#the palms you'd think were palm trees but it means power in the palm of your hands so

[secrethalos]

tagged by @blissfulalchemist ✨ to make book covers of projects using this template. i used two fic idea universes (lonestar & blaze it) and two original story ideas (the sign and bury me deep).

tagging the following people: @hauntedconfession @edricwrites @gothamrains @moonflowcr @youngsamanda @thelittlestspider and anyone who wants to do it.

[shares-a-vest]

Eddie reaches for Steve's fruity-scented shampoo - the stuff he swears he hasn't been using each and every time he stays over. He pops the cap and then the lights go out.

He screams bloody murder and drops the shampoo bottle. He kicks it and presses his palms against the nearest surfaces. One on the tiled wall, the other on the glass as he does everything to stop himself from moving his feet because, if he trips on that fucking fruity shampoo that makes Steve's hair oh-so-silky, he'll go slipping and sliding straight through the glass and into the goddamn toilet.

And he cannot die like that, buck-naked as the day he was born.

Though, if he absolutely had to die in the nude, he'd want it to be while he's railing someone six ways from Sunday...

Preferably the hunk who is bursting in through the bathroom door and waving a flashlight right in his eyes.

Steve opens the shower and reaches in to shut off the water. Eddie palms around and grips his boyfriend's wrist, impossibly warm despite now being wet.

"Are you... uh..." Steve drops the light enough from him to stop spluttering about. Eddie blinks hard, regaining enough focus to find a sly smile tugging at the corner of Steve's lips as he attempts to be serious, "Um, are you okay?"

Alright, maybe falling head-first into the toilet would have been a little less embarrassing than this: Steve staring back at him and snickering. He cups his junk and grumbles.

"Towel?" he spits, holding out one hand.

"Sorry," Steve says as he hands the brown (seriously, why do the Harrington's enjoy brown so much) towel over, "It's just you looked like you were in the middle of some naked jumping-jacks."

"Stevie, I was terrified," he retorts, drying off his arms and hands first so he can get a better grip on anything so he can safely get out of the damn shower before it becomes a fogged-up glass tomb.

But Steve places the flashlight tight under one arm and spots him, hovering one hand and placing the other on his dripping wet hip.

"I know," he soothes, now completely serious, "I was scared too."

Eddie doesn't care that he is mostly wet and that his hair is completely soaked, he goes right into Steve's strong arms, feeling his navy-blue sweater quickly dampen between them. Steve maneuvers around to stop their bodies from completely blocking their light source and hugs him tight.

"So stupid," Eddie can't help but mutter, "How am I more scared of the fucking dark than I was when I was six? Besides, how do you even lose power out here in Richie Richville?"

"Well, considering this house is surrounded by trees," Steve shrugs, "We lose power quite easily in bad weather," he pulls back enough to give a dangerously-teasing smirk considering Eddie's state of undress, "Thought you'd enjoy some candles and what-not, anyway. Doesn't Bilbo Baggins scurry around his cottage with a candlestick?"

Now it's Eddie's turn to move away as he hurriedly wraps the towel around himself - to protect his modesty. Yeah... that.

"Excuse me?" he exclaims, "He lives in a Hobbit hole, for one. And I'll have you know his home is well-lit."

"Come on!" Steve scoffs, rolling his eyes and taking his hand.

He leads them back into his bedroom, which at least has some moonlight peaking in from the windows. And yeah, now Eddie can really hear the source of the power outage. The wind outside and the trees that shroud Loch Nora sound like a goddamn tornado.

"Though I think Rivendell surely must have had some sort of electricity," he wonders aloud as he attempts to focus on something else.

"We can debate the infrastructure of Middle Earth later," Steve chuckles and promptly shoves a pair of sweatpants into his hands.

Eddie steps forward, smiling bashfully.

"You mean it?" he coos, biting the 't'.

Steve's eyes flick to his lips as he bites his own, "I can think of a few things we could do that don't involve the power being on."

Eddie opens his mouth, readying himself for a lame line about their palpable electricity that will probably make Steve laugh when the damn radio crackles.

If a physical object could be a boner-killer, it's the damn radio Steve currently has attached to his hip.

"Steeeve is the power out at your house, overrr!" Dustin screeches the moment Steve fishes it from his back pocket.

"Yes, over," Steve answers. He holds a finger up, silently asking Eddie to wait as they make no attempt to move an inch from each other's personal space, "I'mfine-okaygoodbye!"

He clicks the radio off completely and tosses it on his dresser, paying no mind to the fact it sends his Little League trophy toppling onto the carpet.

[stilestheabominablesnowman]

Tyler with an s/o that controls plants, they're definitely a pothead, so Tyler asks Thornhill to keep them "I mean look at them, are they really that evil? What can they possibly do?" And the camera cuts to reader who is drinking their hot coco and smiles over at them and waves. Come on I think Tyler with a pothead would be funny

Keep Them - Tyler Galpin

summary: Tyler with a s/o that controls plants

warning: none

GNl!Reader

A/N: Send more Tyler requests! Smut requests are accepted. Lmk if you want a part 2 with Angst, smut or fluff.

At first, all Tyler was to you was the cute barista at the weathervane. But he memorized your order, Hot coco, heavy on the whipped cream, and sat with you. He asked you questions, like how your day was a Nevermore, what you thought of your classes. He complemented you constantly. And when you accidentally burned your tongue and ended up causing vines to crawl up the sides of the booth, he wasn't freaked out or repulsed. He thought it was beautiful.

He was amazed by the lengths of your abilities. Your 6th time at the weathervane, he asked you on a date.

"Go out with me? I'll take you on a picnic or something. Somewhere nice and cozy."

How could you say no to him? He was by far one of the cutest and sweetest men you'd ever met. And he wasn't disgusted by you.

So you found youself sitting infront of his car, on a blanket at the edge of the woods.

He knew you found the wood comforting somehow, maybe it was a guess based on your power.

You sat for hours talking, until the sun was going down. You even created a flower in the palm of your hand to give to him.

He called you beautiful, and drove you back to Nevermore, before you got out of the car, he kissed you goodbye. That night was the beginning of a blooming relationship.

He soon discovered the little things about you, like how you grew your own pot in your dorm, and smoked it every day. He was surprised by that considering he thought you were just naturally a goofy person, but he quickly found out that you were just a pot head.

There wasnt a time where you weren't at least a little bit high. He thought it was the funniest thing in the world, expecially when you got super high and started complaining about hearing the trees cry.

For some reason he believed you on that.

You thought it was strange when he begun hanging around Miss Thornhill, but you only ever saw them at the Weathervane so you thought he was just being friendly.

This lead to now, Tyler is sitting with Miss Thornhill and you sit on the other end of the cafe.

"You've got to drop Y/N, They aren't good for you. You know all outcasts are evil." She insists.

"Look at them, are they really that evil? What can they possibly do?" Tyler says, and looks to you. Miss Thornhills eyes follow his to you, and you sip on your coco and wave enthusiastically at them. He smiles and waves back.

Miss thornhill, scowls. "Fine. You can keep them."

[the-snake-and-the-statue]

"Okay.... is EVERYONE okay....?" Sammy says after a few moments. He does a headcount... yep, everyone's in there. Except, obviously, Ramona. The dragons back off, either terrified of all the people or understanding space is needed. In the distance, Mytha, Sylvia, Celio, and several other dragons flee the forest to avoid the uprooting and falling trees.

Nova continues to hug Switch and sob into Vaga's shoulder as he stares at the ground, vision blurry with tears. Achilles glances up as the lights flicker slightly... despite his silent cries, his expression remains stoic.

Odette collapses into one of the stables, willing themselves to not cry as they hold their wound... several dragons surround them, acting as something semi-soft to lay on. Samuel hands them some bandages, which they gladly accept yet only stare at.

No one else speaks for a while, as the ground continues to tremble and the sounds of destruction occur above the cave. People tend to each other's wounds, offer comfort where they can, yet it all happens terrified silence.

Finally, Samuel gets up.

"Now why the fuck are YOU here??" He jabs a finger in Slyn's direction, who's sitting against the wall and staring outside.

"What do you mean, why am I here?! It's a fucking earthquake Samuel, I'm allowed to take cover!!"

Samuel laughs angrily. "Hah- what happened to being 'above all the others, going wherever you please'? Huh? 'Cause I know DAMN well you of all people wouldn't willingly come to the 'shitty dirty stables' with all of us workers. Why don't you go back up to comfort and admire your wife, hm?"

A threatened hissing emits from Slyn's crossed arms. "You think I'm stupid?! She WILLINGLY TOOK OFF HER VEIL. I'm not getting in the way of that, you don't realize how bad it is when she lets you see under that thing, much less takes it off fully. She just.. needs to cool off."

Every word pisses Samuel off more, and he starts slowly walking towards Slyn. His palms are still caked in his own blood, covered in freshly-healed wounds where his claws sunk into his own flesh.

"You really are a FUCKING coward, you know that?"

Slyn's eyes darken.

"There's that look again. You're so fucking pathetic, I hope you know. You're only in power 'cause you broke your back riding Hexe's dick to the point she knew you'd do ANYTHING she said. You decide the best way to flaunt this power is abuse and beat the living shit out of everyone in this room for fun, MULTIPLE TIMES. But now, since you know you're probably gonna die at BEST if you spend any time around her while she throws tantrums, suddenly you're insistent you're in the same room as us. Why. 'Cause you're 'human'? You damn don't act like it."

They're inches away.

"That's fucking ENOUGH Samuel-"

"Ohhhhh no. Ohhhhhohohohohoho no, I'll decide when I'm done saying what I've been hanging onto for, what, 7-ish years? Almost 8? Something like that, whatever. ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT, SLYN. ALL OF THIS-"

He motions at Mocha's broken arm, Vaga and Nova's panic, Odette's cracked torso, and more.

"- IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT! AND GUESS WHAT, NOT JUST EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM- ALSO THE ONES WE LOST!!"

He counts off his fingers.

"Icia?? GONE. Dunite?? GONE. And now Ramona? FUCKING GONE!!! I wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason Ramiro was gone too- hell maybe if you didn't fall for Hexe and actually helped us overthrow her and take her power, he'd be back here today! Then none of us would have to suffer, especially them-"

He motions furiously at Mirobelle's mirror, Alex, Switch, and Yume.

"- 'Cause you know what? THEY NEVER GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE PARADISE THIS FUCKING TORTURE CHAMBER DISGUISED AS A KINGDOM USED TO BE!! AND NOW THEY PROBABLY NEVER WILL, BECAUSE OF YOU!!!"

Slyn stands up, shoving Samuel out of his space. "THIS ISNT ALL MY FAULT!!! If your smooth fucking brain can't remember right, YOU AND VAGA SIDED WITH ME AT FIRST! AND AKLATAN, AND MOCHA!! THIS IS AS MUCH YOUR FAULT AS IT IS MINE!!"

Oh, how that was the wrong thing to say. Samuel looks like he's going to blow a gasket. Vaga covers his ears tighter.

"You realize none of us ever agreed with you, right? NONE OF US looked at you and Hexe and were like 'Oh yeah, I want to fight for a life of walking on eggshells and being punished for even looking at someone the wrong way', THAT WAS DRIVEN BY FEAR! WE WERE ALL SCARED TO DEATH OF WHAT YOU'D DO TO US!! WAS IT RIGHT?! NO, BUT WITH WHAT HEXE AND YOU DID TO ICIA AND ACHILLES IT DAMN SEEMED LIKE THE BETTER CHOICE- NONE OF US WANTED TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND HER, ABSOLUTELY NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US!!"

Blood once again drips from Samuel's palms as he tries to not beat the shit out of Slyn right then and there.

"So I say it again. You are a pathetic, pathetic man Slyn. You're a goddamn COWARD and Ramiro would be SO DISAPPOINTED IF HE SAW YOU NOW!!!"

A harsh punch suddenly lands on Samuel's face, forcing him to stumble back as red drips down his face. He stares at Slyn for moment before swinging back, the blow slamming him into the wall.

The two don't get far, before several dragons attempt to pull them apart. Slyn already has a black eye and half his snakes are almost dead crushed, ripped away from Samuel's throat (which is now littered in bite marks).

"SAMUEL, MAKE YOUR BEASTS UNHAND ME BEFORE I KILL THEM ALL!!!" Slyn screams, thrashing violently.

"You keep bucking around like that and they'll confuse the rest of your fingers for food," Samuel shoots back, throwing the crushed snakes at Slyn's feet. Before either can spit yet another insult, however, a gentle tapping sound directs their attention to Mirobelle, who's finally emerged from her mirror. She's covered in soot, dust and grime with teary eyes.

"..... the quake is over...." she whispers. "Many things are destroyed but... it all happened mostly in the throne room."

Samuel's anger subsides as he glances down... the ground is no longer shaking. The lights aren't flickering.

Everyone is safe.

"... thanks Miro.... do you know if any of... 'her' stuff is salvageable?"

"I will do my best to find something while cleaning.... there is no guarantee though. I.... I would assume it is all gone."

A heavy silence fills the room.

"What about Ramona's room?"

His braid wraps around his throat, though not tightening. As if it's a warning.

".... I mean 'her' room."

The braid eases a bit.

"I would suspect it is now barred off, but I need to check."

Sammy nods. He was expecting that.

"Thanks Miro.... now as for you." He redirects his attention to Slyn, who's staring down at the ground with a subtle look of... shame? Samuel couldn't care less.

"Get the fuck out of my stables. Traitor."

Slyn swiftly leaves, not even bothering to slam the heavy wooden doors behind him before ascending into the damaged halls.

After Slyn is gone it seems as if Samuel's rage has finally faded, as well as his energy and mental state. He looks around at everyone, looking like he's trying to hide tears that threaten to breach his eyes.

"Sorry about that.... you all can stay as long as you want, there's more medical stuff in my room and some blankets, I'm just... gonna make sure my dragons are okay."

He glances in Alexander's direction, though avoiding his eye, before walking outside and wrapping his arms around Mytha.

Sylvia trots inside and lays her head on Aklatan's lap, softly growling.

Mirobelle hugs both twins, softly singing a French lullaby to soothe them.

Achilles goes into Samuel's room and leaves with a small dagger, leaving the stables as well.

As for Odette, they continue to lie against the dragons that nuzzle close and are still rattled by the earthquake. They look around at everyone before closing their eyes, a tear falling down their face.

Achilles was right, they think bitterly. Nothing good ever stays good in this place.

[crystiesong]

Magic Madness

It was a nice day outside and unfortunately for Robin, that meant training. The training for this day took place outside in the front yard. Robin and Willa were on a flat dirt platform just off the main path to the house; Sam, Aster, Alex and Andy were on some fallen trees just off to the side of the platform, eagerly watching.

"Are you just going to sit there and watch me?" Robin questioned.

"We're learning, just the same as you are" Aster pointed out.

"You can't even use magic"

The young teen shrugged "Then it's free entertainment"

Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes and he turned to face his mentor. Willa clapped her hands together, signifying the lesson had begun.

"Today's lesson will focus on the different types of magic in our world"

The older wizard spun her staff around and twelve orbs appeared in the air. They were all different colours and had different symbols on them. Robin had seen these symbols before; they were on the walls of that trial room back in New York.

"There are many types of magics and sub-types but to many magical beings, there are only twelve"

Willa slowly waved her wand over each orb, naming them on the way. The red orb represented Fire; the orange orb represented Strength; the yellow orb represented Light; the green orb represented Nature; the teal orb represented Healing; the light blue orb represented Air; the dark blue orb represented Water; the purple orb represented Mind; the pink orb represented Spirit; the brown orb represented Earth; the gray orb represented Shadow and the rainbow orb represented Shifter.

Willa swirled her staff around the orbs began slowly moving in a circle.

"Each type of magic has its own quality and are each used in their own different ways"

The older wizard looked over at Robin with a piercing look "Each type of magic can be used for good but they can also be used for evil. No magic is inherently good or bad, no matter what you think"

Robin wanted to argue why she was specifically looking at him when saying that but he knew arguing would get him nowhere.

"Moving on I believe it's time for a little demonstration", the older wizard's staff glowed with a green light and a tree grew beneath her feet, raising her into the sky. Robin scoffed; now she was showing off.

"Take my type for example; Nature. Now Nature does what you'd think it does, it grows plants and anything that can grow from the earth naturally" Willa explained, letting the tree sink back under the ground and stepping onto the platform.

"Like any type of magic, nature has weaknesses. It is weak to fire and air magic. This means beings who have those types of magic will deal more damage to nature users. It also means that when a nature being uses those types of magic spells those spells will be weaker"

"But enough about my type of magic, let's move onto yours"

Now that caught Robin's attention.

"Light magic is quite a powerful type, being one of the oldest types of magics other than the primal magics" Willa explained

The young wizard opened his mouth to ask something but Willa cut him off "I'll explain primal magics another time"

Clearing her throat, Willa began again "Light magic lets a being shape the light around them, often using it to mould light a physical thing"

She then looked over at Robin "Give it a try. Make something small"

Robin thought about taking out his wand but opted to use his bare hands instead.He wanted to practise using magic wandless so this was as good a time as any other. Concentrating on his hands, Robin felt his magic flow and his hands began glowing with a yellow aura.

The aura eventually faded and a golden heart floated above his palms. It wasn't a realistic heart, it was one of those cartoon hearts you often saw. It glistened in the sunlight and bobbed up and down. He heard a collective 'aww' coming from his friends and he couldn't help but glare over at them from the corner of his eye.

Willa hummed in approval "Small but effective"

She examined her staff which was glowing again "While light is powerful, every magic has a weakness; except healing but we'll get to that another time"

Aiming her staff in Robin's direction, she shot out a small gray beam which sent him flying onto his back. While the beam didn't hurt that much, it did still sting and left him winded. He looked up to see Willa holding out a hand for him. He took the hand and was hoisted back to his feet.

The older wizard whispered into his ear "Make sure you keep practising your magic wandless. Just in case another incident happens"

Robin nodded in understanding, briefly glancing over at Sam. The older wizard walked over to the other side of the platform and faced Robin.

"Time for a small challenge. all I ask you to do is hit me with one of my weaknesses. Just a small touch and that's it. If you manage to do that then Sam will do all the chores today; if you lose you'll have to do all the chores today" she announced.

"Hey. I never agreed to this" Sam protested. Willa dismissed Sam's protests and focused on Robin.

"You may start when you're ready"

Not feeling too confident with his hands with other types of magic, he opted to use his wand this time.

Raising his wand into the air, the young wizard sent a strong current of wind in Willa's direction. The older wizard raised a wall of earth in front of her, blocking Robin's attack. Robin scowled and ran forward, tapping his wand to his shoes to activate his light steps. Stepping on the air, Robin leapt over the wall and landed on the other side. Willa was nowhere to be seen.

Before he could act, Robin felt something slam into his side, sending him flying. His back hits the earth wall which crumbles away, letting Robin fall to the ground. When his vision stopped spinning, Robin saw Willa standing over him, twirling her staff, looking unimpressed.

"Come on Robin, I know you're better than this. Where's your fighting spirit? Are you just going to give up already?" she commented, looking down at him with such disappointment.

Something inside Robin snapped and a growl emanated from his throat. The young wizard leapt to his feet and grabbed onto Willa's arm in a flash. Focusing his magic into his hands, Robin let his hands burn with a raging fireball. The spell didn't last long as Willa threw him away, the young wizard landing on the dirt. This time Robin didn't have the energy to get up, preferring to lay on the ground panting. He lay there for a while, trying to get back his breath and his magic.

Eventually Willa came into his line of sight. She had no injuries on her although there was a visible burned patch of her sleeve. She knelt down and helped him to stand, putting an arm around his waist.

"You did well. I admire your speed and your magic definitely packs a punch" she stated, giving him a proud smile. Robin couldn't help but blush. 

The others came over as well, congratulating him on his win; even Sam who didn't seem that bothered about having to do chores. The young gargoyle took Robin, letting him lean against his side. Robin felt bad since he knew Sam didn't like physical touch but he was the one that volunteered so he must've been somewhat alright with it.

"How are you able to use magic without a wand? Every wizard I've met has always needed to use a wand" Sam questioned.

Robin shrugged "I'm not too sure. It's only a recent thing as before the beginning of the year I always used my old wand but ever since just before my birthday things changed"

That had Willa humming in thought, fingers tapping against her staff. "That is unusual. Wizards and even witches can't use magic without their wands; if they do it slowly burns up their magic and if they use it too much they can lose their magic altogether. I can use magic without my staff but that's because I've been practising for hundreds of years"

She glanced over at Robin with suspicion in her eyes "Are you sure you're seventeen?"

"Uh yeah, I'm pretty sure. Maybe I'm just a lucky one" Robin stated with a shrug.

Willa kept staring at him but with a different expression. Robin didn't know exactly what that expression was but it felt like a knowing expression; like she knew something that he didn't. If she knew something then why didn't she tell him?

The older wizard clapped her hands together, looking over the group.

"Okay. That's the lesson over for today. Who wants ice-cream?"

Cheers were heard all around, especially Sam and Aster (those two had serious sweet tooths).

Everyone headed inside and Sam slowly headed after them.

"You doing alright?" the young gargoyle asked.

Robin let out a grunt but nodded "I'm fine. I think Willa was just a bit harsher than she should've been with a child"

Sam let out a small chuckle. Robin gave a small smile but couldn't help but glare in the direction Willa had gotten.

"What's wrong?" Sam inquired.

"There's something Willa's not telling me. It's in her eyes; she knows something" Robin explained, trying to not let his irritation take over.

"Willa's quite old, I'm sure she's learned many secrets over the years, some that we couldn't even begin to comprehend" Sam countered.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Well, let's head inside so you can get some ice-cream I know you're dying to have" Robin stated, giving Sam a sly smirk.

Sam spluttered and Robin couldn't help but laugh as they entered the house.

[colormepurplex2]

Fickle Flame | Blood In The Air

↳  OT7 x FemOC | OT7 x OT7 ⤜ Enemies/Lovers ⤜ Rating: MA 🔞 ⤜ WC: 6,255 ⚠️ Sexual content, minor injury, kidnapping w/use of non-con drug

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The sky is beginning to turn a darker shade of blue as the two figures hike the remaining trail into the upper ven. By the time they reach the glade their shadows are stretching long on the ground and the first stars are starting to appear in the east. The great maple is just ahead in the center of the glade, surrounded by wildflowers of all colors. Warren glances over at his companion, his eyes taking in the small beads of perspiration on her neck. The day was warm, the heat still lingering, and will for hours into the night. He shifts his pack to his other shoulder and reaches out and takes her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Thanks for coming up here with me, it really means a lot having you here. I'm kind of nervous."

"You're welcome. I just want to see how ridiculous you look with the facultas." Shayne smirks and cuts her eyes at him.

The facultas is a part of the ritual of becoming a tribal leader among humans. It's a collection of symbols that imbues the wearer with strength and power, or so the elders say. The world has been in chaos for many decades, long before either of them was born, ever since the vampires came out of hiding. It didn't go over so well, for anyone- vampire or human. There was a worldwide retaliation and manhunt, or rather a vampire hunt. People, humans, came out in droves and assembled military units to massacre the 'monsters'. But, oh boy did it not go as planned. Vampires are otherworldly, pure power, and relentless in protecting themselves. It was a bloodbath in more ways than one, the human population dwindled almost instantly. They became the minority, the outcasts... the prey. Humans eventually created tribes and clans, moving about in the shadows, forever trying to escape the inevitable fate of being food. They brought it on themselves, really, their cruelty sealing their own fate.

"If I look ridiculous it will be your fault."

"Well, damn...I guess you're right," she laughs.

His hand still gripping hers, he pulls her closer and slips his arm over her shoulders. "I have faith in you, though." The heat from her body radiates under his arm, his palm resting on her bare shoulder where the flesh is slick with sweat. She slips her arm up under his pack and around his waist, her thumb tucking into the top of the side of his jeans.

As they approach the giant tree, the sun sinks below the horizon. They slip off their shoes and begin climbing the lower branches. High in the eaves of the tree is a platform with high walls that blend into the branches. Shayne is the first to approach the platform, she reaches up and pushes against the hinged door that would give them access to the platform. She lets out an exasperated sigh as the door only budges a few inches.

"This thing is heavier than I thought it would be."

"Here, let me try." Warren steps up onto the branch next to the one Shayne's on, extending his arm and gives a push against the door. His reach isn't quite long enough, the door just bouncing in place.

"You need to be closer. Here, put your foot on my branch and I'll stabilize you," she offers, holding her hands out. He places his foot between hers on the branch and leans into her, her hands move up to grab fistfuls of his shirt. He shoves the door up and it resounds with an echoing thud as it swings open against the platform. He steps back, her grip releasing from his shirt.

"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

She tosses her pack up through the opening then grips the edge. Pushing off from the branch she levers herself up to her waist. She struggles slightly, barely managing to finally pull her legs up. "You'd think they'd have a better way to get in here," she shakes her head with a rueful smile.

He chuckles from below. "If any of this were easy, then it wouldn’t be as fun."

Once she clears the opening, he grips the edge and follows her up. She sits back and watches as he pulls himself through. Making note of the way his back muscles bunch and pull against his black tank top and how the dark hair at the nape of his neck is slightly damp, beads of sweat tracing a path down before disappearing below his neckline.

Once through, he drops the door back into place. The last light of day slips away and the disorientation of night settles in around them. They both stay silent for a few heartbeats, letting the night come to life in the darkness. Crickets and frogs begin a subtle song that adds to the gentle rustle of leaves and the odd twig snapping in the distance.

"We should light some candles," Shayne's voice breaks the silence.

They dig around in their bags, pulling out some large tallow candles. Warren strikes a light stick against the floor, it flares brightly, and then the single flame dances at the end. He quickly sets to lighting the wicks. The handful of candles throw their silhouettes across the wooden walls, the light distorting as it illuminates the tree and branches overhead.

"It's so peaceful, I wish we could just stay here," Shayne whispers, looking around slowly.

"Live in a tree? Sounds like the perfect life. I'll be Tarzan and you can be Jane." He laughs and she shakes her head, a smile playing on her lips. They found an old Tarzan picture book once, the pages were really faded and some were stuck together but they would spend hours examining the pages they could and making up the parts of the story they couldn’t read.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" She inquires as she starts to pull the rest of her things out of her pack. She pushes her bedroll to the side and pulls out small jars of red paste, a leather glove, and a wrapped packet.

"Of course, anything." He replies as he begins to also unpack his bag.

"Are you scared?" Her words hang in the air.

He stops, his hand still inside his bag. He lets out a heavy breath and his posture wilts slightly. He sits back and meets her gaze, his eyes searching her face. "I'm terrified." He pulls his knees up and rests his arms atop them, his face unreadable.

"I didn't mean...I-"

"No, it's fine. I need to face that. We should get started soon, it will take a while to complete the facultas," he says, his voice sounding suddenly weary.

She nods and grabs the jars of paste and the packet then approaches where he is sitting on the platform.

"Would you rather stand or sit?" In response, he pats the floor in front of him. She kneels and sets the jars off to the side, the packet she places beyond the jars.

"What's that?" He asks, nodding to the packet.

"Just...something for later."

He grunts softly in reply, his brows bunching as his demeanor darkens. She takes a deep breath and opens the first jar. The stinging metallic smell of the blood paste fills the air between them. He pulls off his top and tosses it to the side, revealing his glistening chest and stomach.

"Let's get this done with." He sits up straight, his arms hanging at his sides.

She moves closer, between his knees. The flames from the candles make the shadows on his face dance. Slipping on the leather glove, she dips her fingers into the jar and begins working on the facultas, her fingers trailing over his chest. It consists of sweeping arches and jagged lines, each line representing a path the warrior must take in life. The blood paste makes his skin tingle and burn slightly. His chest rises and falls under her fingers as they trace the lines that she had practiced for weeks on end leading up to this moment, just for him... for this. She works late into the night, perfecting each line along his torso and shoulders. As she makes the last stroke along his left shoulder, he goes to pull away but she gestures for him to stop.

"I have... there is something else, please." He stares up at her, seeing the moisture building in her eyes, and relaxes back into place. She dips her fingers into the jar one more time and in the middle of his chest, where no lines cross, she makes a sweeping half-circle with radiating lines then an upward stroke and a lazy downward turn. "There."

"What is this?" He knows the pattern for the facultas and this is not part of it.

She sits back on her heels, her gaze dropping to the floor between them. "It's a combination of infinity and passion. Geo taught me, he said it would help support the facultas and if nothing else, let us share something a little more private... something just for us. You're the first to receive this mark and I'm the first to give it." As much as she fights it, tears slide down her cheeks and drip from her chin, her bottom lip trembling.

He reaches out with a thumb and brushes her chin, removing the tears gathered there. "What..."

She shakes her head and grabs the packet. "This is for you." She sets it down before him and stands, walking as far away as the small space will allow, her back to him. She hears the wrapping rustle and tear. She can feel his presence behind her before he places his hand on her shoulder and turns her to face him. Their eyes meet and then hers drop down, taking in the leather vest he now wears.

"You know, only true warriors are supposed to wear these. I wasn't supposed to receive this until I returned," he fingers the worn leather, his eyes momentarily going to the stitched symbol on the right panel, the symbol for a tested warrior.

"I know that but I also know you are already a true warrior... to me."

He pulls her close, his arms wrapping around her. He murmurs into her hair "Thank you for believing in me."

Her hands come up to rest on his hips. "I've always believed in you and I always will."

He pulls away slightly, the absence of his flesh against her makes her realize how much of the paste has transferred to her. Her flesh is flushed and tingly even through her shirt. "This stuff kind of burns. How can you stand it?"

He smiles. "It goes numb after a while."

She reaches up and pinches his left nipple between her right index finger and thumb. "Feel that?" He jumps slightly and laughs. She pinches a little harder.

"Oww, okay, that I felt."

She laughs, her eyes gaining a devilish twinkle. He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her against his chest, causing more paste to get on her. "Hey, that's not even fair! I worked hard on those." She pushes against his chest trying to pull away. He wraps his other arm around her, pinning her against him.

"You're not going anywhere," there is a husky tone to his voice, almost raw. She squirms against him but she's held fast. She turns her face up, her eyes locking with his. There is a passion shining in his eyes that she has never seen before, something deeper and more vulnerable. Warren has always been a man of masks, ever stoic and unreadable unless he really wants you to see beneath the surface. She stops struggling against him and her heart begins to hammer inside her chest. She watches as a bead of sweat slips down his left temple, she swallows hard against the growing ache in her chest.

Her lips part and start to form a word but his mouth against hers silences anything she was about to say. His lips part, his hot breath mingling with hers. His tongue tentatively traces the inside of her top lip. Her hands snake up, fingers threading through his hair pulling his face closer. Her lips crush against his, tongue pushing into his mouth.

He moans softly against her mouth and pulls her tighter against him. She shifts her hips, grinding against him. His hands roam over her back, down to her hips, his fingertips sliding beneath the waistband of her jeans. His right hand moves down past the denim and cups her ass, fingers digging into her supple flesh. His grip on her ass tightens as he pushes his hips against hers, harder. She can feel a bulge growing between them. Breaking away from the kiss, Shayne's breath comes in small gasps. She licks her lips, his taste lingering there, as she looks up and meets his eyes.

"Please." Her voice is breathy, light. Her chest heaving against his, her breasts crushed against his paint-smeared front threatening to spill out of the top of her shirt. He pulls his hand from her jeans and grabs the bottom of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head, tossing it to the side. Warren takes a moment to marvel at her. Despite the countless times they've been intimate, the sight of her still takes his breath away. Years spent training and trying to survive have given her lean muscle but she still manages to somehow be soft in all the right places. "You should get comfortable," she whispers softly.

Placing her hands on his shoulders she gently pushes him down to kneel before her. She takes a step forward, her feet to either side of him, and pushes him down further until he's laying flat and she is standing over him. She steps to the side, his eyes following her every move. "Your pants, take them off," she commands and he obliges.

She strips her own pants off and moves to stand back over him again, feet to either side of his hips. Gazing down at him, she smiles. Kneeling down, her knees go to either side of his waist, being mindful not to settle too quickly and cause him discomfort. Her ass comes to rest against his bulge making him groan softly. She takes his hands one by one and places them on her breasts, pushing them against her. His fingers knead the soft flesh, his eyes roaming over her exposed body. Her hands move behind her back to undo the tie on her bra. It falls loose against his hands, he quickly discards it before putting his hands back to work. He begins massaging and squeezing lightly, periodically pinching her nipples. Moving slowly, rocking against him, Shayne rubs her ass over his now fully erect length still contained within his boxers.

She can feel him slip free through the flap in the front. His breath catches as she rocks again, her wet panties gliding over him, a little giggle escaping her. He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, drawing in a ragged breath. She leans down, placing her hands on either side of his neck, and presses her lips against his. Warren opens his mouth in welcome, drawing her in hungrily. His hands slip from her breasts, roaming over her sides coming to rest on her hips. He grips them tightly, fingers digging in. She voices a soft cry against his mouth and answers in kind with a sharp rock of her hips.

His hands on her hips stop her rocking for a moment, taking one hand he slips it between them and pulls her panties to the side. He can feel the heat of her body radiating around him as he slowly trails his fingers through her folds. Pushing slightly, one finger slides into her with ease. Her body shudders above him and she pulls away from the kiss, whining at the sensation. His finger slides in further and she squeezes her eyes closed, his name escaping her in a soft moan. This drives him to push his finger deeper, her lips parting with another soft cry.

Slowly removing his finger, it comes away slick with her arousal. Warren reaches down and rubs his finger over the tip of his length, mixing her moisture with his own until he's glistening wetly. With the hand still on her hip, he slowly pushes her back, his other hand gripping his shaft as he guides himself to her waiting core.

"Look at me," his voice ragged, his breathing labored. Her eyes slowly open, searching his face, taking in every detail. Gazing into her eyes he pushes her back further, his thick length beginning to slide into her warm wetness. With every inch she takes in, her body protests until he's bottomed out. Her face twists into a grimace of pain, but she bites her bottom lip and savors the stretch.

A breathy moan parts her lips and she starts to pull away, his length sliding out a little at a time. He pushes her back down, a little harder this time knowing she likes when he takes control of her movements. He pulls his hand out from between them and places it on her other hip, mimicking the tight grip he has with his other hand.

With a measured rhythm, he begins to move her along his length, his own hips rising and falling, alternating with hers. The pain on her face recedes and is replaced by a look of ecstasy. She leans back into his motion, her body rising and falling against him. She can feel him plunging into her, a slow fire building low in her body.

"Warren," she whines his name softly, her eyes drinking him in. She loves watching him lose himself. Ever since they were children she knew she wanted to be a part of his life. They grew to love each other, always looking out for one another. The first time they snuck away from camp they could barely stop giggling long enough to awkwardly go through the motions. They had fumbled their way through it, only to steal away the next night to do it all over again. Over time they learned everything about each other, every little thing that made the other tick.

"You're so perfect," he breathes out. He takes in the way she tilts her head slightly, her unruly dark red curls swept back from her neck and down her back. He could and has spent hours tracing the pattern of freckles across her shoulders and chest. Despite the rough life they live, he couldn't imagine life being any better than it is right now.

He thrusts up hard one final time then pulls her up and lets his length slide all the way out with an audible wet plop. She looks startled, her brow furrowing. "Is something wrong? I was so close."

He smiles, his chest heaving. "No, I just want this to last." He gently pushes her over onto her back and rolls so he's kneeling over her. He leans down, placing his right elbow above her shoulder, his face inches from hers. She can feel his warm breath against her cheek with every breath he exhales. He slips his left arm down and hooks his elbow under her right knee, lifting it up and opening her to him.

He glances down between them and moves his hips forward guiding himself toward her. She moans softly as the tip, slick with their mingled arousal, pushes against her before sliding in. Her body quivers under him as he slides further in, a soft squelching sound comes from where their bodies are connected, a testament to their combined arousal. As his hips press against hers he kisses her softly, letting her body adjust to the new position. He pulls back a little then thrusts forward, his hips meeting hers again, earning a muffled moan shared between them.

Her hands find their way to his back, slipping under the leather of his vest. With each thrust, her nails dig into his flesh leaving red welts in their wake. He forcefully thrusts harder and harder, each time their hips meet makes them both moan softly. Her left hand slides down to grip his ass, he breaks away from their kiss with a hiss as her nails bite into his skin.

Shayne arches her back forcing her breasts against him, further smearing the facultas. Her neck is exposed to him, he leans down and nips at the soft skin, teeth leaving a mark. She turns her head to the side to give him further access. He greedily takes the offer and bites her neck harder, she moans wantonly in response. "Shh, not too loud," he warns softly before he places a kiss where his teeth had marred her neck, sucking the soft skin between his lips.

"Fuck, Warren," she breathily moans. The sound of her whining his name triggers something within him, igniting a fire in his soul. He trails wet kisses from her neck to her lips, which are red and swollen from their previous passions. Her nails dig further into his skin sending flashes of pleasure through him which only made him push harder. He starts to thrust with wild abandon, their bodies colliding with a force that makes the platform sway in the treetop. The air is filled with the soft sounds of their shared moans and of slick skin against skin.

He can feel her body begin to tense and knows the edge is near, he gives himself over to their need and with one final thrust he empties himself within her. The force of his cumming pushes her body over the edge and she joins him in release. He can feel her pulsating around him, her body greedily pulling him in. Their lips finally part with equally ragged breaths.

As the last of the quivers settle through his body, he slowly pulls back. She groans as his presence leaves her, the pain of their endeavors making itself known. He shifts over, letting his side rest against the platform. He pulls her against him, his arms wrapping around her. Their legs still intertwined as she rests her head against his chest, heedless of the smeared paste still there, body too numb to care. She can hear his thundering heartbeat, it makes her smile.

No words are needed right now. If anything they may have been a little too loud as it is. The night can be dangerous and even though vampires have never been spotted in the upper ven, it's always good to be cautious.

Shayne feels safe, despite the turmoil in the world beyond their little bubble. Throughout the years of chaos and fear, they have each been a constant beacon of hope for one another. Warren kisses her forehead and squeezes her gently, an unspoken 'I love you'. As they drift off to sleep, they both share the same thought, that this is how life is meant to be spent... safe, loved, and happy.

The morning heat is sticky and oppressive. As Shayne sits up she squints into the brightness coming from the horizon. She sighs happily, her mind drifting back to last night. She opens her mouth to tell Warren good morning but snaps it shut realizing she's alone on the platform. Her shoulders fall, heart thudding anxiously as she looks around. She knew he would be leaving but she had hoped to at least get to say goodbye before he started his journey, before beginning his test to become a tribe leader.

She takes a deep breath and reaches for her discarded clothes. As she shifts, the crinkle of paper halts her actions. She searches around, finding a little slip of folded paper among the blankets Warren had eventually wrapped them in during the night. With trembling fingers, she unfolds the paper revealing a small message scrawled in Warren's blocky handwriting.

Shayne,

There is so much I want to say yet mere words seem terribly inadequate to describe just what you mean to me. Even actions seem to pale in comparison, though the one act that I can think might be enough is me making it back to you. I will come back, I will find you. Please be safe.

My heart calls out for you always,

Warren

Shayne closes her eyes, crumpling the paper against her chest as she fights back the tears. It's only temporary. He'll come back, he has to. She smooths out the paper, carefully folding it back up, and slips it into a small pouch inside of her bag.

She pulls on her clothes, grimacing at the flakey blood paste still covering her chest. If she's lucky she can stop at the ford and wash off on her way back to the main camp. The next move shouldn't be for another two days but the hike back into the lower ven takes at least a day and a half, she'll have to hurry. As terrible as it is, tribes have no qualms with leaving people behind if they're not back in the main camp when it comes time to move. Movement means safety and if someone is lax enough to be absent then the entire tribe won't jeopardize their own safety for them. No one would expect them to either, everyone knows the risks.

Before leaving with Warren her mother had begged her to not go, fearing she might not make the trip back in time. Shayne had promised both her mom and her little sister that she would return in time and if for some reason she couldn't then she would find them somehow.

It doesn't take long for her to gather her belongings. Warren took most of the candles, he would be needing them on his journey. Shayne half wishes he would have confided in her what exactly the warrior journey entails but he was adamantly tight lipped about it. It was something only men were allowed to know, the knowledge and path passed down from generation to generation. Warren's dad, the leader of their tribe, had agreed last summer that this year Warren would go out and fulfill his destiny in order to take a place among the council.

Even though the tribe is constantly on the move, moving around as nomads from place to place, the destinations are mapped out by the council months in advance in accordance with the weather and resources. Lincoln, his father, had shared with him the locations for the next three months. That was all the time he would be given to complete his test, if it took more than three months then it wasn't even worth coming back because he would be considered weak in the eyes of the elders.

Shayne slings her bag on her back and heaves the hatch door open, she strains against the weight but manages to hold it in place long enough to drop down to the branch below the platform. The hatch door drops with a thud that echoes out into the grove. She silently curses herself, her eyes shifting quickly across her surroundings, breath held. Once she is sure the noise didn't catch the attention of anything she makes haste down the tree and snags her boots, tugging them on.

She checks the location of the sun, gauging the time and resolving to move as quickly as she can. She presses her fingertips to her lips and then presses her hand to the trunk of the maple before moving toward the trailhead that would take her back into the lower ven.

It's not long before her skin is slick with sweat, the sweltering heat of summer is made even worse thanks to the thick humidity in the air. The added moisture mixes with the flakey, dried paste on her front, making it even more uncomfortable and reigniting the burn from the mixture. She finds herself swiping across her forehead with the back of her hand every few steps. Knowing how important supplies are for warrior journeys she had insisted Warren take her canteen along with his, assuring him she'd be fine on the way back drinking only at the ford. He was reluctant but in the end couldn't deny her.

As she approaches the tree line of the lower ven forest the sun is sitting low in the sky, barely peeking out over the trees. Making her way through the forest in the dark is the last thing she wants to do but knows she won't have a choice. She needs to make it to the ford, on the other side of the forest, by morning if she expects to fight off the fatigue of dehydration and make it back to the main camp in time. If she can make it at least four hours into the forest then she can stop for a few hours of sleep and be up in time to make it to the ford as the sun rises.

Shayne squares her shoulders, adjusts her pack so it hangs a little more comfortably, and steps beyond the first few trees. Keeping her eyes and ears attuned to her surroundings, she carefully makes her way between the wooden sentinels of the forest. As dangerous as the forest can be, she's always felt at home under the boughs of the towering conifers.

The ache in her legs is the only real indicator to the passage of time. Moving as slow as she is, slipping from tree to tree and fighting for even footing through the litter of the forest floor, she estimates she needs to keep going for a little while longer before she can stop and make a small camp. She knows there is a small cluster of stone ruins somewhere centered in the forest, if she can find that it would make a great spot to camp out for a few hours. As if summoned by the knowledge, her foot rolls over a loose stone and she stumbles forward. She throws her hands out to keep from going face first into the ground, the palms of her hands bite into rough stone. She grunts from both the impact of hitting the ground but also from the stinging that blooms in her palms.

"Fuck that burns," she whispers softly, sitting back on her heels, eyes scanning the area around her. It looks like she's at one of the outer edges of the ruins. She shakes her hands to try and dispel the ache or at least knock loose any dirt or debris hanging onto her palms. She gently rubs her hands against her jeans, wincing at the burn.

Shayne takes a calming breath before slipping her pack from her shoulders and undoing the front flap. She thinks to herself she might as well go ahead and set up for a few hours, maybe she can find some water to clean her hands. Maybe she'll luck out and rain water will have collected in the ruins somewhere, it is a few weeks into rainy season and it did storm the day before yesterday. She sets to clearing the immediate area around her, making note of the rocks and formations, trying to find the best place to get a little fire going. She finally digs out a little spot, using a broken stick as a makeshift shovel so the fire can sit into the ground between some large pieces of stone. She breaks off some low branches from nearby trees and weaves them haphazardly together to try and form a half-dome over the fire. She knows how dangerous fire can be, not only can it catch the entire forest on fire but it can also attract unwanted attention. She does her best to conceal the fire, her mothers teachings about safety and survival echoing in her ears.

Once her little fire is lit, fed from small twigs and tufts of paperbark, she examines her palms a little closer. Her hands tremble as she takes in the lacerations, most subtle but a few are deep. She can see where her blood has mixed with the dirt and grime but it seems most of the bleeding has tapered off.

The soft snapping of a twig behind her catches her attention but before she can turn to investigate, a large hand clamps down over her mouth and an arm snakes around her shoulders pinning her arms to her sides. Adrenaline and fear spike through her, she muffles a scream into the palm and shoves back, digging her feet into the ground for purchase to try and catch her attacker and knock them off balance. Her back is met with a solid mass, unmovable.

"Shh," whoever has her whispers harshly into her ear. The figure shifts a little, her fire quickly snuffed out by a large boot kicking dirt over it. The figure, a man she realizes, crouches down where the fire once was. His grip on her brings her down with him, forcing her body between his knees as he squats with his back to one of the large stones. The smell of woodsmoke and dirt fills her nose as she pants in small breaths, her heart hammering in her chest. "Calm down, you'll bring them right to us," the voice whispers into her ear, so low she can barely make it out. The hand clamped over her mouth turns her head a little to the right. Her eyes begin to focus beyond the trees, subtle movements making themselves clear. A new wave of fear rolls through her as she counts four dark figures slinking through the trees maybe fifty yards away.

A few moments pass, her heart slows its gallop to a more sedate pace and the man relinquishes a little bit of his hold from around her shoulders though his hand still remains firm over her mouth. Even with the looser hold she still finds herself pressing back into the man as if crawling inside him might hide her from the figures lurking in the darkness. An ominous silence has fallen around them as if the surrounding area has taken a collective breath and is holding it in until the figures move on.

With slow and calculated movements, the man moves his hands. Despite the freedom, she holds in the scream bubbling just below the surface. Fingers brush her hands, slowly moving along until they come into contact with her palms. It burns and she focuses hard on not flinching as the man fits his hands around hers, his palms pressing tightly against hers and putting pressure on the abrasions there. "The scent of your blood was in the air," he whispers directly into her ear.

She isn't sure how much time passes, her knees have long since begun to ache from being crouched down. The man has relaxed, his even breathing gently pushing his chest against her back. She begins to count to his inhales, trying to track the passage of time. Her eyes strain and squint trying to see any movement in the trees beyond. The figures had disappeared shortly after they appeared but the man didn't indicate it was safe to move so she stayed put, waiting.

Suddenly the man stands, pulling Shayne up with him, his hands still encasing hers.

"Thanks for saving me. I-," she begins but the man jerks her to the side, releasing one of her hands but holding tight to the other, so tight the stinging blooms anew.

"I didn't save you. Now, shut up," the man gruffs out in a low whisper.

She gapes at him, not sure how to respond to that. She wets her lips with her tongue before opening her mouth to protest but the man turns on her, a short growl passing his lips. She blanches, fear roiling through her instantly. Her eyes have adjusted to the darkness and the soft moonlight coming through the trees overhead makes it clear enough for her to finally see the man before her.

In addition to the sound coming from his throat, his eyes glint a soft yellow in the darkness, much the way she has seen an animal's eyes do. His face is strikingly handsome, all carved angles and smooth skin. His black hair is pushed back from his forehead, framing his face. The beauty of the man confuses her for a moment, she feels simultaneously drawn in and repulsed. She knows she should be screaming and trying to escape but something is holding her there, other than his hand. Despite the heat, he’s wearing a long-sleeved black sweatshirt, black jeans, and heavy black combat boots.

Finally gathering her senses, she tries to wrench her hand free from his. She stumbles backward, coming up short as he snags her toward him. Just as she is about to open her mouth to let out the scream she's been holding in since she first heard the twig snap behind her, the man clamps his other hand back over her mouth. This time, his hand has a wet, sweet-smelling cloth bunched in it. The breath she was taking in for her scream turns into a breath filled with the cloying sweet scent coming off of the wad of cloth.

She suddenly feels woozy, her vision blurs and her body goes limp. The man scoops her up, the world turning upside down before it falls into complete darkness.

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◅ Back to Master List ©️       2021-22   ColorMePurplex2

[bruhstories]

Fate

Summary: The Abduction of Persephone or how Levi couldn’t get you of his head.

Pairing: Hades!Levi x Persephone!Reader

Warnings & Content: nsfw, mentions of rape & incest (cause, you know, Zeus is a fucking entitled asshole and nobody fucking likes him), unprotected sex, oral sex (male receiving), fingering, language, loss of virginity

Word Count: 5.1 k

A/N: literally the only thing I have to say is that for the purpose of this fic, Hanji has she/her pronouns, and the first few paragraphs are written in third person xD happy reading!

Help me...

Please...

Help... me...

Sweat drips from his forehead and his eyes shoot open. That damned dream again. That sweet voice again. Levi Hades can't comprehend why he was dreaming. Gods don'tdream. His bed seems empty, but he never needed anyone in it. For some reason, now he feels like someone is missing. He gets up, naked body and blank eyes watching over his realm from the balcony of his castle. Empty. Other than the souls of the dead that quietly dance around like little flames, it's empty. Other than Cerberus sleeping peacefully, it's empty. And so damn cold. Mortals mistaken the Underworld for a scorching hot place, but in reality, it's as cold as Levi Hades' heart. If he even has a heart.

He wraps his toga around his sculpted body, a wreath of laurels on his coal-black hair, donning his arms with silver bracelets and rings. Time doesn't exist in the world of the dead, but Levi Hades sticks to a strict schedule. He waves his hand and a scroll and quill magically appear on his marble desk. He can't trust Hermes with this message, and so he gives it to one of his dogs to deliver it to Hanji Hecate. Who better to interpret the meaning of his dream than the goddess of witchcraft herself? LeviHades surrounds himself in thick, grey smoke before he disappears from his bedroom.

Somewhere on Earth, Y/N Persephone is being watched by Zeus. The powerful god cannot resist such a beauty, and he is known for having his way with anyone, even his own daughter. But it's not her time, he thinks, not just yet. She knows this, she knows what will happen to her when she reaches the age of marriage, and at night, when not a soul is awake, she sobs and prays that someone will find her and help her. She is willing to do anything to escape her father's clutches and her dark future. And every night she cries, it rains — it pours.

At the outskirts of the Underworld, Hanji Hecate receives a message. She reads it carefully, and a knot forms in her stomach. The goddess heard the pleas of a girl, whom she believed to be a mortal, but if Levi Hades heard her, too, then it could only be another deity. HanjiHecate closes her eyes and performs a spell in the hopes of locating the desperate girl. It doesn't work. It doesn't work because, unbeknownst to her, Demeter is hiding her daughter from the preying eyes of Zeus.

They searched for weeks, mortal weeks, for the crying goddess, but none of them had any luck. Y/N Persephone is somewhere in the shadows of Demeter, but even she knows her mother can't protect her forever. Zeus gets what Zeus wants eventually. The sun rises over the meadow, but Y/N Persephone doesn't know that because she's stuck weaving in a cave, sweat dripping down her forehead, hairs sticking to her face. The drakons Demeter placed at the entrance of the cave followed Y/N Persephone outside, guarding her as she washes herself in a nearby stream. He isn't supposed to be there. Levi Hades isn't supposed to peer at her naked body and the way she splashes the crystal-clear water. He was supposed to meet with Hanji Hecate and take a walk. He was supposed to go back to the Underworld after that. Yet here he is, spellbound by her gestures, her face, her eyes. And then, she sings. Y/N Persephone begins to sing and all the flowers around him bloom. Levi Hades goes into a shocked state, eyes wide open, brows raised. He knows that voice. He knows it because he's been dreaming it. His scent is picked up by the drakons and he disappears, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

"I found her, Hecate. I found her, but I can't get close to her."

"What do you mean you found her? Just like that?" Hanji Hecate's fingers trace the bark of a tree.

"It was fate. It must be." Levi Hades is desperate now.

"Calm down, Hades. I've never seen you so... twitchy." She laughs, kneeling in the grass. The witch plays with some fallen leaves, brown hair flowing in the wind.

"That's because you didn't see what I did. She started singing and flowers bloomed! I don't know what kind of nymph she is, but she is beautiful. Nothing like I've ever seen before."

"Oh, I never thought I'd live to see the day Hades falls in love." Hanji Hecate laughs again. "So why didn't you approach her?"

"Tch, because she was surrounded by drakons. I don't understand why a mere nymph would need so much protection."

The goddess gasps, all traces of happiness gone from her face, replaced by disappointment and anxiety. Levi Hades takes notice of this and places his cold hand on the witch's shoulder, but she flinches.

"You can't have her."

"You knowher?" His voice is condescending, offended that his good friend hid something like this from him.

"Hades, she's Demeter's daughter, Persephone. She's not just some nymph, but the goddess of spring." Hanji Hecate brings her palms together, forming a triangle. "We can't talk here."

Levi Hades nods and lets himself transported to the Underworld, back to the familiar souls lingering in the air.

"Talk, Hecate." He is impatient and demanding, arms folded across his chest.

"Zeus wants her, and Demeter and I are keeping her hidden." The deity explains with pain in her voice.

"Yes, well, you're not doing a very good job, now, are you?"

"Oi, the drakons noticed you. You don't think they would notice Zeus?" She snaps back, traces of arrogance in her voice.

"Hecate... it's Zeus. What would stop that brat from turning into a drakon fool her?"

The goddess shivers, shifting her weight from side to side.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"I do, actually. I'll bring Persephone here." LeviHades proudly states, but his face is still blank, not once betraying his true feelings.

"You'll... what?" Her mouth is slightly open, bewildered by the god.

"It's the only place Zeus doesn't have access without an invitation. Face it, Hecate, it's a good plan. Better than yours, anyway."

Hanji Hecate is speechless, completely at a loss for words. She ponders over the idea, a hand brought to her chin to think better.

"Alright, but what makes you think she'll just stroll through the gates of the Underworld without a complaint?"

"Oh, you've mistaken my words. I'll forcefully bring her here." He tilts his head, a semblance of a smirk on his lips.

"For fuck's sake, Hades, she's not what you'd expect. And what about me? I promised Demeter I would protect her!" HanjiHecate throws her hands in the air, her shadow taking the form of a raging dog.

"Do notchallenge me, witch. You know I can destroy you in the blink of an eye." LeviHades growls and her shadow restores itself to its natural shape. "Besides, you would still protect her. The Underworld is where you abide."

She knows she shouldn't carelessly be out in the open one hour before her coming of age. But Y/N Persephone, with tears streaming down her beautiful face, embraced her future. She knows Zeus will come for her, and so she willingly gives herself to him. With poppy seeds, she put the drakons to sleep and left the cave, clad in a sheer toga, her body visible through the transparent fabric.

"If you want me, come and get me, father!" Y/N Persephone screams at the skies, the flora surrounding her slowly turning a dark shade of brown and dying, just like her innocence would die tonight. The earth shatters behind her, marigold flames and ashy smoke cracking open the soil. Shadowy figures emerge, grasping the young goddess' limbs and they drag her down, down, down to the Underworld. She is afraid, her heart beats faster as the moonlight disappears, and all she can see is darkness.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be gentler, but I didn't want Zeus to get the wrong idea."

"You're Hades, aren't you?"

"Yes, but please, call me Levi. Persephone, I presume." Levi doesn't smile, but his voice is warm, contrasting the cold that surrounded your body.

"Don't call me that." You spit back, confused as to why you were in his realm in the first place.

"You should be a little more grateful that I saved you, brat." He narrows his eyes down at you.

"Saved me? You abductedme. You're no better than him."

Hanji Hecate was right, you had fire in your soul, and an attitude that would drive Levi over the edge.

"Tch, don't compare me to that pretentious cock." The god scoffs and your expression softens.

"Zeus is a... cock? With a beak and feathers?" You giggle and he almost wants punch himself. How could he forget how innocent you are? Clearly, he's been spending too much time with Minthe.

"That's one way to put it."

"Is there another way?" You ask with your index finger brought to your lips, pure curiosity in your eyes.

"Forget that, you said you didn't want me to call you Persephone. How else should I address you?"

"Y/N." You tell him, eyes peering to the balcony of his castle and you skip to it. "Oh, this place is huge! What are those?" You point at the colourful flames dancing in the air.

"Souls." Levi joins you, resting his arms on the marble railing.

"They're beautiful!" You are in awe, and he is just as mesmerised by your beauty. Not one sane god or goddess would consider the souls of the dead beautiful.

"Look, Y/N, I heard you. In my dreams, I mean. I'm not going to hurt you, I brought you here to rescue you." He lies through his teeth. Levi did want to save you, he still does, but he can't deny the fact that he wanted you all to himself. "I'm gonna mind my own business, you mind yours. Try not to break anything. And don't, under any circumstances, make a mess out of my castle, or my realm."

You lean on the railing, nose scrunched and a hand on your hip.

"What am I supposed to do, then? And what about my mother? What about when spring comes and I have to bring it? What about Zeus?"

Levi grits his teeth, almost regretting his decision of saving you.

"Tch, I'll deal with Demeter. I'll tell Zeus I'm marrying you. You can go bring spring when it's due. Happy?" He pinches the bridge of his nose.

"And you won't taint my innocence?"

Oh, he will taint it, alright. But not just yet.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do."

"You still didn't answer my first question. What am I supposed to do?" You shift your weight from one leg to the other, impatiently waiting for a proper answer from your captor.

"Anything you want, just don't get in my way when I'm dealing with the dead."

"You're an aggressive little man, you know that?"

Levi can feel a blood vessel bursting on his forehead. You were truly annoying, but he couldn't just sit around and wait for Zeus to have his way with you.

"Anyway, I suppose it is safer to be here." You rolled your eyes. "Got any books?"

"What, you read?" He snorts, a condescending brow arched.

"Don't patronise me. You're the one who abducted me, you could at least try to be nice to me."

Levi sighs. This wasn't how he imagined things would go. He imagined you'd make the perfect housewife and keep him some company.

"First floor. Just stay out of the restricted section."

"Why?"

"Because I said so. Zeus' beard, are you always this irritating?"

"Are you?" You chuckle, a hand hiding your smile.

With another sigh, Levi disappears, leaving you alone. "Great job, Y/N, you made the only person who took a crumb of pity on you to go away." You say to yourself, a pout on your lips.

The Underworld wasn't as bad as you thought. Sure, there was the occasional fire popping from the ground here and there, and you had to be careful not to burn yourself, but overall, it was serene. Some parts of it were scorching hot, but mostly it was cold, and you always brought an extra cloak with you when exploring the realm. Levi wasn't always with you, in fact you haven't seen him in days, but you met his three-headed puppy. Well, puppy wasn't the best word to describe the creature, and it did try to eat you the first time, but you stood your ground and tamed the beast with your singing and eager belly rubs.

"This is a sight I never thought I'd live to see." Levi is shocked, watching his raging dog so calm. "Cerberus never lets anyone but me touch him." He gives the dog a few pats on his back.

"Well, Cerberus likes me better, don't you? Who's a good boy? You are, yes, you are!" You kiss all three muzzles and hug the gigantic beast, the heat of its fuzzy body warming you up.

"Oi, don't get ahead of yourself. Come here, Cerberus." Levi extends his arms and the creature is confused. "I said, come here."

The dog stops wagging its tail and plops next to you with a groan, one head resting in your arms. The shit-eating grin on your face is enough to make Levi sigh.

"See? I told you he likes me better." You poke your tongue out in triumph. You wave your hands and the god watches how you place three daffodil wreaths on each of Cerberus' heads. "Much better!"

"Y/N, he looks silly."

"No, he looks adorable! Here, I made you one, too."

Levi takes the flower crown and inspects it, careful not to crumble the petals.

"What is this?" He asks, marvelling at the beauty of the ice-blue colour of the plant.

"Uh, a flower crown?"

"Yeah, no shit. I meant what flower is this?"

"Oh, it's a blue poppy. One of the rarest plants in the world." You smile. "I think it suits you."

"You're an oddball."

You sit in a lavish chair, all kinds of foods displayed on the table in front of you. Saliva pools in your mouth, but you decide to wait for Levi anyway. It's bad manners to start eating without the host, Demeter taught you that. Gods and goddess don't eat mortal foods, but sometimes they indulge in it, and tonight was one of those nights.

"Here, try this." Levi offers you a strange fruit, something humans have on earth, but different.

"What is it?" You poke your finger at the juicy fruit, sucking the sweetness from your digit.

"It's a pomegranate that only grows in the Underworld."

You pick at the seeds, popping one in your mouth. You couldn't believe something so good could grow in a cold place like this.

"So, what's the occasion?" You ask Levi as you eat three more seeds, the crimson juice staining your lips.

"Our wedding."

You accidentally swallow, choking on saliva and the pomegranate seeds, your fist hammering your chest as you gasp for air.

"What?"

"I told Zeus I'm marrying you and now he wants proof." Levi bluntly states, a chalice of nectar in his hand.

"No."

"You don't have a choice, unfortunately."

"But… I'm supposed to be a virgin. Marriage implies consumption of it." You slam your fists on the table. "My mother-"

"Your mother lied to you. You're a goddess of fertility for fuck's sake." He shrugs and you're shocked by how chilling his voice sounds. Sure, Levi was always brooding and silent, but now he was just inconsiderate. "However, I'm not a man who breaks his promises. I told you I won't do anything you don't want me to."

"Oh, how niceof you. I'm leaving." You stand up, pushing the chair away.

"And go where? Demeter can't protect you forever, and you don't stand a chance against Zeus."

"You know why I hate my name so much, Levi?" You growl, fingernails digging into the wooden table.

"Do, tell."

"Because it means destruction. A fitting name for a goddess of ‘fertility’, don't you think?" The table splits open and all the plates fall to the ground. Your normal, bubbly aura changes suddenly and there's a hint of red in your Y/E/C eyes. "You think I don't stand a chance against Zeus? I'm his offspring." You snap, and instead of flowers falling out of your hair, there's thorns, spikes and rusty leaves all over the place. The uglies, most poisonous plants sprout from the ground and you're no longer the goddess of spring, but the bringer of slaughter, and Levi is impressed. Now he really knows it was faith that brought you together, he knows your place is with him — with the dead.

"Marry me." He says, unmoved by your little show. Unmoved on the outside, because on the inside he wants to bend you over and fuck you silly. His words shouldfuel your rage, but you're too surprised by the fact that he still wants to marry you, despite your outburst.

"Why? Because Zeus wants that?" Vines protrude from your skin and your fingernails turn black. You were completely different than the helpless little girl he rescued that night. You were terrifying. But not to Levi — to him you were fascinating.

"Because I want that."

It was safe to say you had fallen in love with Levi in those nine months since you came to the Underworld. He accepted you the way you were, he accepted your darkness, something not even your mother could do, and that's what triggered your feelings for the god of the dead. You still didn't allow him to call you Persephone, because you still hadn't fully embraced that part of you. Spring was almost due, but you promised Levi you'd go to earth after your wedding. Everyone would be there, including Demeter, which you haven't seen in a long time.

A soft knock interrupts your thoughts.

"Y/N, are you ready?"

"In a second, Hanji!"

"Oh, thank the gods for calling me that. I keep telling everyone I'm tired of Hecate but they don't care." The witch scoffs from the other side of the door.

"Has my mother arrived?" You ask, concern visible in your voice.

"Yes. And she's not happy."

"Hey," you open the door, "thanks for taking the blame and explaining things to her." You hug the goddess and she holds you tight.

"Don't worry about it, kid. It's me who should thank you. I don't know what you did to Levi, but he seems happier. He won't show it because he's a prick, but I can feel it."

You flash Hanji a genuine smile and ask her to fix your veil, to which she gladly accepts before escorting you to the castle grounds. Your mother should do this, but she hated her future groom, or your father, but he was a sick man who only decided to leave you alone because he respected Levi.

Every god and goddess of Olympus is here, even your uncle Poseidon. You emerge from the castle, arm looped around Hanji's and you smirk at Levi's shock. He never thought you could be more beautiful, yet here you are, dressed in silk, flowers on your hand and a thin veil clinging from the peony crown on your head. You catch a glimpse of Demeter before drifting your eyes to your future husband.

"Ladies and gentlemen, gods and goddesses, we have gathered here today to witness and bless the union between Levi, god of the Underworld, and Y/N, goddess of spring." Hanji proudly declares. The ceremony doesn't last too long, and when Levi's lips crush yours in what is your first kiss, thousands upon thousands of plants sprout from the soil, colourful flowers blooming and letting out the sweetest smells known to mankind. Love, he thinks, that's what love smells like.

You're tired from the party, tired from all the talking and mingling, tired from your mother's lecture, and tired from avoiding your father. At least Hera was nice enough to wish you a happy marriage. You pace around your bedroom, sitting on the bed, then standing up again. Levi went to his chamber after the party, but you were expecting, no, you wanted to consume the marriage. You walk to his room, a toga lazily draped over your shoulders, and open the door without a single knock. He's in bed, the only light source being the colourful souls levitating outside his windows. You carefully push the covers and climb into the bed, gently scooching closer to him.

"Psst, husband, are you sleeping?" You poke his shoulder.

"Tch, not anymore." He sighs, not bothering to open his eyes and look at you. "What do you want?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked! Seeing as we're married now, I thought it's only natural for a wife to sleep with her husband." You roll on your side, propping yourself on your elbow. Tentatively, you tug on the fabric of the toga, exposing your shoulders and part of your breasts.

"So sleep." Levi finally lolls his head to the side, facing you. He did not expect to see you sprawled on his bed like that, in a lewd position and a playful smile on your soft lips. "You don't have to do this just because we're married.

"I'm doing it because I want to. And I know you want it, too, Levi." You purr, your fingers grazing over your collarbone.

"It's going to hurt." He warns you, but his hand is already on your thigh.

"I know. But you'll take good care of me, won't you?"

Levi has no idea which one of you is talking — Y/N, goddess of spring, or Y/N, goddess of destruction — and frankly he doesn't even care at this point. As long as he has your approval, he knows he can do whatever he wants. You pull him into a sloppy kiss, obviously inexperienced, but he likes it that way. He likes that you have no idea what you're doing because he can be in control. His hand runs up and down your thigh and you can feel heat building in your core.

"Tingles..." You mumble in his lips with a hazy smile.

"Have you ever touched yourself?" Levi pulls away and you nod. "Show me."

You feel embarrassed and small, but obey nonetheless. Your hand travels between your legs and your fingers touch your already swollen clit, rubbing it in circular motions. Levi watches you with hungry eyes, wanting very hard to abstain, but he can't, and so he takes your nipple in his hot mouth. You whimper at the new sensation, electricity shooting through your body as he snakes a hand between your thighs, two fingers diving into your cunt.

"Ah! L-Levi! So big!" You mewl and he throws his head back, releasing your poor nipple.

"That's nothing compared to what you'll get, you needy brat." He curls his fingers, hitting that sweet spot, and you buck your hips. Despite being a virgin, your body naturally knows what to do. Your spongy walls clench around his digits and Levi can already feel how tight you'll be around his cock. "You're so wet."

"Is t-that a good thing?" You're innocent and pure and you rock your hips back and forth, pathetic moans escaping your lips.

"Fuck, yes." Levi kisses you, and it's nothing like the kiss from your wedding. It's desperate and greedy, and he wants you all to himself. The pace quickens, he's pumping his fingers in and out of you faster and you don't know what to do, so you keep rubbing your clit and the familiar heat of your orgasm flushes through your body. You come undone on his hand, the sinful, squelching sound echoing in the bedroom.

"It didn't hurt at all!" You look at your husband, but there's a hint of mischief in your voice, a playful glisten in your eyes. Levi clicks his tongue, because the worst — and best — is yet to come, and you know it — you're no saint.

"Come here." Levi orders and yanks you by the hair, his aggressive gesture sending a shiver down your spine and into your cunt. "Be a good girl and open that pretty mouth for me."

You obey and part your luscious lips and then you see his cock for the first time — thick and veiny, it slaps your face as it pops out of his undergarments, the tip grazing over your cheeks.

"Levi that's... that's too big." You chew your lower lip and lean back.

"You'll be fine. You said it yourself, I'll take good care of you." He cups your face with one hand, thumb caressing your chin. "Now suck it. Make sure to use lots of spit."

You feel your cheeks hot and test the waters by giving the glistening tip a few licks, tongue swirling around it. It tastes salty, and you find yourself liking this. Levi pats your head, but you feel him tensing with each movement of your tongue.

"Shit." He curses under his breath and when you look up at him with doe eyes, his heart pounds into his chest. You courageously take the tip into your mouth, and with hollowed cheeks, you move further. "Yeah, just like that. Take it all."

Bobbing your head up and down, you try to take it all, but the girth and length is just too much, and tears pool at your eyes from the lack of air, but also from how good it feels to have a fat cock in your mouth. Muffled moans reverberate in your throat, and Levi can feel the vibrations tickling him. He firmly grabs your nape and holds your head in place.

"Trust me and relax, can you do that for me?"

You half-nod, anxious and somewhat excited for what is about to happen. Your husband rocks his hips back and forth slowly before aggressively fucking your poor throat, and you feel the arousal building in your core again. So much for promising your mother you'd always stay a virgin. You want to touch yourself again, but Levi slaps your hand away and thrusts into your mouth, holding your head still until you choke, your fingernails digging into his arm. The god pulls out and you gasp for air, and he almost feels sorry when he sees your pathetic state.

"A-again!" You flash him your pearls in a sultry smile, spit dripping down your chin. Who knew you liked asphyxiation?

"Needy brat."

"Please!"

"Tch, later. Right now, I want to fuck you." Levi growls and he already has you pinned on the bed, arms above your head and legs spread open for him. His cock presses against your slick slit and you brace yourself for the incoming pain. "If you want me to stop, tell me."

You don't have the time to nod when you feel a burning sensation between your legs. Squeezing your eyes shut, you bury the back of your head into the pillow and grip the sheets so tight your knuckles begin to lose their colour. Levi slowly pushes further, another inch buried in your cunt, and you bite on your lower lip. But you don't tell him to stop, instead your spongy walls clench around his cock and another inch gets lost in you.

You never thought gods could feel such immense pain, yet here you are, with a bloody lip from digging your teeth into it and a sore pussy. But the worst thing faded bit by bit when Levi bottomed out into your cunt. The two of you sit still, your husband allowing you to get used to his girth.

"Do you think I bled?" You ask, eyes filled with tears.

"Probably, but I promise it will never hurt like this from now on." He comforts you before licking the blood from your lips. The gesture makes your cunt flutter and Levi takes it as a sign to go on. Slowly, he rocks his hips back and forth, and the molten pain is replaced by tingles and arousal.

"You good?"

"Y-yes, oh, f- yes!"

"You can say fuck, you know?" Levi thrusts once, and it's so deep you feel his cock brush over your cervix.

"Fuck!" You cry out, legs wrapping around his waist to make sure he doesn't pull out. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Good girl."

There's no more room for gentle touches and soothing words when your husband fucks you raw. Your hips buck against his to feel that sweet pressure you never knew you longed for. In and out, his cock makes you feel sore and hazy, and you want more. The sound of his balls slapping your ass makes your mouth water and your eyes glossy, and Levi feels selfish. He pulls out, turns you over and takes you from behind, like a rabid dog fucking a bitch in heat. And you are in heat — you love the way his thrusts make you feel dumb, the way his cock stretches you, the way he uses and abuses your tight little cunt. Everything is so new to you and you adore every bit of it.

"Shit, I'm close." Levi warns you, his fingers digging into your hips, and you want to be good for him, so you drag your hand between your thighs and rub your swollen clit in frantic motions.

"L-Leeevi! I think I'm-"

"Fuck!"

When you feel a hot liquid shooting into you, your legs begin to tremble and you come on his cock, head falling onto the pillow with a heavy sigh. He pulls out and you already miss the feeling of being full, your juices mixed with his own dripping down out of you, down your thigh. You curl up next to your husband, hand holding his arm before you drift to sleep.

A sweet smell fills Levi's nostrils and when he looks at your tired body, there’s flowers in your messy hair. He still can't get used to the way your divine, disorganised powers work, but at least now he knows what's been missing from his life, and the corners of his mouth slightly twist upwards into a genuine smile. The god of the dead, in love with and married to the goddess of spring. Order and chaos blending together in one beautiful, perfectly arranged mess.

It’s fate. It must be fate that brought you together — but it’s love that will keep you together.

tagging @starrynightlys @stolemyheart12

[feastfic]

Sometimes Majin tries to scare you just for some laughs

until you accidentally punch him in the face by instinct.

After that he never tried to sneak up on you again

Have a good day/night

Nerd's gotta learn somehow 😩 /lh Honestly though that'd definitely be a learning experience for him!

Time really had no meaning here for you. You were still running an endless spiral of looping surroundings, and you were in no form used to it. You'd been run to exhaustion so much that you'd stopped thinking there was a point in trying. You were so tired. You just wanted to get out.

You hadn't slept — really slept — in ages. And it was wearing on your body. Your back was pressed to one of the tree-like things of this place, and you leaned further against it as your body felt heavier, and heavier still. Would sleeping be dangerous? That hedgehog...that demon masquerading as an animal, he had never really done anything to you. Aside from put you in this torment.

Your chest heaved in a sigh as you just shut your eyes and hoped sleep would take you. Your head bowed down, and your body sank lower. Within mere minutes you were out like a light; the first real sleep you've gotten in what, for all you knew, was weeks.

Before you even opened your eyes you knew you'd been moved. Your head was laying back against something, and the earth below your body was strangely warm. Like the sun was hitting it. Was it all a bad dream? It had to have been. Of course it was! Your eyes opened and there was no sun to greet you. Just the face of your cheerful tormentor leaning down and watching you. He didn't even have time to wave a good morning to you before you did what your head commanded you to do.

Your fist met him square in the nose, and he reeled back with his hands hovering over his face. Small pupils burned white in his surprise, and as you bolted upright he innocently waved his hands at you to stand away. Right. He never spoke to you. It was always a charades game with him.

The hedgehog felt at the bridge of his nose, and looked down at the metallic blue blood that stained the palm of his glove. Those pupils of his seemed to dissolve as his eyes closed again (at least, you thought that's what they were doing.)

You were still trembling and on edge, your fist still clenched and your knuckles stinging where you'd struck his face. Meanwhile he was giving you a gesture, something like "just a moment" as he turned away from you. He was no longer silent. There was a kind of sound, something horrible and dark and twisted. Slithering, almost. Incomprehensible. It sounded almost moist, like something wet dragging along the floor. It was accompanied by soft clicks, and your heart pounded harder at these sounds.

Miraculously, when he turned back, his face was as flawless as it had been before you'd hit him. It was probably some god-like power he had. (But what were those sounds? Your brain pestered you with these questions you couldn't answer.)

He approached you, and your fists immediately flung in front of you defensively. For a moment this demon paused, his hands lifting in a nonthreatening manner, taking another slower step towards you. You stepped back, and he just gave you a little reassuring nod, that permanent smile on his face shifting to be a little warmer. When he finally got within reach of you, one of his hands extended outwards to the fist you'd struck him with.

Initially you flinched back, but he was more concerned with eyeing the specks of blood dotting your knuckles. While his hand still hovered a good length away form yours, with a wave of his wrist you watched those blue dots along your skin lift and dissipate away. Leaving your hand clean.

You just had to wonder if this was some kind of apology of his, a compromise for him startling you so badly. At least, it certainly seemed that way. Hopefully he'd learned his lesson, too.

[givemeyourcrunchbars]

Sequestered

Fern x f!reader

If there are any warnings I need to add, please let me know :)

The weight of the crown on your head was too much to bear today. You gently set it down onto the grass, next to you in the shade of the giant oak trees above you.

If someone were to ask you what it's like to be a princess, you would say it's a curse. For the past 15 years you've been raised, your father was stern and barely paid any attention to you. Suffering from neglect, you slowly watched him become more and more corrupt with power, forcing the entire kingdom to stay within its walls. As far as the common people knew, the outside was a mysterious place not to be messed with.

That's what power does to people. To have all these abilities at your hands, is a great responsibility. But most rulers toss those away, like a bag of trash being disposed into the garbage can.

You sighed, gazing across to the opposite side of the clearing you were sitting in. You raised your head to look up at the sky. Oh, what I would do to have a different life...

The rustling of leaves caught your attention. You gasped, quickly backing away into the shelter of the trees. Dad can't catch me being here!

"Hey."

You froze as relief washed over you. It wasn't your father.

You weren't allowed to leave the kingdom. Finding loopholes wasn't easy, so you didn't know what you'd do if he found out.

Carefully, you stood up, squinting at the figure standing at the opposite end of the meadow. Slowly, they- or it- stepped into the sunlight. You recognized him from your past adventures. Fern the Human.

"Hi," you replied warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," he said. "Just exploring." Fern wore the same expression he did normally, a blank set of eyes and his mouth set in a straight line.

You nodded, your eyes darting around the clearing, at anything but him. You rarely interacted with outsiders, especially since you weren't allowed outside of your kingdom. So you didn't know how to act. All your social skills started chipping away because you were forced to stay inside all the time. "Princess duties".

"I haven't seen you around here before," the grass boy remarked. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" I repeated. That was a good question. Every single decision I've had to make and every emotion I've had was decided for me. So much so, that I wasn't sure there was any "me" left.

"I'm Y/N," you replied. Fern tilted his head.

"Where are you from?"

"Um." You struggled to find the words. He couldn't know about the kingdom, or else you would find yourself kicked out. What was even the purpose of telling him? It could only end badly. His curiosity would get the better of him, driving him him to see the kingdom for himself. Would Fern even try to save us?

Even though you wanted to rescue your people badly, the thought of them roaming around aimlessly in the Land of Ooo scared you. They barely knew anything about the outside, and the only information they did know altered their perspective to think of it in a bad light. Besides, what could Fern do to help? He's just one person.

"It's none of your business," you ended up blurting out. "I have to go." Your father wanted you home for the evening anyway. For what, he didn't say.

You turned away before you could hear Fern's reply, dashing off into the dense forest.

Taking a deep breath, you began to form an image of a raven inside your mind. Shapeshifting was still something you weren't good at. You were supposed to follow a certain set of rules as a princess, one of which being that you couldn't shapeshift into your raven form in the presence of other people. It was seen as impolite.

Focus on shapeshifting! You commanded yourself. Finally, you were able to fly, ruffling your wings a bit. You missed being able to soar.

"Wait!" Fern's voice yelled from behind you, his footsteps trodding through the layers of leaves on the forest floor. You sighed, flapping up to the tree tops and taking off. A feeling of dread gradually grew in your chest, facing the reality that you had to go back to your secluded life, with people that ignored and misunderstood you.

As the dark green leaves of the forest zoomed by beneath your feet, you began to wonder whether you should've listened to what Fern had to say. Eh, it probably wasn't important.

Directing your thoughts back to your destination, you vowed to come back to your happy place as soon as possible. It helped clear your head. Hopefully, Fern won't be there next time. The idea of talking to people made you uncomfortable. The people that you've trusted in the past have all either broken your trust, or just didn't care about you at all.

There's a crown here in the bushes, Fern observed, lifting the heavy piece of gold. It was a big ring, with an arm extending upwards, holding a small, rugged black crystal. Interesting.

Turning it over in his hands, something strange caught his eye. A carving on the back of the crown. It was barely illegible, but Fern could make out one name. Y/N.

"Where is your crown?" The Raven King hissed angrily. "The suitors are already here!"

"I don't know, Dad!" You frantically racked your mind, trying to remember where you had left it. A princess' crown was a part of her, as a role model and a symbol. But this time, it represented worth.

"Why are you making me marry someone I don't even know anyway?" You hurriedly glanced at your father, brows furrowed. Your father had invited a group of suitors to compete for your hand in marriage. They desired only the princess' heart, but it wasn't true love, like what you dreamed of as a child. They just wanted land, wealth, and power. Marrying you was their key to a happy life. Without your label as a princess, they would have no opportunity at all.

"You know very well why!" Your father growled. "This is going to be beneficial for the kingdom! Don't you want me to prosper?"

You started walking down the spiraling staircase that lead to the main hallways, unable to stay calm any longer. "I want the people to prosper," you replied, sending a spine-chilling glare to your father behind you. Before he could respond, you stomped away, into the main hallway where a line of antsy suitors stood waiting.

You definitely have a thing for walking out on people.

"Heya, Fern!" A boy wearing a worn, dual-toned green backpack greeted Fern, holding open the door that had separated the two just moments before. "Jake just made some meatloaf! Want some? It has your favorite- I mean our favorite garnishes." Finn grinned.

"No thanks," Fern replied, distracted. His eyes wandered all around the giant treehouse that stood over him, almost menacingly. Despite what Fern wanted to think, there was something about it that made him uneasy. When he thought of the treehouse, he thought of Finn, which in turn caused him to obsess over the fact that he wasn't Finn. Then who was he?

"No probs." Finn sounded a little disappointed, but cheered up when Jake called out that the meatloaf was ready from somewhere inside the house.

"By the way, can I ask you something?" Fern asked, taking something out of his backpack, which tumbled to the ground, causing him to groan in frustration. Finn turned back to his grassy friend while taking a plate of food from the unseen Jake. "What's up?"

He gasped when he saw the golden crown gleaming in the sunlight. "That belongs to one of the princesses!" He picked it up and handed it back to Fern.

Fern nodded, stowing it in his backpack. "I found it in the forest near Tree Trunks' house. I think this girl dropped it," he said.

"Whahf girl?" Finn said, trying to chew meatloaf at the same time. "PB? Fire Princess? Slime P?"

"No." Fern shook his head. "I've never seen her before, and honestly," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "She was scared of me." He sounded frustrated, his voice trailing off.

"Dude-"

"Why doesn't anything ever work out?!" Fern said in anguish. He curled his fingers in and out of his palm, trying to release the tension trapped in his mind.

"Calm down, dude," Finn exclaimed. "I can help you find her, don't worry! I've never seen this crown before either, so we can go together." He placed a hand on Fern's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"No!" Fern protested. "I wanna do it myself," he said, softer. "Can you just tell me how to find her?"

Finn looked taken aback for a second at his grassy friend's outburst, but nodded regardless. "You can ask the Candy People and the other kingdoms, they probably know who owns that crown." He handed Fern a map of the Land of Ooo, sketched out on a yellowed piece of paper.

Saying their goodbyes, Finn left Fern on his solo quest to find the mysterious princess.

The long and chaotic day was finally over. You sank down to the floor, your back against the door to your room. You stared at the king-sized bed. I hate this. I hate everything.

After you left your father standing on the stairs, you had awkwardly walked into the main hall. But that must have been the last straw for your father, because he still didn't join you, even after five minutes. He ended up sending a replacement to accompany you after a long time of waiting. You wished that the suitors didn't keep glancing at the spot where your crown was supposed to sit while you stood with your hands clasped in front of you, staring at the doorway your father was going to follow you through.

I still have to get the crown back, you thought. Where did I leave it? The only place I would've lost it would be... Then you realized. The clearing! Of course! Oh no, I have to go there right now!

You raced over to the small window in your bedroom, peeking your head out. Seeing practically no one outside, you transformed into your raven form and hopped on the windowsill. Suddenly, an object was hurled at you from below. Looking down, you saw a small child chucking pieces of corn at you.

"Get out of there, you stupid crow!" He yelled. Close enough.

You carefully flapped your wings, flying high above the kingdom. As soon as you were out of reach, the child gave up trying to knock you out of the sky and returned to his home, resuming the quiet atmosphere the kingdom always held during evenings.

Night had almost fallen over Ooo when you finally arrived at your meadow. Landing in the spot where you had sat earlier that day, you turned back into a human and rummaged through the bushes for your long lost crown. As the minutes ticked by, you began to grow more frustrated. Where is it?! If I lose it forever, I'm done for.

"Huh?" You said out loud. Prying apart the branches of a blueberry bush, you found a few grass blades attached to the rough leaves, reminding you of Fern. You stood up. Why not just see if Fern had it? He wasn't the scavenger type, but something as mysterious as an unknown princess' crown was sure to fascinate him.

Ugh, the sun is setting. You sighed in defeat, vowing to visit Fern the next day to take back the circlet. Another day that's ending, another gloomy morning to look forward to. But this time, you had a mission to accomplish.

[thewidowsghost]

The Daughter of the Sea - Chapter 8

(Y/n)'s POV

I know someone at camp resents Percy and me because one night, I come into the cabin alone and find a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the New York Daily News, opened to the Metro page. The article takes me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I get, the more the words float around on the page.

GIRL, BOY, AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT

By Eileen Smythe

Sally Jackson, son Percy, and daughter (Y/n) are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.

Mother, daughter, and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident.

Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.

Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his sister's and his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson, (Y/n), Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free Crimestoppers hotline.

The phone number is circled in black marker.

I wad up the paper and throw it away, flopping down on my bunk on the far edge of the cabin under the window facing the sea.

I remain silent as Percy walks into the cabin, flopping down onto his bunk as well.

That night, I have the worst dream yet.

I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.

About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked, and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.

Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, Give it back! Give it back! Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.

The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.

I yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!

The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice.

Come down, little hero, the voice crooned. Come down!

The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.

I wake up, sure I'm falling.

I am still in bed in Cabin Three. My body tells me it's morning, but it's dark outside, and thunder rolls over the hills.

A storm is brewing.

I hadn't dreamed that . . .

I hear a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.

"Come in?" Percy asks, sounding uncertain.

Grover trots inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see the two of you."

"Why?" I ask, peeking through the curtain separating mine and Percy's side of the cabin.

'He wants to kill . . . I mean, I'd better let him tell you."

Nervously, Percy and I get dressed and follow, sure we were in huge trouble.

For days, Percy and I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that we were declared children of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figure it's just a crime for us to be alive. The other gods had probably been debating on the best way to punish us for existing, and now Mr. D is ready to deliver their verdict.

Over Long Island Sound, the sky looks like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain is coming in our direction. I ask Grover if we'd need an umbrella.

"No," Grover says. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

Percy points at the storm, 'What the heck is that, then?"

Grover glances uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."

I realize that he's right. In the week I'd been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.

But this storm . . .

This one's huge.

At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin are playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysius's twins - Castor and Pollux - are walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everyone is going about their normal business, but they look tense; they keep their eyes on the storm.

Grover, Percy, and I walk up the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sits at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sits across the table in his fake wheelchair. They are playing against invisible opponents - two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"Well, well," Mr. D says without looking up. "Our little celebrities."

I wait.

"Come closer," Mr. D says. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortals, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

A net of lightning flashes across the clouds; thunder shakes the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus grumbles.

Chiron faints interest in his pinochle cards and Grover cowers by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus says, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron puts in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus says. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D - " Chiron warns.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relents. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rises, and the invisible players' cards drop onto the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you two must do."

Dionysus picks up a playing card, twists it, and it becomes a plastic rectangle. A security pass. He snaps his fingers. The air seems to fold and bend around him. He becomes a hologram, a wind, then he is gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

Chiron smiles at me and Percy, but he looks tired and strained. "Sit, Percy,(Y/n), please. And Grover."

We do.

Chiron lays his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.

"Tell me, (Y/n)," he says. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

Just hearing the name makes me shudder.

Chiron probably wants me to say, Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast. But I don't feel like lying.

"It scared me," I admit. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

"You two will meet worse. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done?" Percy asks. "With what?"

"You're quest, of course," Chiron says. "Will you accept it?"

I glance at Grover, who is crossing his fingers.

"Sir," I say, "you haven't told us what it is yet."

Chiron grimaces. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rumbles across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I can see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.

"Poseidon and Zeus," I guess. "They're fighting over something valuable . . . something that was stolen, aren't they?"

Chiron and Grover exchange looks.

Chiron shoots forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And...I've also been having these dreams."

"I knew it," Grover says, his eyes bright.

"Hush, satyr," Chiron orders.

"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes sparkle with excitement. "It must be!"

"Only the Oracle can determine," Chiron strokes his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, (Y/n), you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."

Percy laughs, looking nervous, "A what?"

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warns. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."

"Oh."

"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron says, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

"And it's missing?" I guess.

"Stolen," Chiron corrects.

"By whom?" I ask though I guessed what he was going to say.

"By you two," Chiron says and Percy's jaw drops.

"At least"—Chiron holds up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon argued. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I didn't - We didn't -" Percy goes to say.

"Patience and listen, child," Chiron says. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you two as his children. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief.

"But we've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"

Chiron and Grover glance nervously at the sky. The clouds don't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They are rolling straight over the valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.

"Er, Percy . . . ?" Grover says. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggests. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam...." He looked at Percy.

"The Golden Net?" I guess again. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods trapped Zeus in it and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler?"

"Correct," Chiron says. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you two have come along—the proverbial last straw."

"But we're just kids!" Percy protests.

"Percy," Grover cuts in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, and that he's father, not one, but two mortal heroes who might be used as a weapon against you . . . Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"

"But I - we didn't do anything, Poseidon - our dad - he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?" Percy asks, and I remain silent in thought.

Chiron sighs. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a fullfledged war would look like, Percy? (Y/n)?"

"Bad?" Percy guesses.

"I'd guess that it would be like nature at war with itself," I say and Chiron nods.

"Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight," Chiron adds to (Y/n)'s statement.

"Bad," Percy repeats.

"And you, Percy and (Y/n) Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."

And then, it starts to rain. Volleyball players stop their game and start in stunned silence at the sky.

We had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of us.

"So we have to find that bolt," I say. "And return it to Zeus."

"What better peace offering," Chiron says, "than to have the son and daughter of Poseidon return Zeus's property.

"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" Percy asks.

"I believe I know." Chiron's expression is grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago...well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

"Why can't you tell us where the bolt is beforehand?" Percy asks.

"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."

I swallow thickly. "Good reason."

"You agree then?" Chiron asks.

I exchange a glance with Percy, then Grover, who nods encouragingly.

Easy for him, I think. We're the ones Zeus wants to kill.

"All right," Percy says. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."

"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron says. "Go upstairs, Percy and (Y/n) Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

. . .

"Well?" Chiron asks us.

We slump into our chairs at the pinochle table. "She said we would retrieve what was stolen.

Grover sits forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!

"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron presses. "This is important."

My ears are still tingling from the reptilian voice. "She said we would go west and face a god who had turned. We would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it," Grover says.

Chiron doesn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"

"No," Percy says. "That's about it."

He studies Percy's face, then meets my green gaze. "Very well. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

I get the feeling he knows we're holding something back, and he's trying to make us feel better.

"Okay," Percy says, looking anxious to change topics. "So where do we go? Who's this god in the west?"

"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron says."if Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain."

"Someone else who wants to take over?" I guess.

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

"Hades," I say, raising an eyebrow.

Chiron nods. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."

A scrap of aluminum dribbles out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh - what?"

"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminds him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."

"Yes, but - but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protests. "Especially if he has found out Percy and (Y/n) are children of Poseidon . . ."

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continues. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy and (Y/n) to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill these young half-bloods before he can take on the quest."

"Great," I mutter. "That's two major gods who want to kill us."

"But a quest to . . ." Grover swallows. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in someplace like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."

"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy and (Y/n) must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

A strange fire burns in my stomach. The weirdest thing is, it isn't fear. It's anticipation. The desire for revenger. Hades had tried to kill me two times so far with the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It is his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. Now he is trying to frame me, my dad, and my brother for a theft we hadn't committed.

Grover is trembling now; he'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

The poor guy had to complete a quest with me and Percy so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that is, but how can I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said we were destined to fail?" This is a suicide mission.

"Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy tells Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus and Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron says. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"You're saying I'm being used," Percy says.

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon had claimed you and (Y/n) now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs the two of you."

My dad needs us.

Emotions roll around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I don't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.

3rd Person POV

Percy looks at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"

"I had my suspicions. As I said . . . I've spoken to the Oracle, too."

(Y/n) gets the feeling that there is a lot he wasn't telling them about the prophecy, but she decides that she couldn't worry about that at the moment. After all, she and Percy were hiding back information too."

"So let me get this straight," Percy says. "We're supposed to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."

"Check," Chiron says.

"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"Check."

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"That's about right."

(Y/n) looks over at Grover, who gulps down the ace of hearts.

"But I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asks weakly.

"You don't have to go," Percy tells him. "I can't ask that of you."

"Oh . . ." He shifts his hooves. "No . . . it's just that satyrs and underground places . . . well . . ." He takes a deep breath, then stands, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his t-shirts. "You saved my life, (Y/n), Percy. If . . . if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let the two of you down."

Percy feels so relieved that he wanted to cry, though he didn't think that would be very heroic. Grover is the only friend she'd ever had for longer than a few months. Percy isn't sure what a satyr can do against the forces of the dead but he feels better knowing he'd be with them.

"All the way, G-man," Percy turns to Chiron. "The Oracle just said to go west."

"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."

"Where?"

Chiron looks surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

Percy's POV

"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane -"

"No!" Grover shrieks. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

I shake my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me and (Y/n) anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.

"Percy, think," Chiron says. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."

Overhead, lightning crackles and thunder booms.

"Okay," (Y/n) says, not looking up at the storm. "So, we'll travel overland."

"That's right," Chiron says. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered if you will accept her help."

(Y/n)'s POV

"Gee," I say, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a suicide quest like this?"

The air shimmers behind Chiron.

Annabeth Chase becomes visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she says. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

"If you do say so yourself," I say. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"

Her cheeks flush. "Do you want my help or not?"

The truth is, I do. I need all the help I can get.

"A quartet," I say. "That'll work."

"Excellent," Chiron says. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."

Lightning flashes. Rain pours down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.

"No time to waste," Chiron says. "I think you should all get packing."

Word Count: 4018 words

[straydawg-writing]

𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦.

- 𝓚. 𝙯𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙮𝙘𝙠

• hunter x hunter series

⋯✰⋯

Chapter 3—

"Don't they have anything at least a LITTLE flattering? I get they're like hippie-extremists, but not all of us want to look like a sack of potatoes," you complained, swiping through their clothing racks that screamed no-potential-whatsoever.

You'd finally arrived at NGL headquarters, only for them to make the three of you throw out your phones and clothes. It's like they were still living in the 18th century.

"It's only clothes. Just pick whatever," Killua replied while browsing through the selection, though he looked equally as aggravated and bored. He did have at least some style that he wanted to upkeep.

Gon on the other hand didn't seem to care.

"You think they have anything green?" He wondered out loud.

You pulled out a set of white pants with a blue long sleeves top.

"Hey Killua."

"Yeah?"

You shoved the set into his arms, giving him a bright smile.

"Try this on, I think it would match your eyes well."

"Idiot. The Chimera Ants won't be looking at my eyes when we're fighting them." Pink dusted his cheeks as he looked to the side, avoiding eye contact.

He bought the outfit without even trying it on.

Gon pouted. "Wait, what about me?"

You pulled out two more similar sets. One was a pair of green pants and a white tank top, while the other was burgundy pants with a black top. That one was yours.

"We can all match!" You grinned, relieved you finally found something that wouldn't make you all look like homeless children. "Well, sort of." The sets were still different colors, but they retained the same general style.

"Oh, great idea Y/N! I'll go change into it now," Gon beamed, nearly skipping all the way to the changing room with his brand new green pants. It was about time he put on something different for a change, you inwardly joked.

Killua was already walking back from the stalls when Gon ran past him.

"Wow Killua, look at that drip~" You whistled, checking out his new outfit.

"You're so hopeless," he sighed, bonking the top of your head.

You rubbed where he had hit and stuck out your tongue, pretending to be hurt. It was the truth though, he looked really good in the outfit you had picked out. Peeking at him while he wasn't looking, you discovered that the tight-skinned long sleeves accentuated his arms in a way you'd never noticed before, hugging his lean muscles. You were right about the royal-colored shirt bringing out his pretty blue eyes. And the way his pale skin and white hair contrasted them even looked a little heavenly...

God, what were you thinking? If Killua heard you right now he'd hit you over the head another 20 times over. You looked to the floor, hoping he wouldn't see your growing blush.

After all three of you had changed into your new clothes, the hunt for the Chimera Ants began. Kite was on his own horse, while the rest of you fit on the second one due to your small frames. You were holding onto Gon's torso as he took control of the reins.

He was like a natural, his whole body moving in sync with the horse in strong determination. You trusted him, knowing that wouldn't just let you topple over. You weren't really used to horses, as they weren't typically found roaming around the jungle.

Then there was Killua, who was standing stick-straight on the horse like it was nothing.

"How do you even do that?!" You called out over the sound of galloping hooves.

"Huh, Do what? You mean this?" Killua smirked, doing a handstand.

You couldn't believe him. The boy had no fear at all.

"You're crazy," you stated, turning around to face Killua and leisurely leaning your back against Gon.

You had finally mastered balancing on the horse without having to hold onto him— but you had nowhere as near the skill Killua did.

"Maybe I am, but you love it," he teased, still upside-down. Temptingly enough, his white locks of hair were hanging upside-down too.

Slowly, you leaned forward on the palm of your hands, steadily closing in the distance between you two.

"Sure, I do. You got me there," you cooed, catching him off guard.

"Huh.." He sweatdropped, turning bright red. Killua's balance was starting to wobble.

Then, exploiting his moment of weakness, you tugged on his hair knocking him over.

Satisfied, you rested against Gon again. Thankfully the boy didn't seem to mind.

"Show off," You said, sticking your nose in the air.

"Man, that was so unfair!" Killua whined, sitting back down on the horse and dragging his hands down his face.

You crossed your arms, ready to deliver some witty comeback, when you noticed some bees in the distance that looked like they were carrying something. Squinting your eyes, you saw that they were flying in closer.

"Hey guys, look at that," you pointed out. The horses stopped as one of the bees dropped the paper in Kite's hand.

Help!!

Chimera Ant Nest, Rocky Area

Notify Hunter Association!!

An SOS? And it appeared to be written in blood.

You cast a worried glance at Gon, who looked disturbed.

"It's Ponzu..."

Ponzu...? The name wasn't familiar to you at all. That must be somebody Killua and Gon knew from before you had met them.

The bee fluttered defeatedly around you before making its landing on your ring finger. Kite made the decision to leave the horses, with a message for the Hunter Association.

Even though they ran faster on foot, it didn't take much time until you came across an unsettling scene.

Or, what was left of Ponzu.

Blood soaked the ground. Articles of ripped-up clothing scattered the dirt, and there was not even a bone in sight. The putrid smell of iron overwhelmed your nostrils.

It was fresh blood.

If you had arrived even 15 minutes earlier, maybe Gon and Killua's friend would not have so barbarically killed. You felt sick to your stomach.

'This wasn't done by a human'

"This was done by a Chimera Ant," Kite finished your thought.

The look on Gon's face scared you. Most of the time, Gon was a sweet boy on a journey to find his father. But sometimes, you could spot a festering darkness threatening to take over his very being. You knew he would never tolerate his friends getting hurt, but you couldn't help but wonder if Gon was self-sacrificing, or perhaps selfish?

"I hate to consider the possibility, but it's possible that NGL's underground rulers have already been fed to the queen. What will happen if Chimera Ants are born with their genes..?" Kite trailed off, studying one of the bullet casings in the murder scene.

An unprecedented biohazard never seen before in human history, is what that meant. The worst-case scenario had just happened.

⋯✰⋯

That wasn't the last disturbing scene the four of you came across. In front of you now were three decaying horses, each speared through the stomach by its own tree. They resembled grilled chicken and steak kebabs.

The scent was even worse than the last incident. This time, they were rotting. Killua and you both covered your noses, in an attempt to block out the stench.

"It's like a morning sacrifice," Gon stated.

You remembered what that was. Back at home, sometimes birds would impale their prey on sharp objects like branches. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was the circle of life. What kind of monster could do this to not just one, but three 1,000 ton horses?

Your question was answered quicker than you had hoped.

"Trash. Those are mine!" The monster in question growled as he stepped foot out of the dense forest.

He looked like an overgrown bunny, with wings of a bird, thick-ass thighs, and seaweed green hair. And as for the vibe he gave off? You could safely assume he was just a stupid man-child.

"Wow. You're ugly," you deadpanned.

"You wanna say that again little brat?" He snarled, making the first move and charging right after you.

You quickly dodged his attack, but not before he came in contact with your arm. That was gonna leave a bruise.

Kite activated his aura, temporarily distracting the bunny-monster. It seemed to have noticed the change in atmosphere.

No way...was it possible? Had it already learned about the power of nen?

"Y/N, Gon, Killua... You three must deal with him yourselves. We'll be encountering more Chimera Ant soldiers like him. I won't be able to help you during combat, so if you can't defeat him, you will have to leave." Kite stepped back from the fight.

You nodded, Gon and Killua mirroring you. The three of you understood what hung in the fate of this fight.

"We told you before Kite, we're pros, not just kids!"

In sync, you all activated your nen together.

"Did you hear that bunny? I'm about to blow off those weird speedos of yours into the next dimension." You raised your hand in front of you, manipulating the wind to blow him away with every step that you advanced.

Killua was already in the air, prepared to test his thunder-bolt. In a flash of blue, dozens of lightning strikes were being zapped into the ant, immobilizing him. Gon's charged punch was enough to send him flying across the sky.

You saw his tail-puff shrink and sparkle in the distance as he was about to disappear, until something fast and unidentifiable swept him away.

Someone had been watching.

"He let his soldier do the fighting so that he could learn our abilities," Kite explained while walking towards the three of you again.

Gon and Killua looked disappointed. You hadn't even gotten a chance to use much of your powers during that fight. If you had finished it off, would that have been enough to prove yourselves?

"Are you coming?"

You looked up at Kite.

"There's no need to feel down, your attacks weren't that bad. You just need experience now. If you wish to become stronger, this is a perfect opportunity... But if you aren't prepared, you won't be able to endure it. Whether we win or lose, hell lies ahead of us." Kite finished off, looking at each one of you in the eye with a resolute stare.

You knew that. Gon and Killua knew that also.

Even so, all three of you were prepared and eager to do whatever it takes to strengthen yourselves and help Kite save NGL.

⋯✰⋯

Kite looked serene as the light of the small campfire lit up his features. He and Gon had caught some fish for dinner earlier, while Killua and you set up camp. Now, you sat brushing arms with Killua, who was sitting next to Gon, who was huddled up close to Kite. The night was quiet, except for the cicadas singing in the trees and the thoughts running through you and your friend's minds.

There was a lot to think about.

Gon and Killua hadn't even been given the time to grieve over the loss of their past acquaintance, before being hit with the hard-hitting truth that the Ants were already evolving at a nightmarish rate. Nobody knew how many had gone missing or even more so been eaten. Yet everyone knew that the death count had already surpassed comprehensible numbers. Most likely, not everybody here would make it out alive.

But, the three of you consistently have proven the odds wrong. You held onto that fact like you held onto your pendant.

It reassured you.

It was obvious that the three of you had become inseparable over the past two years.

After you met Gon and Killua at Heaven's Arena, you'd never left each other's side.

Nobody would be going home without the other, because you had all found home within each other.

"Hey, Kite? What was your dad like?" Gon asked.

Kite looked up at the boy, surprised by the sudden question. Turning his eyes to the starry night sky, he exhaled a breath of cold air.

"I didn't know him. He disappeared when I was a child."

Gon hummed, waiting for Kite to continue. He knew that feeling too. It was an icy and empty feeling, not having a father figure in your life to guide you, praise you.

"I have very few memories of him, but they've all muddled together by now. Sometimes I can't tell if they're real or if I've convinced myself they are."

"....I think Ging would thank you."

This brought Kite's attention back to Gon.

"Thank me for what?"

"Well... You've been like a sort of mentor for me ever since we met, back on Whale Island. If it weren't for you, I would never have even become a hunter. Maybe I'm just a kid, but the past month it felt like I.. like I had a dad."

Your heart ached for Gon, who had been searching this whole time for his father in everyone he met and everything he saw. Gently, you placed your hand over his and squeezed it, wishing you could be of more comfort to him. Wishing you could turn back time and bring Ging back to his home, to Gon.

Kite's eyes softened as he looked at the boy, who offered a wobbly smile.

"Ging would be proud of you," he said, ruffling Gon's spiky hair.

That night, the glimmering moonlight had brought out your most vulnerable selves. You felt a honey-like warmth grow inside of you— a new member had just been added to your family. Killua seemed content, happy that his friend was smiling. And Gon's eyes matched the twinkling stars as he looked up to Kite like he was the most wonderful thing.

It was a special night. You knew deep down that you would treasure it, for a long time to come.

⋯✰⋯

[fandom-blackhole]

Darling, it's not me who is trying to kill you! It's just that the buckets are too skkskskhsslsk 🥵

Paz and you playing hide and seek in the forest?

He'd go 100% soldier on a mission mode and find you in no time,

''Looks like I found my precious target'' ,

You being all smol and scaweed 🥺😫,

Then he goes apeshit, wrestling you so hard against the tree that it'd leave marks on your back,

If you were camping in the mountains, he'd pack the tiniest tent and sleeping bag possible to stay as close as it'd be possible,

Paz thinks when you are with him there is no personal space,

Omg, you on top of him, being pounded mercilessly as he'd trap you so hard with his hands around your back,

He'd also press his palm against THE BULGE and nut instantly after he felt your pussy gripping his dick,

Okay, let's stop because, dear god we 'bout to bust, aren't we?

One day you decided to surprise Paz at his work,

You sneaked to the kitchen by the back entrance and hugged him from behind,

He'd slowly turn to face you big smile plastered on his face,

Until he saw what you were wearing,

You put on this baby blue flowy dress,

''Sweetheart, you are looking like a snacc''

My lovely little cupcake, might as well eat you here and now''

He just lifted you with one hand like you weighted nothing and sat you on a counter,

He quickly got rid of your panties (he totally stole them from you because he loves your taste and smell) and was eating you out like a starved man,

Even tho he was cooking all the time, he'd always be hungry for you,

You trying to cover your mouth with your hands so his employees and dinners wouldn't hear you,

But he was fast ro grab your hands and just chuckle saying

''Sweetness, I am the ownere here, right? So let me hear these pretty noises of yours, let people know how good I make you feel''

DID I SAY WE NEED TO CHILL OUT? GUESS I CAN'T STOP MYSELF SORRY

Din would text you through the day and it's a mix between:

''Good morning, my sweet girl, Did you sleep well?'', ''Baby, remember to eat your breakfast'', ''Have you drink enough water today?'',

''Daddy, can't wait to get back home to you'', ''Babygirl, my dick is painfully hard right know, been thinkin' too much about your pretty, little pussy'',

Din is a SHY 😊 and sweet mean, he loves being silly with his class, but the daddy thing makes him wild,

Din you better wash out your mouth with a soap lol,

When you visited him and Grogu to catch up with them, he couldn't keep his cool,

Seeing you playing with Grogu and being so motherly towards the kid sparked something in Din,

When Grogu settled for his afternoon nap, Din would grab you and pin you against the wall, one hand resting on your chest the other tucking hair behind your ear, growling in this rich chocolate timber:

''Sweet girl, you have no idea what you do to daddy'',

But when you innocently sit in his lap in public, he gets all shy and blushy, hesitantly resting his hands on your thighs,

Umm dirty secret? He once stole your white bra and used it to relieve himself when you were away 🤭,

Don't wear low-cut clothing around him or he'd end up crashing into something or landing on his ass,

9/10 times you'd catch him trying to sneak a glance at your tiddies and being all embarrassed when caught,

Giving him a tiddy job but being also able to succ his tip too because he is so well-endowed, Din.exe has stopped working, nutted to death,

If there were more buckedheads I don't know if we could keep on writing these,

Boba lives off his authority and power,

You wanting to keep your relationship professional impressed him a lot,

You weren't another young, stupid girl chasing after his money,

There was going to be another charity event, he send you a beautiful Tiffany choker to pair up with your outfit,

He almost came in his suit pants, when he noticed you giving a speech at the event, wearing his present,

After you were done speaking, he came up to you and the group of other attendees you were talking with,

'' Miss, your speech was really touching and thoughtful '' you instantly feelt so proud, being praised for your hard work in front of all of these people, cheerfully smiling at him,

Before you had time to respond, he got closer to you, smirk crawling up on his face and whispered:

'' Also, this necklace suits you so nicely, princess''

You just got flustered and said to him:

'' Thank you, sir'' while bitting your lower lip,

Well next thing you knew, you were being kidnapped to the parking lot, Boba literally throwing you onto backsit of his car,

Thank God you decided to wear garters and stocking that night

I have nothing more left to say. - 🐣

This AU is just getting better and better, you are such a genius...

Hid and seek with Paz 3729201/10, best fucking idea

Paz just goes absolutely ape shit watching his cock buldge out your belly

Paz stealing your panties whenever he can 😭😭😭

Paz does not understand personal space when it comes to you

He HAS to be touching you in some way when you are around

Holding your hand, hand around you waist, arm around your shoulder, slipping his hand into the back pocket of your jeans

When he first sat next to you in your booth at his restaurant and your thighs touched, his heart soared when you didn't pull away from him

Paz and yours first date, was really like your 12th, but Paz took you to a strawberry farm

Held the baskets as you picked the fruit, constantly telling you that you picked the best berries

After he bought a bottle of strawberry wine, which the two of you shared over a small dinner that he made

Then the next thing you knew you both were on your couch, you on his lap, having a very heated make out session

Which lead to Paz picking you up and carrying you to your bedroom, where the two of you had a very passionate and intense wrestling session

Now, Din, my sweet himbo

He gets soooo flustered with PDA

You once kissed his cheek in front of some people, and you could almost see his brain short circuiting

Din constantly checking on you throughout the day 🥺🥺🥺

He always calls on his lunch break, just to talk with you and see how your day is going and talk about his class

One day when you came to check on Grogu at school, the rest of the kids convinced you to read to them during playtime

Din had to sit behind his desk for a while because just seeing you like that made him so hard

That night he wrestled with you until he passed out

Din once asked if he could keep his cock inside of you all night long

You woke up aching and leaking from how many times the two of had cum during the night

Din had moaned when he woke up and just spulled you under him for an early morning wrestling match

Now for Boba....

Boba always makes sure that you have some kind of present waiting for you in the mornings

Flowers, clothes, jewelry, a five star breakfast, himself

Boba totally gets you the prettiest tiara for his princess

Everything you own soon becomes namebrand, because only the best for his little

The first time Boba seen you wearing one of his gifts he had dragged you into the closest empty room, and left you marked and jelly legged

Boba totally gets you a custom gun for you to carry around for safety

Its inscribed with little one

Boba likes to always have your neck covered in hickies so that people know who you belong too

Boba took you to an art show once and every painting you showed interest in he bought for you

Don't mention liking any famous painters because he will get his hands on an original piece for you

Sorry its not much but these boys are driving me up the wall....

(SEND ME THOTS!!!!)

[onewaigu]

From Space

Genre : Alien!au

Theme : Slight fluff(?)

Pairing : Kanghyun(Onewe) X Reader

Description : Y/N accidently got pushed into the Earth's atmosphere and sent crashing into an unsuspecting Earth boy who was busy stargazing.

“I don't know, what if someone catches us?”

As much as you enjoyed getting on your parent's nerves by going on your dangerous adventures without telling them beforehand, you knew very well that if you were to go on this one particular adventure with your dear twin cousins, you would not only have to deal with your parent's wrath but you would have to deal with the High Council's too. 

After all, Earth had been out of bounds since eons ago. Anyone who dared to step foot on the planet, would be sent into exile without any hesitation.

There were many known theories as to why this rule existed in the first place, but nobody knew what the real reason was behind the need for it.

Tiny shivers ran down your spine at the thought of being exiled. From the stories you'd heard when you were little, exile didn't sound like a pleasant experience at all and because of that, you actually found it quite incredulous that your two younger cousins would even consider risking their lives just for the sake of-

“But Y/N, wouldn't it be cool to have Earth as our view while we play dodgeball? Like could you imagine just how beautiful that view would be..”

Those kids were going to be the bane of your life. However, they did have a point. Earth was truly a beautiful planet to anyone who had ever set their eyes on it and being close to it would definitely be an opportunity that would only happen once in a lifetime.

No. You really shouldn't.

Shaking your head as you placed both of your hands on your hip, you firmly told your cousins, 

“As a responsible adult, I don't think we should”

You expected to see sad frowns on your cousins' faces but instead you were met with mischievous grins. Oh no..

Dongmyeong, the older of the two twins, kicked his feet off the ground and began to circle around you in a playful manner while Dongju, the younger twin, decided to float horizontally in front of you, propping his head with his hands while looking at you with the most innocent-looking expression.

“That's too bad..”, pouted Dongju.

“We'll just have to go near that forbidden planet without any responsible adult supervision then”, sulked Dongmyeong as his shoulders slowly drooped.

A look of exasperation was plastered all over your face. You wanted to reason with them again and maybe lecture them on the consequences of going near the Earth but before you could say anything, the most dramatic gasp interrupted you. 

Dongmyeong who was busy circling you had suddenly stopped, his eyes widened in fake fear.

When did this kid become an actor, huh?

You mentally rolled your eyes, but gestured your hand at him begrudgingly, encouraging him to finish whatever nonsense he planned to say to convince you to change your mind about going near Earth.

“But what if something terrible happens to us, Dongju? There won't be any responsible adults there to save us from such tragedy!”, exclaimed Dongmyeong with utmost exaggeration, both of his hands were on his head.

“You wouldn't want that to happen, right Y/N?”

Dongju's question made you speechless because he was right. You wouldn't dare to let anything bad happen to your twin cousins. Not only were they like your own brothers, but Dongmyeong and Dongju were the crown princes of your home planet. It's true they were troublemakers but they still held some power in their name and status.

An irritated sigh escaped your lips. Your uncle and aunt would be seriously pissed if they knew you let the twins go off on their own.

“Fine, but we better be playing two metres away from the Earth's ozone layer”, you grumbled.

While both of your cousins were busy hollering in excitement, you were already making a move towards Earth.

“Hurry your butts up before anyone sees us”, you groaned in frustration.

-

Dodgeball wasn't a term native to your people. It was actually said to be derived from Earth. It was a game where players tried to throw balls and hit opponents, while avoiding being hit themselves.

The only difference was that people from your home planet would charge up ordinary rubber balls with some of their own energy and that meant that whoever got hit by a flaming ball of energy would be instantly thrown back by the huge impact and left with a stinging mark. Fun.

“Alright, here we are”, you said to your cousins who were following you from behind.

All three of you stood or rather floated in place as you marvelled at the planet in front of you.

Words could not possibly describe its heavenly beauty. Earth was truly an incredible wonder to the eyes. How could this be a forbidden planet?

“Y/N, look out!”, you turned around in confusion but unfortunately you weren't quick enough to realise that the ball Dongju had thrown was coming straight towards you at high speed.

It was too late.

As soon as the ball of energy touched a part of your abdomen, you were instantly thrown back by the huge impact, it was impossible for you to even divert your direction to anywhere else other than the planet behind you.

The faces of your twin cousins changed in absolute horror as they helplessly looked on at your figure slowly growing smaller and smaller, entering the Earth's atmosphere. They honestly couldn't do anything else to save you without endangering their own lives and because of that, they remained where they were.

-

“Why didn't you signal Y/N first that we were gonna start the game?”, Dongmyeong was the first to break away from the initial shock, his eyes widened in panic.

“What do you mean "signal", we always played dodgeball this way!”, shouted Dongju in frustration as he kept shaking his head in denial of what had just happened to you.

“..true”, mumbled Dongmyeong, letting his head drop.

The two princes fell into uneasy silence.

“We're doomed, aren't we?”

“Oh definitely..”

-

You were falling. You don't fall, you float but you were falling at that moment. When will the falling stop?

Maybe it was gravity that was pulling you down. You'd learnt about it in a lecture that Earth was the only planet that had this force that could pull you down towards the centre.

Despite being in a terrifying situation, you forced yourself to close your eyes, to let all the fear and panic inside you fade away. Hugging the energy ball tightly to your abdomen, you could feel a wave of peace washed over you. 

“I really hope the landing's soft”

-

Life could be tiring sometimes without a doubt. That's why people have hobbies, to distract themselves, to find an escape from their routine.

Hyungu's no different.

His fascination with astronomy started way back when he was younger when he used to have intricate dreams about asteroids, stars, and just about everything related to the universe above.

When he got older, he never once missed an opportunity to go stargazing. Lucky for him, he'd stumbled across this lonely hill one night while taking a longer route back home during his first year of university. 

The view from it was like no other. Hyungu would simply lie down on the plain grass and admire the map of stars twinkling above him. If he stayed a little longer, he might even catch a shooting star or two. 

There was a whole universe out there, and he could only watch it from his tiny little planet. Even so, he was still happy because stargazing truly felt like an infinite bliss for him.

-

On the 24th of November, he decided to visit the hill to meet his twinkling companions. He was also hoping he'd come across a few shooting stars to make some wishes. It was, after all, his birthday.

The path he took had cherry blossom trees lined up all the way to the hill, but their branches were bare without a single pink flowery beauty on them as winter was slowly approaching. Wisps of the cold wind blew on his face, sending tiny shivers throughout Hyungu's body. He hugged his white parka tighter around him to keep himself warm.

He had expected the night to be freezing which was why he came prepared with a huge thermos filled with delicious homemade hot chocolate tucked away safely in his tote bag. The night's stargazing experience would be just wonderful, he was sure of it.

Taking slow careful steps up the hill, he could already see his stars welcoming him. Regulus was shining brighter than ever which made Hyungu smile dearly in adoration of his favourite star.

After finding his usual spot, Hyungu immediately plopped on the grass with a soft thud. When he looked up into the sky, he could see dozens of beautiful stars scattered all over, looking as though they were like freckles on a person's face.

He started to search for constellations that he could remember off the top of his head and with each success, he bumped his fist in the air in victory. 

“I probably looked funny when I did that”, he chuckled to himself, his ears turning a faint shade of red. Thankfully, no one was there to witness it.

This went on for about a few minutes before something that was moving very fast caught Hyungu's attention from the corner of his eye. Turning his head sharply towards the source, excitement rose from inside of him.

A shooting star!

Normally, he would close his eyes and clasp his palms together as soon as he saw a shooting star to make a wish, but this time, he hesitated.

 He noticed something odd about it.

Firstly, it was slightly bigger than an average shooting star. Secondly, it was glowing purple. The second part was what shocked Hyungu the most, he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. When did shooting stars become purple? Did he miss some kind of unforeseen phenomenon which caused them to change colours? Whatever it was, Hyungu was confused to say the least.

To make things even weirder, the shooting star had stopped moving halfway across the sky and was now directly in front of Hyungu's line of vision. It also seemed to be getting bigger and bigger as time passed by. Unfortunately, that's when he finally realised that the so-called shooting star was actually heading towards his direction, and it was moving fast.

Hyungu's eyes widened but he was frozen in place, too scared to move an inch from where he was. All he could do was shield his face with his padded arms, hoping that it would be enough to brace the impact.

He stood like that for a few minutes but when he heard nothing from the other side, he slowly removed his arms from his face. He really didn't expect to meet a pair of luminous gray eyes staring back into his own black ones, much less a whole person hovering above him.

Hyungu shared the same shocked look as the mysterious person. He didn't quite understand how this person could possibly be off the ground without having anything attached.

-

“What the-”, you whispered in confusion.

The fall took a while before it came to a stop. When it did, it didn't feel like you'd landed on something. Instead, you felt like you were still suspended in mid-air. Curious to know why, you slowly opened your eyes for the first time since you entered the Earth's atmosphere. Immediately, you were taken aback by the sight in front of you— or rather, below you because there was literally someone else, a boy, sitting on the ground below you. Before you could take a good look at him, you felt an invisible force push you in the back and send you crashing into the Earth boy.

His jaw hit your nose, and your forehead hit his.

The both of you were groaning in pain, lying a few feet away from each other after you had instinctively pushed yourself off of him upon impact. 

“Well, that was certainly a soft landing”, you said sarcastically as you got up from the cold ground while still rubbing your nose bridge to relieve the pain. You even had to blink a few times to adjust your blurry vision to your new surroundings.

The flames of the ball that you were hugging all throughout your fall down to Earth had already been extinguished and it was now resting against the Earth boy's foot. 

The Earth boy..

For a second there, you had forgotten all about him. You were a bit concerned though. Poor him probably didn't expect someone to crash into him from outer space.

With shy steps, you gingerly approached him. Just like you, he was also rubbing his nose bridge as he sat up from the ground and stretched out his legs. His eyes were closed too.

Once you were beside him, you crouched down to his level and lightly tapped his left shoulder twice. 

-

Hyungu was trying so hard to ignore the pain on his nose but it felt like he had just been hit hard by some type of metal. He was busy rubbing it when suddenly, he felt two light taps on his shoulder. 

Opening his eyes, he turned his head to his left and saw that the same mysterious person was smiling at him. Hyungu couldn't help but gape at this odd stranger's appearance. With hair of regal purple and eyes illuminating silver radiance, the person truly looked otherworldly. 

So aliens don't really look like E.T.?

-

Behind your smile, you were feeling kind of awkward because the boy had stopped moving once he laid eyes on you.

Is this Earth boy broken or something?

Not sure what made you do it, but you decided to reach your finger out and poked his forehead with it. You were glad that it took him out of the trance that he was in. Now, you could finally try asking him some of the questions that had been bothering you since you arrived on Earth.

“Hi, do you know where I could borrow a bio-ship? I really need to go back home as soon as possible”, you asked the Earth boy politely, pointing a finger upwards towards the sky.

Unfortunately, you were met with silence. 

“You do have bio-ships here on Earth, right? You know, the ones that are organic and make you look really cool when you take them for a spin”, you elaborated, assuming that maybe bio-ships went by another name on Earth and this Earth boy might be confused by that.

However, when he continued to give you confused expressions with no replies whatsoever, realisation finally hit you. 

“Oh no no no, please no, it can't be”, you shook your head furiously, desperately trying to reassure yourself but failing in the process.

Grabbing the boy's padded shoulders and shaking them back and forth gently, you hoped that your assumptions were wrong when you asked him, “Do you understand what I'm saying?”

From confusion to concern, the Earth Boy replied back, but unfortunately, not a single word was understood by you. Whatever he said was too foreign to your ears, you couldn't even guess the meaning of anything he was trying to say to you.

You stood up from where you were crouching and moved a few steps away from the Earth boy. With your back facing him, you placed a hand on your chest and tried to calm yourself down with slow breaths. Panicking wouldn't help your situation, so the best you could do right now was to proceed with a clear mind. Maybe then, could you think of something that could help overcome this language barrier.

 -

This definitely was the weirdest encounter Hyungu had ever experienced in his whole life. Who would've thought that a shooting star that turned out to be an actual person would be talking to him in some kind of alien language right now. 

Of course, he didn't know how to respond so he just kept quiet but the moment the mysterious space person started panicking and stood up from beside him, that's when Hyungu decided to pack his stuff as fast as he could and attempted to run away as quietly as possible. He had had enough of weird things happening to him in one night.

Tiptoeing down the hill, Hyungu kept looking back to make sure that the person was still there. Once he knew he was much further away from the hill, he slowed down his pace and leisurely strolled along the path that would take him back home to the dorms.

-

Did the Earth boy honestly think you didn't notice his retreating figure? His footsteps weren't as quiet as he probably thought they were.

While you were still unsure of what to do, you still followed him from behind because he might be the only one who could help you. Besides, there weren't any other Earth people around anyway.

You raked your brain to search for some solution. You could've sworn there was something you could do to learn a foreign language in an instant. There was a lesson around it when you took Earth Studies as an elective last year. You just had to remember what it was.

A low rumbling sound interrupted your thoughts. Clutching your stomach, you sighed in annoyance. It's been a few hours since you last ate or drank something. Moments later, another sound came from in front of you, this time it was a low gasp. You slowly raised your head to see that the Earth boy had finally realised that you were following him all this while. His eyes were wide open and his cheeks were tinted with a faint shade of red.

In a blink of an eye, he started to run. You were dumbfounded by his action but at that moment, something clicked in your mind and you began to chase after him.

“Wait, hold up! I need to do something”, you called out to him despite knowing that he couldn't understand anything you're saying.

He was fast but you were faster. When you heard the rustling of his clothing growing quieter, you took this chance to pick up your speed. Once he was already an arm's length away from you, you reached your right hand out and grabbed the sleeve of his padded clothing, causing him to halt.

You turned him around to face you. Not giving him any time to comprehend what was happening, you immediately landed a small peck on his rosy cheek. When you pulled away, the Earth boy blinked his eyes a few times before falling limp on the ground. 

Hmm Earth people faint when we do that? 

Even after you did that, you weren't completely sure if you had already absorbed the language of the Earth People. The only way to check was to wait for this Earth boy to wake up.

Folding your arms in annoyance, you began eyeing the bag that he was carrying. As if on cue, your stomach rumbled one more time. Touching your abdomen, you wondered if he had anything on him right now.

Isn't that stealing? 

You shook your head reassuringly.

It's "borrowing"

Satisfied with your own logical reasoning, you took a step closer to the purple bag that was still slung on the Earth boy's left shoulder. You lifted his arm up and removed the bag, leaving his arm to fall back to the ground with a thud. You peered at his face for a second and saw that he was still unconscious.

“How long before he finally wakes up?”, you stifled a laugh.

Holding the bag in your hands, you began to rummage through it, searching for anything that could stop your stomach from making any more embarrassing sounds. 

Eventually, you found something. It seemed like a mere metallic cylinder at first but when you shook it near your ear, you could hear some type of liquid swirling inside. Eager to know what it was, you unscrewed the lid and brought the brim closer to your nose. When you inhaled, a strong rich sweet-smelling scent greeted you.

Bringing the cylinder to your lips, you downed the chocolate-coloured liquid in one shot. You let out a happy sigh as you could feel the silky smooth texture of it against your throat. It was absolutely delicious, you had never tasted anything like it on your home planet. It was gone in an instant!

Setting the cylinder aside, you lazily turned your head towards the Earth boy's direction to see him staring back at you.

“Oh great, you're awake!”, you smiled at him.

“Did you finish all of that?”, he pouted, “I didn't even get to taste it and it's gone”.

“Aww I'm sorry about that”, you apologised while looking guiltily at the empty metallic cylinder.

“Oh no, it's okay- Wait a minute!”, he exclaimed halfway through his sentence, pointing a shaky finger at you. “I understand you!”

Your whole face suddenly lit up when you heard those words, “You do? You understand what I'm saying?”, you asked him excitedly.

The Earth boy nodded his head enthusiastically. He too, was smiling in excitement, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

“It worked, I can't believe it worked!”, you whispered to yourself in glee. Now, you're one step closer to finding a way back home.

The sound of someone clearing their throat echoed into your ears. You figured it came from the Earth boy so you just hummed back in response.

“I don't mean to offend, but are you..an alien?”

Upon hearing that, you turned your head sharply at him which caused him to look away shyly.

Tilting your head a bit, you shrugged, “Well if being an alien means I'm from up there then yes, I'm an alien”, you told him nonchalantly.

“Oh w-wow, that's uhm nice”, he stuttered back awkwardly while scratching the back of his ear.

Even though you're extremely curious to know what life was like on Earth, you had to abandon any thoughts of exploring it. 

“Anyway, do you know where I could borrow a bio-ship or any type of spacecraft? I really need to get home”, you asked him in a serious manner. 

The Earth boy repeatedly tapped a finger on his lips in concentration, trying to think of an answer. However, when he looked like he had one, he gave you an uncertain smile. You were a bit worried to listen to what he had in mind.

“There is a place which has those..”, he trailed off.

Why did it seem like there would be a 'but'?

“..but normal people can't just go there and borrow a spacecraft, it's government property”, he furrowed his eyebrow at you in empathy, “I'm sorry”

You felt your heart shatter into a million pieces. Assuming that this so-called government was like your home planet's High Council, there was no way you would ever be able to leave Earth any time soon. Heaving a sigh, you waved your hand dismissively at the Earth boy.

“No worries, I guess I'm stuck here for a while”, you mumbled defeatedly while raising your head up to look at the night sky. You hoped that your twin cousins were at least busy finding a way for you to get back home.

From the corner of your eye, you could see the Earth boy visibly contemplating on something.

“Uhm..do you have a place to stay?”

A low gasp escaped from your lips. You hadn't thought about that at all. “No, I've never been to Earth before, so I don't know anyone here”, you frowned deeply as you hugged your elbows. All of a sudden, you felt alone and you wanted to cry.

But then, you could hear a soft kind voice asking you in the most gentlest way, “Do you maybe want to stay at mine? It's actually a dorm with a few other people but I'm sure they won't mind it”

“I don't want to trouble you..”, you already felt bad for being such a burden to this young Earth boy.

“Trouble? Helping someone else who's in need isn't a trouble at all”, he beamed at you reassuringly.

You hesitated for a while before accepting his offer. Something about this Earth boy made you feel like he was someone you could trust. 

Soon after, the two of you began heading towards the Earth boy's dorm, walking side-by-side each other. Your eyes were wandering everywhere the whole time, soaking in the beauty of Earth.

“I'm Hyungu by the way”

You stifled a laugh but quickly tried to hide it by covering your mouth with your hand.

Hyungu looked at you in confusion, not understanding why you thought his name was funny.

“Sorry, it's just that I've been calling you Earth boy in my head the whole time since I landed here”, you explained to him apologetically. You could feel the heat rushing to your cheeks so you looked away, hoping that he didn't notice it.

“I'm Y/N”, you told him.

“Aren't you cold, Y/N?”, he shivered as a cold breeze blew on their faces. Hyungu kept tugging at his parka to try and stay warm but he noticed that his new alien friend was completely unfazed by the freezing weather. In fact, he was bewildered when he first saw you because you weren't wearing any thick warm clothes.

“Nope”, you simply replied back.

He nodded and the both of you went back to walking silently beside each other.

At that moment, Hyungu finally accepted that he probably wasn't dreaming anymore.

[a/n]

hi hi! yes, this was lowkey inspired by starfire and robin's first meeting where starfire kissed robin to understand and speak English ^ ^

hope you had fun reading this!

also don't forget to stream parting ;)

[gyro-rella-rella]

Dio x reader~{princess}

On a cloudy dark night. You've decided to sit outside. Yes, you hated it, but your dear Dio loved to sit out on a cold night to watch the stars, the moon, and feel the humid air in his palms. As he put it, it was a way to calm down and gather important thoughts. The way he explained it you'd think sitting outside would give you some kind of magical flying power of the sort. You layed down your blanket since you didn't like sitting in the grass, when you mentioned this to Dio he was kind of disappointed, however happy you even agreed to sit outside with him. You knew he'd been lonely pretty much all his life. You were happy you were the only person to help him open up at least a tiny smidge. You stared into his dark eyes. Loving and cherishing every bit of him for a couple of minutes. He'd eagerly stare at you a couple times , it seemed as if he was holding back saying something.

"Something on your mind..? "

"No."

"Alright then" You looked directly at a tree with a dark blue bird landing on the branch "I wouldn't want to force you"

"Hm"

You thought about a couple things while you stared at the hopeless sky. You thought about your day with Dio, what you ate today. And the little things.

you bravely decided to rest your head on his shoulder. He looked like he needed it, and as much as he would deny it you knew he wanted it. you admired the clouds steaming over the shining moon and the dark sky background. The feeling of the soft blanket and Dios soft shoulder. {When you placed your head on Dios shoulder he was a bit shocked since he knew you weren't one of those type of women. He personally thought you were perfect for him, not too pushy, and strong. But also very kind and sweet. You were the only person who actually cared about him. And not just because he could probably kill you at any moment. But because you were genuinely interested in him. And he deeply admired that. }

"Tch"

You smiled.

"Hmm now I see why you like it out here so much. It's so comfortable out here. With, me and you of course. It feels so natural, this was a good idea after all dio." while still resting your head on his shoulder delicately, you started to mentally count how many trees there were to keep you a bit busy. He looked at you and told you "another reason I'm out here is to admire you better. my princess" he looked back to what he seemed pretty fixated on, with a devilish smirk on his face. "Oh? I'm your princess? So does that make you my p-"

"Figure it out yourself " He started to blush but in a way you couldn't tell he was mad. You really loved Dio and slowly started to love being out here with him in such a setting. You could tell he loved being out here with you too. He just never had the best way of truly showing it.

Soon you slowly started to drift off to sleep on his shoulder. When you fell asleep he picked you up with your blanket and placed you on the living room couch and tucked you in. "Soon I'll be able to show you how much you mean to me. How you belong to only me. however now is not the time. I love you, my sweet, princess"

[notanotherbookreview]

Did you ever want to go “Off Planet?” Excerpt shows what your experience might be like, with an Alien living on Earth, who’s a friend--showing you his technology. And it’s based on real tech evolving now. Excerpt: E.T. Marshall's CONFESSIONS OF AN ALIEN: A Mythology for the Third Milennium Book 1. Red Coaster Press. Some years ago, Harold Pebbles introduced me to one of his Philadelphia classmates. Rita Goldblatt and I found that we had a mutual interest in dream interpretation. Rita introduced me to the Nova Dreamer. It looks like a sleeping mask that covers your eyes. Batteries operate small sensors that detect rapid eye movements, REM, that indicate a dream state. The machine can be programmed to have its sound and lights activate when a REM state is detected. The sleeper is gently awakened, to be lucidly aware of his dream state. This machine helped me remember my dreams, which, after I had fully awakened, I wrote down on a legal tablet kept on my nightstand. The machine later facilitated my ability to create my own dreams and to be an active participant. Rita took a great interest in my dreams and their meaning over the years. I related this to Vlad, who listened keenly. “Then you know,” he said, “when you are in a dream state, it is often difficult to know that you are dreaming and not actually experiencing the real world. That is what I want you to do, before you go to sleep, simply say aloud that you would like me to come visit you in your lucid dream and show you the alien world I live in. At any time, you can ask me to awaken you, bring you back, and that you want to vividly remember your entire dream after you awaken. What do you have to lose, Donald— a good night’s sleep?” I decided to give up my efforts to get Vlad off his alien theme and go with the flow. “It seems harmless enough. Are you going to hypnotize me or give me some suggestions on what to dream about?” “No, none of that.”   “Well, Dr. Comsky, I am comfortable right here in this lounge chair. What if I just leaned back, put my feet up and dozed off right here?” “That would be fine, just say the things I've asked you to and off you go,” Vlad said reassuringly. I thought this might be something good, or at least new. There was not a thought in my head that Vladimir would do anything to injure me, nothing to even upset me. I believed that he would have some sort of suggestive power to influence my dream state. I was definitely up for something new. I felt a little sporty, as if I were a trout being pulled in on a very light line. Whatever was on the other side of the line, I decided to allow myself to be reeled in. I leaned back in the chair, kicked off my shoes, loosened my belt buckle two notches and unbuttoned my top shirt button.” I murmured, “I want Vlad to visit me in my lucid dreaming state. I want him to bring me back at my request. I want to remember this lucid dream vividly when I awaken.” I added as a joke, “I want him to show me his planet.” With that I closed my eyes, let out a sigh and repeated my last words silently, and could not help thinking of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz saying, “I want to go home” and clicking the heels of her red magical shoes. CLICK When I opened my eyes Vlad was still seated in the chair next to me. “What happened?” I murmured. “I don't remember a thing.” “Oh ye of little faith.” He smiled as he said this; I looked around the room. The walls were disappearing. It was dark out and the sky was full of stars. I felt a chill and started to shake a little. Then, as if someone had once more pushed a button on a remote control and changed channels, the stars in the sky were different, and there was no ground below us. We were still in our chairs and the chairs were still on the floor, but that's all there was. I was wondering how we could breathe, but I remembered this is a dream and I am letting Vlad control it. Mercifully, the wine and cheese were still between us. I popped a large black olive in my mouth. So far, the dream was damned good. Looking at the black sky around me and the pinpoints of the stars that were both above and below, I felt like I was in a planetarium. I sat up from my reclining position and asked, “Why did you bring me here?” “I thought you might like to see another planet,” he said, pointing his thumb behind him, as a hitchhiker would. I turned to look, and the chairs and floor, or what was left of it, swiveled around so that we were gazing down on the top of an enormous blue-and-white sphere. The view reminded me of Earth as seen from the space station. Slowly the view changed so that I was looking straight at the planet and no longer down on it. Like my experience on the roller coaster, this made me feel as if any moment I would fall out of my seat and down to my death on the planet’s surface. I could see large landmasses and oceans, but knew that this planet was considerably larger than Earth and had entirely different-shaped continents. I finally said, “It’s awesome.” “Yes, I thought you'd like it. Its name is Paucri. Can you see it clearly? And do the stars look like pinpoints? And does my voice sound natural?” “Yes, of course, why?” I asked. “You know this is a simulation. It is not real. But does it seem real to you?” “Indeed it does.” Except for the disappearing walls, it seemed totally real. I sat there for a while trying to take it all in: Paucri, the stars, my alien friend and the non-reality of this reality. I thought of a chimpanzee looking at a television set. I thought of an alien looking at a chimpanzee. I thought of an alien looking at me. I don't know if it was the height, the new experience, or the chimpanzee, but I felt strange and uncomfortable. Vlad, sensing my discomfort, asked, “Would you like to go someplace else? Somewhere more familiar to you?” Gratefully I assented, then added, anxious not to give the impression that I didn’t trust him, “What do you have in mind, Vlad?” “Where would you like to be right now if you could pick anywhere on Earth, at any time, and while we are at it, you can pick the weather, too.” I thought for a few moments of the pleasant times of my life. The movie City of Angels, with its vivid sunset scenes, flashed into my mind. More than once at sunset time I would find myself at a beach— Malibu, Santa Monica, Huntington, Redondo— but it was Venice Beach that called to me now. A place of warm memories of ice cream cones, hot dogs, cotton candy, roller skating and watching the sun go down with the woman I loved. “How about Venice Beach today an hour before sunset and 80 degrees?” He nodded and somewhere, a button was pushed on a remote control. CLICK we were sitting on beach chairs facing the Pacific Ocean. There were many clouds in the sky but no sign of rain, and it had all the makings of a beautiful sunset. I watched the bright reds, reflected on the clouds above the glow, softly and slowly transform into a deep purple. A dozen squawking seagulls were flying overhead; sandpipers were darting in and out of the surf line. I took my shoes and socks off and rubbed my feet in the warm sand. I thought how easily my mind could be fooled. One minute in space and the next at Venice Beach. As I looked around, it sounded and felt so real. I could hear the waves breaking gently on the beach, the tender wind moving through the palm trees behind me. Vlad refilled my wine glass. “But Vlad, where are the people?” I asked. “Venice Beach at this time of day is full of people.” CLICK As if a thunderclap blasted behind my head, my body uncontrollably jumped back into the beach chair. In an instant, the sound of hundreds of people surrounded me, as if someone had turned on the speakers of a stereo system. All the people were moving as if they had always been there. I looked around from my beach chair at the sidewalk behind me and saw dozens walking, a few roller skaters gliding between them, and of course, cyclists. There were children playing in the sand on the beach, people eating pizza and hot dogs, and lovers sitting on blankets looking dreamily in each other's eyes, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders. Then I noticed the smells of those hot dogs, and somewhere down the beach, someone was barbecuing pork ribs and hamburgers, and everywhere there was the smell of suntan lotion. I inhaled deeply, trying to see if this was real or not. I put my hand in the warm sand, rubbed the fine grains between my fingers, and sniffed it. The simulation was outstanding, and the thought shook me. What if we went back to Van Nuys, and it’s actually a simulation? I believed I wouldn’t know the difference now that I could feel the sand on my fingers. But Vlad did promise to take me back at my request, and I did believe him. After all, he was the man who cured Ann. I trusted him then, I had faith in him, so why should that change now? I questioned my own judgment and reality. I admitted to myself that I was afraid.