuu would normally either let them in on, or at least make their goal clear when they toyed with Azul. But this sort of rapid-fire mood change was not in their MO. It was even more so than Floyd could keep up with.

Yuu turned back to their pasta, tears coming back full force as their anger disappeared, “You’re lying to me…”

“...Would you feel better if I thought you were a bitch?”

“What is that supposed to mean!?”

Hours later, Floyd opened the door, disheveled and pouting at Crewel and Ortho, “Knifejaw…Hurry up and fix Shrimpy. They’re really mean like this and I’m sick of it.”

Crewel raised an eyebrow, walking into the dorm and waving a hand to send Ortho up before him, “Are they? More so than normal?” He said it with a jovial air, teasing his student since his own moods were the things of nightmares.

“Yes. If I felt like it, I would beg. I can’t handle them like this…”

“...”

Well, that was concerning… Floyd followed Crewel back up the stairs. Opening Yuu’s bedroom he realized that Floyd wasn’t kidding. Next to a standing Ortho Yuu sat on the bed, now cocooned in one of their blankets in Azul’s lap. Tear tracks on their cheeks and angrily sniffling between hand-fed forkfuls of pasta. Azul was sweating, oozing a nervous energy as though he were defusing a bomb and not feeding his lover. Jade sat in the far corner, chair pressed against the wall as far back as it could be and furiously writing notes.

Ortho beeped, eyes showing he was smiling under his mask, “Body scan complete! No external injuries are to be found!” He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Yuu and resting his head on them, “I’m so glad you’re ok, Prefect Yuu!”

Floyd huffs from the doorway, glaring at the display, “Oh, he can hug you but I get punched if I try?”

Yuu glares, eyes just peaking through Ortho’s flaming hair, “I could never hit Ortho, he’s baby.”

“Prefect Yuu is right, I am baby.” the smug tone was just barely heard through Ortho’s normal frequency of cheer. Looking up his bright yellow eyes meet Yuu’s, “Oh! Just so you know, Ace told the rest of us what was going on in our group chat. Though Crewel-Sensei told me that no one was supposed to know. In his defense though, the timestamps show Ace gave the information before Crewel-Sensei gave the order to not tell anyone.” 

Yuu looks over to their phone on the nightstand, groaning at the wall of texts they’re sure is waiting for them, “God damn it.”

Sighing, Crewel waved his hand, “This is very cute, but Ortho you’re here for medical purposes. Let’s not get distracted.”

“Right!” Ortho stands up straight, holding out a hand as his other arm morphs to produce a syringe. “Prefect Yuu, may I have your arm to take a blood sample?”

Even though it looked like that was the last thing Yuu wanted to do, they managed to remove their arm from the blanket cocoon to place in Ortho’s waiting hand. Looking away while Ortho set to work finding a vein.

Crewel walked to the bed, grabbing a potion from his coat and uncorking it in one fluid movement, “How are you feeling, pup?”

“Like I’m in pain. The same as two hours ago. What kind of fucking question-” A fork full of pasta and sauce was shoved into their mouth, cutting them off from cussing out their teacher/father. Azul smiled timidly when Yuu’s glare snapped to him. Muttering through their food as they chewed, “Don’t you ever fucking try to silence me with pasta, again.”

Waiting until Yuu had swallowed and taken a breath, Crewel shoved the opening of the potion bottle to Yuu’s mouth and forcibly made them drink it, taking care to not justle their arm while Ortho drew blood. He adored his pup. But he was not going to sit idle and let them bark at him like they had the right, “That’s nice sweetie. Take your medicine, you’ll feel better.”

He only let up once the flask was empty, pulling away and placing the glass back into his coat. Yuu’s glare slowly softens, tense body finally relaxing in Azul’s nervous hold. They sigh, dropping their head into the crook of Azul’s neck, nosing into the flushed skin before pulling away to rest their cheek on his shoulder, “Sorry…about threatening your life and stuff. Forgot how bad cramps were…”

Azul, slowly wrapped his arms around them, nuzzling into their hair, “It’s…ok? So long as you’re feeling better now. Were you truly in that much pain?”

Floyd hums from the doorway, folding his arms, “I guess I can give you a pass then. I don’t like being in pain either, it’d make me just as crabby as you’ve been…”

Jade nodded from his corner, but made no move to come closer, “And it’s been nearly 6 hours since the supposed start of all of this. Does the pain really last the whole cycle?”

Yuu nods, “Yeah…I normally take pain meds when I realize it’s started so I don’t feel the worst of it. I take another dose either daily or just when I feel the first dose wearing off. But I didn’t have any potions in the house so I was gonna nap it off until Sam got my order.”

“All done!” Ortho spoke up, the vial of blood being placed in a secondary pouch for safety. Morphing his hand back, he placed his hands on Yuu’s lower stomach, tingles of something pulsing from Ortho’s fingers as he performed another scan, “In the most scientific phrasing you can, tell me what’s going on so I can add it to your file.”

Without missing a beat, Yuu answered, “My vagina is internally peeling and the liquidated lining is being pushed out.”

…

Ortho closed his eyes and stood up straight, arms resting at his sides. Turning around he walked out of the room, brushing past Floyd and closing the door behind him.

“...” Azul looked at Yuu, the horror from earlier that day returning to his face full force, “Your what is what now!?”

The sound of Jade’s pencil scratching at the notepad starts up again, muttering under his breath about needing more paper. Rushing to the desk and flipping through notebooks for a clean page.

Floyd simply looked sick by the door, the visual refusing to leave his mind.

“You know…” Crewel chuckled under his breath, more annoyed than mirthful, “That would have been a wonderful nugget of knowledge to have two hours ago.”

“I would have loved to not be in pain for half the day, but we don’t all get the raisin butter, do we?”

“Yuu.”

“It is really that different here?”

“Does blood come gushing out of female anatomy for a week? No, no it doesn’t. Yes, it’s different, puppy.”

Yuu sat quietly, looking down before raising their gaze back to Crewel, “I should probably learn more about the biology of this place…”

Crewel shook his head, annoyance clear in his expression while he pulled out folders from his bag, “Yeah you really should.” muttering under his breath about a ‘Dumb adorable dog’ as he slapped the papers on the bedspread, “So to start, there is a similar process-”

Floyd, opens the door, “Yeah, I’m leaving I’m bored and kinda freaked out.”

“Bye, Floyd! Sorry for punching you again.”

“Bye, Shrimpy~! Don’t bleed out!” He slammed the door behind him.

Jade sighed, standing from the armchair, “I should make sure he’s not doing anything too destructive. Best of luck to yourself, Yuu.”

Yuu waves to him while he leaves the room. They look to Azul, raising an eyebrow in question, “You wanna leave too?”

Azul mused for a moment. Female health classes weren’t something he was required to know, nor wanted to know. Anatomy in the Coral Sea was extensive enough, adding on surface world versions couldn’t be too different in hindsight. He might need the info later on in his life, maybe for a deal. Maybe to use it for a creative writing class, would Yuu find it distasteful if he wrote about their period in a horror setting?

“Azul?”

“I’ll stay.”

“Fine.” Crewel smacked his crop in his hand, twirling it to make the papers float and act as a PowerPoint, “Since you scared away the Shroud boy, I’ll have to do it this way.” Pointing toward a digraph of a uterus he spoke, “Luckily enough everything seems to be the same hardware-wise if your previous medical scans are anything to go by. Though, because you don’t have magic in your world, your bodies evolved a more… physical process.”

“Are you seriously telling me you bitches don’t get periods because you have magic?”

Azul slowly lifted a forkful of food to Yuu’s mouth, shakingly offering it like a sacrifice. He found that food was an easy way to calm their seemingly blind rage. He’d have to ask Jade for his notes later since he was too busy trying to keep Yuu and Floyd from fighting each other. He softly breathes a sigh of relief when Yuu lets him stuff the food into their mouth.

Crewel watched the exchange silently before continuing, “Yes…The process here is done normally after a day at most. The body’s natural magic will flare up and revitalize the uterus lining instead of…removing it.” He waved his crop, a photo of a body and various systems replacing the first example, “As I’ve told you before, everyone in Twisted Wonderland has magic naturally in their body’s cells simply from the magical byproduct of our world. So even if someone can not do magic, their body can still store magic to perform such cycles. It’s why scarring is so rare. Seeing how with modern medicine and the body’s cell restorative magic, healing has reached an almost perfect standard.”

Yuu was quiet, looking over the visual examples as Crewel continued his impromptu lecture. Leaning forward, they sighed out for so long it had morphed into a cry. They simply pushed away from Azul, ignoring him when he tried to comfort them. Turning away, they landed face first into the mattress and cried into their pillow. Through their sobs, muffled by the cushion they yelled, “This fucking sucks! I can’t even bitch with anyone else about how much this hurts!”

Azul looked at them in worry, barely noticing the red smears on his pants, “My pearl? Do you want pasta? Pasta makes it better right?”

“Azul, I’m getting real tired of you trying to feed me. I’m not a fucking wild horse you can soothe with delightful seafood pasta!”

…

Crewel raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the offered bowl in Azul’s shaking hands, “So do you not want the pasta-”

“Yes, I want the fucking pasta!”

[thehistoriangirl]

The Tides Have Veiled [Third Interlude]

First of all, I wanted to apologize for the delay. I got a problem with this story as I found out someone fed it to an AI. I was about to stop posting it and eliminate it altogether, but it'll be unfair for every one of you who had been so sweet and kind with me and so loving with this story.

We're officially in the middle, and I will walk all this way with you guys ❤️❤️ thank you so much for the support, and I'll read you soon!

Viktor x Fem!Reader /Gothic AU; Haunted Sea/----1.8K---SFW

> MASTERLIST <- Previous // Next ->

Synopsis:  Piltover the Old has an old lighthouse that looms over an abandoned port. From the house in the wailing cliff’s edge, the lighthouse owner watches that the beacon is being lighten up each time darkness arrives, so that monsters wouldn't dare to crawl inland, or so legends say. Both buildings are haunted, maybe even the man himself, by both past and present ghosts. Surprisingly, the keeper’s work is beyond turning on the beacon every night— but the rest is on you to discover.

Chapter Summary: One fateful night, you two say the thing that wasn't supposed to be.

Tags: Fluff | I'm emotional rn so it may be a bit sad | Some kissing | They say!!! the thing!!! | Needless to say please PLEASE do not feed it to an AI 😭😭😭

Taglist: @lunar-monster @local-mr-frog @bittercyder @blissfulip @ihopeinevergetsoberr @ultimateslasherfan @beeblybub (it's been so long I'm sorry if I forgot to tag someone!! 😭😭 remind me and I'll do it for the next ones :3 pinky promiseee)

Third Interlude: The Stars in Your Eyes

New moon. The perfect witness to keep secrets.

And it isn’t that Viktor wishes to maintain his feelings hidden, resurfacing like the high tide during full moon—rising every night during the solitude of the watch, with the familiar glow of your window visible from the tower until sleep took you for the day, the light of the candle extinguished.

But it a necessary illness he doesn’t mind to be afflicted with.

The place you ought to call house it’s so different to this lonely tower; avant-garde wallpapers are here but starting to chip off. There the candles burn with riches fragrances, while here the beacon illuminates, unforgiving, leaving oil prints all over his fingertips.

At least he can pretend to watch over your dreams from here, peering at the starry night. A childish desire to keep you away from nightmares soaked in crimson tides and women jumping out the cliff.

It’s the same tale of every night—to cocoon in the couch by the control panel, door close to avoid any flicking light filtering inside the room. A book resting on his lap, forgotten pens scattered all over the floor by his shoes. Today isn’t worthy of writing in the logbook. At least not yet.

The door creaks open, metal scratch against wood.

“Viktor,” your voice makes him jump. Between a dream and a ghostly whispering like the sea uses to do with each crashing wave.

He stands up from the couch, leaving the book he was reading closed without any mark. It doesn’t matter. Viktor doubts he knew what the chapter was about even before you arrived.

His hands are eager. They settle in the roundness of your cheeks, finding like a miracle that your skin it’s so soft and warm. “You’re really here.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the water fools him, allowing him to imagine both of you, floating weightless inside an infinite of blue. Hands intertwined.

You oughtn’t to fear the place you come from.

“I almost got caught,” you laugh, leaning against the safety of his touch. Against the cold surrounding you in her way toward the lighthouse, Viktor is your refuge. “They hired new fishermen. Mister Gavin was talking with them in his office up until midnight.”

That catches Viktor’s attention, obliged to recoil his touch. “New fishermen?” Upon his hiring as lighthouse keeper, Viktor had seen the dark silhouettes of the fishing boats sailing on open water during the night, where fish could be easily collected. Every journey, fewer boats get out. And even less returned.

“He has always been a greedy man,” you sigh, sinking into the couch. He hopes your shampoo gets imprinted in his pillow for at least a couple of days. Until he gets to see you again. “He doesn’t wish to understand Piltover will never be the same as it was thanks to her.”

Viktor settles next to you. “I suppose sometimes dwelling in the past it’s the only thing one can do to avoid going mad.”

He observes you, loving that intense gaze that could only be described as a frozen storm, cloudy and deep and dark from all the tears he’s sure you don’t dare to shed.

“I hope he goes mad,” your voice is barely audible. A shivery whisper that crawls inside his chest. “I hope I get to do it.”

That need starts to nudge again the gate of his reason. You’re not like this, he wants to tell you. The poison dripping down every syllable, breaking its enchanting cadence. But it would be senseless to utter so—because your family has sworn upon themselves to forge you into whatever monstrosity the townsfolk’s rumors proclaim.

“There lies the reason behind your current visits?” Part of him lets slip, a terrible weight settled onto his heart.

Your chuckle echoes, a whisper that would remain even after you leave. “No, Viktor. It isn’t.” You drink from his golden eyes, twin stars guiding your way. You aren’t sure what this night has of special. It’s just a moonless night, full of stars in the sky. The sea laps all the same. “I would never drag you into my mess.” Not as Gavin and his new wife had dragged Astraia, hoping for you to grow all alone, feeding the desperation to seek freedom.

“I wouldn’t have minded if you do,” he says, and your eyes start to blurry.

His fingers are rough and cold, yet he touches you with the same delicate nature one would hold a butterfly. Afraid that if he takes too much, you’d be all but a shattered dream.

“I’m happy here,” you mutter, the secret you’re so afraid to say out loud if bad luck ever tries to snatch it. “I can’t go anywhere, but here… here I don’t want to run away.” And it terrifies you. All your life, wishing to be someone else, to forsake the family name impose upon your existence. Yet not even the waves could take what runs through your veins. “I loathe this place with every fiber of my being, but now you’re here and… everything has changed.”

It's like it was before. The blue of the sea is shinier, and the call doesn’t reverberate in your bones with the ache of impossibility. It calls you home. Morphed into one endless way up into the end of every lament.

For the first time in so long, you don’t want to leave.

His smile breaks your heart, and you let yourself cry, letting him hold you while every tear erases the grey colors once painted over the vibrant memories of your mother’s tight embrace, her haunting voice calling you to sleep. The way the sand got under your toes after one swimming afternoon. All the ghostly laughter you blessed upon the cliff.

Before everything turned crimson and empty.

“I will keep this place safe,” he says, his voice muffled against your hair. “For you.”

Your hands grab his shoulders, and for a moment it seems like you wish to disappear in him, to forever echo the rhythm of his heartbeat as another lullaby.

You can’t see him, so he dares to deposit a kiss on your forehead, muttering things you cannot understand.

“Come with me,” he says after an eternity that’s cut too short.

*~*~*~*

The water’s cold, but it lights every nerve on fire once you submerge.

Viktor slips behind you, your hands never leaving his once your tears are erased by the sea water hitting in gentle waves. A moonless night with inky water, yet you don’t have to fear the abyss. You have never.

“Does your leg hurt?” you say, waddling toward him. You could guide him toward the cliffiside where the coral grows meters under the surface, so he could feel the fish between his legs and grab at the rock for safety.

“N-no,” Viktor shivers. “The cold helps to numb sometimes.”

It’s barely visible outside of the lighthouse’s rotating beacon, which give you enough courage to inch shamelessly closer, until your dress it’s tangled in his legs. Because it’s your time to hold him, soak him in your warmth.

Astraia’s words haunt you, but what reputation do you still hold? You don’t care to stain the last name they force you to keep.

“Numb what?” You can barely feel his hands ghosting over your back. Afraid.

He averts your gaze. But you can’t let him; with your warm hands cupping his cheeks. Despite the coldness, you could see the faint blush on his cheeks every time the lighthouse painted the waves gold.

“Are you afraid of me?” you whisper, his fingers intertwined with yours.

“Never.” His voice is gruff, the grasp so tight his knuckles are bone-white. “But… there are some things meant to remain hidden.”

“Why?” You know why, but you have stopped caring about the reason long ago. “I don’t want to keep them locked any longer.” It was as if sometimes they drowned you, blocking every breath from your throat at the mere thought of saying those words your tongue longed to express.

Your name has never been more precious that in the way Viktor whispers it. A prayer he covets for only him to call.

And you’ll let him. Of course you’ll let him.

“I don’t want to, either,” he says, golden stars fluttering close one his lips beckon yours, soft and pliant and so sweet. Barely a sheepish brush, before you push yourself closer, his hands grabbing handfuls of floating fabric on your lower back.

You get lost. Barely keeping afloat in the great tides of emotions sieging you. Yet Viktor doesn’t care if your lips taste like salt, if you’re shivering and breaking in sobs. Despite all the love, he knows it hurts—being loved hurts by the mere thought of all this being stolen with the same easiness it could be taken away.

But he won’t let it.

“You make me feel free,” you utter, breathless. And this otherworldly vision will forever haunt him; your bright eyes, swollen lips. The smile that’s just for him.

“I’m in love with you,” he says, his voice dripping with dread, the ever-present possibility of rejection.

Your laughter fills him with pain, but Viktor quickly realizes, by how you embrace him, that it’s not meant to be mocking. It’s euphoric, triumphant in the way you call for him. “Viktor, kiss me.”

And he does, up until the cold seeps into his bones, threatening into leaving him up to the design of the sea. Yet you hold him close, guide him back to the shore where you both lay in the sand like teenagers laughing at the constellations above because they would never have the brightest stars in all the skies, light only meant to gaze upon you.

And you love those stars, making them close so you can kiss them along with every precious feature of his face that you’re decided to carve in your memory.

Viktor embraces you despite the warmth of the sand seeping through your clothes, the humid summer air blowing hair into his face. You want to tell him the truth, to let your throat sore from a scream so everything and everyone could hear it.

But you’re afraid. You know this place always takes those who you love, and you dread for Viktor to be next. So you don’t, and instead, cuddle up right into his side, your cheek pressed against his chest as his breath slowly grows steady.

He’s asleep, but his hands are still taking yours, his chin over your head.

“I love you, too, Viktor,” you mutter, so low either he or the sea can hear you. Yet the lighthouse sees, casting shadows along your refuge on the coastline like a blanket.

[evereverest2]

Hate — Terzomega

~part four of the Little Monster Series~

~1.8k words

Terzo and Omega wake up the morning after the party. Things are a little tense.

[parts]: one | previous | next

[author note:] hi everyone :> i just want to say thank you for supporting my series. small announcement; this series will now be updating once a week, every week! enjoy the chapter :3]

—

A blinding stream of light peeked down from the window into Omega’s eyes. He let out a short groan at having been awoken, squinting into the sun, holding his hand up to cover the beam.

His body was stiff from sleeping in one position all night. Next to him, face pressed against his side, was Terzo, curled up in the white comforter.

His black makeup was smeared all to hell, giving his face an ashy quality. Tears, vomit, sex. There was an unpleasant smell somewhere around him. Omega had never seen him look so at ease, though. The times he saw Terzo in a neutral stance now seemed like an act compared to the content expression he wore in slumber.

Omega swung his legs off the bed, cracking his back, stretching his arms, still squinting at the evil sun through the window. He stood to close the blinds, casting the room into darkness.

The alarm clock on the nightstand read 8:09. Omega scratched his chest, looking at the sleeping man in the hotel bed. Terzo needed to clean himself up—shower, brush his teeth, reapply his makeup. He could only do one of those things, but Omega did not want to return to the Ministry with him looking and smelling like a wreck. He knew Imperator would not appreciate day-old vomit breath when she inevitably chewed him out.

Omega peeked outside the room, seeing that their laundry had already been cleaned and returned to them. He laid Terzo’s pressed outfit on the armchair, then disappeared inside the bathroom to tend to his own cleansing.

He showered, dressed, and returned to his glamor and his uniform. Terzo was still sound asleep. Omega ventured outside the hotel room to the lobby, where he found a convenience shop to purchase a toothbrush and toothpaste for Terzo, as well as aspirin. By the time he returned, it was a quarter to nine, and he was beginning to get impatient with his sleep.

He tossed the bag of purchases at Terzo, standing at the foot of the bed. “Wake up.”

Terzo startled as the bag hit his face. He stared vacuously for a few moments before landing his eyes on Omega, then the bag.

“Hm?”

“Clean yourself up and get dressed. We’re going back to the Ministry.”

Terzo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Good. My head hurts.”

“There’s medicine in the bag.”

Terzo peeked inside. “That’s sweet, ghoul, but it is a small solution.”

Omega’s jaw tensed. “So you’re going to drink?”

“Eh, not so early; it is not even noon.” Terzo cracked open the bottle and swallowed a handful. “Although they do say it is afternoon time somewhere.”

Omega glared but said nothing. He was not his cardinal’s keeper.

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“Thank you.” Terzo held up the bag. “My mouth tastes terrible.”

He stood, glanced at his clothes, then walked slowly to the bathroom, holding the wall. Omega watched him disappear inside.

He was in the bathroom for a long time. Omega lay on the bed, waiting. He heard the toilet, the sink, the shower, the sink, retching, the sink, the aspirin bottle, the sink. When he heard nothing more, he texted the driver to meet them, assuming Terzo would be ready soon enough.

“Omega ghoul, will you hand me my clothes?” His voice echoed from the bathroom.

“Come get them yourself.”

“You want to see me naked, mostriciatto?” There was a smile in his voice. The jab pissed Omega off enough to bregrudingly snatch up his clothes and shove them through the crack in the door.

After another ten minutes of waiting, Terzo emerged from the bathroom, cleaned up, and looking awful. Without his makeup, his ill, sullen face was on display for everyone to wince at. He looked like he would be nauseous any second, like a gentle breeze could knock him down. Omega realized he had never seen him without the dark, black makeup circles around his eyes, and his current look was doing him no favors.

Terzo slowly crossed the room. He walked as if trying to appear confident but evidently trying not to set off his stomach. He put on his sunglasses, which helped to cover his sickly, bloodshot eyes.

“Where is the driver?” Terzo asked in a low, quiet voice, markedly wanting to avoid loud noises for the sake of his headache.

“Ten minutes.”

“Why is he not ready now?”

“I didn’t know how long you were going to be.”

“I have to wait because you did not want him to? How is that working, hm?”

Omega was becoming annoyed at his pain-induced rudeness. “You’re hungover.”

“Because you do not let me drink!” he said, exasperated. He dug in his pocket and lit a cigarette with his shaky hands. “You have been so much worse than usual to me.”

“I’ve been worse than usual?” Omega erupted suddenly. “I’ve been the one taking care of you! You’re the one who was acting insane last night!”

Terzo flinched, holding his head and covering his ears. “Could you speak quieter, ghoul?”

Omega seethed, unable to stop himself. “You’re pathetic. I’ve been trying to help you, and you sidestep me every time. If you’re wondering why no one gives a shit about you, this is why. Because you’re nothing but a drunk, spoiled brat without an ounce of decency. It won’t matter when you become Papa. Nothing will change. No one will ever care about you.”

Terzo stared at the ground, hand in his pocket, fingers still trembling slightly. He said nothing. Omega said nothing. His phone vibrated. The driver.

“Is that the car?” Terzo asked simply. Omega nodded.

Wordlessly, they both made their way to the lobby, out to the sleek black car sat waiting for them. Omega opened the door for him. Terzo said nothing.

A tense, awkward silence plagued the entire drive back. When the driver turned on the radio, Terzo snapped at him to shut it off. He was chain-smoking the entire time, tossing cigarette butt after cigarette butt out the window. Omega snuck a glance at Terzo’s hand. Bright pink welts decorated his palm and the base of his cigarette-holding fingers. They must have stung.

Waiting in the lobby of the Ministry was Imperator, her hands clasped behind her back, wearing her ever-present scowl. Behind her was the Special, a ghoul Omega had rarely interacted with that Imperator kept close to the Clergy at all times. In fact, he had never even seen him beneath his mask. He certainly never interacted with any of the other ghouls.

“Nice of you two to join us at last,” Imperator greeted coldly before hissing out a vicious lecture directed at Terzo for being irresponsible, for not having self-respect, for partying like a child, for a multitude of petty criticisms that served no purpose but to humiliate him. Terzo did not react, neither with a twitch nor blink. Omega stood by, curious how he could hold himself together so well. He reached out to his mind, which was now sober and easy to read.

There was nothing but storms. He felt Terzo holding back tears. His head was pounding painfully, sharpened by Imperator’s shrill and pronounced tone. His stomach churned dangerously. Many emotions were swirling around his mind, none more prominent than self-hatred. Terzo felt like death. His hangover was hitting him hard, combined with withdrawal, and this was the second time that morning he was being insulted, hated, bashed by his mistakes and pain over and over again. He was alarmingly close to shattering into pieces, a vase dropped on the tile floor of the Ministry lobby.

“It was my fault,” Omega blurted.

All heads turned to stare at him, including Terzo’s. He cleared his throat.

“I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the time. My apologies, Sister Imperator. I won’t let it happen again.” He bowed his head.

There was a beat of silence. Imperator looked between him and Terzo.

Finally, she said, “See that you don’t.”

She left with the Special. Terzo stared straight ahead.

“Terzo—”

“I already know you hate me, ghoul. Leave me be.” He walked away.

Omega’s brow furrowed. Without a word, he stalked after him, unwilling to leave his side.

Terzo glanced over his shoulder, then stopped. “What?! What more do you want from me?!”

“I’m going to help you,” he replied determinedly.

“I do not need your fucking help, ghoul! Let me alone!”

“No.”

“Why—” Terzo stopped suddenly, his eyes widening, clutching his stomach. He keeled over and vomited in the hallway.

“Fuck,” Terzo hissed, coughing. Omega took a deep breath to calm himself, which only intensified the sour scent now wafting through the air. He called over a Sibling he had seen disappearing inside a nearby room, asking her to take care of the mess, then hoisted Terzo up bridal-style to carry him to his room.

“Let me go, Omega.” Terzo wiggled in his arms, but he had neither the strength nor size to fight him. Omega did not stop marching forward until he set Terzo down in his chambers.

“What is it you want from me?” Terzo asked. Omega saw his eyes glistening wetly.

“I want you to stop drinking.”

Terzo laughed humorlessly. “You expect me to quit, cold poultry?”

“I can help.”

“You must despise me, Omega ghoul, you must. If you want to see me in pain so bad, then you should choke and fuck me all you want.”

“That’s not what I want.”

“Then what, hm? Why do you care if I drink? As I recall, no one cares about me. I should be free to do as I please, si?”

Omega crossed his arms. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Mostriciatto, you hate me most in this unforgiving world.” Terzo laughed again, tears finally falling from his eyes. “You only come to taunt me at my worst. Please, let me alone. You have ended our affair. You have made it clear I am worthless to you. Just go.”

“I don’t hate you.”

The words surprised both of them. Omega gritted his teeth, exhaling slowly.

“You aren’t worthless, either. Right now, you need help. That’s my only concern.”

Terzo took off his sunglasses and wiped his eyes. A shuddering breath escaped him. “Get out.”

Omega was out of options. Terzo was refusing him. Barring taking him hostage in his own chambers, there was nothing more to be done. And if the cardinal refused to be helped, then Omega would have to let him perish.

He turned, pausing with his hand on the door handle, searching his mind for something to say. He heard Terzo’s steps behind him, then a rattle of glass bumping glass. Wine bottles. A sudden burst of anger struck him. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

[parts]: one | previous | next

buy me a kofi <3

[gingernut1314]

One Piece Reading List (Pt. 1)

I have a tendency to read really good fics that I want to re-read weeks later only to find I can't find them in the void. Soooo I came up with this little reading list solution--kinda like a GoodReads vibe lol. I want to be able to share what I’ve read and be able to show my absolute love for them!! This is part 1 of this little list so there will be a part 2 (mainly cause it isn't letting me add more 😂).

I recommend every last fic on here because they are amazing and they and their authors deserve all the love in the world!!!! 🩷

↞ to One Piece Masterlist | Request Rules | Blog Navigation ↠ Part 2

Buggy: 🤡

Buggy x smuggler!reader @ay0nha

I can't keep crying @galaxycunt

Unlovable @httpwintersoldier

lady marmelade. @httpwintersoldier

Funny Business @constantmourning

Like lighting when I'm Swimming in the Sea @rorywritesjunk

Didn't Mean to Make Your Heart Blue: @wood-white-writer Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Kid Buggy Series: @rorywritesjunk Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6/Epilogue

The Show Must Go On: @empressofmankind Part 1 | Part 2

Mihawk: 🟡👄🟡

The Warlord and the Duchess @dino-fart

Mihawk with his S/O @writingoddess1125

On the Run @constantmourning

Bloodhound @httpwintersoldier

Let Go and Grip Me Tighter @sordidmusings

Crocodile: 🐊

Sandcastle by @sunshinescribes

Croc x Chaotic pairing by @jesterwriting

On My Silent Days, I Miss You Louder @empressofmankind

Shanks: 🍺🧑‍🦰

I want your eyes only on me @luna0713hunter

Jolly Sailor Bold @httpwintersoldier

Net @sinning-23

Confession @hiddndaydreams

Sanji: 🧑‍🍳

Sanji x Vampire!gn!Reader @jesterwriting

bon appétit, baby @httpwintersoldier

"Love Cook" @theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction

You're being mean @buckysxgal

Commit to the Bit @writingmysanity

Luffy: 🍖

To Breath Underwater @sinning-23

Usopp: 🤥

Retwist @sinning-23

Zoro: 🗡️🥦 ⚔️

Starless @stray-kaz

Zoro Jealous @undiscovered-horizon

Imagine Your "Zoro's Keeper" @gojo-mochi

Roronoa "I could eat a peach for hours" Zoro @yourtamaki

Nami: 🍊

I kissed a girl. @miloonmetis

Multiple Characters: 🏴‍☠️

What Marriage Life would be like with the Seven Warlord of the Seas by @one-piece-aus

"I feel kinda ugly" ft. Monster Trio! @coffetears

Shake a'lil Ass by @sinning-23

Supa Freak @sinning-23

Blowing Bubbles, Blowing ZAZA @sinning-23

Zoro and Sanji have their eye on the same girl @undiscovered-horizon

One piece kisses - Monster trio @indydonuts

Bickering in Love ft. the Monster trio @indydonuts

What they might call their fem s/o @one-piece-fluff-hell

How they lost their virginity @writingoddess1125

Shanks and Mihawk...share @thus-spoke-lo

Masterlists:

Fanaticsnail's Masterlist @fanaticsnail

One piece headcanons masterlist & One piece Masterlist @httpwintersoldier

The Curious Courtship of Buggy the Clown Masterpost @sporadicthingcollection

Clipped Wings @honeybeezgobzzzzz

Something Dread, Something Red @honeybeezgobzzzzz

Sordidmusing's Masterlist @sordidmusings

[angelcasendgame]

on mothers and monsterhood || Crowley & Rowena

for @samsrowena​​

[10.23 Brother’s Keeper // clementinevonradics, x // 10.17 Inside Man // 10.16 Paint it Black // On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong // 11x01 Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire //  11.18 Hell’s Angel // 12.13 Family Feud // Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn // 10.23 Brother’s Keeper // Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn //  Chapter 3: Monster or Mortal, Life is Strange: True Colors // 11.10 The Devil in the Details]

[partikron]

Black Myth: Wukong Spoilers

Aside from a few fights from Bloodborne and Elden Ring, Black Myth: Wukong is taking a dump on boss fights across the gaming sphere, especially multi-stage boss fights, particularly those that change scenery as the fight goes on.

Fighting Yellowbrow in Chapter 3, being sucked into his weird bag of holding and fighting the Macaque Chief, then being tossed onto Yellowbrow's lego set and battling it out with him once again: awesome.

Going up against Zhu Bajie and not just fighting him, but the wild and crazy muck monsters: awesome.

Dueling with the Keeper of Flaming Mountains and the Yin-Yang Fish/my favorite horse guy: awesome.

There's some jank in this game and some weird hitboxes (looking at you Hundred-Eyed Daoist), but many of these fights have been a thrill, even if not particularly challenging.

[fairytalesofthewind]

With Darkness comes Night III

Feysand x reader fic

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 (coming soon)

Warnings: vulgar language, speaking of death

The Night Court is in mourning for the High Lord’s son. The news had spread the same night Ember’s venom spread through Nyx’s body. No one was allowed to leave or join the camp in fear of another attack. No one was allowed in the High Lord and Lady’s cabin except for the healers they trusted and their Inner Circle. But all healers told them the same, that it was too late. The venom had already spread, and there was no antidote. 

Feyre and Rhys sat next to Nyx on the bed, wiping the sweat gathered on his forehead. Their hearts broke more, each time Nyx winced, cried and spasmed out of his pain. The wound, now stretching over his entire stomach, let out a sour odour. They had already opened the windows, and the cold breeze helped ground them. 

With their hearts in their throats, they all jumped up when they heard the door open. Helion walked in, with a heavy expression. He held a vial of Nyx’s blood in his hand, even from the other side of the room you could smell the venom in it. 

“My magic cannot help you with this, my friends.” Before he even finished speaking, most of the room had already fallen deeper into their grief. The sour air filled with the salty scent of their tears. 

“I feel like I must remind you of your only other option.” 

“Absolutely, not.” Growled Amren, she’d be damned if she let that wicked Keeper close to Nyx. 

Rhysand cleared his throat twice, failing to speak over the lump stuck in his throat. “Do it,” he said, “summon her.” Rhys did not understand how the Keeper was connected to all of this. Was she the one doing it? Or was she suffering just like they were? Rhysand could not ignore the grief he saw in her eyes, at both the monster's death and his son’s attack. 

This time it was Helion, who cleared his throat, albeit more uncomfortably. “She’s already here. I feel her presence somewhere close.” 

Amren stood up in anger, if she had her previous form, Helion was sure her eyes would be glowing out of ire. “Where is the fucking bitch? Azriel tell me. I know you sense her too.” 

“I’m right here.” A voice from somewhere said. They didn’t know whether it came from outside, inside, up or above them. The voice sounded far away, as if not even in this layer of reality. 

“My friend,” Helion started, holding his hand out, “please show yourself, we need your help.” 

You appeared as close to Helion and as far away from Amren as possible. You weren’t scared of her, but you feared that the idea of giving her some extra ‘sleepy time’ sounded very… quiet. 

Helion had already raised his hand to silence her. Surprisingly, Amren obeyed. The idea of Nyx dying truly changed them all. 

Feyre turned to you, her eyes wild and desperate. “Can you help him?” 

Amren scoffed, “She is the one who put him—,” 

“I did not bring harm to him.” You interrupted quickly. You turned to the High Lady and High Lord. “I would not break our treaty, truly.” 

Helion this time silenced Amren’s response with magic and led her out of the room. Leaving you with Rhys, Feyre and Azriel. Helion gave you an encouraging smile, softly but loudly heard. 

“What happened, Keeper? I don’t understand what is happening?” You sat next to Feyre, a hand on her shoulder. Your heart reacted heavily to the way her voice shook and you took a deep breath to ground yourself. 

“There is something happening to my children. It must be magic… or a curse. It makes them forget everything and attack everything. I have lost…,” You couldn’t keep speaking, your voice got stuck in your throat. 

“I lost five of my children. Five! Trust me, I am not behind this.” Feyre made a mournful sound next to you and laid her hand over yours on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. 

“I believe you.” She said, and there was no place for the other two men to disagree with her. “We could help each other, I’m sure. One mother to another?” 

All of you looked at Nyx, struggling to stay alive. “It is not a matter of an antidote, I’m afraid.” And then you explained what needed to happen. 

You had created Ember from your magic, just like every mother did. Ember’s magic was yours, just like yours were his. He was created in the war, to protect the dark forests. His venom was poisonous to everyone, except to those made out of the same magic. His brothers and sisters were safe. You could make Nyx safe too, but not with an antidote. 

“So to save Nyx, you need to make him of your magic? Of you?”

”Nyx already has some of my magic, being a child of the darkness and starlight.” 

Rhysand looked disturbed, and you feared you would not get the permission to help Nyx. “Does that make me your child too?” 

You laughed and shook your head quickly. Luckily the others laughed with you too. It lightened the heavy atmosphere in the room. 

“No, Rhysand. You and I share magic, but you got your powers when you were born. Before I was created.” 

He looked at you sideways, and a small grin, even though it was lined with grief, adorned his lips. “So I’m older than you?”  

You chuckled once again. “My vessel is younger, yes. But my powers are ancient. I existed before time itself.” 

“What about me?” Asked the Shadowsinger softly. 

You thought back to the lonely boy, scared and hurt. “I helped make you, I suppose. I tried to help you, but the Fates didn’t allow me to do much.” You had wished you could have done more. Especially after you had made him a Shadowsinger, you had felt a deep connection. You could not bear how he suffered, but you were not allowed to do anything. 

“You did help me, in a way. Will the fates allow you to help Nyx?” You needed to give him more than some sort of power, you needed to save him. 

“That depends on what Feyre and Rhysand decide.” 

One look was shared. “Whatever you need to do, do it.” They answered, before they truly thought about what it could mean, about what could happen. Suddenly, Rhysand panicked and thought about Amren’s distrust towards you. 

“Does this mean he has to live in the forest?” Rhysand asked, “I will admit, Nyx is a very spoiled prince, he won’t survive in there.” 

You chuckled once again, but this time alone. Did they truly think you were that evil? That you would steal their child? 

“No.” You answered firmly. “But I will have to visit once in a while.” Otherwise, Nyx would suffer from his powers, he would need to be connected closely to you. 

A sigh of relief echoed throughout the room. “I suppose we’ll be seeing each other a lot anyway.” Said Feyre, her tone was calm and collected, but there was still panic and worry in her eyes. 

When you gave her a confused look, she explained herself. “To heal our lands of this plague, before it spreads even more.” 

You didn’t want to think about it. The thought of possibly losing another child because of this plague might be your undoing. 

You sat closer to Nyx, and wiped the sweat off his brow. You asked his parents if they were ready, because it was not only Nyx who would feel the shift in his being. You received a firm ‘yes’, and you didn’t hesitate to start one of the most beautiful processes your powers granted you. 

“There,” you said after a while. “He’ll wake up soon, feeling better.” You felt an immense need to stay, but you did not feel welcome to. So you stood up, with a heavy, but relieved heart. 

A hand stopped you, and hope blossomed.

 “Thank you.” Rhysand said, but the dismissal was clear. 

You nodded and walked your way to the door, but was stopped when it opened suddenly. 

In front of you stood the General. Cassian went through many emotions, but eventually stuck with surprise. 

“Y/n?”

Taglist: thank you all (!!)

@starryhiraeth @cupidojenphrodite and thank you @esposadomd you motivated me :)

[the7thcrow]

Not all that Glitters is Gold -> 09

series pairing: (fem) princess!reader x seonghwa x san x wooyoung. eventual polyamory.

series masterlist | previous chapter

Part Nine: indignation, drasilisks, and a nail in the coffin.

series rating: 16+

series genre: action and adventure. romance. angst. fluff. suggestive. fantasy au.

series warnings: character death, blood and violence, weaponry, injury, suggestive content, mxm content, elements of misogyny, language, monsters. (will only be using chapter specific warnings for things not included on this list.)

summary: as a princess fleeing a royal assassination attempt, you have no choice but to put your trust in a band of three thieves in order to reach the kingdom of kuroku alive. however, amongst magic, deceit, and the bounty hunters that are hot on your trail, you realize that you might have stumbled upon a relationship far more complicated than what meets the eye.

chapter details beneath the cut ->

wc: 14.0k

extra chapter warnings: n/a

chapter summary:

“Maybe we should take a step back and-” you start, but Woo cuts you off.

“Butt out, Libaiyan,” Woo says immediately, even if he does not look at you. “This isn’t your business.”

“It is her business,” San replies. “She’s just as wrapped up in this as the rest of us are.”

a/n: surprise! i'm still on semi-hiatus until the end of the school year, but i’m currently on my reading week break so i had a bit of down time. really been missing this story and these characters. hope you all enjoy! <3

Seonghwa and Woo will neither speak nor look at you, although considering everything both their eyes and lips could say, you should be more grateful than saddened by that fact.

The four of you walk in silence along the mountain pass, just as you have for the last couple hours. Although there’s been no more than a few words exchanged between the men of your party, none of them have been with you. In fact, you don’t believe your existence has been acknowledged since yesterday morning.

Woo takes charge up front, Seonghwa a few metres behind him, you following suit with the same after himself. San takes up the rear, singular horse in tow behind him.

You had to sell the other horse to the inn as payment for the damages caused by the fight, as well as in return for the supplies and luggage that they’d confiscated from your room. Woo tried to argue with the inn-keeper that Yeosang had attacked him first, but the bounty hunters had long-since left and the inn’s damage needed to be repaired. It was just business, but you could tell she felt a little bad when the boys dejectedly left the horse in the stable.

The result is the remaining horse being unrideable. The animal carries the luggage you’d previously split across the two of them, and wouldn’t be able to handle the extra weight. It’s left you with a far slower journey, time practically standing still between your walking pace and the thick tension hanging in the air.

You feel awful.

You've hardly slept since they’d found out the truth. One night having been spent in endless tears, with your knees planted in the fallen rain and mud. The other in your own tent, although the cold quietness of it served as a reminder of Seonghwa’s absence, and subsequently of your lies.

You managed to convince them to take you on the rest of the journey, less for your own sake and more for theirs. You’re almost through the Burovian Mountains, the minor kingdom of Bebbanburg being your last city before Kuroku. Even if the navigation would be a little difficult, you likely could have managed it yourself.

However, you know that reaching Kuroku alone would feel hollow, considering you’d leave them with nothing but San’s practical death sentence. You couldn’t just abandon them in such utter shambles, even if ultimately that would prove the easiest point of action for yourself. No promises to keep, nor extra strings attached to your arrival at the Kuroken castle.

You’ve grown too attached to these men, you know that.

They’ve become a weakness of the most dangerous kind. The type that you’re aware of is a fault, but rather than overcoming it, you continue to feed into its fragility. You came back for them, and you’re willing to deal with the ridicule and liability that may encompass.

You’ll do what it takes to make this up to them, even if you’ve tarnished every bit of trust you’ve built, and inevitably you’ll be leaving them for good no matter the outcome.

A weakness they are indeed, and feed into that fragility you will.

Fortunately, not every bit of hope is lost for your retribution. You told them of your situation, of your plan to ask the royal family if they will follow through with the betrothal. You’ve also sworn to beg them for the money regardless of whether or not they accept.

After all, Seonghwa had made the conditions of your return very clear: If you have a way to get them the money, come back. If you don’t, then don’t even bother.

“I know it’s not what we agreed upon. Not even close,” you had said, voice raspy and face puffy from having spent the night crying. “But there’s a chance, and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if we didn’t at least try.”

“You shouldn’t forgive yourself anyway,” Woo muttered, before standing up from his seat at the fire and shouldering his way past you. Pulling back the tent-flap he slipped under without another word. They only set up one tent.

You glanced at Seonghwa, whose gaze wandered away at the mention of your betrothal. You weren’t sure if he was hurt by the marriage itself, or angry that you hid it from him. Likely a little bit of both. He wouldn’t meet your eye.

“Alright,” a voice said from your right. San stood by the horse, packing up the dry nuts and coffee from their breakfast that morning. He gave you a small, weak smile. “We’ll try.”

So you’re trying, although not everyone seems equally as enthused by your plan. While neither have said anything out loud, you know that Seonghwa and Woo aren’t happy with the arrangement, and would choose to head home if they were given the choice. But it’s not their decision, it’s San’s. He’s the one who needs the money, therefore it’s his choice whether to give you a second chance.

For some reason, he has. In fact, he didn’t even seem to contemplate it much, agreeing to continue the journey with no arm-twisting needed. While Seonghwa and Woo’s sense of betrayal reads blatantly in both their expression and behaviour, San's is far less obvious.

You cast a glance over your shoulder at the swordsman, who meets your eyes almost immediately. He gives you a tight-lipped smile.

You’re having a hard time understanding him. He has plenty of reason to hate you - the most reason, debatably, considering it’s his money on the line - and yet, he’s not treating you with any sort of animosity.

He doesn’t appear happy by any means, gaze a little vacant and demeanor overall quiet as you continue to trudge along, but he doesn’t appear crushed. You’d like to talk to him about it, to understand where his head is at, but you don’t feel as if you have the right. You have lost the privilege of having any of these men confide in you.

If he wishes to speak about it, then he will approach you. Let him decide that on his own terms, rather than your pestering curiosity.

Up ahead, Woo takes a sharp turn off the main path, causing Seonghwa to halt and jog after him.

“Woo?” Seonghwa calls. “This isn’t the right way.”

“Shortcut,” Woo replies plainly, not even bothering to slow down.

“Are you sure?” Seonghwa asks. “Because this trail doesn’t look very worn-”

“It’s heading South down the mountain, which is exactly where we need to go,” Woo interrupts, finally pausing as he points at how the trail descends. It’s narrower than the main path, as well as more twisted and steep. “It’ll save us some time, now that we’re reduced to finishing this on foot.”

He doesn’t look at you as he says it, but the annoyance in his tone shows it’s quite blatantly a shot at you.

You don’t want to quip back, having no interest in starting an argument, but the trail ahead appears less than ideal. Almost frightening, as it begins to darken with the shadows of bushy, low-hanging trees. Its descent is steep, not enough to cause you trouble, but likely some for the horse. It’s a gamble, and one you aren’t certain is wise to take.

“Are you sure that it’s safe?” You ask, trying to keep your voice level but also gentle, non-accusatory. “Or that it’s actually going to bring us closer to Bebbanburg?”

Woo starts walking again without answering you, and you don’t miss the way the ground cracks beneath his boot, fist clenched at his side. It tears through the trail, forming a foot-long divide between you and the two men in front of you. If Woo notices what he’s created, he doesn’t show it, simply keeps storming down the mountain.

Looks like there isn’t much of a discussion to be had. You cast a wary glance over at San. He shrugs, grip tightening on the horse’s reign as he too moves forward, although you note the way his jaw sets firm. He’s aware it’s not the best idea, but he’s also not about to contest Woo right now, especially not in an act of defiance against you.

You sigh, although you put up no form of protest. This is who you are to them now. A ghost, your voice a whisper in the wind. You are there to get them the money, just as you were prior, only now all the bridges of understanding you’d built have crumbled.

Swallowing your worry, you step over the divide before trailing after them. So be it, this is what you deserve.

“Woo, we should turn back,” Seonghwa says, the fourth time he’s voiced his concern in the last hour.

This time, Woo answers him with a grunt rather than any assurance or rebuttal. He likely doesn’t feel inclined to try and convince Seonghwa that the trail is safe - again - or perhaps it’s finally dawning on him that this wasn’t a good idea.

The trail has become even more narrow and steep, and San fights to keep the horse at bay behind you, gravel slipping and sliding beneath the animal's hooves as it whinnies in protest.

Hours have passed since you first began your descent, and the sun has become a simmering ember over the horizon, darkness falling heavy around you. The tree’s are barren with blackened bark, twisting and curling around the trail. The wind blows between them sharply, a high whistling noise in contrast to the peaceful rustle of leaves along the main path.

Night is falling, and with the trail’s steep incline and the wind’s unyielding chill, there is no option to set up camp. You either continue to trudge on through the darkness and further into the unknown, or waste a few hours heading back towards comfortable safety. You believe it’s obvious which option is more wise.

The horse slides down behind you, letting out a high-pitched whine as the rocks slide around its hooves. “Shit,” San mutters, clutching onto its reins to try and hold the animal in place, despite it weighing almost a ton and having the ability to crush him.

This isn’t going to work. Should you even make it to Bebbanburg by morning, you’ll be exhausted from the night-long journey and forced to waste the day with rest. If you’re bound to waste time anyway, there’s no sense in risking the loss of another horse and having San crushed in the process.

“Woo, we need to turn around,” you say. It’s the second time you’ve spoken all day, and your voice is a bit raspy from lack of use. When Woo doesn’t respond, you clear your throat. “This isn’t a good trail. San’s about to get crushed by the horse and there’s nowhere to set up camp for the night. We don’t even know for sure if this is taking us to Bebbanburg, let’s just go back to the main path.”

“You don’t get a say, Libaiyan,” he replies, ignoring both you and your reasoning as he does not even bother to cast a glance over his shoulder.

Frustration settles within your chest and you swallow down a haughty response. He’s being stubborn, but not only that, he’s being stupid. Woo has to know by now that this wasn’t a good idea, but if it means agreeing with you on anything, he’ll let his pride drive the lot of you into the ground.

“This has nothing to do with me, it’s common sense,” you reply. You’re aware that picking a fight is not the best course of action, but you also have no interest in wandering in this cold and barren forest all night due to an elemental’s pride. “Don’t make everyone suffer because of your hatred for me.”

“Right, because I am the one making everyone suffer. That’s rich,” Woo spits, finally stopping in his pursuit down the mountain, turning to face you. His eyes scream bloody murder.

“That’s not what I meant,” you sigh. “What I was saying was-”

“What you were saying was that you think you still have any sort of influence here,” Woo cuts you off, taking a few steps up the trail, gravel sliding beneath his boots as he places himself in front of you. When he speaks he presses a finger to your chest, accusatory. “Let me make this clear. We are delivering you, we are getting our money, and then we are done. You aren’t a person, you aren’t a part of our party. You are cargo, you are baggage, you are a burden. You have no say.”

“Fine,” you say through gritted teeth, fist clenched at your side as you swallow down your pride. You remind yourself that he is hurt, that he is also the man who bore his soul to you at the fire only days ago. It’s hard to do this when he looks at you as if you are something vile stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “Then at least listen to Seonghwa when he tells you the exact same thing.”

Woo scowls, huffing as he turns to face Seonghwa. When he speaks his tone isn’t angry, but it’s certainly frustrated. “You really want to go back?”

Seonghwa's eyes widen, only slightly, as his gaze flickers between yours and Woo’s. It’s the first time he’s met your eye over the last two days, and it almost immediately darts away. He swallows hard.

“No. We can keep going,” Seonghwa answers, and amidst your internal groaning of annoyance, there is also hurt. Seonghwa wants to go back, he knows it’s the better option, and yet he only agrees with Woo because he cannot bear doing so with you.

Woo blinks at him, surprised, before nodding. “Alright then,” he says, turning back towards the trail. “We keep moving.”

“No,” a voice protests, and this time it is neither Seonghwa or yourself, but San. One of his hands grips the horse’s reins tightly, while the other is wrapped around the animal's neck, still trying to prevent it from slipping. “Don’t be petty. She’s right, we’re going back.”

Woo’s gaze darkens, and you aren’t sure if it’s from San calling him petty, or stating that you’re right. Likely both.

“We’re not being petty,” he argues, spitting the word out like a curse. “I think we have fair reason not to trust her judgement.”

“Then trust mine,” San says lowly. Getting a better look at him, he appears worn. A dark circle of tiredness having creeped beneath his eye, he breathes heavily, grip shaking around the reins in his hand. He’s been at this for hours, and it appears his patience has begun to waver. “You’re being a fool, and this is ridiculous. It’s my money on the line here, I think you should remember that.”

“Of course we’re aware of that, but-” Woo starts.

“Then don’t make the journey harder than it needs to be,” San cuts him off, tone cold. “Don’t make borderline moronic decisions that have me carrying a horse down a mountain, or that would have us stranded for the night. This isn’t your battle to fight.”

“You aren’t the only one she hurt. You think Seonghwa doesn’t feel-”

“I wasn’t talking to Seonghwa.”

The silence that hangs in the air is glacial. Frozen in time as the seconds tick by, unmoving as neither of the two men budge. Woo’s jaw is set firm, twitching as if he wants to say something, but does not permit himself to let the words out.

It dawns on you that San does not know how deeply you hurt Woo. He does not know the depths of his past, the horrors of orphanage. Woo had made you swear not to tell him.

It’s immediate, how the guilt settles in your gut, and you try to remedy the situation.

“Maybe we should take a step back and-” you start, but Woo cuts you off.

“Butt out, Libaiyan,” Woo says immediately, even if he does not look at you. “This isn’t your business.”

“It is her business,” San replies. “She’s just as wrapped up in this as the rest of us are.”

At this Woo’s gaze finally does shift, into a look of complete and utter bewilderment. He baulks at the swordsman, eyebrows drawing together in disbelief as his mouth drops open, stunned. “Are you actually defending her right now?”

“I’m not defending her, I’m just saying you aren’t thinking clearly about this-”

“Oh, of course. I’m not thinking clearly! Me, not the guy who’s taking the side of a woman who scammed him out of a fortune. Naturally, I’m the problem-”

“You guys…” Seonghwa starts, too quiet to be heard over their arguing, as both Woo and San’s voice begins to raise louder.

“It was my fortune to be scammed out of,” San cuts back, rolling his good eye as he lets out a groan of frustration. You aren’t sure if you’ve ever seen San lose his temper like this, but the height of his voice matches Woo’s, as does his ferocity. “For the sake of the god’s Woo, if I - the one with his life on the line - can put my feelings aside to finish the journey, you think you’d be able to.”

Woo laughs at this, a cold sound. “I think you aren’t putting your feelings aside, and that’s the problem. Being a little blinded, are we?”

San scowls at this, giving him an incredulous stare. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You guys,” Seonghwa starts again, and this time his voice is louder. Hand falling to his side, you notice his fingers grip around the knife on his belt, and you frown. However, his words go ignored.

“Oh, you know what I’m talking about,” Woo answers, tone dripping with annoyance. “You think I didn’t notice the longing, puppy-dog glances in her direction since the sand village? Then she betrays us and you’re smiling at her, San. Honestly.”

San’s eye widens as his jaw drops open, stupefied. “For fucks sake Woo, you’re being jealous? Right now? Are you kidding me?”

“Right, because I’m the one who’s delusional-”

“You guys!” Seonghwa finally shouts, and the two men momentarily break out of their argument. Seonghwa pulls the knife from his belt, sinking down to crouch lower onto his knees, eyes darting between the trees above you.

Sensing the urgency in Seonghwa’s demeanor, both Woo and San silence themselves, matching the empath as they crouch downward. You follow suit, an eerie chill passing through you as Seonghwa presses a finger to his lips. The forest is quiet, as the only sound is the wind as it blows between the trees and their blackened bark.

“What is it, Hwa?” San asks quietly, casting him a wary glance. His hand extends up to reach his blade fastened along his back, fingers clutched around the hilt.

“Do you hear that?” Seonghwa whispers, and you tune your ears into the forest’s sound, listening closer. A few minutes pass by in silence, when you admit to yourself that no, you don’t hear anything.

You’re about to tell this to Seonghwa when you still do not hear it, but rather see it. Something big, black, and scaly slithering along the tree a few paces to your left, blending into the bark so that if you weren’t on guard, you never would have seen it.

It looks almost exactly like a branch blowing in the wind, as it ripples along the barren wood, a shadow in the night’s darkness. Creeping its way up along the trunk, it extends itself to reach another tree, traveling between them. It’s only now that you see it that you can hear what Seonghwa had noticed, the slick noise of the beast traveling, scratchy against the wood.

Out of the corner of your eye, another branch moves.

Twisting to face it, you watch as another one of the monsters creeps along the trees. You cannot see its eyes nor its fangs, but it’s clearly some sort of serpent. A few feet long and thick as rope.

You swallow the frightened gasp that settles itself in your throat as another branch to your right moves. Then to your left, and another beside it. They’re everywhere.

When you bring your gaze down, you don’t realize what you’re searching for until you meet Seonghwa’s eyes. This time he does not look away from you, swallowing hard as he holds your gaze. His lips purse together. He’s afraid.

“We’re being hunted,” he whispers, and Woo nods, looking up and around just as you had. Gaze darting back and forth, he’s tallying them, you realize.

“Eight of them, by my count,” the elemental says, keeping his voice low. “What are they?”

“Basilisks,” San answers, followed by an unsteady breath.

Woo shakes his head. “They’re too small.”

“Children. That's why there’s so many of them.”

Woo nods, jaw tense as he flexes his fists in and out, quelching the small flames that continue to reappear within his palms. You don’t think he can help it.

“What do we do?” Seonghwa asks, and San considers the question for a long moment before responding.

“If they’re Basilisks that means they’re also blind,” he whispers, nodding to himself as he speaks. “If we’re quiet enough, we should be able to flee.”

Sharing a glance between the four of you, one that shares a mutual understanding of caution, Seonghwa takes a step forward. The rocks within the gravel of the trail protest, a crunching noise echoing from beneath his boot. The Basilisks begin to slither a little faster, and Seonghwa winces.

He corrects his next step, the crunch of the gravel much softer as he makes his way down the trail. To go up now is futile, as attempting to maintain silence will be much harder if fighting against the falling rocks.

Woo takes a step after him, light on his feet, with you following suit. You extend a hand out to San, who accepts it, his other still gripping the horse’s reins.

Turning his attention to the horse, he bows his head, ushering it to follow him. However, without an audible order, the animal doesn’t understand the command, huffing in annoyance at its reins being tugged.

San winces at the loudness of the noise, looking over his shoulder at both Woo and San. “Do we leave him?” He asks, voice so hushed it’s barely audible.

After a moment they nod. San drops the reins, and the group of you tread slowly down the hill. The swordsman keeps his hand out-stretched to calm the horse, hoping it won’t make another noise.

Fortunately, it doesn’t.

Unfortunately, it follows instead.

The rocks of the trail crunching loudly beneath its hooves, it follows after you, before beginning to lose its footing as the gravel slides. The horse lets out a loud sort of squealing noise, before slipping down the trail.

It would have crushed you, if it weren’t for the three black blurs that came darting from the forest’s thicket. Each of them lodging itself within the horse - one in its neck and the other two within its torso - the animal goes stumbling into the bush, letting out a loud whine of pain that makes your gut clench.

It’s quickly quelled by fear, however, as loud hissing noises emit from all around you, the trees shaking as all of the snakes begin to move. Alerted by the noise, you watch as many of their tails stick up, a rattling motion.

You don’t know much about snakes, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that that can’t be a good sign.

San and Seonghwa both immediately begin to run, instinct taking over where yours appear to be lacking. Woo swears beneath his breath. “For fuck’s sake,” he mutters, reaching out to grab your arm, grip firm. “Run!”

Pulling you after him, you both take off down the trail, the sound of slithering following close behind. A black dart flies over your shoulder, and you can feel the air rush passed as the beast narrowly misses your ear.

“They can pounce!” You yell, dread curling within your stomach. “We can’t outrun them!”

None of the men respond, but Woo does look over his shoulder, before releasing your arm and holding his own out steady behind him. Maintaining his pace, he summons a ball of flame before throwing it at one of the Basilisks, which appears to be nothing more than a black line zig-zagging across the trail.

However, instead of hitting the monster, Woo’s ball of fire is cut off.

By the beast's own flame.

The snake’s jaw falls open, sharp fangs glinting even in the darkness, and from its gaping mouth comes a large stream of burning orange heat. The flames collide with Woo’s own, diminishing it.

“Oh, shit,” Woo says, eyes wide. He turns forward again, shouting towards Seonghwa and San. “They may be blind, but they sure as hell aren’t Basilisks!”

San casts a glance over his shoulder to see what Woo is talking about, letting out a gasp as the beast begins to spit another stream of flame towards you. Woo blows it back in the opposite direction with a gust of wind, but the snake merely slithers through the flame, letting out an agitated hiss as it remains unscathed.

“Fuck, they’re fire-proof too!” Woo observes, quickening his pace as his adrenaline sparks higher. There appears to be fear in his eyes, genuine, an emotion you aren’t sure you’ve ever seen on him. “What should we do?”

“She’s right, we can’t outrun them,” San answers, hand drifting to the hilt of his blade. His sprint suddenly settles into a jog, and you nearly crash into him, stumbling as you maneuver yourself around him. “We only have one choice.”

When San unsheathes his sword, he twists around with it. A blur of motion, one of the snakes pounces forward, flying towards him with its mouth open and long fangs on display. It moves at lightning speed, like a black shadow whirling through the air.

San slices it clean in half.

The snake falls into two separate pieces on both sides of him, a thick black liquid oozing from where its body had been severed. It smells rancid, like something rotten as it spreads across the forest floor, acidic as the pebbles begin to sizzle and melt.

The other snakes chasing you begin to slow, as they dart themselves into the forest. You can still see them, as none of the bushes or trees have leaves to hide them. The blackened bark suddenly makes sense, the area over-run by the fire-breathing monsters.

You’d think it would have been nice for someone to have put a sign before the trail, warning of a flame-spitting-snake-monster breeding ground. Then again, perhaps nobody has survived to make note of one. Your stomach sinks at the thought.

A large stream of fire flies towards San, and the swordsman narrowly dodges it by twisting it to the left. Another blast of flame shoots out at him, and San ducks, the flames an inch away from searing his scalp.

San grits his teeth in annoyance, gaze darting around at the many snakes surrounding you. “Woo, can you ensure their flames won’t hit me?”

“But there’s so many of them-” Woo protests, although he’s quickly silenced by San casting him a glare, one that says: “I wasn’t asking if it would be easy.”

The elemental sighs, before shaking out his hands and shoulders. “I can do it.”

“Good,” San states, before bending low on his knees, standing light on the balls of his feet. Battle stance. “Then let’s work.”

When San begins to move, all the praise that Seonghwa had been spewing about him is immediately proven wrong.

It never even came close to illustrating the man’s skill.

San moves with an uncontested quickness, traveling through the air as if he were a part of it. His sword swings and twists as if it were its own being, an object cursed with a vengeance to destroy anything within its path.

The snakes fly at San from every angle, attracted to the sound of gravel crunching beneath him as he moves and parries between their attacks.

A snake springs from behind him, and San twists to avoid it without even a glance backwards. Meanwhile, another comes at him from his left, and despite being in the middle of a complicated twisting maneuver away from the other, he manages to swing at the beast through the motion.

He slices yet another snake in half, as Woo preoccupies himself with preventing San from having to also worry about their flames. The elemental keeps his hands outstretched, eyes darting between the monsters, watching for when their jaws drop open. It’s at lightning speed, reflexes nearly cat-like as Woo redirects their fire away from San. The monsters hiss in displeasure.

The sound of hissing slowly dies out as both the elemental and the swordsman master the beasts. San takes them down one by one, the black corrosive liquid in replacement of blood oozing thick across the forest floor.

You simply watch. Seonghwa stands next to you, rendered equally as useless considering his bow and arrows were left with the horse. Besides, you imagine that shooting one of these beasts would be nearly impossible, anyway. You consider trying to help with your own sword, but you’d likely be getting more in San’s way than actually assisting him.

You cast Seonghwa a glance, although he doesn’t meet it. His eyes are focused on San, jaw dropped open ever so slightly, watching the swordsman fight in awe. He does not look away.

San slays the final snake, breathing heavily as the monster tumbles to the ground. It looks far less menacing now, immobile and coated in black ooze and dirt.

“Let’s go get our supplies,” San says quietly, holding no sort of pride or glory at the impossibility he accomplished. He just looks tired.

In silent agreement, the four of you begin to walk back up the path. Towards their horse, which is surely dead. Another gone, and although you feel for them, you’re at the very least glad that this time you are not at fault.

San stops.

Unprepared, you run into him, bumping your nose against his back. “What are you-” you start, but he hushes you, gaze flickering back into the forest.

“Are there more?” Woo asks, tone dreadful.

San doesn’t respond right away, he doesn’t have to. The sound of something moving, slithering through the forest is immediately apparent, rocks either being crushed or slipping down the hill.

You look around, searching for the beasts. You catch sight of movement, something black and massive twisting through the bush, before it disappears behind a tree-trunk. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot another, slithering within the ashen underbrush. They appear bigger than the last, far longer as you cannot see their full length, body a couple feet thicker in girth.

“How many are there?” You ask, trying to keep your voice low.

“Not many,” San answers, although for some reason he sounds more devastated than relieved by the fact. “Only one.”

You cast him a confused glance, prepared to point out the third beast you see slithering behind a rock.

“Fuck,” Woo whispers, the realization dawning on him just as it does you.

The first beast you saw that had crawled up the tree… it has also slithered itself around one of its branches, before connecting itself to the next one.

The second beast that slithered through the underbrush, its torso does not disappear behind a blackened bush, it continues past it. All the way to the third beast, its body twisted around a rock before curling up yet another tree stump.

There are not many beasts, but one. One massive snake that’s body has completely surrounded you. It hangs across the trees, trails through the underbrush, curls around rocks and stumps alike. Black scales slithering in the shadows, it’s everywhere.

“Where is its head?” Seonghwa asks, looking up into the trees, eyes full of worry.

The silence in response to his question is a testament to how nobody is sure of the answer. Woo crouches down, grabbing a large rock. He weighs it in his hand, as if to deem whether or not it is heavy enough, then brings his arm back and throws it down the trail.

It sails a solid distance away from you before falling back down. Skipping a few times, it loudly crashes against different small stones with each of its jumps.

Less than a few seconds after it settles, the rock is devoured whole.

The beast appears in a whirl of darkness and motion. Flying down from the tree-tops, its open mouth - which is a few feet long, by your estimate - contains massive fangs that drip with a white venom as it swallows the rock.

The monstrous snake hisses with satisfaction, pink and ribbed tongue flickering out in front of it. It lets out a breath, and the faintest hint of flames flare out from the monster’s nose. The beast's black tail continues to fall down from the tree’s, and you can hear it moving all around you. Tens, maybe even hundreds of feet long.

It begins to slither along the ground, making zig-zags along the trail as it surrounds the smaller snakes that San had slain. It stops in front of one, nudging its body with the tip of its nose, to which the smaller snake flops over lifelessly

“Shit,” San whispers, gaze flickering between the massive snake and the ones he’d discerned to be children. “That’s mom.”

The snake continues to hiss, becoming increasingly agitated as it lets out a strange, mangled growling noise. It’s of a higher-pitch, breaking slightly, and the beast lets out a blast of fire that scorches the area around it. It’s upset, and part of yourself - the tiny fraction that is not consumed by fear - feels almost guilty.

Then it turns to face you.

Its face is difficult to make out. Features indiscernible as its scales are the colour of midnight, a stark contrast to the bold pink of its gaping mouth. The white venom from its fangs continues to drip onto the soil, equally as corrosive as its blood.

What’s most terrifying however, are its eyes. Gleaming rubies glowing within the darkness, they shine a bright red. They’re also cloudy, like fogged windows, a testament to the monster’s blindness. Even though it looks in your direction, you know it cannot see you.

And yet, it doesn’t move. It’s face hovers a couple dozen feet before you, tongue flickering. It huffs once more, a bright orange flare puffing from its mouth.

“It must be some sort of Basilisk and Dragon hybrid. Both rare, both deadly,” San whispers, expression grim.

Woo nods to himself, lip briefly curving upwards. “A Drasilisk,” he offers.

San gives him a look of disbelief. “What is wrong with you?”

“Would both of you quit it,” Seonghwa says, voice a panicked whisper. His gaze flickers between them and the beast, before swallowing hard. “What are we going to do?”

“It’s blind. So if we don’t make any noise, it’ll leave eventually,” San answers, and Seonghwa nods. It seems plausible enough of a plan, reasonable enough to work. Besides, your content with nobody having to try and fight this thing, whether that be you or any of them.

The snake curls upwards from its place on the ground, coils forming around itself as it hovers in the air, looming tall. It lets out another broken whine, this time louder. Amplified by the mountains, it echoes all around you. It resembles a woman screaming.

The beast flares its nostrils, the action accompanied by a quiet puffing sound. It’s not the same as it had done before, accompanied by fire and annoyance. Instead, it sounds like an inhale rather than an exhale.

The beast continues to make the sound over and over again, nose outstretched as it twists back and forth, almost as if it’s… sniffing.

It begins to move towards you, slithering slowly, following your scent down the trail as it creeps closer.

“You think just standing here is a good idea now?” Woo asks, a ball of flame forming within his hand. It’s useless, considering the beast is fireproof, but perhaps it provides him comfort. A false sense of control.

“No,” San says plainly, rolling up his sleeves before unsheathing his sword. “Ready to go again?”

“You aren’t seriously thinking of fighting that thing are you?” You ask, because it sounds ridiculous. The smaller snakes in relation to this monster is like comparing a puppy to a wolf. It’s a death mission, suicide.

“Not much of a choice,” San breathes, before rushing towards the beast. Woo lets out a shout of panicked protest, and while his intentions may have been good, the beast perks up in acknowledgement of their presence.

It lets out a vicious, blood curdling roar - a sound you never thought could come from a snake - and with it comes a blast of fire. Like an avalanche of flame, red and orange flurries tumble down the trail. Even from a fair distance away you can feel its heat immediately, and San only manages to avoid the flame by diving out into the bush.

Even so, it catches his ankle, the flames alighting his trousers. He extinguishes them with a handful of dirt, casting an annoyed glare in Woo’s direction. “Thanks a lot,” he says, both in relation to the elemental having alerted the beast and failing to redirect its flame.

Woo doesn’t apologize, but he does raise his hands in front of himself, prepared for the beast's next blast of fire.

San rushes towards the monster once more, the necessity for speed obvious, as its gaping mouth extends to where he’d just been standing. The beast instead collides with the ground, venom squirting into where its fangs sink into the soil.

San’s good eye widens, as if realizing how close he’s dancing on death’s doorstep.

While his attention is preoccupied, the beast's long torso swings towards him. The monster commands its body like a whip, extending itself to meet the swordsman with an alarming amount of force. From the sheer power of the strike, you fear he may fall.

However, when it pulls its body back, San isn’t on the ground. He’s not standing either. In fact, he’s not anywhere.

Your brows furrow into confusion. Focusing your gaze, you search for San amongst the darkness, unable to find him where he’d previously stood. As if he’d been wiped from existence.

Then you notice a flash of colour amidst the beast's jet-black body.

San clings to the monster as it raises itself into the air. Arms held around its torso, he holds onto it with sheer core-strength, face twisted with the necessary effort.

He caught it. Somehow, he managed to catch the three-foot wide whip hurtling towards him.

Seonghwa cheers in a rally of support, and you nearly clap in amazement, as well as disbelief.

San pulls himself up so that he is sitting on top of the beast, legs wrapped around its torso as if he were riding it. With a hand clutching onto one of its scales, he uses the other to lift his sword into the air. The sword gleams in the moonlight as he raises it high, like a knight from a storybook as he brings it down, triumphant and glorious.

The sword bounces off of the beast's scales.

San’s brows furrows, and instead of a plunging motion, he attempts to slice the beast as he had the smaller ones. Once again, the sword merely rebounds off of the monster, useless.

The snake lets out a roar of annoyance, becoming aware of the nuisance that has attached himself to its back. It launches itself upwards, before immediately descending down, the rest of its body following in a peristaltic motion. The ripple ascends towards San like a massive wave, and the swordsman’s face settles into an expression that says nothing less than “Fuck me”.

When the snake’s body launches upward beneath him, San attempts to hold on, but the effort is futile. The scale beneath his hand rips off, and he is sent flying. Losing the grip on his sword, it goes soaring out into the forest, disappearing into the underbrush.

If there is any sort of optimism to be found in the situation, it’s in that at least San is sent hurtling towards you rather than in the opposite direction. He crashes into the ground, catching himself on his forearms, bare skin shredded as he slides along the trail’s rocks and gravel.

Wincing, he does not allow himself to dwell on the pain, as he shakily pushes himself back up and unto his feet. His arms are stained pure red, the layer of flesh wiped clean off. He swears beneath his breath, before yanking both of his sleeves down as if he cannot stand to look at it.

“Well,” Woo says, a look of disgust on his face as blood begins to soak through the fabric of San’s tunic. “Are you done?”

“I’m done,” San hisses through gritted teeth.

Woo nods. “We run then?”

San looks over to the snake, who lets out a loud hissing noise as more fire sparks from its nose. “Yeah,” he breathes. “We run.”

The four of you take off down the trail. Keeping one eye over your shoulder, the beast turns to face you all, letting out a violent roar that shakes the ground. It opens its mouth, another avalanche of flame tumbling down the trail.

Woo twists around, running backwards as he redirects the flames into the forest. Sweat has begun to bead on his brow, and you believe it has little to do with the actual warmth of the fire, but instead the effort required in combating it.

This isn’t going to work. You can’t outrun this monster, just as San can’t slay it and Woo cannot hold off its flames forever.

You’re going to die.

The realization is not as startling as it should be. After all, the brink of death is a place you’ve found yourself numerous times the last few weeks. Beginning at outrunning the black-clad men in your castle, followed by about a dozen more deadly challenges since.

Which means there must be a way to maneuver your way out of this one too. What you need is a change in perspective, in strategy.

You cast another glance over your shoulder, the snake only a dozen feet from you now, long body winding back and forth behind it.

“We need to split up!” You shout, to which Woo shoots you an incredulous glance.

“So it can pick us off one by one?” He retorts, appalled by the idea. You shake your head.

“It can’t see us,” you say, words tumbling immediately from your lips as you think of them. “If noise starts coming from different directions, we may be able to confuse it.”

He opens his mouth, prepared to shut down the idea, but pauses. His eyes light up in realization that it actually might work, before filling with annoyance at remembering that the idea is also yours.

“Dammit, Libaiyan,” Woo mutters, turning around once again to redirect the monster’s flames. He groans in frustration. “Fine. We split up.”

“We all run into the forest on the count of three,” San chimes in. He casts a glance at each of you in turn. You, Woo, and Seonghwa all give a nod of affirmation, and San swallows hard, breathing heavy as he speaks.

“Three…two…one!”

The four of you split off from one another. You and Woo both sprint to your right, while San and Seonghwa turn left. You run through the forest, no trails to be found, narrowly avoiding the sharp branches of the ashen trees.

You can hear the snake behind you, the beast also having chosen to go right rather than left.“Great,” you think pleasantly, taking a sharp twist westward as the hissing grows louder behind you. “Just my luck.”

Another blast of fire erupts from its mouth, and you dart behind a tree to avoid being swallowed by its flames. The large glowing blaze emerges from both sides of you, and the heat is scolding against your skin, burning even if not directly touching you.

The monster appears beside you, lightning-fast as it continues in the direction you had been running. It passes right by you, continuing down further into the forest.

You let out a sigh of relief, as the beast continues to move further and further away, its head becoming a small - well, smaller - shadow in the distance. Its body continues to move beside you, the hundreds of feet winding down like the string of a fishing pole. Careful to keep your footsteps quiet as you walk, you tread with caution back towards the trail.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Woo doing the same a few trees away. You catch his eye, and he gives a curt nod, before heading over to you.

“Is it really gone… Just like that?” You ask, astounded by the ease of your escape.

“Looks like it,” Woo replies, although the unease in his tone sounds like he’s not quite convinced himself.

However, he does continue moving forward, and you jog to catch up behind him. You don’t say anything, not wanting to push your luck. It appears that at least for the moment, he’s forgotten to be hostile towards you, and you’re more than willing to soak in a rare fraction of peace in the man’s presence.

It’s after less than a minute of walking - the trail appearing just a few metres in front of you - that Woo stops. You come to a halt, raising an eyebrow. He doesn’t notice, gaze fixated on the tail that continues to wind down.

“Is it just me,” he starts, before swallowing hard. “Or is it moving faster?”

You narrow your eyes, as it’s a bit difficult to tell. The scales create almost an illusion against the blackness of the ash, making it hard to notice that it’s moving at all, but you think he’s right. It is moving faster, which is strange considering there isn’t actually anything for it to be chasing, so why speed up?

The answer becomes obvious when both you and Woo look back into the shadows of the forest, only to see a dark, twisted silhouette reappearing in the distance.

The beast let’s out another harrowing roar, fire once again exploding out from its gaping mouth. The trees there are not as barren as the ones closest to the trail, and you watch as the leaves catch fire around it, casting a smouldering glow that expands as more begin to burn. It’s ominous, like hundreds of small candles being lit all at once, and your breath dies in your throat.

You feel a hand wrap around your forearm, yanking you sideways. You stumble as Woo pulls you into him, his back pressed against the bark of a tree, hiding the both of you. His eyes are wide, but surprisingly calm. Alert but poised, as he listens as the sound of the beast’s hissing becomes closer.

Terror seizes within your chest. At least when you were running you had something to focus on, to keep your mind busy. Sitting here as the beast moves closer makes you feel helpless, like predator and prey.

Woo suddenly places his hand over your mouth, and you realize that your breathing has become heavy. Not out of tiredness, but panic. You glance up at him, although he does not meet your eyes, his own gaze trained forward. Avoidant as his jaw is set firm in annoyance.

He detests you, and yet here you are, pressed against his chest with his fingers settled on your lips. He wants you dead, and yet it appears a part of him will not let it happen so easily.

Even now, Woo is not as cruel as he believes himself to be, and you feel almost sorry for him.

The monster roars once more, and this time sparks billow to your left, the two of you finally within the beast’s reach. The sound of its scales sliding through the dirt becomes softer, as the monster begins to slow down in its pursuit. You note the familiar noise of puffing air, as the beast catches a whiff of your scent.

Woo’s eyes fall shut and his grip on your arm tightens, as if he needs something to hold onto.

For that something to be you, this really may be the end.

Your eyes still do not leave Woo’s own, even if his are not open to meet yours. When you speak you keep your voice low, so quiet that rather than hearing your words, he can likely better feel them with his fingers against your lips.

“I’m sorry,” you say. Woo’s eyes open at this, meeting your own. He does not smile. He neither nods nor whispers any form of acceptance.

Yet, he also does not deny them. At the very least, you know that he heard you in your sincerity, and perhaps that is the most that you can ask for.

Closing your eyes, you place your hand on his tunic, fingers clutching onto its fabric. The beast’s sniffing has become louder, only a dozen feet off by your estimate.

“Hey!” A voice suddenly shouts. It’s far off, much deeper into the forest. When he shouts again, you can tell that it’s San. “Hey! Over here!”

The beast lets out a loud roar and fire engulfs the tree you’re hiding behind, flames rolling out on both sides of you. Woo pulls you further into him, away from the heat that nips at your exposed flesh, causing you to wince.

Then the monster takes off, deeper down into the forest, leaving the two of you behind. Woo removes his hand from your lips, and the two of you take a moment to breathe, heavy and relieved.

This relief is short-lived, however, as Woo’s eyes widen. Realization dawning on him.

He scowls, shoving you off of him. “That dumbass,” he spits, before taking off into the forest, following the monster that has now shifted its pursuit onto San. Chasing after him, you follow the monster's tail as it winds and twists through the trees, moving at rapid speed.

When you finally catch up to them all, the forest has been replaced by some sort of clearing, the wind fierce and ground coated in jagged rock rather than dirt. Looking ahead, you can see that past the monster pursuing both San and Seonghwa is… nothing.

The rocky landscape cuts off, and past it all you can see is empty space, followed by the next mountain over in the distance. A cliff. Your heart pounds faster.

Woo appears to notice the sudden drop the same time you do, his pace quickening as he summons a ball of fire in his hand, throwing it towards the beast. It does nothing, of course, merely bouncing off of its scales. It doesn’t even grab the monster’s attention, its focus trained solely on the two men in front of it, not even noticing that you and Woo have nearly closed the distance.

Seonghwa’s hand slips into San’s, and both he and the swordsman share a look. Nothing is said, but as they both nod, there seems to be some sort of understanding made between them.

Together they run off the edge of the cliff.

“No!” Woo shouts, although it’s more of a horrified shriek than anything else. The monster twists away from the cliff’s edge, not interested in following suit in their plummet.

It all happens in the split of a second, as Woo grabs your hand and drags you with him. He makes massive leaps and bounds, desperate as he pulls the two of you past the beast.

Not only past the beast, but down the make-shift pathway created by its absence and over the cliff’s edge.

The moment your feet leave the comfortable firmness of the ground, dangling in the weightless state of limbo between the earth and sky, you decide that this is a feeling that you never want to experience again. Fortunately, it appears you won’t have to worry about this, considering you won’t be living much longer.

Your stomach plummets as you do, tunic billowing out behind you as you fall through the air. Looking down, your eyes sting from the wind blowing upwards, although you force yourself to keep them open.

You see San and Seonghwa falling beneath you, a solid distance away but also not yet having splattered against the ground.

Or…not ground…water.

Water.

A massive lake expanding from the cliff's edge all the way to the next mountain. A beautiful blue lake, reflecting the light of the moon against the night sky, glassy in its stillness.

It’s not ground beneath you, it’s water.

Despite yourself, you laugh. A joyous, disbelieving laugh at the sheer luck of it.

What are the odds that out of all the cliff’s you could have thrown yourself off of, it would have been one with a deep and expansive stash of water beneath it? Next to none, and you can’t help but smile.

Woo drops your hand, extending both of his own out in front of him and down towards the lake. Clenching both of his hands into fists, you watch as the lake breaks its stillness by beginning to ripple. Good, otherwise you may as well be falling onto cement. He then pulls his arms upward, and the water rapidly rises, minimizing the fall by at least fifty extra feet.

Woo manages the maneuver just in time, as both San and Seonghwa crash into the lake a mere second before yourselves.

The water is a blast of cold, engulfing you as its chill settles deep within your bones. You made sure to land feet-first with your body tight. You remember years ago Mingi telling you that was the right way to land, the only way, if you had hope of not compressing your spine or breaking any bones. This was after he’d had water training during his earlier years in the kingdom guard. He’d been gone for a week near Dildysus’ shores, coming back tanned and with a dozen stories to tell. At the time you were envious of not being able to go with him, pettily treating him with a cold shoulder and avoidant gaze. Now you’re just eternally grateful he took the time to share with you some of what he’d learnt.

You open your eyes and are greeted with what is mostly darkness, although you can make out the bubbles of your breath and a few dark blurs that you sincerely hope are the boys. Kicking upwards, the bottoms of your feet burn, ankle aching in a way that you’re sure it’s at least minorly fractured.

With the severity you could have had in your injuries, you can’t bring yourself to fret over it.

Face breaking past the surface, you take in a massive gulp of air, the wind having been completely knocked from your lungs upon impact. San and Seonghwa both turn to face you, Woo popping up soon afterwards. None of you speak right away, taking a moment to catch your breath, to take in the inconceivable fact that you all are still alive.

Eventually, San speaks, motioning behind you. “Make our way over there?”

None of you respond, it’s not necessary. Instead you simply set in motion towards the shoreline, to safety at last.

When you reach the shore, it’s on your stomach compared to your feet. Dragging yourself up onto the beach - which is more dirt than sand - you pull the rest of your body up by your elbows.

The couple of miles you had to swim felt a lot longer than it looked, even with Woo creating a current to help carry you the length of the distance.

San is a little ways ahead of you, pulling himself up into a seated position before flopping down onto his back, chest heaving as he looks up at the stars.

You hear Seonghwa cough from behind, wet and hoarse in a way that you can tell he’s choking on water that he swallowed. You cast him a glance, the empath sitting slumped on his knees, Woo giving him a firm slap to the back that causes him to cough up even more water.

You lay down, sand embedding itself in your hair and rough along your cheek, but you can’t hold yourself up any longer.

What a sorry bunch the lot of you are.

“All our supplies,” Woo says eventually, defeated as he lets out a guttural cough before continuing. “It’s all gone. Our tents, our horse, our food, our sleeping bags, everything. Gone.”

“Just be thankful we’re alive,” San retorts bluntly.

You know that’s not the best thing to say at the moment, and you brace yourself for Woo’s response.

“Oh, sure. All thanks to you, right?” Woo says, glowering. “What were you thinking, shouting after it like that?”

“I was thinking about saving your life,” San responds, tone far more calm than Woo’s.

“My life didn’t need saving.”

“It definitely did,” you think, but you know better than to interject yourself into this.

“What you were doing was almost getting yourself killed,” Woo continues, voice rising with every word. “I mean really, what was the plan San? You threw yourself - no, sorry, you and Seonghwa - off a cliff! You think that’s some kind of heroic gesture, that I’d be thankful?”

San does not respond.

“No, seriously. Tell me, San, because that has to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done, and I’m at a loss at what you were possibly thinking.”

San does not look away from the sky as he speaks. “Would you two go check if there’s any place we can take shelter around here? I need to speak with Woo alone.”

Seonghwa and you share a nervous glance. He purses his lips together, worried about what may be said and what that may mean for the rest of your journey.

Although, this isn’t either of your business, and you both awkwardly rise to your feet. “Alright,” Seonghwa says, the two of you beginning to make your way down the beach.

You try to catch his eye again, to see what he may be thinking about all of this, but he keeps his gaze straight ahead. The two of you don’t talk again even as you make it past the beach, down the open field and into the forest’s thicket.

San waits until the two of you are completely out of sight, having disappeared from the shoreline and into the woods. He still does not look at Woo, does not want to see his angry furrowed brows, his tense jaw and clenched fists. The stars are easier to speak to.

He isn’t sure where he gains the strength to say it. Perhaps there is something about surviving a plummet to your death that makes you take a step back and think about things. San doesn’t really know. He just speaks.

“Maybe I was thinking the same thing as you when you dragged her off that cliff with you. That same reckless, thoughtless panic that you felt when you saw me go over and decided to throw yourself after me. That blind instinct that says I’m willing to die in a heartbeat, so long as it gives you a chance to survive.”

San waits for Woo to say something, but he does not. Although the swordsman can hear him shuffle, clearly growing uncomfortable, exposed.

Amidst Woo’s silence, San connects Kuroku’s constellation in his mind. He and sister used to search for them in the night sky when he was little, finding Libaiya’s sun and Zaria’s siren amidst the bountiful little glowing beads. That was before Jude died. Before everything became so damn complicated.

San sighs. “I’m tired, Woo.”

There’s so much that he could be referencing, too much, but Woo understands it to be about the journey. “I know,” he says, his voice softening slightly. “But we’ll get to Kuroku soon, and then things can go back to normal.”

San laughs, a breathy chuckle. “Normal,” he says, mulling over the word, the silliness of it. “What is our normal?”

“What do you mean?” Woo asks, prodding a little further after being met with silence. “San?”

“When are we not fighting? Or avoiding each other? Or pretending this limbo we’re in doesn’t matter when it so obviously does?”

When his words are met with silence, San swallows hard. His throat feels tight, almost sticky. Like his body is begging him not to do this, his heart screaming at him to not say anything, not to burn this bridge even if it’s falling apart at his feet.

But San has to do this. If not for his heart, then for his sanity.

“We’re killing each other, Woo,” he whispers, still not looking at him. Not letting himself be swayed. “Or at least… you’re killing me.”

There’s a thick silence that follows these words, that leaves San a little surprised. He’d expected the elemental to get defensive or angry, just as he had been up the mountain earlier. Instead he remains quiet, hesitant.

Perhaps he can tell that this time is different.

“What are you saying, San?” Woo asks, quiet.

“I’m saying that I’m done,” San replies. “I can’t keep fighting like this, I can’t keep watching you throw yourself into open fire over jealousy, I can’t keep letting this thing between us put everyone in danger.”

San drops his voice to a whisper, so quiet that he isn’t sure if Woo can even hear him, the words too vulnerable to be said so loud. “I can’t keep waking up alone.”

San can hear Woo swallow, hard and thick. When he speaks, his voice is shaky.

“Is this about her?” Woo asks, but his tone is not accusatory, nor angry and jealous as he so often is when the subject of you arises. Instead it is broken, defeated. Rejected.

“No,” San answers, and it’s with a small laugh. Not of the condescending kind, just a hum towards the idea of all of this starting with you, as if he’d only started feeling this way mere weeks ago. “She may have been the final nail in the coffin, but we’ve been hammering for years, Woo.”

Another silent pause, before the elemental’s voice becomes even smaller. “Is there anything I could do to change your mind?”

San considers this. May as well be honest.  “Yes, but you couldn’t do it.”

“What is it?” Woo asks immediately, driven by scheer instinct. Willing to do what it takes, willing to be thoughtless and reckless. Willing to jump off any cliff need be.

“You would need to give me all of you,” San says softly, a comet whirling by in the sky above him, as if what he’s saying is some sort of wish. Fool’s hope. “No bits and pieces. No secrets, just full honesty. Nothing hidden. Stripped bare.”

“You already have…” Woo rushes, before abruptly trailing off. San finally looks up at him, pushing himself back onto his elbows, meeting the elemental’s eyes.

Woo’s face has fallen, mouth drawn open as the words fail to come out, as he realizes they would be a lie.

San does not have all of him. There are things he won’t share, vulnerabilities hidden deep within him, a part of himself that he is not willing to unravel.

San wishes the Woo would take a breath, then unwind himself. That he would explain everything, why he pushes San away yet refuses to let him out of his reach, or why he needs San so badly on the coldest of winter nights, but disappears come the sunrise in the morning.

He’s always believed that this is because Woo also loves Seonghwa, that there is space in his heart reserved for another, a place that San can never hold no matter how much he tries.

But the way that Woo looks at him now, his mouth drawn open and eyes wide with an agonizing desperation, San knows that there is something deeper than that. Something dark, something holding the elemental back, something that Woo’s heart pleads for San to know but is unwilling to actually share.

Something that Woo will never tell him, that makes him wonder if he truly knows the elemental at all, and San is too tired to hold on to false hope any longer.

“We’ll get to Kuroku, then we’ll go home and figure out what we’re going to do about this,” San says finally, and he knows his voice sounds cold. Inside his heart is screaming, wailing, clawing for attention. His mind shuts it down. “For now let’s just finish what we started.”

“Okay,” Woo answers, gaze falling down from San’s, staring at the ground. The little speckles of grey-coloured sand surround them, murky and wet, cold. San wants to reach out and touch him. Hold him, kiss him, make him feel better. He stops himself.

He supposes that this will take a lot of time to go away. So be it.

“I’m going to go see where they ran off to,” San says. He rises to his feet, and his knees feel like jelly. He wants to collapse, his brain buzzing, vision foggy within this state of delirium. It feels like he’s not in control, cutting himself off from his emotions leaving him empty and hollow, weightless.

“Okay,” Woo says again, even quieter than the last, still not looking at him.

“Don’t stay out here too long. It’s cold and you’re soaked,” San says, before his feet are moving towards the forest and away from the beach, footprints trailing behind him on the sand.

“Sure,” Woo says, and his voice shakes. There’s a certain wetness to it, raspy as it rises up from his throat, and San realizes the elemental is holding back tears. It nearly stalls him, as San isn’t sure if he’s ever seen the elemental cry beyond a few silent tears.

He knows he would not be able to handle it, and so he continues forward, leaving Woo behind.

When San finds you in the cave that you and Seonghwa found, his expression is solemn. Sitting down a couple feet to your left, he reaches behind him to remove his sword from its sheath, only to remember that it’s no longer there. It’s somewhere back up the cliff, lost to the bushes after he’d been thrown off the monster’s back.

Upon realizing it’s gone, San sighs. He runs his hands through his hair, before keeping them placed on the back of his neck, as if he can no longer hold his head up on his own.

“Impressive fire,” he says suddenly, in reference to the hand-made fire crafted in front of you. It is rather impressive, made of a bounty of small sticks and logs all arranged in an intricate fashion, as well as some sort of fern stuffing the middle that helped get it started.

You chuckle, the thought of you containing the wilderness skills to make something like this amusing. “Seonghwa started it,” you explain, and San smiles, before glancing around the darkness of the cave.

“Where is he?” He asks.

You nod towards the cave’s exit. “Took a walk in the forest.”

San quirks an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of the night, almost sunrise.”

“Yeah, well,” you start, albeit awkwardly. You don’t want to sound too self-pitiful.  “I don’t think he felt comfortable sitting alone with me.”

San’s smile falls, own eye drifting from yours to the flames. “Ah.”

You decide to change the subject. “Where’s Woo?”

“Down at the beach.”

When he doesn’t add anything else, you know that he doesn’t wish to speak about the elemental any longer.

The two of you sit in a not-so-comfortable silence, before you notice the dried blood on his tunic, having soaked through the fabric of both of his forearms. Amidst the more immediate danger, you’d forgotten the nasty fall he’d taken from the beast’s back, having wiped the skin clean off. You grimace at the thought.

“Your arms,” you start, clearing your throat. “Do they hurt?”

San glances down at them, eye widening as if to say: “Oh, right. That happened.”

“Uh, not really,” he says, before pulling up one of his sleeves. His breath catches at the sight of the skin, painted with bright bloody patches and a consistent red all throughout. He lets out an uncomfortable laugh, in shock. “Although, it looks like they should, doesn’t it?”

You frown, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “Do you want me to clean them?”

“We don’t have salve anymore, remember?” San says with a nonchalant shrug, brushing it off.

“Still,” you start, glancing behind you. “Even just some water could help.”

Before he can protest otherwise, you rise to your feet. The sound of dripping water can be heard from deeper within the cave, loud enough that you figure it would be a quicker journey than walking back to the shore. Besides, you want to give Woo his space.

Following the dripping, darkness swells around you, the light of the fire fading in the growing distance. You and Seonghwa hadn’t ventured any further than the opening, not wanting to risk stumbling upon any more deadly monsters in your search for shelter. Fortunately, you find the source of the dripping before the darkness becomes too thick. It falls as a steady stream, trailing from the top of the cave, likely sourced by a pond of sorts further up the mountain.

Taking a page from Seonghwa’s book, you rip off the bottom of your tunic, using it as a make-shift cloth as you soak it in the falling stream.

When you make your way back to San, he gives you a soft smile, although it quickly falls as you begin to dab at the scrapes with the shirt-cloth. He winces, attempting to tug his arm away, but you keep your grip on his wrist firm.

You don’t need to explain it to him, he’s surely had enough injuries to know that momentary pain is a small price to pay against infection. He stops pulling, letting his arm fall limp in your grasp. His gaze drifts up from his arm to your face, settling there for a moment, before trailing back down.

“San…” you start, hesitant as you trail the cloth along his skin. Perhaps it is unwise to ask, to risk stirring the pot more than you already have, but you need to know. “Why are you letting me do this? Why aren’t you avoiding me like Seonghwa, or yelling at me like Woo?”

When he doesn’t respond right away, the question quickly turns into a nervous ramble. “I mean, I screwed you over. You need that money, San. How can you just sit there and…and smile at me, knowing what I did to you? To all of you?”

That same soft, sad smile spreads over his lips now as you say those words. He sighs, although it is not a defeated or exhausted sound, more contemplative. When he looks up, his gaze is more gentle than you deserve.

“I probably should be more mad at you, shouldn’t I?” He says, letting out a quiet laugh that’s more a quick puff of air through his nose.

You respond with a nod, pursing your lips together. He sighs. “I guess… I guess I just get it. I know what it’s like to be desperate for something, to do things that you know are wrong and eat you up inside, but it feels like there’s no other option.”

Your brows furrow, watching him carefully. You don’t look away when he meets your eyes, a way of asking without saying anything aloud. He hesitates for only a moment, before swallowing hard, good eye flickering downward and away from yours.

“In the year after Jay killed my family, before I met Woo, I was living in The Cat’s Cradle. I had nowhere else to go, and to work towards paying off my debt, I had to work as his errand boy.”

San swallows hard, squinching his eye shut as if relieving it all. “I did a lot of things I’m not proud of, that I hated myself for then and still do now. Spying on people who had just as little as I had, who were also in debt to Jay, ratting them out. I may not have actually killed anyone, but I may as well have by turning them into him.”

“San…” You start, but trail off as you’re unsure of what to say.

“I guess in a way I always knew it was too good to be true,” San says softly, lip curving upward, although it’s more defeated than anything else. “It would be too easy. Much easier than I deserve.”

You open your mouth to say something, to likely spout your condolences and that he certainly does not deserve what you’ve done to him, but he must not want to hear it.

“I can tell that the world hasn’t been kind to you, just as it hasn’t been to me,” he says, not giving you the chance to speak. “Your family is also dead. Powerful men are also hunting you. You also have nothing left.”

Tears well in your eyes, and he takes the cloth from your hand, setting it down on the ground. He replaces it with his own hand, gentle as his fingers intertwine with yours. “I may be disappointed, but I can’t be mad. It’d be too hypocritical.”

It’s too kind, too understanding. The tears begin to slip from your eyes, and he reaches forward with his other hand to wipe at them, grazing his thumb along your cheekbone. When it makes its way to the corner of your face, he keeps it there, the rest of his hand cradling your head.

“Don’t cry,” he mumbles, thumb rubbing back and forth against your skin. “I said this to make you feel better, not to make you cry.”

“Sorry,” you say, with a breathy laugh. It quickly falters, fading into a stifled sob. Your lip quivers, face contorting inward on itself. Mingi always said you were an ugly crier.

“I’m sorry, San,” you say, and this time it is different. This time it is so much more.

He smiles. “I know.”

The silence that surrounds the two of you is thick. He continues to watch you, eye holding yours. A part of you wants to shy away, knowing how weak you look, the vulnerability in your swollen eyes and trembling lips.

Yet, you don’t, because at the same time you feel safe. You don’t know the last time you felt so truly understood, the last time you were stripped bare. Not lying, not pretending to be someone you are not, not walking on the egg-shells of a mistake.

And in the face of that person - the person that you truly are, horrible faults and all - he does not shy away.

He has seen you unravelled but holds you all the same, and amidst the situation's ugliness, it is the most accepted you have ever felt.

San leans in, slow and careful, like the air has transformed into molasses. His gaze falls, lingering on your lips. Your heart races as he draws closer, quickening beats that echo through you.

When he’s only a few inches away, he stops, and something flickers over his features. Sorrow, hurt, and all the emotions that have been building for so very long. In you, in him, in all of you.

Somehow, you know that this hurt is not about you, about this moment. This pure and vulnerable moment that he does not wish to taint with the pain of something else.

Instead of finding your own, his lips drift upwards, settling onto your cheek. Onto a stray tear that slipped past his thumb, gentle as he removes the wetness from your skin.

He pulls back to place his forehead against your own. He is warm, breath holding that same rich scent of coffee as it did a couple days ago. It’s cozy, comforting, and you feel the need to let him know how deeply you appreciate this. Appreciate him.

“Thank you,” you whisper, sitting in the promise of a kiss, noses brushing but lips never quite touching.

While he does not say anything out loud, the way his hand gently squeezes your own tells you everything that you could have wanted to hear.

Wooyoung pauses at the entrance of the cave. Having followed the flickering light of the fire and the sound of hushed voices, he wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting to find.

However, whatever he may have anticipated, it was not Seonghwa sitting outside of the cave with his arms drawn around his knees, avoiding the display of you and San huddled around the fire. Your faces are pressed so close together that Wooyoung wonders if the two of you had just finished sharing a kiss.

His eyes are puffy and his nose is stuffed. He feels gross. Wooyoung hasn’t cried in a long time, at least not like that. Maybe since Yeonjun and Winter, which makes sense, as this is the closest he’s felt since then to losing someone he loves. Any tears he’s shed from then on have either been minimal, or born from pure fury. These were neither.

He sits in the entrance for at least a minute, and when it doesn’t seem like the two of you are going to stop any time soon, he walks over to sit with Seonghwa.

The empath glances up at him, letting out a short sigh. “Hey,” he says, shuffling over to make space next to him.

“Hey,” Wooyoung replies, taking a seat. Despite himself, Wooyoung sniffles, and Seonghwa’s gaze darts over. Wooyoung knows that he’s giving him the look without having to meet the blonde’s eyes.

“Do you want me to-”

Wooyoung’s answer is immediate, knowing exactly what it is the empath plans to offer. “No.”

“Alright,” Seonghwa says quietly, casting a glance behind him, at the two of you by the flames. Wooyoung notices that Seonghwa doesn’t seem angry. He’s not fuming or sulking, more so impatient, fingers tapping along his knees as he seems to simply be waiting for the two of you to finish.

Wooyoung doesn’t get it, how Seonghwa handles these things. How he doesn’t explode. How he doesn’t lose himself in anger the way Wooyoung does. How he avoids your gaze rather than stares daggers into it.

He turns to Seonghwa, nodding towards the both of you. “Aren’t you mad?” He asks.

“No… Yes? I don’t know,” Seonghwa starts, a tad frustrated. He leans back so that his head presses against the cave's rocky exterior, lips drawn into a weak smile. “If San can forgive her, I'll let him. It’s not my place to foster grudges for him.”

That’s not really what Wooyoung meant, and he tries to be a little more direct.

“How does it not bother you seeing them like that?” Wooyoung asks, along with the unspoken question: “How do I make it not bother me?”

Seonghwa laughs, although it is low and unhumourous “There isn’t any jealousy to be had, Woo. She isn’t mine to keep. She never has been, even when I thought of it as…more than it was. I always knew that it wasn’t meant to last longer than Kuroku. We’ve just reached the ending a little sooner than I expected.”

When Wooyoung doesn’t respond, Seonghwa shrugs. “If she can bring San a little peace, well, why should I not let her?”

Wooyoung doesn’t know what to say to that. When he looks at you he sees the Libaiyan orphanage, he hears the oath he gave swearing complete obedience to your father three times a day. He thinks of those nights he spent dreaming of your entire family's demise, of what he would give to be the one to set that kingdom on fire.

But he also sees the broken girl crying over the horrors she committed. He sees your worried gaze lifting him from the sauna’s fog and casting him a trusting glance across the table when trying to trick the mimic.

He sees you knees deep in the mud, begging him to understand that you never knew about the orphanages. Tears in your eyes as the two of you were at death's door, whispering about how sorry you were.

How can you be both of those people at once? How can you be his greatest enemy, but also the only person he’s been able to tell the truth about his past?

He hates you. He also doesn't.

Wooyoung doesn't know what to feel. He wishes he could just be angry. It's so much easier to be angry than anything else. Than this, whatever it is.

Wooyoung sighs, casting a glance back at both you and San. You’ve finally pulled apart, backs turned as you both watch the flames. He can hear you whispering, and would be able to eavesdrop if he wanted to, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to hear what San might be saying to you.

With the thought of San returning to his mind, his face immediately feels too hot again, throat scratchy and his eyes wet.

He relives it. San’s cold voice, his defeated laugh, his footsteps following behind him as he left Wooyoung in the chilly, wet sand.

“You would need to give me all of you,” San had said, right after saying it was something that Wooyoung could never do.

The worst part? He’s right.

Wooyoung’s chest aches, and then it begins to shake, convulsing. The sobs rattle within him as he does not allow them to be released from his mouth. San can’t hear him, he will not make this any worse than it already is.

“We’re killing each other, Woo. Or at least… you’re killing me.” San’s words.

“We both loved you, and this is what we get for it?” Winter.

Two different beats to the same drum. Is this what he does to the people he loves? Hurts them? Makes them feel worthless? Kills them, or at least their souls?

He’s always feared of getting too close to San, of what he might do if he let down those remaining walls. If he would hurt him, if he would lose him.

He’s always tried so hard not to lose San. Steering the swordsman away from any perceived danger. From you, initially. Trying to protect him in any way he can. Even when it’s irrational, even when he knows it's only pissing San off, he’s never been able to help himself.

When San threw himself off the cliff, Wooyoung felt the world crumble to ash around him. It was Yeonjun all over again, the moment his head cracked against that rock, and nothing else mattered.

That would not happen to San. Not again, Wooyoung would not let it. He would not lose him.

Well, here he is, having lost him anyway, just in a different way. Perhaps it was inevitable, doomed from the moment they met, yet another curse on the god’s behalf.

Perhaps San is better off without him. Safer.

Wooyoung places his palm over his own mouth, stifling another sob. He feels a hand settle on his shoulder. Seonghwa. Fingers moving back and forth, he rubs the area around his neck in a soothing, comforting fashion.

Wooyoung would normally shove his hand away, tell him to piss off. Don’t get too close to this, don’t trouble yourself with my problems, take your hand away from the flames or else you’re going to get burned.

He doesn’t. Instead Wooyoung lets Seonghwa touch him. He does not move closer, he does not place his head on the empath's shoulder. He does not fully accept it, but he also does not push him away.

And for tonight alone, Wooyoung breaks.

~~~~~

next chapter.

[xreaderbooks]

The Shadows of Our Love |4|

Chapter 4 | In the Shadow of Strength

Pair: Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: language, mentions of death, nightmares, symptoms of trauma, grief

Summary: A month into 6th year, Y/n is on the brink of collapse from her own mind, someone is there to catch her as she falls...

a/n: more of a descriptive and informative chapter w/ a little crumb at the end. comment or message me if you'd like to tagged :)

Playlist

Available on Wattpad and AO3

Chapter 3 - Series Masterlist - Navigation - Chapter 5

If you weren't thinking about all that you have done, the goblins and poachers you've killed, the monsters you've faced, the friends you've lost; you were dreaming of them.

Every night since the final one where you defeated Ranrok, nightmares have plagued your mind.

It started with you jolting awake in the night, with a sweat-soaked bed, you'd forego the rest of your sleep to clean your linens.

You were, after all, staying as a guest at the Weasley home. Magic outside of Hogwarts is strictly forbidden when you are under the age of 17, therefore you had to do it the old-fashioned way. Naturally, you were a rule breaker, however, you wanted to show some modicum of respect considering the family with which you stayed is that of the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.

The startled sweats became increased heart palpitations that left you in bed unable to move an arm, a sort of paralysis had overcome you, your eyes stuck closed. That soon became screams and shouts and tears that would only calm when you saw the light of dawn peak through the curtains.

Unfortunately, you were in a room with several of Matilda Weasley's other nieces and nephews, thank Merlin they could sleep through a tornado, the only one whose sleep habits did not benefit them was Garreth. He was always awake, somehow always having energy despite the lack of sleep, formulating new potions.

His cheery attitude was helpful, it was odd at first, never being close to him in Hogwarts but then becoming so close he would lay in the opposite direction of you, his feet to your head and yours to his so that you would feel that there was another person present.

Until he concocted a calming draught one night out of random, and one became a ritual nightly. For once, a potion he wouldn't mess up. You could've made it yourself but he insisted. 

A month into 6th year at Hogwarts and he never failed to owl you one, or hand you one secretly in class or in the halls.

What you hadn't been able to do was wrangle your magic, the same magic powerful enough to kill anyone- within a 12-foot radius of you with a single blast.

It came at random, sometimes when you were severely overwhelmed. You supposed it had been easier to 'control' last year because you had some sort of mentor, a person you were able to talk to that you trusted to take care of you. That person was now dead, and you have no one.

The keepers were untrustworthy, to say the least, it was understandable what they did to Isidora, but who was to say they wouldn't assume the worst of you?

They were portraits, is what you tried to remind yourself, but they were keepers- keepers of all kinds of secrets, who knew what kind of fail-safes they must have in case they could've predicted a person like Isidora would come around.

You couldn't trust a soul.

Garreth knew of the nightmares, but your powers would scare anyone, hell they scared you.

You resorted to moving the animals from your original vivarium in the room of requirement to the grasslands vivarium in order to release the surges of power that had formed over weeks of keeping up with schoolwork.

Between schoolwork, the social life that you now had thanks to no more adventures, wondering where it all went wrong Sebastian, and taking care of your beast on top of learning to forget your regrets... Your ancient magic had more than enough fuel for you to burst.

And so you did, at least once a week, moving your beasts back and forth between vivariums so as not to hurt them.

You ended up spending more and more time in your room of requirement than you did in your own dorm, the room had created a bedroom for you. A cozy King sized bed with silky green covers and a fluffed comforter, in a 6 corner round room solely for sleeping.

You were able to do all but that, whenever he was around- Deek would wake you from your nightmares and make you a comforting drink for your nerves, and distract you with gossip.

He hears all that goes on in Hogwarts, with teachers, students, anyone. As a house-elf no one acknowledges him and people feel they can speak freely with the elves around and you felt lucky that Deek trusted you enough to fill you in. He was surprisingly quite the busybody.

With that though, you had begged him not to tell Professor Weasley of your nightmares. 

~~~

When October came around Quidditch tryouts were starting up, which Imelda had never failed to mention anytime she was around you, you weren't in the least bit interested.

You had too much going on, flying was useful when getting from point A to B but it wasn't your favorite thing in the world though you were talented, according to her. You would enjoy Quidditch more on the sidelines.

On another note, Sebastian fucking Sallow.

If he wasn't ignoring you in the many classes you had together, the one class where you didn't have anyone else, was the one you were forcibly paired with him. And only in that class will he deign to speak to you with rude remarks and snippy comments, it exhausted you.

A flash flew past your ear and at the closed classroom door, you were Defense against the Dark Arts, at least 30 minutes at the end of class was dedicated to practicing Non-verbals.

"Are you out of your mind?" You almost shrieked at him, "That almost stung me."

"You're out of your mind, maybe if you had been you'd be able to pay attention."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Well if you would keep up then I wouldn't have to."

You hated him, you hated that stupid smirk he held on his face, his contradictory tone, him. Ire burned throughout you and if you truly wanted to end him, he would've been six feet deep, he didn't know the favor you were doing him.

~~~

You needed to let off some steam, the room of requirement wasn't cutting it, you had made a commitment to the Headmaster and Professor Weasley to stay out of trouble this year. It was the only reason why you had kept within the castle walls for so long, it had been too long, and now you were itching for a fight.

You wandered into the forbidden forest on the hunt for poacher camps, Ashwinders, and any sign of a dark wizard that you could take down. It was past dusk, lights out would be soon and you regretted not sneaking out of the room after the Slytherin girl's dormitory check done by the head girl.

One problem at a time, you heard fighting by the old troll lair you cleared out last year looking for bubotubers. It appears the poachers had reinhabited the area, two men patrolled the area, possibly scouting out to see if there were more of whoever they were fighting.

Streaming, loud and painful, pure agony was heard, you crouched with the disillusionment charm covering you, easing your way behind the men and casting Petrificus Totalus on them both without bringing on any unwanted attention.

You did the same with the others around the camp but there were about 10-11 left. You observed as they fought amongst each other, your eyes wild in confusion, six of them wore masks that looked like a human skull. You couldn't make out any distinct features that you could use to identify them. The black cloaks they wore made them look like living Dementors.

They had the five remaining Ashwinders on their knees, wands inches away from them, on the ground.

What in Merlin's name was this?

They only targeted two out of the five, which had you even more perplexed. So caught up in what was going on in front of you, you let your guard down, you didn't sense someone coming up from behind you.

They pulled you up from your crouched location behind a couple of bushes and a tree, the disillusionment charm disappearing. The person, it felt like a man, shoved you onto the ground. You rolled onto your back just in time as he pointed his wand at you.

"Expelliar-"

"Depulso!" You spoke clearly. Your voice definitely alerted the rest of them, and though the Askwinder would usually jump at the chance to attack you on sight, they picked up their wands and fled.

Two of the masked figures, cast the killing curse on two of the Ashwinders they were targeting before.

You were surrounded, 7 against 1. This was not going to end well, you weren't sure yet for who.

Before you could think twice, with intention; you cast the Imperio curse on one of them, ordering them to attack their fellow whatever they called themselves.

"Protego!" You used the shield as blasts from all sides of you came your way, you ducked and rolled coming up behind one, "Petrificus Totalus."

One down six more to go, you blocked the spells and shot back some of your own, "Levioso, Accio, Descendo." You heard a crack in their neck, you sent a few casts before you had them unmoving on the ground.

Part of you thought about using the Killing curse to speed up this process and help you to not die, kill, or be killed and all that- but you couldn't, you wouldn't. Only in dire situations would you use it, and this wasn't one... yet.

You blocked and shielded, not able to get another hit in. Whoever the two you took down must have been the weaker ones of the group because as you fought the remaining four, they moved fluidly as they attacked you with their magic.

Never faltering, they were experienced, that much was obvious- but their magic felt wrong. It felt old almost ancient- like yours but darker. Like every defensive spell cast was a curse.

You felt yourself getting tired, they were strong and you weren't in the shape you were when you did this every other day.

"Diffindo!"

You felt the cuts in your back, you cried out and mistakenly clutched your back, stumbling forward. The others took their chance-

"Accio."

You practically flew to the one who called upon you, "Descendo," You slammed onto the ground.

Tears stung your eyes as that same person kicked you in your stomach and picked you up from the root of your hair, your chest rose and fell in what you didn't want to admit was fear. You tried looking through the small eyes of the mask to tell the color but they tilted your head to the sky.

"She smells like one of them," He spat out the last word in disgust. He brought you closer and sniffed you, "Definitely one of them."

He shoved you back onto the ground, you sneered at him and your head hit a rock on the ground. You grimaced and touched the back of your head, you felt the wetness of what you could only guess was blood.

You only had one thing left to do, you had felt it bubble beneath you helping you fight them off, it gave you the slightest bit of encouragement as you struggled to pick yourself up.

"We should kill her off now!" One of them from your right said.

You were done playing these games, you weakly lifted your wand and the Ancient Magic sang. Your body was working on autopilot, without a word you lifted the woman who said they should kill you and slammed her body to the ground, picking her up and burying her head into the earth repeatedly.

You tilted your head to the man who roughly handled you, and with a flick of your wand, he exploded.

The three that were left, had shouted 'Avada Kedavra' but it didn't reach your magic had blasted them yards away from you and into the woods.

You wanted to collapse right then and there, with the last bit of energy you could muster, you trudged along the path to the nearest floo flame, straight to the Slytherin Common room.

You didn't want to think about how many more people you killed, or that you just exposed your biggest secret to an unknown group of people who even Ashwinders ran from. You didn't care about how dirty you were, or the blood that stained your clothes.

You descended the steps you had to go down to officially be in the Common Room, as you reached the final step, you felt your wand slip out of your hand and clatter to the floor. Soon, your body would join it.

You didn't make it to the couch when you felt your world shut down, you only felt your legs being lifted off the ground, strong arms supporting you from your waist. Your eyes could barely open but you caught a glimpse of chestnut brown hair and that you were being carried bridal style before being laid on the familiar couch.

Whispers were heard, a bottle being brought to your lips, and a part of your brain hoped you weren't getting poisoned. As you drank, you felt your wounds being healed and the ache in your body lift. Wiggenweld Potion. 

You were on your back, your left hand on your stomach and your right hung from the couch, whoever had settled you onto your usual spot brought the hand that was off the couch and pressed their lips onto the back of it. Then settled it along with your left.

~~~

Chapter 5

Taglist:

@vanivivs

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

So, what are your plans for Tiff... It made me wonder... what's the point of her character now? You deleted her purpose of being there... From what I'm seeing, you axed her role as Kirby's guardian and holder of the Warp Star and gave it to Meta Knight...

Not that there's anything wrong with that... I love it! The fact that it was MK hiding in the shadows as the keeper of the Warp Star and not her *chef* is some prime delicious angst fuel right there~ reason why I love your AU!

But that was her prominent role/main role of the series... what's the point of her being there now? That was literally her only reason to be there, ya know? Is she just gonna be regulated to moral support or something?

(I guess he can have two caretakers...)

What's she gonna do now during a monster fight?

Everyone, I'm just gonna drop this here... while I cackle evilly!

>:3 I'M SO EVIL

This is actually about her pilot role... (I redid the crown from the original design because... the color and design kinda clashed with me...)

In the KBASW AU, she's Fumu's previous reincarnation... this princess who was friends with Popopo (Kirby's original name in this first appearance.) Before he became Void Termina... and was the reason why he became that *cough* but, that's a story for another day...

I'm not going into detail on this, but let's just say Fumu accidentally falls prey to Dame Morgan... But also... look at my baby Morgan~ Living her best evil life~

After I redesigned her shoes... I had to redesign her armor and I can finally say that I am satisfied... now I gotta redo her mask.

Hopefully, I finish the next chapter next week but no promises~

Good Night eveybody~

[thatrandomuser01]

My take on Underswap and Deltaswap

Frisk <-> Chara

Flowey <-> Tem Shop Temmie

Toriel <-> Asgore

Ruins Dummy <-> Mad Dummy/ Mad Mew Mew

Froggit <-> Final Froggit

Whimsun <-> Whimsalot

Moldsmal <-> Moldessa

Napstablook <-> Mettaton

Vegetoid <-> Parsnik

Migosp <-> Migospel

Loox <-> Astigmatism

Spiders <-> Temmies

Sans <-> Papyrus

Snowy/ Snowdrake <-> Chilldrake

Ice Cap/ Ice Cube <-> Gyftrot

Doggo <-> Dogamy

Snowdin Forest Faun <-> Rabbit Kid

Snowman <-> Newspaper Editor 2

Lesser Dog <-> Dogaressa

Jerry <-> Terry

Nice Cream Guy/ Blue Ears <-> Burgerpants/ Pizzapants

Greater Dog <-> Muttler/ Endogeny

Toby The Annoying Dog <-> Glyde

Snowdin Shopkeeper QC <-> Gerson

Snowdin Inn Keeper <-> Rabbit Lady

Snowdin Inn Keeper's Child <-> Cinnamon

Gift Bear <-> Politics Bear

Monster Kid <-> Goner Kid

Grillby <-> Muffet

Big Mouth <-> Nurse Red Big Mouth

Drunk Bun <-> Elder Puzzler

Ugly Fish <-> Echo Flower Explainer

Red Bird <-> Business Dude 2

Punk Hamster <-> Clam Guy

Scarf Mouse <-> Loren

Red Demon <-> Library Lizard

Slime Family <-> Snails

Library Loox <-> Flower Shop Loox

Ice Wolf <-> Newspaper Editor 1/ Scarf Lady

Undyne <-> Alphys

Aaron <-> Moldbygg

Woshua <-> Vulkin

Snail Guy <-> Briefcase Dude

Shyren <-> Shyra/ Lemon Bread

Ferry <-> Fox Head

Onionsan <-> Small Bird

Bob <-> Heats Flamesmen

Ragel <-> Shambling Mass

Clam Girl <-> Goner Clam

River Person <-> W.D. Gaster

Tsunderplane <-> Knight Knight

Pyrope <-> Madjick

Business Dude 1 <-> Sad Dad Dragon

Fuku Fire <-> Diamond Boy 1

Skateboard Girl <-> Diamond Boy 2

Hot Dog Harpy <-> MTT Resort Diamond Receptionist

Hot Dog Vulkin <-> Deltarune Froggit

Scared Donut Guy <-> Gaster Follower 2

Dress Lion/ Waitress Lion <-> Business Manticore

Gaster Follower 1 <-> Ficus Licker

Gaster Folower 3 <-> Striped Library Bird

Royal Guard 1 <-> Bratty

Royal Guard 2 <-> Catty

MTT Resort Hand Receptionist <-> Town Hall Hand Receptionist

MTT Resort Janitor <-> MTT Resort Fish Receptionist

Snowy's Father <-> Snowy's Mother Crystal

Charles <-> Catty and Catti's Mother

Oni <-> Catty and Catti's Farher 

Memory Head <-> Reaper Bird

Everyman <-> Watching Man

Kris <-> Dess Holiday

Berdly <-> School Tem

Catti <-> Jockington

Susie <-> Noelle

Ralsei <-> Lancer

Ralsei Dummy <-> Pippins

Ruddin <-> Ruddin Ranger

Hathy <-> Head Hathy

Top Chef <-> Malius

C.Round <-> The Original Starwalker

Jigsawry <-> Rabbick

Ponman <-> Bloxer

Royal Coat Rack <-> Blue Blocks

Little Ball <-> Worm

Clover <-> King

Seam <-> Jevil

Mr. Elegance <-> Mr. Society

Pair Of Eyes <-> Circus Wagon

Former Kings <-> Circus Animals

Rouxls Kaard <-> Jigsaw Bob & Tutorial Masters

Rudolph Holiday <-> Father Alvin

Mrs. Holiday <-> Ms. Boom

The Warrior <-> Purple Guy

Milk Looker <-> Rainy

Plugboys <-> Poppups

Queen <-> Tasque Manager

Werewires <-> Werewerewires

Tasques <-> Maus

Virovirokuns <-> Ambyu Lances

Fommt <-> Mousemilliam

Sweet <-> Nubert

Capn <-> Hacker

K_K <-> Trashy 

Icon Man <-> Yes Man 1

Icon Man's Friend <-> Yes Man 2

Addisons <-> Swatchlings

Spamton <-> Swatch

Wig Robot <-> Dress Mannequin

❤️Locations❤️

Ruins <-> New Home

Snowdin <-> CORE

Waterfall <-> Hotland 

❤️Soul Order❤️

Patience <-> Bravery

Integrity <-> Perseverance

Kindness <-> Justice 

**Asriel doesn't swap roles with anyone in my AU

**Will be updated if another Deltarune chapter releases

[thehistoriangirl]

The Tides Have Veiled [Seventeen]

My lame excuse is that in my heart it's still Mermay 🤡 I'm OSOSOSOSO SORRY FOR THE DELAY I hope you like it 😭

Viktor x Fem! Reader-----/Gothic AU/Haunted Sea/---1.7K----SFW*

> MASTERLIST <- Previous // Next ->

Synopsis:  Piltover the Old has an old lighthouse that looms over an abandoned port. From the house in the wailing cliff’s edge, the lighthouse owner watches that the beacon is being lighten up each time darkness arrives, so that monsters wouldn't dare to crawl inland, or so legends say. Both buildings are haunted, maybe even the man himself, by both past and present ghosts. Surprisingly, the keeper’s work is beyond turning on the beacon every night— but the rest is on you to discover.

Chapter Summary: You finally discover who cries at the bottom of the cliff, wishing that you would've never known.

Tags and CW: Implied Thalassophobia | Mentions of Death (Drowning) | Ghosts | Body Horror | Fluff <3

Taglist: @lunar-monster @local-mr-frog @bittercyder @blissfulip @ihopeinevergetsoberr @ultimateslasherfan @beeblybub

Seventeen: And They Whispered 

Amidst the abyss he floated like a ghost, almost far enough for his silhouette to blend in with the water as if he were made of it. One of them. 

They, the ones with empty eyes whose heads tilted to the side, gills open in a perpetual inhale. Mocking defiance at your inability to belong to this world that called you so desperately. 

A congregation of death carved in grey, rubbery skin that once would’ve been smooth to the touch, now mapped with scars. Statues with piercing gazes collected at your figure, dying bubbles tearing out your throat.  

I won’t be one of them, I won’t, I won’t, I won’t.  

Your lungs felt like collapsing, vision blurred with black dots of unconsciousness that blended in with the unsurmountable bottom of the sea that now opened like a gargantuan mouth ready to devour you whole.  

Or perhaps it had already done so, and this would be your intimate hell—like all those nightmares piled up, the same hollow pression in your chest. 

You’re already one, the abyss said to you in that old, unforgiving tone of a disappointed parent.  

Is that my mother? You thought. She’s waiting for me down here.  

 Darkness pulled you under, and you felt your being tethered in a limbo where you had forgotten where salvation was and where ruination. If it was even an exit here, because , the sea’s call was always going to be there, whispering you to come home.  

Home. Such a strange word slipping out your blue lips, that now flashed golden like the halo of an angel, the ray of sunshine penetrating this abyss for it to retreat until the moon hung again in the sky.  

Golden like Viktor’s eyes: a pair of twin stars showing you the way back. Like the lighthouse that blinked, bleeding beacon. How could the currents had made you travel so far. Forever pulling you toward Piltover, toward that damned coast that would see you die one day.  

But thanks to the light you saw Viktor’s silhouette, enveloped in a whirlpool—in the whirlpool by the cliffside—, kicking desperately against the hungry waves trying to sink him in. Underwater the sound traveled different; the incorporeal echo of something that could far away, or right next to you. Distorted, broken, almost.  

Yet you could hear your name, once the velvet-like, hushed tone of his voice tore in desperation. 

Your legs kicked, arms wading, trapped in formaldehyde like those specimens in Viktor’s underground office. The even blue tone of the ocean expanding toward the infinite, fingers stretched until your cold muscles started shaking, pale and… lifeless.  

You couldn’t feel Viktor’s pull once you barely brushed his ankle. Hands frantically searching hands, both freezing cold but solid. Real. He helped you break into the surface, and you swam with him hugged against your side, his forced breathing the only thing warming up your body.  

From this angle, the face of the cliff looked cruel, damaged. Spiky rocks raising above water like rabid teeth for the foam left behind by the waves incessantly slamming against the rock, wishing it could just bend already, that it would save it more pain. The suffering that came along with survival, now in the burning feeling of your lungs every time you inhaled, the strain in your flesh that denied to give another kick, another push toward the thin coastline. 

The rocks scrapped your knees, Viktor’s arms so ready to pull you back against him once you had fallen behind thanks to a treacherous current. 

“I won’t let you go,” he breathed, rosy cheeks from the cold. “Just a few more meters. Come on. Let’s swim in sync. One, two, three—” 

There is a point where the sound is so familiar to you, that your brain mutes it, as if to tell you that there are other things you must focus on. Now, the sound of clashing waves disappeared, still with foam slipping through your fingers like that mermaid blood from the legends. Replaced by wails.  

The cry of the cliff.  

You couldn’t help yourself, looking around for that plea that broke your heart and reverberated inside your bones like a curse. The ever-present reminder that you almost fall for it. 

Between the mossy rocks the shadows drew exaggerated angles and impossible forms, but you saw it clearly. The sketch of a human life— erased and deformed by the sea, just visible in the corner of your eye, huddled in one of the makeshift caves formed by the sea. 

A ragged ball of grey and green, with long, tangled hair falling down the hollow like a twisted rope, filled with debris and algae. White-porcelain, inhuman, swollen skin showing drowned limbs folded at the wrong directions. Between the tangles of hair, you saw a human face, dark mouth opened in a desperate wail and then falling into silence, black lips not closing properly as there’s black substance coming out from them.  

She was crying, her body perpetually damp and drowned that you couldn’t distinguish her tears. All lost to the sea.  

For a moment, you wondered if her tears were the one that made the seawater so salty, if somehow you were sailing in her sorrow, a curse that didn’t let you go away from her misery. Because misery liked to drag down everything and everyone at her feet.   

You clutched Viktor closer, between a scream and a sob trapped up your throat, threating to steal your breathing. Another wave crashing against you two, sinking you, its claws wishing to drag you toward the whirlpool mere meters away. 

When you passed by the cave in the wall, you felt her watch you. White scleras contrasting against the bleak dark hair framing her deformed, violented face where the rocks may had cut her when she fell. When she jumped. Now but covered in black moss as if she were part of the cliffside wall, too.  

I won’t be one of them, you reminded yourself, the grounding sensation of sand under your feet almost making you succumb to exhaustion. To the merciless gaze of all those who had fallen at this bottomless grave, to all those monsters you were still yet to see. 

You rose to the surface, wanting to tear the waves away and part the cursed, greedy sea. You had a promise to fulfill, carrying Viktor next to you in an almost limping manner.  

You’re already one, a new voice whispered, mixed with the horrific scream of the cliff—of this woman—with her voice chords broken, the ragged, uneven sound flowing much longer than it’ll be possible to. But it was, just as it was possible for you two to survive underwater for so long.  

“Viktor,” you called, voice sore and barely above a mutter. The sand absorbed your hand while you crawl your way up toward the edge of the cliff, hoping than in this corner either the vengeful ghost could reach you, either the crying woman. “Viktor…” 

Unresponsive, Viktor’s body felt like a rag atop your body. A puppet whose strings had cut too soon. With your shaky hands it was impossible to take his pulse, and the stupid cries didn’t make possible to lean down his mouth and hear if he still breathed.  

He looked so pale, yet you weren’t ready to give up so easily. You had promised to see him again, to save him. Whatever that meant.  

You weren’t letting the sea win. 

Your eyes fluttered close, pressing your ear against his chest, your fingertips above his upper lip to catch any sign of breath. Almost laying atop him. 

“Viktor…” you whispered, your voice breaking in a shaky whisper. Please don’t leave me. The lighthouse will feel so empty; and your house even bigger without the echo of your cane through the hallways. The house will stop having its heartbeat. “Please don’t leave me.” 

His lips were the brush of a feather against your fingers, gently saying your name.  

“Viktor!” you gasped, not even thinking twice to hug him, caging him under your body while he nuzzled his nose in the crook of your neck.  

His hand soothed circles in your back, sweet nothings drowning the mournful sound you didn’t have to share with the woman today.  

“It’s you,” he mumbled, his blue lips barely opening to utter the words. Curved in the smallest, most precious of smiles.  

You leaned against him, golden eyes flashing with the vivid light of the beacon; rough fingertips cradling, memorizing every feature of your face.  

“It’s really you,” Viktor said, his breath drawing a mist cloud toward the sky. Gently, his fingers tipped your chin upwards. A silent question you were just as willing to answer.  

His lips were cold and dry, although the reason you shivered is another; for the sudden warmth running through your veins when your tongue meets his in a sheepish, slow dance that had yet to settle a rhythm.  

“It’s really me,” you couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling his lithe body under yours, pressed in all the correct places.  

Viktor cupped your cheek, elegant fingers carefully taking the rebels locks of hair to put them behind your ear in a swift motion, as if he had done this a million times before. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”  

With shaking arms, he incorporated in his forearms if only to reach your lips once again, soaking in the warmth starting to irradiate of your bodies, a shield from the upcoming cold dawn that already sketched the grey horizon. His hand held the back of your neck, fingers played with your scalp, cradling you as if you were the most precious thing in this world of twisted wonders.  

“I saw who cries in the cliff at night,” you muttered, body cuddled against him in the makeshift cave. The sky was bleeding from another newborn day, making the waves rubies and burning coals. “She saw me. And I looked at her back.” 

Viktor hugged your waist, his hands resting on your hips. Your name was uttered so softly from his lips, and you were almost going to lost yourself in his voice, in his lips. But you couldn’t. You needed to say it.  

“She looks just like me.” 

[the-bar-sinister]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you to @meerawrites for the tag!!

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1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 209 on our thesavagesabretooth account and 91 on our overlord_mordax account.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

550,775 on thesavagesabretooth and 757,869 on overlord_mordax– but the statistics are skewed on that second account because it's also used as a repository for old RP logs.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Our top most written fandoms are: Marvel (various), Resident Evil, Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Homestuck, Persona, and Metal Gear Solid

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

One (serrenedy drabble, 217 kudos)

Like a Thief in the Night (shuake smut one-shot, 178 kudos)

Recovery (serrenedy drabble, 170 kudos)

In Justice We Trust (phantomquill / blackbright longfic, 161 kudos)

Wandering Eyes (chrisker smut one-shot, 154 kudos)

bonus sixth highest

The Primrose Path to Hell (webecca smut longfic, 141 kudos)

and on our other account

Neat, Polished, Mahogany (lokius smut one shot, 1172 kudos)

Go The Fuck To Sleep (moonknight selcest smut one shot, 1,066 kudos)

Drawing The Line (octogoblin multichapter fic, 807 kudos)

Second Chances, Work to Do (Doc Ock one shot, 377 kudos)

Complicated (moonknight selfcest smut drabble, 339 kudos)

Bonus sixth highest

Games of Passion (hubernie multichapter smut fic, 276 kudos)

What I think this really displays quite clearly is the difference in reception and kudos between highly popular fandoms at their peak interaction, and smaller, older fandoms.

All of the fics in our first account are for small, well established fandoms– notably Resident Evil and Ace Attorney, and these fics were posted recently, long after the height of either series' popularity.

The fics in the second account are almost exclusively Marvel fics, a hugely popular fandom, and were all published almost immediately as the source material was airing. The Lokius fic– our highest kudos'd fic by far was posted the first day of the first episode of Loki, and was one of the first Lokius fics on AO3.

5. Do you respond to comments? 

As often as we can, but we can sometimes be slow! 

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Mmmm…. difficult question. I won't include drabbles because they tend to be ALL angst. This is hard because we tend to focus on heavy angst followed by a happy ending. The angstiest ending would probably be either our slayers fic, My Sister's Keeper (multi-chapter) which has a downbeat but hopeful ending, or our recent one-shot "Where Were You on the Night of the Murder" which doesn't end happily at all.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

Probably In Justice We Trust, which we just finished. It very much takes a hopeless and tragic situation in canon and turns it into a much happier ending. Oh but there's also The Departure of the Great Returned Soul which of course brings someone back to life….

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not as of yet, though I can imagine it in the future.

9. Do you write s.mut?

Yes, and lots of it! We tend toward very character driven or situational smut, often integrated into or alongside larger romantic works.

10. Do you write crossovers? 

Largely no, but occasionally yes. Our biggest crossover is The Departure of the Great Returned Soul, which places Bunny and Raffles in the Great Ace Attorney universe.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

Yes, we had someone ask to translate The Monster's Name Was Adam into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

We habitually co-write longfic with our partner.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

This is like asking me to choose my favorite lover. What are you, some kind of monster?

Our top most written ships are: chrisker, webbeca, weskertine, shuake, octogoblin, togafuka,

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Ugh. At this point probably Vinewood Disasters 1973, our retro era GTA V trikey fic. We want to finish it, we really do. But it keeps getting pushed off.

16. What are your writing strengths?  

We're always told we're very good at writing character voices.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Editing and typos for sure.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

We try to do it as little as possible because we're self conscious about getting it wrong.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Lord of the Rings, in 2002.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Ever???? Uhhhh….

Toss up between The Departure of the Great Returned Soul, The Primrose Path to Hell, and In Justice We Trust.

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I'm not tagging anybody because tagging makes it feel like a chore, but I am inviting all of my writer mutuals to answer these and tag us as having tagged you!

We couldn't find the questions by themselves anywhere, so we've copied them out ourselves and they're under the cut for anyone who wants to cut and paste them!

20 questions for fic writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? s.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write s.mut?

10. Do you write crossovers? 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?  

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?