#to remind link that he gets this power only cause they're dead

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a message from Yahya Sinwar (the Hamas leader inside Gaza) was passed to Hamas leaders who live outside of it, and the essence of that is not to worry, because Sinwar believes they have Israel exactly where they want it. In other words, when Hamas is estimated by Israel to have at least 12,000 of its terrorists killed, and despite the fact that they could stop the death of Gazans by releasing the Israeli hostages and surrendering, Sinwar doesn't see any issues with where the war is at. I think the most important part is this: "According to the report, Sinwar also told the Hamas officials that the terror group is prepared for Israel’s expected operation in Rafah, the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city, and is relying on the high civilian death toll reported by the Hamas-run health ministry to cause enough global outcry that Israel is forced to withdraw" (my emphasis). At what point do people realize that they are serving the interests of Hamas' mass murderers, kidnappers and rapists?

A few days ago, I wrote about the attempt to allow aid trucks into northern Gaza directly from Israel, instead of bringing it to the south, and waiting for Gaza-based elements to deliver it to the north. This means an escort of Israeli soldiers is accompanying the trucks. This is the route the aid trucks cross:

Today, these aid trucks were stormed by a huge crowd, and according to the IDF, many people died from pushing and trampling (at the link you can see aerial video footage of the stampede), not an unheard of phenomenon when a huge herd of people all rush in at the same time. On top of that, some Gazans were also advancing at the soldiers securing the aid trucks. The soldiers felt undr threat, and they opened fire at those charging at them, but according to their estimate, this accounts for only 10 of the dead. Still, you can count on the anti-Israel crowd to adopt a narrative that, immediately and without investigation, calls this a massacre and blames every single death on Israel, not on Hamas, which started the war that made even aid supply into a dangerous and complicated situation.

Here's a reminder that even in the middle of the war, when no one is paying attention to it, Israel continues to demolish illegal homes built by Jews. But you're never gonna hear about it, not even during more normal times, because it doesn't fit the anti-Israel narrative, so anti-Israel sources will only ever tell you about it, when Israeli demolishes illegal homes built by Arabs.

As threats to British Members of Parliament (MPs) are rising due to threats from the anti-Israel crowd, the UK has allocated bodyguards to some of them, along with 31 million pounds designated for the security of British democracy. If some of the most powerful people in Britain are that scared, what do you think Jews there are going through? Indeed, today we heard that 72 million pounds are meant to help secure Jewish centers and institutions in the UK. The problem is that until the root of the problem will be tackled, this is just taking care of the symptoms, instead of curing the disease.

Israeli security forces have stopped two Palestinian cousins, one 17 years old and the other 29 years old, from carrying out an independent terrorist attack. I refer to such attacks as independent in order to point out that they're not a part of some greater plot, unlike every single terrorist attack on Oct 7, which were all interconnected, and rocket attacks since, which are launched as a part of the war that Hamas started waging against Israel. However, some of these attacks ARE connected to Hamas. Apparently, these two cousins contacted Hamas in Gaza to get help in committing their intended crime.

This is 59 years old Michel Nissenbaum.

He made alyiah on his own from Brazil when he was 13 years old. Friends say that coming to Israel saved him. He worked in hi-tech, as well as a tour guide, and volunteered with Bedouin kids. Here he is with one such group:

On Oct 7, Michel heard that the Re'im IDF base was under attack from Hamas terrorists. Knowing that his granddaughter was there, visiting her dad, Michel decided to go there and get her out. While he was making his way to the base, he stopped responding to messages. His granddaughter was rescued from the place hours later, but Michel himself had disappeared. He's believed to be kidnapped in Gaza, but his family is scared, because he wasn't spotted in any of the pics or vids released by Hamas.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[beevean]

NFCV's version of Devil Forging frustrates me, because the changing it to an art that combines necromancy with alchemy (Animating dead bodies while altering their form into a new creature) isn't exactly a terrible change, cause that sounds exactly like the kind of technique that Dracula would create/teach, given his origin in alchemy and status as an undead wizard. But instead it's just another pointless change, because NFCV completely destroyed those potential connections, since Dracula's backstory is completely different and he no longer has any real connection to Devil Forging like he did in the game.

Yeah, it's one of those changes that I find perfectly neutral, except for a few details.

Changing Forging from an alchemical process to full blown necromancy makes perfect sense, and it's exactly that kind of blasphemous art that would get them shunned from the human world. It's creepy, it's gross, it's utterly disrespectful to the deceased, it defies God's creed. The last part especially would fit our good Dracula "wife dead, i will become an immortal hellish creature to spite god himself" Tepes like a glove lol.

Furthermore, I appreciate the intent to nerf Forgemasters lmao. In the games, they're basically demigods: they only need some stones and gems to forge any creature they want, and there you go. Plus, they're beasts in hand-to-hand combat as well. In the show, they need material, and they need their special tool: without them, they're powerless. Well, they were supposed to be powerless, judging by their S2 stats: we know that Isaac quickly became an untouchable Gary Stu while Hector was kept completely incompetent and even a worse Forgemaster than his colleague :^) but it's a good idea, certainly better than having Sypha be the Avatar just because she's OP in CV3 lol

I also liked the idea of Isaac studying as an adult, while Hector was born a prodigy. The idea could have been that Isaac understood precisely what he was getting into, while Hector was burdened with this terrible power, it's all he knows, and he never thought too deeply about it, hence his cavalier attitude regarding death.

The thing that bothers me the most is that Devil Forging is common in the NFCVverse. Isaac didn't study under Dracula, he just... studied on his own in the desert. Devil Forgemasters have been a thing since forever - St. Germain mentions a book written by one 200 years prior. Vampires know all about Devil Forging. Magic users know all about Devil Forging. And in Nocturne is even worse. It really cheapens this art: magic as powerful and terrible such as necromancy shouldn't be this widespread. I would have accepted the idea of Dracula lying to Hector to hire him if he truly, truly didn't have a better choice, because yeah Hector is not up to mass slaughter and that's an issue but he is the best help he can get. What stopped Dracula from going to, say, Miranda? What, did he avoid Italy? :P

And, personally (although sadly I understand why Ellis wouldn't know about it since it's obscure knowledge), my favorite part of Devil Forging in the games is that Dracula gave part of his power to Hector and Isaac.

The two are intrinsically linked to him now. They are his creations, in a way. They owe their power to him. It's another step towards their dehumanization. Plus, it's a nice reminder that Dracula used to be an alchemist in life: he's passing on his own old knowledge, albeit twisted, to his students.

So you can imagine why the mere idea of a Devil Forging machine feels like an insult :^)

[tasteofshapes]

How is your writing going? How are YOU doing? What is a random headcanon you have about any character you love?

Thanks for asking anon, thanks for checking in. :)

On writing: I was stuck with a bit of writer’s block for a while, but that has sort of cleared up now, so I’m going to be back working on All’s Fair (In Love and War) this week. It’s really frustrating when I have writer’s block, because I have all these images and scenes in my head, but the words won’t come out right. It feels a bit like I’m screaming underwater.

Personal life: Part of the reason I probably had writer’s block was because I wasn’t in a good place at work for a while, but that has also improved (also because we had a long weekend here, so that meant lots of non-stop Zelda time, which helped A LOT). Work has been… well, it’s work, right? I counter that by playing a lot of Breath of the Wild, which is THE BEST Zelda game ever!!! And I never thought I would be saying that, because Twilight Princess & Ocarina of Time were my absolute fav before this, but BotW? WOW. They completely rebuilt the gameplay from the ground up, and it was such a labour of love, and it really shows. They’ve put so much thought into every detail - even the music fits how you play. You get little refrains of familiar music but never the full song, just bare notes that fade away into nothing, which reflects how ruined and broken Hyrule has become. The music fits the story, and the story is just so sad. So Link’s been asleep for 100 years, recovering from a near fatal wound, and has awakened to find himself in a post-apocalyptic version of Hyrule, where everyone he knows is dead, or missing, or blames him for failing to save Hyrule. This isn’t some version where evil is rising and Link has to stop it, this is a game where evil has already risen, where evil has already won. Link’s too late to prevent anyone from dying, Link’s already failed. And they don’t retcon it by making everyone magically rise from the dead like they did in some of the old games, here, people die, and they stay dead, and Link has to live with his failures. I love that there are consequences for him that aren’t just brushed under the carpet, in this game, the evidence of his failure is everywhere. It’s a beautifully well-made and well-thought out game, and honestly I could write an essay on this because I haven’t even touched on the gameplay or the open world concept yet. So yeah, playing Zelda has been helping me through a lot.

Random HC about Byakuya: Byakuya secretly wishes that the other captains liked him more. Oh, he knows that he’s respected, he doesn’t doubt that, he’s proven his worth as a captain time and time again, and he knows they all admire Senbonzakura - but that’s about it. He’s aware that they find him stuffy and formal and uptight, but that’s how he was brought up and that’s the only way he really knows how to keep himself safe. The last time he opened himself up, his childhood friend Yoruichi left without any explanation, and it took him years to recover from that blow. He learns from that experience, learns that people don’t owe him a thing, and closes himself up. But he doesn’t stay closed forever, and then came Hisana, and he couldn’t help falling in love with her, with how gentle she was, how sweet. She complements him, softens him in ways that he never thought was possible. But her heart was never truly his, and he only had 5 years with her before she dies and leaves him behind, and he had broken so many vows and rules to marry her that in the end he comes out a far more damaged person than he was before. And heartbroken, grieving, and ashamed that he let his family down, he withdraws into himself, wraps his rules and his codes around him like a wall. And he knows what he’s missing when the other captains laugh and joke and visit each other, except that he doesn’t see it as missing out, he sees it as protecting himself from it ever happening again. If you’re not part of the world, he tells himself, you can’t get hurt. Still, he wishes they liked him more.

[elizabethrobertajones]

Did Bobo really create the Wayward Sisters? If so, why weren't Jack and especially Cas included in that episode? That's my biggest issue with that pilot honestly, I mean, the fact that the show abandoned Claire and Cas' bond after season 10 and gave that storyline to Salmondean. Her bond with Cas is more interesting because of their connection to the Novaks. I also think that Claire and Jack would've made a more engaging dynamic and spin off together, I think they're strong characters & actors

Hi there!

Bobo isn’t the “creator” of Wayward so much as it can even have one, as it was a very organic idea, which even involved a healthy amount of fandom input. The original campaign in season 10 was for Wayward Daughters, and the idea picked up so much steam the altered title for, I guess, a mix of copyright and thematic relevance was the Sisters one. I’d say 10x08 was the real genesis of it as something that could be really solid. Once Kim and Briana were put together the chemistry and star power they could have had together was really meteoric as far as our small SPN world was concerned. Phil Sgriccia directed 9x13 and wrote 10x08 and was more of the parent of Wayward than any specific writer in that sense. Jody and Claire were pretty much common property of the show by that point. Claire was really introduced again in relation to plotlines and questions about Cas and less to do with them really going out of their way to re-launch her. I think they’d have been much cornier about it from the start and while YA protagonist diary writing her way through the end of Wayward Sisters was cute, it’s the sort of cutesy that really has to be earned. If she STARTED that way, like maybe me and 3 friends would be stanning her and everyone else would be revolted :P

(I am a YA fantasy novel author, but I do think everyone should make room in their hearts for this level of cheese)

In any case, Bobo just threw his hat into an already crowded ring with Alex, but obviously loving the characters and having his own personal wayward child to contribute did help elevate him to the prospective showrunner seat, but also all the other writers who’d written these characters except Dabb had left at that point. If Bobo was going to shepherd them through to their new show, he’d be the legacy writer, even though he was a new baby writer in the season Donna was introduced... Attrition aside, he did genuinely write them very well, loved their stories and was great with writing Jody when he could get her, so he would also have been a good choice even if all the others were left still... 

But anyway. Season 10′s subplot for Cas was about Claire and learning some stuff about himself along the way, but she was used very much for his personal development and for Dean as well, being a mini Dean herself in a season where he had lost a lot of his sense of self. It’s a total accident of scheduling but Angel Heart (10x20) being the last episode before 10x22 is a nice touch in that regard. And while Cas tried really hard with Claire and awoke his inner Dad side so that he’d be more prepared for fatherhood next time, it was pretty insurmountable between them to have anything more than a bittersweet relationship where the best he could do was make up with her and see her somewhere safe. The fact of him looking like her actual dead father is horrendous the more you think about it and while she managed to see him for who he was instead of a horrible monster, that’s more than enough trauma to inflict on an already traumatised girl for the sake of helping Cas’s manpain and tidying up the sticky question of Jimmy and Cas’s right to the vessel. 

Angel Heart very specifically ends with TFW mailing Claire to Jody because they know she’s already good with Alex in a genuine way and can handle these sort of issues and has done it before. And also because she can be a guardian who will not constantly remind Claire that her father is dead but something is walking around wearing a perfect reconstruction of his face. Carver era did a few things here and there with bodily autonomy and the problem of angel and demon vessels, but it was also really hit and miss. They’d get random waves of feeling guilty about it but then by necessity go back to stabbing angels in their still-living vessels an episode later. Claire was a way to address at the very least that whatever Cas was being put through was only a punishment on Cas and not on Jimmy as well, which is probably why we got such sappy Heaven scenes. We NEEDED to be shown he was in Heaven and largely okay with what was going on so that the show could justify using Cas at all as a character without breaking the code of ethics they tried to make their own characters adhere to. Aside from that it also gave Cas a side plot for when he wasn’t needed in the main plot, and any emotional connection to anything that wasn’t Sam and Dean.

Anyway 10x20 caused this huge fandom high which was followed by one of the lowest lows of the fandom immediately after, and both centred on female characters (in fact, now we know, 2 lesbians even! Though I’d wonder if, The Gay Agenda aside, Bobo spite-wrote that specifically because of the roots of Wayward) and I think that galvanised the whole movement of fans and hopefully some self-reflection in the show. They DID start making an effort in season 11, which shows some of the early signs of better inclusion but also backtracking or edging nervously away from the more intense Carver era stuff. Not just because Dean didn’t have the Mark any more but in general it was like someone had opened a window and let in some fresh air... Even before Carver bailed somewhere around the midseason to go do a different show and Dabb started to step up. 

All this to say that the Wayward stuff was always about the female characters and making up for the past sins of the show. It’s even a riff on the “wayward son” line which obviously centres around male protagonists and their journey. Claire stumbled into being a part of it in the lucky way of being in the right place and time, but the journey had already started even in the season 10 momentum with earlier work and it was that which suddenly made the prospect that Jody had two young women living with her now seem like a starter for the next generation of the show as it was a mirrored format to season 1 in a way, if you took Alex and Claire as the new Sam and Dean. It was exciting but people flipped out after Angel Heart because stuff had been bubbling since season 9 and earlier in season 10, so this was just pouring more candy into an already visibly full bowl of potential tasty gems. It made a possibility seem real that hadn’t before because we already had Kim bitterly complaining that the CW refused to hear the case for a Jody spin off because she was too old. The next best thing was a Jody spin off where she was the Gandalf to some CW age appropriate characters.

(the CW is and always has been garbage)

Anyway in season 13 Jack was introduced as a Claire 2.0 but as a male character with staying power for that reason, but he was filling the space she left for Cas. He couldn’t be a father to her and neither really wanted that set up anyway. But thematically it had created the possibility of Dadstiel and the space he had in his heart for that. Since the show was in its waning years they would be looking for endgame and handing Cas an easy win with a son he could unconditionally love who would love him back unconditionally absolutely filled that gap. It was a non SamnDean thing that Cas could have for himself outside of whatever happened with them. Not sure the memo came back that he was supposed to have mORE than that but oh well it’s not real if you don’t watch it :))) But yeah Jack was always going to be linked to Cas’s endgame, he wasn’t a free-floating character such as Jody who could go where she wanted and do as she pleased. He was main story relevant from start to finish and tied inexorably to another main character’s fate. Because the show wouldn’t do that with its female characters they could be bundled into spin offs but in practical terms Jack was both never what the Wayward as envisioned by fans or writers was about, nor would he have been free to go. 

Since it would have been about centering the stories of people overlooked by the main story, Claire a case in point that she had her life ruined in season 4 and it was a footnote until season ten, and then metaphorically more the concept of having queer and non-white characters in the mix of main characters, it would have represented a future of the story where the main show was unable to tread. Probably because of the CW. Also inherent biases in the writers. Bad cocktail. Jack is both too white and too male to fit the brief to ever leave SPN, and not only that but he is so as a precise mirror to the main white male characters, being passably any one of their sons if you squint, and meant to be instantly instinctively read as such... he was one of the safest bets of representing the show as the network wanted to imagine its target demographic.

So I really don’t think that Jack has any place being in a spin off of the show unless you want more of the same. They tried to give us something different and the CW didn’t like it because it wasn’t more of the same. Ironically a Jack spin off, with or without Claire, would have more chance of being greenlit and more chance of success. But the spin off they put their heart behind was Wayward Sisters as it was. And I think it was absolutely correct that never mind leaving Jack out of it after his work was done in the lead up episode to help set the table, but honestly they could have cut all the middle scenes of Sam and Dean wandering in the woods and gained precious seconds with the girls and still had a functioning story with those guys. It was like some cowardly missive was sent that the show couldn’t actually go more than 10 minutes without showing a flesh and blood Winchester or the whole thing would spontaneously sizzle out of syndication and the money tree would wither on the spot. And in the mean time, we could have been having Banter with the girls. Or Claire and Kaia holding hands some more. The good stuff :P 

[dozyjojo]

A Forced Quest (Shigadabi week)

Day 1: fantasy

A loud banging on a metal door startled the captive held up inside awake. Shimura Tenko strained his eyes against the familiar darkness of his cellar as the door was kicked opened. He held his cuffed hands up to block the little amount of light filling up the windowless cellar. "The king wants to see you." Before he could process what he said, an armored hand grabbed him from by his light bluehair and dragged him across the cold stone floor. He struggled against the knight's grip. He kicked at the air and tried to break the chains linking his hands by bashing them against the floor. The knight, if he remembered right, Touya Todoroki tightened his grip and pulled his hair harder. "Quit it," he sneered. He was an odd one, instead of becoming the heir of the throne, he became a knight. He looked a lot like his father, with his bright red hair and turquoise eyes. A strong one at that. Shimura gave up on fighting and slumped against the floor, hissing when ever they turned a corner.

"Gave up already, you really are weak. Honestly surprises me how you became one of the kingdoms biggest criminals." Touya taunted. Shimura scowled and noticed they were reaching the stairs to the castle. Touya crouched down and grabbed him the tattered collar of his dirty shirt and held him in the air.

Shimura knew what was coming next. Touya was well known for abusing his power and being excessively violent. He stared him down with his turquoise eyes swimming with mischief. "Let's just say you weren't so cooperate with me," he sneered as he brought his other hand up and reeled back. He brought it down and the cold metal armor met with Shimura's cheek and his head cracked to the side sickenly. He tried to fight back but ultimately gave up, knowing he'll stop only when he had his full.

This repeated until Shimura was bleeding from the nose, swollen eye, and cuts and bruises covering his face. One of the deepest cuts was caused by the butt of his sword.

He hauled him up the stairs and walked them down the hallway leading a set of huge double doors. "Stand straight," he ordered, humor hidden in his words that Shimura was easily able to find. Touya grunted as he pushed the doors open. He pushed Tenko inside and walked in beside, the doors shutting immediately behind them.

Inside, Shimura saw eight other people were already there. Enji Todoroki, more well known for being the king sat at his throne with his head resting on his fist with Queen Rei sitting quietly beside him. His only daughter, Fuyumi, sitting at his other side on a much smaller throne. He saw five more people, presumably criminals, judging by the state they're in, four men and a young girl. One of the men had small horns poking out of his obsidian black ragged hair. He had slitted cyan eyes and a mask guard that reminded him of one for a feral wolf. Patches of purple scales broke across his skin as in under his eyes, lower half of his face and ears along with most if his arms and legs. He had small scaly wings and a barely noticable tail. 'Definatly a dragon,' he noted. The other man was very bland looking with most outstanding quality were his glowing yellow eyes. Once he looked hard enough, he noticed his iris was a tad darker. His dark purple hair was neck length after most likely being locked up for months, which reminded him of his own hair that was know reaching past his shoulders after being locked in there for who knows how long. The young girl, maybe 15 or 16 years old, had blond hair down a little under her shoulders. She had similar yellow eyes to the dragon but he couldn't find any horns poking out of her head. He also noted her abnormally sharp teeth. Next to her was a younger boy. He couldn't make out any facial features as his whole head was in a mask with two holes for his eyes. The last criminal had a rather large scar on his forehead. His pale blue eyes darted around the room and he kept muttering under his breath and held his head as if he was in pain. His short blond hair was a mess. 'Unstable,' Shimura noted. And just like him, they were all barefoot. The floor and walls were all white and blinded him. The floor was freezing causing shivers to travel up his spine. Large windows allowed him to see a sky that he hasn't seen in months, maybe? Or has it been a year?

King Enji leered him down with his turquoise eyes. His infamous fire mustache and beard on his face like always. "You're going on a quest for me," he said, blunt as could be. "I need you to capture a barbarian king and kill his dragon." The dragon, who until know was giving off an aloof aura, broke into a snarl, low growl rumbled in his chest. The king noticed this and smirked. "If you complete the quest, you'll be given your freedom. If you refuse, you'll be locked up for the rest of your miserable lives."

"Not much of a choice," the youngest of them called out. The king's smirk twitched slightly down, "If I recall right. You do have a choice and hurry up and choose."

2 hours later

They were all geared, armored, and well fed and ready to take off at any moment. King Enji stood behind, keeping them in check. "And if I find out any of you escaped, all of you will be killed." The girl puffed up her cheeks and almost retorted but held back.

And with that they were off.

They were all sent to the Forest of Miserable Souls. The most dangerous woods known on the map. And most beautiful. The forest have been said to be haunted by the souls of knights who fought against the faeries and giants. Trees grew high and mighty here with some of the roots sprouted out the ground. Canopy covering most of the sky, letting only a small margin of sunlight through. Birds and small faeries are told to be flying over the skies. Centaurs, gnomes, deers, and all the like inhabit the forest. Earth archer tribes shoot any moving thing. Mermaid waterfalls was a famous for you guessed it, their mermaids. Little do people know sirens take over at night. A graveyard in northeast of the forest is popular for necromancers. Rumors has it, there are also witches huts and wizard towers hidden some in here. Mushrooms sprouted on the side of trees and on rocks. Bats are said to be found flying in the morning here. Cheeky goblins rob from lost travelers. For those who are lucky and able to tell a tale after they get out have said to see a griffin resting on the top of mountains.

The girl wore a cloak unlike the others and had her hair tied up that reminded Shimura of a horse tail. Her cheeks were a rosy red and he couldn't make out any other features as the hood covered the rest, but he could make out faint yellow orbs glowing. The man with purple hair, now freshly cut not that you could notice it anymore. His head was enveloped in a purple like mist or fog with his bright eyes being the only thing you could notice. The mist would seep out of some of the crevices of the armor. The now armored unstable man was wearing a helmet unlike the others and seem more stable. The youngest of all of them wore a suit of armor but kept the same mask from earlier on. The dragon was wearing the same mask from earlier and had only battered pants on. Shimura realized the scales went up to his shoulders and a little over his chest and he was still barefooted. The scaly wings fluttered on his back whenever he stared at Shimura for too long and his tail would wag in the slightest, not that either of them noticed.

He was in ordinary clothes unlike the others. His neck bandaged tightly and so were his arms and legs. He clenched and unclenched his hand and tried to scratch his neck with the other. He hasn't been able to move them in months.

He now realized he didn't know a thing about his new partners. He placed a hand, careful with his pinky, on the girl's shoulder, "Hey um-" "Toga Himiko," she smiled. "Yeah, so what's your magic power?" She smiled and opened up her cloak, revealing many rows of daggers on the inner side of the fabric and wrapped around her hips was a belt holding empty vials. "If I drink something blood, I'll become it," she giggled and he wondered if she was actually a criminal. She quickly pulled a dagger out of her leather boots and slashed his hand and licked the small wound. She quickly transformed to him and he pushed his hand out of her grip. He frowned at her as she held her fist up to her face and smiled into them, which was unsettling to see himself do.

"What about you?" She asked the mist man. He leaned away from her, eyes narrowed, but answered. "I'm Kurogiri and I can-" a small black circle opened before him and one appeared next to rabbit "- make portals." He stuck his hand into the 'portal' and grabbed the rabbit and pulled it through. He let the poor frighten animal go and the dragon leaped after it catching it with his hands.

"I can catch rabbits too," he smirked. He held it from its hind leg and held it over his open mouth, exposing his sharp teeth and his mask hanging from his neck. Toga, who had at some point reverted back to normal, tackled him down, crying for him to let it go and smacking him wherever she could.

"And you?" Kurogiri asked the masked boy. "Sulfur and cover your mouth and nose," his voice muffled by the mask. Shimura, Kurogiri, and the others quickly did as told and Shimura saw a pink tinted fog pour out Sulfur. The gas floated to the sky and some birds flew into it. Within seconds they came chrashing down, dead. The fog vanished and they all sucked in breaths. "I can make killer gas."

"How about you?" He asked the masked man. "I'm Jin Bubaigawara but call me Twice." "Why?" Toga chimed. Twice sighed and a second Twice manifested besides him. He seemed uncomfortable around it and quickly elbowed it in the gut causing it turn into a weird goo like figure before it quickly collapsed into nothing. "What about you?" He asked quickly.

"I'm Dabi and -" he pulled out one of the dead birds from earlier "- I breathe fire." He let out a small ball of a bright blue fire that matched his eyes to the small bird. Instantly scorching it. Toga gasped and kicked him twice in the shin and he recoiled in pain.

"What about you, handsome knight," he asked through gritted teeth. "I'm Shimura Tenko and I kill things." He heard Dabi chuckled behind him. He glared at him and touching a tree with all his fingers. The tree had started to turn gray as if a virus had taken over it and started to break down. In a matter of seconds the trees has succumbed into nothing but dust. A squirrel or two fell from the what was once branches and scampered away. He quirked an eyebrow at Dabi, a smirk plastered on his face. This time, he noticed the flutter of his small wings.

Once the sun started to sink beneath the horizon, they settled down and called it a day. They made mattresses out of leaves and had blankets of hides. He noticed Dabi has grown considerably and the outbreak of scales has gotten more serious. The mask grew with him too. His wings were as tall as him and his tail was now slumped on the ground. He laid down on the bare floor and curled up like the sleeping stray dogs Shimura would see when he was younger.

He laid down on the leaves which were a huge upgrade compared to the stone cellar floor. He swore he has woken up to a rat crawling over him too many times than he'd liked to admit. After he shut his eyes, he could make out footsteps before he felt something cover him and something wrapping around his waist. He peeked his eyes open to see a black wing covering him and two scaly arms wrapped gently around his waist. He sucked in a breath as he felt a head nuzzle up against him. He could hear and feel Dabi's abnormally hot breath even out and he knew he fell asleep. He wasn't going to lie, he was actually quite comfortable and very warm. He hadn't notice until now that it seemed anywhere else on his body that his scales were black as if the purple ones were permanent. He turned his head to see Toga making kissy faces towards him and he glared at her the best he could but he was too tired to care anymore.

Next morning

Shimura woke up have his face nuzzled up against something warm. He was on his side so it couldn't be the hide, than what could it be? He opened his eyes to see an almost bare chest. He panicked and scrambled away from Dabi. He hadn't realized how close his fingers where to touching him. He could have accidentally killed him while they were asleep. Shimura had accidently kicked him at some point and he groaned as he grabbed his side rolled onto his other side.

Shimura let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He crawled back onto the mattress of leaves and turned so he was facing away Dabi. He was almost asleep when he felt two arms wrap around once again. 'Was he awake the whole time,' Shimura panicked. The arms squeezed him tight and for some reason, he wasn't bothered by it. He eventually fell asleep again.

He woke up to a harsh shaking and he was quick on his feet. He was looking around for the source. He realized he had stood up too quick and his head pound and his vision darkened in the corners. His ears were ringing but he tried his best to ignore it. Twice had shook him awake and was pointing towards Sulfur who was on the ground, seemingly paralyzed with fear. Then he realized he wasn't pointing at Sulfur, but what was in front of him. A minotaur stood at his feet and he didn't look happy. He rose one of his large hooves and if none of them acted quickly, Sulfur would be as good as dead. Twice acted quickly throwing himself forward and took the hit. He turned to mush just like the other clone. It's a clone!

Shimura let out a breath he was holding in and charged at the minotaur, hands held out. And just like the tree, he was nothing but just a pile of dust. Unlike the tree, the minotaur's screams filled the sleepy forest.

Dabi quickly flew at him, literally, and tackled him down. "Are you okay?!" He cried out. This was unlike him. The one day Shimura has known him, Dabi doesn't show much emotions other than slight sass or boredom. Seeing him so full of emotions, checking Shimura for bruises was surprising to say the least. His eyes were watery and his cheeks were red, mouth wide in a frown. He noticed the position they were currently in. Dabi just has to move his hips a little more down... Shimura face blew up in a bright red as if roses have decided to bloom against his skin at the highest intensity. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just um... get off..." he trailer off trying to avoid Dabi's concerned eyes. "Huh," he looked down, just realizing how close they were. He jumped off him, face in hands.

"Let's just go gets some breakfast." "Yeah." They agreed and avoided eye contact at all cost.

Shimura was finishing sticks for the fire when Sulfur cam back with two live rabbits in hand. "Caught these two suckers," he held them up and they tried their best to free their ears from his thight grip. Shimura gave him a thumbs up when he heard Dabi with something in his arms fast approaching them. Dabi pushed Sulfur away causing him to fall and drop the rabbits he was holding and they ran away before he could grab for them. He tried to stand back up but Dabi stepped on his back.

"Lookie at what I got," he exclaimed with a bright smile, arms holding with two fat piglets. "Um good jo-" he was interrupted when he felt thunderous crashes. They all turned, only to see a massive boar torpedoing at them. They all screamed and ran off, Shimura helping Sulfur and was careful with the placement of his fingers. Toga skidded to a stop and Twice bummed into her and she turned around, daggers between her fingers. She slashed at the boar as quickly as she could and the beast fell down with a heap. "Good job," Twice said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, visibly shooken up. "Yeah," Shimura agreed. "Well I'm the one who brought it here," Dabi snapped. "And you're bringing it back to the fire," Kurogiri said. "I am the fire!" "You're an idiot," Shimura yelled and Dabi looked offended. "Fine!" He picked it up and hauled it over his shoulders with a groan, "Let's go!"

Once they got back, Dabi started up the fire and Kurogiri cooked it to the best of his abilities and handed them all some. After finishing up, they all got suit up and were off again.

After an hour or so, they reached a wide peaceful stream. The water a beautiful blend of blue and leafy green. Trees lined both sides of the river and luckily a fallen tree high above the water could be used as a bridge. The tree itself was old with age, with vines, moss and all the like was growing on it. He swore he saw a hooded figure fishing in the distance, sitting in front of a glowing burrow. Faerie stalks peeked out from the water and much smaller than average fishes swan around them. Large dragonflies flew over head and everything was in peace.

"C'mon," Shimura said, walking towards the tree. He stepped on top and balanced himself before walking and the rest copied. He was almost on the other side before his foot got stuck in a thick vine and he lost balance. He swayed to his side before falling off the side and letting out a loud curse. He almost fell into the water before Dabi quickly jumped at him, but Kurogiri was quicker he made a portal under him and another at the other side of the river. Meanwhile for Dabi, the portal closed immediately after it engulfed Shimura so he went face first into the river at top speed. Shimura erupted into laughter and pounded on the grassy earth, tears welling up in his eyes. The rest of the group laughed as they hopped onto the land next to Shimura. Dabi's eyes peeked out of the water and glared at the group, eyes landing on Shimura almost instantly. None of them saw but under the water, Dabi was smiling and his cheeks were slightly rosy.

He leaped out of the water and tackling Shimura mid laugh. He tried to push him but he was stronger. "What's so funny?" He asked in a low voice, failing to hide a smile. "You!" Shimura was able to get his feet on his chest and pushed as hard as he could and got up when he successfully pushed him off. He ran off as Dabi was recovering and the group quickly followed. Toga giggled and shrieked in pure giddy and Kurogiri sighed but they could just practically hear the smile. Shimura laughed as he tried to forget just how close they were again. Twice laughed besides Toga and was holding Sulfur's hand to keep him from lagging behind. They made a quick turn and hid behind a tree as Dabi was finally starting to chase them. He ran past them, yelling but they all saw the big smile on his face as he sped past. Once they were sure he was far, they started walking in the trail again.

They walked in quiet peace as they were sure Dabi has gotten lost by now. "Shouldn't we look for Dabi?" Sulfur asked. "He'll find us," Shimura said, "don't you remember he can fly." He nodded and faced the trail again. "What's that captain?" Twice asked. Captain? He placed a hand on Shimura's shoulder. 'Me?' He pointed to the floor where a small pile of murky black liquid. It sticked out immensely compared to the green of the floor. Toga poked at the liquid and licked her finger. "Eww don't lick things you find on the floor," Sulfur interjected. She turned to the group, a small frown on her face. Her figure quickly changed and then she was Dabi. His body was much larger compared to her and her cloak tightened around her, choking her. "But that means Dabi is..." Shimura didn't finish, just looking at Toga was proof enough. Twice rushed in to help her, but she was already reverting back to normal. She had accidentally torn her hood off and her cloak was now slightly stretched out. Her eyes were fill of worry and her frown was growing. They searched the floor for more drops of blood but came up dry, until something dropped onto Sulfur's mask with a wet 'plop.' He wiped it off and sure enough, his thumb was black. He looked up into the canopy but he only saw two blue orbs staring him down.

No one else had noticed and Shimura was still scanning the floors for more blood. He was about to tell them, but was interrupted with loud rustling of leaves. Something dropped down and onto Shimura. It crashed down onto his back and he collapsed with a small 'oof.' He thrashed under what ever fell on top of him but he knew who it was. He was on the floor and he couldn't move much. Dabi, he was positive it was him, pressed his body up against him. Shimura saw his scaly arm next to his head and saw a deep cut on his hand. "You ass, you hurt yourself on purpose," he grunted against his weight. 'How do we keep ending up in this position,' he screamed in his head. His body felt like he was on fire and the heat radiating from Dabi definatly wasn't helping. His face was as red as his ruby eyes and his movements were frantic. "Get off me," he grunted. "Oh," he mused, grounding himself harder against him. Shimura turned his head towards the unmoving group. "Help me," he hissed, eyes filled with embarrassment and anger.

Sulfur was the first to move and swiftly kicked Dabi as hard he could. Dabi grabbed his side, pain etched into his expression. Shimura was quick to elbow him in the face. He scrambled to get back onto his feet and kicked Dabi in the side just for good measure. He carefully crouched down next to his head and leaned in. "Never do that again," he whispered into his ear. "But didn't you like it," Dabi laughed. "That's not the point," he said, narrowing his eyes. Dabi smiled, he didn't say no.

Shimura was first to stand and he was walking away before Dabi had even sat up. He could hear Toga laughing at him, something like "he's mad at you." Suddenly, he felt the ground shake beneath him.

He turned to his side, only to see a large red claw swiping at him. He was hit and sent flying like a ragdoll. His back crashed into a tree trunk and he fell to the floor and his head bashed into what he thinks is a rock. He was surprise it didn't just snap off. His ears were ringing and the world was spinning around him. The claw was about to crush him before three Togas leaped out and slashed at the claws and another came to drag him by his armpits to the group. Toga hit a rock and tripped before turning into a puddle mush. Something rushed to his side and held him close.

"...re y... o...ay?" The voice was distorted and a face was blurry in his vision. He felt something wet land on his cheek. Was it raining? He couldn't remember anymore. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the face which was harder than he thought. Finally, he was just able to make out Dabi. "Hey," he said as the ringing has dulled down and he could see much more clearly. He felt something burning in the back of his head. He reached to the spot and hissed as he brought his hand back. Red. "Don't hey me! Are you okay?!" Dabi was crying, his teeth were bared in a big frown. He stared at him, realizing it wasn't raining but his tears. "ANSWER ME!" He yelled shaking him harshly, tears streaming down his cheeks faster than before. Desperation clear in his voice. Shimura nodded slowly. More tears landed on his face.

Drip, drip, drip.

They were warmer than the human tears, Shimura was sure about that. "C'mon, we have to help them," he nodded to the team fighting the dragon. "I'm not leaving you here," Dabi cried out. He reached up to grab one of his horns and pull his head harshly to the side. "You ass, I said we, not just you," he smiled. "Now hurry up and transform," he ordered, finally recovering from the hit. He stood up, only a little shaky in his feet. Shimura turned to see a claw about to hit a distracted Sulfur and before he knew what he was doing, he was already running towards him. He pushed him out of the way and they both tumbled out of the way. "Thanks!" Sulfur thanked, flabbergasted. "How are you even standing?" "I didn't become one of the most dangerous criminals by doing nothing," he smiled. Toga cheered from somewhere on the side.

A roar distracted them from the battle and luckily tha dragon got surprised too. Blue tinted smoke filled the skys and heat washed over the crashing over the fighting groups. Shimura recovered quickly and tried to grab the red dragon but someone jumped in the way, setting off explosions in his face. His feet skidded across and he grounded himself onto the floor. He wiped his cheek, luckily no blood. A black dragon with purple scales on its legs and arms tackled down the smaller red dragon. "You're going to pay for that, you little shit," he growled. "Fucking come at me, shitty crook," the blond barbarian king yelled, bloodlust oozing off him. In the corner of his eye, he saw a clone of himself throw himself at him, but he was too quick. He grabbed the head, blowing it up. He charged at him, hands outstretched for his face. Toga quickly threw a dagger, sinking into the blond's calf. Shimura took his chance and leaped at him but a large tail swiped him away. Kurogiri acted quick and open a portal behind Shimura and over the blond. He was quickly swallowed up and was now over the blond. "Huh," he sneered before setting off another explosion, hitting him square in the face, hurtling him into another tree. Another roar erupted and bright blue fire was heading towards the king. He turned towards the fire and make a quick blast before it quickly engulfed him. Shimura kicked off the tree he was hurled at, his hands outstretched as usual.

The flames died down to show the king with almost unscathed and the little clothes he had before where scorched. He was about to pull the knife out if his calf before two daggers were sent flying at him again and Shimura was only a few meters away from him. He sighed and held both palms out sparks already emitting from them. Shimura grinned and was engulfed into a portal made and teleported behind him. This sent the king off his rhythm STREET SMARTS and Shimura hooked his arms under his armpits. The daggers sunk deep into his gut and he yelled. "YOU FUCKING SHI-" Shimura placed a hand over his mouth. "Shhh," he whispered as his face was starting to thin and crack. He used his other hand to bury the daggers into him.

He thrashed under his arms, but his arms wouldn't loosen in the slightest. His matching bloodshot red eyes glaring at him, screams muffled in his hand. His pained eyes were turning glossy and he was becoming much easier to hold down. Toga came running up to them, dagger in hand. She giggled as he buried it into his chest. His arms fell to his side and his head fell limply onto his shoulder. Shimura dropped him and he slumped to the floor. He smiled down at him, proud that he has killed yet another person. But his smile disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Dabi!" He screamed, worry filling his mind. He searched for the to dragons, only to calm down. He was holding down his ground well. He was bigger and much smarter. But he noticed something else. The red dragon's scales look different. Much more ragid and thicker than usual. The red dragon had much more wounds than Dabi and was having trouble standing.

"Hey there!" Shimura called out. Both dragons turned to him and he grinned. The red dragon stared at him and he took a step to the side. Its eyes widened, seeing the corpse of what was most likely its owner. Its jaw went slack and he accidently turned off his power for just a second but enough time for Dabi to close his jaws around its neck. It roared in pain and tried to shake his head but Dabi had already tightened his jaw and set off his fire. The red dragon let off a quiet roar before its neck was snapped. Dabi opened his mouth and the dragon fell onto the floor. Its neck burnt to a crisp and twisted dangerously. It shrunk until it was just a naked boy, maybe as old as Toga or Sulfur. His neck in the same state as before. His red hair lightly burnt and his red eyes were open and glassy.

Dabi was flying at him and turned back to his regular state when he was only feet away. Just like the boy, he was naked. He fell into his arms and for the fourth time that day he was on top of him. His lips met his and Dabi laughed into the kiss, his hand in Shimura's hair and careful with his wound. His legs were parted and hips were touching but he didn't feel like telling him. His lower lip felt rough against his but he didn't mind.

They broke away and Dabi was smiling down at him before bringing their lips together. Shimura didn't mind living like this for the rest of his life.

[madschiavelique]

pov : you're me, at work, and since you did your work so well and so fast people have nothing else to give you, so you read fics :D

alright guys have a lot of thoughts on this one and decided to give u what my brain was thinking when reading this beautiful piece

o emphasis on beauty and fear

first of all, LOVE the emphasis on fear and all this part saying "the most beautiful man you've ever seen" reminds me a lot of that one tiktok audio going "the devil is real, and he's not a little red man with horns and a tail, he can be beautiful, because he's a fallen angel and he used to be god's favourite." when the reader considers this "if he asked" moment, it's because many people if not anyone could do anything under the spell and power of beauty, cuz beauty in itself is almost bewitching, which reinforces the strength given to it -> "but he doesn't", he knows he has the power to do so and yet doesn't do anything = it's just the possibility that he could make use of it that frightens the reader = "perhaps he won't kill you. yet."

o contrasts of insides and outsides, life and death, temporary and eternal

LOVE how although everything stands completely still, everything is going WILD on the inside. there's this huge contrast between al these elements : life and death, warm and cold, inside and outside, temporary and eternal, they're all just so linked sfqebsdvdfq like-

reader : is a living being dying, still warm with body heat (shows she's still alive) but still cold from the outside, body language that reflects how unwell she is on the inside, she's promised to die and therefore temporary

viktor : a dead being living, cold body living in the warmth of his cottage, almost a statue in terms of body language keeping us from knowing his actual thoughts, he lives forever because he's already dead

reader literally found life through death, meeting a death enveloppe itself living = good job reader u made it very pussy slay moment

o losing feelings

as we know when you live you feel things, whether it being physical or sentimental n stuff, and i find this very interesting how although the only things that are keeping the reader alive are feelings (fear) yet she does not want to feel anymore (death would be her ticket to the train of nothingness feeling-ly (yes it's not a word but i'm french so fuck this) speaking/wise) -> "you don't feel that way anymore. perhaps because it edges nearer and nearer, and it'll all be over soon - the pain, the grief, the anger. the fear too" and now we're just understanding that reader acutally just don't want to feel anything anymore because all she feels are bad emotions/feelings ? because now she cannot discern good feelings from relieving ones, and she can discern them, she can only remind herself that they are temporary -> she is temporary, while Viktor embodies eternity

Viktor is eternity, an eternity that does not feel anymore cause it is vowed to be dead, and death is eternal (so yea another big contrast there GOOD JOB @thedreamlessnights U GIVING MY LITERATURE STUDENT BRAIN A GREAT MOMENT). reader doesn't want to feel anymore, not because it terrifies her but bc it hurts her, which all changes by meeting viktor AND bc of this line: "how long before Viktor offs you ? how badly will it hurt ?" -> brings us back to that emphasis of fear that is everywhere, even in the thing we want the most, even the prettiest things -> "people have to be so afraid of vampires for a reason after all." (which is more about prejudices here but yea u get my point :))

another cool moment of contrast between all these opposits : "when you get close to him, he gives you a pointed look, his shoulders tensing" -> life and death are so close, they coexist, but they can never be together within the same person at the same time, they can't be/form one single thing, and yet for vik and reader, both are within them (since viktor is the dead-living and reader the alive-dying)

did not re-read all this but vsfdsbvdf hope there are not too many mistakes

that's it for da chapter hehe (loved it ofc i crave vampire related stuff <333)

Not an end, but the start of all things

{chapter one} - {chapter two} - {chapter three} - {chapter four} - {chapter five} - {chapter six} - {chapter seven} - {chapter eight} - {chapter nine} - {chapter ten}

Vampire!Viktor x F!Reader AU (Eventual NSFW)

Synopsis: You meet a vampire.

Warnings: mentions of blood, disease, and death.

Word Count: 2.8k

Fear is a familiar thing, in the grand scheme of it all.

You were raised on fear. It sat nightly at the dinner table with your parents, bled into every inch of the stone foundations, seasoned in the walls of the place you called home, though it never felt like anything but a prison.

When your father boarded up the windows, fear was in the nails, holding the wood together. Keeping you safe, as your mother told you. But you never really felt safe. Not while they sprinkled the floors with holy water, or carved stakes from wood, or ripped you away from Jayce.

“We’re doing the right thing,” was the little comfort your mother gave you, after he’d been taken from you. “You’ll thank us for this one day.”

You never had.

Not when you’d run away, thinking to yourself that anywhere else would be better, even the streets. Not when they’d sent letters begging you to come back, convinced that you’d be ripped apart by a monster, though they were the only monsters you knew. And not when you’d stood above their graves, feeling nothing but relief. They’d always been wrong about you.

After you’d left them, fear had become unwelcome to you - rejecting itself in your emotions, like an unsuccessful transplant. A bitter tonic they’d forced down your mouth to keep you shut away - something to keep you compliant. If they’d had their way, fear would be the only thing you ever knew.

You were made of so much more than fear, though. The anger that boiled through your veins day after day, seared through your senses until it threatened to release itself without your permission. The sheer, golden joy when Jayce had held your hand, the kind that seemed to bubble through your chest, painting the world in light. The sharp, red, biting grief when he’d been ripped away - grief that seemed to consume every inch of you, pulling at your lungs until it filled you, became you. Until you were sure you’d drowned.

Fear? It was nothing more than a pinprick in the midst of all that emotion. Hardly anything. Nothing significant.

Until now.

This fear is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Almost blinding, deafening - melting you away into nothing but loose sensations. It feels like you’re made of fear, and fear alone - halting your lungs, quickening the beating of your heart until it’s the only thing left in your ears. Fear, that turns your legs into lead so you can’t even move, can’t run, and you’re left helplessly to stare at its source. The most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.

From this close, you can see his chest falling and rising, though it shouldn’t be, should it? And his hair - it’s lighter than you’d initially thought, not so much dark, but almost auburn in the candlelight. You want to touch it so much that you have to dig your nails into your palms to stop yourself.

The bones of his cheek are high and sharp, accentuated in the shadows - statuesque, you think. Beautiful. But those eyes are anything but stone. Golden, flaming - they seem to pierce into you, expose your every thought and inch and impulse to him.

If he asked, you know that you would step into his grasp without a second thought, give yourself to him for him to drain you down to nothing. It’s what scares you more than anything.

But he doesn’t.

A moment goes by as he regards you, and your heart won’t seem to stop beating, scarily fast. You’re half expecting him to drop his stance and pounce at you, but he only meets your gaze. Continues to stare.

For that electrifying moment, you stand completely still as his aureate eyes silently regard you. Then he turns away.

It’s then that you see the cane in his hand, and the way that he favors his right leg. The book he’s reading is one you know. One of your favorites.

Very, very slowly, your heart rate begins to drop. Perhaps he won’t kill you. Yet.

“You can hang your coats on the rack next to you,” he says calmly, seemingly unphased by your reaction. “Unless you’re going to run, which I recommend you do before it gets dark. The nights are getting colder.”

Six months ago, you would have reached for that door and left without a second thought, fleeing back to what you know. But six months ago, you had been a different person - one who hadn’t known you were dying. Now, you’ve nothing left to lose, and you think differently.

It’s warm in here, in contrast to the bitter cold outside. There are vegetables growing in the garden that you can eat, if nothing else, and you might even have a bed to sleep in. Where you stand, staying is the smartest choice to make, considering it all. What harm is a vampire, when you’re already dying?

Fear slowly replaced by distrust, you keep your eyes fixed on him - Viktor, you recall - as you lift the two coats from your shoulders, setting them on the coat rack. Then you step away from the door, and he seems to relax.

“If you’re hungry, dinner is on the table,” he says, nodding to the center of the room. His voice is warm and smooth, lilted with the accent of a place far away from here. The tone might have been comforting, almost - perhaps, if you didn’t have the knowledge of his true form.

“If you don’t wish to eat,” he continues, “I’ll show you to your room.”

You don’t know what food a vampire would have, but you’ll take almost anything at this point.

“I’ll eat, if you don’t mind.”

He doesn’t answer you. He just goes back to his book, sifting through the pages. He must be looking for something specific.

With his attention off you, you take the opportunity to look around at the contents of the cottage. The leftover adrenaline is slowly fading from your veins, leaving you with the ability to focus on something else than the source of your fear.

This place is certainly not what you would have expected of a vampire, if nothing else. Filled with warmth and light, candles burning at the edges of the room, a fireplace roaring against the hearth - it feels like more of a home than your parents could ever create, at least.

When you turn to the other side of the room, you find books stocked to the brim on their shelves, and papers with scrawled notes tucked to the side of the table. You only barely resist the urge to look at them - and it’s partially due to the fact that you can feel Viktor’s gaze return to the back of your neck, even if you can’t see it.

The food, meanwhile, is familiar. Fresh vegetables from the garden. A scattering of meat, sharp with the scent of herbs. No blood, or anything else you might have expected. Your mouth starts watering just looking at it.

“Plates are in the cupboard,” comes Viktor’s voice. “And silverware in the drawer, below.”

You find yourself eating in silence as Viktor reads, as far away from you as he possibly can be, though you can tell he’s watching you. The few times that you meet his eyes, you find them already fixed on you, an indiscernible expression on his face. He always frowns when you look at him, just a little - his mouth tilting to the right.

Whatever you’ve gotten yourself into, you don’t want to know. You’re just grateful for the heat, and the food, even though you don't fully understand why it’s here. Viktor clearly isn’t happy you’re here, and you don’t trust him for a second. In fact, part of you thinks he might be fattening you up before he dines on you.

You don’t blame him. Your meals haven’t exactly been guaranteed, lately - and, with your sickness, you can’t imagine you’d taste very good in this state. A bath wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

When you go in for a second portion, still hungry, he says nothing. He doesn’t even frown, which makes you suspect that your theory is correct - that he has full intentions of draining you dry, and the food is only here to give you some flavor.

Oh, well. After all, you’ve had the last few months to accept the fact that you’re dying. Even the grief doesn’t seem to consume you whole anymore, the profound sense of loss slowly fading with the unfairness of it all.

It had been so painful, at first. There had been times when all you wanted to do was scream. So close to the life you wanted, only to have it ripped out from your hands, and for what reason? Why you, when worse people were thriving? Why you, when you’d already suffered your fair share?

You don’t feel that way anymore. Perhaps because it edges nearer and nearer, and it’ll all be over soon - the pain, the grief, the anger. The fear, too.

This is a better way to go. All that time you thought you’d die of consumption, starving in the cold, alone. Being drained by someone so beautiful, warm and with a full belly? That doesn’t sound very bad. Not in comparison.

Or at least, you don’t think it does - until you find your eyes welling with tears. How long before Viktor offs you? How badly will it hurt? You didn’t even get to give a proper goodbye to Jayce - the only person left in the world who remotely cares about you. What had you last told him? To see his family? Why hadn’t you said how much he meant to you, how much you appreciate him helping you? How much you’d missed him?

You’re a fool. That’ll be the thing you’ll regret at the end and you know it, if nothing else.

You can only hope that Viktor will give you a bit more time. Maybe it’ll even be painless, though perhaps that’s you being naïve. People have to be so afraid of vampires for a reason, after all.

Suddenly not hungry anymore, you push your plate away and stand. “I’m ready to go to my room now,” you tell him.

Viktor finally sets the book down, but not before marking his page. He must have found what he was looking for. Then he looks at you once more, and your heart starts racing again.

“Follow me.”

His pace starts slow down the hall, and when you get too close to him, he gives you a pointed look, his shoulders tensing. When you back up a few feet, he relaxes. The craving must get stronger when you’re nearer, you figure, and now isn’t a good place for him to drain you. Blood would forever ruin these floors.

Your hands start shaking again.

How can something so beautiful be dangerous? You’re trying not to stare at him, not to memorize all the features you can see, but it’s near-impossible. He feels hypnotizing, almost. Perhaps he looks that way to lure you in - some means of getting you to relax, or trust him. Not that you can find it in yourself to do either of those things, but you will admit…. there’s something so alluring about his gaze.

It makes you want to do things you shouldn’t even be thinking about. Tracing your fingers over his clavicle. Running your hand through his hair. Pressing your lips to his, to find out if they’re as soft as they look.

Get a hold of yourself, you think, rather firmly. He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t even like you. Maybe he won’t even be able to stand you for the rest of the night. He’ll probably drain you as soon as you get to your room.

As Viktor abruptly comes to a stop in front of a room, your knees lock up, freezing you in place. Is this it, you think, wanting to squeeze your eyes shut. You don’t want this to be the end.

“This is the library,” Viktor tells you. “You may visit when you’d like, though… ah, be careful with the books, and put them back. Neatly.”

When you peek inside, all your fear melts away like wax on a candle. A library. When’s the last time you’ve been inside one? The books in the front room barely compare to this - they’re scattered everywhere, littering the shelves. What would you need a library for, if you’re dead? Is he really not going to kill you? Why?

Viktor seems to ignore your look of confusion, pushing ahead to open the door of another room.

“This one is my lab, though - eh, perhaps it should be off limits. Don’t touch anything in there.” He fidgets with his cane for a moment, the same crooked frown from earlier returning. ���Actually, it would be preferable if you did not go in,” he says.

Then he moves on once more, showing you a winding staircase. For a moment, you’re worried you’ll have to climb it, but he halts at the bottom of it, motioning with his cane. “My bedroom,” he says. There’s a beat. “Don’t go up there.”

“I won’t.”

He looks at you like he doesn’t believe you, but he only narrows his eyes at you before he goes on, his cane thumping against the wood of the floor.

You’ve no intention of going up. You’d be a fool to make him angry, and you’re not exactly keen to see what he has in there, either. If he’s hoarding corpses, you’d rather remain oblivious.

This time, he goes just a bit further down to a room at the end of the hall. When he opens the door, you find a bedroom - dark at first, but he pulls a matchbox from his pockets and lights the lamps, filling the room with warmth.

“This one will be your room,” he says. “You may do whatever you wish with it, I have no use for it.” He hesitates a moment, then sighs. “It was set like this when I got here, and I haven’t…. touched it, much - it may be a little dusty, but there are some supplies in the main room, if you’d like.” He frowns again, shaking his head. “I apologize, I… wasn’t exactly given advance notice that you’d be coming.”

The last sentence is bitter on his tongue. Jayce really must have pressed his buttons to get him to agree to this. Just like he always does.

“Thank you,” you say softly, moving past him to get inside. You should be afraid of him, but all you can think is how grateful you are to be alive a little longer. The room is dusty, just like he’d said, rather empty, but nothing you haven’t dealt with before. Much better than sleeping outside, buried into the bushes to stay warm.

Viktor seems surprised at your thanks, but he nods. For a moment, he seems to debate something, but he must think better of it - he retreats down the hall without another word, leaving you alone.

The bed is barren and sheetless, but you don’t mind it, really. You still have the coats Jayce left with you, and those will serve fine to give you something soft and warm. Maybe you can even sew them into something else. For now, you take to heading back to the main room to grab the cleaning supplies. You expect to see Viktor around, but he’s nowhere to be seen. He must have gone to bed for the night.

You’re beginning to think that your parents' teachings were as wrong about vampires as they were about werewolves. You’re fascinated. Jayce had been so different from the stories you’d heard. How different will Viktor be from what you’d thought?

But vampires are outcasts, even among other monsters. You’d heard that from Jayce himself, so what on earth is he doing with a vampire as an old friend? What the hell is he doing, sending you to stay with one?

Gathering the cleaning supplies into your hands, you sling the basket they’re in down to your elbow, then reach for the coats that still hang on the rack.

Five minutes or so tick away as you clean the room the best you can, wrinkling your nose as you try to get the dust and the cobwebs out of the corners. You already feel stronger than you had, with a real meal in your belly. So much of your weakness, you’d attributed to dying - how much of it had been starving?

Then comes a knock at the door.

“Come in!” you call, slightly out of breath.

When Viktor comes in again, he’s holding a basket with sheets and a blanket. “I thought you’d need these,” he says, setting it down by the door before leaving. He’s gone before you can thank him.

For a moment, you listen to the sound of his cane against the floor, going up the stairs and above you. As he gets further up, the sound fades and disappears.

“At least he’s polite,” you mumble, returning to your work. It doesn’t take long before you’ve cleaned everything up, gotten the sheets on the bed, and tucked yourself into the warmth of the blanket.

You fall asleep before you know it.

tags: @modernamilf @mischievous-piltovian