#when the devil you're hunting is right down the road

[preciouslittle-bhaalbabe]

Wylls face in this absolutely sent me I had to add little subtitles lol

[pardi-real]

Honeymoon Knight / Chapter 18 - The Ideal Dishes

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[On the Road, Inside the Carriage]

~ Later ~

Departing from Tisailles, I was riding in the carriage with the first-floor butler. Our destination was the 'City of Blessings Kalliste', the last stop of this trip.

Berrien: "My lord, we've been traveling by carriage for some time now, do you feel tired?”

> "I'm fine"

Berrien: "Fufu... That's good to hear."

> “How about you, Muu, are you tired?"

Muu: "I'm also perfectly fine! Actually, I'm very happy to be able to visit various cities with you, my lord... It's really exciting!"

> "Each city was enjoyable, wasn't it?"

Lono: "Ishishi... Other butlers were saying the same thing. 

That Flure guy... when we left Tisailles, he looked so dejected. Spending time with you must have been much more enjoyable for him. 

Oh right, speaking of Flure... He seems to have played a big role in Tisailles, doesn't he…!?"

Berrien: "Yes, he protected Lato from the angels..."

> “That was really awesome”

> "That was really cool"

Bastien: "Flure's accuracy with the bow is astounding. With this, he might be recognized as a full-fledged member by Mr. Haures."

Lono: "That guy Flure... If he gets recognized, he'd be ecstatic. Finally, he can go angel-hunting on his own."

Bastien: "But with a bow and arrows... Won't that make one-on-one combat tough?"

Lono: “W-well, that's true..."

Berrien: "Fufu. Being able to go 'angel-hunting alone' isn't everything. I think, as a devil butler, being able to protect our lord and comrades is more than enough to be considered a full-fledged member. Surely, Haures understands that too.

However, when it comes to Flure... His determination to hunt angels by himself is so strong that even though it's for his own good... I don't think he's clearly been told, ’You're already a full-fledged member’."

Muu: "I see..."

Berrien: "Well, that's just my speculation."

Bastien: "But Flure hasn't seemed so fixated on 'going angel-hunting alone' lately. I'm sure something is starting to change within Flure… It's probably thanks to you, my lord."

> “Me?”

> “R-really?"

Bastien: "Our encounter with you is definitely changing us. I'm one of them too."

> "Bastien..."

Bastien: "Well then... In the next city, it's finally the turn for the first-floor butlers to spend time with you... I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to arrive in the city."

Lono: "Yeah. It's been boring, just guarding nobles all the time."

Muu: "The destination is... ‘'City of Blessings Kalliste,' right? Going to a city you've never been to is so exciting!"

Berrien: "Fufu... My lord, and Muu too, It's your first time visiting Kalliste, isn't it? Kalliste is a beautiful city... Both of you will surely love it."

As we were talking...

The speed of the carriage gradually slowed down and eventually stopped.

Berrien: "Oh my... It seems we've just arrived in the city... My lord, please use my hand when getting off the carriage."

> "Thank you, Berrien"

I took Berrien's hand and slowly got off the carriage.

[City of Blessings Kalliste]

Outside the carriage... There spread a vivid contrast of white and blue in the cityscape. It was a beautiful cityscape that would uplift the hearts of those who visited... A clean, refreshing, and beautiful cityscape.

Muu: "Wow~! It's a wonderful city with different feels from Velis and Rosetown!"

Lono: "It's been a while, but it's still beautiful. As expected, from the blessed city."

Bastien: "By the way... Why is Kalliste called the ‘City of Blessings'?"

Berrien: "That's because this city... is the 'Holy Land of Marriage.' Kalliste has a wonderful legend... It goes like this: 'If you create happy memories in this city, your happiness will be guaranteed.' 

Because of this, many people choose to have their weddings here, making it the 'City of Blessings.'"

> "I see..."

Bastien: "Hm... By weddings, do you mean like that?"

Following Bastien's gaze... There stood a bride and groom in front of a church. The bride and groom, surrounded by what seemed to be their friends and family, were moving somewhere.

Berrien: "Fufu... Both of them looked so happy, didn't they? They're probably heading to the banquet hall now."

Muu: “ ‘Bankuet hall’...? Is that different from the wedding?"

Lono: "Hmm... It's different, but it's hard to explain..."

Berrien: "Well, simply put... The ceremony at the church is for taking 'marriage vows'... The banquet is a 'party to showcase the marriage.' Both together are sometimes called a wedding... It depends on the tradition of the place."

Muu: "Wow~! So, the feast is at the banquet hall?"

> "Yeah, that's right"

Lono: "Geez... Muu is always about food, huh..."

Bastien: "Well, food is important, so it can't be helped. By the way, in some parts of the Eastern Territories... During weddings, the couple can't eat anything."

Muu: "Ehhh! Is that so!?"

Bastien: "Ah, I don't know how it is nowadays. But in the region where I was born, it used to be like that."

Lono: "Seriously…? Well, people have preferences, but if it were me, I couldn't stand it... I mean, if it were me, I'd want to make and serve the wedding dishes myself to my partner."

Muu: "Hehe, if it's dishes made by Mr. Lono… They must be delicious! Oh, right! In that case... I'd like to hear about the 'ideal wedding dishes' from everyone on the first floor!"

Berrien: "T-that's... quite sudden..."

Bastien: "By saying 'everyone on the first floor,' do you mean... Are you asking similar questions to other butlers?"

> "Yes, various things about weddings"

Bastien: "Hmm, I see... If my story interests you, my lord... I don't mind telling."

Muu: "What about you, Mr. Lono and Mr. Berrien?"

Lono: "Hmmm… ‘Ideal wedding dishes’... Okay, I'll talk. There are some dishes that I just want to make!

'Berrien: "Hmm, my own wedding…

……It's all fantasy, so I can be free with it.

Certainly. I don't mind sharing it."

Muu: "Thank you, Mr. Berrien!"

Lono: "Well then, my lord. I'll go first!"

> "Please, Lono"

Lono: "If I were to have a wedding... Of course, all the dishes would be made by me! For the special day between me and my partner, I definitely want the dishes to be made by me!”

> “Impressive, Lono”

Lono: “Thank you very much.

By the way, I want the menu to be… filled  with my partner's favorite foods! When you eat what you love... It brings a smile to your face, after all! 

Um... I might have said this last year too... But... With my cooking, I want to... Protect my loved one's smile. I want to share laughter with them, from morning, day, to night while eating together... Sharing a cheerful dining table... I dream of a family like that! So... My thoughts are something like this... Oops! I-I'm sorry! It got off track from 'ideal wedding dishes'."

> "It's very much like you, Lono”

Lono: "Hehe… Thank you for saying that."

Muu: "Next, let's hear from... Mr. Bastien!"

Bastien: "My 'ideal wedding dishes'... Hmm... That's right... I can't think of specific dishes, but... Anyway... I want lots of dishes lined up."

> "Anyway, lots..."

Bastien: "Yeah... That's right. The more, the better. I don't want my precious partner to suffer from hunger. Once married... I will never let my partner struggle with meals. 

That's why... I want a wedding with lots of dishes.”

> “I see”

Bastien: “Also... Well, I'm planning to practice cooking more if I'm going to get married. The human body is made of what you eat, so I want my partner to have healthy meals. I'm willing to support my partner in all aspects of life... I want to support them even in terms of health.

...Hmm. That's about it for my story."

> "Very much like you, Bastien, that's wonderful"

Bastien: "Fufu... Thank you, my lord."

Muu: "Okay, next is Mr. Berrien!"

> "Tell us, Berrien"

Berrien: "Fufu, alright. My 'ideal wedding dishes' are… Those made by Lono and Bastien."

Lono: "Huh! You want me to make them!?"

Bastien: "Not just you, Lono. Mr. Berrien said he'd ask both of us."

Lono: "Shut up, I know! But... Are you really okay with us?"

Berrien: "Yes, of course.

If I were to get married... My partner would surely... Trust my precious comrades. That's why... For the wedding dishes... I want to ask Lono and Bastien. And... The wedding cake too, I want both of you to make it. And... After the wedding is over without any incidents... I want to eat the uneaten cake with my partner while drinking tea."

> "It sounds like a pleasant way to spend time"

Berrien: "Fufu… Thank you. Of course, not just during the wedding... I want to spend tea time together every day. While drinking tea... Talk about both the difficult and happy times... Accepting each other's feelings... I want to protect them by healing... 

I might have shared this last year as well... But even to the end of our lives… I want to make sure to live longer than my partner... I don't want to cause my partner grief. I want to love my partner and make them feel happy, until the very end.”

> "Berrien..."

Berrien: "Fufu... Like Lono, without realizing it… It's not about the 'ideal wedding dishes' anymore, but... My thoughts are like this."

> "Kind and thoughtful, just like you, Berrien"

Bastien: “Yeah, as expected of Mr. Berrien."

Lono: "I could really feel his desire to be close to his partner! That was so cool, Mr. Berrien!”

Muu: “Yes! That was wonderful, Mr. Berrien!”

Berrien: “Oh, my… that's a bit embarrassing to be complimented this much. Fufu… Well then, shall we head to the inn soon? It's quite enjoyable to stand and chat, but... The lord might get sunburned if we stay like this."

Lono: "Whoops, you're right!"

Bastien: "Hmm, then... I'll carry your luggage to the inn, my lord."

Lono: "Before heading to the inn, I'll buy ingredients for dinner! See you later, my lord!"

> "Take care, Lono"

Berrien: "Now, my lord... Allow me to guide you to the inn.”

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[heartfullofleeches]

Hella weird but I want Devlin to chase me, like if it’s just an intense game of tag or I’m genuinely trying to run away idc I want that man full on sprinting after me while I’m running away from him. Sounds like a fun adrenaline rush idk

The ride is unusually quiet. Your partner with his rambunctious and unruly self had hyped up the outing up until this point, eerily quiet as his eyes focus on the road. How well that attention spared was beyond you as you were fairly certain he didn't have a driver's license mainly due to the fact he's been alive nearly as long as vehicle transportation itself, but its better not to sweat the small things. He keeps a hand on your leg the entire drive, mindlessly tracing patterns along your thigh muscles. That mischievous grin of his returns as the car breaks to a stop.

"We're here~"

The happy jingle in his voice can't mean anything good, but you pop your seatbelt and follow him outside out of the trust he longed for and you felt you could give. Devlin grabs a bag from the back and your hand as he steps off road and into the treelining. He kisses the top of your hand as he closes your fingers around a flashlight.

"I'm so exciting, babes. No matter what, just remember you'll be safe- as long as you stay close to me and don't pass the blue trees when we get there."

That's definitely comforting. "What are we doing out here?"

That impossible smile only grows. "You'll see."

Devlin leads you into the wood. There's not much on your walk besides trees and rocks, until you come across the stained walls ejected around the forest floor. Vegetation and the hands of time had done their damage, but you could make out what looks to be spray paint art. The tiny monuments gradually incress in size till you're facing down small cobble huts throughout the area. Devlin stops in what appears to be the heart of the field and spreads his arms.

"Ta-da! Cool ain't it?"

You look around, airsoft goggles abandoned by a tree stump. "Is this... a paintball field?"

"Yup. Built right over the cemetery in the town I grew up in. Had some quality fun when was open. Probably the reason it closed too. Yellow eyed devil is what they called me. So fucking lame."

"I'm glad you showed me a part of your past, but is sight seeing all we came to do?"

"Nope."

Devlin snatches your light and tosses it into the trees. He pulls off his coat and lays it over a wall.

You back away as he streches. "I'm confused.."

"I'm gonna hunt ya down, silly. Just a little bonding experience and a way to relieve all the stress I got from watching you mingle with others. Most importantly, it'll be good to see how fast you can run if you flake on me and I have to drag your cute ass back where you belong.

He's dead serious about this. Some warning would've been nice, but the only way out is if you play alone. "What are the roles?"

"You try to make it back to the car without me catching you. It's pretty much a straight line besides the baracades so whether that's an advantage is on you. I'll give you a ten second head start. If you win, I'll do whatever you say for the night. If I win.... well- you'll see soon enough.

It probably would've been best to calculate your chances of winning, but it was clear he was getting antsy. "Alright. I'll play along. You better not be a sore loser like you were when we played operation."

Devlin looks ready to burst from excitement. "Scouts honor. We start in five."

You face the starting point, counting off in your head. You hear Devlin pacing behind you as you get in position. On the final number, your feet sink into the soft earth as you take off. Your countdown continues as you sprint down the path, seconds ticking by until the chase begins. Glancing over your shoulder, you see that Devlin isn't even looking in the direction you're heading. As the second countdown finishes, he takes a knee - running off to your right.

You make up for the wasted time by kicking your flight into second gear. Wasn't the best idea to put all your energy in at the start, but he was up to something and you knew it. Just keep looking ahead and pushing forward. The trees off the path were two dense for him to make it through and somehow catch you. There was probably a trap somewhere or-

Devlin cleans tree leaves out of his hair as he steps onto the path. The fall hurt his ankle, but with a few rolls of his foot it's good as new. You stop dead in your tracks, flinging yourself behind the nearest wall before he can spot you. That bastard was in the trees - waiting for you. You knew he was fast, but that seemed impossible. You peak around the wall to see if he's noticed you.

"Anybody ever tell you how hot you are covered in sweat and afraid?"

Devlin leans over the wall, winking at you as you look up. Grabbing the closest thing to you, you throw a small rock in his general direction as you race off in the direction you came. He catches it and hops over the wall.

"Oh you play dirty, huh? Here I thought I would have to go easy on you."

Your chest burns as you make distance from him as fast as humanly possible. He's gone off road again when you check, but this time you catch a glimpse of him through the thicket of trees right before he bursts out again in front of you. You pedal backwards and into one of the area towers, crawling beneath the glass free window to make it to the otherside. Devlin is already there and covers your mouth before you can scream. He pins you to the wall and celebrates his victory with a kiss to your sweaty skin.

"Looks like I won. I think it's time for the real fun to begin."

Devlin picks you up and sits you on the window sill. You catch your breath as his hands paw your thighs, tongue rolling over your salty skin.

"Another... round."

His ears perk up in tune with his lecherous smirk. "Oh?"

"I... wasn't- ready. If you win, I'll give you... an entire week of doing whatever you want."

Devlin backs off you, the flames of adrenaline rekindled in his eyes and burning brighter than before. "Oh, Y/n. You have no idea what you've just submitted yourself too."

[jynxeddraca]

Languages in BG3/D&D

No one asked but have some language stuff. Not gonna be too long. I have lost the original resources for the stuff on Thorass by the way. Minor spoilers for Wyll's early quest and some early game dialogue/locations.

Thorass

In D&D, most people speak Common, but everything is written in Thorass (side note, in the D&D movie, the wanted posters are also in Thorass which was a wonderful little detail). While this is technically the current alphabet of Common and apparently several other languages in-universe - when I look up languages in D&D it appears there used to be a language also called Thorass that is no longer in use and is generally considered like how we would Old English.

Which of course got me thinking. Most people can't read Old English today, and while most of the letters are the same, that isn't necessarily true for all the lettering. So I have this though that older Thorass script (say 200+ years prior) is not the same as modern day Thorass on top of the language itself has shifted. You can more or less make out what it says, but it's equivalent to someone who speaks modern English trying to read Old English.

Honorifics/Addressing People:

I also noticed while playing BG3 a couple of terms that stuck out to me: 'Saer' and 'Fellow'. The only reason they stuck out to me was because I was playing a Tav that was she/her and normally people in game are really good about using the right pronouns. So when I got called 'fellow' by Volo and later what I misheard as 'sir', I was very confused. Here's what I found about them in context of D&D:

Saer: “saer” is not “sir;” it means you want to be polite and respectful, but don’t know someone’s rank or official title.

“lord/lady saer” is more humble/reverent).

Fellow: means “fellow sufferer”

Which makes way more sense now. 'Fellow' would be somewhat common among ordinary people but I could see service/retail workers using 'saer' quite a bit just because you never know who's walked into your doors.

Tiefling/Infernal:

Infernal is the language of the Hells and by proxy, the language of most tieflings. In my mind, Infernal is notoriously dependent on context and double meaning to really gain what is actually being said. Infernal Legalese is even more so dependent on these as well as literal translations of words in addition to generally understood meanings - and example being Mizora's contract with Wyll saying he'd hunt "Devils, demons, the heartless, and the soulless." with "heartless" being the phrase used to order him to hunt down Karlach who - literally - does not have a heart.

Not all tieflings know Infernal due to many of them being raised by non-tieflings or having been abandoned. Generally though, tieflings raised by other tieflings will be fluent in Infernal, and those that weren't raised by tieflings normally will gravitate towards tieflings in communities where they can and often pick up infernal even though they may never be fluent. Because of this I honestly imagine that there are many pidgins and local dialects, though they are generally understandable between speakers. I have also learned that some tieflings are born with an innate understanding of Infernal and never had to be taught it - I imagine these tieflings have a noticeable accent to other speaker of Infernal.

In-game there really are only like 4 words that I remember hearing that are specific to Infernal:

Sharee: Meaning 'cheers' or maybe 'turnip'

Source: Danis at the tiefling party. My Tav (a tiefling) did furrow her brow when Danis said 'Or maybe turnip' so I don't think it would mean the later, though maybe the two words are very similar though.

Mragreshem: Going with the idea of 'shit stain'. 'mrag' = shit 'reshem' = stain

Source: Tiefling at the Risen Road watching the githyanki kill the Flaming Fist. She calls Tav this and it doesn't sound nice. Tav says "You're the mragreshem for taking that tone with me."

Komira also says "I don't give a mrag" while at the druids' grove which is why I think this is probably a compound word.

Hrasting: Could be like 'dang', 'darn', or 'damn' depending on context

Source: Tiefling on the Risen Road watching the Githyanki kill the Flaming Fist. "Nobody, just another hrasting fool trying to stay alive."

Zurgan: An expletive, probably 'fuck'.

Source: Rolan uses this in the druids' grove.

Just based on this, Infernal seems to have a very open, round sound to it and not the harsher, staccato sounds that I would have imagined. But I still like those sounds so I still use them if I need to make up a word.

Elvish:

What I can find of D&D Elvish is sparse (I always get Tolkien results), but apparently has at least 8 different dialects. Sources:

Source 1: http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/diction_elf.htm

Includes dialects of: Aquatic Elves, Avariel Elves, Lythari Elves, Moon Elves, Sun Elves, Wild Elves and Wood Elves

Source 2: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Elven_dictionary

Source 3: https://web.archive.org/web/20230113060544/https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1613775838209806338

Screenshots of Ed Greenwood's tweets with different words of Drow and Elvish for love.

Thoughts:

Elvish seems to conjugate in a way that there doesn't seem to be specific words for 'you' or 'I' which makes figuring how sentences very difficult. Though I am running with 'Ai' as 'you' for most things.

Also looking at the Forgotten Realms wiki, it seems compound words are flipped from English like "moon whisper" is "galanodel" and "moon brook" is "siannodel" - assuming I guessed right and 'nodel' means 'moon'.

Candlekeep dictionary does not distinguish between dialects for the most part, and Forgotten Realms wiki definitely doesn't - it simply sources where it got the word and I am very frustrated by this. As mentioned above, Elvish seems to conjugate but the dictionaries are making things difficult. Example: I/my Talas: ‘Body / Soul / Self’ Ai armiel telere maenen hir: "You hold my heart forever." Reading this, assuming it's the same dialect, you could easily read 'talas' and 'telere' as conjugations of each other. But then you have this phrase: Gys Sa Salen: ‘Give Me a Drink/I Need A Drink’ It doesn't follow up with the same pattern and the official dictionaries don't have another word. Now it also doesn't seem to have the same rhythm/pattern as the first phrase so I think these two are different dialects.

Elvish is something I'll have to do more research on, but for now I'm kinda cobbling together stuff as I write fanfiction if I can't locate something specific.

[strangeinvader9]

Dean made his way down the road in his Impala, barely conscious of what he was doing or where he was going. His two little brothers, Sam and Adam were locked in Lucifer’s cage with the devil and Michael having possessed them as vessels. Dean was out of his mind with pain and sorrow so drove instinctively to a former love. Not Lisa, as anyone that knew their history would assume. This was before her and a much softer goodbye, but it still hurt.

Her name was Celestial Montgomery and Dean had almost given up hunting to settle down with her. But Celestial had known how much Dean loved his brother Sam and had convinced Dean to keep hunting to keep Sam safe, as big brothers should.

Celestial POV

I sat on my couch, watching TV and somewhat bored when there was a knock on my door. I looked at it in confusion. Who would be here at this hour? It wasn't late, but I still wasn't expecting company. After a second, more desperate sounding knock, I got up and opened the door. I felt like someone had ripped the air from my lungs when I saw who it was. Dean freaking Winchester stood on my porch and looked like he'd been through emotional hell. Something bad had happened.

Without a word, I gently guided him inside and sat him on my couch. Whatever happened had Dean in shock and he was practically catatonic.

I didn't ask what happened. Ten years may have passed since I'd last seen Dean, but I knew better than to press him. He'd talk if and when he was ready. I went to the kitchen and came back with a beer, which I poked Dean's shoulder with and he took absently. I sat next to him and rubbed a hand along his back, wordlessly letting him know he was going to be okay.

Suddenly remembering what Dean did for a living, I jumped up to salt the windows and doors. I didn't need a ghost invading my home. I also grabbed the silver silverware. Wouldn't be the most effective thing, but silver is silver. It'd deter enough supernatural beings, even if it wouldn't kill them.

Heading back to the living room, I didn't get more than five feet from Dean before his arms were suddenly around my waist and his face was pressed against my stomach. I could practically *feel* the pain coming off the elder Winchester. I soothed a hand through his short brown hair and ran a hand along his back, offering what little comfort I could.

Living with Dean after that day was an adjustment. I had to bulk buy rock salt, had more crucifixes than I ever wanted, learned Latin, learned that sulfur wasn't just that weird smell immediately after striking a match and that angels were dickwads instead of the sweet innocent beings cartoons and such portrayed them as.

Dean went through his own adjustment. He seemed to always find an excuse to touch me, as if to reassure himself that I was real. And God forbid I was more than five minutes late from work. I'd end up with a face full of holy water then an armful of concerned and relieved hunter when I didn't steam.

“Dean, I got the-” I stopped as I got yet another face full of holy water. Turning my head to the right, I spit out the water. “Stuff for nachos,” I finished.

“You're late,” Dean accused.

“I told you I was going to the store after work. Check your phone.”

Dean looked at his phone while I went to put the groceries away. Before long, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind as a scruffy chin settled on my shoulder. “I'm sorry, CeCe. You know I worry when you're gone,” Dean apologized.

“I know, Winchester. You're like Dory in a dog body; you forget that I'm safe and get all happy and lovey when you remember me,” I responded.

“Did you just call me a dog?”

“And a fish.”

“Should I be flattered or offended?”

“Up to you”

He grumbled something snarky, which I've dubbed a Deanism, and kissed my cheek. “I love you, you know that,” he confessed.

I looked at him in surprise. “I think that's the first time you've ever said that to me,” I pointed out.

“Is it?” He seemed to pause before that classic Dean Winchester smile spread across his face. “I should say it more often then.” He proclaimed before kissing all over my face.

“Dean! Cut it out!” I protested with a laugh.

“Not til you say it back.”

“Okay, okay! I love you too!”

“You have a cute smile, Celestial.”

“Right back at you, Dean.”

[thessalian]

Faerun!Alisaie vs Gathering a Team

Shadowheart lies unconscious on a path, wreckage everywhere...

Alisaie: *sitting on a barrel; playing and singing to the tune of The Wellerman* There once was a bard from Baldur's Gate / A nautiloid ship near sealed her fate / The ship broke up / We all fell down / Onto the beach below... / Here does an Alisaie sit / WIth nice sharp rapier and sharper wit / Shadowheart, wake up a bit / So we can damn well go...

Shadowheart: *groans* What--?

Alisaie: Oh good; I really did not want to have to shake you. Didn't want to be too close when you woke up in case you were a bit shaky and thought I was something to smack. While you collect yourself ... I'm figuring from the messed-up corpses of locals that there's a settlement somewhere. Any clue where we are?

Shadowheart: Not a one. We need to find supplies and a cure. Probably in approximately that order. I ... assume your sitting around here means you're amenable to teaming up?

Alisaie: I pried you out of a mind flayer pod; I'm not abandoning you now. Any clue where Lae'zel ended up?

Shadowheart: To the hells with her.

Alisaie: Given all the imps and devils and shit we were fighting, at least she'd be going someplace familiar, I guess. Still, c'mon. Team Dangerous Company.

Shadowheart: *siiiiiiigh* If we run into her, I suppose. For now, supplies. That settlement you were talking about. And hopefully, a cure.

Alisaie: Yeah, okay, but quick thing - do you still have that crossbow I threw at you on the ship?

Shadowheart: *pats herself down* Seems so. Why?

Alisaie: Because there are a few intellect devourers kind of in the way of further exploration and I don't know how bad they're hurt but Us kind of wrecked shit up so I'd rather kill them from a distance for now.

Shadowheart: You're cunning. This team-up might be a better idea than I thought. Even if you still want to help the bloody gith.

Alisaie: Honestly, kind of don't want to, but githyanki spend all their time fighting illithids and they might actually know about a cure. So better to stay kind of on her good side.

Shadowheart: Do you think that's possible?

Alisaie: Provided I leave her in camp every time I want to do anything nice for anyone, ever? Yes.

Shadowheart: ...I hate that your logic actually works. Let's go shoot brains with feet.

After the summary murder of brains with feet, up a cliff with a badly-behaved waypoint rune

Alisaie; Shadowheart: Whaaaaaaaat the fuuuuuuuuuck...?

Gale: *sticking hand out of portal* Little help?

Alisaie: ...It's going to be one of those days, isn't it. *touches portal* Hush. Whatever mess he made of your spot in the Weave, he's very sorry and he won't do it again. Now unclench a little so we can stop him being a nuisance, okay?

Gale: ...That's ... a little hurtful but fair. And working. And yes, I am very sorry for the magical disruption I am causing. Now pull, please?

Alisaie: *yanks*

Alisaie; Gale: *both go flying*

Shadowheart: Is your life always like this?

Alisaie: I. Am. A. Bard.

Shadowheart: ...Fair.

Gale: *getting up* Right! Gale of Waterdeep, at your service! I saw you running around the nautiloid. We're in about the same boat as well as formerly the same ship, no?

Alisaie: Okay, I missed you entirely. Sorry about that. Big ship and we were kind of in a hurry. But yes. Want to join Team Dangerous Company? We're off hunting for the means of survival - short and long-term.

Shadowheart: You're just collecting us like fancy figurines, aren't you.

Alisaie: Like I told Lae'zel when I was going to rescue you - anyone remotely responsive and not necessarily trying to kill us. And this one seems personable. Also, given wilderness and those dead goblins over there, wouldn't it be nice to have someone who can chuck fire at problems?

Shadowheart: I can chuck fire at problems!

Gale: Two words: Magic. Missile.

Shadowheart: Oh, fine. I suppose it's better than just the two of us at any rate.

A little ways up the road, where a remarkably pale elf is rooting around in the bushes

Astarion: I have one of those brain-things cornered!

Alisaie: And you bothered to do that without a weapon?!?

Astarion: Oh, I have one. *jumps Alisaie*

Gale: I. Will. Set. You. On. FIRE.

Astarion: And you'd barbecue your little girlfriend right along with me--

Alisaie: *headbutts Astarion*

Astarion: OW! *lets go*

Alisaie: One - I am not anybody's 'little girlfriend'. Two - you drew a knife on me but didn't stab me; why? Is this your plane's way of saying hello?

Astarion: I saw you on the ship; what did you do to me?

Alisaie: Put the knife down and I will explain.

Astarion: I am not stupid.

Alisaie: Fine. Then stand there like an idiot clutching a knife like it's your dick and wait like three seconds.

Astarion: Excuse you; I--

Mind-Sharing Thing: *happens*

Astarion: Ah. I assume that was the answer to "why exactly should I wait". Right. Apologies.

Alisaie: *turns to Shadowheart* See why I didn't want to shake you awake before? I know I'd probably freak out if I woke up after that whole mess with someone in my face.

Shadowheart: ...You're inviting this one along too, aren't you.

Gale: What happened to, "and aren't trying to kill us"?

Alisaie: If he'd been trying to kill us, I'd at least be bleeding right now. Also, again, dead goblins. A straight-up non-magical combatant would do us good. Unless you want to wait and have us drag Lae'zel along...

Shadowheart: ...I suppose he's better than that, anyway. Fine.

Astarion: ...Thanks for the vote of confidence.

And, a little further into the wilderness

Lae'zel: *psychically shrieking anger*

Alisaie: ... *quietly singing* Despite all her rage, she is still just a gith in a cage...

Shadowheart: *snrk*

Alisaie: Thank you; I'll be here all week. Welp. If we let her out of there, she's going to want the tieflings dead for doing that to her. I don't want to just go around killing random tieflings. Just ... if you can't follow my lead, hang back.

Gale: What exactly are you--?

Alisaie: *apparently legitimate panic* Run! Run for your lives! The invasion force is here! They've come for their scout and your smallclothes and your cheese wheels! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIVES!

Shadowheart; Gale; Astarion: *staaaaaare*

Tieflings: ...Fuck a bunch of this. *leave in a relative hurry*

Gale: ...smallclothes?

Astarion: ......cheese wheels?!?

Alisaie: Say it fast enough, and with enough conviction, you could just be shouting random gnomish swear words and they'd get the idea. *lets Lae'zel down*

Lae'zel: It's about time! Now, from what I've seen, there's a creche nearby; they will have a cure!

Alisaie: Calm your tits, Lae'zel. We keep tripping over people with these tadpole things and while I know that killing anything illithid-related is your reason for living, we're not leaving illithids in-potentia wandering around the general population! We're also going to explore other avenues for a cure because frankly, I know what your culture's like and while they might expend resources on curing one of their own, the best cure we could hope for is a quick death. And I know you're not going to like this, so go back to where we've set up camp and ... recover, practice sword forms, practice all the swear words you're going to want to use on me.

Lae'zel: ...Don't keep me waiting. *leaves*

Alisaie; Shadowheart; Gale; Astarion: ..................................

Alisaie: ...So! Who's up for exploring those ruins over there; maybe find something we can use or at least trade for supplies?

Gale: What happened to "don't keep her waiting"?

Alisaie: Lady needs to learn she's not the centre of the universe, and that we're not her foot soldiers. Frankly, she can get fucked.

Astarion: I'd say "not really, since we're leaving her on her own", but I'm assuming she's got some imagination.

Alisaie: Thaaaaaat's the spirit! Let's go, Team Dangerous Company!

Gale: For all you've been through, you're ... remarkably cheerful.

Alisaie: Eh, inwardly I'm freaking out. But I'm a bard. My life is guided by whatever god or goddess is set over epic narrative so if I just ... be me at it, as hard as I can, it'll be okay. Let's go.

[diinferi]

LOCATION

[PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA] The location of Stanford University, where Sam Winchester and Jessica Moore attended college. Since you're here, you may as well look for the smoke and follow it straight to Sam and Dean. Who knows, you might even be able to save those cookies Jessica prepared before a demon came and ended her life.

ORIGIN

[HUNTER] For you demons and monsters aren’t just a bad memory, but something encountered in everyday life. Where some have a cushy life of modern luxuries you have plenty of real world experience with violence and the things regular folk scoff at as superstition. Thanks to over a decade of not only fighting but surviving you’ve become excellent at keeping yourself and others safe from monsters. This wasn’t always the case, and your first encounter with a monster might have ended very differently if not for another hunter having saved you and shown you the ropes. Perhaps this desire to save people was brought on by losing someone before you knew what was out there, or maybe you’re just they type who can’t sit by when you know you could be helping others. Since the day you learned what was really out there you’ve done your utmost to hunt and protect the world.

PERKS

[HUNTING THINGS] Stalking and killing monsters is second-nature to you along with identifying news that sounds like monster activity. You’re reasonably familiar with all the habits of monsters indigenous to the United States of America and know quick methods to narrow down what sort of creature you’re dealing with based on the information as well as what’s needed to kill them. This comes with a great understanding of simple hunter tricks like using devil’s traps and salt lines in order to identify who in a given group might be only pretending to be a human

[CLAP YOUR HANDS IF YOU BELIEVE] It’s not an easy thing to accept that monsters are real, or that the people you love could have been replaced by one. The simple matter is people may refuse to believe the truth if living a lie isn’t as scary. However, they still definitely want to live. You have remarkable ease at getting people to accept the existence of the supernatural quickly when they’re in danger. Instead of being confused or frozen in fear when an unnatural threat shows itself, those you’ve warned will remember your words and run, following your instructions until the threat has passed. Afterwards they’ll want a more complete explanation and be more than willing to take your advice to heart.

[HUNTER X HUSTLER] Seeking out monsters and regularly impersonating officials, hunters can’t exactly hold down a normal job and set down roots. Most have to live on the road and make use of... less legitimate skills to get by. Like these hunters you have street smarts to get by on illegal channels being able to pick locks, hotwire cars, and (perhaps obviously) impersonate others to commit credit card fraud. Your main talent is in gambling. You may not be much better at the games but you're definitely able to cheat better and undersell your abilities to appear like a novice while playing billiards, poker, dice, or other common pub games. It’s easy for you to act inexperienced in this regard and lure others to play with you to make a quick buck.

[BULLSHIT BALLISTICS] While all hunters seem to be competent with guns, you can put their skill to shame with your own ability to hit a target. While a deft marksman you’re supernaturally skilled in the creation of specialized ammunition for your firearms. With what you might run into in this world having the right weapon for the job is essential. Putting together rock salt shells for a shotgun or melting down silver to use in your bullets is the simplest use of this ability. There are far greater applications for your personal rounds, like melting down an angel blade into angel-slaying bullets, or putting potions into hollow point rounds to make the contained magic trigger against a target. Most curiously you can inscribe sigils or seals you know onto bullets, and they will not be deformed on impact keeping their properties.

[REMARKABLY UNREMARKABLE] In spite of all the reasons why someone should be able to immediately recognize you based on your (in)famous reputation, they will consistently fail to associate you with that identity unless you’ve personally revealed it to them or they have the connection explained by someone who does know. You can be on the Most Wanted List for the last decade, personally attempt the assassination of a president, and be well-known for impersonating FBI and other government officials yet still able to calmly walk into a police department and flash a fake badge knowing that not a single person will notice your resemblance to a known criminal unless they’ve encountered that side of you first-hand. Not even powerful beings are exempt from this, having to have either personally watched or been shown your deeds by another before being able to acknowledge just who you are.

EQUIPMENT

[HUNTER EQUIPMENT]

[EMF METER] This handheld gadget will reads electromagnetic fields, helping you to determine the location of spirits and the objects or remains tethering them to the mortal plane. While the equipment of some hunters can be thrown off by other strong sources of electricity like power lines, your device is refined to be able to filter out such man-made interference and only reacts to spiritual energy fields due to differences in the way they change electromagnetic fields. If you have another portable electronic device, this feature can be installed as an app to help save space.

[HANDGUN] As unusual as some of the creatures are in this world, most are still vulnerable to good old fashion human firearms. This easily concealed semi-automatic isn’t magical or anything, but it’ll still stun most monsters effectively enough to move in close for the killing blow - as long as you have something more inclined for monster decapitating on hand. As getting ammunition can be a bit of a chore when you’re in the business of constantly jumping state lines, hunting human-like things, and using fake IDs, this will just comes with two magazines that refill themselves between fights.

[HUNTER’S JOURNAL] The single most valuable possession for most hunters, books like these are passed down through families and hold extensive records on the demons and monsters encountered over generations. A constant companion for any hunter this notebook is used to keep track of where they’ve gone, what they’ve hunted, and who they’ve helped along the way. It includes many hand-drawn illustrations, newspaper clippers, and the occasional photograph to help identify creatures as well as keep track of rumours and lore about creature sightings. If well maintained, it allows other hunters to avenge their family or at least tie-up loose ends and give some closure.

[SALT] An invaluable tool for hunters, this common condiment is a symbol of purity that can force spirits to disappear for a short time. When made into a line, it prevents both demons and spirits from crossing. When force-fed to a person controlled by a poltergeist it can release them from that possession. Salt lines can only be broken by creatures it does not affect. For actually defeating such vengeful spirits in a permanent way this is basically a requirement, as ghosts will not pass on until their tethers to the world have been salted and burned. This particular container never seems to run out.

[HOLY BEADS] Most hunters carry a bit of holy water for emergencies, but not all can create their own when the situation needs it. With just an incantation, any standing water in contact with this rosary will be converted into holy water. While the water’s main use is a deterrent against demons, it is a particularly effective one. Creative hunters have been able to use this process to create particular effective traps, such as by blessing sprinkler systems or water tanks before using them to soak buildings.

[LAPTOP] “We should call the internet and find out as much as we can about these people. Did I say that right?” Not exceptional as far as computers go, even for 2005, but this can fulfill your research needs as well as any other machine of the era will. If destroyed or shut down unexpectedly it retains all data. No matter how many explicit websites you may use for “research”, you’ll find the device is unable to be permanently damaged by viruses or malware – though there is a high chance the screen could freeze at inopportune times to embarrass you.

[SILVER LINING] You gain a simple but wickedly sharp silver machete that can be easily concealed beneath heavy clothing. The foil to any shapeshifting monster, it can leave them with burns on simple contact and inflict much worse pain when actually used properly. You may instead upgrade an existing item you own to grant it the same properties as silver. It’s recommended you choose something with a blade long enough to properly decapitate a target in one swing.

[FAMILY BUSINESS] Badges and various business cards that will assist you in infiltrating multiple levels of society for information under a number of fake identities. Anyone suspicious of your involvement in a case will initially call the superior listed on your business card rather than verifying your identity in another manner - so it’ll be good to have someone manning a phone somewhere to backup your story. This includes F.B.I, C.D.C., Federal Marshal, and material identifying you as various local police and health department roles.

[MATCHING TATTOOS] A relatively simple method that is guaranteed to ward off any and all forms of demonic possession. Where normally an anti-demon tattoo could be burned off or otherwise removed this one will remain effective just as long as your body does unless you choose to remove it of your own free will. Since the tattoo is relatively simple despite it’s essential role in hunting demons, you can copy the design to grant this protection to any of your allies as well – though anyone else who gains the tattoo will only see it effective so long as it remains on their body.

[DEMON-KILLING KNIFE] This serrated-edged blade seems much like a common hunting knife, with a antler for a handle and engravings along the blade. It is especially deadly to almost any denizens of hell, causing both hellhounds and demons agony at superficial cuts. Actually stabbing them is invariably fatal, with only the first demons, and those high in hell’s hierarchy like the knights and princes resisting the effect. Upon stabbing a demonic being the wound glows with orange light and causes the same light to flicker within them until their spirit is destroyed. An excellent close-combat weapon for fighting off groups of demons, some might find it lacking compared to traditional exorcisms in that you have to inflict fatal stab wounds.

[ANGEL-PROOFING] An intricate series of ancient runes has been carved into your ribcage, making it impossible for angels of any rank or power to sense your presence using their divine powers. Even archangels like Lucifer himself would have to hunt you down the old-fashioned way. You have an ancient tablet with instructions for placing these same protective runes on others to hide them from angels. If you copy them onto another person or persons they too will receive this safety from detection, though any copies can be removed from a person as per normal for whatever means you use to inscribe them.

DRAWBACKS

[RENEWED BY POPULAR DEMAND] Is 10 years not enough? Does your heart go aflutter at middle-aged men overwhelmed by continuous teenage angst? Do you want to see even greater threats overcome, despite all plots having been neatly tied up with no sensible reason for a new threat to emerge and force action from the heroes? For ever more loose ends and forgotten plot points as the God writing the story literally leaves the building? By taking this drawback you can stick from anywhere from an extra decade to a full century! Just be warned that when disaster strikes and damages the timeline of God’s Plan, agents of Heaven tend to send the Winchesters into the future to show them how they messed up – and you may find that much of the time spend on your stay is the same period of time playing out in alternate ways.

[ROOM FOR TWO?] People will constantly mistake you and one of your platonic travelling companions as lovers, completely oblivious to that companion being someone you would never consider sleeping with until you react to the suggestion. This will happen with alarming frequently, basically every time you visit a hotel or introduce yourselves and accidentally leave the relationship vague. Of course, noticing the pattern you may try to overcompensate by stressing just how platonic a relationship the two of you share – which is guaranteed to convince no one. During downtime you will often find yourself wondering why everyone else assumes you’re together and thinking about the unsettling logistics of the pairing.

[INCONCEIVABLE ELDRITCH HORROR] You are the Jumper! A form from beyond the very universe and possibly even above human understanding. What does such a monster look like? Why, just like a normal human of course! For the duration of this jump you will appear for all purposes like any other human losing access to an alternative forms, shapeshifting, or inhuman powers based on an unusual biology. Demons and angels will be trapped in their vessels, and other than their new dietary desires monsters and deities will appear entirely human too.

[FAMILY DRAMA] You’re going to make big mistakes, and each one will take people years before they can forgive you for it. You’re not the only one either. The family you surround yourself with will be just as likely to take foolish risks that endanger themselves and others. Both sides will argue with each other near constantly over these mistakes each time likely blaming the other party for forcing their hand with something they did. Even if you’re just putting yourself in a bad situation to help bail out your loved ones and it all turned out for the best, you’ll never hear the end of it. When you they do the same to help save you all you fixate on is how stupid they were to put themselves at risk. Never expect anyone to be on your side in an argument unless you are undeniably correct, and even then expect to be resented for trying to distract from your faults.

FUTURE

[MOVE ON]

[chucksfavouriteprophet]

The Girl Can Bite Too, You Know - Part 3

Dean Winchester x (Female) Reader

Summary: While trying to keep your business afloat, you get caught in the crossfire of a Winchester hunt and have no choice but to get involved. Some time after your first run-in with the boys, you unexpectedly meet again and they are shocked to see how things have changed.

Warnings: Some slight violence but practically nothing, this is just a little filler before the big stuff gets going.

Word count: 2,609

| Part 1 | Part 2 |

- One Year Later -

The past few weeks had been tedious for Dean, and he was dying to get out of the bunker and find a bar. Problem was, both him and Sam were on the run from the police again, meaning they couldn't exactly show their faces in any old joint.

"C'mon man, one night isn't gonna hurt," Dean begged his brother. "I'm sick of this cheap whisky and no offence, but you're not really the type I would usually choose to chat up."

"Ew Dean, gross," Sam grunted, screwing up his face and shaking his head. "Look, I know you've got itchy feet so I've been doing some digging myself. Garth suggested some roadhouse a few towns over; he's never been but he's heard it's pretty quiet and seems to be a haunt for local hunters. If you're that desperate, why not give that place a try?"

Dean frowned. "Theres a roadhouse a few towns over? You sure, Sammy?" Sam shrugged and held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, I'm only the messenger. You think Garth's having you on?"

It was Dean's turn to shrug now. "No, but I find it hard to imagine there would be a sweet little hunter base just down the road that we haven't discovered yet, don't you?"

Sam turned back to the computer, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know man, like I said, it's meant to be pretty lowkey. Plus, we have kinda been a preoccupied lately so I wouldn't be surprised if slipped past the radar - hey!" He jumped as the laptop lid came slamming down, narrowly missing trapping his fingers.

"Saddle up baby brother, it's time to go get us a proper drink." Dean spun round, flinging his jacket round his shoulders before throwing Sam's in his direction. Sam shook his head with a chuckle. If he was being honest with himself, he too had felt cooped up in the bunker and was interested in getting to know some other local hunters if possible. Moments later, the bunker was plunged into darkness, the only sound being Baby as Dean wheel-spun her out of the garage. Foot on the gas, AC/DC blaring from the radio, the brothers drove with the windows down, enjoying the cool September air. Living in a windowless underground bunker always made them appreciate fresh air when they could get it. Sam related Garth's directions to Dean, and within 20 minutes they were tumbling down an unmade road just out of town.

"Damn, no wonder we never found this place. Someone needs to relay this road." Dean grumbled, taking it slow so not to damage the Impala's suspension. Sam glanced nervously out the window, starting to question if in fact Garth had been having them on. This place was deserted, nothing in sight.

"Dean, look. There." He motioned forward, pointing at an old wooden sign standing at an angle to the side of the road. There was no writing on it, just a symbol - what appeared to be a devils trap in a circle with a diagonal line through it.

"No demons," chuckled Dean. "Very clever signage." He took a sharp right at the sign, tumbling down a windy lane that was hidden from the main road by bushes. It wound round to the left, coming parallel with road they had previously been on, before opening up into a large square area of gravel lit by a low floodlight. The lot was busy with trucks and vans, some of which Sam and Dean recognised as belonging to fellow hunters. They swung in a space towards the back, climbing out and taking in their surroundings.

The parking lot was positioned behind a square wooden building, painted jet black, with heavy blinds across the windows that did well to dim the lights that were on inside. A path ran round to the other side of the building, which showed the reminisce of an old, smaller parking area with access directly off the main road. However, it was clear to see this was no longer used; the potholes were treacherous and branches covered the track to prevent anyone from entering from the original route. Dean paused for a second, glancing up at the front of the dark building.

"Hey, you recognise this place?" He questioned his brother. "I feel like we've been here before."

Sam was focusing intensely on the big oak door positioned in the centre of the building. "I know what you mean." He replied, head tilted slightly. "I know this door from somewhere. But it can't be - that place was way easier to get to, we didn't have to stumble down some civvy-proof track. Plus, the place I'm thinking of wasn't a hunter's bar, it was just an ordinary joint."

Dean shrugged. "Maybe it changed. C'mon, lets go see, it's clearly busy." He pushed past his brother, opening the heavy door inwards and stepping into the warm room, aroma filled with burgers and beer.

"Hey, what was that place called again?" Sam questioned behind him. "Someone's bar, wasn't it? A girl's name, Sally's, or Abby's maybe..."

"Y/N's." Dean breathed, frozen to the spot. A space before him at the bar had just cleared, and he saw you immediately. You hadn't changed; still the same confident body language, hair tied back messily, towel thrown across your shoulder, just like you had been the night you'd met.

Sam chucked. "I don't believe it! Y/N, hey!" He made his way straight towards the bar, Dean following him awkwardly a few steps behind.

You paused when you heard the voice, your back to him as you mixed a drink behind the bar. No, it couldn't be. Surely not. After all this time, all this effort...they were back. You gulped, grasping the glass tighter to stop your fingers trembling so visibly as you turned around.

"Well well well, if it isn't Agents Slovak and Kiedis. Hows the latest album coming along, boys?" You grinned, trying not to make your awe show. A year, it had taken them to walk back into your bar. Or rather 12 months, 4 weeks and 3 days, but who was counting? They hadn't changed much; sure, Sam's hair seemed a little longer, but he was still staggeringly tall and gawky. Dean didn't look any different, although his eyes did seem more serious now, and they'd both earned a few more scars since you'd last seen them. You wondered what sort of horrors they'd seen in the past year, and had to shove away the urge to leap over the bar and embrace them tightly.

Dean had shaken himself clean of his shock by now, and pulled up a stool to sit besides his brother. "Wow Y/N, I like what you've done with the place. That new parking lot grew a bit, huh?"

You smiled at him as you fixed them a drink. "Yeah well, you two opened my eyes to a new kinda clientele, so this ones on the house. Since I started catering for hunters businesses really picked up, but I gotta keep this place a little more subtle now, see." The boys thanked you for their drinks as you moved to top up the empties that had been pushed towards you by your other regulars.

"Yeah, well you're doing a great job at that. We can't believe we didn't know about this place until now." Sam laughed and you shrugged, glancing down at your feet. Dammit Y/N, how long had you waited for this day, and now you were acting like a complete fool?

Dean took a glimpse round the joint, trying to remember back to what it was like that day they'd busted those werewolves. The layout was pretty much the same, with a few more tables thrown in the mix, but the lighting was darker and more pictures were up on the walls. By the door there was a wooden board with initials etched all over it carved with a knife.

"You'll have to add yourselves to that," you nodded in the direction he was glancing in. "It's custom. Every new hunter to drink here has to make their mark." Dean gave you a grin before downing the rest of his whisky. "Hey, you still got those friends of yours out back?" He queried. You rolled your eyes as you gave him a refill. "They even got headstones now. Real talking point in the smoking area, I tell you. Old Robbie over there even made me plaque for them at Christmas." The brothers chuckled, struggling to get their heads around how much you'd changed. Sure, they'd been pleasantly surprised at how well you taken to learning about the supernatural, but they never expected you to make a living out of it as well.

It wasn't long before you had to excuse yourself to tend to other customers, refilling drinks and entertaining their classic manspreading banter. Sometimes you wondered if it was worth hiring some more bartenders to help with the load, but every time you decided it wasn't worth it. You'd have to explain what these people did in order for them not to freak out whenever a regular came in busted from a fight, and there was no way you'd try keep it a secret from anyone. Part of the appeal of Y/N's Bar was the fact that no one had to keep their life a secret. Hunters could come for a drink and catch up with each other, sharing their latest hunts and interests without worrying the wrong ears might overhear. Besides, most of these guys were rowdy men who needed to let their hair down. Not many girls would be able to bat off the misogynistic comments and remarks as easily as you could.

Meanwhile, Dean couldn't keep his eyes off you. He was dying to know more - how had you managed to find out so much about the hunting world? Had something else happened after him and Sam had left? If so, why hadn't he heard from you? Sure, they'd only been living in the bunker a few months now, but how come he hadn't realised how close it was to this place? The elder Winchester couldn't stop wondering as he stood alongside his brother making general chit chat to the other hunters, some of whom he'd met before, others who he'd heard about, and some new rookies who were delighted to finally get to meet the famous Winchester brothers.

The conversation was much the same for you. As the bar filled up, everyone wanted to know how you knew Sam and Dean, and couldn't help but share the rumours they'd heard about them. You smiled through gritted teeth, willing them to shut up and just leave. Truthfully, you wanted everyone to leave, except the brothers. I mean, that was the reason why you ran the place like you did, right?

"Pull yourself together, girl," you mumbled to yourself. Glancing up you caught the eye of the huge portrait of your Dad, still hanging in it's central place above the bar. The one man who had been through it all with you, even if only in spirit. "Don't worry Pop, I'm not gonna let myself go all stupid over two stupid boys. I promise." Taking a deep breath, you turned back around just in time to catch Dean gazing over at you. Catching his eye, you blushed, giving him a nod before carrying on with your job. Dammit, why did you have to be so damn awkward all the time?

Weirdly, Dean felt the same way. Usually chatting up girls was a walk in the park for him, but there was something about you that intimidated him. Maybe it was the casual way you'd managed to turn your bar into a hunters haven right under his nose, or maybe it was just the stunningly sexy and confident way you carried yourself. He threw back another glass of liquid sprit before leaving his brother engrossed in conversation with another local hunter and slid round the bar towards you. "Old man still standing strong, I see," he lent on the table behind you, shrinking back slightly as he made you jump.

"Oh yeah, haha," you mumbled clumsily, trying to recompose yourself. "I don't know what he'd think about me opening up his old place to a bunch of supernatural hunters, but I like to imagine he'd think it was entrepreneurial or something." You dodged round Dean with your head down, not trusting yourself not to glance up into those shockingly green eyes you remembered all too well. If you did, you were afraid you'd never look away. You moved back round behind the safety of the bar as Dean moved with you, pivoting to perch in front of you.

"So, you hunt now too?" He questioned, making you snort with laughter.

"God no. I just monetise the alcoholism that comes with the job." You gave him a quick wink, glancing away swiftly. Do not make eye contact Y/N, you repeated to yourself.

"That's a safe bet," Dean replied. He was about to continue when a raucous behind caught his attention, as well as everyone else's at the bar. Across the room, a burley hunter had pushed another back into the table, sending beer glasses shattering on the ground and a chair to topple over dramatically. He grabbed the other man by the shirt collar, pulling him up onto the table and raising a fist. Dean immediately went to lurch towards the fight, but he was beaten to it. Before the chair had even hit the ground you'd made it across the room in two long strides, twisting the arm of the burley man and pinning him against the wall with a knee to the balls. The man cried out in pain, collapsing in on himself.

"That's your final warning, Frank. I want you out of my bar in 30 seconds, and I don't want you back until you've killed at least three rugarus. You need to get that violence out of your system, and I ain't gonna have you do that by messing up your fellow hunters in my joint." You scooped up the empty glass and threw the truck keys from the table over your shoulder to land as his feet. Dean nodded slowly at you with a grin on his face as you walked back round the bar.

"Wow, that was impressive. You practically flew across the room there. Nice moves, too."

You shook your head as you started washing out the glass. "Dude, I'm a lone girl working in bar that attracts predominately anger-fuelled men. I can handle myself pretty neatly. The girl can bite too, you know."

"Damn straight you can," Dean remembered back to that night with the werewolves. Even now he was still impressed with the way you held your own when faced with a gang of greedy pups.

He spent the rest of the night quietly observing you, while you did the same. After last orders, he and Sam hugged you goodbye, passing on their phone numbers in case you ever needed anything. Dean was pretty sure you wouldn't, but it still made him feel better. The drive back to the bunker was peaceful, the trip out having fulfilled its purpose. Sam had enjoyed chatting away with other hunters and was elated to tell Dean about the latest news he'd caught up on. Dean was just happy at the warm feeling spreading through his chest at having seen you again. For different reasons, they were both sure Y'N's Bar was about to become their regular place.

| Part 4 |

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

More Than Just Survive

Pairing: Daryl Dixon X Reader

Word count: 1.2 K

Requested by @petrified-teeth : hey, i have a request if you’re still doing walking dead requests!! a daryl x reader set during either season one or two, hes pining after the reader and when he sees them playing with carl, maybe giving him a piggyback ride or something, he gets really flustered thinking about him and the reader raising their own kids??? only if you want to!!

Summary: Daryl sees you playing with Carl and he suddenly realizes he wants kids. With you.

{The Walking Dead Masterlist}

×

Daryl never thought he could fall in love. He didn't even know the feeling. But it hit him like a train the moment he saw her.

(Y/N) was flustered when he stumbled on her in the woods, running from the city. Ripped clothes, messy hair, and heart racing. Daryl was a bit rude at first, taken aback by how beautiful she was. He met many women, but nobody claimed he hears like this, from the very first moment. From the very first sight.

And he lost his mind from that moment on.

Her safety was his priority. Keeping her feed and warm and dressed. She became his whole world.

Daryl was happy to find the farm. He didn't agree with Hershel's methods, and he didn't like all the new people around him. But it was better than staying on the road, and when winter comes, she'll have a warm place to sleep. And that's what matters.

“Whoa. Nice hunt.” She says, eyes set on him. The deer he shot was heavy on his shoulders, but he was glad for the huge amount of meat he provided. That he provided to her. “What about some more lessons later today?”

“I'll teach ya ta’ clean it. C'mon.” He says, tilting his head to the open area East of the house where he set his camp. And where you set yours, despite the offer of a room in the house. Daryl tried to convince her, but she's too much of a hothead to accept it. He didn't want to admit it, and he never will, but he rather has her close by. Daryl sleeps better knowing she's in the tent right next to him, only a couple of feet away.

“I have to help Carl with homework. Give me ten minutes.” She says with a bright smile, and Daryl's heart starts beating so fast he thinks he might die.

Can someone die from love? Because if that's possible, Daryl knows he's damned.

“Fine. Hurry up.” He grunts, walking past her.

(Y/N) gives him an eye roll and a giggle. She sees right past him and he's fake anger. She knows him, maybe too well.

Daryl goes to his camp, dropping the deer and cleaning himself the best as he can. Everyone gets to shower once a day, and so does he. For her. He even cleans under his nails once a day.

Ten minutes pass by quickly, and then another ten, and (Y/N) still hasn't come. So Daryl makes his way to the wooden table under the three, where Carl usually sits to study. And there's where she is, but instead of peacefully sitting down, she's has Carl hanging on her back, a burst of laughter flowing out her lips.

“You're too heavy, kiddo!” She laughs, stumbling a little before standing up straight. “Jump off!”

“Let's see how many squats with me on your back!” Carl yells, swinging his legs. “C'mon!”

“I'm so gonna drop you off.” She says, grabbing his thighs and bouncing him up. “Ready?”

“Born ready.” He nods and she starts, crouching down over and over again, laughing, making silly comments with Carl.

(Y/N) would be a good mother. This thought comes to him suddenly, and at the same time, another acknowledgment.

Daryl Dixon never thought about having kids until this very moment. And it's a weird feeling. His father was a devil, but he will make it different. He will be different.

He and (Y/N) have this unlabeled relationship. Always around each other, talking, hugging. (Y/N) takes every chance she has to lay her head on his shoulder. At least once a day. And Daryl feels like his heart is trying to jump off his chest.

“Five! Six!” Carl counts as she laughs and squats.

“I can't anymore, kiddo. Drop off.” She complains, and Carl jumps to the ground. “My back hurts now.”

“(Y/N),” Daryl calls, gesturing for her to come when she looks at him. “C'mon.”

“Bye, kiddo.” She says, messing with Carl's hair.

Daryl patiently waits until she reaches him before he starts walking again. She smells good, like the strawberry shampoo he got her a while ago. She gives him a stare, a smile, and a wink, grabbing his arm and keeping the slow pace.

He doesn't care if the world ended. He knows he wants a family. And he wants it with her.

“I don't wanna do that!” You say the moment Daryl opens up the deer. “I can kill it but I can't do that.”

“Ya gotta learn. What if yer out there alone?”

“That's easy to fix.” Sitting on the three logs you keep near the tent you cross your legs, eyes set on Daryl despite the rather disgusting task he's into.

“How?” He grunts, blue eyes giving you a curious glance.

“We'll never be apart.” Shrugging your shoulders, you giggle at the eye roll. “What? We haven't been apart ever since we met, D. And I don't want to be apart from you. Never.”

“Did ya ever think about havin’ kids?” The question comes out of nowhere, and it takes you by surprise. “Ya get along with Carl jus’ fine. Thought ya'd be a good mom.”

Biting your lip, you silently stare at him for a while. “Yeah. I always wanted to have kids. I still do.” Blushing a little, you look down at your hands. “But it's... It's really hard to find a Daryl who could be the father.” The words come out a little too low, but by the awkward silence, you know he heard you. “I-I mean–”

“Nobody would want ta’ have a child with me, (Y/N).” He mutters, and when you look up at him again, he's focused on his task, peeling the skin off the deer.

“If you have the balls to propose, Daryl Dixon, we might start working on that right away.” You try to keep the sassy tone, but your whole body burns. It's not a secret you love Daryl. And it's not a secret he loves you.

“Yer jokin’.”

“M’ not.” Giggling, you put a strand of hair behind your ear. “I'm not.”

“Huh.” He mumbles, eyes burning through you. “We can talk about that when I'm done here.” Daryl's voice is low and raspy, and you can see a reddish color on his neck. “Gotta get this ready ta’ feed the group.”

“Mhmm.” You nod, smiling.

This wasn't how you expected your day to end, with talkings about kids and marriage. But the world ended, and the least you can do is try to be happy. Nothing is easy, nothing is simple, but you want more than just survive. You want to live.

And you want Daryl to be part of that.

[calaryssia]

Unexplainable | "Let's Ice the Devil."

Unexplainable Masterlist

Dean Winchester x Reader

2.1k

"Hey darling, I need you asap." I rolled my eyes.

"why do you always tend to need me at the worst of times?" I sit in the middle of my room looking at my nails. "come on, you know you owe me for everything i've helped you with." I got up and finally turned around to face him.

"what is it?" I say with a harsh look on my face.

" I need you to help me with a trade I'm making. I need the backup just in case."

"okay, sounds easy enough. whose it is?" he looked at me like he knew that my reaction would not be good. "they're hunters." and he was right.

"hell no!" i can't believe he's doing this. setting us up like this. It's basically like asking for us to get killed.

"i promise darling, nothing will happen to you." he looked into my eyes with promise. "fine. when will they be here?" then we heard the door open from downstairs. "now.'' Crowley then snapped his fingers and we were downstairs in the living room. nazi's were on the tv, of course. the power suddenly turned off signaling they were here. We both got up and crowley led the way, me trailing behind him. He walked through the entrance and stopped so I stopped a while after him. making sure i wasn't seen by whoever was in the other room.

"it's crowley right?" that voice sounded familiar.

"so.. the hardy boys finally found me. took you long enough."

he walks forward more while i stay in my place, out of sight. He walks up to a rug that is slightly scrunched up. what do they think that he's dumb or something? he lifts it up to reveal a devils trap. he gets back up. "Do you have any idea how much that rug costs?" I hear them get grumbled up by crowley's goons. I decided to make my presence known. I came into the doorway and looked toward the middle part of the room and there were the men that I never thought I'd see again. the winchesters.

"belle?" Dean said looking at me with surprise and a bit of betrayal in his eyes. "shit."

"you know these lads?" Crowley looked at me with confusion.

2005

shapeshifter. been tracking it for a little bit. wishing i was doing something better with my time but here I am doing all i can. who knew that i was going to meet some hunters along the way.

i was scoping the suers when i saw two guys looking at the peeled off skin from the shifter. I use some of my powers to push them up against the wall. they grimace at the sudden contact from the wall. I pull out my silver knife just in case they are shifters themselves.

"who the hell are you?" the shorter one questions and the taller ones look at me with confusion.

"are you shifters?" I say walking closer to them.

"no, we aren't" the tall one says looking at me with his puppy eyes. I bring my silver knife up to his arm and nick him a little with it then do the same to the other guy. I sigh with relief and wave my hand as they come off of the wall. they come down relieved of the predicament that they were in.

"again like i said, who the hell are you?" the shorter one keeps giving me the eyes of 'i'm totally going to kill you' i raise my hands in surrender.

"My name is Belle, I'm a witch, but i'm good. i mean no harm to you, i'm hunting this shapeshifter just like y'all." he pulls out his gun aiming it at me. "and why should we believe you?`` I keep my hands up. the tall one grabs the other by the arm to make him aim his gun away from me. "dean, can you not? she may help." 

"you're kidding me right? what after everything, you being good and all. that was what, a whole bunch of bullshit?" the dean was mad. very mad. 

"Dean calm down, I'm sure she has her reasons." Sam is always on my side.

"i mean really belle, working with a demon."

"Like Sam said, I have my reasons, now can we get to the problem at hand." i say, i wasn't necessarily wanting to have this conversation right now. I didn't want Crowley to get any ideas that I was weak or anything.

"let's get this show on the road shall we?" Crowley says looking at me like 'we will talk more about this later.' he then pulls out the colt. "this is it, right?" he handles it lightly. "This is what it's all about." He then aims it toward Dean, then moves it over to the goon holding him, shooting him in the head, killing him. He then does the same with the one holding sam. when they dropped to the ground they looked at crowley confused. "we need to talk, privately."

we walk into the study, me and crowley in front, the boys following close behind. "what the hell is this?" dean says questionably. "do you know how deep i could have buried this thing?" he turns to the boys as he walks behind the desk as i sit in the chair next to him. "belle.'' Crowley said as he nodded toward the door, with the wave of my hand the door closes. The boys look back after hearing the door close.

"there's no reason you or anyone should know this even exists at all." I look at them both and nod with a giggle escaping from my lips. "except that i told you." crowley continues.

"you told us?" Sam says confusion on his face.

"rumors, innuendo... sent out of the grapevine." I spit out looking toward the boys with purpose in my eyes. they look at me for a second then look back at crowley. they weren't going to look at me the same. not until we actually have a conversation.

"why? why tell us anything?" Sam can be so cute when he's confused. I smile thinking about it. Crowley picks up the colt again aiming it near dean. "i want you to take this to lucifer, and empty it into his face." Crowley put his serious voice on. I always made fun of him when he did that to make the situation light hearted but it didn't seem good to do in this situation.

"uh-huh, okay." Dean says, then pauses for a split second. "and why would you want the devil dead?"

"it's called.." Crowley starts putting the colt back down. "survival." I finished off for him. "but i forgot, you two, at best, are functional morons." Crowley says I chuckle a little bit.

"yeah, you're functioning.. morans... mor-" dean tried to say as a come back but fails.

"lucifer isn't just a demon, remember?'' Crowley continues with ignoring deans previous comment. "he's an angel. an angel famous for his hatred of humankind. to him your just... filthy bags of pus. if that's the way he feels about you." he pauses for a second. "what can he think about us?"

"but he created you." Sam says questionably.

"to him were just.. servants. cannon fodder." crowley says. I then decided to voice my opinion or give my two senses. "if lucifer manages to exterminate mankind, they're next." I say, with crowley nodding. "so, help me huh?" crowley speaks again. "let's go back to simpler, better times. back to.. when we could all follow our natures. i'm in sales, damn it." he pauses again for a short time. i decided to speak again.

"so what do you say?" I move to the front of the table with crowley and grab the colt and start to hold it out in front of me as a way of offering it. "So what if, we give you this and you go kill the devil?" I say smirking at them.

they both look between each other questionably. before Sam brings his hand up to grab the colt from my hand. "okay." he mumbles out. Crowley smiles looking at them pleased "great." the boys pause there for a second. Sam then starts back up again. "you wouldn't happen to know where the devil is, by chance, would you?"

Crowley thinks for a minute before drawing his conclusions. "thursday.. birdies tell me.. he has an appointment in Carthage, missouri." Sam stares back down at the colt, dean and him both exchange glances. "Great, thanks," Sam says then points the colt at Crowley's head. i tense up a little bit, but crowley looks unfazed, i know that if he's not worried i shouldn't be. Sam started to pull the trigger but nothing happened. Sam and Dean looked at the gun confused and I let out a sigh of relief.

Crowley moves a little from his spot and starts to the desk while saying "oh, yeah, right. you probably need some more ammunition." he pulls the drawer out, i look at him confused but he ignores me as dean speaks. "uh, excuse me for asking but aren't you kind of sighing at your own death warrant? what happens to you if we go up against the death warrant and lose?"

"number one: he's gonna wipe us all out anyway. two: after you leave here, i go on an extended vacation to all points nowhere. three: belle's going with you to help / make sure you get the job done. and four: how about you don't miss?!? okay?! morons!" welp didn't know i was doing that but, i can't lie i'd love to see that asshole die if this works out. He then tosses the ammo to Dean before he disappears to wherever.

"Welp," I say before crossing my arms. "never thought you'd see me again did ya boys?" i'm smirking toward them then dean fixates on me finally and his face turns sour. this can't be good.

"so you're working with a demon now? what the hell, belle?" I laugh. "hehe you just rhymed." Dean stares at me with his cold green eyes. "answer the question."

"i can't tell you right now. Maybe after we ice lucifer we can talk but my situation isn't important right now. If you're worried about me, don't be. I'm not in trouble or anything, I'm doing this out of my own will."

"why do i find that hard to believe?'' Sam is staying out of this. He knows better than to get between us when we fight. the few times we have it hasn't been pretty. "what happened to you? what happened to the good little witch we met all those years ago, huh? whatever that demon has over you, we can get you out. you just have to tell us."

"what part of i'm fine do you not understand? gosh dean why do you think i'm gonna help you? if i was bad would i want to help you the tiniest bit?"

"I don't know belle." he says rolling his eyes. I hate when he does this.

2005

"hey, thanks again." Dean says looking at me smirking. ever since he finally let me help him and sam with this hunt he's been flirting with me. i thought he was just casually flirting with me like it was his personality but, after what the shifter said i'm pretty sure he just wants to get in my pants.

"yeah, whatever dean." i roll my eyes annoyed but let out a laugh. Guys like dean always thought they could get what or who ever they wanted. I wasn't gonna let him have me. I ignore him and walk over to Sam who's waiting outside of the car.

"Hey, here's my number, if you ever need me call me. i can help you out." I gave him a piece of paper with my number on it. I sigh and look over where Dean his, he keeps staring at me. I look back at sam. "thanks, really you helped a lot." he says smiling at me.

I smile back at him and pull him in for a hug. Sam is shocked for a little bit then ends up giving into the hug. I pulled away and turned around to see Dean a little hurt that I hugged Sam before him or over him. I laugh and open my arms and motion for Dean to come over and hug me.

he smiles a little coming over to me. He put his arms around my waist and I put my arms around his neck. this hug was longer than the one me and Sam shared it meant more. Once he pulled away I placed a kiss on his cheek. I smiled for the last time before I backed away looking at them both.

"bye boys."

[toscrollperchancetomeme]

Lestat de Lioncourt - A playlist

So, guess who made a Lestat Playlist (like there aren't enough already) and decided to sit down for 4-6 hours to find some excerpt corresponding with each song? Featuring 80s and 90s music (clearly showing my age...) as well as many european songs and showtunes. Enjoy!

1. Cathedrals – Ramin Karimloo (Original by Jump, Little Children)

In the cathedrals of New York and Rome There is a feeling that you should just go home And spend the lifetime finding out just where that is

And that was not a good year for me. I was wandering aimlessly. I was sick of things. I was furious with myself that the „beauty“ of life wasn't sustaining me, wasn't making my loneliness bearable.

I wanted to join them. Always do want to join them and never do. „Go home,“ he whispered. - Prince Lestat

(I actually feel like there are quotes that would correspond to this song in every one of the books and indeed have not yet found any other song that captures the general spirit of The Vampire Chronicles as perfectly.)

2. Edge of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks

Well, I went today Maybe I will go again tomorrow Yeah yeah, well, the music there Well, it was hauntingly familiar Well, I see you doing what I try to do for me With the words from a poet and a voice from a choir And a melody, and nothing else mattered

He sat next to me, hugging me and asking me why I was crying, and though I couldn't tell him, I could see that he was overwhelmed that his music had produced this effect. There was no sarcasm or bitterness in him now. I think he carried me home that night. And the next morning I was standing in the crooked stone street in front of his father's shop, tossing pebbles up at his window. When he stuck his head out, I said: „Do you want to come down and go on with our conversation?“ - The Vampire Lestat

3. I ain't scared of lightning – Tom McRae

No I ain't scared of lightning And thunder never killed I was born in a summer storm and I live there still

I wasn't part of the world that cringed at such things. And with a smile, I realized that I was of that dark ilk that makes others cringe. Slowly and with great pleasure, I laughed.

And the labor that brought it forth was rapture such as I have never known. - The Vampire Lestat

4. Junge Roemer – Falco (Young Romans – Full Translation)

Don't ask for new old values See white light, see only feeling The night is ours till morning We play every game Don't ever let this journey end The doing comes only from the being Only from dimensions, that Are worth illusions and sensations Give me more, give me more, give me more...

... and again she laughed. „Ah, but we are splendid devils, aren't we?“ „Hunters of the Savage Garden,“ I said. „Then let's go into Paris,“ she said. - The Vampire Lestat

5. Running up that hill – Candy Says (Original by Kate Bush

If I only could, I'd make a deal with God, And I'd get him to swap our places, Be running up that road, Be running up that hill, Be running up that building,

„Not even with Nicolas?“ „No, god, no!“ I looked at her. She nodded slightly as if she approved of this answer. „Why not with Nicolas?“ she asked. I wanted this to stop. „Because he's young,“ I said, „and he has life before him.“ - The Vampire Lestat

6. Florence – Notre Dame de Paris (Full Translation)

The little things always triumph over the large And literature will kill architecture The school books will kill the cathedrals The Bible will kill the Church, and man will kill God This will kill that

„I never lived in it. I push against the glass. But how do I get in?“ „I can't tell you that,“ I said. „You have to study this age,“ Gabrielle interrupted. Her voice was calm but commanding. He looked towards her as she spoke. „You have to understand the age,“ she continued, „through its literature and its music and its art. You have come up out of the earth, as you yourself put it. Now live in the world.“ No answer from him. Flash of Nicki's ravaged flat with all its books on the floor. Western civilization in heaps. - The Vampire Lestat

7. Go your own way – Fleetwood Mac

Loving you isn't the right thing to do How can I ever change things that I feel

If I could maybe I'd give you my world How can I when you won't take it from me

You can go your own way You can call it another lonely day

„Keep your promise,“ she said. And quite suddenly I knew this was our last moment. I knew it and I could do nothing to change it. „Gabrielle!“ I whispered. But she was already gone. - The Vampire Lestat

8. Désenchantée – Olympe (Original by Myléne Farmer - Full Translation)

If death is a mystery Life isn't exactly tender If heaven has a hell Then heaven can still wait for me Tell me how to handle this headwind Nothing makes sense anymore, nothing's fine

Laughter. That insane music. That din, that dissonance, that never ending shrill articulation of the meaninglessness... Am I awake? Am I asleep? I am sure of one thing. I am a monster. And because I lie in torment in the earth, certain human beings move on through the narrow pass of life unmolested. - The Vampire Lestat

9. A kind of magic – Queen

The bell that rings inside your mind Is challenging the doors of time It's a kind of magic The waiting seems eternity The day will dawn of sanity

And quite completely I understood that it was looking for me, this sound, it was seeking me out.

Blood like light itself, liquid fire.

It seemed beneath the roar of the flow he spoke. He said again: „Drink, my young one, my wounded one.“ I felt his heart swell, his body undulate, and we were sealed against each other. I think I heard myself say: „Marius.“ And he answered: „Yes.“ - The Vampire Lestat

10. La quête – Bruno Pelletier (French version of „The Impossible Dream“ from Man of La Mancha)

To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest To follow that star Ooh, no matter how hopeless No matter how far

I would remain in New Orleans if New Orleans could only manage to remain. Whatever I suffered should be lessened in this lawless place, whatever I craved should give me more pleasure once I had it in my grasp. And there were moments on that first night in this fetid little paradise when I prayed that in spite of all my secret power, I was somehow kin to every mortal man. - The Vampire Lestat

11. Wicked Game – Chris Isaak

What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you

Yet Louis gained a hold over me far more powerful than Nicolas had ever had. Even in his cruelest moments, Louis touched the tenderness in me, seducing me with his staggering dependence, his infatuation with my every gesture and every spoken word. - The Vampire Lestat

12. Do I disappoint you – Rufus Wainwright

Do I disappoint you, in just being human? And not one of the elements that you can light your cigar on Why does it always have to be fire? Why does it always have to be brimstone?

„And suppose the vampire who made you knew nothing, and the vampire before him knew nothing, and so it goes back and back, nothing proceeding from nothing, until there is nothing! And we must live with the knowledge that there is no knowledge!“ „Yes!“ he cried out suddenly, his hands out, his voice tinged with something other than anger.

And then I sensed it. He was afraid. Lestat afraid. - Interview with the Vampire

13. Ordinary World – Duran Duran

What has happened to it all? Crazy, some'd say Where is the life that I recognize? Gone away

But I won't cry for yesterday There's an ordinary world Somehow I have to find And as I try to make my way To the ordinary world I will learn to survive

I do not remember when it became the twentieth century, only that everything was uglier and darker, and the beauty I'd known in the old eighteenth-century days seemed more than ever some kind of fanciful idea. - The Vampire Lestat

14. I'm still standing – Taron Egerton (Original by Elton John)

And there's a cold lonely light that shines from you You'll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use And did you think this fool could never win? Well look at me, I'm coming back again

But after the third night up, I was roaring around New Orleans on a big black Harley-Davidson motorcycle making plenty of noise myself. […] I was the vampire Lestat again. I was back in action. New Orleans was once again my hunting ground. - The Vampire Lestat

15. Catch my fall – Billy Idol

I have the time so I will sing, yeah I'm just a boy but I will win, yeah Lost song of lovers, fellow travelers, yeah Leave me sad and hollow out of words

It could happen to you so think for yourself If I should stumble, catch my fall, yeah

I've survived, obviously. I wouldn't be talking to you if I hadn't. And the cosmic dust has finally settled; and the small rift in the world's fabric of rational beliefs has been mended, or at least closed. I'm a little sadder for all of it, and a little meaner and a little more conscientious as well. - The Queen of the Damned

16. I want it all – Queen

I'm a man with a one track mind So much to do in one lifetime (people do you hear me) Not a man for compromise and where's and why's and living lies So I'm living it all, yes I'm living it all And I'm giving it all, and I'm giving it all

It is not enough any longer that my little rock band be successful. We must create a fame that will carry my name and my voice to the remotest parts of the world. - The Vampire Lestat

17. Let me entertain you – Robbie Williams

Hell is gone and heaven's here There's nothing left for you to fear Shake your arse come over here Now scream

I'm a burning effigy Of everything I used to be You're my rock of empathy, my dear

So come on let me entertain you

"I AM THE VAMPIRE LESTAT!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I stepped way back from the microphone, and the sound was almost visible as it arched over the length of the oval theater, and the voice of the crowd rose even higher, louder, as if to devour the ringing sound. - The Vampire Lestat

18. La bien qui fait mal – Mozart l'Opera Rock (Full translation)

I can feel a violent urge I feel like I'm sliding towards the ground If I don't find out where this plague is coming from I adore having it under my skin Bewitched by mad ideas Suddenly all my cravings take off The desire becomes my prison Until I loose my mind

Yet I was in her arms in this chilling darkness, in the familiar scent of winter, and her blood was mine again, and it was enslaving me. When she drew away, I felt agony. - The Queen of the Damned

19. Tainted Love – Soft Cell

And you think love is to pray But I'm sorry I don't pray that way Once I ran to you Now I'll run from you This tainted love you've given I give you all a boy could give you Take my tears and that's not living, oh

„What do you think I am that I am so easily swayed? I was born a Queen. I have always ruled; even from the shrine I ruled." Her eyes were glazed suddenly. I heard the voices, a dull hum rising. "I ruled if only in legend; if only in the minds of those who came to me and paid me tribute. Princes who played music for me; who brought me offerings and prayers. What do you want of me now? That for you, I renounce my throne, my destiny!" What answer could I make? - The Queen of the Damned

20. Dancing in the Dark – Ruth Moody (Original by Bruce Springsteen)

They say you gotta stay hungry Hey baby, I'm just about starvin' tonight I'm dyin' for some action I'm sick of sittin' 'round here tryin' to write this book I need a love reaction Come on now, baby, gimme just one look

"I want you to put the book aside and come join us," he said. "You've been locked in here for over a month." "I go out now and then," I said. I liked looking at him, at the neon blue of his eyes.

"Do you love me now?" I asked. He smiled; oh, it was excruciating to see his face soften and brighten simultaneously when he smiled. "Yes," he said. "Want to go on a little adventure?" My heart was thudding suddenly. It would be so grand if- "Want to break the new rules?" "What in the world do you mean?" he whispered. - The Queen of the Damned

21. I want you – Savage Garden

Oh, I want you, I don't know if I need you But oh, I would die to find out

"You don't think you'll be back?" he asked. "I think you will, whether I call or not." Another little surprise. A little stab of humiliation. I smiled at him in spite of myself. He was a very interesting man. "You silver-tongued British bastard," I said. "How dare you say that to me with such condescension? Maybe I should kill you right now."

I thought of David Talbot's face, and that moment when he'd challenged me. Well, maybe he was right. I'd be back. Who said I couldn't come back and talk to him if I wanted to? - The Queen of the Damned

22. Lay your hands on me – Bon Jovi

I'm a fighter, I'm a poet, I'm a preacher I've been to school, oh baby, I've been the teacher If you show me how to get up off the ground I can show you how to fly and never ever come back down

I sat down on the bed beside him. And then I bent down and kissed his face again gently, as I had in New Orleans, liking the feel of his roughly shaven beard, just as I liked that sort of thing when I was really Lestat and I would soon have that strong masculine blood inside. I moved closer to him, when suddenly he grasped my hand, and I felt him gently push me away. „Why, David?“ I asked him. He didn't answer. He lifted his right hand and brushed my hair back out of my eyes. „I don't know,“ he whispered. „I can't. I simply can't.“ - The Tale of the Body Thief

23. 20th Century Boy – Placebo (Original by T-Rex)

I move like a cat, charge like a ram Sting like a bee, babe, I wanna be your man, hey!

He drew back with a speed that astonished me, cleaving to the wall. „Don't do this, Lestat.“ „Don't fight me, old friend. You waste your effort. You have a long night of discovery ahead.“ - The Tale of the Body Thief

24. Way down we go – KALEO

Oh, Father tell me, do we get what we deserve? Whoa, we get what we deserve And way down we go

„In chains, to my friend and my scribe, I dictated these words. Come with me. Just listen to me. Don't leave me alone.“ - Memnoch the Devil

25. Personal Jesus – Depeche Mode

Reach out, touch faith

"Don't tell me," Gabrielle said slurringly, "that it's a matter of faith." She sneered and shook her head. "You come like doubting Thomas to thrust your bloody fangs in the very wound." "Oh, stop, please, I beg you," I whispered. I put up my hands. "Let me try, and let him hurt me, and then be satisfied, and turn away." - The Vampire Armand

26. Papillon – Editors

Darling Just don't put down your guns yet If there really was a God here He'd have raised a hand by now Now darling You're born, get old, then die here Well that's quite enough for me We'll find our own way home somehow

"And if I spill my blood down into this coffin now," Lestat asked her, "what do you think will come back? Do you think it will be our Louis that will rise in these burnt rags? What if it's not, chérie, what if it's some wounded revenant that we must destroy?" "Choose life, Lestat," she said. - Merrick

27. Sunday Light – Choir Boy

Why, why, why, are you silent on the ride home? I'd love to see the temple with you Heavenly and bright, golden angel twisted scathing You were one of us, one of us, one of us, you were one of us

"Then come, Little Brother, take me to where you want to talk," he said, and I felt the soft squeeze of his fingers on my arm. "Why are you so kind to me?" I asked him. "You're used to people being paid to do it, aren't you?" he asked. - Blackwood Farm

28. Für mich solls rote Rosen regnen – Hildegard Knef (It should rain red roses for me - Full translation)

It should rain red roses for me All wonders should encounter me The world should rearrange itself And keep its worries to itself

I want to be a saint. I want to save souls by the millions. I want to do good far and wide. I want to fight evil! I want my life-sized statue in every church. I'm talking six feet tall, blond hair, blue eyes- Wait a second. Do you know who I am? - Blood Canticle

29. Constant Craving – K. D. Lang

Even through the darkest phase Be it thick or thin Always someone marches brave Here beneath my skin And constant craving Has always been

I was hunting, thirsting though I didn't need to drink, at the mercy of the craving, the deep agonizing lust for heated pumping human blood. - Prince Lestat

30. Kalte Sterne – Jan Ammann (Cold Stars from the musical Ludwig² - Full translation)

Get up, ride home, on your horse, through your land Across the morning with your reins trailing behind you Build a castle like a dream, build it with mighty hands And it shall be named „future“

Build a castle like a dream Up from the ashes and close to the heavens Build a castle like a dream And realise the future as king

If we wanted to survive, if we wanted to inherit the millenia […] then we had to meet the future with respect as well as courage and count fear and selfishness to be small things. - Prince Lestat and the realms of Atlantis

31. C'est une belle journée – Mylene Farmer (Full translation)

I'm going to bed To bite eternity With my mouth wide open It's a beautiful day

And I felt the cold numbing shell of alienation and despair which had imprisoned me all of my life among the Undead – I felt that shell cracked, broken, and dissolved utterly into infinitesimal fragments. - Blood Communion

32. Princes of the Universe – Queen

Fly the moon and reach for the stars With my sword and head held high Got to pass the test first time, yeah I know that people talk about me, I hear it every day But I can prove them wrong 'cause I'm right first time

„I know that you meant full well to bring Rhoshamandes down, of course you did. But you had no way of knowing that you could. And no one would have predicted that you could. And with the willingness to die, you gave yourself over into his hands... and you disarmed him and destroyed him.“ – Blood Communion

And finally, because I can, a bonus track:

33. Primadonna – MARINA

And I'm sad to the core, core, core Every day is a chore, chore, chore When you give, I want more, more, more I wanna be adored

[jaskierswolf]

If you're still doing song prompts please could I have "little miss why so" by amazing devil for gerlion or geraskier??

<3 Little Miss!! I love this song so much :D Thank you for suggesting it! I went for Gerlion. I’m sure no one is surprised at this point. _______

Dandelion sat cross legged on the bed. He had ink stains on his cheeks and fingers, and he was scrawling furiously at the parchment in his lap. It was messy and filled with ink blots but he didn’t mind. People were less likely to steal his work if it were illegible to everyone else but him. In his mind eye he could see every thing so clearly. He could feel the cool autumn breeze on his face. He could hear the sounds of Geralt’s grunts as he swung his mighty sword and spun in pirouettes to avoid the bruxa’s attacks. He could see the moonlight dancing through the gaps in the trees. He could smell the earthy aromas of the forest and the musky taste in left on his tongue as he gasped for breath in his tree above the battle scene.

It was clearer than the crystals in Yennefer’s home.

He had to get it onto the paper before the inspiration left him. It was a battle between him and time, and time was winning. The nib of his long feathered quill tore through the paper and ink splatter out onto his lap.

“Oh blast it all!” He moaned.

It was his own fault. He should have been writing at the desk but years of writing on the road meant that he was far more comfortable using his lap to lean on.

“Dandelion.”

A hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off. He needed to finish this scene. Now if only he could think of a suitable rhyme for blade.

“Blade.” He muttered and tapped the quill against his cheek. The feather felt soft against his skin. “Wade? No, no. Not right at all. Braid… Hmm that could work. No the Bruxa’s hair is loose.”

“Dandelion!”

A hand cupped his cheek but he swatted it away.

“Oh shade! Yes. That’ll do nicely.”

He pulled a new a sheet of parchment out of the tube that lay next to him on the bed and continued to write.

He needed to write.

Geralt sighed as he knelt down beside the bed. Dandelion had been like this all day. He’d woken up after barely two hours sleep and shooed Geralt from the bed so he could get on with his latest epic work. He’d not touched the breakfast Geralt had brought up before he’d headed out to complete his contract. He was fairly certain the poet hadn’t drunk anything all day either. His lips were chapped from where he’d been chewing at them and even his usually perfectly curled hair was ratty and tangled from where Dandelion had been running his hands through it.

Geralt was worried.

It wasn’t the first time this frenzied mood had taken over the poet and Geralt knew it would pass but he hated it. He hated knowing that Dandelion was neglecting himself in this way. The poet would nag him after a monster hunt about how he should be better at looking after himself but when the mood took him, Dandelion was worse.

Geralt sighed again and glanced up Dandelion who was still muttering to himself incessantly, almost as if he were in a trance. “I don’t know how to reach you when you get like this.” He told the troubadour but it was as if he was talking to himself.

He took a final deep breath and closed his eyes. He would meditate for an hour. If Dandelion hadn’t passed out on the bed by then he would toss the poet over his shoulder and take him downstairs for the food.

[cosmiccandydreamer]

Stability Chapter 2

Otis driftwood x Reader

( I do not own these gifs )

Authors note: This chapter is a little shorter than my usual chapters because it's building to the good stuff so stay tuned boys and girls the plot is getting thicc ova here.

You shook yourself out of your sad trance and wrapped your arms around his neck. He wrapped one long arm around your waist and kissed you back hard and roughly. He took his other hand and touched your cheek " it's gonna be alright mama's " " I love you my diablo " " I love you kitten". 

After you had sped away in your car, Otis took one last look at you from inside the screen door. He hated having to scream at you and he hated even more letting you go without him. He knew it was the right choice, he knew that if you had stayed you would have defended the house like the rest of them and that thought turned him on and angered him at the same time. You were so stubborn, and although you would have stepped up to the plate the idea you would put yourself in harm's way for him or anyone made him feel a sense of fear he's never felt. He's never been afraid of anything but the idea of losing you? Now that was real fear, and fact you were so fucking stubborn… fuck that made it so much harder. He hated looking in those beautiful tear filled eyes and having to shout at you to leave. 

The sound of Sheriff Wydell on the megaphone demanding their surrender snapped him back to reality. " Let's get this shit over with". The plan was to meet at the Kahiki Palms, a run-down motel roughly 200 miles from here. Stay the night then move to the next spot, only staying for a night at each location. The family armed themselves and fired on the officers. Bullets flying every which way, everyone shouting it was utter chaos. A large shot rings out deafening everyone close by. A large figure is seen falling.. It's Rufus, he was hit and instantly killed in the crossfire. They move onto the house, Mama Firefly runs to Rufus clinging to his dead body, officers swarm taking her into custody, while Otis and Baby escape out under the house and into the sewer drain. 

"Oh my fucking God what the fuck that was close what are we going to do" Baby squeezed the water from her dress while looking up at Otis. "We're gonna follow the fucking plan that's what we're gonna do" he tucked his hunting knife into his boot and looked around. " We're gonna find Cutter and move just like we agreed and then we're gonna find my wife" He spit on the ground and headed toward the road, pushing past the brush and trees. " Hey wait for me asshole" Baby exclaimed running toward him. "How are you going to get there ? We don't have a car or money or anything!!!!" "Hey shut the fuck up and let me think! Things got mixed up; it. wasn't supposed to happen this way! Rufus wasn't… he was supposed to be with us grabbing the car" he got silent after that, with the fact that his brother had been killed finally hitting him. He heard sniffling behind him and saw Baby wiping her eyes, she let out a heavy breath. " Fine then we get a car first and I know it's just how to do that". 

I'm the one who brings the Christmas candy. Now tell me, who's your daddy? I'm the one who brings the devil's brandy." Otis chanted while walking down the stairs. "Who's your daddy?" Mama screamed over the cries and whimpers of the group dressed as rabbits hanging from the roof while slightly spinning. 

"I'm the one who beats you when you're bad…" 

he looked over at you with a large grin growing on your face. You had a wild look in your eyes, you slowly lowered your hood, a red cape one that matched his, the ruby he had just proposed to you with the night before shining on your finger. "Who's your daddy" you say right above a  whisper

 Baby : Who's your daddy? Mama : Who's your daddy? Otis walked over to Denise, while wearing her father's skin "Come on, sweetie. Give the old man some sugar" Denise whined and cried looking upon the bloody face of her father "daddy, daddy….."

"And I'm the one who loves ya when you're fucking dead!" Otis laughed, grabbed Denise and brought her closer to him while lifting up the skin mask " it's all true.. the boogeyman is real and you found him" he released her roughly pushing her back toward the others. He walked over to you grabbing you by the waist and pulling you close, he face just an inch away from yours … " who's.. your.. daddy?" You giggle while he kisses you with a passionate open mouthed kiss. 

" Otis...otis OTIS WAKE THE FUCK UP"," GOD DAMN WHY YOU SCREAMING AT ME THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU" he rubbed the sleep from his eyes annoyed at being woken up from his dream about you and him on Halloween. That was one of his favorite memories. They had spent the night in an abandoned barn, Baby had a plan of pretending to pass out on the road and when an unsuspecting victim comes to help Otis would stab them and they take their car. Little did they know Sheriff Wydell had created road blocks all around the area making it hard for anyone to go in or out the area. This created less traffic because of it and did not present and opportunity for a car to be stolen. This worried Otis, he already wasted precious time a whole day had been wasted. He knew you were stubborn but he prayed to the demons all of them down below that you stuck to the plan and didn't wait. 

[overlyimaginativeterrors]

tips for driving down back roads at night

check to make sure all of your headlight bulbs are working before you depart from your starting location. not only are broken headlights against the law, you could potentially be blindly stumbling into some dangerous territory. the more area you can see, the better. the last thing you want is to be stuck on their land.

do not let your eyes linger on the wheat fields. some have reported a sudden drop in temperature in their car. some have spoken of a tugging sensation coming from the fields. some have claimed they saw the devil himself grinning back. you do not want to find out what lurks within the wheat fields.

if you happen to come across a hitchhiker, check for wounds or anything out of the ordinary on their person. if their eyes reflect your headlights, drive faster. do not stop under any circumstances. do not slow down until you are absolutely sure they cannot catch up to you. they are not human.

do not slow down or stop to marvel at the cottage in the forest. do not go inside or get out of your car. you will not return unscathed.

if you see yellow eyes watching you from the corn, continue on. they are just the ravens.

if you see red eyes watching you from the corn, continue on. they are just the crows.

if you see green eyes watching you from the corn, get out of there as fast as you possibly can. they will follow you. they will hunt you down.

objects in your side mirrors indeed seem closer than they look. don't glance over too often, though. they come nearer with every look.

the creatures in the woods are rumored to attack pickup trucks more often than any other type of automobile. make sure all of your windows are shut and your truck bed is empty and uncovered if you drive one. you wouldn't want to ferry one of them home without knowing.

do not stare at the empty, broken-down cars on the side of the road. they do not welcome the gazes of strangers. it is best if you only say a quick prayer for them and drive on. you do not want to be next.

the radio may spit out some inaudible blubber occasionally. white noise may come through for a few seconds before reverting back to what you were listening to. just convince yourself you're driving through a spot with patchy satellite signal. don't mind what they're saying through the static. ignorance is bliss.

some travelers claim they often hear shrieking while they are driving. contrary to popular belief, they do not want to hurt you. they are just playing tricks on you. just don't slow down. just don't stop.

whatever you do, don't fall asleep. pull into a rest stop, at least. do not fall asleep on the side of the road. you may not wake up again.

the witching hour does not apply when you're on the road. they roam after sunset. they are bloodthirsty. stay aware of your surroundings.

that stain on the grass over there was definitely from a deer. don't think too much about it.

right?

not everything that you can see is real.

not everything that is real you can see.

the devil never sleeps. he is out for blood. he is nothing like anything you've ever seen before. you have been warned.

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Thirty-Five

Table of Content or Part Thirty-Four

View chapter on wattpad here

Word Count: 4k

A/N: Happy birthday to Nikki Sixx who is aging like wine. I'm so proud of how far he has come and here's to another 61 years and an eternity more🖤

Warning(s): Explicit language, Mentions of drug abuse, Abuse

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"Alright, assholes, shut up and listen for two minutes." Doc tells us in the airport we wait in line at customs. "We're gonna be here in Japan for a week. Japan is not like it is back home. You can't act like you don't have any sense. They will lock your asses up in a heart beat. Do you understand?" He warns Tommy, Nikki, Vince and Mick. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Daddy." Nikki sarcastically lets out, smacking his gum.

"Hey, wise ass, I don't need your comments, alright? I'm being serious, guys." Doc tells them.

"We got it, Doc. You don't have to worry about anything, bud." Tommy assures him, sincerely.

It was our first time in Japan and I've got to say, it's personally my favorite place ever.

The fans were extremely polite, and all of them had enthusiastic, wide smiles...my favorite part was that the girls actually respected the fact that Nikki's wife was with him, and didn't try to screw him in front of me like audacious rats in other places tried to.

They would just smile shyly and introduce themselves to us, and then get a picture with the guys.

If I had a dime for every time Fred has had to keep me from assaulting someone for grabbing Nikki's crotch in front of me, trying to shove their tongues down his throat, give them hotel room numbers to meet them in, etc. I would have been rich enough to afford Nikki's $3,500 a day on heroin.

Groupies were insane.

And I don't mean I saw these girls attempt this stuff from a distance.

I mean, I'd be standing right next to him, the girls would introduce themselves to me, then go on to grope Nikki before he could say a word about how it was nice to meet them.

In the midst of trying to get me on the ground before I could throw a punch, the girls would run off, and Nikki would always say "sorry, babe" and mean it.

He stopped apologizing when he stopped caring.

"...And we need blow." Tommy says to Sparkie, who's about to go on the hunt for a drug dealer in town for the guys, and I roll my eyes.

"Doc told you guys to behave because they don't tolerate bull crap here." I remind him and he and Sparkie look at me, and Nikki's grabbing at my waist and pulling me to sit on his leg before taking a swig of Jack, his striped outfit and bright, over the top makeup is the complete opposite of their Shout at the Devil era.

"What Doc doesn't know won't hurt him, Viv." Tommy says it like it's common sense. "Hey, Vinny, what do you want from a dealer?" Tommy asks him, a sharpness to his voice, and Nikki laughs.

I don't find their bullshit funny.

Vince just rolls his eyes and drinks his water with no reply.

Vince was on court mandated sobriety. And was being tortured by Nikki and even Tommy. They would offer him things they knew he couldn't have and then would play it off like they forgot.

They would have him pass them their drugs, pour them their drinks and count out how many pills they had left.

It ticked me off seeing Tommy go that fucking low all because he and Nikki were so close.

He even started being a little disrespectful to me whenever Nikki was.

Nikki's leg is shaking a little, despite him throwing back alcohol and I look over my shoulder at him.

"Are you okay?" I mouth so the others won't hear it, and Nikki nods, but I know he's full of it.

"On in five, guys, c'mon!" Doc calls out from the other side of the door and I pat Nikki's other leg and stand up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

We step out and head to the stage, and Nikki's turning to give me one last kiss before going on.

When he pulls away, my hands are quickly taking my crucifix off and reaching up to fasten it around his neck and it ironically overlaps with his pentagram necklace.

"For good luck." I explain and he gives me a little closed mouth smile and gives me a quick peck on the lips before following Tommy, Vince and Mick.

By the time they got off stage, Nikki was growing pale, and sweating, and not just because he was running around on stage.

Nikki had gone over 48 hours without heroin. Alcohol could keep his tremors to mere, barely noticeable shakes, but didn't do very much for his sweating and sickness.

The guys didn't know he was that deep into heroin, yet, so he didn't want to tell them it was making him that ill without it or they would realize he was further down the hole than they expected.

So, what did I do? I covered for him.

"He thinks he might have food poisoning." I explain to Tommy and Vince as they stand outside of mine and Nikki's room.

"Well, is he alright?" Tommy asks me.

"He'll be okay. He just doesn't feel like going out." I assure him.

"Alright, we gotta go." Vince nudges him.

"Tell him I hope he feels better." Tommy says.

"I will. You guys be careful."

"We will, goodnight."

"Goodnight." I reply and shut the door, hearing Nikki groaning in the bathroom.

The door's locked, and I sigh out in frustration.

"Nikki, open the door." I tell him calmly.

"Fuck off, Viv." He tells me for the hundredth time tonight.

"Open the door or I'm telling Doc." I threaten him, even though it's a complete lie.

"Tell him I want a divorce while you're at it." He snaps.

I don't say anything for a moment, and hear him sigh out, before he unlocks the door.

I step in, seeing him soaked in sweat, pale, the smell of vomit is potent and I try to keep a calm demeanor as he grips the side of the tub to help himself stand up. 

He nearly falls, tremors spazzing through his body, but I'm quick to nestle under his arm and help him stay up.

"I just need some Jack." He tells me. "It'll help."

He doesn't sound like Nikki.

He sounds like a defeated child.

"Nikki, I don't think—"

"Okay, Viv, now isn't the time for your bullshit. Get me some Jack." He orders desperately, nearly pleading.

I get him on the bed, starting to tug his boots off, before pulling his shirt over his head, and unbuckling his belt.

"Never thought...I'd ever say this...but the last thing...on my mind right...now is...fucking around." He takes heavy breaths, squeezing his eyes closed and groaning when I get his pants off.

"Yes, because seeing my husband in so much pain really turns me on." I sarcastically let out.

"I'm cold." He tells me, his hand gripping mine.

I pull the bed covers over his naked body, glancing at my necklace he's still wearing.

"I'll get you some Jack." I say, stepping to the phone on the bedside table and ordering his necessity.

I turn back to face him once I'm done, and he's curled up and shivering, and he's kicked the blankets off of him.

"Nikki?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"I'm hot." He cracks out, shot eyes looking at me, teeth chattering together despite his tight jaw and wet, black hair clings to his soaked skin that seems to be turning transparent.

That moment I realized I was married to a junkie, and Nikki realized he had become the very thing he had been in denial of becoming.

Neither of us said a word to one another about our revelations.

The alcohol and pills they managed to score kept Nikki's roaring withdrawals at bay and allowed him to play his illness off as the flu throughout the rest of the Japan tour, and the second we got home, he was phoning every dealer he could get a hold of.

One I had never met before, Jason, was the first one to come to his aid and it didn't take me long to come to the conclusion I would inevitably have to kill that motherfucker to keep him away from my husband.

He just wanted our money, laying out an elaborate display of everything from cheap tar to clean China White, cocaine, and a pharmacy of prescription pills.

I always left to "go to the store" anytime Jason came over.

Once I was practically having a full on emotional affair, I would go find Duff but before any feelings for him emerged, I would just drive my car around the corner of the street going by the house, pull into the driveway of a half-way burnt down house, and cry. 

My husband, my Nikki, was destroying himself from the inside out, and the more I tried to do help him get better, the worse he got.

Every time I prayed for him, his demons would hold tighter to his legs and keep him shackled in place with a needle and lies that weighed him down and made him feel the need to do the only thing that made him happy, even if only temporarily.

By the end of '87, I was exhausted. I had been screaming, crying, pleading, for years for someone to do something, for someone to threaten the band, threaten them individually, get them off the road, at least try to start a conversation addressing their obvious addictions...

But they were making everyone above them money. That's all that mattered.

I was screaming into a void, and nobody could hear me. Well, they could...they were just ignoring me which was even worse.

I don't know how the hell I managed to face the same thing with Duff and his band years later.

I step into the house once Jason is gone, seeing Nikki by the fireplace, laying on the carpet, and I go to lay beside him.

We've been back from Japan a few days, and they're suppose to be preparing for their U.S. tour starting in a couple weeks.

Nikki's been in heroin land ever since we have gotten home.

And I've been in my own personal hell, being that I just added a third picture to my dead baby drawer as of yesterday.

I would go to a doctor to see if there's something wrong with me to prompt not ever making it past week twelve, but Nikki would find out somehow, someway. I've already risked enough as it is by going to the obstetrician.

"Babe," I nudge him and he opens his eyes just enough to show his pinpointed pupils, and he hums a little. "I gotta go get Tansy from the airport."

"Mmkay." He mumbles, and I force myself not to cry, remembering how miserable he was in Japan, and now we've gotten back and he's back to square one. 

Was it really square one if he never wanted to move to square two in the first place?

Tansy gets into my car, wearing what I'm assuming she wore when they taped her interview with David Letterman hours ago, while a security guard puts her stuff in the trunk.

"Well." I say, looking at her as she lays her head against the back of her seat and looks at me from behind her sunglasses. "How did the interview go?" I ask and she tugs off her heels.

"I don't know." She tells me and I furrow my brows. "The bits and pieces I remember were great." She sounds like she's about to cry.

"Were you...?" I trail off and she moves her fingers under the blacked out lenses and sniffles. "Babe, it's not anything to cry about."

I grab at her hand as she starts crying even more.

"I bombed it, Viv." She says with certainty.

"Tansy, if you don't even remember it, how do you know for sure you did a bad job?"

"You know how I act when I'm fucked up."

"I also know, by the grace of God, somehow, someway, you manage to differentiate between a setting you need to be more composed in, and a setting you can be wild in. Even when you are stoned out of your mind. I have seen you do it." I assure her. "It's really freaking creepy."

My comment has her chuckling a little and she wipes at her tears again. 

"It will be okay. I am sure you did great. And if you didn't you can just do what I do when I'm not acting normal and blame it on Mötley Crüe." 

None of us, not even Tansy herself, knew why or how she scored an interview with David Letterman, but we were all proud of her nonetheless, even if she couldn't remember much of it.

"Sparkie said Japan went good." Tansy says after we're driving for a couple minutes.

"Yeah."

"Thank you for letting him go. I know you aren't the biggest fan of him." She adds.

"I didn't let him go. The guys insisted he went because they needed someone to find them drugs." I state.

"Point is, he went. And he had fun. So thank you." She replies.

"I only tolerate him because I love you." I tell her.

"I know, and I—" she presses a quick kiss to the back of my hand. "—love you, too."

I rub my lips together and get an idea.

"Would you be up for a girl's night?" I ask.

"What do you have in mind?" She asks and I raise my brows. 

In hindsight, it was probably a bad decision to introduce Tansy to Guns N' Roses while she was still addicted to drugs and alcohol, because all it did was create toxic friendships that thrived on the struggles of everyone involved.

Tansy was very easily influenced by other people, but I figured if she had survived that long being friends with Nikki, Tommy and Vince, she would be just fine around Duff, Axl, Izzy, Steven and Slash.

Tansy and I make our way through the crowd, hand in hand, lacing through people and eager groupies.

She's heard me talk about them every now and then but now she has the opportunity to see what the hype is about.

The Troubadour is packed out, and a sense of pride swells in my chest.

"They must be good." Tansy comments, glancing around. 

Normally at least one person would have already asked for her autograph or a picture of her, but everyone is too distracted by the anticipation of the band that's been tearing up and down the strip ever since Nikki, Tommy, Vince and Mick set the bar so high. 

They're not even onstage yet, before all lights in the place shut down, and  Axl let's out one of his infamous screams that somehow mimics a melodic siren. 

The crowd goes quiet for a split second before realizing it's him, then they start screaming, clapping, stomping their feet. 

The lights come back on to reveal Axl, Duff, Izzy, Slash and Steven, picking up into the fast paced rhythm of "Anything Goes." 

With teased hair, heavy glam-rock influenced outfits and makeup, mixed with their sound, it's safe to say there isn't one dry vagina around...including Tansy, who's eyes don't leave the singing red head for the rest of the night.

Back stage is crowded, but Tansy and I manage to be the first females in their dressing room by the time their set is completely finished.

She's already broken into their Jack and Vodka stash, guzzling from both bottles simultaneously, and I look at her like she's crazy because I know it's got to hurt her throat.

"What?" She asks me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You are a crazy person." I state just as the door opens, revealing Slash and Steven first, girls under each arm.

"Hey, Viv!" Steven pipes, smiling widely and Slash looks confused for a moment before realizing the blur standing before him is indeed Vivian.

"Hey, Viv." He repeats what Steven said.

Steven does a double-take really quick, seeing Tansy, his hand patting at Slash as he stands, starstruck. It's a domino effect.

First Steven, second Slash, third Duff, then Izzy and lastly, Axl.

Except Steven, Slash, Duff and Axl are frozen because Tansy Lyn is standing before them. I'm sure Izzy appreciates her beauty and participation in Playboy for the last four years, but he's more worried about her breaking into their alcohol. 

"Man, that's Tansy Lyn." Steven states.

"Drinking our booze." Izzy adds and Tansy guiltily puts it back where she got it, smiling.

"Hi." She says to them, and they immediately pretend they weren't just remembering what her naked body looks like.

Steven, as always, is the first to make himself known to a beautiful girl, extending his hand to her. 

"I'm Steven." He tells her.

Slash is shyly hiding behind his curly hair the best he can as Steven puts an arm around him.

"This is Slash." He adds. 

"The grubby fingered alcoholic is Izzy." I tell her as he lights a cigarette. 

"Read this grubby finger, Viv." Izzy states blankly, flipping me off and I hold back a laugh.

"I'm Duff." Duff introduces himself next, and Tansy has to look up so high, her head is tipped completely back before shaking his hand.

Axl doesn't introduce himself, he just stands and stares at her for a moment, black sunglasses blocking our eyes from his.

"Axl." Is all he says before grabbing the bottle of Jack, grabbing one of the girls Steven and Slash walked in with, and leaving.

"He's not an asshole seventy-five percent of the time." I try to defend him against her as she looks like her feelings have been hurt slightly. 

"But when he is an asshole, just avoid him for a few hours and stay out of his way." Duff scoffs out, grabbing the bottle of vodka.

They all knew that piece of advice too well.

Not entirely sure how we ended up back at mine and Nikki's house, but Nikki wasn't home, and probably wasn't going to be home until early morning, so Duff, Steven and Tansy were all in my house.

"If you break a mirror, you buy it!" I call out to Steven and Tansy as Duff and I have our legs dangling in the pool water, hearing something breaking inside the house through the open french doors that lead into the kitchen.

Duff blows smoke out of his nose, laughing at Tansy and Steven calling back, "We didn't!" 

"Jesus." I mumble, grinning to myself and Duff joins in with me, laughing harder at me as "Get Down Tonight" starts blaring through the speakers in the house.

Tansy has officially met her match. 

"I'm glad they get along." Duff says smoothly.

"They both like weed and the same music taste. Seems like a beautiful friendship to me." I shrug and he smiles. 

There's a pause in the air, and he keeps looking at me. 

"What?"

"There's dancing trophies in your house." He tells me and I raise my brows, remembering the day Nikki had demanded my hard earned proof of years dedicated to such a difficult art form, be put on display on a shelf right next to his awards for Gold and Platinum records.

"Yeah? I told you I use to be a dancer." I reply.

"I thought you meant you were a stripper." He confesses and I widen my eyes, elbowing him gently.

"No!" 

"Well, I'm sorry! You're married to a rock guy, you said you use to be a dancer, rockers and strippers go hand-in-hand. It's, like, written in stone or whatever." He tells me. 

"Oh my gosh, Duff." I rub my face and he finishes his cigarette before pulling out another one. 

"So, why don't you do it anymore?" He asks and I think for a second and lick my lips.

"It just wasn't really..." I trail off and he furrows his brows. "...I guess after over a decade of dancing, after graduating, it just  wasn't my thing anymore. I just moved onto bigger and better stuff." 

"What's your thing now, then?" It's obvious he doesn't buy my explanation.

"Being Nikki Sixx's wife." I admit and an odd silence falls over us. 

"You gave up school--Julliard--and dance, only to be known as somebody's wife?" 

"Well, damn, Duff, when you say it like that..." I try not to be hurt because I know he doesn't mean any ill will from it and he immediately starts apologizing. 

"I didn't mean it like that." He tells me. "It's just a waste of talent if you never utilize it anymore. You can't just be dependent on being Nikki's wife, Viv. You need your own thing." 

I wanted to tell him I couldn't afford to be anything but Nikki's wife, or else I'd lose everything.

Nikki's home sooner than I expect as I get ready for bed.

Steven, Tansy and Duff are all asleep on the living room floor, and Nikki comes into our bathroom to splash water on his face.

"The fuck is in our house?" He asks me and I raise my brows.

"Why're you home this early?"

"Jason's coming over." He tells me. "And he's bringing his girlfriend."

"Umm, baby, it would be nice for my friends not to wake up and be met with a drug dealer naming off poisons like an auctioneer."

"Tell them to fuck off." He mumbles, digging through his pockets of the clothes he was wearing yesterday. "Have you seen the check?" He asks me and I raise my brows.

"The check from the label for the Japan tour?" I ask and he nods. "You asked me to cash it yesterday and I did."

"Okay, so where did you put it?"

I step to my top drawer and hand him the stack of cash and he starts thumbing through it, his brows furrowing when he stops halfway through.

"The check was for $150,000, Viv. Where's the rest?" He snaps and I cross my arms.

"You said put 20% in savings and told me I could give 10% to tithes." I remind him, and he looks like he is going to murder me.

"You gave fifteen fucking thousand dollars to a church?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He seeths, his face twisting angrily.

"You told me I could Nikki." I try not to get upset. "I asked you and you said—"

"—I said 'yes' because I was fucked up and wasn't thinking, Viv!" He yells, throwing the pile of cash across the room, causing bills to fly everywhere. "And that's exactly why you waited until you knew I couldn't pay attention to care enough about what you were saying because you knew I would laugh in your face if I were sober!" He accuses me.

"Is it so bad if your money goes to something other than drugs?" I stupidly ask him.

He's lunging at me, grabbing my wrists, and pinning me to the bed while screaming in my face.

"That's my fucking money! Mine! How I want to spend it is my fucking business, Vivian!" He shakes me, and I can no longer hold back tears. "You're gonna go tomorrow to that fucking shit hole and tell those fallacious bastards you need that $15,000 back!"

"Nikki, I already told them it was their's." I try to explain, shaking my head a little, sobbing so thickly I'm not even sure he can understand me.

"You'll get my fucking money back or I'll give you something to fucking whine about." He threatens darkly.

He shoves himself off of me and storms out of the house, slamming the front door.

I go to make sure he didn't wake Tans, Stevie, or Duff up, but to my horror, Tansy and Steven are sound asleep while I hear the door slam a second time and realize Duff followed Nikki out.

[thedyingmoon]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe wherein you finally go out on a date with the poet (!) 👌👍👍

~ Ever heard of the song, "Too much fluff can kill you" ? No? Okay. 😂

~ I'd like to make a special announcement. I finally got professional help from a special anonymous someone! Let's just say that he's the "poetic" kind of adviser. I hope he likes this chapter! 🖤

~ Now tagging my best people, @heaven-on-a-landslide , @krazy06 , @diabeticsugarush , @lessy86 , @ehrzeth , @simmy-ships , @ceruleanworld , @gxthghoulfriend , and @boundbysoul ! 🖤

~ You know the chant, guys and gals: LET'S DO THIS! 🖤

***

XIII

***

"I'm going out." Dante told you a few minutes later after preparing for his next gig. "Hey, you sure you're not coming?"

You looked up from Dante's small television and shook your head.

He gave you a look of utter disappointment. "And you're supposed to be my partner."

"I just don't feel like it, sorry." You muttered monotonously, taking your eyes back to the screen.

The man clicked his tongue. "You'll regret watching that. Titanic's gonna make you cry." He warned.

"Don't care."

Dante shook his head. "Whatever."

After his initial failure of making you join the Devil Hunt, the man got out of the building, fully prepared to take on his mission. He stretched and inhaled, letting the polluted air of the city enter his lungs, and finally stepped out.

"Okay, sunshine!" He said good - naturedly, refusing to get carried away by the negative vibes you just sent him. "Let's do this - !"

But, before he could even go further away from the building, the door opened abruptly and violently. Dante turned around in surprise as you came out with nothing but your pale pink wool sweaters, alpaca jammies, and a pair of bunny slippers.

"What the hell, (Y/N)?!"

"Stay here." You grumpily told Dante as you shoved him away and took a few steps forward, away from the building.

"What are you - ?!"

"I said STAY!"

Dante didn't say anything else as you walked away from him.

Cautiously, you took little steps towards the road, wary of your surroundings,...

... waiting for it to happen -

All of a sudden, the spot in the ground where you stood suddenly caught on fire, engulfing your body with the flaming vortex that seemed to come to life.

"(Y/N)!" Dante called but, he was too late. He saw how your clothes turn to ash, your hair disintegrate, your flesh -

The flame vortex instantly vanished as a seven - foot tall creature made entirely of light appeared in its center, absorbing the flames with a sweep of its long arms. The people around it screamed and scrambled away in fear as it made its way towards the other side of the city, seemingly in search for the source of the magic that caused the flame in the first place.

With wide, shocked eyes, Dante followed the light.

Almost an hour of searching led him to the place where he was supposed to exterminate a large group of flame - wielding Demons,...

... except that there were no Demons left in that abandoned area. He looked around, found no one, and then, he heard it.

"Dante!"

"(Y/N)?" The man answered. " (Y/N)! Where are you?!"

"Right here!"

He followed your voice until it led him to a spot of grass where he saw you sitting on it with your back turned away from him.

"(Y/N), what happened to you?" Dante carefully asked you as he looked at your bare back. He was totally confused, and who could blame him? He just saw you turn into that strange light - like being. He also realized that you just fought all the Demons, yourself, and now, you're here, sitting on a patch of grass, completely naked, with only your long hair protecting your modesty.

"Don't ask." You answered him with a light turn of your head. "Just,... can I borrow your coat?"

"Right." The Devil Hunter simply said, still confused of everything that just happened.

But, you're not having any of his doubts.

"Come on, Dante! I have to finish Titanic!"

"Alright! Alright! Sheesh,..."

The man removed his maroon leather coat, went closer towards you, and draped the thing over you. He waited as you made yourself decent, and when you finally stood and faced him, his eyes widened.

He was so sure he saw you burn. But, you looked as if nothing even happened to you, not even a tiny scratch.

He realized you can't look at him properly due to your current state, so he had no choice but to walk after you.

But, then, you suddenly collapsed.

He caught you just in time before you hit the ground. And that's when he caught something else - your scent - for the very first time since meeting you.

To Dante, you smelled like a finely aged wine.

The very addictive kind,...

***

"In fact, I' am the villain of your story."

"Useless."

"You are just a weak human who relies on others for survival."

"Imbecile."

"Still can't tell him?"

"No. He doesn't have to know."

"Why does the sun go on shining?

Why does the sea rush to shore?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

'Cause you don't love me anymore."

You slowly opened your eyes, letting your sight adjust to the bright morning light. You could barely hear the melody that was being played on the radio, and you were very sure that you just had a dream that resembled that song, you just couldn't remember what exactly.

"Why do the birds go on singing?

Why do the stars glow above?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when I lost your love."

You carefully sat up, feeling stiff all over, then noticed the broken mask on the table shift a little.

You closed your eyes and rubbed them as hard as you could. And when you opened them once more, you saw how the liquid from the mug on the table come to life as it made its way towards the Demon mask.

"I wake up in the morning and I wonder

Why everything's the same as it was.

I can't understand, no, I can't understand

How life goes on the way it does."

Your eyes narrowed, your eyebrows furrowed, you carefully picked up the magazine on the table, idly ignoring its lewd contents, and rolled it up like a newspaper. You stood up, watching the porcelain mask as it actually controlled the water to make it merge with it, the curious little thing. You raised the rolled - up magazine, swiftly brought it down, and missed it as it hovered above the table, seemingly making fun of your inaccuracy.

"Oh, no you don't!" You exclaimed as you hit at it again and again, your efforts fruitless as it dodged every attack you made.

"Why does my heart go on beating?

Why do these eyes of mine cry?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said goodbye."

The sight that greeted V that bright, sunny morning as he entered the van both confused and amazed him, for there, with nothing but a rolled - up magazine, was you, trying to swat an insect, or something ,...

Now, if it weren't for that adorable, yet angry look on your face, he would never notice what was actually happening.

"It's still alive!" You yelled as you smacked the mask and failed once more.

Hiding a smile, V went forward, playfully twirling the cane on his right hand, and faced the Demon. He looked down on it, aiming his metal cane at it, and pierced it, crushing its one good sapphire eye and finally putting an end to it once and for all.

"I should have,..." V began, his cane still pierced through the mask. "... done that much earlier."

"Agree."

There was a moment of silence as you two looked into each others' eyes. The place felt peaceful, the environment, calm. Neither was saying any word and neither was looking at anything else.

The moment was perfect, the feeling, mutual,...

"Hooee! What a night!" Nico screeched as she slid the door of the van open, dropping a huge rucksack on the floor in front of you and ruining the moment for both you and V. She collapsed on the sofa, clueless as to what she had just disrupted, and crossed her legs. She looked up in confusion as she saw you and V staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths. "What're ya starin' at? Walked in on ya doin' somethin' weird or - ?"

"You just did!" Nero, who just entered the vehicle, answered for her and sat on the sofa across her. "Stupid."

Nico only shrugged her shoulders and opened the rucksack on the floor like nothing happened. You sat beside her, watching her as she picked out some clothes from the rucksack.

"Here, these are for you!" Nico said as she handed you a week - long set of clothes, including some blouses, skirts, shorts, a pair of boots, and even an oversized pale pink parka made entirely of wool - like fabric.

"Thank you so much!" You said, eyes shining in delight as you received the clothes, particularly the parka, from your friend.

"Yeah, I know your taste, hon." Nico said, smiling from ear to ear as she made one last dive into the rucksack to retrieve some more items.

V took his cane off the Demon mask, leaving it on the table, and retreated towards the corner of the van where he could easily see you without getting noticed. He took out his book, pretended he was reading, and waited as the mouthy woman gave you one last item from the rucksack, which was a pair of black lace lingerie. He couldn't help but smile as he saw you blush and snatch the undergarment away from Nico's hand. He hastily focused his eyes on the pages of Blake as you passed him, quickly making your way towards the shower room to change.

"Why did you get too many clothes for her?" Nero questioned Nico as he leaned comfortably on the sofa.

"None of your business." Nico simply said, mirroring Nero's gestures. She faced V and spoke to him. "How are things here last night? Hope ya didn't get attacked by Demons again."

"Everything was just fine." V simply answered, deciding to leave behind the part wherein he spoke with the Fleminger House Master.

"Good. Because, we'll all be getting our hands full as of today." Nico said as she watched you come out of the shower room fully decent and prepared. She also didn't miss how V's eyes automatically locked on your petite form as you sat next to her. She smiled and stretched her arms. "Okay, listen up! Since everybody's here, I want your focus on this.

"The rest of the Devil Hunters who survived the attack last night have already taken their own place on each part of the city to kill any Demon they would come into contact with."

"Dante and his team have already taken the north, and that stupid son of a bitch wouldn't even let us see what's going on there." Nero angrily mentioned as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Why would he do that?" You carefully asked him.

"Beats me. Maybe he just wants the, uh, the Shin - " Nero stuttered. "Shinani, ah,... "

"Sorry, what's that?"

"ShiShi!" Nico answered.

"Oh, yeah, that." Nero agreed. "He wants that ShiShi thing all by himself. Damnit, who came up with that stupid ass name?!"

"Pardon my ignorance but,... " V interjected, curiosity and mild amusement getting the better of him. "... what is this, ah,... ShiShi,... you're talking about?"

"Shinano Musashi!" Nico announced. "That's the name that they gave that Dreadnought - class Demon. And don't make me say that tongue twister again! It stays ShiShi on my watch! Plus, it's cuter."

"Whatever!" Nero retorted. "We'll just have to take turns patrolling the streets from the afternoon up until dawn and make sure that no Demon escapes from us. We'll be doing that same routine for a week. That's the order from the Military and the Fleminger Head."

"A week?" You questioned as you put your long hair up in a ponytail. "Why patrol for that long?"

"It's the estimated time of Shishi's arrival." Nico told her.

"The fifteenth,... of June?" V asked.

Nico pointed two fingers at V as confirmation. "Until then, we're gonna have to make ourselves at home right here. It's a bit safer here than out there, believe me. And it's best to conserve our strength for when that Dreadnought arrives."

"By saying that we'll have to take turns patrolling the vicinity for strength preservation,..." V said, leaving his solitary spot on the corner and walking closer towards his companions. "... do you mean to say that it is our turn now?"

"Right." Nico answered as she nodded knowingly, a huge smile plastered on her freckled face.

A few hours later, after having a decent - ish kind of breakfast with your new companions, you found yourself walking on the deserted streets of Red Grave with none other than the mysterious man, himself, together with two of his familiars.

Along the way, you passed some men in uniform, other stronger - looking Hunters who only sneered at you, and some officials who questioned your presence in the supposedly deserted city.

"No, we are not here for a date." V denied for the third time that day upon being questioned. "Yes, we are Devil Hunters, and we have proof."

And for the third time, you walked away from the officials, feeling hot in the cheeks. Everyone seemed to think that you and V were lovers, when your true intention was only to join in the patrol and Demon hunt.

You walked ahead of the man and his familiars, trying to keep your cool for you were aware that your face was entirely red. You slightly slapped your cheeks with both hands and inhaled deeply. Yes, you were anything but lovers. No reason to get flustered about it,...

... until the events that took place in the balcony and the pool came back to your head,...

You face palmed, unable to believe your over active imagination.

"Hey, what's wrong with ya, sweet pea?" Griffon, who just flew towards you without you noticing, asked you, concerned after seeing you hurt yourself.

"Oh, it's nothing." You smiled at him. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Hey, ya look like ya have a fever!" Griffon turned towards V and called the poet's attention. "Shakespeare, sweet pea's not feelin' well - !"

"I told you, I'm fine!"

"Is that so?" V said, walking towards you and putting a hand on your already red forehead. "Hmm. You are feverish. Would you like to go back?"

You stepped slightly away from the man, feeling your body's temperature going up and your heartbeat going faster at the man's mere touch.

"I'm fine. Don't mind me, please."

You looked away from your concerned companions, trying to find some sort of escape, until your eyes landed on Red Grave's most popular theatre house.

Your eyes widened with wonder as you went closer towards the building, reading the announcement board with loving eyes.

"Oh, what now, sweet pea?" Griffon asked, following you towards the building.

V saw your reaction towards the place and immediately followed, intrigued by this new side you were showing.

"LaLaLand." You exclaimed breathlessly as you pointed at the theatre board. "I forgot! Today's supposed to be the day that they're gonna have a rerun of LaLaLand!"

"LaLaLand? What's that?" The demonic bird, being totally clueless of the modern world's trends, innocently asked.

"Only the most critically acclaimed musical of last year!" You happily explained, putting your hands on your pockets. "And I even bought tickets. Turns out I'll never be able to use them."

"Tickets." V said. "Do you,... intend on seeing it with someone?"

"Yes, with my friend, Patty."

All of a sudden, an idea came into your mind. Forgetting the embarrassing conversation that took place earlier, you went towards V with an innocent smile on your lips and looked up at him with bright eyes.

"Do you know Titanic, V?" You asked the man.

"I,... " V began but, then, realized that he didn't know what you were talking about. "No."

You were actually surprised by his answer. Who knew he was one of those very few people who didn't know about the infamous Jack and Rose's love story?

"Really?" You said in disbelief, then decided to change the movie. "How about Moulin Rouge?"

"No."

Hmm! Not even a classic! Something modern, perhaps? "The Fault In Our Stars?"

"No."

What in the - ?! "The Time Traveler's Wife?"

V sighed in both annoyance and disappointment. As much as he wanted to answer your questions, he really had no idea what's going on in the modern world.

He was stuck too long in the Underworld. For Heaven's sake, how could he know such things as those?!

"I'm sorry, no." He simply said.

You crossed your arms, unable to believe that a poor, innocent man such as V still existed in today's society.

"Have you seen Hachiko?" Okay, no one could resist dogs, or Akitas, that I know for sure,...

To your delight, V's eyes actually widened as he remembered something very fond, he just couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"That,..." he said, feeling proud for once that he had an answer to at least one of your questions. "... I've actually heard of."

"Wow, I knew it!" You cheerfully said, clapping your hands in happiness. "I knew no one could resist good puppers."

"Hey, what about birds?" Griffon interjected as he flew closer towards the two of you, wanting to join in the conversation. "We're good too, ya know?"

"I know you are a good bird, Griffon." You told him with a huge smile. It's true. He was a really good and brave bird, and he helped V save you last night.

"Ohoho! Say that to me again sweet pea, please?"

"You are such a good bird, Griffon. A very brave and good bird."

"Woohoo! Ya heard that, Shakespeare?! I'm a good bird!"

V grinned as he watched his familiar fly excitedly over Shadow, bashfully telling the feline that at least one person in the world thought he's good.

As you watched how V's familiars interact with each other, something tugged at your consciousness regarding their master. You looked back at V, noticed how he never took his eyes off you, and spoke.

"May I tell you something, V?"

"Don't hold back."

"I think you should, ah, how to say this,... " you stuttered as you searched for the right words to say that would not offend the poet. You were so afraid of saying something that might put him off or make him think badly of you. You inhaled and bravely went on. "V, I think you should go see the world for yourself."

The man chuckled. "I had a,... fair share of sojourns with my companions here. Thank you so much."

"Ah, of course, you have! Oh, silly me." You said, embarrassed of what you just told him. "I mean, I think it would also be best if you, ah, enjoy life, even for once."

"And what does the Lady mean by her words?" V gently asked, taking note of your flustered state. He immediately sensed that you were being very careful with him.

"I think, you should go see some movies. Drama, action, comedy, whichever genre you like. And eat lots of popcorn or candy bars. Go to the carnival and play silly games, win the stuffed tiger, or whatever. Go have a picnic someplace with lots of grass and sheep, eat lots of food. Go fishing and catch a boot, or something like that. Ah, you get the point."

"I see. Well, have you done those things, yourself, my Lady?"

"Well, I,... " you hesitated for a while, then went on. "I was travelling for ten years in search of,... something."

"Then, have you seen lots of movies?"

"Kind of?"

"Did your stomach hurt after eating lots of popcorn and candy bars?"

"Yes. Actually, yes."

"Did you win the stuff tiger at the carnival?"

"No. I have a really bad aim."

"And have you caught a boot, my Lady?"

You laughed, actually surprised at V's sense of humor. "I haven't gone fishing with anyone."

V smiled, went closer towards you until he was mere inches away from you, and spoke.

"To see a world in a grain of sand and a Heaven in a wild flower, hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and Eternity in an hour.

"I long to see such things as those you have probably seen. I want to experience everything and I wish to see them with my own eyes. See for myself what these poems of mine describe." V confessed, effectively distracting your attention away from everything else other than him. "But, the idea of doing those things alone,... do not please me, at all."

"But, with a companion?"

V smiled, the depth in his green eyes putting you under some kind of trance.

"Would I be selfish if I ask you to accompany me, little wanderer?"

"No. I would gladly come." You, being put into said trance, answered without a moment's hesitation. And when you noticed the huge and smug smile on V's lips, you could not help but feel even more embarrassed than ever before.

And what's even more surprising was the fact that his face was only mere inches away from yours!

Is this it?! Is it finally happening?! You frantically thought as he leaned in closer towards you,...

However, as perfect as the moment went, you could not help but be utterly disappointed as the skies decided to conspire against you and V, pouring out the rain that instantly drenched all of you.

"Gah! I'm soaking here!" Griffon squawked as he went back to V.

"Let's go that place!" V suggested, pointing at an open building right across the two of you.

***

🖤🖤🖤

P.S.: We finally have a name for the Dreadnought! Shinano Musashi, or as Nico refered to it - ShiShi! But, did you know that Shinano and Musashi are two actual separate Yamato - class Dreadnoughts of the Japanese?

Yeah, the more you know. 👌👍👍

🖤🖤🖤