#yeah plenty of members have fairy blood or whatever

[tk-duveraun]

LBH gets stuck in a timeloop at Jinlan City and he can't figure out why. Worse, no matter how much he prepares himself, he can't stop losing his temper with SQQ and feeding him his blood one way or another.

In the worst loop, he attacks SQQ and shreds his robes, seeing his back and the glowing green sigil there. Lbh retreats and finally remembers that in the abyss he saved a trapped spirit that offered him a wish and his wish was, of course, for shizun to be safe.

But in the next loop even though he avoids SQQ entirely, the Old Palace Master still has him brought to the Water Prison and the reset happens when SQQ agrees.

And here's the problem LBH thinks, he already entered HHP belt the timeloop started. He can't unring that bell and doesn't know what to do. He kills the OPM, but the sowers still accuse SQQ and the timeloop still restarts.

Finally he realizes Xin Mo is affecting his thoughts and actions, which is why he lashes out at SQQ.

He kills every sower himself, then returns to the abyss and destroys Xin Mo (MBJ bringing him back out)

Freed from the loop he tearfully returns to qjp in the middle of the night and begs sqq to believe him that he means to no harm and Xin Mo is destroyed (which shouldn't mean anything to SQQ but obviously DOES) and please let him just come home

[jekde04]

A Glimpse of the Future

Pairing: Gruvia (Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser)

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Genre: Romance

Word Count: 3,253 words

Summary: Juvia had always wondered where exactly she stood with Gray. She finally got her answer when Gray came back from Edolas and saw someone he never expected. [Based on Chapter 66 of Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest.]

You may also read it on FanFiction.net or AO3!

Juvia ran to the guild as fast as her feet could take her. If she only knew they'd be back this morning, she wouldn't have taken that three-day job outside Magnolia that prevented her from taking her usual station at the table nearest the guild doors – the one she claimed for herself every time Gray would come back from a mission.

She barged right into Fairy Tail and shouted, "Gray-sama!" attracting the attention of a few guild members. Everyone was so used to her Gray-related antics by now that they no longer pay much attention to it. Max simply pointed to the direction of the infirmary with a kind smile and told her, "He's over there, Juvia."

"Thank you, Max-san!" Juvia gave him a clumsy bow before she dashed off to the infirmary, as if Gray might disappear any moment. 

After all, it wasn't like her fear was unfounded. The last time they were together, Gray's body suddenly glowed and disappeared to God-knows-where for days. Only the thought of the rest of Team Natsu being with him made Juvia calm down.

And now they were back, she could hardly wait to see her Gray-sama.

Slowing down as she approached the infirmary, Juvia pushed the door gently and peeked. Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Wendy, and Gray lay on each bed, all sound asleep. Quietly, she made her way towards Gray's bed, the one farthest from the door and nearest the window. She sat beside him on the mattress, the bed creaking a little. 

Though Gray looked a little roughed up – bandages wrapped around his naked torso and left arm, another bandage around his forehead, and a small gauze on his cheek – Juvia was glad his injuries were far from serious. It would take a lot for Gray-sama to become worse for wear, she thought with a smile.

Juvia gently clasped Gray's warm hand nearest to her. The action made him stir, and in a couple of seconds, Juvia found her eyes locking with Gray's still sleepy ones. "Juvia?"

"Gray-sama! Juvia's sorry to wake you up like that!" She immediately let go of his hand and cupped her reddening cheeks. "Juvia was worried, so she just wanted to check up on you. She's just glad to see you're safe. She will let you rest now." Juvia started to stand up but Gray grabbed her wrist, causing her to fall back onto the mattress.

"It's okay, Juvia," Gray said, giving her a small smile. "I was actually looking for you when I got back."

It never ceased to amaze Juvia just how much more vocal Gray had been these days. After years of pining for him and barely receiving a response, Gray being more open and receptive to her was something she still had to get used to. She didn't mind it in the least, but she still couldn't control the blush blooming on her cheeks whenever he said something remotely sweet.

"Oh, Juvia went on a solo job while you were gone," she told him. When Gray's eyes narrowed at her, she quickly added, "But it wasn't anything dangerous, Gray-sama! Juvia just had to conjure rain for this small town. It was an easy one, really. And it was something only Juvia can do." She winked at him for good measure – after all, Gray liked it when she acted cute sometimes. 

During the past year, Gray had become increasingly reluctant to let her go on solo jobs, always insisting to come with her even if it was just a simple three-hour job. When his team wasn't around, he would ask her to tag along with Gajeel, Levy, and Lily. Though Juvia cherished his newfound protectiveness, she wasn't too keen on following him because she was perfectly capable of defending herself. Suffice it to say it had been the subject of a number of their disagreements.

This time though, she wasn't in the mood to argue with Gray, so she quickly changed the subject. "But where did you go, Gray-sama? What happened to all of you?"

With one last glare at her, Gray let it slide and sighed. Juvia pursed her lips to suppress the smirk forming on her lips. She knew full well that Gray would bring it up the next chance he got, but it was still a victory for her, no matter how short-lived. 

Propping himself up on the bed so he was sitting against the headboard facing her, he answered, "We were transported to Edolas."

"Edolas! You mean, the world without magic? How?"

"Apparently, the White Mage brought us there because she needed our help, but I can't really go into details. You know we can't divulge anything about the 100 Years Quest."

Juvia nodded. "Oh, so it was part of the quest. Juvia understands and won't pry anymore." She patted his leg and added, "Juvia's just really glad that Gray-sama's back in one piece."

Gray grinned. "Of course. And we got a lot of help too from the Edolas Fairy Tail."

Juvia's eyes lit up. "Really? So you got to meet our counterparts there!" she said, clapping her hands together. She heard so many tales about their Edolas doppelgangers, especially about Edo-Gray pining for Edo-Juvia. She got so jealous about it that she even reverted to her old hairstyle just to try to get Gray to notice her. Sadly, it didn't make a difference.

"Uhh... yes," Gray replied sheepishly, cheeks reddening as he did so. 

She waited for Gray to continue, but when he didn't, she prodded him. "So, how was it? Did Edo-Gray finally get Edo-Juvia to love him back?"

Gray simply nodded, not looking Juvia in the eye. Is Gray-sama embarrassed?

Wanting to learn more, Juvia continued to question him. "That's great! So, they're now a couple?"

"Y-yeah. Well, kind of."

Juvia's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Is it like... ours?"

It was now Gray's turn to be confused. He looked at her, raising a brow as he asked, "Ours?" 

Juvia blushed as she looked away. Truth be told, she and Gray never sat down to have "the talk" before, as she always felt that Gray wasn't the type to put labels in a relationship – or even get into a relationship, for that matter. But the shift in their... whatever they had going on right now was apparent ever since their war with the Alvarez army.

For one, Gray had become more protective of her, not allowing her to go on solo missions he deemed dangerous (As if he had a say in that, Juvia thought smugly, though she appreciated the concern). Gray would also immediately cover her up or drag her somewhere private every time he realized she had once again stripped alongside him during their battles. 

And she couldn't deny that Gray had been spending a lot of time with her, whether on missions, in the guild, or even just some random day strolling at the park – eating caramade franks, laughing at each other's stories about their guild mates, with Gray insisting that "this is not a date" even as he walked her back home, his scowl getting bigger and bigger as they neared the doorstep of Fairy Hills.

And then there were those subtle touches and gestures, too small to notice if you weren't paying attention. But Juvia was Juvia, and she always paid attention to everything her Gray-sama did.

So she always felt those lingering touches on her elbow, her shoulders, and at the small of her back whenever they were walking together. She noticed those smirks that turned into smiles that he tried to hide whenever she said something amusing or did something cute. She basked at how he always sat a little too close to her even if there was still plenty of space on his other side, their elbows and knees touching. And there had been one too many times when she caught him gazing at her, eyes suddenly traveling somewhere else as his crimson cheeks betrayed him.

Juvia saw and loved all those changes. She couldn't deny how Gray made her feel special.

But if she was being completely honest, she wanted more.

She wanted him to talk to her more openly, so she didn't have to rack her brain just over analyzing his words. She wanted him to feel free to hold her hand whenever he wanted to, not just brush them against hers and get extra sulky when she wouldn't latch onto his arm like he was used to. She wanted to let everyone know that Gray was hers, erasing the fear that one day, he would just wake up and find a love rival who's a lot better than her.

Juvia wanted to know if they were on the same page. She wanted to know if they have a future together. 

But she also knew that she couldn't force Gray to take a step forward if he wasn't ready. So, Juvia did what she knew she did best for Gray – wait for him. Patiently.

"Umm, nothing, Gray-sama. Juvia just wanted to know what you meant when you said they were kind of a couple," Juvia stammered, internally chastising herself for almost forcing Gray to put a label on their relationship.

Gray just stared at her, as if debating in his mind what to say next. When he spoke again, it was in a low voice. "They're not like us... Actually, they're already married."

"Juveen!" Juvia shrieked and immediately covered her mouth, remembering that their friends are sleeping. She could feel her blood boil and all of a sudden, her face felt extremely hot. Against her will, her mind launched into an all-too-familiar scenario of the two of them exiting the church after their wedding, all their friends cheering at the lovely newlyweds. Gray would sweep her into his arms, lean her backwards, inch his face closer as she closed her eyes...

"Juvia? You there?"

Juvia's eyes snapped open – she drifted off to dreamland again with just the mention of marriage! Gray's hands were waving in front of her, his face a mix of concern and amusement.

"Juvia's s-sorry! It's just that... m-married..." Juvia stuttered, fidgeting on her seat. If the couples in Edolas are the same in Earthland, then does that mean that Juvia and Gray-sama would... She shook her head as her imagination threatened to run amok again.

But instead of giving him his usual scowl, Gray's lips curved into a small smile.

"That's not the best part."

Juvia just stared blankly at him. Is Gray-sama insane?! What else could be better than getting married to him?

"They... they have a son."

Juvia's jaw dropped as she felt more blood rush to her cheeks, and she fought the urge to squeal again. A son?! For Gray-sama and Juvia???

But instead of an equally embarrassed Gray, she was surprised to see him staring outside the window, a contented smile playing on his lips and a hint of pink on his cheeks. It was a completely new expression she hadn't seen in Gray before.

"You know... he has your eyes. Huge, dark blue ones, like you can just get lost in them. And your lashes, too. They frame his eyes so perfectly," Gray said as his eyes crinkled a little in remembrance. "His hair's like mine, though. Dark, but I think it had a tiny bit of blue in it. But a messy mop of hair like mine all the same." He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a small laugh.

He finally returned his gaze on Juvia. "At first, I really freaked out. I mean, that's a kid right there – five, maybe six – who looks like you and me at the same time. It's so uncanny. He even acts all quiet and cool, it's like looking in the mirror.

"But then he blushed, and he... he's just so cute. Too cute for his own good," Gray said with a soft smile on his face. Juvia was so fixated on what Gray was saying that she didn't notice his hand intertwining with hers.

"He... he looks so much like you when he blushes. All shy and cute, like I just want to squish his tiny cheeks and kiss them." He was smiling widely now, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck – a habit Juvia knew he does when he was feeling shy.

"I can't believe we could make something as precious as that, you know?" Gray locked eyes with her, and Juvia felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering in her stomach for a thousand different reasons. 

Maybe it was the fact that their Edolas counterparts were now married and had a family together. Maybe it was because she had never seen Gray like that before, so happy and at ease. 

Or maybe it was the possibility that this was the same future laid out for them: a happy marriage and an adorable son who was the perfect mix of both of them, in looks and personality. 'I can't believe we could make something as precious as that, you know?' 

Could Gray-sama be thinking that far ahead... with Juvia?

She knew she could spend an eternity just watching Gray like that, but she had to remind herself that this was not actually their life. It was Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia's, not theirs. Right now, she wasn't even in a formal relationship with Gray. Her heart sank a little.

Forcing to tear her gaze away, she shook her head and brought herself back to reality. "That's... that's nice, Gray-sama."

Gray frowned at Juvia's sudden change of demeanor. He squeezed her hand and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that... it's Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia. It's not really us."

It took a few moments for Gray to respond. 

"Yeah, you're right."

They stayed silent for some time, Gray once again pensively gazing outside the window and Juvia looking down on her lap, busily fidgeting with her skirt. When he finally spoke, she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Juvia... don't you want something like that?"

A mix of emotions rushed straight into Juvia's heart like a raging river. Shouldn't Gray-sama know by now that there's nothing else in the world that Juvia wants than to get married and build a family with him?

"Of course Juvia wants it!" she answered, a little too loudly. Checking herself, she added in a whisper, "It's just that she's not sure if that's what Gray-sama wants, too."

Gray looked at her as if she'd grown another head. "W-what? But I thought all these will eventually lead to that!"

"E-eh? Wha... What does Gray-sama mean?"

Gray drew a deep breath. "Juvia, I know I'm slow at these... things, but I'm sure." 

When she didn't react, he continued. "It may have taken me a while to get here, but I'm here with you. I'm here for the long haul. And seeing that boy Greige, well, it gave me a glimpse of what our long haul looks like." He took her other hand in his. "I mean, I've always known and felt that it's going to be with you, but seeing it, in the flesh, it... it made me more excited about what the future has in store for us." 

Juvia couldn't believe her ears as her heart pounded mercilessly in her chest. Just a few moments ago, she was questioning herself whether this was what Gray really wanted, and now, here he was, telling her that they have a future together. Her eyes filled with tears as she grasped Gray's hands tighter.

 "Gray-sama wants... a future with Juvia?"

Gray averted his eyes and scratched his cheek with a finger, looking a little bashful. "Of course. Who else would it be?" he mumbled. Then he looked back at her, his eyes softening. "And frankly, I kind of want to start that future as soon as possible."

Steam shot out from Juvia's ears. She snatched her hands away from him and covered her chest. 

"E-eh?! Gray-sama wants to make a baby right now?" Juvia exclaimed, face as red as a tomato.

Gray flailed his hands in front of him, just as flustered as Juvia was. "N-no! Not right now, of course!"

She threw herself in his arms as he squirmed. "Juvia would love to! Juvia and Gray-sama better start right now if they want 32 babies!"

"32?! What the hell, Juvia!"

Juvia pretended to be hurt as she looked him in the eye. "Gray-sama does not want to have babies with Juvia, then?" She pouted and gave him her best puppy dog eyes, tears threatening to fall on her cheeks.

"No! I mean, yes! No! Juvia!" Gray ran a hand on his face, then sighed. He grabbed her shoulders and stared right back at her. 

"Look, I want babies. With you. But not right now. And not 32, for God's sake! Just please, don't cry." With that, he pulled her into his arms and Juvia couldn't help the warm feeling spreading throughout her whole body. Gray-sama really sees a future with Juvia!

Deciding to stop tormenting Gray, Juvia wiggled out of his grasp as she smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "Juvia's just teasing you, Gray-sama. But... she wants you to know how happy you made her just by hearing that Juvia is part of your future."

Gray's face softened, his hands cupping her cheeks as well. "I honestly don't know how you could think otherwise." Gray's face inched closer to hers, his breath fanning her lips, and Juvia closed her eyes.

"Get a room, you two," Lucy's voice broke the moment, making both jump away from each other, red cheeks and all. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they forgot they weren't alone in the room.

"How many eggs would you like Juvia to lay, Ice Pants?" Natsu asked as he tried to control his laughter.

"Shut up, Flame Brain!" Gray retorted. "At least I'm not stupid enough to believe that babies come from eggs!" 

Natsu crinkled his brows in confusion while Lucy facepalmed and Wendy giggled. Erza mumbled something about Natsu's need for further education.

"Moron! They totally do! Happy came from an egg!"

"Natsu-san, I don't think it's the same..."

"Idiot! How did you grow up and not know where babies come from!"

"Natsu! Gray!"

As the petty exchange escalated to a full-on brawl, Juvia cheered her Gray-sama, heart fluttering with the promise that someday, a beautiful boy with her deep ocean eyes and his unruly dark locks would be jumping and shouting beside her, cheering his Daddy on.

A/N: I couldn’t resist writing this even though I was in the middle of working on another fic. I just can’t wait for Gray to tell Juvia about Greige!

[sugar-petals]

:: BTS As Your Vampire Boyfriends

warnings ⚠️ smut, blood mentions, fangs kink

♡ Includes places they gravitate towards and countries they lived in, with their current residence in italics. Imagined in a world where a vampire bite will not convert a human, but rather, where species coexist without interference.

↳ NOTE › fuck yeah, bangtan vamps! some bits are juicier, some fluffier, some funny, some heart-wrenching or romantic. you’re in for a surprise 🤓 enjoy!

⌈ Jimin ⌋ ➝ Urban Vampire. 20 years old. USA, Italy, Sweden. Dresses like your typical haute couture vanguard, complete with bow ties and fishnets. Always has the latest pop culture news from SNS to chat about. Majors in? You guessed it, fashion design. Frequents high-rise apartments of his talkative New Yorker friends, wears huge square shades to fend off sunlight whenever he can. But also just because. The new boutique around the corner? Jimin was the first one to buy that 307$ gleaming Versace choker when it opened. In gold. He might have gotten the $520 guilty pleasure loafers as well. Yes, he does own more shoes than you do. 90 pairs to be exact, it needs a separate closet. He will try on several a night even when you don’t go out and just kiss watching a movie. What on earth is the reason behind all that? It’s to look good for your human eyes only. After all, he can’t see himself in the mirror. If he’s bound to outlive you by fate, he says, at least you’ll get to see him at his very best for the time being. He condenses several of his future lives into the limited one with you. A dazzling outfit can be that diversion and solace. Changing it often makes him feel like living faster, even if he’s headed for immortality. You decided to get a couple wrist tattoo on that last September. Carpe Diem, seize the day.

So there’s a lot to do together. Bucket list after bucket list. But there’s still a routine. Jimin loves destroying his friends at Friday night bowling yet can’t help but let you win every time. No matter how much you provoke him, the guy will aim at the gutters. You actually met at bowling back then. Eleven months ago, at your bff’s b-day party where he was introduced to you as Park, inofficial Prince of Manhattan with a love for sweet blood, orgies, and fiery ladies. The orgies part turned out to be a rumor, but he does say you have sweet blood. Even if it’s bad etiquette among vampires and he knows how much of a vice it is, Jimin loves to subtly show off in front of werewolves and witchers with popular ig accounts about how affluent his vampire family is at underground runway shows. Or sometimes, even fancy dinners where he orders dish after dish for the two of you. His friends suspect it’s all to compensate for how small his canines are since Jimin dearly wishes they were pointier. You’ve assured him that it’s not just better for your neck but also oral sex in general. He’s devilishly good at that. A born lover. Small canines are cute and fashionable anyways, all other talk is bogus. Having a vampire boyfriend remains a special feat and wild ride. But it’s definitely worth it.

⌈ Yoongi ⌋ ➝ Metro Vampire. 27 years old. Japan, Nigeria, South Korea. Dressed in all black, hoodies and stretchy jeans galore. Studied dental sciences in Lagos and has quite some polished teeth himself, but hardly puts them to use nowadays because he’s been getting more Zen about it. Instead, he can’t live without the internet. It distracts him from any urges and thinking about the future, and teaches his inquisitive mind about everything he needs to know about navigating the wide human world beyond the subway. He travels from station to station in Sapporo with a ticket for eternity and the security of less sunlight, always in search for the best Wi-Fi to text you. Even after two years of dating, Yoongi is still fangs over heels in love. And, needless to say, fascinated by the antics of humankind. When you are preoccupied with work at a restaurant in the afternoon, he jobs as a casual broker with contacts to the griffin elites that run the financial market of mystical creatures. 

He frequently jokes that metro vampires are in fact metrosexual. Sometimes visits casinos to kill some time and watch people out of curiosity. His magical ability has caused several power downs in nearby flat complexes — strangely, never the one he is in — but its purpose and origin remain unknown. He’s consulted a supposedly wise street demon about it once but only got a long burp as an answer. Rude. So he travels on and on with the tube. He’s not as much on the go as it always seems, however. Yoongi spends a lot of his time gaming and lounging in your basement. Pretty much naked even if you don’t have sweaty sex at 3 AM. Although, when is it not 3 AM. You’ve developed a little late-night routine there. You bring him coffee, chat, make out, he buzzes you off with your favorite vibrator, you give him slow blowjobs that he records on his phone with shaky hands. Sometimes, with rimming involved, and more action later that night. Yoongi needs to eat pussy to stay on track, otherwise, he falls apart. He’s longing to kiss your breasts all the time and you hold hands when it gets steamy. No biting, he controls himself since he took too much one time. Because he hates planes, Yoongi once crossed the Atlantic in a cargo ship’s high cube not having blood for weeks. After compelling him to suck your whole body off cause dammit I’ve missed your lips, too, vamp guy, you were iron deficient for a month. Yoongi, forever apologetic, has made it a habit to buy you vitamin juice ever since, and orders his blood online.

⌈ Jungkook ⌋ ➝ Forest Vampire. 261 years old. Canada, Bolivia, Ukraine. Dressed in a large flaxen coat and heavy boots. Owns a distant log cabin between scenic, dense firs in the Rocky Mountains. Where most of his day is all about chopping and stacking firewood to take his laser focus off blood cravings and not so random boners. He daydreams of you moaning in just about every hot position possible. Sometimes pleasuring yourself or grinding on his cock. And your fucking scent. It’s what really makes him hard. And tremendously flustered. He could be 261 million years old, it would still catch him off guard to suddenly remember the smell of your sweat and hair. The first time experiencing it, Jungkook shortly blacked out and salivated on the ground for 15 minutes. Human pheromones are just about every forest vampire’s favorite addiction. Out of all BTS members, he is the most sensitive to light or artificial noise and instinct-reliant, so he tries to be cautious. Regardless, always hoping that you fill his mind with your red-hot image. This guy is so whipped — at this point, he can sell a portion of the wood he chops daily and still heat the oven for weeks with the rest.

Nature has everything he desires. Silence, vastness. It’s peaceful. A lot of animals roam the area. It calms his fantasies to some degree. He’s spent many decades in the Amazon rainforest, it’s no surprise. He likes to watch deer and talks to the occasional satyr past midnight. Doesn’t own a lot of money, but knows how to prepare a hearty meal for you when you visit him. That’s what makes JK feel like a million dollars. And once the plate is empty: Time for carnal sex. He can fuck for two hours, one even on a bad day. When he drinks from you, the sheer neck stimulation through sucks alone can make you approach orgasm. With a little help from his fingers on your clit, boy is he gonna blow your mind. This shit will teleport you into alien dimensions. He won’t aim for anything less. Whatever his saliva does, it infuses you with serotonin for two, three days after, and your friends back home know with one glance: Cabin guy did it again. You’ll both be lightheaded and covered in hickeys by the end of your encounters if the weather is particularly indoorsy and you don’t go fishing. He wishes he’d never have to come to a city because of the bustling streets and lack of forest fairies that soothe his mind. But sometimes, buying new clothes is due. You go to a comparatively manageable shopping mall after rush hour where you can’t keep your hands off each other in the dressing rooms. Life with JK won’t ever bore you, that’s guaranteed. The cherry on top: He wields an unregistered type of magic that can manipulate all kinds of water streams — he’s created a little creak beside his cabin and named it after you.  

⌈ Seokjin ⌋ ➝ Cottage Vampire. 311 years old. Switzerland, Morocco, and Mongolia. Dresses all cozy with big sweaters and trench coats. Jin sells self-grown fruit and vegetables at the market downtown on Saturdays and Sundays. With vivid gestures and plenty of small talk topics up his sleeve, he befriends just about any stranger with two minutes spare time to talk about cheese, chocolate, and the notoriously high prices. Jin is among the most popular stall owners because of the many discounts he grants literally anybody. The Swiss way of very neat, organized, and especially neutral living appeals to Jin who has seen far too many messy wars go down since he was turned into a vampire. You didn’t believe it at first: By a British royal named Hamish back in 1708, inheriting him a magical ability to learn languages particularly fast so his Swiss German is perfected to a T. Jin is an utmost textbook rural sweetheart of the village. He takes care of the cottage with you like clockwork. Watering the herbs, painting walls here and there, cleaning the kitchen, always saying hi to the neighbors. Drinking tea on the terrace, with some cheesecake and cream on the fork, watching the cornfields sway in the wind is the good life. Simple, but meaningful.

There are a lot of lively and busy little blackbirds around the house joining you to pick up some crumbs, and Jin turns on the radio to play old-fashioned folk music of whatever Alp orchestra was recorded thirty years ago. The cake is gone all too soon, and the sun sets. You’re happy. Jin is a loyal and moral vampire who has adopted a vegetarian diet ten years ago and didn’t look back once. No cheating! Even if the market sells a lot of tasty ham and sausages. He’s sworn off that. After 311 years, even vampires start to think about their diet. A lot of fellow vamps in the area think he’s one strange guy, but Jin won’t bother. He gets all of his blood from a nearby hospital for a hefty price because he doesn’t want to drink from you all the time no matter how much you ask him. Sex is a better pastime. Chocolate lover Kim got a big dick and decades worth of time developing how to use it. Jin, when he does nibble at you, also has a very pleasant bite that doesn’t leave marks or just about any kind of bruise. He doesn’t want to tell you his secret because apparently, an old and rather nit-picky basilisk told him. Somewhere in a dusty attic of a Marrakesh craft store selling lamps and the most splendid of perfumes, 170 years ago. If he spills the beans, the special trick is dissolved. So... hush. Some things are better left top secret when it comes to basilisk magic.

⌈ Taehyung ⌋ ➝ Museum Vampire. 750 years old. Paris, London, and Sydney. Always dons crisp vintage tuxedos in the muted, heavily tailored style of the 1920s. He’s gotten attached to that era. Unsurprisingly, museum vampires are truly nostalgic creatures. Perhaps, also a bit melancholic at one point. Immortality is a two-edged sword. So, Taehyung clings to everything that endures the times. Statues, rustic vases, coin collections, preserved tunics, temple relics, especially fossils of all kind. His favorite place to roam at night is the museum shop or department for Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities. And indeed, it is the Louvre, what other museum could it be. Taehyung has mastered a convenient invisibility spell at the whooping age of 142 by chance after sneaking around the graveyard of Montmartre, trying to blend in with some friendly ghosts who taught him a trick or two. So the CCTV and guards don’t pick up on him unless he manipulates objects displayed in the exhibitions. 

Which he feels tempted to. But Taehyung prefers to meet you in a snug alley café at dawn. The one where they don’t serve garlic-heavy dishes. You’ve already seen so much of the museum together in the course of a 4-year relationship. And he can’t possibly dick you down in the gallery of Dutch and Italian masters no matter how horny either of you is, mind you. You’d get anemic fast if you’d be sucking and fucking all the time anyways, and Taehyung really isn’t down to take a lot of blood from you. A little, as you always call it, prick’n’lick is what he usually goes for when you have time to meet in your flat. And maybe a deep, warm creampie to top it off because he knows that his semen does some stuff to you that only vampire magic can cause. You’ll be giddy and talk complete nonsense about Dadaism, Kahlo, and Kandinsky for three hours. Pregnant you can’t get since human with human, vampire with vampire is how the math goes. But extremely high, apparently. So, prick’n’lick. Your favorite activity. Talk about oral fixation: Vampire Tae has a strong obsession with strawberry ice cream. And... caressing your body, seriously. He is into some major VDA (Vampiric Displays of Affection). Believes that in your past life, you were the grand dame Mona Lisa herself. And a flapper. He writes poems about that and keeps them in a huge diary in the cellar of the Louvre. Some bittersweet, some sensual, some full of adoration. You treasure your time with him, always. 

⌈ Hoseok ⌋ ➝ Castle Vampire. 1827 years old. UK (Scotland), Greece, China. Dresses exactly the way you think a dapper castle vamp is suited up. Ruffles, tight pants, gloves, large hats with feathers, tons of Italian lace, even slightly heeled shoes with pointed toes. Has been alive when Sparta was still a thing, saw what went down in the uproar of the actual French Revolution in passing, met Marilyn Monroe, almost got on the Titanic as a passenger, but has enjoyed the Rennaissance the most so far so there’s that. He lived in forts, churches, and even a small barn for some parts of his life until deciding to buy himself a fucking hilltop palace where you can live together. Because lavish castles are, ultimately, what appeals to Hoseok the most, and there is definitely enough space for all of your interests ... and sex toys. Anyway. How did all of that begin. So: The two of you met at a medieval exhibit in Perth where they displayed armors and pieces of weaving. Fell for each other, bonded over a kaleidoscope of shared interests, history knowledge in particular. Hoseok enjoys conversations about mythology, he loves that. And binging a lot of shows on Netflix. Gotta bridge the old and the new. Not that he doesn’t own a giant home theatre with perfect sound system. Maybe he just wants to cuddle up with you in bed and sob when another character dies together so the entire castle staff will hear. No worries though, they’re used to it.

Netflix aside: Aristocracy makes him feel at home. The sunshine regularly hosts interspecies balls with flamboyant masquerade themes so everyone can show up how they’re comfortable. That concerns particularly the slightly introverted elves and shapeshifters from downtown. The last huge ball went under the motto ‘The Glamor of Old Hollywood’ and you dressed up as Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire, dancing all night and plundering the buffet. Hell of a good time. National holidays are holy to vampire Hoseok and basically equal date night. Given his high sex drive, there can’t be enough special occasions either way. To ride his thighs, his face, mark each other down forever until the pants are a little too tight at the damn front. The guy gets shaky knees at the smallest sight of a delicious pulsing vein no matter his century-long chance to accustom himself with human necks, so you agreed to go by a schedule — #SuckingSaturdays only — and you wear thick scarves. Which fits the moody UK weather anyways. The Scots really dig Hoseok in case you’ve been wondering. You can bet Hoseok is the star of Scottish twitter. 

⌈ Namjoon ⌋ ➝ Mountain Vampire. 3008 years old. Nepal, Kenya, Peru. You tease him about wearing a long, strangely-always-white cloak and staff because it gives him the semblance of a beardless twen Gandalf. He smokes a pipe, too, but not in your presence anyways. Whatever is in there... seems to elevate him. Literally. Namjoon can levitate. There’s no other way he could use in order to visit you in the first place. A beautiful, abandoned pagoda seated on top of a snowy crest is his makeshift home, inaccessible to everyone but him. Only a secluded place like this is suitable for his ancient kind. To meet you in a warmer and more human-friendly environment, he will elegantly descend from his premises to get together with you in the town located at the base of the mountain. As many nights as possible. Always with a self-made present. Like freshly assembled tea leaves or a little talisman he carved from a piece of wood. Found on one of his long evening walks. He knows what eternity feels like best, that your life is but a glimpse compared to his, so every moment will count. He’ll make it right, no worries. It’s Kim Namjoon, taking care of things. You can always rely on him.

On all levels, he never ceases to surprise. Vampire Joon has surpassed the principles of ingestion, sleep, and a sense of temperature. Hell, even finances. He simply breathes and exists — and most importantly: reads for hours — without any external efforts. Even the Middle Ages didn’t leave a single wrinkle on his face. And he is still the best experienced person to share a bed with. No sexual technique is foreign to him, and post-sex spooning conversations are immensely entertaining. Namjoon has a lot of philosophical thoughts on human-vampire relations and met countless historical figures. He’s also befriended the Yeti at one point, resulting in quite a few hilarious narrations that he will retell on request every time you meet. And he makes them funnier every night. Because Namjoon thinks your laugh is prettier than every sunrise and sunset he’s seen around the world combined, on his every voyage. The most interesting part is: He doesn’t drink any blood even if he has fairly sharp fangs that you often catch yourself staring at for minutes. He still seems more invested in making you cum. With sweet words, brainteasers, and wisdoms spoken into your ears quietly. He’s a walking riddle himself. As expected, who are we kidding. Namjoon, no matter the fleeting centuries he has seen, is a gem and all yours for a lot of nights to come. 

◇ castle: Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (South-East France, 13th century)

[howtohero]

#294 Monster Hunters

It’s that time of the year again. The time where all the spooks, haunts, and frights get to come out and be celebrated and also as a fun bonus there’s a lot of candy around. And where there are monsters, you can be sure that monster hunters will not be far behind. Monster hunters are folks who, well, hunt monsters, and they’re the absolute worst. They ruin everyone’s fun. They buy out all the stakes in an area which makes camping a real pain. And, of course, they try to stalk and kill random innocent monsters (and then they have the audacity to ask for money for their “services” it’s real messed up). So this holiday season, let’s talk about how to fight those who would prey on the most monstrous members of our society.

As we’ve mentioned, monsters are generally pretty harmless. They just happen to be fuzzy or horned or fanged or winged or giant. But that doesn’t mean they want to eat people. Most monsters just want to get through the day and maybe eat some of that chocolate we mentioned earlier. They’re just like you and me, except way cooler. (Hey speak for yourself!) So the fact that there is an entire profession dedicated to hunting them is more than a little troubling. (They even have a union who has been emailing us nonstop to write a pro-monster hunter piece. Get wrecked monster hunter union!) You can spot a monster hunter by their long trench coat (perfect for concealing large stakes or large baguettes for snacking), their combat boots (perfect for giving people the impression that they know how to fight and aren’t just going around stabbing innocent beings who pose no threat to society), and their horrid attempts at what they call a “Transylvanian” accent (perfect for offending vampires and people from Transylvania). If you see a monster hunter and you’re a regular human, don’t do anything, just walk away. If you try to accost them they might just kill you and claim that you “reverted to your feeble human form upon being stabbed in the chest with a stake and/or taking a sip from a water bottle that had a silver bullet rattling around in it.” Monster hunters can get away with nearly anything in a society that hates and fears monsters. So the best thing you can do is to help enact systemic change that allows for a more welcoming society to monsters of all stripes. 

If you’re a monster and you encounter a monster hunter, you’ve got a few options. As a monster you’ve probably got some inherent abilities that would aid you in combat against a human, though we know how against your nature that is. You’ve got advantages in size, strength, and sharp edges. And monster hunters usually know jack all about what actual monsters are like. Most monster hunters get all of their monster-related info from reading ancient fairy tales or spotty accounts from blind hikers or whatever. So they probably buy into all of the old misconceptions about monsters (including the idea that all monsters are evil and will suck the blood right out of your mangled corpse yikes). Hell, there are plenty of monster hunters out there who can’t even properly identify what a monster is. Remember Ben Helsing? The guy who, for some reason, thinks that anybody who wears a costume is a werewolf? Gosh that guys is so stupid. Did I ever tell you about the time he came after the Psychic Fish? How could that guy be a werewolf? That doesn’t even make any sense! His whole thing is that he’s a fish who is psychic! You can’t add werewolf on top of that, that would be way too many things. (Oh, that reminds me the Psychic Fish has been trying to get in contact with you, he’s received a vision of something big happening soon and he wants to discuss it with-) Uhbupbup, I don’t want to hear it, he’s a fish, I’m not taking a call from a fish. Anyway, where was I, oh yeah, so that’s a pretty clear advantage right there. They’re going to attack you with religious iconography or eggplants or saying your name backwards three times while looking into a mirror. So... while they’re messing around with all of that stuff you could just smack them in the head and knock them out. Don’t worry about getting any heat from that, thanks to legislation passed by Senator Simeon Simian, monsters have the right to defend themselves from monster hunters.

If you’re a superhero (you know, the target audience of this guide) and you see a monster hunter, well, then I’d say you’re duty bound to stop them. When you put on the cape (metaphorically of course, monster hunters wear capes, superheroes are smart and wear costumes that won’t get in their way when they’re trying to save the world) you’re taking an oath to protect all innocent creatures from those who wish to do them harm, and that includes a whole lot of monsters. In fact, since monsters are so often hunted, I’d say it makes sense to take some precautions in case you need to protect a monster. Carry around an extra hood in your utility belt that you can drape over a vampire that’s been exposed to the sun. Carry some smelly garbage in your pocket that you can coat a sewer-mutant with in case a monster hunter tries to polish one off. Hand out free hologram projectors to monsters who live in the cities that the annual monster hunter conventions take place in. Get professional accent coaching so that you can do a real Romanian accent to publicly embarrass monster hunters. And, of course, physically beat up monster hunters whenever you can.

You may, at this point, be thinking that I’m being a bit harsh. “Surely some monsters are evil” you’ll say as though a few evil monsters validates the existence of the entire profession. A lot of people are evil pal, and yet you never see “people hunters” being lauded as heroes. So how about you keep your bad opinions to yourself! 

Monster hunters represent a very real threat to thousands of benevolent and sentient creatures around the world. But luckily, they’re incredibly underqualified for to do the thing to claim to be experts at. So this holiday season, be on the lookout for shifty individuals purchasing a lot of garlic or practicing unraveling toilet papers. Instead of being a monster hunter, maybe consider being a monster hunter hunter and stalk the Earth thwarting the acts of these vile people. 

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 113 Thoughts

See, there’s this fundamental problem with Zeke’s strategy for dealing with Levi.

It hinges on Levi having a good heart, and loving his subordinates.

It hinges on the world being a kind enough place to Levi that he’s ever believed he has the benefit of that bringing him something besides pain.

Didn’t anyone ever tell you, Zeke?

War is cruel.

And Levi prefers tea.

How frustrating must that have been, though? Day after day of watching every single person in the squad take a drink. Day after day of reading the same book, over and over again, dealing with the angriest little soldier that could.

All while Levi doesn’t drink a drop.

Or was it fun? Did it bring Zeke some joy to know that Levi’s only escape would be doing what was necessary, and his too-soft heart would never be capable of doing that?

It’s hilarious how badly Zeke misjudges Levi.

Like.

Zeke.

Kiddo.

(I’m gonna call you kiddo.)

Just because you don’t value your foot soldiers, just because you don’t think twice about the people you transform into monsters, just because you haven’t grown out of thinking of them as your tiny tin soldiers you can wind up for the heck of it and pop out their eyes if they happen to not follow your orders...

You think your lengthy moral defects are the only thing that can drive someone to be willing to throw bodies upon bodies on the chopping block?

You’re so angry when that last gasp of a charge comes after you in Shiganshina, because it’s so pointless. Throwing bodies at the problem doesn’t change anything. When you do it, though, you have a mission in mind. That makes your way better, right?

You think because their constant sacrificial ways are so ineffective, their hearts are less resolute?

You think their soldiers consenting to their sacrifice makes them weaker?

Zeke’s entire plan goes so smoothly. The Yeagerists are running unopposed, the MPs are poisoned (and hell, with the range on that, things somehow continue manage to get even worse), and Zeke’s on his way out of the woods.

His one mistake is misunderstanding Levi.

Or, again:

Misunderstanding the Survey Corps.

When Levi first wins against Zeke, it’s immediately after Zeke’s scornful judgment of the Scout recruits giving their lives away. These uninventive fools can’t come up with any strategy but killing themselves. It’s idiotic and pointless.

At that point in the story, we have some idea of Zeke’s abilities, but not the extent. Not the utility. He has sent hordes of mindless titans after people. He’s performed his role as a cog in the war machine exquisitely. The idea that seeing someone else do the same thing offends him... oh, but that’s fun. The world is Zeke’s playground, not someone else’s. His methods have purpose. Your fave could never.

Only the Survey Corps has always found purpose in their deaths. They accept a hopeless mission knowing that death is coming for all of them.

Their bodies are building a bridge over the walls that keep their people caged. Their deaths will never be meaningless. They will fight the best way they can, and do it with clear eyes and proud hearts.

Their sacrifices aren’t about a failure of imagination; they’re a testament to their will. Give them an inch, they will find a mile.

The walls start them out with so much less than an inch, so they improvise, and their bodies become the tools to carve a better future. For them? No, probably not. For the world. For their people.

That’s what Zeke derides.

He’s grown up surrounded by a society selling that myth; Marley will never let Eldians have a better future. Eldians are only tools, and Warriors are suckers for believing that they have a prayer of changing things. Zeke can, but Zeke? He’s royalty. He has royal blood. His belief that he can change something is backed by something solid and real, not fairy tales of a glorious death bringing about a new world.

Erwin is the one who orders the charge on Zeke.

He does not want to give that order, initially. He wants to be selfish. He wants to learn the truth. He wants to see it with his own eyes, something that every single Scout has always been denied, and gone into battle knowing they probably won’t be the one to finally figure it all out.

Levi is the one who brings Erwin back to the best of himself. He pulls the Commander back in. Give the order. If there’s even a single spark of light, chase it, even if it kills you, so your body can carry your comrades and people further onward.

The first time Eren is saved by Levi, he sees the wings on his back.

The Wings of Freedom are Levi’s to bear.

Heavier than any iron, they still fly.

If Zeke had understood that even a little, he would have transformed with the soldiers. He would have joined the mindless squad in killing Levi instead of assuming it was a done deal and saving his energy.

You don’t win in a world like this by saving tricks for the final hour. Every hour is your final hour.

Strength, time, and choices.

Those things aren’t real.

Zeke thinks he knows that lesson, but he thinks, somehow, that a squad of mindless titans is enough to take down Levi even though it never has been.

Levi’s done nothing but kill humans his whole life. Victims.

He’s the first character to give voice to that, when Hange announces the theory. While everyone’s reeling with the horror, Levi goes straight to his actions, and the implications of what he, himself, has done. He’s Humanity’s Strongest. That translates very quickly into being the person responsible for killing more Eldian victims than any other person on the island.

That doesn’t change what he does. The awareness doesn’t diminish his belief in its necessity.

Zeke misses that. Completely.

The Survey Corps is full of insane dreamers who are capable of envisioning a better world when all logic and history dictates it won’t happen. That isn’t the same as innocence or naivety. The surviving members of the Survey Corps are people who look at monsters twelve times their size, and decide that they are going to fight until one of them wins.

Zeke’s been to the rest of the world, where Titans are losing significance, but still so horrifying that it’s only the development of heavy artillery that’s finally making it possible for anything in the world to fight them. One tiny human against a titan? That’s over before it starts.

Paradis does not have the luxury of thinking that way. Yeah, they’ll probably die, but they’ll put in some work before they leave. Such is life. They aren’t strong enough to win for themselves, so this is their only chance to make use of their limited time.

Every soldier has a choice to make. MPs, Garrison, Survey Corps.

90% death rate.

That isn’t a choice, it’s just that the options are death (of you) or death (of your people). A choice you’re forced into isn’t something you can truly embrace as your own decision. Everyone is a slave to the system, and a fool if they think otherwise.

That paragraph describes Marley’s system perfectly, and that’s what Zeke grows up with.

It also is a relatively fair description of Paradis, and I’m sure plenty of citizens would see and agree with that argument.

But the dreamers who make up the Survey Corps transform that illusion of choice into intent. This is the one option the world offers for improvement? It’s hell? You and everyone who fights for it is going to die, possibly without making a single dent in anything?

Fine. That chance of light is infinitely better than the promise of darkness if we do nothing. Bring on the gloom and death, we don’t need to be the ones to overcome it, but we’re going to make damn sure the one who does has a starting line to plant their feet on.

Marley Warriors believe wholeheartedly that if they just try hard enough, and die well enough, they’ll bring a new dawn for their people.

The Survey Corps is much more cynical in their approach. They don’t say that their plans will work. They don’t make those promises. They say that this death comes closer to change than any of the others you have available, and we’ll all fight for it with you.

Marley’s hope is a lie that’s allowed to be called truth to bring in recruits.

Paradis’ hope is a tiny flicker in the far distance that’s almost unanimously regarded as a shared delusion by the people being fought for.

Zeke’s given up on it long before he ever knew about it.

That’s why he’ll never win against Levi.

It isn’t even a fight. Zeke runs, Levi wins because he catches him. Contact happens. Zeke loses.

Zeke has always been the one in control. He’s always been superior. He might have his issues with Grisha, but the belief that he’s special goes down to his roots. Only his blood relative (and whatever Xaver is, probably) is given the respect of hearing Zeke’s truest worldview. Everyone else couldn’t possible understand, after all.

Also worth a note is that even though Zeke says that Eren’s the only one who understands, that actually does not disprove the theory that mind control is involved, because Zeke has some really bizarrely fucked up beliefs about people’s autonomy. Eren could lose his pupils and go around saying, “Yes, Master Zeke,” and Zeke could still conceivably praise his baby brother for being on the right side.

I don’t know where I stand with all of that, since I still think that Eren is making his own (very stupid) choices, but it seems that it’s Zeke hour, so here’s the latest edition of Zeke being unreliable af as a narrator.

He calls the squad Levi killed “the poor things” when he’s the one who transformed them into titans.

Zeke’s a special snowflake douche who thinks that anything’s justified unless someone else is doing it.

Going by the ominous sunlight, Levi’s done with the middleman approach, and they’re off to see Historia.

Sooo. Options.

NPC Farmer Guy eats Zeke, Historia The Obviously Pregnant waits for her offspring to be born before she eats him in a few months.

Anticlimactic, heavy on convenience, low on Zeke and whatever his fucking plan is being revealed.

Levi and Historia fight so long about her eating Zeke while she’s pregnant that Zeke finds a way to escape.

Trite, overdone, and Zeke really sucks at running away from Levi except when

Pieck is there.

I still like this. I don’t feel that where Mikasa and Armin scrambled off to in a carriage was properly answered, and that means it’s likely that those carriages were heading to see the Queen, and since Pieck’s eyes were on them, heeeey.

Additionally, I remain of the opinion that Pieck is given too many clues about Zeke’s allegiances to be accidental. I don’t necessarily believe that she’s in on Zeke’s plan, but I believe he left the door open so she could be convinced to be part of his plan, and I think having her help Marley to the realization that Zeke is alive is well within Zeke’s contingencies.

He presumably knows Pieck better than he knows Levi. Otherwise, yeesh, we’ve got a grand mastermind who doesn’t actually understand anyone’s mind, and that would be so dull.

There is also a chance that Zeke’s plan aligns with what Marley wants just enough for Pieck to go with it for now. Or maybe Pieck’s given up on hope, too, and Zeke’s one of the few ways out, if only for shaking things up.

Alternatively,

Pieck is not there. Neither is Historia. 50/50 on NPC Farmer Guy being there, but badly wounded, only not because Levi is so Done that he’d probably feed Zeke to him, which I’m not even going to wait for the end of the bullet point to call idiotic and meaningless. His name’s NPC Farmer Guy for a reason.

Give me ????? allegiance Historia and give her fucking themes a chance to actually fucking matter to the fucking plot you fucking fucked up story.

Really fast now because I know people are done caring about me being angry about this: Since so much of this post has been dancing around the importance of consent as an aspect of sacrifice, I would like to point out that it’s very much been pro-consent, which means that if Historia actually is pregnant, I hope Zeke wins and every single character dies, because they’ve essentially ripped away a person’s agency before it’s even born to save their skins, and they can all go fuck themselves if they’re at that point.

(If you think I’m bad about this now, just wait until next month. I’ll repeat that verbatim probably, only with streamers and balloons with angry Sharpie marker eyes.)

...Oh. I guess I can’t shrink or cross this part out, because it’s actually to do with the story instead of my continued grievances. Damn it. Sigh.

Personal preferences aside (ha no not even a little), the thematic implications of Historia’s current narrative continue to infuriate, because it makes all the pretty words about the Survey Corps meaningless. They sacrifice themselves. They’re soldiers. They pick this. They have barely any choice at all, but they still make the choice and make it their own.

Breeding royal children sacrifices those children. The fact that it causes their mother pain, that it might be hard for the DNA providers, is something I feel is largely insignificant compared to that detail.

Because you know what happens when that’s how you think of a child?

Zeke.

Zeke is what happens.

SO YEAH GO AHEAD AND HAVE ANOTHER ROYAL KID WHO’S ONLY ALIVE BECAUSE OF THEIR SIGNIFICANT BLOOD I’M SURE IT WILL WORK OUT GREAT.

That kid’s going to be a person at some point. Counting on that person to not hate them?

To directly quote that person’s mother:

“Exterminate the Titans?! What a pain in the ass! Who’d volunteer to do that?! In fact, I think humanity’s the problem!! We should just let the Titans destroy mankind!”

In summary, your plan is bad because it’s morally bankrupt and directly opposes the ideals your organization has backed for a century moments after those ideals did something tangible for once.

What, fifteen-meter monsters are worth fighting, but a bunch of angry humans need to be scared into compliance because trying to make something better out of it is too hard?

I thought we all agreed we didn’t like Karl?

No?

If Historia’s really pregnant, and the plan to use her kid is still greenlit (still optimistically going with ‘if’) Paradis deserves Zeke. The only question is if they get current!Zeke, or Reiss!Zeke.

....

Fine, so that wasn’t fast at all.

Meanwhile, to our left, we continue to find reasons why that quoted line of thought above is way more tempting than any of the higher moral values like five characters are still trying to keep track of.

As much damage as titans do, they’re just tools. On every single level, humans are driving the monstrosities forward. Humans are literally and figuratively the monsters, and really, if you spend enough time dwelling on that, Eren’s completely dead look starts making sense, because why the fuck do you even try for a scrap of light when people like Floch take a spark and douse it in gasoline to burn the house down?

Circling us back around to why the Survey Corps is where our protagonists are supposed to come home to roost.

Because the world (people) is so fucking cruel, but worth fighting for. There is a victory, there is a better, and lying down in the crap everyone else has made of it is not the way to get there.

-cough- Eren -cough-

Eren’s the original protagonist because he embodies that. If you don’t fight, you don’t win.

Simba. You are more than what you have become.

Once upon a time, Armin tells Eren about a body of water larger than anyone could harvest, made entirely of salt. It’s an unthinkable wonder to a child locked in a box, but Eren believes him, and one day, he sees it.

Once upon a time, Armin talks about diplomacy, and making peace with the world without war, and Eren shuts him down.

Not all fighting’s violence. That’s the most visible symptom of emotional revolution, but the fight Eren wanted all the people around him to have so badly when he was a child is that revolution, not stabbing slavers in the chest (though that’s important too).

Zeke’s stagnated. Whatever he has planned, however much it drastically changes the world, however imaginative and creative it is, he thinks he’s living in a world where certain things are inevitable. He’s jumped off the treadmill, but the meteor’s still going to hit the gym. He’s just chosen to rearrange the furniture to his liking before it all explodes.

...I say, still waiting for the actual reveal of what his detailed strategy napkin says. If it’s, “let’s gather all our enemies to this one island and step on them,” I’m going to be disappointed, and also argue that a lot of people on the island would be able to understand those intentions perfectly.

Blah.

Zeke being The Worst somehow hit critical mass for me with this chapter, but I still want to know what’s going on in the basement his head. As badly as he misjudges Levi, he’s methodical about every decision he’s making. His plan might not be justifiable, but I’d be surprised if it made no sense, or didn’t look really good in some shades of light. Hearing it would be nice.

Flashback time with Real Dad Mister Xaver (CR, how sure are you that there’s no i in that) probably holds some key to that. Ugh.

Mean-fucking-while for real this time...

Oyyyyy.

Isayama has gotten better, on the whole, with every aspect of his writing.

His determination to drive the drill as deep into darkness as it’ll go at the kick off of each major arc remains... really unpleasant to read. I won’t go as far as to call it unrealistic, because wow humans, but I would argue that it’s routinely having characters roll 1s in their morality checks in order to bolster the ideals that the good guys value.

I don’t like it when stories make the strings that visible. People do get caught up in crap like this. It’s horrific, but this is a sudden drop into an area we’re unused to, with the narrative so plainly driving it home that these people are going too far that the sympathetic feelings that get them there are lacking.

Eren looking like the best choice to an island who feels they have no choices is understandable. Floch being convinced that you need a demon to win wars is understandable. Recruits groaning over learning how to fight titans when humans are their primary enemies (kiddos, learn how to fucking fight titans. the fact that the things are capable of existing should scare you into enough common sense to want that knowledge) is understandable.

But Yeagerists are chill with civilian deaths, collateral damage, poisoning key government leaders, and generally throwing their society into chaos for reasons of, “Eren is the only one who can save us!” while the audience is left looking at the pieces on the board and saying, “cool, but how? (also who cares when you guys are being this dickish)”

The divide in methods and thinking is too stark for the Yeagerists to come across as a force recognizable as anything besides angry children who are due to get smacked down. They’re 2013 parody of fandom perception of Eren personified.

Which. is not an unthinkable development, but it makes the bad things people do a lot harder to read when the driving force of character reasoning is flouting the banner of power and glory they’re gathering behind.

I actually feel oddly weird complaining about it now that I’m actually retreading it all. I don’t mind the fact that the wrongness of what the Yeagerists represent is so candid. I might have criticisms of the graceless way it’s written, but on the other hand...

The idea that these people are awful, and encouraging people who might not be that dipped in darkness to strip and get their feet wet, is maybe better than giving the kind of thinking they’re backing the time of day. Understanding how they all get there might smooth out the writing, buuuuut.

Destroying their old enemy turned some of their own into enemies, and the challenge, again and always, for the Survey Corps, is to want better in an environment that has given up on better in favor of glory.

In some ways, having these people be undeniably wrong, no matter how they got there, is somewhat refreshing.

As graceful as a damn anvil, which will continue to annoy, but. Yeah, sure, refreshing. Gracelessness is part of Attack on Titan’s charm.

Really fucking dark read, though.

Next month should be the end of the volume.

No matter what happens, I think we can all agree no one is prepared, and drinking will make everything worse.

[sweetmemories2606]

Unforgivable: Gruvia and Jerza Fanfic (chapter 4)

Summary: A missing child. A prophecy. Two siblings, born from light and darkness. Nothing will be the same after Juvia reveals the truth about her past, damaging her relationship with Gray. Meanwhile, Lucy struggles with a family secret and one night causes unexpected consequences for Jellal and Erza. How will they survive Zeref's ultimate plan? 

Pairing: Gruvia, Jerza, NaLu, Lyredy, GaLe, AlBis

Link (chapters 1-3): https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12889561/1/Unforgivable

Warning: You should really check out the other chapters before reading this post, or else there will be confusion. 

Happy reading!

                                                      Why We Met

"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something."

-Lucy Heartfilia

In a hidden mansion, miles away from everything…

"I don't like this." Kyoka, goddess of the slave planet, said.

"She's talking too much." Torafusa, one of the nine demon gates, added while they watched through a magic mirror as Juvia Lockser explained her backstory.

"It won't be long till she starts talking about us." Tempester spoke, staring at the screen with narrowed eyes.

"I wouldn't be so worried. Remember that my macro curse won't allow her to do so." Seilah reminded them, smirking.

"That's true. Although I think that Jellal's getting suspicious with the information we've had her give him." Kyoka voiced her concerns, staring at Jellal's figure cautiously.

"I wonder how he found out about our plans to eliminate Erza Scarlet." The former said.

"Doesn't matter. Just because Juliet Fernandes didn't actually kill her, doesn't mean it's over." Keyes told them and the demons smiled.

"Of course not. We'll still have plenty of opportunities for that." Kyoka said.

"Besides, now that we know Juliet is capable of murder, we should use that to our advantage." Seilah reminded them while making a book appear; the name Juliet could be read on the cover.

"What do you have in mind, Seilah?" A new voice asked as a woman entered the room. Her appearance was hidden behind a hood, but a few locks of blue hair could be spotted.

"Alison. I was beginning to wonder where you were, dear." Keyes told her with a sinister smile on his skeleton face.

"I was taking care of business. Don't you remember?" The woman raised a brow in his direction.

"Of course. Now we have a new job for you." Kyoka said and she turned to the demon, an interested look in her eyes.

"Do tell." Alison closed the door behind her before walking towards the center of the room, where the Nine Demon Gates were reunited.

"Retrieve Erza Scarlet." A surprised look crossed her face and she froze. A few moments passed before she recomposed herself. "Shouldn't be a problem. Where is she?"

"I'm okay." Gray said, glancing towards Juvia and Jellal with a smile. "I'm happy for her."

"Good for you, man." Natsu patted him on the back.

"I have a feeling that's not all there is to the story." Levy voiced her concerns.

"Same. There are many things left unexplained." Gajeel added, frowning.

"Let's give them time before we ask more." Wendy wisely suggested.

"Yeah, with everything that happened tonight, I think they'll need it." Lucy glanced towards Erza's lifeless body and frowned. "Do you think they're telling the truth about Erza?"

"Why would they lie? You know how much Jellal loves her." Levy replied.

"If Juvia had actually killed her, I don't think he'd act this way; sister or not." Gray added.

"But can we be sure that she's still alive?" Gajeel wondered; something didn't feel right about this whole story.

"I won't be sure until I see it with my very eyes." Natsu was quick to say before crossing his arms and glaring at Ultear and Meredy, who stood in the distance, watching the siblings reunite.

"We still have questions." Gajeel loudly told them before taking a few steps forward. The two looked surprised for a moment, but nodded.

"We'll answer them as best as we can." The older woman said, but soon enough Juvia spoke having broken apart from the hug. "Thank you, Ultear, but I can handle it. This is my story, after all."

"Good. Because there are some things that still don't make sense." Natsu told her and she raised a brow.

"Such as?" Levy was the one who started questioning.

"Well, Jellal mentioned that you disappeared when he was seven. Where did you go?" Juvia sighed; knowing this question would come. She exchanged a glance with Ultear, who gave her an unsure look. "If I'm going to tell the truth, I'll have to tell them everything."

"Are you sure?" Meredy's eyes were wide; she didn't think this was a good idea.

"So this is what you were talking about before." Natsu muttered, remembering the words spoken by them a few minutes before

"I know, but that doesn't change what I did. What I had her do."

"She didn't go through with it. And, honestly, I don't think Gray needs to know."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." The ice mage was quick to tell his girlfriend.

"I know you won't think like that once I'm done, but you deserve to know." Juvia took a deep breath before looking right at him, blue eyes filled with sadness. "When I was five and Jellal was seven, I was kidnapped. I remember that night clearly; it was my 5th birthday and I had fun playing games with him and our father. I was so happy, until he came. The man who took me away from my family and ruined my life."

"Who was it?" Lucy couldn't hold her curiosity any longer.

"His name was Hades; and he used to be the master of Fairy Tail." Their eyes widened once they remembered the man that they had met on Tenrou Island.

"Hades?" Natsu whispered, disbelieving.

"Wait a minute! If he was the one who took you, does that mean that…." Levy started and Gray finished her thought.

"You were with Grimoire Heart, weren't you?" Juvia nodded slowly, a guilty look coming upon her face.

"Yes. I was brought to the place where Ultear was also being kept." This had everyone glancing towards Ultear. "Back then she was Hades' only recruit and we quickly bonded over loneliness and bad parents; since he told me my father didn't want me anymore and had sent me away." Juvia paused and sighed."Of course, it didn't take me long to figure out he was lying, but by then I was in too deep and constantly supervised. So I had no choice but to follow his orders if I wanted to stay alive."

"That makes sense." Lucy said and the others agreed.

"But still, it doesn't forgive everything you must've done as a member of Grimoire Heart." Gajeel spoke next.

"I disagree. If I managed to forgive Ultear for everything she did, it won't be hard to forgive you." Gray sincerely said.

"Besides, compared to the rest of us, Juvia didn't do anything that wrong. She didn't kill anyone in cold blood like me; I always managed to protect her from that." Ultear added and Juvia tensed.

"It's not entirely true. I did some awful things." Her hands held tightly onto the heart-shaped necklace that she constantly wore.

"You didn't have a choice. Master Hades would've killed you otherwise." Meredy reassured.

"It was a matter of survival; we understand. I can forgive that." Gray said and Juvia couldn't help but to smile.

"Thank you, my love. I can't believe how supportive you're being. It's so…unexpected." He laughed at this.

"Trust me, I'm freaking out here. But nothing I've heard so far has convinced me to hate you or resent you. All I can see is how much you suffered and I hate that you didn't tell me before." Tears were brimming in the corner of her eyes.

"I was so scared. I didn't want to lose you." He shook his head before fixing her with a reassuring look.

"You won't. I promised to always be there for you, didn't I?" She nodded, unable to formulate words.

"You two are so sweet!" Meredy happily told them.

"Yes, I just wish I had seen it sooner." Ultear sighed.

"But you did. You saw how I was falling in love with him and you decided to step back. I'm always grateful for that." Juvia told her and Gray's eyes widened.

"So you told Ultear about me? Is that how she found out?" The older woman shook her head.

"No, it was the other way around. I knew exactly who you were ever since Hades told me about my mother's death by your hand. He wanted to fuel my hate for you and need for revenge. It worked just perfectly." She looked down in shame. "I just wish I hadn't dragged Juvia into it."

"It's okay; I've forgiven you for that." The water mage quickly reassured her before smiling. "Besides, if you hadn't pushed me towards Gray, I would've never found the happiness he brought into my life."

"So that first date, it was your doing?" Lucy asked, recalling Juvia and Gray's first encounter a few weeks before the battle between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail.

"Yes. I sent Juvia there to kill Gray, but she couldn't bring herself to do it." Ultear replied and the memory brought matching smiles to Gray and Juvia's faces.

About 1 year earlier...

"Why do you care enough to comfort me when you don't even know me?" Gray was surprised, for many reasons.

"To be honest, I'm not always like this." He hoped she'd understand what he meant."But Mirajane has been pushing me to be nicer, so I'm trying."

"You're doing a good job." She allowed a sincere smile to take over her face and he gave his own in return.

"I'm glad." They were silent for a few moments, until the faraway ticking of a clock let them know it was already midnight.

"We should go." Juvia didn't know why she suggested it. This was the perfect moment to finish what she had come here to do. They were alone there; no one would be witness to her sins.

"Okay." He nodded slowly, although she could tell he didn't want to.

"But before we do..." Unexpectedly to both, she closed the distance between them as her arms wrapped around his torso while her head rested on his chest. "Thank you." There were so many meanings to those words that he didn't know.

Gray's expression softened as he returned the hug. "You're welcome."

She pulled apart a moment later and lifted her head to stare at him. He was looking at her in a way only one person had before; a mixture of compassion, happiness and understanding. It made her feel cared for and she couldn't deny that she liked the feeling.

"Juliet..." His hand was suddenly reaching up to touch her face and she froze. There was desire in his eyes now and determination. She was torn between being scared and anxious.

"Yes?" The next thing she knew, he had leaned in and then his lips were touching hers in a passionate kiss.

"You were the first person aside from Ultear and Meredy who ever showed me compassion, understanding. You were the first to ever care and I believe that's why I started to fall in love with you after just one date." Juvia turned to her boyfriend, smiling brightly. "And of course, when you chased the rain away during our battle; I knew it."

"Believe it or not, Gray, but you were the reason why Juvia chose to leave Grimoire Heart. You were the one who brought her into the light and I'm so thankful for that." Ultear spoke next and the ice mage approached the water mage, smiling.

"I'm glad I could point you in the right direction." His arms wrapped around her waist and she wasted no time wrapping her own around his neck.

"I love you so much. Thank you." Instead of replying, he leant it as she did the same.

While the couple shared an intense kiss, Natsu turned to Ultear in confusion. "Wait, so Juvia actually left the guild?"

"If she hadn't, I don't think they would've given her the same treatment back on Tenrou Island." Lucy remarked, remembering Erza and Juvia's tale about their fight against Meredy.

"That's not true! I would've never hurt her, even after she left. But I didn't know who she was." The pinkette said, staring at them guiltily.

"What does that mean?" Now they were really confused.

"You see, after realizing that she was in love with Gray and finding out that Jellal was still alive during the Tower of Heaven incident, Juvia realized that Hades had lied to her for all these years, so she decided to quit." Ultear answered.

"But, as I'm sure you know, no one just quits a dark guild. Getting out alive is nearly impossible." Meredy continued and they nodded, understanding.

"So how did Juvia manage to do it?" Gajeel asked, curious.

"We helped her." The older woman replied. "I always saw her as a little sister, someone I wanted to protect. So after she told me about Jellal, who I'd never known was actually her brother, and of her love for Gray Fullbuster; I decided to put my desire for revenge aside and help her."

13 years earlier…

"Okay, where are you taking me?" Ultear asked while Meredy and Juvia guided her. She was blindfolded and the two girls held her arms and helped her move towards their destination, which was a surprise.

"You'll see soon enough." The 12 years old replied while sharing an excited look with the child.

"I can't wait to see your face, mamma. You'll love it!" The pinkette added; she was almost jumping with joy.

"Okay, we're here." Juvia finally removed the blindfold and Ultear's eyes widened once she spotted the picnic basket on top of the beautiful flowery towel that once belonged to her mother, Ur Milkovitch. There were three glasses, a bottle of juice, many cupcakes and a big strawberry cake besides the basket.

"Happy birthday!" Meredy screamed happily.

"We were supposed to say it together." The bluenette complained, frowning.

"You've done all this for me?" Ultear couldn't deny her surprise. Even though the three of them were very close, she wouldn't have expected them to even remember her birthday. She never celebrated them anyways.

"Of course. Juvia told me that you never had a birthday party, so we wanted to give you one." The 7 years old replied.

"Don't you like it?" Juvia asked, still frowning.

"No, sweetheart, I do. I'm just surprised, that's all." The 18 years old was quick to kneel down by her side, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." The bluenette replied and Ultear wasted no time hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." For a few moments they stayed like that, until they heard a small voice.

"I want a hug too, mamma!" They pulled apart and extended their arms, smiling at Meredy.

"Come here." Juvia called and the pinkette ran towards them, laughing.

Soon enough the three of them were holding onto each other, content. For the first time in years, Ultear's mind wasn't on her mother or her vendetta against Gray Fullbuster; she felt happy. The three of them did; it was good to know that they still had someone who cared after losing everything.

"So you weren't all bad." Levy told Ultear and Meredy eagerly nodded.

"Of course not! Ultear might've been a villain back then, but she was always good to me and Juvia. She always took care of us and we were grateful for that." The others smiled; it was nice seeing this softer side of the former villains.

"But how exactly did you help Juvia?" Lucy asked.

"I knew a powerful spell that could make someone unrecognizable. That way, Juvia could move around freely and Hades wouldn't be able to find her." Their eyes widened. Now that was a clever plan!

"The only problem was, the spell was so powerful that even we weren't able to recognize her; which is why I fought against her back on Tenrou Island." The pinkette added.

"I see now. That was clever." Levy praised and they smiled in return.

"It was. I never thanked you for protecting her then, Ultear." Jellal spoke, reminding them of his presence since he had been quietly watching the conversation so far.

His mind had been focused on Erza as the feeling that she might be in danger overwhelmed him. But then again, this whole night had been no short of dangerous for her.

"No problem. I was happy to help; Juvia was always so loyal and kind. She didn't deserve to be trapped with Grimoire Heart." This had the bluenette smiling once she pulled apart from the kiss to catch her breath.

"So let me get this straight. Juvia and Jellal are siblings, but when they were young she was captured by Hades and trained to be in Grimoire Heart." Levy decided to get all the details they had learnt that night.

"Yes." Juvia said, turning around to face the rest of the group while Gray kept his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"And you were sent to kill Gray during that first date, but didn't go through with it. Then during the Phantom Lord battle you fought against him, but he didn't recognize you until after the fight and that's when you knew you loved him." Lucy continued and the water mage nodded.

"Why were you in Phantom Lord anyways?" Gajeel brought up a good point.

"I was sent there to infiltrate the guild since master Hades wanted to know if they could someday join the Balam Alliance." Juvia replied.

"What about Fairy Tail?" This was the question in everyone's mind ever since Juvia and revealed that she used to be a member of Grimoire Heart.

"I wanted to join the guild because of Gray. It wasn't Hades' plan." Relieved looks came upon everyone's faces.

"One more thing, since you were a member of Grimoire Heart, can we assume that you also use some form of lost magic?" Levy brought up another crucial point.

"That's right. I forgot to ask." Natsu said before turning to Juvia expectantly.

"Well…" She was about to answer when she felt it. The familiar dark presence that constantly haunted her dreams. They all felt it and Jellal's face paled while Ultear and Meredy suddenly looked nervous. "They're here."

A few weeks before...

"You look beautiful, Erza." Jellal said and she smiled at him, a small blush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you."

They were outside of Lamia Scale's guildhall and it was 2 weeks before the Grand Magic Games began. A party had been organized so that all the contestants could get to know each other before the big day; which meant that most of the magical guilds in Fiore were there.

Crime Sorciére, per Meredy's request, had decided to join the party; taking advantage of the fact that it was a masked ball so that no one should recognize them. Just for precaution, though, they had also used magic to make themselves unrecognizable.

"So, shall we dance?" Erza extended her hand at him. She wore a beautiful dark red gown matched with a pair of red high heels she wouldn't be caught dead in if Lucy hadn't convinced her to wear them. Her mask had been taken off a while ago.

"We shouldn't." Jellal was quick to say while frowning.

Erza sighed, remembering their conversation a few months before when they had been reunited after seven long years. He had explicitly told her that the only reason he had chosen to live was so that he could make up for his mistakes; and that involved hurting her.

When she had told him that she forgave him for everything, he'd accepted it but reinforced that he had yet to forgive himself. After a fight that led to a desperate kiss; they agreed to stop hiding their feelings and confessed their love for each other.

However, per Jellal's request, they agreed to wait until he felt like he deserved to be with her.

But that was over two months ago and Erza was tired. "Come on; it won't do any harm. You can punish yourself later." She didn't await for an answer and grabbed his hand before leading him along the huge gardens, taking advantage of the fact it was deserted.

Once they reached a spot far enough from the party that no one should walk in, she stopped before turning to face him. His eyes showed guilt and regret; as usual. He wore a blue tuxedo, probably chosen by Meredy since the pinkette had good taste.

"You make it really hard to stay away from you." Jellal admitted while his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist.

"It certainly doesn't seem like it. I've missed you." Erza replied while wrapping her own around his neck as they began swinging to the faded slow song.

"I've missed you too." He tensed when her hand touched his cheek, but relaxed once she just used it to remove his mask.

They danced for a good while, until he felt like it was time to go. Being alone with her only served to increase his desire to be with her and he couldn't allow that.

So he tried to step away, but she didn't let him. Instead, her arms tightened around his neck and she brought his face closer so that she could kiss him.

As surprised as he was and despite the constant reminder of why he shouldn't, Jellal couldn't help but to reply.

When they were forced to pull apart because of the need for air, his mind finally started working again and he cursed himself for being weak. "We shouldn't have done that."

She rolled her eyes before grabbing his face with both hands. "Stop being so stubborn. I haven't seen you in weeks, so we deserve to at least have tonight." Her stare was firm and determined; he'd be lying if he said it wasn't tempting.

"Erza, I…." She put a finger on his lips while shaking her head.

"Don't talk. Just let go." He stared at her with uncertainty. "Tonight." Would one night make such a difference? He had been punishing himself for seven years, so maybe he deserved it.

For once in a long time, Jellal didn't waste time thinking about it and just let go. He allowed himself to be happy, to kiss her again and, when her hands started unbuttoning his tuxedo, he didn't push them away.

Instead he allowed his own to trace the back of her dress and unzip it. He didn't even know why he did it, but once she stepped away and allowed it to fall to the ground, he realized that he didn't care.

Erza awoke, almost jumping from her chair. Her face was warm and red as she thought of the events of that night.

It had been passionate, desperate and amazing. An experience she never wanted to forget and now, she never could.

A hand once again rested upon her stomach and she smiled. That night had produced the most precious life for them and no matter how difficult the situation was or how unready they were to become parents; Erza knew that both of them would stop at nothing to protect their child.

"You couldn't have chosen a worse time, though." She whispered, thinking of all the events happening that night. Looking towards the clock on the counter, she noticed it was 12:45. "Okay, now I think it's safe enough to join them."

Standing up, Erza started walking towards the door, only for it to be swung open.

[mrneighbourlove]

Beacon to Damnation: Ch 7. Epilogue

Leere watched the sun set with empty emotion as the sun finished setting on the ocean. The rest of the crew gave her plenty of space. As the night came her adrenaline finally started to die down. She felt the weight of her wounds to her body…and her soul. Sharp pain came from her hands and back. The moon came up showering her in a new glow.

Looking at her hands she saw how her nails had turned a dark black and blood leaked from her finger tips. She didn’t need to see it, but she knew that her tattoo on her back had begun to leak as well. But finally, worse of all, she didn’t care.

Necromancy was different than Blood Magic. With Necromancy all she had to do to manipulate a body was make sure it had no living soul. The soul provides protection, a field of life. Without it creatures become nothing more then bone and flesh. Blood Magic took sacrifice to utterly dominate flesh, to push past the safeguard of a soul.

Her own blood had to be used, for one, but she also had to give up a part of her soul. It wouldn’t have been as bad if she was calm when employing it, but she rushed its use, and was consumed by anger at the time. The effects always made her feel numb emotionally. Physically it made her pale skin even more so white and her hair darker. And finally, it brought the princess closer to whispers of the dead, usually the damned. The soul could recover with time and rest, but her mind was another story. It opened her up much more to her own inner demons, unbearable guilt hitting her. The alternative was giving up her empathy and care.

So many dead wracked Leere. How many had perished? She couldn’t even save her own friend. Why did she live? Why did someone like her have to survive? Carlos shouldn’t have had to die like that. He was so scared, alone, and she failed him. She was a monster compared to a sweet soul like Carlos.

Leere wanted to cry, but couldn’t. She knew this process by now. If she lived through the numbness, the emotion would crash into her later. She had to get back home before that happened. If she wasn’t near family…..No. Better not to think about that.

Looking one last time at the moonlit ocean she frowned. She only hoped every soul could at least find purgatory after the suffering they attained in death. “I’m sorry Carlos. If you are watching down on me….forgive me.”

~

Leere rode out back to Hyrule in silence for the rest of her trip. No one dared talk to her. On a sail boat she couldn’t even have a shower, having to settle with using dry towels to clean herself. Leere scrubbed and scrubbed, only getting rid of surface level guts and blood. The stench stuck to her, and the blood stained her pale skin. It was unhealthily white, so the patches of blood stuck out.

Getting off the boat she traveled the rest of the way on horseback. It was easy enough to flash a bag of rupees. No one argued with the walking blood soaked woman. A whole day of slow travel she finally arrived at Hyrule castle. One guard wasn’t sure who the hooded character that was approaching.

“Halt. I need some identif-“

He halted when he saw the look Leere gave him, not only recognizing her, but realizing that something was horribly off. Examining her further he almost gagged in horror.

“P-Princess Leere. Do you need-“

“No. Move aside.”

Leere continued onwards to the palace. Her limbs were sore from the lack of magical treatments. Getting off her horse she avoided the blue dragon that sniffed at her. All she wanted to do was get inside and not be harassed. “Hmmm, you smell terrible….”

“Ba’Puu was it? Please do not tell my family that I am here. I am not presentable.” Getting off the horse had opened up some of her wounds. Blood leaked down her arm and onto the ground. Ba’Puu wasn’t sure if he should force the tiny human to seek help, or even stop her from entering. She reeked of death.

“….Very well. I’d advise you seek help though.”

Leere was thankful she wasn’t stopped by him. Entering through the doors she kept walking forward, quickly avoiding family members. Her dark cloak kept her covered as she continued down the halls. All she wanted was to be alone.

The sound of clicking got her attention behind her. She whipped her head to the corner of the hall. Did she movement? Was it her imagination? The clicking happened again above her. Instead of looking she ran the rest of the way to her room. Entering she locked the door and panted. A bath. She needed a bath.

Why was it at the end she felt her weakest. Dragging her feet she entered her bathroom. She took one look at her reflection and was frozen. She looked like….she didn’t know who she was looking at. The amount of blood on this woman’s sickly pale face, with shining red eyes through the messy black hair was, well, unsettling would be an understatement.

She started her bathtub. Thankfully for her it was designed for her Gerudo siblings, so her body had plenty of room. Grabbing some sewing tools she bite down on her teeth fixing her stitches. God she was tired of bleeding.

Stepping into the water burned all her senses, and her heart finally started to beat faster. Taking the soap she started to scrub herself clean of all her layers of filth. The bath grew from a crystal clear water to a big red tub of red gunk. Taking the soap she scrubbed hard on her breasts, wiping away the guts of her friend. Finally she washed her head, desperate to get the smell off her. She just kept scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing, but mentally she felt there was always a bit of stench that just didn’t come out.

Nearly finished she saw in the still water the image of Carlos. Leere’s eyes intensely looked at the water, the torn apart remains flickering in the waves. He smiles a sad smile, his lips curling a bit too wide, than reaches for her. His mangled arm actually comes out of the water to touch her. Leere yells in alarm at her mind bending on her, and smacks at the water to get rid of the image, her foot kicking out and unplugging the drain.

Getting out as quick as she could she looks back at the tub, the arm no longer there. Slowly she pears back into the tub, the tension building, crawling down her back. No Carlos. Upon this she tiredly laughs to herself. “Of course…how about a shower for the rest of my clean.”

Leere let the hot shower clean the rest of her off. Getting out she dried herself off, and entered her room. It was dark and quiet. Sitting down she curled up into her queen sized bed. Panting Leere gripped her bed sheets, smelling the sweetness of the clean fabric. Why then, did felt so empty. Everything felt so empty. Nothing mattered to her, nothing except the pain.

Feeling her pillow case she found her hidden knife. It had a simple leather sheath to stop her from stabbing her head while sleeping. Taking it out all her dark thoughts swirled in her brain. The guilt of being the only survivor and the recent horrors that wracked her mind. Leere, pressing the blade to her neck, pushed. Rest. Just one motion.

                                 A knock came at her door. A small amount of blood leaked as she nicked the side of her neck. Leere held the knife to her throat for a few more seconds, but dropped it. She couldn’t commit to it. At least not with the knocking. Hobbling over in sea of self doubt and judgement she opened the door to tell off whatever servant so she could try again.

Only it wasn’t just any housemaid, it was Rinku. She had an angelic warmth that came to Leere just from looking at her. Rinku had a great amount of alarm in her eyes. “Leere, are you alright? There was blood leading to- By god those cuts!”

“Rinku. You’re here? You’re back?”

“Yeah, I came back a month ago.” Rinku steadily holds Leere’s shoulders. “Leere. What happened to you!? Are you doing ok?”

Leere felt the weight of Rinku’s hands on her. The love and concern coming from her voice. It flipped a switch on in Leere and the Princess started to hyperventilate and cry, all her emotions pouring out like a geyser.  “Oh-oh god! Oh God! OH GOD!”  

Rinku let Leere practically collapse on her, holding her adoptive sister close. “I’m here Leere. You don’t need to let go.”

“Why am I alive?!”

Rinku squeezed Leere close, their chests pressing together, the flow of their heartbeats in sync. “What matters is that you ARE alive. Just let it all out.”

Leere kept crying and crying until she passed out in Rinku’s arms. Her mind took its toll processing her survivors guilt. It wasn’t until the next morning she woke up. Leere was afraid to open her eyes right away, in fear of seeing another nightmare. Moving around she felt something warm in her bed. Finally opening them she saw Rinku resting with her. On a nightstand were empty bottles of fairy extracts and clean bandages.

Feeling her body Leere noticed much of her recent scars were gone do to the potions effects. Felt good to have fresh bandages as well. Taking a deep sigh she snuggled closer to Rinku’s warmth. The hero slowly woke. “You feel better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Rinku squeezed Leere’s hand. “I felt a deep pain within you Leere. It was terrifying for me to see you like that. I used what potions and medicine I could. Even some of my Triforce to make you feel better.”

“You got a pretty big soul to help little old me.”

“Hey, I got plenty to spare. Especially for you.”

Leere pressed her face against Rinku’s neck. “Thank you again. Really. It means more then you know to me that you care.”

“Hey. I’ll always care about you. Always.”

Leere put a hand over her heart. “Rinku, will you accompany me to the countryside?”

“Hmm? Of course.”

The two woman got out of bed and Leere got properly changed. Leaving the castle Leere smiled at family members where she could, promising to catch up when she could.  Going through castle town Leere went to the market and bought a charming locket from a shop woman and continued out to the fields. She was grateful to have Rinku beside her. The Hylian Hero helped push away the lingering thoughts of guilt and voices.

Taking a shovel she dug a small hole and put the locket inside. Burying it Leere wrung her hands in worry, doing her best to not have another breakdown. “I’m…sorry Carlos. I couldn’t take anything of yours back with me, so I bought something I thought you might like. I know how you loved to get jewelry for your dates.”

Leere looked up at the afternoon sun beaming down on her. “I can’t keep saying I should have done more. It’s not fair to either of us….all I can say is….I hope you are at peace once again Carlos. And I’ll do better to protect people next time. I’ll do better….goodbye.”

Leere turned away from the small memorial she built. She wasn’t going to recover from her latest journey in one day, but this was a start. “I’m ready to go home.”

Rinku smiled brightly at her. “Glad to hear it. Covarog convinced his wife that we should have Lasagna tonight.”

Leere’s interest perked. “Chicken or Beef?”

“Chicken I think!”

“That sounds rather good.”

Leere focused her thoughts on home. Her family was all she needed to focus on. Taking a break for a while would be just what she needed.

https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/172116483546/beacon-to-damnation-ch-6-a-melancholy-sunset Previous Ch.

[hannahsfanficsforyou]

A Whole New World pt. 7

*A 1 month time skip occurred, also I’m changing it to take place after the war and Zeref and Acnologia are dead already but it’s before team Natsu leaves for the 100 year quest, so the ghost origin magic creators brought us to get read to fight the White Mage as the big bad trying to destroy everyone* 

Me and Aaliyah sit at a table laughing and chatting with Levy and Cana, over the course of this past month we’ve done plenty of jobs and our magic has grown significantly, from jobs and independently training. Also we have grown to know everyone in the guild and it feels like a second family, although still no one in the guild knows about our origin magic except Master, and we hide our Lacrimas on our forehead with bandanas. We also hide our guild marks since they change shades of the mark’s color, Aaliyah wears finger-less gloves and I wear shirts or outfits that cover mine on my shoulder, just so no one asks unnecessary questions.

“Hey you’ve been looking down lately what’s up?” Cana asks and I shrug giving a pouting look “Ohh, nothing... Just I hope Laxus and uh his whole team obviously is doing okay, they said it would be like a month for their job and well it’s been like three days past a month so I just hope everything went okay... Stop looking at me like thatttt, I don’t like Laxus hes weird and egotistical and ugh fine as hell but I don’t like him” I say glaring at the three women all looking at me with grins on their face.

Mira comes and brings me my drink “well there isn’t anything to worry about because we got word they are going to be home tonight, maybe you can even welcome him home.” She giggles as she goes back to the bar and I roll my eyes and give a big sigh. “You guys are impossible besides pester Aaliyah shes probably worried about Freed, they totally have their own thing.” I say in defiance.

“Wow you two really have a thing for the thunder legion huh I mean Evergreen has Elfman poor Bixlow, he’s gonna be all alone” Cana says snickering. “Hey I heard Lisanna and Bixlow might have a thing going on.” Levy says leaning in closer to all of us.

We all giggle “I mean personally I wouldn’t mind seeing what that mouth could do, I mean the dude has the longest tongue I’ve seen, he shows it off all the time by sticking it out too.” I say trying to hold my laughter in, and right as I finish my sentence the doors bust open and “well well speak of the devils” Cana says tipping her cup back and drinking the whole glass in one gulp. I shake my head at her actions never ceasing to be amazed by how much that woman can drink.

I turn my attention back to the group of four who strolled in and Laxus doesn’t even turn his head to look at me, but his face looks angry, “geez, I hope their job went okay, Laxus looks pissed..” Cana points out and I don’t say anything, I just furrow my brows. “well, me and Aaliyah are gonna head out I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” we both stand up and wave at our friends and I turn past a pillar to head to the door and bump into of course, “um, hey Laxus, good to see you guys are okay, so, how did the job go.” He eyes me with a stormy look and my body gets chills just from his look “it went fine” he says as he breaks away and strides out the door not giving me one smirk or even another look.

My heart clenches, “what the hell was that, Jesus is he bipolar or did one month away make him hate me.” I mumble trying not to look too mad. Freed walks up to me and Aaliyah “I’m not sure what’s wrong, Laxus was fine even pretty happy to be coming home and the job went perfect, but a few feet from walking into the guild he got that look on his face, I don’t know what changed.” He says with his arm folded  but then turns his attention to Aaliyah “it’s good to see you again Aaliyah, I hope you have been well, maybe we could get that dinner sometime now that I’m back.” He says smiling sweetly with a hint of something else behind it and Aaliyah replicates it “I would like that, and I’m glad your job went good and you are all home safe.” 

I smile softly at them besides my upset nature at the moment “you two are cute, come on sorry Freed we are having girls night tonight.” I say waving bye to him as I drag Aaliyah along with me. “For real though Laxus is just wow, can’t believe I was worried about that jerk, he obviously got over whatever weirdness he had towards me, probably got tired of messing with me I guess.” I say my eyes growing dark and I felt anger boiling in my veins. 

“Hey hey, we don’t know whats up with him it could have been something else that just had him pissed off and you caught him at a bad time, just give him some time.” Aaliyah says to me trying to calm me down. I give an aggravated yell “yeah fine, look I need to go to a hot spring hotel spa and calm down, I’m paying, we’re staying the night” 

We get to the hot spring hotel and check in for the night. After putting our bags in the room we head to the hot spring. We both take off our robes and sink into the hot spring. I put my wet towel on my head and let the hot water soak into my bones. “God, I could stay in here forever, it helps that there is the magic rejuvenation to it as well, I always feel so good afterwards, like I could take on the world.” I sigh and add “hey I have kinda formed a plan over this past month, it’s dumb but I was bored, and it will be a good way to put our increased magic power to the test and get a butt fuck ton of money.”

Aaliyah gives me a suspicious look “okay... It probably is dumb but I’m here for a ton of money so spill it.” 

I grin evilly and sit up in the spring “okay so, I’ve been practicing my camouflage powers and I’m gonna sneak up to the second floor and snatch an S class job request, it’s harder than the regular quests but I think we can do it.” I explain and Aaliyah laughs “oh yeah that’s dumb, you know dragon slayers have enhanced senses we learned that from Natsu, he’ll probably smell you and point you out, and those requests are usually super dangerous, do you want to get us killed and then risk the chance of the world I don’t know, dying because we aren’t here to stop the threat?”

“Pfffff I think we can do it and you are coming with me, look if it helps I’ll grab one that doesn’t look toooo dangerous, but we need to push ourselves, we still aren’t super strong and we need to be to take on the evil whatever is coming. And I’ll just grab it when no dragon slayer is in the room, then boom easy” I say confidently with my arms crossed. 

We relax in the hot spring until late at night when we head back to our room. We spend the rest of the night snacking, laughing and looking through magazines about hottest wizards. We fall a sleep late into the night, feeling the best I had in weeks. 

In the morning we head back to the dorms and I tell Aaliyah to stay here and pack while I go in early before a lot of people arrive and I’ll sneak in and grab one. She agrees and starts packing for both of us with two bags while I make my way down to the guild. 

I focus my magic energy on blending in with my surroundings and becoming invisible and camouflaged. I open my eyes and look down to find I was successful. I smile and sneak into the guild. Good good, no dragon slayers yet, I better hurry though get up and get out. I move along the side of the guild avoiding tables with early morning people sitting at them and I slowly make my way up the stairs. I take the third step and I hear the doors open, I freeze and turn my head my shoulders slump as I release my tension because it was only Laxus, not a dragon slayer (I still don’t know hes a [fake] dragon slayer I just think he has lightning magic and advanced hearing)

 I turn back towards my goal and take a few more steps but as I look over towards Laxus again I realize hes stopped moving and is staring right at where I am. I freeze, my blood running cold, but no I’m still in camouflage it must just be a coincidence. Then he starts to make his way over to the stairs and my eyes almost bulge out of my head, shit shit he’s an S class guild member fuckkk he’s probably wanting to get a job request. I slowly take a few more steps hoping to calmly get up the stairs and hide on the second floor before he makes it up. 

He stops at the bottom of the stairs as I reach the top and he looks once again right where I’m standing and glares like hes trying to see, something that’s not there... But turns around and walks back to the bar before taking a seat. I let out a quiet sigh of relief and continue my way to the S class request board. I look over them quicker, this is a smaller board so it’s easier to read them all.

I see one that has a request for someone to come heal their village because all the plants and greenery have been dead for a few months and no crops will grow. I contemplate it since I would be doing most of the work on this one but then I shrug and take it, I’ve been practicing my regrowth magic and healing of plants and restoring life in nature so this is perfect to test how far I’ve come. Let’s just hope I can do it, I mean the reward money is 500,000 jewels, I’m sold.

I snatch the job request from the board and put it in my shirt and take another breath before making my way back down to the first floor. Laxus is having a drink and doesn’t look my way again as I make my way out the door. I take a deep breath as I’m outside the guild and let myself return to being visible and make my way back to Fairy Hills into my dorm room.

Aaliyah is done packing and I show her the job “I don’t think I can do anything for this job you sure you picked a good one?” I wave her off “Bah, there weren’t many good ones and I figured I could just take the lead on this one, I’ll still split the money with you just be moral support.” She shrugs at my words and we make our way to the train station and take off towards Koa village. 

When we arrive it’s late so we decide to stay overnight before starting the job so I can get a good nights rest and store up my magic energy for preparations.

                     ___________________________________________

*Back in the guild after we arrived in the village*

Mira comes down from the second floor “Master! Master one of the S class job requests is gone and no one signed off with me for it, I think it was taken by a regular guild member!” She says in a panic.

“Hmmm, this is troubling, does anyone have an idea of who took it?” The Master says and everyone who is there just shrugs and looks around. Laxus lets out a big sigh and has that nonchalant look on his face as always, the Master looks at him “Do you know?” He asks

“Yeah, I think so, I didn’t peg her for a trouble maker, I was sure I smelled her scent though, tch should have trusted my senses but I didn’t see her.” Laxus said taking a swig from his drink.

“What do you mean you didn’t see her, you smelled her scent but didn’t see her?” Mira questioned.

“Yeah that’s what I said wasn’t it” Laxus snarked back. “Hm, she must be developing new aspects of her magic if we couldn’t see her, I bet she look Aaliyah with her” The Master said in deep thought, and Laxus gave him a questioning look about the ‘other aspects of her magic’ comment but didn’t say anything. “Mira give Laxus and Freed the location of the job request and have them go after Hannah and Aaliyah, when they bring them back they are going to be in for their punishment.” The Master says and everyone shivers at his last comment.

Laxus rolls his eyes but stands up and Freed who was sitting next to him follows suit, getting the location and going back to gather things for their journey before setting off on their own train ride towards the village Hannah and Aaliyah were staying, Laxus holds his mouth, struggling to not look sick “they are gonna owe us big time” he grumbles but then decides to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the train ride.

                   ___________________________________________

*Back to Hannah POV*

I wake up and stretch at the sunlight coming through the windows. “Alright time to get to work.”

[smartcookie727]

Bruised and Battered

Thanks to @whereisthefood123 for the request! This was a longer one for me. I really wanted to explore the story that led to our lovely couple being in this situation. I also tried my hand at some angst, but never fear, there are some fluffy moments too. This is NSFW cause let’s face it I’m writing. I hope you enjoy! Send me a comment, ask, tag, whatever you feel like. I love hearing about your reactions and what worked in a piece. Ok, I won’t drone on any longer, enjoy!

Pairing: Gajevy 

Prompt: Did you really knock on my door at 1 am just to cuddle?

Length: 3k 

Bruised and Battered

“Guys, I’m alright, really!” Levy stammered through ground teeth. She wasn’t alright and they knew it. Still, they knew they were no longer welcome. Levy was upset and needed to rest. Jet and Droy hung their heads as Levy closed the door behind them. There was nothing they could do for her but dress her wounds. She needed to be alone. Levy sank to the floor of her apartment and wailed. She was covered in cuts, burns, and bruises; her scalp was crusted with blood—her blood. It was supposed to be an easy job, and she hadn’t been strong enough to save anyone.

The bandits had known they were coming. Team Shadow gear had decided to take a rest about two miles from town and discuss their plan. The job was simple. A group of about ten bandits, with two mages at their disposal, had been targeting a small town just off a major trade route. A job had been posted in the guild to remove the bandits. The group had taken on plenty of jobs like this before, so it seemed like a logical choice. They would follow the same plan as always when dealing with bandits, a trap. They even had a plan for the mages; Levy couldn’t stand going on a job without a plan. Levy would act as bait to draw the group out, and Jet would kick up a dust storm with his high speed magic to confuse them. Droy’s plants could immobilize the normal members, and Levy and Jet would take out the mages. If things got hairy with so many members, Levy could always make a cage with her solid script magic, allowing Droy to assist in the magic battle. It was their tried and true method, and it was their downfall.

One of the mages working with the bandits used telepathy magic and prepared an ambush for the Fairy Tail wizards. As Levy stood up from her seat, she was hit by a bolt of lightning. She screamed in pain as her brain tried to comprehend the situation. Droy was tackled by three bandits, preventing him from accessing the seeds his plant magic worked through. Jet was being chased by five others, some desperately hanging onto any appendage they could grab to slow him down. Shit. A surprise attack. The mages focused on Levy. If she went down, the others would no doubt follow shortly. A flurry of sparks exploded around her head, dazing her as she tried to dodge the wooden club the other mage swung. What was happening? The air was forced from her lungs with a blow to her side and Levy crumpled to her knees. This wasn’t good. She needed to do something. Searing pain tore through her body as she took a direct hit from the lightning mage. Levy felt her head spinning as her heart raced in panic. The wooden club hit her hip and she screamed again. Wood. That was it. Levy brought up a barrier of wood in an attempt to stave off the lightning bolts. Levy turned to find her teammates. Droy had managed to get ahold of some of his seeds, and his plants were picking off the bandits one at a time. Jet had also shaken his attackers; there were two bandits groaning on the floor. Her voice was hoarse as she tried to call out to them. No good. She inhaled deeply as her fingers began to write, and then everything went white. Levy could feel blood trickling into her ear as she fell. When had her protective spell failed? Then there was another crack. Every nerve in her body screamed. She screamed. A deafening howl coursed through their battle ground, and her teammates blood curdled. Levy didn’t even hear them call her name as she hit the dirt.

Levy flinched at the memory of the final blow before she’d been knocked unconscious. Her heart raced with the reminded fear, but she steeled herself. She needed to keep moving, to do something, to not drift into that nightmare again. It was already past midnight. She’d lost herself in the throes of her terror for a few hours now. Levy trudged to the shower and hoped the hot water would wash away her fear and blood. While it stung, it did manage to stop her hands from shaking. As Levy stepped out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel, she heard a loud banging on the door.

“Just a minute!” Levy called. As quickly as her injuries allowed her, she shuffled to her room and tossed on one of the oversized shirts she occasionally wore to bed. This one was Gajeel’s, and wearing it comforted her to some degree. The rasping on the door hadn’t stopped. “Hold on! I’m coming as fast as I can,” Levy yelled curtly as she made her way to the front door. She wasn’t moving fast, and the knocking still hadn’t subsided. Tossing her door open Levy barked, “What!?” Her throat was sore from her screaming and crying. Before she registered who was there, she was overtaken by a large mass of onyx hair. It covered her in a tight embrace and pinned her against a heaving chest. Levy balked for a moment before she recognized the smell of trees and iron. It was Gajeel. Crap, it was Gajeel. She had hoped she’d be able to avoid him until at least tomorrow when she went to the guild. She should’ve known better.

“Shrimp! Just what in the hell were ya thinking!” Gajeel yelled as he thrust her away. He carefully examined her battered form.

Levy meekly responded, “I…”

“And to find out from Lily! Who only knew because he ran into Jet and Droy on the way home!” he roared.

Levy was frustrated and tired, “Look…”

“I should’ve been the first place ya came when ya got back! Ya should’ve called me with a communication lacrima as soon as you were ok!”

“Gajeel, please.”

“Levy! Do you not get it? You could’ve died!” He grabbed her again, and drew her close. Softly, he repeated, his voice shaking, “Levy, you could’ve died.” They collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. His hands grasped her firmly, and she ignored the pain from her burns. Her fingers were laced in his hair, pulling him down to cover her. Levy cried uncontrollably into her dragon’s shirt. A little while later, their tears dried and they regained control of their breathing.

“I was knocked out so fast. I wasn’t strong enough” Levy said between sniffles. Her head hung low, averting her eyes.

“Shrimp. What the fuck?” Gajeel asked as he gently lifted her chin, “Yer plenty strong. Yer the strongest one on that damn team of yours.”

“I was the first to go down. The only one to go down! I couldn’t help anyone. They utterly—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Gajeel’s voice was like steel. “Why didn’t ya let me know the second ya were in town?” He stared her dead in the eye. “I’m yer man. I’m supposed to be here for ya, right?”

“Yeah.” Levy began rubbing her aching forehead. “I don’t know. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“I want to see you every time you look like this.” Gajeel helped her to her feet, and Levy shot him a confused glance. “And when yer done being silly about stupid things, I’ll take care of ya. Come on.” Gajeel guided her to the couch and laid down. She followed, curling into him. They barely fit on her small couch, but she didn’t mind.  She was starting to feel at peace. Levy could feel his heartbeat through the thin cloth on her back. Gajeel stroked her head and anywhere she wasn’t burned or bruised. He wanted to take away all her pain, but now right he needed rest. Gajeel inhaled deeply and did his best to lull her to sleep. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “From now on, I’ll go with you. I’ll be here to protect you. I’m your personal cuddle dragon for tonight.” Levy chuckled, and between the rhythmic stroking, thump of his heart, and warmth from his hold Levy drifted off.

The smell of stir fry and rice tickled Levy’s nose as she roused. She noticed she’d been covered in a blanket, and Gajeel—Gajeel was gone. Slowly, Levy righted herself until she was sitting properly on the couch. It was dark except for a single light in the kitchen. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted. Gajeel was hunched over her stove, and a lovely aroma of garlic, green onion, and ginger spread through her apartment. Levy yawned and began to stretch her neck. Sleeping on the couch always left her with a few sore spots.

“Hey, ya up shorty?” Gajeel called over the sizzle of the stir fry.

“Yeah. That smells wonderful, Gajeel,” Levy yawned. Her stomach growled audibly and a bright blush lit up her cheeks. “How’d you know I’d be hungry?”

“Just figured. Knowing you, ya probably kept running through the attack in yer head instead of taking care of yerself once ya got here. Ya need to eat if ya wanna get better,”

“You’re right,” Levy sighed, “that’s exactly what I did. I—I don’t even remember the last time I ate.”

Gajeel chuckled, “That’s what I’m here for.”

“My personal cuddle dragon for the night?” Levy teased.

Gajeel blushed. “I was just trying to make ya laugh and calm down.”

Levy smiled and giggled, “Well, it worked.”

“Ok, it’s ready. Ya didn’t have much to work with here, Shrimp, but I think it came out alright.”

Levy moved to stand and winced.

Gajeel shot her an exasperated look. “Don’t be an idiot. I’ll bring it to ya.” He began to gather bowls and cutlery.

“Thanks.” Levy eased back into as comfortable a position as she could find on the couch. “I’m not really used to being so…well…beaten up, I guess.”

Gajeel looked her over for a long minute. She really had taken a tough beating. He blinked away a tear. Levy didn’t have iron scales like him; she was fragile. “Would some tea help?” Gajeel planted a steaming mug in front of her.

Levy inhaled deeply. It was Jasmine tea, her favorite. Gajeel seemed to know more of her quirks than she’d thought. She watched him as he brought over their bowls. He looked quite handsome with his hair tied back in a bandana. She ran her bandaged hand through her locks. They were sticking out at every angle, she was sure she looked like a mess.

“Eat.” Gajeel ordered as he slumped down next to her.

“You know, Gajeel, you didn’t need to do this,” Levy said bashfully as she took her food.

“I said I’m taking care of ya and that’s what I’m gonna do. Even you can’t stop me, Shrimp.”

He was already scarfing down his food. Levy hadn’t even thought about how he was coping. It was probably hard on him to see her like this. “Ok. I won’t stop you.”

They finished their bowls in silence. Levy wasn’t quite sure what was supposed to happen next. Gajeel darted off to her room and returned with the book she’d left on her nightstand. He sat with his back on the arm of the couch and spread his legs to make room for her. “Ya get half an hour. Lemme know if anything hurts too much.”

Levy eagerly took the book from his outstretched hand. “Only half an hour?” she whined. Gajeel was silent. “Fine.” Levy snuggled with her back against his chest and began to read. Gajeel carefully rubbed her back and shoulders, aware of every flinch when he pressed a tender area. Still, it felt good. Levy’s muscles ached, but just his touch made her feel better. Even holding back, he was a bit strong for her, and she grit her teeth through the pain. She knew that a tough massage would help her muscles, even if it hurt now, and he was trying his best to help her.

“Alrighty. Time for bed.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her to her room.

Levy puffed her cheeks as the sudden motion caused her to drop her book. “Gajeel, really, you don’t need to go this far.” Levy looked up at him only to receive a glare. “Ok, ok.” With that, she let him place her on the bed. Gajeel grabbed his bandana and tossed it on the floor, then began to peel off his shirt. “Are you staying? Shadow Gear will be back in the morning to help me out, you don’t need to—”

“Lev.” He was facing her, moonlight from the window illuminating his bare skin. Gajeel really looked as if he was painted with iron. “I almost lost you today. I told ya, from now on, I go with you.”

Levy smiled, she was again on the verge of tears. Her dragon would always be there to protect her, to make her feel safe. She didn’t need to be scared. She had Shadow Gear, and they had saved her, but this was different. He looked at her like she was his treasure, and she knew a dragon would guard his treasure with his life. “Alright.”

Gajeel’s smile turned from relief to wickedness. “Plus. I didn’t come here so late at night just to cuddle. That woulda been selfish, and I’m not that kinda guy. I came to take care of ya” he paused, “and to make ya feel better.” Gajeel gingerly cupped Levy’s face and bent down for a long, tender kiss. She was his dainty treasure. He kissed her neck all the way down to her collarbone. “Why don’t I help ya with this?” Levy nodded. He pulled up his shirt, it really did engulf her, and tossed it to the side. He looked at her for a moment. Taking in the sight of Levy: bruised, battered, and beautiful as she was bathed in the moonlight. The bruises across her ribs were perfectly visible. As long as he didn’t hurt her he wasn’t going to stop.

Gajeel sat on the bed and pulled her by her underwear into his lap. He kissed her collarbone, circling and placing gentle pecks on some bruises; she didn’t seem to mind. His hands ran circles around her ass. It felt like his cock hardened instantly as Levy moaned softly. This was exactly what he’d hoped for. She wasn’t in pain. He ventured lower, running his tongue around her breasts. He could feel her ass lifting involuntarily as she pressed herself against his lips. He moved one hand to her left nipple and circled it with his thumb as he sucked on her right, gently grabbing the tip with his teeth and twisting slightly from side to side. He knew it would drive her mad with pleasure, and it did. He felt the muscles in her back relax as she fell further into him.  Her moans became deeper as he sucked harder, and he switched effortlessly to the other breast, repeating his wonderful torture.

Gajeel snuck a hand under her panties as he returned to her lips. She kissed him eagerly, her tongue practically begging him for more. She grabbed his back, running her hands over his muscles. She loved to feel them and he knew it. He took a special pride in those muscles, and since he’d first claimed her, he’d made sure they were well developed. Gajeel toyed with her clit, she was so wet, so gorgeous as she turned to putty under his firm hands. Her nails dug into his back as he played with her. He knew all her curves, and during her massage he’d been sure to memorize the places she was too tender to be touched. Levy moaned louder as he dipped a finger into her core. She thrust her head back as he picked up speed; he felt her hard tips ticking his own nipples as she bounced against him. It was torture trying to contain himself, but she wasn’t quite ready.  

Tenderly, he laid her onto her back and set to work, teasing her with his mouth over her underwear. Occasionally he nipped at her thighs, they were too soft and jiggled too wonderfully to ignore entirely. Levy’s mewls of pleasure became higher and more strained, and Gajeel knew she was getting close. He grabbed the fabric with his teeth and swiftly tore it from her soaked folds. Finally, she was completely bare. Gajeel wasted no time and dove back in, sucking feverishly on her clit as his fingers pinched and twisted her nipples. She was so close. Gajeel couldn’t take it anymore, the smell of her need was intense and his cock needed to be inside her. He released one hand from her soft flesh and thrust into her with his finger, curling inside of her until she cried out and her walls began to contract around him. He kept his lips firm against her has she rode out her orgasm.

Levy was breathing heavily when he finally released her. Gajeel tore himself from his desire as he walked to the door. Her head was still in the clouds, and she didn’t register the sound of his boots and belt hitting the floor, nor the rush of fabric as he kicked off his pants. “Gajeel, where are you–”

The lights went out. Then she felt his hot skin press against her again. He ground himself against her core, eagerly coating his length in her wetness. Gajeel kissed her again, strong and eager. “I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t made ya feel better, yet.”

[pokemaniacal]

Pokémon Moon, Episode 12: In Which I Infiltrate A Gang Stronghold

Once I’ve stopped shaking uncontrollably, and the Rotomdex has reassured me that the horrifying undead Pikachu I just fought is only another Pokémon (a Ghost/Fairy-type called Mimikyu), Acerola offers me some suggestions on what to do next. Although my success in her trial was in some respects debateable – I was, she reminds me, only supposed to get a photograph of Mimikyu, not give its lair a new back door – I did basically achieve its fundamental objectives, so she presents me with her crystal, the Ghostium-Z.  As Ula’ula Island has only two Captains, that means I now have the right to challenge the island’s Kahuna.  Acerola declines to explain who or where the Kahuna is right away, though, and invites me back to Aether House to talk it over there.  Unfortunately when we get there, with Hau just a few steps behind, someone who is definitely not the Kahuna is waiting.

“Back so soon, hmm?”  Plumeria, Team Skull’s self-described ‘big sister,’ is parked in front of Aether House with a couple of grunts.  “I wasn’t expecting you just yet,” she says to Acerola.  “I heard you were supervising a trial, and-” she stops mid-breath as she catches sight of me.  I flinch and quickly sidestep behind Acerola.  “You!?”  I swear under my breath. “…hi there, uh… Plumeria, right?  Good to, uh-” “What did I tell you about messing with my little brothers and sisters, jerk?” “I don’t… remember exactly?  But I’m sure it wasn’t good.  Um. D-do you think we could talk about th-” She laughs out loud. “Give it a rest, kid; I’m messing with you.  You’re on the level.” “…oh. Um… really?” “Yeah – now make damn sure it stays that way.”  I gulp nervously, drawing a smirk from her.  Acerola looks back and forth between us like she’s following a tennis match. “…what on earth are you two talking about?” “Nothing that concerns you, Captain,” Plumeria tells her icily.  Her gaze flicks back to me.  “Now.  It takes these dumb grunts way too long to deal with you kids… so I guess it’s my turn!” “Wait!” I protest.  “I thought we were cool!?” “That was personal.  This is business,” Plumeria clarifies.  “I told you before… next time you get in our way, I’m not holding anything back!” With a flick of her wrist, she directs her grunts to engage Acerola and Hau, then summons her own Golbat.  I respond with my Toucannon, and Beak Blast it right out of the sky.  When Plumeria turns to her partner Pokémon – now evolved into Salazzle – I switch to my Raichu and fry its brain with Psychic.  As at our last meeting, Plumeria (in stark contrast to Guzma) barely acknowledges the loss.  “Hmmph. Guess you are pretty tough.  Now I understand why my grunts waste so much time battling kids.” “Well, that’s part of the reason,” I say slyly, then suddenly remember my sense of self-preservation.  “Uh.  I mean.  Yeah.  That must be it.”  Plumeria glares at me, and I swear I can feel a hole being drilled through my skull. “If you want us to return the Pokémon, then you’ll have to come to us.  Alone.” “Wait, what?  Pokémon? What do you-?”  She just keeps talking over me. “The boss is just dying to meet you, hmmph! See you at our base in Po Town!” With that, she and her grunts are gone.

Inside Aether House, the gravity of the situation soon becomes apparent.  Lillie and Nebby are both miraculously untouched, since Lillie of course chose to save her own treacherous skin the moment danger reared its head.  However, the Yungoos belonging to the little girl I met here just a few hours earlier has been kidnapped.  If Plumeria is to be believed, it will be found in Po Town, on Ula’ula Island’s northwest cape, and Team Skull is expecting me – and only me – to come and retrieve it.  Acerola explains that Po Town is Team Skull’s “private playground,” a whole settlement that they’ve taken over and run (or rather, fail to run) to serve their own random whims and instant gratification.  This is clearly an obvious trap and a terrible plan, and will more than likely lead to my murder in a dark alley.  There is, of course, no way for me to get out of it.  Damn it, the kid is standing right there; I can’t even argue about it without seeming like a total monster.  Why can’t she just grow up bitter, angry and emotionally unstable, get a new Pokémon, and hunt them all down for revenge years later?  It worked for Hugh!

As I leave, Acerola points me to “this guy on route 15 who’s wearing a kimono” for help crossing the nearby bay to reach Po Town.  At first I am sceptical of her attribution of useful transport expertise to random strangers on the basis of overly formal dress sense, but it turns out she has a point: “this guy” is none other than Grimsley of the Unovan Elite Four. After a brief exchange of small talk, Grimsley presents me with a bet. “Tell me. Uncle Grimsley is going to flip a coin. Will it be heads or tails?”  I think for a minute.  Grimsley is obsessed with luck, but part of his philosophy is that luck can sometimes really be a matter of decisions made behind the scenes: how you play your hand is much more important than the cards you draw.  And I’ve heard him talk about coins before… something he said on Black and White?  “A flipped coin doesn't always land heads or tails.  Sometimes it may never land at all...” “Neither,” I tell him with a sly grin.  He looks at me curiously, then flicks his coin up into the air and catches it. “…astonishing,” he says, shaking his head.  “I had indeed been planning to have Skarmory snatch it out of the air as it spun in the sky.”  I laugh. I guess sometimes “making your own luck” means cheating so outrageously that your opponent is forced to respect your ingenuity.  In any case, my prescience has earned Grimsley’s respect, and apparently the right to call one of his Pokémon with my Ride Pager: Sharpedo, who can carry a rider across the water like Lana’s Lapras, but can also shatter boulders like Hala’s Tauros, getting me safely across the rock-strewn bay on the west coast of the island.

On the north side of the bay is a small white prefab building that I recognise as one of the Aether Foundation’s field labs – run, strangely enough, by Left and Right.  Are they just… doing odd jobs for the Aether Foundation while they’re on holiday?  Or are they manipulating the foundation into serving their own dark and mysterious ends?  It seems like the answer may be the latter, as the lab houses a large multi-coloured crystal that, according to the Kalosians, can induce Zygarde’s scattered cells to reform.  I’ve collected quite a few cells since meeting them in Heahea City, enough to embody one of Zygarde’s dog-like lesser manifestations, as well as two cores.  Each core apparently contains the knowledge of one move that can be included in Zygarde’s moveset – the cores I currently possess know Thousand Arrows and Dragon Dance.  Left and Right are pleased by my progress towards resurrecting their god. Their cult’s recruitment numbers are on the rise, and even a lesser manifestation of Zygarde’s power will go a long way towards winning the hearts and minds of the Alolan heathens. Another dozen cells, and I will have reassembled enough of Zygarde to summon its giant cobra form, and any who still doubt Zygarde’s power will be brought to heel by the might of the World Shaker! “…and your enlightened theocratic rule will bring an end to strife and disunity in Alola, right?” I ask. “C’est ç’la, oui, oui,” Left says, turning to Right and starting a rapid back-and-forth in Kalosian about something that neither of them cares to explain.  I guess they’re done talking to me.

North of the lab, the road leads through Ula’ula Meadow, another Oricorio habitat. The ones in this area feed on nectar from deep crimson flowers that gives them Fire-type abilities.  There are no other new Pokémon here, but there is a trail off the east of the main road that leads to a truly spectacular ruin – a vast circular dais, surrounded by stone fortifications, on an island in the middle of the Lake of the Sunne.  The complex seems completely abandoned, but almost certainly serves some kind of ritual function, and if I were a betting man I’d say that the dais was built for summoning a legendary Pokémon.  Maybe this is where Lillie will perform whatever dastardly blood ritual is necessary to call Lunala and begin her destruction of the Alola region…

Once I clear the meadow, I’m on the outskirts of Po Town.  As promised, there are plenty of Team Skull members here, but just like those in the desert settlement, they don’t seem to have aggression on their minds.  One straight-up admits that he’s rubbish at battling and relies on his Team Skull brothers and sisters for protection; others challenge me, but are perfectly cordial. The only hint of anything more sinister is the police station on the side of the road – abandoned and overrun with Meowth.  Po Town itself is completely encircled by a stark, forbidding concrete wall, its only gate guarded by a pair of grunts.  I try for negotiation at first, but the conversation quickly takes a sour turn when they notice my Z-Ring and Island Challenge amulet.  This is for one very simple reason: Team Skull is apparently made up entirely of people who failed the Island Challenge.  Funny how no one mentioned that before.  It might have been useful to know, Kukui. My attempts at talking my way inside only deteriorate from there, and end with the grunts retreating inside. Well.  I suppose I could try and get my Toucannon to blast a hole in the wall… “You there. Boy,” says a voice from behind me. The speaker is a haggard-looking older man wearing bits and pieces of an Alolan police uniform.  “Seems to me you’re trying to get into Po Town.  You sure you’ve thought this through?”  I shrug. “As far as I’m likely to.  What’s it to you?” “Hmph. Kids.”  He walks toward the gate.  “You’d better be ready if you’re thinking of coming in here.  Ready to live as Team Skull… or ready to take on Team Skull.”  He turns back to me and looks me right in the eyes.  “You really think you’re ready for that?”  I narrow my eyes and stare back. “No, really, what’s it to you?  You’re the only person I’ve seen out here who’s not with Team Skull.  What’s your deal?” “My deal is keeping people safe, kid – whether they care or not. Now I’m gonna ask you one more time: you ready for this?”  I roll my eyes. “Ready for Team Skull?  Sure. They’re not as dangerous as people think.  There’s good in them.”  I pause for thought.  “Some of them, anyway.”  The man looks surprised. “I guess everyone has their own reasons.  Maybe yours and mine aren’t so different.  I’ll have them let you in.”  He raps on the hard metal door, than turns to me and says, almost as an afterthought, “If you don’t make it, I’ll be sure your remains at least get back home.” “…wait what.”

Po Town is… well, it’s definitely something.  The high, enclosed walls have created a local microclimate dominated by heavy rain.  The town itself looks like it was once a very nice, upper-crust sort of area, with pretty little houses and neat gardens, the sort of place where sitcom families live their nauseatingly ideal lives.  Team Skull’s influence, though, is palpable.  Every available surface has been tagged with spray paint, most of the buildings have at least one broken window, and even the Pokémon Centre is barely operable.  The Team Skull members running the place are happy to heal my Pokémon, but explain regretfully that they have to charge a small fee to keep the lights on.  The Alolans really have just left them here to rot. I make a mental note to give Kukui a good chewing out when this is all over.  Battling or evading grunts as I go, I navigate around the barricades on the main road and head for the back of the town, which is dominated by an opulent mansion that has seen better days.  This, I can only surmise, is “the boss’s crib.”  Guzma isn’t exactly subtle; he’s bound to be in the most extravagant accommodations available.  The front door seems to be unguarded, so I creep up in the shadow of a hedgerow and quietly slip inside.

The inside of the mansion is as much a bomb site as the rest of the town.  The walls and floor are covered in crudely painted designs, overturned furniture is scattered around the lobby, and a massive gilded chandelier is blocking one arm of the grand staircase.  I don’t make it any further than around the first corner before someone grabs me by the arm and drags me into an alcove. “What are you doin’ here, homie!?” a voice whispers.  I blink. It’s B, his face a mix of anger, surprise and… concern?  “Don’t you even know what the boss’d do if he caught you!?”  I blink again and yank my arm away. “I’m here to see Guzma,” I hiss at him.  “He stole a Pokémon from a friend of mine and I am here to get it back.” B’s eyes widen. “You don’t gotta do that, yo!  That ain’t your fight!  The boss is gonna flip!” “Someone has to, and I don’t see anyone else around here who’s going to stand up to him!”  I step out of the alcove and into the middle of the hallway.  “Now are you going to help me, or get in my way?”  B clenches his fists and yells in frustration, wrenching a Pokéball from his belt. “Argh! If I gotta put up a defence to make you see some sense, then let’s drop this pretence, yo!”  B has expanded his roster since we last fought, adding a Gastly and a Salandit to his Golbat, but all three are Poison-types and none are a match for my newly-evolved Slowbro’s psychic powers.  Our battle is over quickly, and he slumps into a battered old chair, looking despondent. “What’s the use?” he says.  “I’m never gonna be strong like you.  I’m an incomplete grunt; this is the only place for me in the whole world.”  He hangs his head and lapses into silence.  I sigh and sit down on the floor, my back against the wall. “There’s more to being strong than winning battles, B.”  He says nothing, but cocks his head at me.  “Guys like Guzma think being strong means beating other people down, making them do what you want, crushing their potential.  It’s not.  Being strong is about building other people up.  That’s why we train Pokémon, right?” “Easy for you to say,” B mutters.  “Your Pokémon are strong.”  I chuckle. “Weren’t always.  It takes training, patience… you have to see the potential in them, everything that they could be.  Guzma… he’s a Bug-type specialist; he ought to know that better than anyone.  If he treats his Pokémon like he treats all of you, I don’t know how he ever got his Golisopod to evolve.” “He’s been havin’ us hustle all the Buginium-Z crystals in Alola,” B muses thoughtfully, “so’s no one else can be a stronger Bug Pokémon trainer.” “See! That’s exactly what I mean!  He thinks being strong is about keeping your rivals weak.”  I shake my head.  “Izzat really what you want Team Skull to be about?  The way Plumeria talks, she makes you guys sound like a family.”  He’s silent for a few beats. “We are. We take in trainers who’re… incomplete. Give ‘em somewhere what they can call home, when everyone else’s given up on ‘em.  Just like me and Zubat.” “After you failed your island challenge?”  B looks up at me sharply.  “I heard that’s how a lot of Team Skull got started.”  He frowns. “…that’s complicated.” “I bet it is.  And I bet the Captains and Kahunas didn’t have time for ‘complicated,’ right?”  He doesn’t answer.  “You don’t have to tell me the whole story now.  Just… look, just help me get to Guzma.  You don’t need to help me fight him.  But one day, you’re gonna. And you’re gonna win.”  B stares at his feet for a moment. “Sometimes I want to smash the world, but I’m always afraid of it.”  He breathes out slowly, then clenches his fists. “All right.  Follow me.”

B leads me upstairs, past more trashed rooms and hallways, and out to a balcony where a Team Skull guard asks him for a series of passwords: Guzma’s favourite move (Beat Up), Pokémon (Golisopod) and drink (Tapu Cocoa).  When asked if he’s sure about his answers, B yells “no!” and we’re let through – apparently Guzma likes his minions to have a contrarian streak.  Climbing out over the roof, B shows me through a broken window and into the building’s east wing, the part blocked off by the chandelier on the stairs. Finally, we reach a closed door. B raises his hand to knock, and then stops. “It’s okay,” I tell him.  “You got me this far.  I’ll handle the rest.” “…you sure, homie?” “I’m sure. Just remember what we talked about, okay?”  He furrows his brow, but nods. “Be careful, yo.”  I grin. “I always am, aren’t I?”  He rolls his eyes, but dashes off.  I turn and knock on Guzma’s door. 

Guzma’s room is just as messy as the rest, and a fancy landscape painting on the back wall has been thoroughly defaced with a Team Skull logo in purple spray paint. A huge chest full of yellow-green Z-crystals sits in the corner, where a grunt stands guarding the kidnapped Yungoos. Guzma himself is lounging on a big armchair set up on a low stage like a throne.  He stands as I come in, and looks down at me curiously. “I don’t really get you, kid, but at least this is a change of pace,” he tells me thoughtfully – or at least, what passes for thoughtfully with Guzma.  “It’s not every day someone comes straight to me for a beating!”  I sigh. “Look, dude… I honestly wouldn’t even be up for this most days, but I do kinda have something to prove here, so listen up.  I’m here for the Pokémon you stole.  Beatings are 100% optional, but are absolutely on offer.”  Guzma laughs. “What, Yungoos?  How sweet of you to help out a sad little girl.  Can’t you just watch out for your own Pokémon and stay out of other people’s business?!”  I sigh again, more theatrically this time. “Seriously, I hear you, I do, but again: something to prove today.  There’s someone on your team who needs to see that you’re not worth being scared of, so we can do that the easy way, or the way where you spend the next six weeks tracking down bits of your spinal cord all over Alola.”  He stares. “You’re one messed up kid!” “Well, I mean, I prefer to think of myself as creative, and I guess I do have an overactive imagination, but-” “You wanna know what I do when some machine messes up?” he talks over me, raising his voice.  “The first thing I do is give it a nice hard smack!” “I guess this is happening now,” I say with another sigh, then hastily sidestep the Golisopod that is suddenly barrelling towards me, and send out my Decidueye. Golisopod leads with its devastating First Impression strike, and takes little damage from Spirit Shackle. Looking for breathing room, I tell Decidueye to heal off the damage with Synthesis – and then the bloody thing uses Swords Dance.  This… could seriously go south quickly.  I pull out Decidueye’s unique Z-move, Sinister Arrow Raid, a devastating barrage of spiritual arrows that doesn’t quite knock out Golisopod, but does weaken it enough to trigger its Emergency Exit (which apparently bypasses the magical anchor created by Spirit Shackle), causing Guzma’s Ariados to pop out.  Ariados opens with a nasty Sucker Punch that takes Decidueye completely off guard, then finishes him with Shadow Sneak when we try to heal again.  Still, both of Guzma’s Pokémon are weakened now, leaving him open for a clean sweep from my Salazzle, who torches them both with Flame Burst.  Guzma, to his credit, takes the loss gracefully and congratulates me on an honourable victory.

…nah, I’m just messing with you; he totally flips his lid and storms out of the room while shouting obscenities at literally everything and everyone in his path.

The Yungoos immediately flees the house.  I assume it can find its own way home; after all, Yungoos are supposed to be smart… ish.  Right? I take a moment to look around Guzma’s room and swipe a Buginium-Z from his chest, and am then compelled to try sitting in his chair.  It’s… soft, relaxing, luxuriant… as I sit back and enjoy it, the door opens and a grunt rushes in. “’Scuze me, Bo-”  He stops and stares at me. “What?” I ask irritably. “B-b-but you’re not the boss?!” he cries. “B!tch I might be,” I retort. “What’s the deal, homie?!  You’re not the boss of me?!” the grunt protests. “Izzat not how this works?” I asked.  “I whooped his ass; doesn’t that make me the boss now?”  He just stares at me like his whole world is collapsing around him.  I wave a hand dismissively.  “Whatever, just… just go, I don’t care.”  The grunt huffs indignantly and leaves.  Well… can you blame me for trying? 

Back outside, the man who let me into Po Town is waiting for me, along with the kidnapped Yungoos and Acerola (oh, sure, now she turns up to help).  The run-down old man, Nanu, is apparently Acerola’s uncle, and the only police officer crazy enough to live anywhere near Po Town – because, he says, “the rent’s cheap,” though Acerola insists that he has a heart of gold and is doing it to help Pokémon.  I… kinda love this character; he’s the bitter, cynical, misanthropic bastard I’ve always longed to be.  We’re basically done here, so Acerola heads back to Aether House with Yungoos, Nanu goes back to moping in the rain, and I summon Kiawe’s Charizard for a ride back south. Guzma is beaten once again, and all is right with the world. 

When I return to Aether House, Lillie is gone, Hau is panicking, and Gladion is there, in the process of completely losing his $#!t.

Oh good.

Ridiculous quote log:

“I might really go to paradise now that I’ve lost!” …I’m not going to kill you; jeez.

“OH EM GEE! Please don’t tell me that’s my Skull Tank you’re wearing?” “Ohhh, no wonder it stinks!  It’s the same design though.” “It does not stink!  That’s a lovely aroma!  Anyway, we should write our names on them so we don’t mix them up.” “Uhmm, hello!  Our names are all Grunt.  What’s the point?” Well, I suppose this explains Team Skull’s lack of administrative nous…

The team:

Tane the Decidueye Male, Timid nature, Overgrow ability Level 38 Steel Wing, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Spirit Shackle

Rhea the Toucannon Female, Lax nature, Keen Eye ability Level 38 Screech, Roost, Beak Blast, Brick Break

Ashley the Psychu Female, Timid nature, Surge Surfer ability Level 38 Discharge, Hidden Power (Ice), Nasty Plot, Psychic

Hypatia the Slowbro Female, Hardy nature, Own Tempo ability Level 37 Psychic, Yawn, Slack Off, Scald

Joanna the Salazzle Female, Timid nature, Corrosion ability Level 38 Flame Burst, Nasty Plot, Sludge Bomb, Toxic

Sigourney the Golisopod Female, Careful nature, Emergency Exit ability Level 37 Brick Break, Payback, First Impression, Leech Life