#xaninos

[gbhbl]

Horror Short Review: Xanino (2023)

From filmmaker Jaye Adams comes a new horror short to keep you up at night. Now re-imagining the changeling tale with Xanino.

From filmmaker Jaye Adams comes a new horror short to keep you up at night. After terrifying us with Scorched, It’s Not Real, and Incubus, she now re-imagines the changeling tale with Xanino. Based on true mythological creature, a Xanino is the offspring of a Xana. Unable to rear their young, Xana’s take babies from cribs and swap them out with their own. Then, the human family raises it…

[milf-n-dilf-dippin-dots]

Xanin (plural xaninos) are similar to Changelings- The mother Xana cannot care for her children and takes a child from the crib, then replaces them with her children.

[addicteddrud]

my sweet lullaby🥩🥩

[humanesque-xanin]

what if i just got the fairy forest smart crutches, huh? what then? all of you are powerless to stop me. you shall gaze upon my fairy crip gear and weep

[id: an example image of a smart crutch showing the coil shop absorbers, the full crutch on both sides, and the design in the center. the art, which is on the crutch's forearms, is of light creme glowing mushrooms growing from green moss, with tiny glowing fairy figures floating around. end id.]

[legend-collection]

Xana

Always female, she is a creature of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls or forested regions with pure water. She is usually described as small or slender with long blonde or light brown hair (most often curly), which she tends to with gold or silver combs woven from sun or moonbeams.

The xanas promise treasures and can be disenchanted. Some xanas also attack people and steal their food. They live in fountains and caves.

A xana can be a beneficial spirit, offering "love water" to travelers and rewards of gold or silver to those found worthy through some undefined judgment. Their hypnotic voices can be heard during spring and summer nights. Those who have a pure soul and hear the song will be filled with a sense of peace and love. Those whose souls are not pure will feel they are being suffocated and may be driven insane.

Xanas are usually depicted in one of two ways. In one, they appear as young beautiful girls with long blonde hair. This image is usually associated with xanas who possess a treasure or those under a spell. In contrast, in tales in which the xanas steal children and enter homes to bite or steal, the xanas are small, thin and dark-colored.

Xanas have children called xaninos (singular: xanín), but because they cannot take care of them—xanas cannot produce milk to feed their babies—they usually take a human baby from his cradle and put their own fairy child in instead, similar to changelings in other cultures. The human mother realizes this change when the baby grows up in just a few months. In order to unmask the xanín, one must put some pots and egg shells near the fire, and, if the baby is a changeling, he will exclaim, "I was born one hundred years ago, and since then I have not seen so many egg shells near the fire!"

The stories about xanas can be divided into four broad categories. First, stories in which the xana has a child. In these stories, the xana switches her baby for that of another woman. Second, stories of xanas who suffer spells. In these stories, an act performed according to a secret ritual can break the spell. Third, xanas who possess treasures and riches. The xana may have acquired the riches accidentally, or through donation or theft; sometimes the human character of the tale obtains the treasure, but most of the times does not. Finally, stories about xanas who are malicious. The most important tales of this category are those in which: the xana enters a home through a keyhole; the xana takes and enchants someone; the xana transforms into an animal; and the xana provides a magic belt.

[writingmydaydreamsofafangirl]

Bloodlines Matter - Diabolik Lovers Scenario

(This scenario is about the brothers with different types of creatures.)

Shu Sakamaki

Shu Sakamaki remembered the first time he met the girl he fell in love with when he was nine years old. As he watched Edgar’s village burn, he saw a young woman in an emerald green dress. The hood of her grey cloak covered her face, but her sobbing was so heartbreaking. Shu still remembers the moment the girl opened her mouth and beautifully screeched. The boy never thought he’d see the woman again when he learned from his mother that she was a Banshee. When Beatrix passed away, the girl appeared before Shu for a second time. She did not screech or wail this encounter, but she sang a sorrowful song for him. Since that day, the Banshee latched on to the Sakamaki family and made several more appearances throughout the decades. Shu developed feelings for the mysterious woman who identified herself as (Name). During full moons (Name) would appear only to the blond male and sing the song that made him fall for her.

Reiji Sakamaki

Reiji always knew that he wouldn’t marry a vampire or sacrificial bride but a witch. His fiancée (Name) was no ordinary witch. She practiced Sanguine witchcraft. Her family was traditional when it came to their magic, with a few dabbling in other white variations of witchcraft. (Name) told her fiancé from a young age she was fascinated by the power blood magic possessed. She also tended to go against her family by taking commissions for black magic spells or potions. Reiji was a customer who hired her to make a potion that would weaken a vampire. Generally, he hated using witches since he viewed them more as a crutch. After their first transaction, the two developed a business partner relationship. (Name) would teach Reiji how to make more complicated and potent elixirs. In turn, he would bring sacrifices and blood for her practices. From there, the budding romance began to grow between them as they partook in the sadistic tortures of their victims. Some would say that it was a match made in hell.

Ayato Sakamaki

Ayato watched as (Name) swam around, enjoying the few moments when Ore-sama let her have fun. His other brothers looked down on the girl since her bloodline had no substantial benefits. As a Xanino (Name) never knew what she looked like or her mother. What drew Ayato to her was her angelic voice that drove him to the brink of insanity. He was amazed she didn’t try to drown him when he arrived at her home, which she decided to make in the pond on the Sakamaki property. When the redhead announced that he would pursue a relationship with the female, it caused a war within the household. For (Name) to be considered the same level as the other family members, she would have to change how she lived. Reiji declared that she would not step foot in water unless it were to bathe unchaperoned, she wouldn’t be allowed to sing, and her ability to make love potions would be her contribution to household income. Despite all the rules, (Name) wouldn’t go back to the loneliness of the water.

Laito Sakamaki

“For the last time, Laito, get away from me.” (Name) hissed at the boy who was rudely interrupting her peaceful lunch. Ever since the young succubus transferred schools, the male population was drawn or scared of her. Except for Laito, who was fascinated by the girl’s cold and nasty nature, he thought it was amusing compared to her beautiful external appearance. “Why not feast on something more appetizing?” Laito suggestively asked as he pulled her seat out from the table to straddle her lap. (Name) looked the boy up and down as his shirt was conveniently unbuttoned, revealing his chiseled chest. She did have an attraction to her admirer, who kept coming around after countless rejections. The brunet had a habit of creeping into her thoughts while she seduced and played with her prey. Pushing Laito off her lap, (Name) politely stood up, smoothing the wrinkles out of her skirt. “Your perverted soul just won’t satisfy me.” She whispered into his ear before disappearing into thin air. Laito smirked, feeling a piece of paper in his hand.

Kanato Sakamaki

(Name) smiled at Kanato as he politely thanked Reiji for passing him the syrup at breakfast. A month had passed since the girl arrived at the Sakamaki mansion. She was hand-picked by Karlheinz himself to marry his most unstable son. The Sakamaki brothers did not understand why their father chose an ordinary human to marry Kanato. They did not realize that underneath her charming smile was a dark secret. “I heard they upped the reward for the capture of the Cambion,” Ayato commented as he drank his glass of wine. “Half demons are just the scum of our society.” Reiji grimaced before reading his newspaper over the article detailing the latest sighting. (Name)’s jaw tightened only by a fraction, but that did not go unnoticed by the practiced eye of Laito. “(Name) do you know anything about this creature?” Laito amused, baiting the girl. “I may be a human, but I know that those beings possess an ability that makes anybody do their bidding.” She smiled before Kanato began one of his psychotic tantrums ending the meal.

Subaru Sakamaki

Subaru watched his fiancé (Name) as she tended to her garden as it was overflowing with beautiful greenery. Many wouldn’t expect the sweet and polite young woman to have a temper. She fouled every person that met her until they learned about her family. (Name) was the daughter of Poludnitsa. Her short fuse and long shears were rumored to have passed onto the next generation. Approaching the girl, Subaru noticed that she wasn’t pruning her flowers as usual. She was flattening dirt over a newly dug hole, Her clean white dress soiled by dirt and dark red almost black speckles mainly on the right side of the skirt. The smell of fresh blood finally reached his nose. “What are you burying?” Subaru questioned (Name), stopping her happy humming, turning her attention to him. “One of my friends accidentally lost their head. I decided to bury her in a beautiful place.” She smiled up to her beloved, making the boy shake his head in disapproval. Like mother, like daughter was still a true statement.

[writersrealmbts]

Clearwater Springs: Part 1

Description: ot7 x reader, reader’s choice, fairy/supernatural/soulmate au. The choices you make influence the story! In this world, war-torn and ragged, you’ve been offered a home and a job working as a librarian. Will you meet your soulmates? Will you ever find the shelves behind the piles of books? Who knows.

Warnings: None

Posted: 08/29/2020

Tags: ot7 x reader, supernatural bts, 

5,111 words

A/N: Once I was actually able to write, this came out really easily. I hope you guys enjoy it and don’t forget to do the pre-chapter 2 survey (link at the end of post)! 

You stared up at the house in a bit of a daze, still untethered. Still vulnerable.

“Isn’t it magnificent?! A real masterpiece, this house.”

You glanced at your over-enthusiastic caseworker, then looked back up at the grand Victorian house, wondering if the inside matched the outside, and why such a grand house was way out in the middle of nowhere. Why its owner would offer to take in strays, misfits, and others in need of a new home after the recent war when they were obviously still doing well despite the near economic collapse.

Your caseworker was practically bouncing up to the house, making you dizzy as he jostled the itty-bitty fountain you were temporarily tied to.

But you’d been dealing with that for a month, and you were getting pretty good at walking a straight line while the world appeared to spin around you.

“Now, if you and he agree at the end of the day, you’ll be tethered to a natural spring and the creek it runs into nearby, and you’ll stay in one of the spare rooms and you’ll help him organize and keep his library, which he runs as a traditional library—when organized—for some of the locals.”

You didn’t bother responding since he didn’t seem to be looking for a response, instead heavily trodding up to the front door as he rang the doorbell.

“Also, to simulate what life will be like, I’ll be leaving you for the day once I set your fountain down in a safe spot.”

“You said,” You murmured, closing your eyes for a moment, feeling yourself swaying from side to side. As a xana, you were originally tethered to a fountain many miles away, but as the war reached that town, your fountain had been damaged and your original workplace—a large library where you specialized in the children’s section, reading to them and singing your songs—utterly demolished. Because the fountain wasn’t completely destroyed, you survived. An experimental spell and three weeks later and there you were, standing on the steps of the home of a human where you would be exchanging work for a place to sleep and food to eat. You didn’t even need that much food, about a meal a day was enough for you when your tethered place was healthy and strong and not being jerked around like a dog was playing tug-of-war with it.

The front door opened, revealing a man with pink hair. “Hello, you must be Y/n. We’ve been expecting you. Welcome to Clearwater Springs.”

“We?” You asked, glancing at your worker.

The human did as well. “You told her about the house’s haltija, right?”

You relaxed. “Oh. Just a haltija?”

“Well, he’s also half-brownie, but thankfully that only manifests in the occasional clumsy or destructive moment. He’s quite friendly, though, and very fond of the forest,” The human spoke quickly, as though afraid you would pass negative judgement on the haltija—creatures who were known for guarding and protecting—for having brownie blood—admittedly, creatures who could become troublesome when disrespected, but otherwise also keepers of the home and chore-doers for the kind.

“I’m sure he’s very kind and gentle,” You replied.

“Right. And you’re a xana?”

You nodded.

“And...I’m sorry, I’m not sure what exactly that is, other than the fact that you’re generally tied to some form of pure water, like fountains, springs, rivers, waterfalls….”

You nodded. “I’m originally from a fountain. Um...I’m not sure how to explain what I am.”

Your caseworker took that hint. “Oh! Right, well, they seem to always know virtuous hearts through some test or other—though no one ever seems to be able to pin down the test—um, they have enchanted songs that bring feelings of peace and love to the pure and could almost kill those who are impure. Um, let’s see, she has combs made of moonbeams and sunlight, respectively. Can’t completely care for babies, but once they can feed themselves she’s fine.”

You frowned, fighting yourself not to glare at him. Your species couldn’t produce milk, so in the old days—before there was formula—it was a sort of changeling situation. A Xanino would replace a human child. Terrible, but true. Nowadays, most xaninos were adopted by naiads or other nature or house spirits—because now it was scandalous to try and raise your own child as a xana.

“Oh, she has treasure, but who knows where she keeps that—”

“It’s enchanted, you’re not supposed to know where I keep it,” You muttered, even though he wasn’t paying any attention to you.

“And she can give you a drink that we call ‘Love water’. Couldn’t tell you why, and I’ve never seen her hand it out. Think that’s it. Here’s her fountain, I’ll be back at sundown.”

The human almost dropped the fountain that was shoved into his hands, and if he wasn’t so surprised you thought he might have yelled at your caseworker.

But the car peeled down the driveway again, kicking up dirt.

You stared after him, a little disconcerted. “Mages.”

“Um, well, we’ve been preparing for your arrival. We’ve gotten the basement bathroom renovated so that you can shower or bathe in the waters of your spring when you need, and your bedroom is ready for you. We thought you’d prefer to decorate it with your things...but looking back now I probably should have known you wouldn’t have many things. It’s a hard time for everyone,” The human rambled, rubbing his neck. “Oh, I’m Seokjin, by the way.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose your name would be important. I’d hate to be rude and just refer to you as ‘The Human” when you’re my boss.”

Seokjin looked startled at the title. “I’d rather think of it as a partnership. I’ve been told I shouldn’t live alone, and you needed a new home. Also, my library is out of control and I have no idea where to start—I mean, other than the new library building that we just finished. Don’t worry, it’s very close to your water source as well, but your spring is still highly protected.”

You just nodded, wondering why he didn’t stare like most humans did. You were beautiful—that was one of the key points of defining a xana: being extraordinarily beautiful. Xana’s were considered more beautiful than any other species—and only a few other species even tried to contend with it since yours was more rare, and therefore more worth the attention.

“Um, let’s get inside so I can set this down. We’ll make sure Namjoon steers completely clear of it.” Seokjin stepped back and leaned his head in a gesture that suggested welcoming you inside and to follow him.

He led the way through the entry, and then to the living room through the arch immediately to the right. He took the fountain and placed it on a table that was against the wall—out of the way of general traffic. “There. Now, Namjoon should be around somewhere. Probably the garden, he likes it out there. But for now let me show you the house, including where you’ll be staying and then we’ll go and talk about the library. There’s a lot of work that I want to do, Namjoon is heavily involved in that too. He likes books, but between us...we don’t really have the skills to put what we want into action—which is why we’re really excited that you’re here.” He started the tour.

“I’ll do my best to h-hell, what is this hell?” You said, looking at the mess. It looked somewhat like a library, except you couldn’t even see the shelves. It was just piles upon piles of books, newspapers, journals, magazines, and comic books with a thin path between it all.

Seokjin winced. “It is...mildly organized. We’ve been receiving donations. Don’t worry, there will be a bigger place, we mostly just need to pack all of this up and move it to the new facility in an...organized fashion.”

You pointed at the mix of magazines and books. “This is organized.”

“I did say somewhat, didn’t I? We had a large influx of books very suddenly. Things got very messy in the chaos of it all. I think they were sending us books from destroyed libraries.” He shrugged a bit. “Don’t worry. We’ll be helping at every turn and I’m bringing in extra workers from town as needed.”

You supposed that was supposed to be comforting, but you were staring at a nightmare of a situation. One toppling tower, and there was no navigating through.

“Hyung? Is that you?” The pile asked.

Then it was all falling over and someone was diving out while Seokjin pulled you against the wall and out of the way.

Seokjin sighed. “Namjoon. Our guest is here.”

The man with blue hair looked up, then back at his legs (which were trapped under many books), then back at you. He stared at you with big eyes, looking a little flustered.

You took a deep breath. “Well, that is exactly what we didn’t want to happen.”

“Yeah. Namjoon, didn’t we talk about not going in there?” Seokjin bent down and grabbed Namjoon under the arms and pulled him out from the pile, helping him to his feet.

“I just wanted the next book in my series.” Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck. “I was doing okay until then.”

Seokjin shook his head a bit. “Namjoonie, this is y/n. She’s the one that’s going to stay with us and help with the library?”

Namjoon was definitely already staring at you, and he looked a little flustered and red. “Hi.”

“She’s a xana. Y/n, this is Namjoon, the haltija of the house.”

“Uh, nice to meet you,” Namjoon said hurriedly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” You replied, trying for a smile, but you were pretty sure you just gave him a woozy look.

“Maybe you should lie down before we continue the house tour? He was jostling your fountain around quite a bit.” Seokjin frowned toward the front door.

Namjoon nodded. “He’s right. You need rest. I can tell.”

You shrugged. “Nah, the world is supposed to be constantly spinning.”

“Should I carry her? Should I carry you?” Seokjin asked, sounding and looking a little panicked.

You shrugged. “I’m fine. This has been my life for the past three months.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened.

Seokjin looked like he was going to have a meltdown.

“Unless you’re going to have a panic attack, in which case you may carry me if it will help you,” You said quickly, concerned with how quickly he was freaking out.

Namjoon glanced at the human, then nodded. “I think that might be the only way to stall him out. He’s not wearing his glasses.”

You shrugged again, uncertain what not having glasses had to do with anything, and waited while Namjoon muttered something to Seokjin.

A couple moments later, Seokjin came over, muttering something about being sorry, then he carefully scooped you up. “Sorry, your dress is a little slippery. Silk?”

You nodded. “Yeah. My clothes just sort of...appear as I need them? Usually made of silk, but sometimes there’s a velvet cloak when it’s colder. Some linen when it’s warmer. Always dresses.”

“Cool,” Namjoon said, following the two of you up the stairs.

“I suppose so,” You replied, doing your best not to look at Seokjin. He was handsome for a human. And you’d never seen a non-fairy pull off pink hair before today. He had a sort of gentleness to his face, a softness that could easily become cold and judgemental. If that even made sense.

But honestly, there were very few things that made sense since the war had begun some ten years ago.

“Why is your hair blue?” You asked the haltija, looking over Seokjin’s shoulder as you realized you had been looking at him despite specifically thinking you shouldn’t and only noticing because his ears had started turning a violent shade of red.

“Oh...uh...we’re not really sure. It just sort of...changes now and then. A few days ago I woke up and it was this color. Before that it had been brown.”

“Did you two paint any part of the house?”

“Well, not in the same time frame as my hair color changing. And definitely not this color. Jin-hyung has this crazy theory that it’s connected to my soulmate or something.”

“You have a soulmate?” You asked, surprised.

He nodded, rubbing his left shoulder-pectoral area, which meant either his mark was located there or he had some muscle pain from his dive for freedom in the great August book-slide. “Yeah. Or...well, I have multiple sections in my mark...so, I guess I’m part of a soul-group. Probably a platonic one given my species.”

“You never know what’s waiting around the riverbend,” You replied, thinking back to Grandma Loire’s wise words when you had been fretting about the war. Granted, at that time, her words had been very wrong, but you wouldn’t begrudge the dead for their mistakes.

But also thinking about your own soulmark and the multiple parts in it. You were certain it was just a coincidence, but it was still an interesting fact that you filed away.

“You sound like a naiad,” Namjoon snorted.

“A naiad told me that. She was very wrong at the time. Told me not to worry about the battle in Manhattan.”

“Ooh,” He winced. “Very wrong.”

Seokjin held onto you a little tighter. “Where did you live before this?”

“Rocamadour. Our library was new when I started working there. Before there were a couple but they were in some towns over.”

“Where is that?” Namjoon asked.

“It’s in the Alps,” Seokjin answered, then paused at the top of the stairs. “Get the door?”

The door swung open before Seokjin had finished asking.

You craned your head to look at Namjoon, suddenly concerned with your privacy.

He held up his hands. “I can open doors and windows, I can’t see through walls. I can also hear things, if you want me to. If you want me to hear, just knock or tap your foot three times and I’ll listen.”

You nodded slightly and relaxed again.

Seokjin carried you into the room, which was painted such a calm color. The bed was a queen-size, and it was soft when he lay you in the middle of it. The top blanket was velvet-y and so, so soft.

Namjoon gave you a smile when you let out a sound of appreciation.

Seokjin smiled at you. “Well, I’m going to find out whether he’s coming back to check in on you tonight or not while you rest, then we’ll go over other things and go to the spring. Feel free to go anywhere in the house, as long as it isn’t one of our bedrooms. Mine is on the first floor, Namjoon’s is across the hall. Food in the kitchen is up for grabs unless it’s in the meal-plan that I have on the fridge. Oh, that door there leads to your bathroom, the one next to it leads to your closet, and this third door leads to your sitting room or office or whatever you want to use it for. We’ll let you nap now.”

Namjoon dipped his head as Seokjin pushed and pulled him out of your bedroom door.

You stared at the closed door for a moment, then lay back. You were still so accustomed to sleeping on your fountain or in your fountain that this felt weird. But it felt weird in a heavenly sort of way. You slid up and then managed to slide under the covers, a little excited about the silk sheets. It was so nice.

So heavenly that you woke up feeling so refreshed that it had to be illegal. Sure, you still felt a little off (because the fountain you were temporarily tethered too wasn’t the greatest), but you felt much better than before.

You slid out of the sheets, enjoying the feel of the hardwood on your feet as you cautiously checked out your bathroom, closet, and sitting room (which only had an armchair and a small sofa). Once you had tested the seats (because you had to know which would be your favorite, it was the armchair), you ventured out into the hallway.

Namjoon’s door was open, but you didn’t hear anything in there, so you decided not to bother him.

Instead, you headed back the way you had been carried, looking around for more detail.

The structure of the house, the woodwork, the moulding, the baseboards and the stairway all had a distinctly Victorian style, and all were likely original to the house. But the design was more subtle, softer, and more contemporary in the coloring and the furniture. It was a nice sort of mix that gave the house an air of elegance that was refreshing. You’d been in some victorian-style homes before and they had been so overwhelmingly Victorian that it was like you were trapped in England in that time period and about to choke on a piece of jellied eel.

You avoided the pile of books spilling out of the library (but did notice that they’d been somewhat cleaned up), and checked out the living room again with the ulterior motive of checking on your current fountain.

The style was even more contemporary there, yet still paid a nice homage to the house. A monochrome color scheme, with pops of color in some of the throw pillows and delicate accents in the artwork.

Your fountain looked cleaner than ever and had a healthy amount of water in it for once, which you honestly felt boded well for you. There even seemed to be a new coating of pebbles at the bottom of the small basin.

You flinched as a cat hopped up onto the table next to the fountain and took a drink from it. It was young, a long-haired calico, so soft and pretty looking.

You let it sniff your hand, humming softly before you carefully picked it up. You snuggled it, happy when it seemed to revel in your attention, even seeking it when you started looking over the books that were seperated from the library and on the shelf beside the fireplace. There weren’t many, but you recognized one or two of the titles, and the taste there seemed to vary widely. You figured they were probably books from both of the boys, and left them as they were to go try and find the kitchen for a glass of water.

The office was nearby, but didn’t look like it got used as an office very often, but definitely seemed to have a gaming station in one corner.

You found the billiard’s room next, noting that there was a ping-pong table folded up in a corner. It seemed pretty abandoned, clean, but not nearly as used.

Then a smell permeated the air, drawing you back toward soft noise and even softer humming, murmured conversation and the sizzling of something cooking.

You peeked into the large kitchen, smiling when you saw Namjoon reading in one corner, and Seokjin cooking at the stove. Namjoon seemed to be explaining the book to Seokjin, quietly passionate about it.

Seokjin was smiling and humming, possibly more focused on what he was cooking, but still seeming to hear what Namjoon was saying.

“Smells good,” You said quietly, slipping completely into the room. Trying not to disturb the aura.

Seokjin turned and grinned at you. “Hey! You look like you feel better.”

You nodded. “That bed is heavenly. And thank you for cleaning the fountain.”

He shrugged. “It looked like it had been neglected for a while. Namjoon found some pebbles for it as well because he read that once they’ve been exposed to the tether it can make a transition easier, theoretically.”

Namjoon looked embarrassed, rubbing his neck. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out.”

“That was very thoughtful,” You told him, smiling at him as well.

He was bright red after that.

Seokjin chuckled. “I’ll have dinner ready soon. Then I thought we could head down to the new library building, and then maybe go into town. There isn’t much, but I do need to pick up some things.”

You took the seat that Namjoon offered. “That sounds like a plan. Who’s the kitty?”

“Oh, that’s Parsley. She followed us home one day and has been here ever since.” Namjoon pet the cat carefully. “She’s a good mouser, so we just sort of created a pact that as long as she keeps us pest free, we’ll keep her pest-free.”

“She’s a cutie,” You said, pressing your cheek against the soft fur and enjoying the soothing vibrations of her purr. It was just one of the many things that made you feel so comfortable here. That and both men seemed relatively impervious to your enchanting beauty, which was refreshing. It gave you hope that this would work out. That you wouldn’t always be free-floating.

“She is. Do you know anything about this bird that practically forced it’s way into our house?” Seokjin asked, pointing toward the ceiling.

You leaned to the left to look at the little black and white fluff-ball. “Was wondering when he would show up. He’s been following me for a while. Don’t know why, but he seems to have formed an attachment. Whether he feels like conversing is a completely different matter.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Not that he’ll tell me.”

Namjoon started laughing.

Seokjin gave you an exasperated look. “What do you call him?”

“Fluffball, marshmallow, cotton swab, cotton ball, cotton candy, fairy floss—he really doesn’t like that one—squishy, fluffy, Caspar, and Leo.” You shrugged. “Like I said, he won’t tell me his name. Just what his name isn’t.”

“So, none of those are his name?”

“Well, fairy floss isn’t. I’ve gotten to the point where I think he’s just waiting for someone else to settle on a name for him—preferably one he likes.”

“And until then, he’s just going to come and go as he pleases?”

You shrugged again, holding it for a while.

Namjoon was still laughing, his smile revealing some adorable dimples.

“So...is he a magical bird?”

You looked up at your feathered friend, and resisted the urge to shrug once more. “Maybe?”

Seokjin huffed. “What does he eat?”

“Haven’t the foggiest. He always leaves to eat. Sometimes I’d see him eating bird-seed, but mostly he just flies off and comes back well-fed. I think he eats insects.”

“Great. He can deal with the mosquitos.” Seokjin spared the bird a glance, then dished up the food. “The store might have some insects we can get for him, just in case. You never know. They always have weird things.”

“Really?” You looked forlornly after the kitty as it leaped off and disappeared through another doorway. “Is it a magic shop?”

“Well….”

“We told you that Jin-hyung is the only human in town, didn’t we?” Namjoon asked, eyes widened slightly. “Everyone who lives in the area is magical to some extent, except for hyung.”

You shook your head, a little stunned. “No. No you did not tell me that.”

But man was that an idea to wrap your head around.

Seokjin shrugged, having plated up the food. “This is a pretty popular place for refugees. Sort of remote and accepting of different species. A nice place to make a fresh start.”

“But...you’re the only human. Doesn’t that get...I don’t know...lonely?”

He blinked at you, then shook his head and shrugged. “No? I have Namjoonie, and now you’re here too. And yeah, I’m outnumbered, but they’ve never held my species against me. I mean, that’s probably because I did sort of pay for the whole town, which isn’t much. But more people come each day, and some people move on to other places once they’ve gotten back onto their feet. It’s like an adventure, meet some new characters, help them on their journey, then return home to sleep in a big, soft, bed with a full belly.”

And maybe the look of genuine happiness on his face was just a little too alluring.

Maybe you were just desperate to belong somewhere, because when he included you...it was like the world lit up.

And no, you were not tearing up.

His hand covered yours, warmth spreading from his touch to the mark that was hidden under the sleeve of your dress as he smiled warmly at you. “I really do hope that this place becomes your home. Everyone deserves to have a home.”

And then he was moving away, maybe not even aware that he was one of your soulmates since he was human.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Namjoon quickly complied with Seokjin’s words, but you were slower to follow, trying to figure out how all of this had come about.

“I heard that a new van full of people arrived yesterday, so I want to see if I can meet any of them. See if we still have enough housing for everyone. That might mean a couple people staying with us in the house if there isn’t enough housing. Is that okay?”

You nodded, just following their actions, but not taking as much food as they did. Mostly because you didn’t need much food to survive, but it smelled good. So good, and Seokjin did cook it himself.

“Alright, then it’s a plan. Eat, see the new library, go to the store, meet people, come home.” Seokjin nodded firmly at the end of the list, then seemed to remember something. “And talk to your mage-handler and see about tethering you to the spring. That’s probably more important. We can do the other things tomorrow if we have to, but the tethering should be done sooner rather than later. That is, if you want to be tethered to the spring. You wouldn’t necessarily have to live here your whole life, we could always get you your own home, it would just—”

“Living here is fine, and yes, I would like to be tethered to the spring,” You said quickly, noticing how his speech was deteriorating. “I just have one question.”

“Oh?” He looked so genuinely concerned, leaning forward in his seat.

“Namjoon said you wear glasses, so...have you actually seen me?”

Namjoon snickered.

Seokjin’s ears turned bright red. “Um. Yes. Yes I can see you. I have seen you. I’m seeing you. I, um, I put in my, um, contacts. I can see you quite clearly. Also, I could see you when I was closer. Just, not after a certain distance. And yes, we do plan on actively protecting you when we go out.”

You nodded. “Just curious.”

Namjoon paused after swallowing. “The mage is back.”

Seokjin sighed. “So, town tomorrow then. I’ll go let him in. I suppose this means I need to offer him dinner?”

“That would be the polite thing,” Namjoon said, gleefully.

Seokjin muttered as he left the room.

“He’s...unusual for a human,” You commented.

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah. He is. But he’s one of the best human’s I’ve ever met. We’re really glad you’re going to stay with us, Y/n. I hope you never regret your choice.”

“I hope so too.” But you didn’t think you would.

Namjoon turned toward the door, eyes narrowed slightly before rolling his eyes. “Can you help me cover the food? Apparently Mr. Mage is insisting on doing the tethering now if you agree to it.”

You rolled your eyes and got up to help him cover all three plates and the platters and bowls with tin foil to possibly retain some warmth. You highly doubted you’d be eating again that evening since tethering made you impossibly nauseous and sleepy. “I won’t be very coherent after the tethering.”

He nodded. “We’ll make sure you get back here and into bed safely, or into the tub downstairs.”

You nodded, then followed him out to where Seokjin was listening to your mage, looking strained.

“Ah, so, have you decided whether you wish to be tethered to the spring here or not?”

“I have decided to be tethered, yes.” Anything to not be in his careless hands anymore.

“Excellent! I’ll get the fountain!”

“How about I grab it, that way your hands are free to do the actual spell,” Jin quickly intervened. “Namjoon can lead the way back to the mouth of the spring.”

You breathed a sigh of relief as the mage agreed to it. At least Seokjin would be careful.

“Alright, then lets head to this spring! I’d love to be on the road before dark.”

Namjoon’s chin jutted out slightly.

Seokjin just gave a pained smile, nodding. “Yes. Driving after dark is a pain. Namjoon. Lead the way.”

And you weren’t about to tell on Namjoon when you saw one of the floorboards pop up to trip the mage, because you kind of felt somewhat vindicated.

The forest around the house was made up primarily of spruces, firs, pines, and hemlocks with birches, oaks, and red maples popping through here and there. The path that the four of you took (with a little fluffball following overhead and a calico furball following behind curiously) was discreet, yet also fairly well-worn. As though walked often, but also well-cared for.

It was quiet, with varying degrees of density—some areas providing a wide view of the rest of the forest, and other areas being so dense that you couldn’t see a foot past the nearest tree.

Namjoon followed the path for a while, then diverged into the forest down what appeared to be a game-trail, something not walked often.

Then you could sense the water. It’s purity, it’s cleanliness. Free and untethered.

The creek was beautiful, and all of you followed it to the head of the spring.

You grinned when you saw it, a thrill going through you. It was beautiful and so clean and lovely and it was going to be yours.

Seokjin set your fountain down so that the mage could prepare the spell, then came over to you. “You’re sure about this?”

You looked into his eyes, the eyes of one of your soulmates, and nodded. “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, a little more carefree now.

You hoped you’d have the courage to talk about soulmates with him someday, but today you were going to have your soul ripped from a tiny fountain and sewn back into a spring. You only had so much courage.

And then the mage started the spell.

--

Survey Results used for this chapter: 

Namjoon-Blue (haltija), Seokjin-Pink (human), You-Cyan (xana) 

Silk, Book-Librarian, Creek-what your water source is attached to, House/Apartment/Mansion, Style-Victorian & Contemporary, view-boreal/boreal-mix forest, calico kitty, white bird with black wings, 

Whoops-meet Seokjin first, Oh No-meet Namjoon second, LaLaLa-C (some friends, some strangers), Loyalty-Soulmate au, Black-War tore through and you're all in relief housing situation.

--

Pre-Chapter 2 Survey

Next.

Masterlist.  ot7 Masterpost.

--

Taglist: @missmoxxiesworld​  @bryvada​  @i-dont-even-know-fck​ @knjhe​ @alex--awesome--22  @kerikaaria​ @killcomet​ @letsreadbts​ @taestannie​

[chaos-in-pandoras-box]

May I ask, which spirit would help me with becoming more sensual and seductive? Are there any spirits in the special needs that can help me as well?

Hmm, depending on what gender you identify as, I would say Incubi or Succubi can help with that. ^-^ Also Sirens, Xanas, Xaninos, Nymphs, Sanguine Vampires, or Gilded Forest Naga. Right now we don’t really have any beings in our SNAs that can help with that sort of thing, as most of them have a lot of issues and need intensive care to ever get back to that sense of pride. Sorry about that, but I hope the list helps!

[ongakuvoices-archive]

doing more research on the monster AU because Health class is being slow. I mentioned Xanas, right?? "Xanas have children, which are called xaninos, but because they cannot take care of them—xanas cannot produce milk to feed their babies—they usually take a human baby from his cradle and put their own fairy child in instead (see changelings). The human mother realizes this change when the baby grows up in just a few months. In order to unmask the xanín, one must put some pots and egg shells near the fire, and, if the baby is a changeling, he will exclaim, "I was born one hundred years ago, and since then I have not seen so many egg shells near the fire!" That could be Ibuki- a changeling, as xaninos.

[mythos-theos]

Badass Mythical Women and Creatures → Xanas

In Asturian mythology Xanas are beautiful women with long blonde hair that inhabited waterfalls and the surrounding forested areas. Neither malicious nor benevolent, Xanas will either help travelers and give them miscellaneous treasures, including a potion of love and joy. Xanas do, however, steal away human children and replace them with Xaninos, their own children, because they cannot take care of them by themselves.  Xanas sing lovely melodies that cause those pure of soul to feel peace and happiness, while those unclean will be driven insane.

Xanas are also interpreted as small, dark-colored imp-like creatures that enter keyholes of houses to steal or bite people. These Xanas are clearly malicious, and unlike the previously described Xanas.

[humanesque-xanin]

some stuff before you follow (or skip it, i guess, you might just be surprised later.)

tags, details, and ""dni/byf"" under the cut--it's not actually a dni i just block liberally and you'll probably wanna read if you have one

about me/the blog

hi, i'm a changeling (specifically a xanín). i have a lot of names, and my real name will not be on here, but among others i go by crow, magpie, koraki, and jackdaw. my pronouns are fey/feyr, it/its, me/i, &/&s, 🦷/🦷s, .../...s, and unhinged screaming. i do not have aux pronouns, i do not use he/she/they, don't ask.

i'm also plural and in a system (whether or not i'm the host is none of your business). our body is light-skinned Latine with Indigenous and Spanish/Italian heritage, physically disabled, Autistic, transgender, and queer. i identify as physically a changeling. (i prefer alterhuman, nonhuman, otherkind, alterfolk/ faefolk/ changelingfolk, brood parasite, and fae > otherkin.)

i'm a hellenic pagan in a body that is working on beginning our giyur. i align with nearly all (reform) jewish teachings/beliefs beyond monotheism, and have a very low tolerance for antitheism (not atheism) and antisemitism.

this is a sideblog, so interaction will come from our system blog (safety pins). i don't plan to be active or check this often.

tags

- #human.milk | important informational things, such as term definitions, community resources, and folklore - #eggshell.tricks | personal posts, ie about my identity, experiences, etc - #my.cradle.now | asks/responses - #no.ragerts | discourse posts - #rio.cabra | changeling/fae aesthetic posts and art, stuff that feels like 'home' - #chupacabra | things about Latin culture that feel like my actual literal homeland - #citation.needed | upg and me being on my bullshit - #i.am.the.citation | me on my bullshit but when i actually know what i'm talking about (mainly disability, neurodiversity, queerness, hellenismos, and some related topics)

tws will simply be tagged "#tw subject" and/or "#cw subject", and i will always tag unreality/possible psychosis triggers as "tw unreality" & "unreality".

i will not tw or censor terms i reclaim for myself, images/discussion of trans and disabled bodies, the existence of any marginalized groups, mentions of religions, or the naming of disorders/differences and symptoms. don't ask me to, and do not nonconsensually add tw tags for these on my posts.

(i will however tw for in depth discussion of negative symptoms, trauma, or religion)

not actually a dni

- i'm a minor so do with that what you will. while i'm close to being 18 and the 17/18 difference doesn't really exist (except legally), the teen/adult difference does, so still. - seriously i am not into discourse, don't ask my opinions on it. i may respond to it on occasion, but not a lot. it's overall very toxic and petty. - i'm a cripple punk, dyke, queer, transsexual, spic, autist, hysterical, mad, lame, gimp, fag, transvestite, etc.. if you're against people taking pride in reclaimed slurs and outdated terms, first pick up a history book, but second you might want to avoid me. i will not tw for or censor words i reclaim, if you don't wanna see it put it on your "hide" list. - i'm a rad inclus for everything (mspec lesbians, lesboys, nondysphorics, endo systems, nondisordered systems, non-lesbian dykes, non-gay fags, etc.) and i don't entertain discourse on it - i hate the term d/a and "irl" isn't psychotic exclusive. i am, in fact, delusional myself. but both communities get really shitty to kins, and both spread a fuckton of misinfo on psychosis. i don't care if you have those experiences, but those labels are oof! - narcissistic abuse doesn't exist, stop calling people sociopaths/psychopaths/narcissists unless that is their self identification, its really that easy - f-mboy is a transmisogynistic slur and i will absolutely block non-transfem/amab trans folks ""reclaiming"" it. no, it's not against transmascs or gay men, it literally means tr-p. - shipcourse is ridiculous. if you're militant about literally any side of it, we're probably not going to get along. it's a toxic debate with nothing but miscommunication and pettiness in it, and framing media discourse as "100% anti vs 100% pro and not anti" is a fantastic way to erase literally all nuance - i don't care what your kinks are and find all anti-kink shit to be queerphobic and shitty. but i do 100% expect you to not interact with me from any NSFW or kink blog, and expect you to not fetishize other's non-kink experiences without consent, and will block if you do - being anti sexual abuse/bestiality/map & zoo pride? great, yes, agreed. being anti paraphilia? gross, shitty, and saneist. they're still mental illnesses if you hate them

[psycotique]

Thanks for the site link !! I try to analyse my dreams as much as poss but I've lost my dream dictionary :( that was rly helpful x

You’re welcome I use that site all the time!! If anyone else was wondering what site to use if you’re wondering what your dreams mean then go to www.dreammoods.com c:

[deadl-y-blog]

Had a time

[thisistheurlformyblogdoyoul-blog]

xaninos replied to your post:I keep having to pause the show I’m watching to...

Which show is this ????

it's called breakout kings