#why did they already give us halloween 2 ??????? trying to catch up REAL QUICK i guess lol

[an0up]

halloweeen for a whole other month babbbeeeeeyyyyyy :^)

[soldmysoultootomeboys]

Demon MC with Human Obey Me Brothers Reverse AU

Okay but what if the brothers were all ‘normal’ humans who ended up summoning a demon, who is MC.

I’m in love with this idea. Lowkey might write a fic about this  jk...unless? Levi’s was surprisingly the most fun to write. Also I guess tw for normal demon things??? Nothing too graphic tho

Part 2

Lucifer

As a human he was a high ranking businessman. While still a formal person on the outside he had a perverse interest in the occult that he hid from the rest of his coworkers.

Due to his important position and large pay he manages to get his hands on some rare books on demon summoning. After a lot of research he tries them out.

When he summons you he doesn't look surprised or afraid and is quite clinical about it at first. The first thing he does is bind your powers so they can never be used against him. After he informs the rules you must follow if you're to be living with him.

Even as a human he is quite prideful and controlling and he wants to remind you who's really in charge.

At first he only sees you as a demon. He lets you do your own thing when he isn't ordering you around and when the two of you do go out in public he only introduces you as an acquaintance of his. People are rather surprised at this as he's not the type to walk around with others and rumors quickly fly off about you two.

It's not until you two are walking home from a shopping trip that you really start to bond. It was a late night and no one was around so the two of you take your time, enjoying the cool air and stars.

All too late that you hear the click of a gun. From the shadows steps a man, weapon pointed straight at you. Seeing your nonthreatening human form as well as Lucifer who practically reeks of wealth he thought the two of you easy targets. Wrong.

With inhuman speed you lunge forward shifting into your demon form. The gun clatters to the floor as you rip him to shreds with no remorse. It's only when Lucifer finally calls you away that you realize he's dead.

Once you manage to get home he is immediately lecturing you about how risky the actions you just did were. Someone could have seen you or more importantly seen him. What would you have done if the cops got involved? Eat them?

Once he's done though he thanks you and a few days later a gift ends up in your room. He never claims it, even though you can smell his cologne all over it.

After that night Lucifer treats you different. Not better, but not worse either. If anything he's a bit kinder but in a cold sort of way and he keeps his distance when anything gets too serious. At first you think its because he's scared of you. It isn't till he finally approaches you, a stern look on his face and orders you to transform that you realize he was working up the courage to see what you really looked like.

The pact urges you to turn, so you do and you let him examine you, circling several times. He's most interested in your wings, asking if he could touch them and when you consent he gently runs his hands over them. Despite you being a demon he treats you delicately shifting aside feathers with a careful hand and running a light fingertip over leathery skin.

It's a strange feeling at first, but not bad and you're practically purring by the end

After that he asks to see your true form more and more

Mammon

He didn't mean to summon you.

He just wanted to make a quick buck. It was getting close to Halloween people were starting to be interested in demons and spooks once again. That's why he thought it would be a great idea to start a seance business.

Twenty dollars for him to pretend to summon a demon, maybe shake a table once or twice, have some scary sounds playing in the background, nothing too big. Who would have known that the book he stole as his main prop would really work.

When he first sees you he screams.

He immediately tries to shove you back into the book to no avail. As he has no clue how to get rid of you he ends up stuck with you, a terrifying demon.

At first its very easy (and amusing) to scare him. Bear your teeth, mumble in a made up language, threaten to rip him to shreds.

You can actually see his soul leave his body when he faints.

However in typical Mammon fashion he gets used to you surprisingly quick, especially when you don't come through on your promise to eat him.

After that he figures that together the two of you could start scamming people for even more money. After all, he does own a real live demon now.

You two make bank stealing and tricking people. With his knack for creating schemes and your powers the two of you are rolling in money in no time, although it always seems to be lost pretty quickly thanks to his terrible gambling habits.

It's in the middle of a heist that something goes wrong. Someone, you don't know who you can only hear the click of a revolver, pulls out a gun. With lightning fast reflexes you’re tackling Mammon shielding him with the tip of your wing and just in time as something is shot into it tearing through muscle and sinew.

The urge to rip them to shreds overtakes you, growing with every second that your human is in danger. But there was so many of them and you couldn't protect Mammon and yourself at the same time. The need to get somewhere safe is much more important so you leave.

It's only your quick reflexes that get the two of you out alive.

When you finally get home Mammon laments over all of the money he lost on the deal. acts like it doesn't affect him. His complaints last exactly till he sees the blood staining your form.

He almost faints right there.

Once he recovers he's immediately running to get ice packs and gauze, fussing over your injured wing. It's obvious he’s worried even though he tries to hide it under his tsundere act. When you’re finally bandaged up he thanks you glancing at your wound the entire time.

It's hard not to appreciate the gesture.

You just don't know how to tell him that your going to be perfectly fine in like two days (thank Diavolo for demon healing)

After this you two are a lot closer. Even before you were friends, but now the relationship has morphed into something different.

The two of you do less dangerous scams and while Mammon doesn't act too different he gets super weird when you're too close. Blushing a terrible crimson and freaking out when you touch.

Even for a demon its not hard to see that he has a crush.

Levi

Also summoned you on accident.

He was actually trying to summon Ruri-chan. You have to admit when it comes to her he does his research. Drew a full pentagram and everything and as a final touch placed a little plushy in the middle.

He absolutely panics when you arrive here instead.

Used to humans being afraid you, you ignore him at first. You fall to one knee eager to pledge your loyalty in exchange for his soul when you land on something squishy.

Pulling it out from under you see a plushy??? Of some anime character??? TF???

This pulls him from his stupor and he snatches it from you and begins to lecture you on the importance of Ruri-chan and anime on human culture.

You have no clue whats going on at this point.

When he finally stops talking he actually gets kind of excited. He summoned a hot demon??? Woah! This is just like his anime 'I accidentally summoned a demon from Hell who became my roommate and now I might be falling for them.' 

At your confused look he immediately turns it on and has you watch it. You two end up having an entire movie night together.

After that the two of you mostly act like roommates.

He often compares you to his favorite series TSL where 7 humans summon a demon named Henry and go on crazy adventures with him. The first time he accidentally calls you Henry he blushes like crazy.

At first he acted like you were annoying him most of the time but it was pretty easy to catch on to his tsundere act. He actually loves having you around and will whine when you have to leave. He says its because he can't play two player games without you but you know the truth.

On the rare occasions the two of you go out he gets jealous of anyone with even the slightest interest in you. Your HIS demon why are you giving someone else your attention?

Its pretty easy to distract him though. Just the slightest touch and hes flushing and stuttering. You can do whatever he won't get the hint that you like him the most.

'There's no way you meant to do this. This must be some weird demon norm I don't know about. Yup that's it.'

Satan

Summoned a demon on purpose. And not just that summoned you on purpose.

With his extensive library he had more than enough information to figure out how to summon a demon. After that it was just a matter of choosing which one. He finally settled on you.

You don't need to worry about explaining how a pact works to him. He already knows everything on it. Maybe even more than you. Nerd.

Don't express this opinion out loud. He will be furious.

Even so he'll still make you tell him about summoning a million times just to see if you know anything different.  

Mostly you’re an over glorified assistant/labrat to him. MC grab that book. MC draw this summoning circle. MC stick your hand in this flame.

Of any of the brothers he is the one who sees your demon form the most and the one who asks the most questions about it. You have very sharp claws what are those used for? Four sets of wings? I wonder why you have so many. Slitted eyes? Do you have any idea why they are like this?

He is very interested in the differences between humans and demons so you end up performing a lot of tests.

He would also be curious about the celestial war and your part in it. Its up to you to choose to answer him or not.

If you ignore any of his questions he will get annoyed and be snippy. But just tell him an interesting tidbit about hell and he'll be back to normal in no time.

As for his actual job he works as a researcher at a big lab. You go there often to help him with his work. He used to have a lot of assistants but none could handle his terrible rage.

Its one of the reasons you work so well with him. An angry human? That's no big deal. Now if he was a demon that would be something to talk about

His tantrums are actually kind of cute. Like a fussy kitten.

Telling him this has a 50/50 chance of either making him blush or rampage.

If its possible he uses you to annoy his colleagues

Janice talked shit about his theories on planetary alignment? Poison her

Jk not really but maybe just, like, make her day a hundred times worse?

Thanks MC you're great

A power team at its best. His need to get back at people he hates works well with your general need to cause mischief 

Asmodeus

An orgy summons you obvious reasons. Although technically not the one who summoned you, you end up making a pact with Asmodeus before the nights over.

It was inevitable really, of all the humans there how could you not choose him? His overblown confidence and cocky insistence that he was perfect was practically adorable. I mean here you are, a demon of all things, and yet this little human is here insisting that he was perfection himself. You just wanted to eat his soul right up he was so cute.

To him its obvious why. After all, he was so beautiful that even demons fell in love with him, he couldn't blame you.

Even if you tell him the real reason he won't believe it.

Immediately starts bragging about how he could seduce demons

If you leave a pact mark on him though he will complain

As for actual duties you don't have a lot

At parties you work as his wingman but at home the two of you have more of a domestic role. He treats you more like a best friend than a demon.

He has a lot of spa days, something he immediately insisted that you take part in too.

One day you bring him a bottle of demon moisturizer. Big mistake

When he finds out about all the different demon beauty products he immediately orders you to get him some.

Your poor wallet.

He's always ordering new things. He really wants to go down to Devildom so he could look himself instead of having to order off Akuzon. One day you'll figure out a way to show him the eternal night.

He's also very flirty towards you, something your not surprised about. Hes always on your lap or petting your head or asking for affection, and he constantly alludes to the things the two of you could do. As time goes on he begins to get even more needy, sometimes ignoring others at parties just to flirt with you. He wants all of your attention all of the time.

Beelzebub

Did not mean to summon you but now that your here hes pretty okay with it

Of all the brothers he the one to treat you the most like another human.  

However you have one duty that you take very seriously

You must protect his brother, no matter what.

Other than that you two are like roommates. He doesn't really ask you of much except to keep the fridge stocked (which is a bigger job than expected this guy eats a lot) and he'll take care of the rent and everything else.

Sometimes he'll ask if you want to head to the gym with him. You thank your demon metabolism since every time you end up going he always stops for burgers and shakes at his favorite place on the way home.

He lifts a lot for a human, no surprise since you've seen how sculpted his body is. Seriously he's like a Greek statue. You spot him while doing reps and help correct his form while necessary. It's a bit of a switch from dealing with demon biology to human biology though so you have to make sure that you don't accidentally hurt your new friend.

Sometimes the two of you have movie nights, although its more of an excuse for him to buy a bunch of human food and you to buy a bunch of demon food and pig out. He still manages to out eat you somehow.

Occasionally the two of you will go out with his brother Belphie although it usually ends up with either you or Beel carrying him when he falls asleep. But it gives you time to chat with Beel on your own which you don't mind

The two of you end up with a good bromance, sometimes minus the b.

He treats you like an old friend and even ends up telling you about Lilith, his dear sister who died when a car hit her. He had only managed to pull his brother out of the way at the time and he still remembers it well. You can practically smell the guilt that hangs off him when he tells you that. It's hard not to feel touched after that story even for a demon.

He confesses a lot of things to you, things he has a hard time saying to other people. He never calls upon his pact to swear you to secrecy. He trusts you.

Belphie

Also summons you on purpose

When you first meet Belphie he's angry, uncontrollably angry. It's at the point where it almost surprises you. After all a human filled with so much wrath is no small feat.

His first order is a tough one but one you have no choice but to accept. 

Kill the man that murdered his sister

The two of you work hard to hunt him down, spending many days brainstorming late into the night. Although it always ends up with just you working, as Belphie has the strangest tendency to fall asleep while talking. (Narcoleptic maybe? Or just lazy?) Whatever the case you don't terribly mind.

Even just his presence helps, in some strange way.

When you finally track him down Belphie insists on going too. He wants to see the man die with his own two eyes.

It's not a hard fight but it is an emotional one. Through the bond you two share you can feel Belphies anger, his pain, his desire for revenge, and then finally an emptiness.

When its over the two of you go home, still covered in whatever bits of him were left. Belphegor shows no emotions and you wonder if hes in shock from seeing someone die so suddenly, but all you feel is a tired yet content thrum through your bond.

When you finally get home Belphegor immediately tries to go to sleep and its only through a little nagging and a lot of manhandling that your able to convince him to shower first. By now the bloods beginning to dry into a nasty goop and once he's done you jump in too, soothed by the steam and clouds of soap drifting around you.

To no ones surprise Belphie is asleep when you get out. It's then when you realize that you have nothing left to do. 

With that one action your purpose here is done, and yet your pact remains. Your thoughts begin to rise Belphie who clings stubbornly to sleep. It's no use though. The two of you are too connected for it to stop. 

You hear the sheets rustle and he raises one hand patting at the covers. A universal sign to come here.

"You're so loud" He mutters even though you haven't said a word. "Just sleep already."

A useless answer but a comforting one. You curl up at his side, feeling the tiniest bit like an obedient dog, but his arm settles over your shoulder and he drapes himself over your chest erasing the thoughts from your mind.

You eyes flutter close, at least for the moment. You can decide what you should do when you wake up.

[angelicmark]

sweet loving (m)

pairing: college!mark x college!reader

genre: fluff, smut, angst, lovers!au

warnings: cursing, unprotected sex (wrap it up!), love making, dry humping, sexual themes, a whole lot of fluff please be warned lmao

wc: 8.1k

summary: being a total opposite from mark, you never imagined you would be able to last a whole year with him. until mark proves you wrong, and you both fall sweetly in love.

oct. 2; day 37

you look at mark, your eyes trailing all over him and his face. he was handsome, and you would sometimes wonder why he even asked you out just barely over a month ago. the relationship was still fresh, and the two of you were still getting to know each other. it was a nice feeling, and you actually quite enjoyed being around him. he was cute, the way he would laugh at almost anything and sometimes slap his knee when he did laugh. it was endearing, you found him endearing.

“you okay?” he asks when he catches you staring for too long, going to take a bite out of his muffin. the two of you were at his apartment, eating at the breakfast bar. it was a peaceful morning, and also the first time spending the night together as boyfriend and girlfriend, as an official couple. you were nervous at first, but as the night unveiled, you were more at ease with him.

“yeah, just thinking,” you softly smile at him, taking a bite out of your cereal. you were a bit on the quieter side while he was more outgoing and courageous. you wouldn’t call yourself a nerd, just dedicated and knowing what you wanted in life. not that mark wasn’t, he was just less uptight about his studying, not in the slightest worried when he got a couple failed grades here and there.

“what about?” he takes a sip of his drink, looking at you with big curious eyes. you were both complete opposites, now that you think about it. and you wondered if he even noticed that himself.

you adjust in your seat, looking at him with articulate eyes, “i don’t know,” you breathe, slightly feeling stressed, “i’m just not sure how this even works, to be honest. i’ve never exactly had a serious relationship, and we’re actually really different. have you noticed that?”

he swallows, his demeanor calm while you were still fidgeting in your seat, “well, yeah, i think it’s a bit hard to miss,” he chuckles, “but i don’t think we should worry about it too much. i like you, there’s something about you and your personality that makes me want to be better. i think that’s good, at least.”

you feel as if he knocked the wind right out of you, and it almost felt refreshing being around him. you nod your head, “and you make me feel good. like, better about myself and life in general. it’s less stressful with you around.”

he smiles, “see?” he can’t help from leaning in to give you a soft kiss, looking at you with bright optimistic eyes, “there we go.”

you smile back, unable to give in to his cute gestures, “thank you, for putting me at ease. it’s a bit hard to do that.”

he kisses you again, a lot slower and more reassuring, “always.”

oct. 31; day 66

“it’s halloween, baby!” mark cheers, looking at you as he stands there in his spider-man costume. you can’t help the laugh that escapes passed your lips, looking at the way he starts to imitate spider-man’s webs.

you stroll towards him, walking right to him and he can’t help the way his eyes travel all along your figure. you were only just a cat this year, but you were wearing a tightly fitted black dress and the cat ears were really adding to the outfit. you had high-rise boots reaching just above your knees, and he couldn’t stop himself from looking at your legs, seeing the way everything wrapped around you like a glove. you were so beautiful, he decided. really beautiful.

he swallows, “you look good, really good.” his eyes ate you up hungrily, and you caught the way his eyes darkened just a bit.

you avoid eyes for a few, before looking back at him with a shy look, “so do you, spidey.” you kiss him, and his hands were quick to grasp onto you. he couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself, not with you walking around like that.

“thanks,” he breathes out when you pull away, looking at your lips like he was about to chase after them again. you could feel your body heating up under his gaze, and you truly did like the feeling he gave you. two months does a lot to a relationship, you think to yourself.

you look at him, his hands still on your waist and holding you incredibly close to him, “you ready to go?”

he nods, taking your hand and finally pulling away. he was close to just saying fuck the party and staying home with you all night long. he so desperately wanted to, but he spent days just trying to convince you to even go with him. he couldn’t let all that begging go to waste. plus, a part of him wanted to let everyone know just who you belonged to. you were his, and his ego was inflated the whole entire night over that thought.

“this is jaehyun,” mark introduces, and he sees the jaehyun smiles at you with bright eyes, “and this is johnny.” the boys were staring at you with pretty smiles, jaehyun being a bit bolder in kissing the back of your hand. your eyes went wide, watching as mark hissed at jaehyun, “back off.”

jaehyun laughs, backing away from you, “i’m not interested, mark. she’s yours, i’m not a woman stealer.”

mark couldn’t help but feel insecure, in a way. jaehyun had killer dimples, and a cute smile. mark felt basic compared to him. but the moment he feels a small, soft hand on his shoulder, he could feel his body starting to loosen up again. mark wasn’t used to feeling jealous or possessive, so when he saw the way jaehyun kissed your hand, he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with these kinds of feelings. but, as his eyes travel to your own, he feels like the weight of the world had been lifted. you were such a calming soul, always so gentle when around him. it was charming, and mark liked that about you.

“sorry,” he sighed, looking at you wide apologetic eyes.

you shake your head, smiling at him, “if my friends were to ever flirt with you, i might have gone crazy. you’re a lot better than me,” you laugh.

he can’t help the smile that reaches his face, “good think i’d never leave you, then.” he places an arm around your shoulder.

you snuggle closer to him, the night turning for the better, “me neither.”

the rest of the night was just soft, loving kisses. the two of you exhausted by the time you made it back to mark’s apartment, cuddling so incredibly close to each other. you were starting to get more and more comfortable around mark, and a part of you was terrified. you were scared you would get too attached, and be left heartbroken. but, as the two of you doze off, holding each other as the two of you start to fall in love together, you felt like it would be worth it.

mark was so worth it.

nov. 29; day 95

thanksgiving holiday was good. you both went home to your parents, and your family was unable to stop talking about this marvelous mark you had. they wished to one day meet him, but you decided it was a bit early to introduce each other to your families. your three months together was spent over the phone, celebrating and sending air kisses with plenty of giggles and wishing the two of you were together. it was always nice talking to mark, but you missed him. you missed being around him in real life, and being able to hold him. a week was way too long without him.

“mark!” you bang on his apartment door, excited to finally see him after all this time. you had arrived home just a few hours later than him, and he waited patiently for you, well, as patiently as he could. he was just as anxious as you, although.

he swings the door open, catching sight of your bright eyes. you jump in his arms, unable to contain your excitement. you were so happy to finally be in his arms again. being around family is always nice, but you missed your boyfriend. you missed kissing him, holding him, being around him. as he lets you in and closes the door with his foot, you kiss him. and he melts into you, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. he missed this, he really missed this.

“missed you,” he lets out between kisses, his voice gravely.

you hum back, your arms reach up and you drag your fingers through his scalp, “missed you, too.”

the two of you are unable to stop kissing, to stop touching each other. it was amazing just how much the two of you could miss each other. he drags you to the couch, expecting you to sit beside him. but, to his surprise, you jump in his lap and continue kissing him like that. it felt so good having you so close, he could feel his heart tightening at the thought of you becoming more and more comfortable around him. it had only been three months together, and he could easily feel himself falling in love with you. it was hard to say you didn’t feel the same way, because you know you did. it was so hard not to love mark.

you pull back for air, and he’s already trailing his kisses down your neck. you can’t help the noises that escape you, your hands clawing through his hair. he loved the pressure your nails put on his scalp, and he couldn’t help from groaning and biting down onto your neck. you let out a small gasp, and he tugs you closer to his chest. the both of you were breathing heavily when he pulls back to look at you directly in the eyes. your body felt like it was burning, and you knew he could feel the heat because his hands trailed up your shirt on your hips. his hands were cold against your hot skin, and you were unsure if you could wait any longer for him to finally touch you.

“mark,” you say, making direct eye contact as you both watch one another’s every move, “do- do you want to...” you trail off, hoping he got the message. you felt embarrassed, avoiding his eyes for a minute before looking back at him again. he had a goofy nervous smile on his face.

“i would love to,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss you again. he was stealing the air right out of your lungs, you felt like you were drowning in an ocean of mark. and it was so intoxicating. everything about mark was intoxicating, so captivating you were afraid of losing yourself to him. but, as the two of you ended up tangled in his sheets by the end of the night, you think to yourself that maybe it would be worth it. he was such a sweet, kind soul. he thought of you and you only, your hands intertwined the whole entire time. it felt like you were dreaming, and he had to bring you back to reality with each kiss.

mark was starting to feel like home.

dec. 31; day 127

you were expecting mark to want to go out on new year’s, even offering to go with him if he wanted. but he ended up smiling and shaking his head no, claiming he would like to spend this moment alone with you, and you only. it made your heart flutter, and you began to wonder what went through that cute boy’s head sometimes.

“alright,” he passes you non-alcoholic champagne, and you let out a little chuckle as he plops down beside you on the couch.

“why non-alcoholic?” you laugh, and he pouts a bit before seeing your smile and perking right back up. your smile was too contagious to not smile back.

“it was all they had at the store,” he mumbles, “and i didn’t feel like driving across town for real champagne. truly wasn’t worth it,” he shakes his head.

you nod back, kissing his cheek, “thank you.”

he looks at you, his cheeks starting to heat up as he nods back, “of course, baby.”

you smile softly at the name, every time it fell from his lips, it sounded so cute. and you could never stop the smile that would form. he seemed to notice, because he leaned over and kissed you shortly. when he pulled back from the soft kiss, he stared at you before leaning back in, the kiss a lot slower and more passionate than the last. it always felt nice kissing mark, his lips always soft and tasting like coconut lip balm. it was endearing, to say the least. you could tell he puts a lot of effort into looking good and smelling good for you, but you wouldn’t care if he simply just wore sweats and had no lip balm on. he was still your mark, still the same goof you were falling so easily for. he will always be the mark you’re starting to love more and more along the way.

“3,” he hears this, pulling away from your lips to look at the screen, “2!” he looks at you smiling as he places his hand along your cheek and leaning back in, “1!” he closes his eyes, “happy new years!” kiss. kiss after kiss after kiss as you hear fireworks going off in the background. but you can’t find it in yourself to care as mark pulls you into his lap. this was comfortable, such easy access to kiss him just the way you want.

he pulls back, looking at you with big bright wide eyes, and you swear you could see the stars in his eyes. he looked like he was thinking so deeply, and you were wondering just what it was. he was such a curious boy, but you knew he was ambitious, never ending when it comes to getting what he wanted. it’s why he kept chasing after you all that time. and you were so glad you finally agreed to date him. mark was such a gift, being nothing but the best boyfriend you could ever ask for. this was the first serious relationship you had been in, and he was the perfect fit for you. he had to be.

“i love you, y/n,” he says, his eyes glossy.

you freeze in your spot, looking at him for what felt like years. he could feel his heart beating right out of his chest. maybe it’s too soon? did he just fuck up? he was overthinking, he couldn’t help it. did you not love him back? did you-

you smile, “i love you, too, mark.”

he breathes out a sigh of relief, and you laugh a bit, “holy fuck,” he says, “i got so nervous right there.”

you laugh again, “sorry, i just love messing with you. your scared face is too cute,” you kiss his cheek.

he steals a real kiss after that, repeating those same three words over and over again the whole entire night. this was heaven, this was what being happy truly was, you were his first love. and he was yours. this was love, in so many different ways.

you were his home. and he was yours.

jan. 26; day 153

“happy five months!” mark busts through your bedroom door, and you roll over on your bed to see him holding up balloons and some flowers and chocolates. you snort at him, seeing the way he’s all dressed up and smiling so dorkishly.

“it’s 9am, mark,” you laugh, sitting up and yawning. he places the things down, walking towards you and climbing in front of you. he goes for a kiss, but you lean away and shove your hand in his face, “i have morning breath.”

he pouts, pushing your hand away, “i don’t care. i want to kiss you.”

you roll your eyes, giving him a peck before jumping out of bed and seeing the way he pouts like a child, “y/nnn..”

you laugh, “i’ll be five minutes, mark. just let me brush my teeth.”

when you come out of the bathroom, he’s laying all across your bed. he looked really good, his black jeans and fitted black shirt looking impeccably good on him. he always looked good, but for some reason he looked extra good. he had his hat on backwards, and it was attractive to say the least. he catches you staring, smiling at you when he notices you standing there.

“hi, baby,” he sits up on the edge of the bed. you smile at him, boldly sitting right into his lap. his hands instinctively rest on your hips, “i love you.”

you smile, kissing him properly, “i love you, too, mark.” you kiss along his jaw, “so much.” your breath was hot against his skin, and you were so pretty, so good to him. “happy five months.” you lean back and see that he’s smiling again.

“i’m lucky to have you,” he says to you, his hands roaming all along your body. but his touches had no alternative intentions, and you couldn’t help from smiling along with him. he was such a good boyfriend.

“me too, mark,” you whisper back, looking him right in the eyes, “i didn’t imagine us making it this far, but i’m so happy we did. you’re so good to me, and i can’t thank you enough for loving me.”

he smiles, “thank you for loving me, y/n.” he kisses you, and you melt into him. you were so used to kissing mark, it felt like you were made just for kissing him, but each and every time still never failed to make you crumble. it was a blessing to be able to kiss mark, and to be able to call him your boyfriend. he felt the same exact way about you, pride constantly filling up each and every time someone saw that you were his, and his only. you will always be his, he’ll make sure of it.

mark was a dream boy, your dream boy. so perfect in every single way. “i love you so much, mark.” you whisper against his lips.

he looks you in the eye, “i love you so much, too, y/n.”

tears start to well in your eyes, and you can’t help but wonder if he’ll end up leaving you one day. mark could probably find someone a lot better than you in every way imaginable, you can’t help but wonder why he constantly chooses you over everyone else. but you’re not complaining. not in the slightest. as long as you had mark, you didn’t have time to worry about those things. you were lucky enough to love him in the first place, and you knew this.

you run your fingers through his soft hair, and he leans his head into your soft touch, “i may not be able to give you everything you need all the time,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper, “but i will remind you every day of my life that i love you.”

he looks at you with a soft smile stretched on his perfectly shaped lips, “me too, baby. always.”

you lean to kiss him again, “always.”

feb. 14; day 172 

“mark, it’s jaehyun’s birthday,” you pout. mark was being stubborn, he didn’t want to go out for his birthday, wanting to stay with you and spend valentine’s day with you only. he was afraid jaehyun would get too friendly with you again, insecurity starting to bubble up again. “we have to at least go and wish him happy birthday.”

“he doesn’t deserve one after last time i saw him,” he mumbles, avoiding eye contact with you. you heard him despite him looking away from you, it was hard to miss the jealousy dripping from his voice.

“mark,” you sit down next to him on the couch, looking him in the eyes. you brush some of his hair out of his face as he stares at you, “there isn’t anyone on this earth that could steal me away from you.”

he sighs, “i know,” he pauses, looking away, “i guess i’m just..” he takes a breath as he stops again. he looked as if he was struggling getting the words out. “i just don’t want to lose you, or feel like i could. i’m not used to feeling like this.” he shifts in his seat and avoids eye contact. he couldn’t bring himself to look you in the eye.

you smile to yourself, making him face you again, “me neither, mark. but you have to trust me when i say i love you, and only you.”

his eyes were getting glossy the longer he stared, “i trust you.”

“and i trust you, mark. there’s no taking me away.”

he felt as if a whole weight had been lifted. he knew he couldn’t help the jealousy that would bubble up, but you were his. and he needed to realize that no one would ever take you away from him. he wasn’t sure why he was so possessive in the first place, but you always seemed to reassure no matter what. and he was grateful for you. he was especially grateful that you weren’t creeped out by it, or thought he was being weird and over reacting. he was lucky, and he didn’t want anyone else to have you this way.

“thank you,” he breathes out, leaning over and giving you a kiss. you kiss back, and you could feel everything falling in to place all over again. life seemed to be a lot easier with mark around. it was as if time was flying, but in the best way possible. it was always like that with mark, and you know that will never change.

“let’s get going then,” you say, smiling as you pull away and stand up. you offer a hand to him, and he takes it as he gets up. “you can stick by me like glue if you want.”

he laughs at that, “i just might.”

the whole night was congratulating jaehyun on another year, and mark constantly having an arm around you. it was comforting, and you could tell mark was more at ease now. you were happy he was feeling better. every now and then he would give you a quick peck, smiling down at you. he looked pretty under all the lights. he even looked pretty in the dark with just the moonlight shining on him. mark was so incredible. and as the night came to an end, you were holding onto each other tightly.

he whispered into your ear just how much he loved you, and you would say it back as the two of you doze off to sleep. there was no describing the feeling he gave you.

mar. 22; day 209

the air was thick, you felt like you were suffocating. mark’s hips were working so deliciously, shoving his cock inside you and out over and over again. he was always so good with his hips, you felt like you were going to pass out. you were a moaning, writhing mess. and he, personally, loved it. you were so easy please around him, and he loved the noises you made each time the head of his cock teased right against your sweet spot. you were so beautiful.

“so good,” he mumbles, his hands intertwining with yours. he held your hands above your head, your fingers locking together. mark was a love maker, he showed you just how much he cared each and every time. it was pure, sweet bliss being with him. “so tight, baby.”

you whined in his hold, your back arching as you looked right into his dark colored eyes. he was so beautiful up close. you were amazed how you even got him. “you’re so good, mark,” you gasp, “so fucking good.”

he chuckles, leaning down to press his lips to yours, “all for you.” he emphasizes his words by thrusting deeper and faster. he reaches a hand down to start rubbing at your clit, feeling the way your walls would start to flutter around his throbbing dick. it felt so good. his other hand stayed connected with yours, and you were grateful for it. your other hand, however, was clawing all along his back. you were holding on for dear life, wanting so desperately to cum for him.

“fuck, mark,” you choke out, feeling as you start to come undone around him, “oh god, so good. so, so good.” your whines edged him on, and soon enough you were cumming around him sweetly, his name being repeated over and over again until all you could remember was mark, mark, mark. it was always mark. never not him.

“such a good girl,” you hear his whisper as he cums right after you, filling you up so well. you rarely let him cum inside, so this was a treat for him. your were slick as he came, feeling his body shudder against yours as you whine for him all through it. “i love you.” he kisses you softly.

you return the kiss, in a trance, “i love you so much.”

he smiles at you, admiring the way you look. you were always such a sight to see. he loved you so much, he was afraid of losing you.

april 17; day 235

you were going to cry. you were convinced you were going to cry. you never cried, or rather showed much emotion, but this very moment, all you could think about was breaking down. nothing was right. nothing was ever right. why did you even do this? why did you even agree to be with mark? what was happening to the two of you?

it was your first fight. your first real fight. and you could feel your world crashing in on you. it was terrifying, and you were scared shitless. you had never experienced this kind of fear. never once in your life had to deal with this kind of stress. mark was your first real relationship, so you weren’t exactly sure what to do. for the first time ever, you were clueless. you wished they had some kind of book written for this. but maybe you shouldn’t wish that, because that’s why you were both fighting in the first place.

“i barely see you anymore,” he sighed, roughly running his fingers through his hair, “it’s like all you can think about is those damn books. and i know you care a lot about studying, but i need you to be my girlfriend sometimes, too.” his eyes were sparkling under the light, and it wasn’t the way he used to look at you. his eyes were filled with tears this time, looking at you with despair and anger.

but, your blood boiled against your own will, “you think i chose this?” you ask, eyes narrowing at him, “you know how important all of this is to me. i need to pass my exams. i need this in order to live a nice easy life. i’m sorry i’m not worried about the next party available.” you scoffed.

he was hurt. his heart was pounding against his chest as he saw another side of you that he had yet to see. it was painful, and he wished to never see it again. he sighed as the two of you sat in an awkward, tense silence. it was eating the two of you alive. but it took forever before either one of you spoke up.

“do you love me?”

the words hit you hard. you felt as if you just got cold water dumped on you. was he really doubting your love for him? was this what the two of you were coming down to? you let out a huff of breath, obviously hurt. but his eyes were serious, and he glanced at the clock beside you, before looking back at you. it was late, you knew this. but you couldn’t let it end like this, you couldn’t have him walk away thinking you don’t love him.

“mark,” you step forward, “there isn’t a day where i don’t.”

he looks away from you, tears now falling freely from his big bright eyes. he was hurting, and you were the cause of it. you felt so terrible. you felt like hell, only wanting to make it up to him at this point. but he was doubting your love for him. how could you two ever go back after that?

“it’s so hard to tell sometimes,” he looks up at you again. his eyes were puffy already, his lips quivering and his nose turning red, “some days, i’m surprised when you say you love me back. other days i’m wondering if you’re lying to me. it’s hard not knowing what you’re thinking.”

mark was always someone who needed that kind of reassurance, and you knew this. you just always forgot to give it to him every single day, the way he deserved. is this what he was really thinking all this time? did mark really have this kind of perspective on you?

“mark, i love you.” you start, reaching a hand out to make him look at you, “i may not be able to express it the way i should most of the time, but that doesn’t mean i don’t love you. because i do. i really do, mark. there isn’t anyone in this world that could make me feel the way you do, and i will stand by that for the rest of my life.” you lean into him as he grasps at your waist, “you were made just for me, i’m sure of it, mark. i love you, a whole lot more than you could ever imagine.”

he was breaking, and you were picking up the pieces one by one. he kisses you, and you could taste the salty tears that were earlier running down his face, but you really couldn’t find it in yourself to care. not when the love of your life was doubting your love for him. the kiss was so slow, soft, unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. it was passionate, no hidden meanings and no rising intentions coming by. it was just you, and mark. no one else.

“i’ll remind you forever, mark,” you whisper against his lips, “i love you, forever.”

may 14; day 262

three days. it’s been three whole days since mark last texted you. and, honestly, you were starting to get tired. you’ve been trying to reach out to him, but nothing seemed to work. today, though, you finally decided to drive your ass over there and see why the hell he was ignoring you in the first place. could he still be stuck on your last fight? was that why he was ignoring you? you were starting to get drained from everything, not realizing how hard it really was holding together a relationship.

you don’t even bother knocking on the door, helping yourself in with the key he gave you a couple months ago. the minute you walk in, you could feel the air was cold. how the hell could he live in such a cold temperature? you were starting to doubt he was even here by how cold and lonely it felt. it was quiet, no sign of life from the looks of it. but you make your way towards his door anyway. you see it slightly open, and you push it softly to expose the area.

there he was. sitting on his bed, facing away from the door and looking out of the window. but you doubted he found the tree in front of him interesting. you stepped inside the room, careful not to disturb him. you needed to know why he was ignoring you, though. so you timidly sat by him. he could feel your presence the minute you opened the door, but refused to move or say anything. you both sat in silence. the sound of breathing starting to become louder and louder in your ears. you felt as if you were being tortured with his silence.

“mark,” you say softly, your voice cracking in the loud silence. he sat still, not even exchanging you a look. his jaw was tightened, and you could see the way his fingers were tightly grasping each other. it was a painful, deafening silence that was being released into the air.

he sighed, closing his eyes as yours stayed glued in on him. he finally says something, your heart suffocating at the sight of his soft stubble he had yet to shave, “i’m sorry for ghosting you.” it was a quiet apology.

you look away from him, looking at the tree, “it’s fine.”

he opened his eyes finally to look at you for the first time that night. for the first time in three days. and you were still as beautiful as ever. you had a glow on your face as the moonlight struck you in all kinds of different ways. it was stunning, you were always stunning. he could feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, you would always be too good for him. he always believed that. even when he didn’t know how to treat you half the time, you were still there to pick him right back up. even when he decided to run away from his emotions rather than sort them out, you would always come right to him. even when ignored you for three whole days, you would still come and check in on him, no questions truly asked. a pain struck him right through the heart the longer he looked at you.

“why do you always come back?” he huffs, and this makes you whip your head in his direction. “i mean.. i can’t be good for you. you will always be more-”

“i’m not more of anything, mark.” you say to him, your voice leveled, while his was shaking. “my heart hasn’t changed. not for you. you’re my boyfriend, someone i love like no one else. there hasn’t been anyone like you. i don’t want you doubting yourself just because i’m a bit more stern than you. you’re allowed to be messy, mark. i love you. stop thinking you aren’t good enough for me. you’re more than that.”

he cried. the whole entire night, he was curled in your arms as you held him while he cried and sobbed into your soft shirt. you could feel his tears trailing along your arm, but you could care less. the hold he had on you was tight, and it was starting to feel like he was afraid you were going to poof right out of his grip. your fingers stayed in his hair, tangled around the soft strands as you soothed him. eventually, you dragged the both of you under the covers of the bed and he was soon lulled to sleep, his arms grasping tightly around your waist while yours were still coaxing him in a soft, loving hug. mark had a lot of doubts, a lot of stress on his shoulders. and he was afraid of showing it, but he felt like he could around you. and it was such a blessing having you by his side.

“i love you, mark,” you kiss the top of his forehead as his puffy eyes shut and his swollen lips started to pout in a deep sleep. “you’re worth so much to me.”

and you really did mean it.

june 23; day 302

“mark!” you squeal as he tickles along your sides. you were starting to lose your breath, but he just couldn’t help himself. your laugh was so luxurious in his eyes, and your smile was so pretty. “stop! oh my g- god!” you laugh out loud, trying to break free from his arms.

he finally pulls back, grinning at you wildly, “you’re so cute, y/n.” he kisses you, his mood changing significantly. you wanted to be mad at him, but with the way his lips were tightly pressed against yours, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be completely angry. when he pulled away, he had a look of love written on his features. it was endearing, and you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. he was so pretty up close.

“where do you think we’ll be in ten years?” he says, easily flopping on top of you. you let out a huff because his strong weight, but nonetheless started to run your fingers through his hair as he looked up at you like a cat in love.

you chuckle, “together.” you say simply, and heat seemed to have rose onto his cheeks because he looked away briefly before making eye contact again. his cheeks were painted pink.

“you think so?” he asks, leaning into the touch of your hand.

“yeah,” you breathe, “i really do. do you?”

he nods his head, “always.”

you smile at him, and he could feel the winds knocking him right out the longer he looked at you. you always seemed to have a hold on him that he wasn’t even aware of. he felt like he could be with you forever. he knew he could. anywhere you went, he would follow. no doubt about it.

“it’s hot outside,” you look out the window in his bedroom, seeing the way the sun was blazing in the room. he had his ac as low as it could go, but nothing seemed to be enough.

he nodded in agreement, getting up off of you to let you breathe, “yeah, wanna get ice cream?” his eyes lit up as he mentioned ice cream, and you laughed as you quickly nodded your head, getting up off the bed to join him in getting up.

“lead the way, my prince,” you your arms out in front of you, bowing at him and he couldn’t help the laugh that slipped past his lips. you smiled up at him as you straightened.

he ruffles your hair, “will do, my princess.”

he catches the way you got shy at the nickname.

july 18; day 327

“can you believe it’s been almost a year since we got together?” mark asks, watching as you eat your food in front of him. you cooked each other dinner tonight, him helping in the minor things as you took over. you loved the boy, but he really didn’t know how to cook.

you swallow, “i know, it feels like time really passed by too quickly,” you pout, taking a sip of your drink.

“it’s been the best year ever,” he says moreso to himself, but you hear it anyway and you can’t stop the smile that raises along your cheeks. he notices and he smiles right back, his nose scrunching up.

“for a boy who hates cheesy things, you sure are cheesy,” you lean your head on your hand, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

he chuckles at your expression while taking a bite of his food, “yeah, that was until you came into my life. everything just turned cheesy.”

you roll your eyes, yet you were still smiling, “dork.”

he shrugs his shoulder, “and you’re the one dating the dork.”

you narrow your eyes, before smirking and getting up from your seat, coming towards his. he sips on his water, curious on what you were doing. you were quick to sit on his lap, making him almost choke on the liquid in his throat. he looked nervous, but his hands were quick to grab onto your hips. he was surprised, but it was still pleasantly. you rolled your hips into his, watching as his eyes flutter shut and you feel his fingernails starting to dig into your flesh. you were wearing shorts and a tanktop, perfect easy access for everything.

“fuck,” he huffs out, his head resting against your shoulder. your hips were relentless, and he was getting harder and harder with every movement. you could feel his dick through his sweatpants, and it was rubbing deliciously against your clit. his hands roamed your body as he started to suck on your neck messily. you were so wet, and you knew you had to be soaking through your shorts at this point.

“you’re so hard, mark,” you let out, craining your neck for him to have more access.

“and you’re so wet,” he groans, feeling as your hips swiveled in circles before picking up pace. it felt so damn good. “you wanna cum in your pants, baby?”

“do you?” you retort, grinding heavily against him. the air was thick, and you felt like you could burst at any second now. he laughs against your neck, before gripping your hips and helping you guide along his dick easily through your clothes. it felt so good, and you were so close. he could tell with the way your fingers were starting to dig into his shoulders and your moans were getting more and more loud. you were unintentionally vocal, but it always seemed to please him either way.

“such a dirty girl,” he whispers, one of his hands traveling up your back and along your spine through your shirt. you arch into him and he groans. “so close,” he mumbles, licking along your neck.

“fuck, mark,” you moan, “me too, so close. gonna cum in my cute little shorts for you.”

his eyes went wide, not used to the way you were talking so dirty. it wasn’t like you, but he wasn’t complaining. not in the slightest. he moans with you, “come on, baby. cum in those cute little shorts of yours like you said. make yourself cum without my dick even being in you. such a naughty girl,” he hums in your ear.

“oh fuck!” you fall foward onto him, your hips faltering in pace as you cum. it was such a euphoric feeling when it came to mark, so much better than when you did it alone. you were chanting his name, and soon enough he was cumming with you. he stains his sweatpants and boxers, some leaking through and onto your shorts. you could feel his dick twitching below you as you both settled down, your breathing heavy.

“so good,” he rubs your back, watching as your body slumps into his. “let’s go get cleaned, baby. we’ll wash the dishes later.” he kisses your temple as you softly nod your head. “perfect.”

august 2; day 342

“happy birthday, mark!” you scream as you rush towards his room. you had been saying happy birthday to him every single hour, texting him while you were out getting cake and his favorite foods. he said he preferred staying in with you for the day, and you only pouted and agreed to his wishes. whatever he wanted today, he would get. a lot of people seemed to wish him happy birthday, and he only thanked them with a small smiley face.

he smiled at you, happy to finally see you, “baby! thank you,” he laughs, “but you’ve been telling me all day long.” he kisses you sweetly, and you can’t help the smile that stretches along your face.

“you only deserve the best,” you pull his face into yours again, and he sighs sweetly against your lips. he tasted like mint, while you tastes like watermelon. you wore his favorite chapstick.

“i love you,” he whispers against your lips, arms greedily wrapping around you.

“i love you more,” you mumble back. before it gets too far, you push him back and show him the cake you bought. “look! i got you a spiderman cake!”

he laughs out loud, “from halloween?”

“yeah,” you smile back, “i think halloween was around the time when i really started to fall for you, so i bought you a spiderman cake for your birthday to kind of relive that moment.”

he smiles at you before quickly picking you up and twirling you around a couple of times. he laughs at the squeaks you let out, demanding he put you down. “i love you so fucking much,” he says as he places you down, “i don’t know how i ever got this lucky.”

your cheeks feel hot as you look up at him, “i love you, too, mark.” you kiss his cheek, and he smiles at the tender action. “now, let’s eat your cake, birthday boy.”

the rest of the day was filled with laughter, talks of the future, and slow, loving sex as he discovered the sweet dark lace beneath your clothes. everything felt like heaven with him, and you were so in love with this boy. no one compares to him, you decided.

“happy birthday, mark,” you moan in his ear as his hips work fluidly with yours. you say atop him, riding him sweetly, “i love you.”

he kisses you messily, his dick trapped between your heat and his head swimming in thoughts of you, and you alone, “i love you, too, baby.” he groans, his fingers digging into your back as he trails them down and leaves scratching marks, “so much.”

this was heaven, and you weren’t planning on leaving anytime soon.

august 26; day 366

one year.

a whole entire year of loving mark lee.

and, in all honesty, you were overwhelmed. how could you have spent that much time with someone, every single day for a year? it was insane in your eyes, but you truly couldn’t see yourself with anyone else. you wouldn’t want to have it any other way. not when mark was, quite literally, your dream boy. loving him for a whole year feels surreal, and you really weren’t complaining.

“happy one year,” you breathe, leaning in for a kiss. you both stood on the balcony of his apartment, the warm summer night air flowing through your hair. it just turned midnight, and you can’t help the smile that spread across your face as you watched it turn midnight.

“happy one year, baby,” he bites his bottom lip, “this is crazy.”

you laugh, “it is, but i wouldn’t want it any other way,” you lean into his grip, “we’ve had our moments, but i truly think it has made us a whole lot stronger as a couple.” you look deeply into his eyes, “i love you, mark lee. there will never be a day where i don’t, and there will never be a day where i stop thinking of you. you will forever be the boy i love, the boy i truly fell in love with. i can never thank you enough for showing me the love i thought i’d never get, or even be able to reciprocate. i hope i make you as happy as you make me, mark.”

tears form in his eyes as he pouts, “you do, y/n. i want no one else but you, and i will keep saying that for the rest of my life. i love you, so damn much it hurts. i can’t imagine my life without you, y/n. i have never loved someone as much as i have loved you, and i can truly say that,” he kisses you softly, “you are forever mine, and i am forever yours.”

you smile against his lips, running your fingers through his hair. this, this was love. this was what being loved, and being in love felt like. the pain, the heartbreak, the aching. all of it was worth it, as long as it was with mark. everything was worth it, as long as it was with mark lee. and no matter where life took the both of you, you swore you would always love him. through thick and thin, you would love him.

“move in with me,” he hushes, breaking apart from your lips briefly.

you smile and only nod your head, “i basically live here, anyway.” he was expecting a bigger, more dramatic reaction, but he could only laugh and sweetly kiss you again. he was living in a world that smelled like watermelon and roses around you, and he loved it.

“i love you forever.”

“and ever,” you whisper back.

now that i know the soft magic of your laugh and how your body moves like art, why would i ever go back? what was before you?

a/n: I’m aware this includes leap year, please don’t judge haha i based it off of 2020

[spicycreativity]

Howl - Ch 2

Chapter: 2/10

Add'l Notes: As usual, fic is like 6 chapters ahead on my AO3, WizardGlick

Chapter Content Warnings: N/A, ask to tag

Trying a new thing where I force you to read the first paragraph by not including it under the cut 😇

--

Virgil slept soundly and woke up unharmed in his bed. The relative cold of the morning air bit into his face, the only part of him that wasn't buried under his duvet. Still laying down, he wriggled into his hoodie and got up to make coffee. He mentally checked himself over while he waited for it to brew, staring blankly at the French press with stinging eyes. Damn, he must not have gotten all his vampire makeup off. Ah, well. His own absentmindedness was not a curse. Maybe he had escaped unscathed. Nothing hurt, save a normal soreness in his legs from standing around watching the Halloween parade, and a quick look in one of the many ornate mirrors decorating his walls revealed nothing abnormal with his face (well, except for the smudgy remnants of last night's eyeliner).

Despite this reassuring examination, he still spent the morning jumping at shadows. He rode his moped extra slowly and took time adjusting the straps of his helmet to make sure it fit perfectly. He examined the hanging sign ("Mystick Earth: ephemera for all ages") outside his workplace to make sure it wouldn't fall and kill him. He even took high steps on his way to the register to make sure he wouldn't trip over anything unseen.

But nothing bad happened.

In fact, nothing much happened at all until just past noon, when the brass bells on the door jangled and Logan stepped in, wafting the smell of warm bread and something sweet in with him.

Virgil didn't even realize he was smiling until his cheeks began to ache. "Hi," he said.

"Hello, Virgil." Logan wasn't looking at him; he was focusing on the paper bag hooked around one wrist and the drink carrier balanced in his other arm. "Forgive me for not asking first, but I wanted to surprise you."

"Here, you can set that on the counter." Virgil already knew what Logan had brought: banh mi, pho, and bubble tea from Sunrise, Virgil's favorite café.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Virgil pressed his hands on the counter and levered himself up to give Logan a kiss. He had always known that Logan was courteous and sweet under that somewhat stiff exterior; this wasn't even the first time he had done something kind for Virgil out of nowhere. But Virgil never could get used to being doted on. "Thank you, Logan."

Logan dropped his gaze, one hand coming up to fidget with his tie. "You're quite welcome."

The bells chimed again. Virgil looked up and caught sight of Roman, who had frozen in place. Catching Virgil's gaze, he straightened as though offended. "Well," he said, "I just came by to make sure Count Virgila survived the night, but it looks as though Casanova here beat me to the punch."

Logan turned. "Roman. I hope you've already eaten, because I only brought enough food for two people."

"I can take a hint," Roman said. Virgil raised his eyebrows at him expectantly, but Roman only raised his own eyebrows back, strode over to the counter, and stole a sip of Virgil's milk tea.

"I thought you said you could take a hint," Virgil said.

"I can," Roman said, "but I'm choosing not to."

Logan sighed through his nose and passed Virgil his sandwich. "I see no need to insist upon politeness if Roman is not going to return the favor."

Roman bumped Logan with his hip. "Really, I just came by to make sure Virgil's okay "

The bells jangled. Virgil looked up again, half-surprised and half-annoyed to see Janus, clad in the extravagant tailcoat he had to wear for work, pretending rather transparently to examine the display of tarot card-themed posters by the door. "Hi, Janus," he said, making no effort to hide his annoyance. Maybe this was the curse, to never get any alone time with Logan.

"Let me guess," said Roman, "you're here to check on Virgil."

"Of course not," Janus said, now pawing through the discount t-shirt display. Ugh, Virgil had just finished re-folding those. "Virgil's a big boy; he knows how to handle himself."

"Oh, yeah?" Virgil raised an eyebrow. "For all the money in the register, tell me what you came to buy and what you plan to use it for."

For the brief moment that Janus hesitated, Virgil allowed himself to hope that he had gotten one over on Janus. In all their years of friendship, he had admitted to being wrong exactly once. Virgil kept the date saved in his phone calendar and made sure to send Janus a card on the anniversary. But a moment's hesitation was all the satisfaction he got this time; Janus faced him properly, adjusted his tie, and said, "I don't know. I'm looking for a gift for Remus."

"Nice save," Virgil said. "We'll see about that."

"Oh, I don't know why you bother trying to hide it." Roman beckoned Janus over to the counter. "Look with your own eyes: he's fine."

"I combined like five different rituals last night," Virgil said. "And I'm doing another one once I get off work." He had already paid for the bottle and the string, knowing he had a hand trowel somewhere in the depths of his spider-infested shed.

Roman quick-drew his phone from his pocket and had himself posed for a selfie with Virgil almost before Virgil could process what was happening. "Smile," he said. "Patton made me promise I'd send him a picture."

Virgil flashed a peace sign. It was better to just go with it. Despite his bravado, Roman got his feelings hurt easily, and it was never fun to try to bounce back from that. "Are we done now?"

"Pardon us for caring about you," Roman said, sticking his nose into the air. It was such a Remus thing to do that Virgil nearly laughed, but he managed to hold himself together.

"Yeah, yeah, my friends love and cherish me, blah, blah, blah."

"Also," Roman read from his phone, "Patton says to tell Janus to come over soon so they can make cutting boards together."

"He was serious about that?" Janus looked helplessly at Virgil. Ah, yes, Patton had made the invitation last night and Janus, leaning back on social niceties, had agreed. "I thought he was just being nice."

"Nope." Virgil leaned forward across the counter and grinned. "Not only is Patton gonna make you make yourself a cutting board, you're going to enjoy it."

"We'll see about that," Janus said. He shook up his sleeve so he could glance at his watch. "Well, I should get back to Bienvenue. Those suits won't sell themselves."

He turned on his heel and made for the door so quickly that Virgil knew he was forgetting something. Ding. "Wait, but weren't you going to buy something for Remus?" he called.

"Sorry," said Janus, one hand already on the door. "Can't hear you, bye." And he was gone.

Roman bounced on his toes. "Alright, alright, I'll leave you two to it, too."

"Thank you kindly," Virgil said, metering the sardonic bite in his tone so that Roman wouldn't get offended.

Roman tipped an imaginary hat first to Virgil, then to Logan, and sauntered out.

"Finally," Virgil sighed. He looked up to find Logan staring at him with evident concern. "What?"

"Are you alright?" Logan asked. "I know you take this kind of thing seriously and I would hate for you to feel like I'm not supporting you just because I don't share your belief."

Virgil couldn't help but smile as an unfamiliar feeling spread from his stomach to his chest. Ah, the warm fuzzies. He couldn't even be mad about the damage to his dark and brooding image. "I'm okay, Lo. I did my stuff."

Logan smiled back: a small, shy thing. "I'm glad."

They were quiet for a moment. Virgil took small bites of his banh mi, careful to keep one eye on the door. It had been an unusually slow day, especially given that it was the day after Halloween. The denizens of Vaillant were superstitious enough that Virgil was rarely idle behind the counter of Mystick Earth. A few groups of people paused by the door, some even going so far as to peer in through the glass storefront windows, but no one came in. Virgil relaxed a little. "How's work? Catch anyone embezzling?"

"Not yet," Logan said, pushing his sleeves further up his elbows. Virgil tried not to stare at the few additional centimeters of skin this action exposed. What was he, a repressed Victorian? "I did notice a discrepancy in the amount we spent on office supplies, but it was only because someone had miswritten a 'seven' as a 'two.'"

"No office drama?" Virgil ribbed him. "Nobody stealing pens or making out in supply closets?"

"Unfortunately, we are a building of professionals." Logan paused, straightened his tie. "The light above my cubicle went out and I had to put in an email to maintenance to get it fixed."

"Man, I could never work in an office," Virgil said.

"Did anything interesting happen to you this morning?"

"Eh, I had someone looking to curse an ex, and I had to explain why that's not acceptable. I won't bore you with the details." Virgil took another bite of his sandwich and bounced the toe of his shoe against the floor. Was he doing this right? It had been so long since his last real relationship, and everyone knew what a disaster that had been. He liked Logan, liked being with Logan, but… Well, maybe he was freaking out over nothing. He just had to remember how to do it right, and then everything would be okay.

"Ordinarily, I would challenge the notion that you could ever bore me," Logan said, "but I do have to leave soon."

"Finish your pho," Virgil said, smiling. "I can tell you later."

They finished eating and Virgil again leaned up to give Logan a kiss, balancing his weight on his hands. His heart wasn't in it, his brain a few seconds ahead. Should he come over the counter and walk Logan to the door? What should he say? ‘I love you’? Should he grab Logan's ass?

"Did you hear me?" Logan asked.

Virgil feet hit the floor, the impact driving tingles up to his knees. "Huh?"

"Just saying goodbye," Logan said.

"See you soon?"

"Let's make plans."

Logan left. Virgil stared at the door for a while, happiness ebbing away into loneliness and doubt. A small, childish part of him wanted to insist that Logan stay. Forget work. They could go to the movies and get ice cream, have a proper date. And Virgil would find some way to communicate just how much he appreciated Logan.

--

Virgil: Thanks for lunch, Lo

Logan: You're welcome

Logan: <3

Virgil hadn't gathered up the guts to respond to Logan's text message yet. It was really pathetic, how a single emoticon heart had him blushing and panicking like a teenager.

He swung one leg over his moped, but kept his weight mostly on the ground. Hating the way his heart pounded, he pulled out his phone.

Logan: <3

Virgil: <3

Before he could freak himself out any further, Virgil got on his moped properly and nearly peeled out of his parking spot. He rode home in silence, shivering a little in the wind chill and dodging potholes.

The sinking sun lit up the thunderheads on the horizon until the whole sky on Virgil's left was blue-gray and luminescent. He stared, admiring the bald cypress and tupelo trees silhouetted against the dying light, until the road turned and faced him toward the darkness. By the time he got home, it was full dark. He parked his moped in the carport and settled in for a lonely evening of curse-breaking.

Virgil wasn't usually lonely. As an introvert with several boisterous extroverts in his friend circle, he usually jumped at the chance for some alone time. But suddenly Logan's absence felt like loss in a way it never had before, and Virgil longed to have him near. Even if he just sat quietly and watched while Virgil put his own spin on constructing a witch bottle.

He went to bed early that night, earlier than usual, unable to stand the emptiness of his old house. Even the creaks and groans, even the ambient sounds of outside, even the ticking of his mantle clock, seemed to fade away into intolerable lonely silence. So Virgil crawled into bed before midnight, clutching his hoodie to his chest.

He didn't sleep well.

Strange visions haunted his dreams, almost primal in their intensity. He was rage, he was fear, he was power. He knew the earth beneath his feet, knew the deep, rich smells of the forest. He knew the moon above. It was bright but waning, pale silver struggling through the clouds that smelled of rain. So unlike Virgil, whose strength was eternal and agonizing and all. He howled.

He woke up all at once, all his senses alight. Even without opening his eyes, it was obvious: He was outside. Not only that, he was naked in the dirt.

He opened his eyes and rolled over, sitting up slowly to examine himself. Clammy soil clung to his exposed skin. He brushed it off with a shaking hand. His nails were stained with it too, all muddy and broken. And he was sore, almost as bad as the time he'd try to go jogging with Logan.

Virgil let the panic wash over him and pulled his legs in close to his chest, wrapped his arms around them. Wrong, wrong, wrong, he had nothing, knew nothing and he was all alone in the woods.

He crested the worst of the attack and clenched his trembling hands into fists, resentful of the adrenaline still ruling him. At least he seemed unharmed; his skin was free of bruises and scratches. He was just dirty. He raised a shaking hand to his left ear, feeling along the back of it for any strange marks. Finding nothing, he checked his right ear. The skin seemed wholly undisturbed, but he would see about that later. Right now, he had more pressing things to worry about than potential alien abduction. For one, there was the matter of his clothes… He got to his feet, covering his groin with his hands despite the solitude. All that surrounded him were the early-morning birdsong and the rustle of the wind in the leaves.

Spinning in a circle, Virgil found a place where branches had been broken and the underbrush had been thoroughly trampled by something much, much bigger than he. With no other leads, he steeled himself and followed the trail. It was difficult going. He had to keep his head down to make sure he didn’t step on anything sharp, and his heartbeat remained sharp and painful and panicked, beating out what-ifs beneath his skin. What if he couldn’t find his way home? What if he got arrested for public nudity? What if he tripped and broke his leg and got stranded? What if something attacked him?

The morning breeze picked up and made him shiver, drawing him out of his panicked thoughts. He just needed to keep walking. He might not even have been that far from home. He lived on the edge of the woods, so it made sense that he was within walking distance of home, right? Well, maybe not, but the belief was all he had. So he believed that he was close to home, believed that he would be fine, and continued to tread the path of destruction through the woods.

He was closer than he’d thought. Soon, the sound of tires over asphalt reached his ears and he picked up the pace. Crossing the road was a nerve-wracking endeavor, not least because the speed limit was 55 mph. He hadn’t seen any of his clothes on the trek. What would people say if they caught him darting naked across the road like some kind of feral mountain man? Traffic was sparse, it was true, but with Virgil’s luck, a pickup full of country boys would plow into him and leave him in the ditch. What a pleasant thought for a Friday morning. Pushing his fear aside, Virgil sprinted across the road as fast as his abused feet and sore muscles would let him. The trail of trampled bushes and broken branches led directly to his house, as he had feared it might, and the destruction didn’t stop there. His front door was open, bugs buzzing around the light over his kitchen sink. Several of his end tables had been knocked over and various trinkets from his many floating shelves littered the floor. His ceramic incense holder lay in pieces by the magazine rack filled with his collection of old tabloids-- the tabloids were okay, thank goodness.

“Hello?” Virgil called. No one answered, and the house was silent. He crept into the bedroom. Ah, there were his clothes. The t-shirt he slept in had split at the seams and his boxers hadn’t fared much better. At least his hoodie was okay. He pulled it on and slipped into a new pair of boxers, exhaustion finally catching up with him. He needed to deal with this, like, really needed to deal with this, but his bed…

He face-planted into it, not even bothering to straighten out or pull his legs onto the mattress. Sleep now, unpack terrifying potential supernatural encounter later.

[hauntednightmarekitty]

The monsters within (2/2)

Word count: 3,558

Trigger/content warnings: hallucinations, gaslighting, demons, possession, homophobia, swearing, kissing, horror, scars, self-harm

That morning before I even stopped at my locker I went to find Taylor. He was behind the school; sat at a picnic table. He had headphones on and looked like he was trying to block the world out. 

I walked up to him and slammed my hands on the table, getting his attention. He pulled off his headphones as he cut me with a cold glare, not willing to make the first move. 

"Where did you go last night? You made my sister think I'm crazy." I said. 

"My parents don't exactly allow me to leave the house when I do, so I hid when I heard someone coming." 

"You disappeared in seconds." 

"I'm fast." He shrugged, ready to put his headphones back on. 

"My sister wasn't going to tell your parents that you were out." 

"I didn't know that. You have a stick up your ass, so it'd make sense for her to as well." 

"I do not have a stick up my ass." 

"I beg to differ." 

The bell rang and Taylor motioned towards the school. 

Without another word I turned to the school and left him at his table. 

I didn't see Lillith that day until after school when she caught me leaving the building. She fell into step next to me; curiosity graced her flawless features. 

"Where were you this morning?" She asked. 

"I was dealing with some business." 

"Ooo, spooky. Do tell." She leaned forward in a desperate attempt to catch my eye and I rewarded her action with a small smile. 

"There was a boy," Lillith's face fell the second those words left my mouth. "Don't worry, Lillie, I'm not into him. I just had to talk to him about something that transpired last night. It was nothing too big though." 

"What trans… trans… happened- what happened last night that you had to talk about with him?" 

"We crossed paths on our evening walks and he randomly disappeared." 

"You go for walks?" 

"Yeah, sometimes I have nightmares and going for a walk helps calm my mind." 

"You can always call me if you have a nightmare." 

"Father doesn't allow us to have cell phones." 

"Wait," she stopped and put a hand out to stop me as well, "so you don't have a phone." 

"No, I don't." 

"Then how do you talk to your friends?" 

"We're currently talking." 

"No, like when you're not face to face." 

"I don't. I don't have any friends." 

"I'm your friend!" Why does she insist on pitying you? 

"I don't need your pity." 

"It's not pity. I legit think you're cool." Now she lies to you. 

"Whatever, my father is here." 

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow morning then!" She skipped off towards her mom's car and I was left with her words ringing through my head. 

The morning of Halloween Mr. Poe was even more active than normal. With everything happening he was stressed out and was, in turn, stressing me out as well. 

What if Lillith is just pranking you. What if Lillith thinks you're stupid. You're just going to make a fool of yourself. You suck anyway. It makes no sense why anybody would want to be your friend. Lillith hates you she hates- 

"Luna?" Lillith touched my shoulder and I jumped away from her, suddenly remembering where I am. Standing in front of my locker. "Are you ok?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just some nerves about tonight. I don't go out often." 

"Don't worry about it. My mom is going to pick us up after school then we're gonna stop at my house to get ready." 

"That sounds acceptable." 

"Cool! Do you have a costume?" 

"A costume? For what?" 

"For Halloween, silly. You're supposed to dress up in a costume. It's really fun!" 

"I'm sorry, I've never celebrated before. I don't know the customs."

"I probably have something you can dress up as. I already have ideas." 

The bell rang causing Lillie to give me a curt smile then turn away with a wave. She didn't want me to make her late to class since I still haven't deposited my backpack in my locker. 

Lillith was right on time after school. She made it to my locker before even I did. She wants to get this over with. I took a moment to appreciate her. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face with clips, her colorful platform sneakers were scuffed at the toes, and her sweater was slightly oversized and made her look tiny. She looked over at me and waved, a smile stretching across her amazing face. 

"Are you ready to get this party started?" She asked when I made it into earshot. 

"We're going to a party?" I opened my locker to grab my things, to not make Lillie wait any longer than necessary. 

"Well, not really. You could consider the Halloween festival to be a party though." 

Lillith hooked her arm in mine and led me out to her mom's car. Her mom was a very talkative lady who asked me questions about my family until Lillith finally told her to lay off. Lillie had me pressed against her side the whole time and if I'm honest with myself I'd admit that I didn't hate it. Homosexuality is a sin, my little moon child. 

Once we got to Lillie's room she sat me down in a chair and stood behind me. She toyed with my hair, a smile played across her features. 

"You should tie this up, your eyes are beautiful." She said. 

"Why don't you do that then." 

She hummed approvingly then grabbed a hair tie off of her dresser and tied my hair back into a low pony. She spun me in her desk chair so I was facing her and she tilted her head. After a moment of regarding me, she reached over my shoulder and grabbed a black berrett off of her desk which she clipped my bangs out of my face with. 

Her face was inches from mine, her brown eyes looking into my own. She leaned in, her lips nearly brushing mine. Quick push her away! You can't let this succubus put you under her spell. 

I pushed her away from me before her lips could hit mine and she looked away, slightly frazzled. She made the quick decision to pretend that what just happened didn't happen and she walked to her closet to get something. 

"I have the perfect idea for your costume." She said. 

"What's your idea?" 

"Well, you're all black preppy goth look gave me the idea of-" She pulled cat ears out of her closet and placed them on my head, "cat girl! You look so cute!" 

"I look promiscuous." 

"I'll pretend that I know what that means and move on." 

"I look like a slut." 

"Oh, I don't think you look like a slut. You look cute." 

"Of course you would find it cute." 

"Stop being pissy, storm cloud." She kissed the top of my head then went back to her closet to change. She's gonna turn you into a homosexual. If you don't stop talking to her now you'll go to hell too. You don't want that. You don't want to be a sinner. 

"Do you like my costume?" 

I looked over to where Lillie was standing. She was wearing a red riding hood outfit complete with the dress and cloak. Her hair was flowing loosely around her shoulders and her lipgloss shined in the light. 

"Yeah, it looks good on you." Suppress the thoughts. Suppress the thoughts. Suppress the- 

"We could head over to the festival. It takes place in the park which is just a few minutes walk from my house." 

Lillie took my hand for the second time that night. She led me to the park talking up the festival the whole time. By the time we got there, I expected it to take place in a castle. 

She led me around the different booths and we bought candy and sweets galore.

 After a while, Lillith started dragging me towards the haunted house. In my gut, I knew it was a bad idea, but I didn't want to disappoint Lillie, so I sucked it up and went in with her. 

Jump scares have never been my forte, I get lost in my head and the jump scares become amplified because I wasn't expecting them. Not to mention this haunted house looked horrifying. 

We got to the front rather quickly and Lillie led me in, her hand gripping mine. The house immediately gave off an eerie feeling that set me on edge. 

Nothing happened in the first room but the second that we stepped into the second room a ghost jumped out of the wall at us, which caused both me and Lillie to scream. However, Lillie quickly recovered and laughed at herself while I remained in an anxious state. I could still feel the eyes of the ghost on me.

 I looked up from the floor and locked eyes with multiple shadowy figures that were slowly pressing closer. Lillie tugged on my hand to get me to keep moving, but I couldn't. My legs felt like jelly and I didn't want to move towards the shadows. 

She pulled on my hand more eagerly and when I looked up I saw blood dripping down the walls. Someone with a ski mask and chainsaw came towards us and I knew this was it. This was the moment that I died. 

I braced myself for death, but it never came. Instead, I felt Lillie's lips close to my ear. 

"Hun, can you walk? There's an emergency exit over there that we can take." 

I nodded weakly and managed to stumble out of the house, but the second that I hit the grass I was on my knees dry heaving. 

"What was that in there?" Lillie asked.

"You tried to kill me is what happened." I wiped my hand on my sleeve; the adrenaline started to ebb a little. 

"You weren't going to die, it was just a haunted house." 

"Exactly! There was a ghost and shadow creatures and blood and a man with a chainsaw, I thought I was going to die." 

"Luna, there weren't shadow creatures or blood, and the man with the chainsaw was just an actor. He pointed out the exit." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Do you see things that aren't there? I didn't see half of the stuff that you did." She's gaslighting you. You saw that stuff. 

"Don't tell me what's real and what isn't real when you can't even handle your own emotions and thoughts." 

"I can handle my emotions." 

"Tell that to the scars on your arms." 

"I'm working on that." She hugged herself defensively and turned away. "How do you know about that anyway." 

"You decided to try to cut yourself behind the school after being bullied." 

"You saw that?" Hurt cut across her features. 

"I may have witnessed that. It wasn't my place to intervene." 

"I thought we were friends." 

"We're not friends! You just decide to tag along with me no matter what I say and you badger me into going to things like this then put me through traumatic experiences for your enjoyment!" 

"I do not do that." 

"No, you're right. You just feel useless, so you use me to feel needed. The fact that I'm friendless is something that you think you can fix. Have you ever thought that maybe I like it that way?" 

She turned fully away this time. "I don't need to deal with this kind of harassment." 

"Yeah, just run away." I continued to yell up at her from my spot on the ground. 

She gave me one last hurt look before walking away. 

A few days later, at school, Lillith came up to me with an apologetic look on her face. 

"Luna," she said, "I'm sorry about how things went down between us. If you're ok with it I'd like to stay over. I'm sure a lot of what you said is true, so I'd like to work towards a mutually beneficial relationship between us." 

"Did you consult a dictionary for that speech?" I didn't look at her. I couldn't look at her. If I looked at her I'd let her come back. Good girl. 

"What? No." 

"Well, that was big words for someone like you. You can't even understand the fact that I don't want your friendship." 

"I thought that you were just against the one-sided friendship."

"I'm against friendship with you at all. You're a sorrowful excuse for a human being and I don't want to deal with it." 

"I'm over here trying to apologize and instead you just insult me?" 

"If you'd leave you wouldn't be insulted." 

Her eyes darkened and she finally turned to leave, casting me one last glance before finally leaving. 

I finished putting my stuff away and when I turned to walk to class I saw Taylor standing right next to me. 

"Taylor!" I squeaked. 

"Sorry, Luna." He backed away from me, a smile on his face. "Did Lillith leave you?" 

"She's a terrible person that I didn't want to be involved with." 

"You're better off without her anyway." 

"Thanks, I guess." 

"She was just holding you back anyway. Making you feel things that you shouldn't." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You had a major crush on her. You're better without her because now you don't-" 

"Why do you think I have a crush on her?" 

"It's obvious." 

"No, it's not." 

"To me it is." 

"Whatever, I'm going to class." 

"See you later then!" 

Days went by and Lillith finally respected my wishes and left me alone. Meanwhile, Mr. Poe was getting more and more aggressive and yelled at me more and more. He called me a failure and an idiot and every insult under the sun. 

One day though, a good week after Lillith had stopped talking to me, Mr. Poe was being especially terrible during lunch. 

You're a failure, nobody would want to be your friend even if you let them. You'll live alone your whole life. You're not even worth the air that you breathe. Just shut up and be the doormat that you know you should be. 

Taylor walked in at that moment, sitting next to me and giving a small wave to Mr. Poe. 

"Hey, Luna. What're you two talking about?" 

How Luna will never amount to anything. 

"You're probably not wrong." 

"Aren't you supposed to defend me?" I asked. 

"But he's not wrong." 

You should listen to this one, he seems good. 

"You'll make a good trophy wife someday, but you're not smart enough to do much else."

"You don't know that. You barely know me." 

"I know you better than you think." 

"You don't know me! You wouldn't know it! You don't know me." 

Taylor slowly walked towards me, which caused me to cower in the corner. 

"You're useless." Useless, Luna, useless. 

"I'm not useless!" USELESS "I'M NOT, DON'T CALL ME USELESS!" My hands went over my head as I tried to protect myself from their insults. But they just both broke into cackles. 

"Luna?" Lillith was crouched in front of me and I was suddenly unsure of how long she's been trying to get my attention. "Who are you talking to?" 

"Mr. Poe and Taylor. They're in the room. Do you not see them? They're in the room." 

"Hey, Luna." Lillith grabbed my cheeks, and she forced me to look up at her. "Don't listen to them. They aren't real." 

"You don't know what's real!" I cried as I pulled my knees closer. Are you going to let her trick you?

"Nobody else can see Taylor or Mr. Poe, they're hallucinations. Nobody is in here with you but me." She ran her thumb under my eyes and dried my tears. 

"Why should I believe you?" She's lying to you. She wants to hurt you. 

"Because I care about you and don't want to see you in pain. And I know how it feels to struggle with mental illness and not get help. It sucks and I don't want you to go through that." 

"Why would you care about me? I've been so mean to you." She doesn't care.

"Because I see how much you're struggling and I understand how hard it can be. I want to help, but I can only help if you let me." 

"How do I fix it then?" You can't fix me. I am you whether you want to admit it or not. 

"Are you going to let her get rid of me!" Taylor screamed at me from the opposite corner. 

I cowered away from him as I covered my ears and Lillith scooted closer. 

"First," she said, her voice oddly soothing. "You need to get out of your environment. That house is awful and terrible for you. Second, you need to get on some meds and don't expect the first one to work. Third, you need to talk to someone." 

"That's a lot…" Taylor was progressively getting closer and Mr. Poe was whispering in the back of my mind. 

"Let's start on step one then. You have enough bruises and scars to easily get emancipated from your parents. I say start with that and I'll convince my parents to let you stay with us." 

"Why would they want me?" 

"Because you're a sweet girl when you let yourself be and you're struggling so hard. I doubt they'd let you go through this on your own or leave you with your abusive parents." 

"They aren't-" 

"Don't defend them. That's not how you punish your kids. My parents barely even yell at me." 

"Ok, that… that does sound nice." 

"Good. Then tomorrow after school we're going to start the process of getting you emancipated." She held out her pinky to me, tears in her eyes. "I promise I will not leave you at any point. I'll be with you every step of your recovery." 

I hooked my pinky with hers, and I finally felt sure about something in my life. 

16 months later

Lillith pov

Luna had been living with us for almost a year and a half. Shortly after she moved out of her parents' house she started setting a therapist and was diagnosed with schizophrenia rather quickly. 

She got on some meds, but we still struggled for a while. There were days when she really couldn't tell her hallucinations for reality and she got super paranoid. She'd hear voices a lot and they usually weren't telling her great things. However, after some trial and error, we got her on some meds that work well for her. She sleeps better now and she's even more affectionate towards me now that she's not super paranoid about me hating her or wanting to hurt her. 

It's still taking a lot of effort from all of us to work through the trauma that her parents left her with, but I feel like we're making progress. 

She no longer believes in the religion that she was brought up in. Her therapist said that it's to be expected since she was suffocated by it for so long. I find it to be a step in the right direction because she's not letting her parents dictate her life anymore. 

She turns eighteen today and her big wish was to stay home and watch movies with me. So, I decided to make us a pillow nest on my bed and get her favorite movies ready to stream. I had gotten my mom to help me distract Luna while I set everything up and so far it was going great. 

I turned off the lights to prepare for her arrival and the fairy lights that I have set up in my room twinkled beautifully. I heard Luna's voice down the hall and I climbed into the blanket nest to prepare for her arrival. 

She walked in and immediately caught my eyes. She inhaled sharply and looked around the room. "Lillith," she said, breathily, "what is all of this?" 

"You said that you wanted to stay in and watch movies, so I created a blanket nest. I thought that we could cuddle and stream your favorite movies. How does that sound?" 

"That sounds wonderful." She climbed into the blanket nest before she cuddled into my side. I watched her pull a blanket over our laps then lay her head on my shoulder. 

I passed her the laptop and she turned on Coroline. It was a movie that she discovered when she first moved in and couldn't stop watching after that. 

Right before the opening credits started rolling she pecked my lips, a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Thanks for everything that you've done. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for you." 

"Probably dead in a ditch." 

Her laugh was like music to my ears. "You're probably right."

"You do know I love you, right?" 

"You show me every day." 

I pulled her closer to my side, as I buried my face in her hair to hide my tears. She'd never kissed me before. I suspected that she liked me and I liked her, but I didn't want to push her by making the first move. 

Something inside me told me that everything was finally going to be okay. 

[katniss-shmeverdeen]

A Trip Like No Other

I wrote a short story and want y’all to enjoy it; This is a long one so grab some popcorn and settle in.

“I can’t believe you’re making me wear this,” Lucas said in disbelief. He looked in the bedroom mirror and analyzed the red and black get up Brantley put him in.

“Oh come on, you’re about to begin the last year of your twenties, you gotta start it off with a bang”

“Yeah and this ain’t it, Brant. If I wanted to be ring leader to a bunch of clowns, I would go back to my last job at Bridgeport. They never could make a decent cappuccino.” He eyed Brantley in the mirror,

“And who are you supposed to be?”

“Uh, Tyler Chatwood” He waited for Lucas to react, but it didn’t click. “The Cubs” Lucas turned to Brantley and shook his head. “Really dude? It’s our home team, how can you not know these guys?

Lucas turned back to the mirror to adjust his top, “Believe it or not, some of us couldn’t care less about sports, especially their names.”

Brantley adjusted himself in the mirror as well, “Alright we’ll work on your sports knowledge later, right now we have to get out there and make sure our friends have the best Halloween yet.”

Lucas turned and grabbed his top hat off the bed post, “Fine, but if any one calls me Hugh Jackman, I’m leaving”

“And go where?” Brantley had to raise his voice because Lucas was already out the door, “You live here!”

“Maybe I’ll find a nice hovel!” He heard him shout from the hallway, making his way toward the party in the living room.

Lucas entered his living room to see about twenty people in all kinds of different costumes and outfits. Some went above and beyond to make sure their costumes were as accurate as possible. Lucas could’ve sworn he saw Heath Ledger because that Joker costume was anything but a joke. Others put in so little effort that he wasn’t sure they even knew what kind of party this was. He saw a man with disheveled hair and paint-splattered jeans wearing a shirt that said ‘This is my party shirt.’

Black and orange string lights were hung around the room, along with fake spider webs, bat and ghost decals on the walls, and spooky music playing in the background.

Brantley did a bang up job getting this all together. He’d always had a knack for this kind of stuff, and went all out to make sure parties were enjoyable for everyone.

Lucas made his way to the punch bowl in the kitchen and poured orange Fanta into a black plastic cup.

Before he could even get a sip of it, a burly man dawning a toga with some stains had an arm around him and was shaking him vigorously, making half of the pop in his cup jump onto the counter.

“Hey hey! There’s the birthday boy!” He shouted unnecessarily, his mouth was a centimeter from Lucas’ ear and the music wasn’t even that loud.

Lucas did his best to smile, but it was hard to do that while holding his breath to avoid breathing in armpit-stench. “Curtis, oh boy, it’s uh, always good to smell- see ya, buddy.”

Curtis let go of him, but stood just as close. Lucas took a step back while rubbing his shoulder and turning his head to get a good breath in.

Curtis was one of those clowns at Bridgeport, always over-friendly and not concerned about doing his job well, just talking with customers and co-workers and not understanding their social queues.

He continued using his loud voice, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my favorite boss, we sure miss you at the ol’ bean shop!”

Lucas tried smiling again, but it was more of a grimace. He had been in this situation too many times and he was trying to think his way out of it. Before, he could use the customers or co-workers as an excuse to leave the conversation, but now there was no backup to fall on.

“I’m sure you do; Listen, with all this party stuff going on and this being the big 2-9, I’ve sort of made myself anxious about all of it and that’s resulted in an upset stomach, so I hope you’ll understand my need to get to the bathroom as soon as I can.” He didn’t give Curtis a chance to respond before he made a mad dash out of the kitchen.

“Well make it quick, we got a lot of catching up to do!” Curtis yelled even louder as he poured himself more drink.

Lucas arrived back in the living room and looked for Brantley. He spotted him in the corner trying to make a home run with Alice from Wonderland. Lucas made his way through the crowd, giving quick smiles to those he made eye-contact with. Brantley was just about to get Alice’s number when Lucas grabbed his arm, “Excuse me, I need to borrow Romeo for a second.” He dragged Brantley down the hallway and stood close enough to him so others wouldn’t hear their conversation. “Please tell me you have a good reason for inviting Curtis.”

Brantley shot back at him, “Don’t blame this on me; I was at Bridgeport inviting people you actually like, and he overheard us talking, therefore inviting himself. I talked to the current manager and she said he wasn’t scheduled to work that day, but I guess he wanted to clock in out of the goodness of his heart.” While Brantley was explaining, Lucas was dragging his hand down his face so hard his skin almost came off. “After you made me wear this costume I didn’t think this night could get much worse, but Curtis and a few others being here proved me wrong.”

“Well if that’s how you feel, I’ll just tear down the decorations and tell everyone to get out since tonight’s so horrible.”

Brantley started to walk away, feeling under appreciated for all his work to get this party together.

Lucas walked after him, “Brant, come one, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…” He took off his top hat and focused on that instead, ”I’m at another dead-end job, bills are piling up, I’ve been single for three years… I don’t know, I guess I’m not as happy with my life as I would’ve hoped so I don’t really see much reason for celebration… and I think the whole Curtis thing was the straw on the camel’s back, ya know?.

And to add salt to the wound, this February was ten years since I lost my dad.”

Brantley never could stay mad very long and was usually the one to ease tension,

“Well I know one of those things you can try to change tonight. A certain red-head in a maid costume’s been eyeing you all night”

That made Lucas perk up very quickly, “Really? Well then what are we waiting for? Let’s get this party started.” He slapped on his top hat and confidently strode back to the party.

After about an hour of mingling, flirting, and avoiding certain people, Brantley decided it was time for Lucas to wish himself into the next chapter of his life. The partygoers still at the house at this point sang while Brantley brought the cake to the kitchen counter where Lucas was sitting on a barstool. Lucas had seen some extravagant cakes before, but this one was in the top five of most gaudy. He tried to be appreciative, but it was hard when his own face was staring back at him. There were also black and orange balloons, black cats, and some kind of goblin creature taking up a third of the cake. He made a mental note to avoid eating from that section. The candles were arranged in a way to avoid the icing creatures, so Lucas would do his best to get them all out in one go. He sat with his eyes closed for a second, trying to think of a good wish. He knew it wasn’t real, but you never know what might happen, especially if you’re Lucas Whittaker. He decided on something that could cover all the bases, and leaned forward as he thought to himself, “I wish for this year to be different.”

Before Lucas opened his eyes again, he heard a stranger’s voice. “Oh it’ll be different alright.”

Lucas’ eyes shot open and saw a man standing where Brantley had been. This guy looked like he lost a fight with Hot Topic’s discount rack, complete with chains and an outdated graphic tee.

Lucas stood up and looked around the room. The music was dead, everyone else was gone, and the house became twenty degrees warmer.

He looked at Mystery Man like he’d just been shot, which he might as well have been. “Where are Brant and the others? What did you do with them? Who are you? Why are you here? How are you here?”

Mystery Man put his hand up to stop Lucas from winning the prize for the most asked questions in a minute. “Hey kid, I only answer so many questions for new clients, you’re pushing the limit.”

“Client? I didn’t sign up for any of this, what do you want?” Lucas asked, his patience running out quickly and his sweat increasing.

“Yes, client. I have someone you want, you have someone I want- well, technically I have both of them, but I can’t retrieve one. Anyway, for us to get those people back, we have to work together, which I guess would make us more like business partners.”

Lucas marched over and grabbed him by the shirt collar, getting close enough to smell last night’s dinner still on his breath. “Listen here, you sorry excuse for an angsty teenager, bring Brantley back or I will personally air-mail you to the foot of Satan’s throne.”

Mystery Man looked at him with so little interest, that if he were any more bored, he’d be dead. “Interesting, considering the man whose throne you plan to send me to is standing right in front of you.”

Lucas released him in a huff, reconsidering everything, while the King of Hades smoothed his newly wrinkled shirt.

Lucas paced by the fridge, trying to digest his current situation. “This is not happening, this isn’t real, I’m dreaming. That’s it, I’m still at the party, passed out on the couch having a drink-induced nightmare. I knew I shouldn’t have had that shot of tequila and hot sauce.” He stopped contemplating long enough to realize he was alone. He cried out to the empty area, “Are you kidding? What do you want from me?!” He looked around, but there was no answer, just Lucas, the kitchen, and more questions than he had at the start of the day.

He exited the kitchen and went to the front door to get his keys from the hook. “Alright, I’ll just have to find Brant myself.” He reached for the knob and started to open the door when he heard the man again,

“I wouldn’t advise that.”

The Lord of the dead appeared on the same couch Lucas had been in earlier that evening, making Lucas jump so far out of his skin, he had to hold himself back from decking Hades all the way to Tartarus.

Hades continued, “Going in blind will get you killed, and you won’t be able to return my son to me.” Lucas looked at him with confusion and disbelief, “I’m sorry, I must’ve blacked out for a second. Going in where? And did you say your son?”

Hades pointed at the stereo, and they were suddenly listening to some old-school ACDC. “Yep, my time on the throne is almost up and since it can only be ruled by my descendants, I figured it’s high time I bring him home to learn the ropes and eventually take his rightful place.”

After a few seconds, Lucas asked, “What does that have to do with me?” Hades stood and got in Lucas’ personal space, “You and my son are a lot closer than you might think, here let me show you.”

Before Lucas could ask what he meant, Hades snapped them to Lucas’ childhood home. They stood in the living room, looking at a family of two snuggled on the couch, with candles lit, orange and black decorations, and only the glow of a scary movie to illuminate their faces.

“Can they see us?” Lucas asked, careful not to make any sudden movements in case they were about to ruin the time-travel continuum. Hades gestured to the living room and said with a sly grin, “Don’t worry, this is only a projection of your past, we’re not here.”

“How? I don’t remember this night at all.” Lucas walked around, inspecting the decorations, furniture, and the father and son. He leaned over and gave them a closer look. “I sure miss you dad, I wish you were still here.” He stood up slowly and walked back to Hades, crossing his arms, “So why are we here? What does this forgotten memory have to do with your son?” Hades glanced at him and looked ahead again, “Three, two, one,” and on the next beat the doorbell rang. Lucas’ dad, Anthony, answered the door, but was quickly drained of any happiness when he saw who it was. Mystery Man himself was standing on the doorstep of Lucas’ home, looking not too different than now. Anthony spoke in a hardened tone, “What are you doing here? I told you never to come back.”

Hades put his hands up in a surrender pose, “I’m just here to see the boy, it’s been another six months already since we got together.”

“Yeah, and I was hoping the last time I saw you would be the last time I saw you. I especially never want you around Lucas ever again, you’ve brought nothing but trouble to him.” Anthony grew angrier and more impatient, but doing his best to speak in hushed tones, “Do you know how much ridicule and humiliation he’s been through with friends and in classes because he tells people you’re his friend? Do you know how many times we’ve had to change schools because the teachers and parents overhear him saying he knows Hades? I need you out of our lives forever. He just turned thirteen and he deserves to live his teenage years, as well as the rest of his life, without you, and he can’t get that with you showing up whenever you feel like it, or at all!”

Hades peaked into the living room and saw Lucas sitting on the couch, elbows deep in popcorn. Looking back to Anthony, he let out a defeated sigh, “Fine, if that’s how you feel, I’ll leave for good.”

“I hope so, that’s what you said last time.” Hades snapped his fingers, but nothing changed. “There, now he won’t remember me at all, if anything, I’m just another one of his scary nightmares.” He started to walk away, but turned back, “Just don’t come crying to me when he wants to know what happ-“ Anthony slammed the door in his face before he could finish his statement. He walked back to the couch and re-joined his son as if nothing happened.

Current Lucas turned to Hades, more confused than before, “That answered nothing, like, this makes less sense than before you showed up today. What does any of this have to do with me, your son, saving Brant-” Hades turned to Lucas, hands behind his back, “Lucas, what has your dad told you about your grandparents?”

“What? How is that relevant?”

Hades walked over to the fireplace and wiped the dust off a picture frame of Lucas and Anthony at his sixth birthday, “Do you have any fond memories, stories, hand-me-downs from either of them?”

Lucas tried to answer best he could, sorting through his memories, but struggling to find any of those things in his mind, “Uh, grandma had my dad when she was twenty five, but grandpa wasn’t really in the picture. Dad said… he said grandpa would drop in every now and then, but really that’s the only memory he has of his dad. Ironically, he said our names are related. I only remember his name also started with an L and I know it wasn’t Lucas, but what is similar to that?” Hades sat next to Anthony and relaxed as he watched Lucas talk this out. “Anytime, champ, we got a schedule to keep.” Lucas glanced up at him with a sarcastic look, “I’m doing my best here, Captain Impatient. So… Lucas…Luscious?…” He chuckled a bit, saying sarcastically, “Lucifer?” He stopped laughing when he saw Hades not joining in the laughter, “No, no, no, no, no this can’t be true. You are not my grandfather, I am not the grandson of the Satan, I’m not related to you!” He stormed out of the house into the front yard. He was pacing again, hands on his head and tear on his cheek. Hades showed up in front of him again, “Welcome to the family, let’s get to work.”

He snapped his fingers again and returned them to empty party house. Lucas was in his usual clothes this time, a pair of regular fit jeans, hiking boots, and a plain t-shirt with a flannel unbuttoned.

Lucas didn’t give a rip about the location change, all he did was sit on a couch in silence and wipe away his tears, but finally said in a whisper, “How do I get Brantley back?” Hades was elated, and clapped his hand on Lucas’ back. “That’s the spirit! So, all you have to do is go into the Underworld, find your dad, and bring him to me in my throne room!”

He had an overly enthusiastic grin on his face, waiting for Lucas’ response. He just stared at Hades with hatred. The grin left Hades faster than he could snap-travel, “Look, I can’t get him out because only mortals and demi-gods, like your father, can be where he is. Plus, if I try to go in there, the souls will attack me like I’m the last zebra in a lion’s den.” Lucas kept his head forward, looking at the hanging bat decorations, “So why does it have to be me?”

“I’m glad you asked! You are my grands-“ Lucas cut him off, “Don’t. Say it.” Hades sighed, “Fine, you’re my relative, so you have immunity to the underworld’s effects. Anyone else would be dead in ten minutes, but you have the ability to walk in and out unnoticed like one of your AA meetings.” Lucas shot him a glare that would make Cerberus run for the hills. “How do you know about that? I’ve never told anyone, not even Brant.” Hades tried in his most innocent voice. “What? I can’t keep up with my favorite grandson just out of pure love?” Lucas kept his eyes on Hades waiting for the truth, “Alright so I might have been keeping tabs so I would know when the right time came to do all this,”

he said, as he gestured about the living room.

Lucas yelled in frustration, “The right time would’ve been never!” He stood up and turned back to address Hades on the couch, “You know what? You’re crazy and I’m getting out of here!” He did just that and slammed the front door, leaving Hades inside.

Lucas was walking away from the house, but he could only get so far without Hades on his heels, but in this case it was his toes. Hades appeared right in front of Lucas mid-stride. He quickly turned and started the down the sidewalk. Hades eyed him and shouted, “When will you learn you can’t escape me? I can go anywhere and anytime, and believe me, I do have time, unlike Brantley.” That was it, no one, not even the Devil himself, could put Lucas’ best friend in imminent danger and not expect repercussions. He turned to look back at Hades with a cautious, but curious look, “What does that mean? What’s happening to him down there?” Hades sauntered forward, eventually meeting Lucas under a street lamp, “Remember when I said other people will die quickly down there? Well, I felt gracious enough to spare his life a bit longer than normal, but he’s still dying nonetheless.” Lucas was very interested in the shoes while Hades explained all this. With a hand on his hip and the other on his forehead trying to keep it from exploding, he said, “Fine. Let’s go down there. Use your magic trick to flash us to… wherever in the hell we’re going.” Hades gave the biggest smirk he could muster, “I thought you’d never ask” and snapped with both hands.

Lucas woke up in a library, at a four-person table, surrounded by books so thick they could’ve been used for bricks. The library was small, max occupancy around 100 people. It was a place Lucas had frequented a lot his senior year, he needed silence to concentrate on polynomials, and his dorm was the last place that would be found. He looked at the seat across the table, watching Brantley feverishly take notes on paper, while studying two encyclopedias. “Pleasant dreams, champ?” Brantley said, while keeping his focus on his work. He was met with a hand on his face, “Brant? Is it really you?” Lucas said in disbelief. Brantley swatted at his hand in frustration, “Yes, it’s really me! What’s going on with you?” Lucas retracted his hand and examined it before looking back at Brantley, confused, “Are you sure we’re not in Hell?” Brantley let out a short breath, “Might as well be with all this work we’re doing.”

“No, this can’t be right, I was just talking with Lucifer, well, Hades an-“ Brantley cut him off in a hushed tone, leaning over the table, “Dude, keep your voice down! Most people aren’t used to hearing stuff like that,” They both gave a smirk to someone walking by, “and quite frankly neither am I, especially since you haven’t mentioned him in two years!” Lucas sat back in his chair, “Wait, you remember me talking about him? Why didn’t you ever mention that to me?” Brantley gave a concerned look, still keeping his voice down, “Because like I said, it’s not a subject matter I’m particularly fond of, let alone something I want to be talking about out loud.” He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms,

“I remember the days after you had one of those nightmares, you came to school so… sullen and beat down, you were a completely different person. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want you becoming that person again, living in that pit. Now shut up and study, you know how hard Mr. Herrington’s tests are for you.” Lucas looked at Brantley as if he had three heads, “Mr Herring- I haven’t had to study in five and a half years, dude. We graduated already.” Brantley looked at him with the same confusion Lucas had, “Okay maybe you shouldn’t study, it’s obviously frying the little brains you do have.”

Lucas looked at him cautiously, slowly standing up, “Rrrright, uh, I’m gonna go, uh, over there.” He pointed and walked toward the non-fiction section hastily, leaving Brantley wondering what was happening to his best friend.

Lucas paced up and down the aisle, muttering to himself, trying to figure out how and why he was reliving this night. Hades had to be messing with him, right? Lucas knew for a fact that he wasn’t a student any more. One can never forget the sweet release into freedom after walking across that stage.

Before he realized it, a librarian walked over to see him not looking at books, “Excuse me, sir, is everything ok over here?” Lucas looked at her startled and tried to muster an answer, “Uh yes, yeah, everything’s fine, great, in fact. I was just, uh, rehearsing my, uh, monologue for an upcoming audition.” He stood as if someone had him at gunpoint, praying the woman would leave quickly. She nodded with concern and swiftly shuffled away. Lucas let out an exasperated sigh and muttered to himself, “And my audition for the insane asylum.” He meandered to a shelf and pulled out ‘What to Do When a Loved One is in Danger.’ He paused for a moment, “Okay that’s eerily specific.”

He opened to a random page; he didn’t expect much, but he didn’t expect to see only one word on the page: ‘HELP.’ His eyes got wide ‘HELP ME,’ his heart beating faster with every flip of a page, ’HELP ME PLEASE’ he had to grab hold of the shelf to keep from falling over, ‘HELP ME PLEASE, LUCAS.’ He threw the book on the ground, shattering this illusion and shifting him to another location.

This time Lucas woke up groggy and sweaty. He knew he wasn’t dreaming because he would never sleep in such a warm environment. All those “nightmares” about Hades had traumatized him from being in hot places, even trips to the beach were pushing it. He looked around, but couldn’t see much. Everything was dark and the room was small. There was a thin layer of gray smog, just enough to irritate his eyes. His wrists were throbbing. He looked up and saw he was chained in manacles hanging from the ceiling. He was in a T-position, just barely able to relieve his wrists of pain if he stood on his toes, but if not, he would slump down and cause them to catch the edge of the shackles.

He could hear labored breathing, which might’ve been his own, but he couldn’t be too sure. He couldn’t be sure of anything lately.

Lucas looked across the room and saw the faint figure of a man about his size. His heart racing, in hopes it was who he thought. “Brant?” He said, but his voice sounded like a lawn mower trying to start up after a long winter in a shed. No reply. Lucas said his name louder, and a little smoother this time. The man spoke, sounding similar to Lucas’ first attempt, “No, no. My, uh,” he cleared his throat, “my name is Anthony.” Lucas could not believe what he was hearing. His thoughts running a marathon now. Was it really his dad? Where’s Brantley? Was this actually another dream? Where’s Hades? How can he get out of here? How will he survive? Lucas paused and tried to collect himself,

“l’m sorry, can you run that by me again?”

“Uh, I said my name is Anthony” Lucas’ eyes got wide with hope “….Dad?” Anthony became more alert and hopeful, “Lucas? Is that really you?” Lucas let out a sigh of relief, “Yeah dad, it’s me, it’s really me and I’m really here…

I think.” Lucas wasn’t too sure, but it sounded like his dad was choking up, and it wasn’t due to the smog, “Oh my boy, you’ve grown up so much. I’m so sorry you had to go on all this time without me.” There was silence for a while before Anthony spoke again. “How long has it been?” Lucas took in a deep breath and let it out just as slowly, “Ten years” Silence again. “Dad?” “It’s been ten for you, but for me it feels like I’ve been down here for a hundred. And the worst part is that I believed Hades’ lies. The night I died, Hades spoke to me in the car. I don’t mean in a philosophical way or in my mind, he literally showed up in my passenger seat and paused time to have a discussion with me.

We both knew that driver wasn’t stopping and he said only one of us could live through that accident. I asked him why we both couldn’t live and that’s when he told me about one of us needing to take over his throne. I didn’t want to come, but he told me it was the only way to ensure your safety and his absence in your life. I had just enough time to look at you sleeping in the back seat before the car got T-boned.” He chuckled a bit, “oh you were exhausted.

It’s hard to be the star of the show, especially when it’s your last one and your crush is your co-star.” Lucas had a hard time not sniffling. That was his favorite show and his favorite high school memory, and he never would’ve guessed it’d also be the night he’d lose his dad forever.

“But, the next thing I knew, I was hanging here and yelling at him to release me. I don’t know why I actually believed him…. I guess I just wanted the best for you.” Lucas’ heart felt like lead. He never would’ve guessed that his dad had sacrificed himself to save him. Dream Brantley was right, the subject matter did make him sullen and dismal. After Lucas let the smog and thin air dry his tears, he said in a low voice, “Why didn’t you tell me about him? Why let me forget?” Anthony used the same soft voice, “Because you’re curious, you’ve always been curious. Remember your fifth grade field trip? You came home and refused to go to sleep until you knew how that animatronic mouse was alive. It ruined you for about three months, we couldn’t even drive past that place without you bursting into tears. So I hope you can understand why I held it from you…. You being who you are, I assume your life has been good, you’ve got great friends, a good job, found a nice girl, a really cool house probably… and a life without him. I wanted to tell you, I really did, I just thought I had more time. Also, I didn’t think he would actually hunt you down.” Lucas did his best to make eye contact with Anthony, “It would’ve been better coming from you than finding out when he dragged my best friend to Hell.”

“Would you have believed me?” His dad said, using an accusatory tone. He waited for a beat, then said lightly, “What does it matter? You would’ve done your research and pieced it together yourself.”

“Dad, that’s not the point, what matters is that you didn’t tell me the truth” Anthony raised his voice, “The truth would’ve wrecked you and sent you into a lifelong tailspin like it did for me!

Before I kicked him out of our lives, he brought nothing but turmoil. He tried so many times to take us on field trips down to his world. He gave you poisonous spiders and snakes as pets before you were even three years old. He tried to set you on fire to build up immunity. I didn’t choose this life, but I refuse to follow in his footsteps as a ruler and father.”

Lucas shot back at him, “Well you might not have much choice!” He waited and let himself calm down “Unless we can figure out a loophole or some other way to get us out of sitting on that skele-throne, we’re stuck down here.”

“Well if you have any bright ideas, let me know, I’ve been trying to figure out how to take him down since the moment I arrived.”

Just then, there came a loud noise that sounded like twenty banshees were sending out a warning signal, which was very likely. Lucas almost near soiled his pants, but he kept it together long enough to ask what was happening. He looked around to see if there was any immediate danger “I’ve been down here a long while and only heard that sound a handful of times. He’s coming.” Lucas shot Anthony a concerned look, “What?” Anthony corrected himself, “Well actually, we’re going to him, which isn’t much better.”

Lucas barely had the chance to ask what he meant before the two of them were standing in the pit of a blacked out colosseum, or rather Lucas was, while his dad was at the right hand side of the Devil himself. He looked down and saw a sword in his hand and a shield in the other, both just as black as the dirt under his feet. He was decked out in full, matte black Roman armor instead of the outfit he came here in. He even had a helmet with a plume. It’s a good thing he also had a cape to complete the look or else he might look stupid.

Lucas looked around and saw he was alone in the pit. The only audience he noticed right away were the human-shaped shadow figures filling the seats in the arena. They weren’t cheering, but they weren’t booing either, actually, they weren’t doing anything at all. He could tell they didn’t have eyes, but that didn’t erase the feeling of being under a microscope. Lucas finally spotted Hades. He was sitting in the first tier of seats, the podium, reserved for senators and royalty. Lucas was being cynical before about the skele-throne, but that’s exactly what was under Hades’ rump, a collection of black and gray skulls, fingers, feet, and every bone in between, sloppily constructed to resemble a chair of sorts. Lucas thought he might be hallucinating, but he could swear the bones were reaching out and crying for help. Mist curled up around each movement of a hand or call of the mouth, but he assumed it was Hades’ sheer will-power that kept those bones in place.

Anthony was still in shackles, but this time they were rooted in the floor and the cuffs were held together by a short chain. He was standing next to Hades, just over his right shoulder. He was out of Hades’ line of sight, but still close enough that Hades could grab at him if the need arose.

Hades sat up properly and addressed Lucas, as if just noticing his presence in the underworld,

“Welcome, my grandson! I’m surprised it took you this long to wake up!” Lucas looked at him, then at the colosseum, “Where am I?” then noticed his dad, and pointed with his sword, “What’s he doing up there?” then it dawned on him Brantley wasn’t anywhere to be found and started looking frantically around him, then back at Hades, “and where’s Brant?”

Hades muttered so only he and Anthony could hear, “Jeez kid you really do ask too many questions,” he cleared his throat and spoke so Lucas could hear, “You mean you don’t see him standing right next to you?”

Lucas turned so quick he almost got whiplash, his best friend standing next to him in the same body of armor as he. Lucas dropped his weapons and gave him a bear hug, letting out a sigh of relief and disbelief, “Oh my gods, I thought I lost you, man! I got your message in the library, I’m so glad you reached out.” Brantley did his best to return the hug, but his confusion was holding him back. “What? What message? What library?” Lucas quickly released from the hug and returned the level of confusion, “You-you didn’t send me a message crying out for help?”

“No; the last thing I remember is you about to blow out your candles and the next thing I know I’m down here ready to perform a grade-school play of ‘300’,” Brantley said, as he examined his garb and location, “and where is ‘here’ exactly?” He gave Lucas a questioning look. Lucas turned back to Hades, who was wearing the same smirk as when he sent Lucas down here. Hades sat forward and leaned his elbow on his knees, “You see, champ, my little magic trick from earlier sent Brantley to this exact moment.” Lucas turned back to Brantley and whispered in disbelief to himself, “So you were never in danger, and if you didn’t send the message, who…” his eyes got wide and he turned to look at Anthony, “Dad?” With misty eyes, Anthony nodded, assuring Lucas of his hunch. Anthony knew it was a long-shot to reach out for any mortal soul, but he was desperate and knew that Lucas would always be there for him, even in the after-life.

Lucas turned his attention to Hades and shouted, “So you lied to me? Brant was never in danger?” Hades stood and shouted so the shadow figures could also hear, “Of course I lied! I’m the inventor of lies!. Lies that life will be full of rainbows and cotton candy. Lies that dads won’t keep secrets from their kids. Lies that life has a good ending.” his voice became calm again, “And by the way, I’ll always be king down here; I would never even dream of letting anyone else take over, especially my own kin.”

He sat back down, examining the dirt under his nails and propping his feet up on the edge of railing, “Though, I did tell the truth about one thing, you really are my grandson.” Lucas heard a human-sized thud next to him and turned to see Brantley had passed out, hopefully due to shock of that information and not a heat stroke. He bent down to wake him up, his patience paper thin by now, “Come on, Brant, wake up, we don’t have time for this.” He tried shaking him, but after that didn’t work he went with a hardy smack across the face, waking up Brantley and immediately sitting him up-right. He asked in a mumble, “What happened? Whose grandson?” Lucas gave him a quick response, “I’ll explain later, get up!”

He turned to address the King of Lies, “So why do all this? Why drag us all down here?” Hades made eye contact with him, which was the first time Lucas was truly terrified of him. “Because you and this degenerate next to me are the saddest excuses for humans I have ever seen, and I can’t let that continue, especially if you’re related to someone like me.” He turned toward Brantley now, “as for you, I needed incentive for Lucas, and you simply chose the wrong person to hang around all those years ago, so really it’s your own fault you’re down here.” Brantley had to grab Lucas to hold him back. Hades was back on his throne with his feet propped up on the railing, “And that is why you, dear grandson, are going to fight him,” he said, “which shouldn’t be too hard, though, since his body isn’t equipped to survive down here.” Anthony tried to reach for Hades, but his chains just shook a bit.

“You’ll fight to first blood- no that’s too easy, to the death! The winner will be able to roam the underworld as much as you want, but the loser will be my lackey for the rest of time, that is, after you’ve had time to regenerate into your ghostly form. So let’s get this show on the road.”                                                   Lucas and Brantley looked at each other with facial expressions as if to say, ‘is this really happening?’ Brantley spoke up this time, “You just admitted to being the biggest liar in history, how are we supposed to trust your word on that?”

“I’m just here for a good show, I don’t care who lives or dies. Plus I have some lunch-deprived Hellhounds who can join if you don’t start soon.”

They turned to each other and started discussing how to get out of this, speaking in whispers. “Alright what do we do?” Lucas asked. “I don’t know! You’re the one with semi-godly powers!” “Yeah, not semi-godly knowledge!” “Well, can’t your dad do something? He’s got even more power than you, right?” “I sure hope so, otherwise we’re dead” “Don’t remind me” “Well we gotta do something, neither of us can stay here, and I’m sure not leaving my dad behind.”

Hades was on the verge of losing his patience, not that he had much to start with anyway. “Today, princess!” No response from either of them. “Alright, time for the Hellhounds then.”

That got their attention. Hades was about to send them in, but Lucas turned toward him, putting his hands up, “No, no! We’re uh, we’re…” Brantley interjected, “We’re trying to decide who would be a better servant for you, sir, ya know, we want to leave you with the best!” Which wasn’t entirely false, they really were trying to decide who should stay, both of them too loyal to let the other die.

Hades relaxed, happy that they were finally coming to terms with their situation, “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

Brantley spoke in a strangled whisper, “Okay now we really have to think of a plan” Brantley could see the wheels turning in Lucas’ head, “What are you thinking?” Lucas answered, a little too excited, “Do you remember our high school production of Les Misérables?” “Of course, I was forced to do that instead of be in detention all semester.” Brantley said, wondering how this pertains to anything. “Well don’t be too sore about it, that’s how we met,” Lucas mentioned. Brantley shook his head in agreement, “Anyway, do you remember the dance-y fight scene between those two guys?” Brantley was even more confused and concerned than before, “Dude, that was like, twelve years ago, of course not!” Lucas stared at him, waiting for a different answer, knowing Brantley was not good at bluffing. “….Yeah I remember.” “Let’s use that to at least buy us some time and hopefully my dad will think of something.” Brantley let out an exasperated sigh, “Let’s give it a shot.” With that, the two started to recall the fight sequence, a little rocky to start, but eventually it came back to them. They knew they would have to make it bigger and better for Hades, so they were overly dramatic and yelling insults that would’ve gotten them kicked out of Radio City. At some point, Brantley even managed to draw blood from Lucas. Lucas was more impressed about it than anything, considering this is only the second time Brantley has ever wielded a sword, let alone a sharp object.

Back at the podium, Anthony was trying to conjure up a plan and quietly get out of his restraints, but it was useless. In defeat, Anthony looked to the floor and he noticed there were metatarsal bones, phalanges, metacarpals, and a bunch of other bones that he assumed are in hands and feet, forming from mist on the floor and falling from the chair. They were probably here because Hades was putting more attention into the fight than keeping his seat in tact.

Whatever the reason, it gave Anthony an idea. It was a long shot, but he had to try.

Lucas had just executed some brilliant improv by drop kicking Brantley, too bad he moved out of the way, sending Lucas air born and landing on his back so hard his chiropractor could feel it. Sadly, it was all for nothing because at that very moment they heard a howl coming from the podium, not one like a dog or wolf, more like someone had shoved their hand in a running blender. Lucas was never more concerned for someone’s life than right now. The guys ran and jumped over the railing to find Anthony standing over Hades. The throne that had been there before was gone, well not exactly gone, just being used for a different purpose. All the bones that made up the throne were now evenly distributed on top of Hades body, holding him down and clamping his mouth shut. About five Hellhounds were charging toward all of them, but Anthony spoke right before they hit them head on, “διαμονή,” and they stopped in their tracks, giving head turns of confusion.

Anthony looked down at Hades with relieve, “Ya know dad, this is the first time I’m actually happy to have some of your power.” Lucas looked at his dad in awe, “Dad, how did you do that?” “For the Hellhounds, you tend to pick up a few things after being down here for so long, and that includes command words. As for the skeletons, I knew I had some of his power, and I assumed that included control over the dead. So I had the falling remnants of hands get me out of that bear trap, and while his Royal Highness was distracted by you two ballerinas, I decided to literally take a stab in the dark, and reached around and used the longest bone I could find to take him down.”

Brantley bent down to Hades side, “Huh, very intuitive.” He tried to grab the bone, but his hand went right through it. “I knew it wouldn’t kill him,” Anthony mentioned, “but I hoped it would at least buy us some time or distract him long enough to get us out of dodge.”

The three of them were looking down at Hades, he was glaring at them, writhing, and trying his best to wiggle out of his restraints. The bones were obeying well enough before with just Anthony in control, but now that Lucas was putting his power into it as well, there was very little chance Hades would get out of that on his own. Hades tried to speak through the hands covering his mouth, but it just came out as one long muffled sound.

Lucas bent down to hover above Hades. The bone Anthony had used to stab Hades was still in his chest, and Lucas pushed it in further, “I bet you’re wondering why we’re doing this. Well, as I seem to recall, you don’t care who lives or dies, it’s just a good show you want.” Hades looked at his hounds, trying to communicate what to do next, but they just stood there, one even came over and licked his face, but the bones stayed in where they were.

Lucas looked his grandfather dead in the eyes, while still hunched down, with Anthony and Brantley standing behind, “Thanks for the good show, champ.”

Anthony shouted while keeping eye contact with his dad, “επίθεση.”                All five hounds pounced on Hades, and it wasn’t to cuddle up with him, while Anthony and Lucas snapped with both hands, sending all three of them topside.

[thechekhov]

how would you recommend an artist make themselves better known on tumblr and in general? ive been drawing and painting almost my whole life but its hard to get people to notice me, any advice? thank you, you're my fave artist

Thank you so much! That makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside…

As for your questions… hmm… it’s for sure a good one. 

I’m going to get a bit… strategical on that one. Hope you don’t mind this approach. 

Tumblr and real life are definitely alike in a lot of aspects, while in others they’re polar opposites. For the sake of keeping things neatly shelved, I’m going to focus on tumblr in this post.

＊*☆HOW TO GET ART NOTICED ON TUMBLR☆*＊

by chekhov

1. We have to understand how the tumblr sharing system works. 

I know this sounds a bit too obvious. I mean, we all know HOW. It’s by reblogging! 

I know that there’s a BIG opinion on tumblr that we should share and reblog art as much as possible to help artists get noticed. And that’s TRUE. It’s absolutely correct.

One thing I don’t agree with on that front is the guilt-tripping factor of it all. Like somehow people are responsible for the downfall of less popular artists because they didn’t reblog stuff enough. People are really quick to point at their followers and say “I GOT 100 OF Y’ALL HERE AND ONLY 3 ARE REBLOGGING ANYTHING”. 

I get it. It’s frustrating!

But the fact of the matter is, you can’t force people to reblog stuff. 

Instead, I recommend we harvest the power of the sharing we already have. We have to be smart about this. What I’m going to go into is a bit less concrete. We have to think about the PEOPLE who are doing the reblogging. 

Artists aren’t the ONLY ones with motivations for getting their stuff seen. And because they create media they are, for lack of a better word… a vendor! The buck STARTS with them, but it doesn’t stop with them. 

They have to also think about what the people are going to do with their product once it’s reblogged. Once someone buys from the vendor, they don’t just keep it forever. They distribute it to the others. And sometimes, those others distribute it again. We have to think about the bigger picture, and think about how FAR your art has the potential to go!

So, to get started we need to know… WHO are the ones buying from the vendor… and why?

What kind of rebloggers ARE there? 

I’m going to give my own opinion here, and feel free to disagree. But the 3 biggest rebloggers most important to the artist are these:

1. The Pleaser

Sounds sexy, right? In fact, the pleaser comes in many different forms. But essentially their goal is the same - they reblog stuff like aesthetic posts, and other pleasing things. They themselves tend to like a lot of stuff and reblog mostly beautiful photos, nice designs, and lots of fanart of whatever they’re into at the time. Comics and story-like posts are good here (although if they’re too long, people tend to lose interest.)

How to get reblogged by a Pleaser?

Appeal to their fandom, their interest, and make something that moves them. Pleasers are most active around the time when the new episode of their favorite show comes out, or when their favorite holiday comes around. Drawing fanart during its peak popularity will usually catch a Pleasers’ attention, as will drawing aesthetic Halloween posts around, well, Halloween. 

2. The Teaser

The Teaser is the class clown and the shitposter, and they reblog memes and jokes voraciously. In the Teaser’s audience are other teasers - and they also tend to be very generous rebloggers. The fact of the matter is - memes sell reblogs faster than any aesthetic art will. We’re social creatures and getting a laugh out of our followers is worth a LOT of fake internet points.

How do I get reblogged by the Teaser?

Memes. I mean, you knew this was coming, right? During the height of some new tumblr joke, people usually welcome any unusual spin, or any funny variation of an old joke. 

My meme redraws have consistently been popular and have ‘boomed’ very quickly. For example, this redraw of sapphire from Steven Universe doing ‘the scroll of truth’ jumped to 5k almost within a day. 

Many people peek at my page ‘for the lols’ but end up staying for the art, or because there’s another thing I post they’re interested in. Either way, memes are a gateway drug… to your blog. 

3. The Librarian

The Librarian is a bit more rare, but they’re still important, because they tend to reblog a lot. They’re a bit unusual in the sense that they do this for themselves, instead of for an audience. The blog of the librarian is mostly just a replacement for bookmarking interesting stuff. These people tend to reblog tutorials, reference posts, and things they want to read later on. 

How to get reblogged by a Librarian?

Make things that people want to keep around. Charts, references, tutorials. Chances are, the librarian will snag it up eventually. 

Of course, these 3 aren’t the ONLY type of tumblr blogger. In fact, many of them are a mix of these 3. But the main point is…

2. What do most of these (and other) people on tumblr have in common?

Just like you, many people (although not all) want to get their stuff SEEN. You might be creating the original product, but they choose whether or not to distribute it to their audience. 

Everyone is playing the same game, no matter which part of the chain they’re on.

You, as an artist, have the biggest responsibility to think about this long-term. Not only 1 reblog down the line. 

For example, let’s return to one of my meme-posts that I did about wrist pain (carpal tunnel). When I made this, I had a vague idea of who would consume it. Obviously… other artists. But the reason that this got so popular? Is not only because fellow artists follow me. It’s because the artists that follow me also have followers who are also, conveniently, artists. That’s why despite the fact that many people reblogged the post directly from me - even MORE of them reblogged it from @sergle​ (shoutout to sergle! u rock) who is also a popular artist and also has an audience who were prone to want to reblog the post.

See that orange dot? That’s me. See that bigger blue dot? That’s sergle. 

In a way, this is a game of chance. Will something you reblog be seen by someone with a large enough audience to keep it going? The thing is, we don’t know until it happens. And oftentime, the only way to achieve this is to keep trying. Stubbornly. 

But you can’t just headbutt the wall in the same place and hope it eventually crumbles. You have to look for a door. 

3. So what’s the door? 

Take a look at your art. Is it consumable BEYOND the surface level of your followers? 

Sometimes people get discouraged because their fanart is way more popular than their original art. Although I share their frustration, there’s a good reason for this, and your followers aren’t to blame.  

The thing is, fanart is consumable at deep reblog levels. If you post fanart, there’s a good chance that even 3-4 reblogs down the line, there’s going to be a person who sees it and thinks ‘hey, I know Steven Universe. My followers know Steven Universe. I’ll reblog this!’ Fandoms are efficient because they already have a lot of context for the consumption of the art. They have a story (humans love stories), they’re invested in it, they’re interested in it, and there’s a good chance that sharing more stuff about it will get them more interaction with their mutuals, even if they’re not consciously thinking about all this as they reblog. 

Unfortunately, that’s just not true for your original art. Many of us have beautiful, wonderful stories - but they’re not available to a wide audience. They’re not easily consumed, they’re not easily accessed (in comparison to being on netflix, for example). If you post a picture of your OC - maybe your immediate pool of followers who know that OC will reblog it. But their own followers who aren’t directly following you will not have any connection, emotional or otherwise, to that character. They simply don’t have a reason to care, and they don’t have any means to. Even if they visit your blog - will it be easy to find similar content? Have you got your links available on desktop AND mobile? Is it easy to find the beginning of your story? Is it free of mistakes and easy to read? 

Large companies that make shows or comics funnel tons of money into making their media consumable. There’s a LOT of effort that goes into advertising, too. You, as an independent artist, simply don’t have that kind of manpower. That’s not your fault - but it’s also not your followers’ fault. Why are they supposed to reblog things that their own followers will never understand and connect with? 

4. Back to square one: how do I get noticed? 

I’m gonna keep this short and sweet because I feel like I already took up a lot of your time. After everything I’ve said, hopefully this will make sense:

Make content that has a connection to your audience somehow. Make it relatable to their life. Make it relatable to what’s currently going on. Make it worth their while to look at it. 

Make content that’s easy to understand. Super detailed drawings, with nothing to focus on are difficult to digest. Simpler, sharper drawings that someone can understand within 3 seconds of looking at it are the most digestible of all. This isn’t a museum.

If you’re creating content that goes with a story, MAKE THE STORY. I know it’s tempting to create just a whole bunch of character sketch sheets and leave it at that, but you can’t complain about not getting an audience when your audience doesn’t have anything to consume in the first place. 

Make the story AVAILABLE. Organize your tags. Make sure those tags are easily accessible. People will never like 100% of your art, so many it easy for them to find what they WILL like. 

Don’t be afraid of fanart. Fanart gets you connected with people who like stories and content similar to yours. 

Don’t be afraid to follow and reblog people that you want to connect with. Don’t be afraid to make them stuff and @ them. 

Post your stuff to a LOT of places! Your audience is somewhere out there - probably not only on tumblr. You have to spread yourself thin sometimes, but make sure the account can all lead back to your main hub. 

And last but not least…

Critically re-evaluate your art at least once a year. (I’m personally working on this.) Just because you’ve been drawing for years, and just because your art might be incredible doesn’t mean it’s appealing to people. Sounds weird, right? But think about it - there’s TONS of people who are not that amazing at anatomy, or coloring… but they still have a huge audience, and people connect with their art. A lot of times, it’s because their art is straightforward and easy to read/understand. 

Ask a friend to critique your art. Ask them if they understand your work, or if it’s difficult to make out. Ask them what your work inspires in them. Ask them what they DO like about your work - and exaggerate that!

There’s a LOT that goes into art… no matter it’s a whole industry! Doing it all on your own is HARD and it’s a bit unthinkable how much artists have to do to compete with industries. But it’s not impossible, and it’s definitely worth it. :)

Hope I didn’t bore any of y’all who made it down this far. 

Thanks!

[ralfstrashcan]

3x18 Reaction / Commentary

Anxious feeling of imminent doom in my gut? Check. Skipping breakfast in favor of running to my laptop like a starving person? Check. Chances of surviving this episode with my sanity intact? Uhhh.... Well here goes nothing.

But one more thing before we get started (Does anyone wanna get out? Yeah, me!!!! Okay sorry.)

Who's this mysterious “Alex” person?? A new player on the board???

Alright alright, I'm stalling, I know. It's weird, last week couldn't pass quick enough but now I really don't wanna click the play button... okay anyway you're probably not here to read my angsting, so. Deep breath and here goes.

In terms of putting my nerves at ease this is working out pretty good. I love Becky, okay, and her sibling ship with Simon and the Sneak Peek made me real happy and I can't wait to see more of those two together (especially considering this'll probably be her last appearance on the show). So, yeah Team Lewis! (Also that comment about them and Clary never missing a Halloween together? I need all the kid fics!!!)

Lol dude I mean you literally died for knowing about it, but sure, make an understatement XD Also, “all the way from Florida”??? Last thing I knew about her she was lying in a hospital bed a week ago (aka 3A)? When did she get released? And relocated? I missed that???

:D :D :D <3<3<3

Queen Izzy :))))))) btw those kids had seriously lacking survival skills if you ask me. That wasn't normal, right? And where were their supervisors??

Effing f-i-n-a-l-l-y.

Also, Magnus with the deflecting again as soon as he's recovered just the tiniest bit is both painfully ic and also just painful </3

Ugh, can you believe Clace entered the Malec scene even though they must have felt it was a bad time and deranged it with their flirting? Unfair. In any case I agree, Clary was always and will always be an idiot XD haha okay sorry, I don't really mean that (only like, 83%) it's just the setup was too good to pass it up ;) I mean even Alec laughed at Jace calling her an idiot so I'm well within my rights to do it, too XD

Thanks, Alec, for sabotaging the one shot at open communication you had. I mean, I want to believe he does it because he realizes Magnus is back to his deflecting self and prodding will get him nowhere, but uhm, could he try for longer than three seconds before giving up? Is he really gonna let Magnus off the hook so easily and do something stupid and reckless instead?? *sigh* BUT ALSO HIS FRAKKING FACE OKAY I CAN'T

“Back from the Plot Fold”

Alec “Tact” Lightwood looooool

“Bitch I worked on this performance for centuries how dare you”

SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.

sdfshfsjdkfjsdf I love the way he talks okay. Exquisite. (Also he has a birthmark on his lip. It's really distracting. Am I implying Asmodeus is hot? Maybe. You can't prove a thing.)

............................................................your self-confident didn't make any progress since season 1, did it, Alec? *sigh* I mean he's basically agreeing with Asmodeus that this is what will happen if their situation doesn't change.

Okay what is structure, let me just yell my impressions of this scene at you. 1) Both of their acting is stellar. Love all the little body language cues, especially Asmodeus's mocking facial expressions. 2) “Return what you stole” and Asmodeus protesting it because clearly he had a “fair deal” with Magnus. 3) Alec breaking eye contact whenever Asmodeus lands a hit (“One he already regrets.” “You make him vulnerable, weak.”) 4) The fact that Alec protests the potential-line with “We love each other.” I was confused at first but when you think about it Alec says that they help each other access their full potential by loving each other and that's a beautiful sentiment. 5) Of course then Asmodeus lands another hit with “Then I'm afraid you will be the death of him” and Alec is back to looking away.

Thank you, Alec, for not being a total idiot.

“...or else the deal is off.” Obviously. Thank you, Asmodeus, for not being a total idiot either.

.........did he just nod? I knew I was right making that 'total' italic, implying he's still somewhat of an idiot XD

sooooo pretttyyyyyyyyyyyyy

And I can't believed Clary missed Luke so much she visited him in prison a total of 0 times.

Look I'm weak and I dig the Jace-Luke-father-son-in-law-dynamic.

Also can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Alec is able to function as Head of the Institue even though he has to make the hardest decision of his life at the same time?? Just saying. Guy knows how to handle his shadowhunter responsibility. If only he was as capable in handling other things and omg this is not an innuendo you naughty people, I meant emotional intelligence goddammit.

I mean, he's not wrong? The way he cares about her is uniquely twisted, so.

.........................is Alec having 2x12 flashbacks? Because I sure am.

Hmmmm always admiring Clary's screaming skills :)

*sigh* I mean she didn't just SAY intense pain for a short while? Why am I even bothering.

The scientist has spoken lol.

1) They had a whole underground basement full of tons and tons of that serum, right? If those are all made up of nanoparticles then I really really wonder how big the Glorious splitter was that they extracted the serum from. Since, you know, that whole stash was supposed to be enough for the Downworlders all over the world. Wtf 2) I guess “self-destructing” that basement is gonna come back to roost them and they need to recover the original sword to eliminate the Evil Rune, right???? haha

Asmodeus wrote: Hurry up pretty boy, our deal isn't on the table forever ;)

I'm actually impressed Jace remembered to ask Alec about the proposal. You get some more diligence starlets, Jace <3

OMG ALEC ARE YOU SHITTING ME ARE YOU SHITTING ME ARE YOU SHITTING ME *sigh* I mean, those two situations are obviously totally comparable, right? I for my part am, again, having severe 2x12 flashbacks, where Alec asked Jace's council about something that Jace totally wasn't equipped to answer. *SIGH*

And I guess Jace isn't suspicious because of Alec's super suspicious behavior, right?????? Ugh.

The sad part is, Alec will probably see that as confirmation that he should go through with it because he doesn't want to be selfish. So while yay, Alec seeking council, he does it in the worst way possible :( at least I got some parabatai feels out of it :/

On the one hand I'm glad she sees it that way* on the other hand this is clearly supposed to be the influence of the rune, so that's kinda undermining her statement and making it even less credible. Thanks, show.

*Yes he was a victim, no he still carries some responsibility for his actions because free will is a thing and he's had some time on earth where he wasn't exactly coerced by anyone. Manipulated, yes. But he's aware of his agency and he should have used it better. I get that I'm asking for a lot here, maybe too much, and circumstances were always against him, but I'm also not absolving him of all his crimes.

Magnus deflecting because that's what he does. God forbid a scene that could be about him actually ends up being about him instead of a side pairing I couldn't care less about. *sigh*

Also, I'm not exactly sure if Magnus really thinks Alec thought being around Maryse could help him, or if he just said that as another means to deflect because honestly, the way Alec suggested to Magnus he go to Maryse was more the here-go-see-your-babysitter-approach than anything else, especially because he basically cut of the conversation they where having before Clace interrupted. *SIGH*

WELL I COULD

YOU NO FRIKKIN SAY, MARYSE

“My lips are sealed.... especially about my issues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

THE DISDAIN AHAHHAHAHA CATCH ME WHEEZING ON THE GROUND

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SEELIE QUEEN IS QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this.... actually......... a scene with Alec and Izzy???? HELL YEAH

Okay, words. First off, I LOVE that Alec spills all the beans, and to Izzy, the one emotionally capable Lightwood. I mean, yay Jalec and all, but it's an universally acknowledged truth that Lightwood Men seem to be pretty unable to handle their emotions in a productive way.

Second off, the music playing in the background? Is the one from the Malec Breakup Scene from 2x18. Yay mood reference, I mean. Thanks for that lovely detail, show. (Hahahaha I don't even know if I'm sarcastic or not because it's so witty but on the other hand it's just cruelly twisting the knife like r u for real man give me a damn break.)

Third off, I love basically every line of this dialogue. The fact that Alec (or anyone really) FINALLY acknowledges that Magnus gave up his powers and saved Jace for Alec. Alec's argument: “Magnus sacrificed everything so I could feel whole and now I have the chance to do the same for him.” Also that wording, “a chance”? Not an obligation, not a repayment of a dept. A chance. Because he loves Magnus and this is his chance to fix it. (In his eyes at least, pssssh.)

And Izzy's intent “He wouldn't want this. He loves you so much.” So valid. And less biased (aka skewed by shitty self-esteem) than Alec's assessment of the situation.

Also this

Ouch, just. Ouch. So ic.

Also this

Izzy asking all the right questions. The way Alec looks away means “No” and the determined way he meets her gaze again after means “But that doesn't matter.” Very good scene.

(Honestly the only thing I would have wished for is that Izzy is a little more firm in her assertion that Magnus wouldn't want this and she like, tries to change Alec's mind instead of just accepting his decision.)

hehehe :)

The same time you moved to Florida apparently.

hahaahahha <3<3<3 kick-ass sister material

.........<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 this deserves so much recognition okay. Since we all know drinking away his problems is Magnus's No 1 coping mechanism. Too bad he'll be pushed into his liquor again by Alec unwisely breaking up with him at the end of the episode (because I daren't dream of a change of heart on Alec's side.)

Also is this the part where Maryse blabs out Alec's proposal plans??

Ugh yay, so after Maryse reassuring Magnus that they are all here for him I guess the breakup is just gonna get 5 shades uglier. Yaaay.

Love that necklace damn.

Obligatory Sizzy moment in front of Becky so she can call Simon out on it later: Check. Just glad this role doesn't fall to Raphael. (Also you bet your ass I chose Becky's line as a picture for this because I'm really that petty.)

Also omg, I just peeked into the German dubbing because obviously the Count von Count pun doesn't work because the words for Count and the word for counting aren't the same here and the guy is named Graf Zahl. And just skdjfslkdjfklsdjfkld Simon's line “That does sound really made up” is honest to God transated with “You're right, I just made him up” like oh my God who is in charge of translating this and why are they so incompetent honestly!!!!!!!! W H Y

Lol that's gotta be the first time in his life that he called her Isabelle. Probably because she was slacking off during patrol.

AAAAAND I'M WHEEZING AGAIN AHAHHA HER OFFENDED FACE Honestly the seelie queen and Becky should start a comedy spin-off, I'd be watching the shit out of that XD

HAHAHAHAH HAVE MERCY XD XD XD Then again, can you blame Simon? Izzy is sooooo droolworthy.

1) She's gonna let Alec, Jace and Clary (two and a half shadowhunters ahaha) take on a whole nest of demons alone? Instead of backing them up? Okay???

2) Why they telling them that??? As far as they are concerned Simon and Becky are civilians, not their parents.

?????? NO SHE SHOULD TAKE BECKY WITH HER!!!!!!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE BECKY TOURING THE INSTITUTE? BECKY MARVELING AT ALL THE UNREALISTIC SHADOWHUNTER TECH?? BECKY KIDDING AROUND IN THE LAB??? I WAS ROBBED!!!

:)))) even Jace breaking out the comedy :D :D :D I approve

Those are some nice wings. Not perfect, but very very nice.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME HAHAHAHAHAHAH

Okay, Parabatai Fight Scene!!! 1) Jace again with his axes, nice.

2) Being sassy instead of, idk, picking up his weapons: Check.

3) True dat, but uh, Jace, what was the plan if Alec hadn't shown up? Inviting Drevak Queen out on a date?

4) I mean, why shoot one when you can shoot five, right? Good motto. But I still kind of want an explanation how two of those arrows could land in the Drevak Queen's head and the other three in her chest, like, what are physics anyway amiright?

5) Shot meant to make Jace look heroic when really, since we earlier learnt that killing the Drevak Queen kills all her spawn*, this was just Alec doing Jace's work for him XD

*Uh, yeah what the hell is up with that. Chitauri Genetic Defect or something? *sigh*

*Feelings of terrible foreboding intensify*

sssssssssssssssssssssssudden

Look, I agree. I just don't think Maia could really comprehend / accept that so fast (and off-screen) because ugh reasons, too tired to repeat myself again *waves hand unhelpfully* but whatever, I can accept this. I made my peace with it.

1) Last time I checked those cells were secured with a combination lock thingy.

2) Thanks Lanaia for sabotaging Sizzy, I'll be sure to send you a gift basket (or, if what I think will happen happens, some flowers for your grave lol).

*snorts* Reminds me of Hannibal who was always making cannibal puns at people and no one noticed XD Also, her knocking Jace out was really dumb? I mean, he wouldn't have stopped her from saving Jonathan because, uh, that's saving her own neck, too. And if she'd portaled them both to the cell she could have disposed of him there way easier, locking him up – since apparently she didn't plan to kill him, and that nice straightjacket would have kept him from alerting the other Shadowhunters way longer than that pipe over the head. So, wholly unnecessary. I mean, in a way it's nice to know that Demonic Clary isn't smarter than Regular Clary.

Dude she's literally wielding a spear, how dumb are you.

Aaaaaand there goes my order to the nearest funeral wreath shop XD

Look I have questions (which, okay, I should have asked sooner but what even is continuity right). When that weird gratifying wing dream sequence started I thought it was Clary tapping into the rune connection and it was the real Jonathan communicating with her. When Jace entered the play field it was clear at least some part must be fake because Jace sure as heck wasn't unconscious / in trance at the time and later didn't give any indication that he participated in some creepy contest for Clary's affections. But now Jonathan is surprised by this, too? He, too, was a product of Clary's imagination? I have so many questions, first of all, why the wings? And the really cheap back-white-symbolism? Also, why did Clary feel so drawn to Jonathan if this was all in her own mind? Was it the influence of the Evil Rune? Does the Evil Rune have a user interface that's shaped to look like Jonathan? Does that mean Jonathan has a Clary-shaped interface??? I need answers.

Ugh. Let's make this long and painful, shall we.

OF COURSE IN THE ONE SCENE WHERE SHIT WILL GO DOWN THEY DON'T FAIL AT CASUAL INTIMACY THANK YOU FOR  N O T H I N G

Let's not talk about the fact that the thought, Alec could mean anything but a break together from everything that's been going on, doesn't even cross Magnus's mind because no. Noooooo. I'd rather talk about how absolutey awesome both of their acting is. For Alec I really like the way he moves his eyes, like the gaze darting around alternating with the rigid stare. For Magnus, uh, everything, just like, his whole face is perfection?? Yeah, that works.

The way he interrupts because he just needs to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Dammit, he does this eyelid dip here, it's not a blink, it's just his eyelids twitching down for a second because this is like a slap in the face. And then he turns and takes a step away because his instinct is to run from this because what is this, this can't be

“Is this about last night? Because I'm going to quit drinking.”

Magnus “forever apologizing for being an 'inconvenience'” Bane, final installment.

Dammit, his face. And again with the deflecting, trivializing his feelings, anything to keep this conversation from going where he thinks it's going.

*EYE ROLL* Sorry but you don't get to play that card after being effin obtuse for 7 episodes, Alec. Nope. Nope.

Magnus, his usual walls rudely ripped away. He has no chance but to admit how shitty he's feeling. And if it wasn't for the circumstances I'd say “yay, finally some communication” but well.

“Fine. I'm in pain,” he says, and Alec turns away, breaking eye contact for a moment because the final confirmation is too much for him for a moment.

I love that Magnus doesn't deliver this line meekly. He's worked up, sure, but there's also a confidence when talking about their relationship. Breaking up is an unrealistic concept to him in that moment because it's so absurd. It's not fixing anything so why would it happen? Makes no sense. *insert weeping sounds*

Brutal and efficient. Very ic.

Damn how does even his blink convey so much vulnerability??? (Somewhere Lexa is nodding approvingly.) (Also why didn't I find gif sets of this :c)

“You said there's nothing I can do to make it better.”

There's an audible difference in his voice, because this part is true and he's not lying. The controlled monotone isn't there anymore. This is his real despair in the face of not being able to do anything to help Magnus.

“It's not your job to make it better.”

Again, if this was a constructive conversation it would be a great step in the right direction. But sadly it isn't, and so this is too little too late.

“Well, what am I supposed to do? Just stand by and watch you suffer for the rest of our lives?”

Alec is still speaking the truth, and this is his motivation to go through with it. Because a) he believes what Magnus said about never being happy again without his magic (sidenote, he didn't, in fact, say that, he said it might never pass (meaning being affected by the magic loss) and he's not happy at the moment, which isn't the same as he'll definitely surely never be happy again without his magic, but whatever) and b) he's sure he doesn't mean all that much to Magnus. He's his current love, but that's about it. Nothing special, not worth leaving such devastating traces in Magnus's life and he certainly doesn't mean as much to Magnus as Magnus means to him. And especially from that second part stems his gravely false assessment of the situation which in the course of consideration leads him to the conclusion that breaking Magnus's heart will hurt less in the long run than him not having his magic. There's also the fact that be probably didn't think about how him doing this to Magnus will confirm every last insecurity Magnus ever had about not being lovable, because I can't believe he would have gone through with this if he'd thought of that. Or at least, he would have been visibly more torn about it, maybe even talked out of it by Izzy, etc. But it's ic for Alec not to think like that, because in a way I guess he loves Magnus too much to really understand that Magnus has these doubts. And Magnus mostly playing his vulnerabilities close to his chest isn't working in his favor here either.

“This isn't you. You're not this selfish.”

This is what I mean. If Alec was less convinced that he's doing the right thing this line might have shaken him out of it. Honestly, I half hoped he'd object this, consequentally incriminate himself and Magnus would catch on that something was going on. But ofc that didn't happen.

The spark line, just. Ouch. Again, very clinical and minimalistc. The way Alec stares, his voice back to being monotone, the way he clenches his jaw. And then his work here is done and he's ready to leave.

It only gets worse from there. Magnus, frozen in disbelieve because this can't possibly be true, and then he starts begging and it breaks my heart every single time okay. To see him reduced to this desperation is just cruel.

I still can't help but note the way Alec readily turns around before Magnus has competely turned around himself. I think he was on the brink of giving in.

The way Magnus holds on to him, hands fluttering over his arms, shoulders, cheeks. The way Alec can't even look at him for the barest second, eyes closed, breath going heavy. Magnus's everything. Just kill me now.

And let's not talk about their kisses and Magnus's whispered words because no. There's nothing to say to that except perfection. Intense, top notch emotion portrayal on both parts.

Then Alec pulls away (how???? gotta admire commitment and an iron will when you see it but boy is it misplaced) and Magnus's hands tremble because this can't be happening, this can't possibly be real.

Note that Alec doesn't look him in the eyes once because he knows if he did, it'd all be over. Also note the look of utter betrayal on Magnus's face. It's not just hurt and heartbreak, it's betrayal because this is what this is. Alec promised him something, made him believe that he could trust in him, in them, and now he's going back on his word.

Well, this was fun, let's never do it again.

Look, I don't have the nerve for this anymore, so I'll keep it short and in no particular order: - Asmodeus is ass powerful and manages to distance-summon himself, yay, nice to know that the one time a shadowhunter doesn't act stupid and impulsive it still doesn't pay off. - Asmodeus killing pissed off warlock lady was both obvious and unnecessary. - His smile is creepy. - “My son needs me.” MY ASS - He still needs to support himself on the back of the chair because he's a weak bitch hahaha.

Conclusion: *sounds of despair*

I just watched the 3x19 promo and.... they're really gonna end Malec on a train wreck this season, aren't they?? Oh God. They hoped they'd have a forth season to work through it and that's why they served themselves with issues and second helpings of extra issues, and since s4 isn't a thing we're gonna get an unsatisfying as hell 2x20-style resolution in the finale. God please say I'm wrong but like. Arrgghhhh.

(Also, credit where credit is due: “Before we get started, does anyone wanna get out?” is the line from Captain America in TWS before the elevator fight.)

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Yippin’ and Yappin’

Yippin’ and Yappin’ - Halloween KidgeFest 2018 Day 2 Prompt Fill Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Kidge; mentions of Allurance and Hunay Summary: It’s the first year the Kogane’s will be cerebrating Halloween with a baby in the house, which is an exciting occasion. The problem, however, becomes coming to an agreement on what type of costume their little girl should wear to go trick-or-treating. Costume for baby can be found [here] assuming the link still works. Also, Days 1 and 3 are significantly lengthier than this one and will take a little more time. Goal will be for Day 1 to be out tonight and - hopefully - still get Day 3 out on time! :3 Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more.

“No,”

“This is literally the fourth suggestion I’ve made that you’ve turned down! Come on, Pidge, she’d be so cute!” Exasperated, he swiveled around and held the laptop screen up so his wife could see it better. The deadpanned look she gave him would have weakened the resolve of a weaker man. “Look at the puffy little hat! And the trim of the face glows in the dark!”

“I told you before you started looking that there was no way we are dressing Amber up as a pumpkin for Halloween!” She huffed back, adjusting the little tot in her arms just as a tiny hand made a mad grab for the edge of her glasses. She looked down at her grinning daughter with a small grin. “You’re a sneaky little thing, aren’t you? Trying to take Mommy’s glasses and slobber all over them! Think I don’t see you, huh?”

Amber’s response was to let out a loud excited squeal.

“What do you even have against pumpkin costumes, anyway?” Keith asked with a small sigh as he set his laptop aside.

“Everyone dresses their baby up as a pumpkin for their first Halloween,” She said, glancing away from Amber briefly to look back at him. She then tipped her head back and laughed in delight as the baby made another swipe for her mother’s glasses.

“You’re exaggerating,” He scoffed, rolling his eyes at her.

“Oh, is that what you think? Allow me to prove you wrong,” She said, her tone slipping into that maliciously arrogant area that it did when she was about to completely ruin someone’s day. He opened his mouth to say something in response when suddenly a small set of baby feet were swaying right next to the left side of his face. “Here, take this so that I can get on that.” She said, indicating the laptop with Amber’s wiggling feet.

He laughed but reached up to take Amber. He careful spun her around so that she was facing him, laughing at how her eyebrows shot up in shock at seeing him up close. “Changing places on you, huh?” He laughed before moving to place his feet on the edge of the coffee table and prop her up in a pseudo-sitting position with her back against his thighs. Pidge stepped over him to take the spot beside him on the couch. While she loaded up whatever it was she planned to use to disprove his claims, Keith leaned down and pretended to nibble on their daughter’s chubby little legs, delighting in the enthused shrieks his actions earned.

After a moment, Pidge had opened up her Spacebook feed and started scrolling through. Within seconds, Keith started to see what she was talking about.

Of the 33 other first-time mother’s in the local breastfeeding group that Pidge had joined after having Amber, a startling 21 of them were dressing their newborns up as pumpkins for the upcoming festivities. She then checked what was trending with intergalactic parents as well, since some planets had decided to partake in the Earthly tradition, and tons of the parents there were doing pumpkin babies as well. Her point was already made, but he knew she wasn’t satisfied until she’d drive the point straight to the core of the Earth. She then shifted over to their immediate circle of friends and he was further stunned to see that both Alfor, Allura and Lance’s son, and Richter, Hunk and Shay’s son, were also being dressed up as pumpkins. Lance and Allura, though, were planning on it being a family costume, with Alfor as a little pumpkin and his parents going as farmers.

They agreed what the McClain’s were doing was cute, but Pidge’s point had been made; pumpkin costumes were a cliché.

“Well, what should we do instead?” Keith asked with a small sigh, picking Amber up and holding her above his head. She grinned at him, toothless and delighted, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “You said no pumpkins, but you also turned down the ghost and the mummy costumes I suggested.” He glanced at his wife from the corner of his eye as he spoke before focusing on making funny faces to make their baby laugh.

“And I actually really loved that butterfly costume, but they didn’t have that one in her size,” She lamented, setting the laptop on the coffee table. “Additionally, did we want to do a family costume this year?”

He shrugged then looked over at her. “I’m open to it if you want to,” He said.

“I think that’d be really cute, since it’s our first real Halloween as a family. I mean, last year I was still recovering from her actually being born, so doing anything festive was out of the question,” She said, looking over just as Amber turned her head to look at her Mommy. She waggled her finger at their little girl, letting out short snorts at the loud shriek she received, then perked up in surprise when a fluffy head suddenly flopped into her lap. “Oh, that’s why she got so excited. Hello there, Mr. Cosmo. It’s probably almost dinner time for you, huh?” She mused, reaching down to scratch behind one fluffy ear.

The cobalt wolf lifted his head to let out a quiet little half-howl in response.

“Okay, buddy,” Pidge said, gently nudging him off so she could stand, “I’m getting up. I guess we should probably figure out what we’re gonna have for dinner too, huh?”

“Hmm,” Keith agreed, carefully setting Amber back down to sit in his lap, the same way she’d been sitting before. Cosmo walked over, leaning his snout closer to lightly sniff at Amber. Her golden eyes shined bright as the little tot squirmed and shifted to try and make a grab for the wolf, nearly rolling right out of her father’s lap and only being saved by him catching her. “You’re a squirmy wormy today, aren’t you?” He laughed before carefully picking her up and holding her up with one arm. He then patted the spot beside him on the couch and Cosmo hopped up eagerly, carefully shifting so that he was in the reach of the excitedly babbling infant. “Remember, baby girl, we pet our fluffy friends gently.” He cooed softly.

He chuckled a bit as the wolf closed his eyes, allowing the small tot to smack her hand on the top of his head. It wasn’t exactly petting, but it was the closest she could get and she also wasn’t being violent. He always appreciated that Cosmo seemed to understand that she was a bit too small to really understand how to properly pet and appreciate the best she could do.

Watching them, a thought suddenly occurred to him. When Pidge stepped out to let Cosmo know there was a fresh can of wet food in his bowl, she was startled by her daughter being held up towards her, tiny feet resting on her Daddy’s head. “Here, take this. I just had a brilliant idea,” He said.

She laughed but took Amber anyway, settling the little girl on her hip, out of the reach of her face. “I’m playing the smart way this time, lil’ miss,” She teased happily. She turned her attention back to Cosmo and let out a small whistle. “Come on, big boy. Chow time.”

Cosmo perked up before teleporting right beside her and allowing her to lead him to where his food and water dishes were. Pidge gave him another quick pat – and let Amber give him one as well – before heading back to the living room. When she walked over, Keith had turned the laptop screen to face her, a smug grin of his own on his lips. “How about this one?”

Her eyes widened before she glanced back over at him. “They have it in her size?”

“Only five left, but I can set it up for pickup right now,” He said. He then indicated the both of them. “Plus, I have an idea for a family costume we could do pretty easily.”

“Oh ho? And what, may I ask, inspired this?” She teased.

“Honestly, it was Cosmo. He seems to be a pretty good source of inspiration. How do you feel about fairy tales?”

“I’m open to the idea. First, though, get that costume ordered so we don’t miss out. Then we can figure out dinner, and discuss out plans from there,” She mused lightly.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

The sun was just barely beginning to disappear as the cars started rolling up to the park. Some older kids were running here and there, decked out in their full costumes and eagerly play-fighting in accordance to their respective outfits. There was a small area of picnic tables under a little ramada nearby, where some of the younger children were congregated with their parents.

“Aw, Richter looks so cute!” Allura cooed happily at the little boy bouncing in his father’s arms.

“Thanks! Though, I will admit, it was a bit hard to adjust the seam of the costume to account for his tail,” Hunk laughed. He then looked over at the infant Shay was gently bouncing, who was happily babbling around a mouthful of said tail.

Lance chuckled, carefully adjusting the straw hat on his head to look around, the other settled on the back of his son, dozing off from his position strapped to his chest in a baby sling. “Are we just waiting on the Mullet Clan?”

“We’ve been here a while. You just couldn’t see around the brim of your big, doofy hat,” Pidge chimed, a smug grin on her lips as she approached. Then, seeming to think better of it, she indicated his hat with one hand. “Nice hat, by the way.”

Lance harrumped at her, adjusting his hat again and raising an eyebrow at her. “So… What, exactly, are you supposed to be?” He asked.

Pidge preened at him. “Oh, I’m the Huntress of the forest,” She beamed, indicating the leather belt and fake axe on her hip.

Keith slid up beside her, pushing a stroller. He was wearing a bright red hooded sweater and had a plastic pumpkin-shaped goody basket hanging from one arm. “And I’m Red Riding Hoodie,” He said, waving one hand.

Pidge then leaned down to the stroller, fiddling with the straps to carefully pull out and present their daughter, decked out in a fluffy, grey costume of her own. “And this is our Petite Sweet Wolf!” She beamed.

Amber looked around at the other adults and infants, kicking her little feet in the open air. This revealed little pink paw pad marking on the bottoms of the fabric covering her toes. Immediately, the other parents cooed over her as Pidge stepped closer, eagerly engaging with the others and their babies as well.

Keith grinned as he walked over at well, reaching to take Amber from Pidge, the little girl peeking over her mother’s shoulder to make faces at him. The little costume was ridiculously soft, with the head of the piece having so much fur that the little tips of the ears were near-invisible. The little bottom of the costume completely covered her little feet, but her hands were left exposed, allowing her to eagerly reach out towards Alfor as Lance approached him. “Wasn’t expecting a fairy tale theme from you guys,” He remarked as he reached them.

Alfor had perked back up a little, blinking blue eyes blearily at the world around him. “Well, once we picked out her costume, we just kind of figured our out pretty easily from there,” He mused, adjusting his hold on his daughter so that she was closer to one of her little friends while he chatted amicably with the other man.

Seeing as he was in her reach, Amber reached out, took a handful of his pumpkin hat, and yanked it right off. Alfor stared at her, completely stunned, as she looked from him, back to the hat, and then moved to put it in her mouth. This resulted in him releasing a piercing wail of displeasure. All he adults jumped and looked over, Keith narrowly managing to yank the hat free of Amber’s little hands before it could make contact with her mouth.

Lance scowled at him while he sheepishly offered it back. “Uh, sorry. She’s at that age where everything has to be examined by her mouth,” Keith explained.

The other huffed a bit, taking the hat and fitting it back over his son’s head and trying to soothe him. Allura offered an understanding smile to Keith. “Since the children are getting restless, I believe we should start doing this tricking and treating, correct?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Keith agreed, turning to look at Pidge as walked over to join him. The others started to corral their little group towards the other end of the ramada area while he tilted his head to whisper to Pidge. “Okay, I just need to say; I’m glad I listened to you about the costume.”

“Oh yeah?” She asked as she carefully folded up their stroller and tossed the carrying strap over one shoulder.

“Yeah. That hat barely fits on Alfor’s head with how easily Amber yanked it off. The wolf cub hood fits on her perfectly, though,” He said, holding Amber up to press a kiss to her nose.

She squealed and pinched at his cheeks eagerly, earning another laugh from Pidge as they made their way to join the others.