#you can't magic your way out of everything ... but you CAN get three meals a day and proper exercise!

[tofixtheshadows]

I see a lot of people headcanoning that Marcille and Kabru will become friends postcanon over a shared love of gossip, but to me the biggest thing they have in common is that they're both deeply concerned with the inequality between the races.

I think before anything else, as the two people closest to the throne, they'll probably end up banding together over their shared desire to fix the divide between the races. Marcille has to give up on her dream of magically changing humanity, but she can help Laios achieve it Kabru's way, through political and social change.

[nackrosor]

~Magic Hands~

𝓢𝓲𝓶𝓸𝓷 '𝓖𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓽' 𝓡𝓲𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝔁 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓽!𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻

warnings/tags: smut, massage, hurt/comfort, female receiving, v. fingering, soft Ghost, romantic tension, the room is packed with your mates so you have to keep quiet hehe

synopsis: in the aftermath of a rough mission, you find yourself unable to fall asleep due to muscle aches. Your Lieutenant offers to help you release the tension by giving you a massage, which escalates rather quickly.

word count: 4,1k.

[a/n: finally writing for my man Ghost and I'm quite proud of how this first story turned out. Now I'm curious to know what you think of it! Also, this wasn't beta-read so if there's any typo/grammatical error, let me know. Alright, enjoyyyyy 🌶️✨💀]

"You can't sleep?" 

Ghost's deep hushed voice coming from somewhere behind you makes you turn in your bedroll. The room is nearly pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight streaming in through the half-closed window, yet providing enough light to make your close surroundings visible. Therefore, when you turn around, you can see Ghost sitting on the floor a few feet away from you, his back to the stone wall, arms crossed over his chest and legs stretched straight in front of him. The thin dark gray t-shirt, paired with the intense chiaroscuro that imbues the room, highlights the outline of his massive biceps. Your eyes linger on his arms before they meet his, which twinkle slightly as they capture the moonshine.

"You neither?" 

He hums in response.

A weary sigh escapes you as you sprawl on your back, hand flying to the nape of your neck, where the muscles tug and burn. You feel like a wreck. You knew today’s operation would have been rough, even more than the last ones and you were prepared for it, you had trained so hard for months. You've risked your own skin multiple times during the offensive, although in the end you got away with only a scratch or two; nothing major. You were still high on adrenaline as you made it back to the base camp -a dilapidated temporary facility in the middle of a thick forest- and you were even rather impressed of yourself for having handled it all so well… until fatigue came crushing on you like a double-decker bus, almost knocking you to your knees and you felt the magnitude of the efforts made in all its gravity. You tried to mask it as you dined with your brothers in arms, a scarce sorry meal that didn’t even quench a third of your appetite, then instantly dragged your 200 pounds heavier than normal legs to the storage room adapted for sleeping and flopped down on your bed roll. You thought the ache would pass, that you only needed to lie down and let your limbs rest but it has already been three or four hours since then and you haven’t been able to close your eyes not even once.

"Everything aches so much. I might have strained a muscle or something. Possibly all of them." 

Ghost hums again in understanding. A moment of silence follows; silence only interrupted by the rhythmic snoring of your mates, laying in their bedrolls all around you in the tiny room.

"Come here." 

Your head snaps up. 

"Uh?" 

"You heard me. We need to do something about those sore muscles. Can't allow them to get in the way of the mission tomorrow." 

You look questioningly at him, eyes roaming over his masked face, as if expecting to be able to read his intentions. What can he do for you? The same as he can do for himself, which is pretty much nothing; he’ll give you a pat on the back and tell you to suck it up. If only there was a medic in the facility, you could have asked for an injection to ease the tension in your body but alas, you're on your own down here, equipped with no instant medication other than a pack of analgesics reserved for battle and a pain drug; but there's no way you'd take one on a night before a mission and risk waking up as a zombie in the morning. 

You’d have to wait for a proper medical treatment when you’re out of this hell, assuming you’re still in one piece by then.

“We don’t have all night, Sergeant.”

Ugh, using your title, of course. It can only mean the Lieutenant won’t accept a refusal from you. And who are you to refuse anyway? Just a lower soldier in pain; nothing special about you.

Even though you are still perplexed about his intentions, you scoot toward him, crawling silently so as to not wake up the others. Fortunately you don’t have to step on someone’s lying body to reach your superior.

He spreads his legs to give you room to get closer and you swallow the thrill that inflames your body at the sight of that big hunk of a man welcoming you in his lap. This is not the time to give in to such fantasies. Nor there will ever be. Hard truth.

Ghost’s fingers masterly find the waistband of your cargo trousers and tug at it to make you slide closer.

"Turn around." 

His commanding voice compels you to do as he says without question. There's no room for hesitation when he employs that tone; you must obey his directives, whether you're on the field on a mission or killing time at the HQ. Nobody can stand up to it, least of all you.

You’re barely able to suppress a gasp when you feel his huge hands take hold of your hips and settle you between his thighs, your back colliding with his firm chest. You can't, however, physically stop the shiver that runs down your spine as his palms climb up your sides, sliding upward over your back, causing you to bend slightly forward as he reaches your shoulders. There, he begins to knead your muscles carefully, knowing where to apply more pressure and where to let the tip of his fingers do most of the work.

You’re too stunned to speak. Never in a million years you would have guessed this is what he had in mind to do to help you. Ghost, your Lieutenant, has his hands on you, in a room full of fellow soldiers, in the middle of the night while you are on duty. What crazy-ass dream is this?

"Ghost-," you shudder, his hands working on a particularly sore spot, "a m-massage, seriously?" 

“What?”

“They only make things worse-”

While having Ghost do it is a whole new experience for you, you've received your fair share of massages, both throughout your years of training and after you became a special agent and they never seemed to work on you. They always left you in more pain than you were in before. You could have blamed it on the medic if only you hadn’t changed so many during the past years; they couldn't all have been incompetent, could they?

"You never got one from me, innit? They don't call me magic hands for nothing." 

You frown, throwing him a sideway glance over your shoulder. 

"Nobody calls you that." 

You hear him huff and your head is forced back to face straight by a firm nudge.

As strange and unexpected as it may seem, you must admit that his hands are truly doing Lord’s work against your shoulders, easing your tensed muscles and relieving some pain, so much so that you find yourself closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. 

"See? Just relax." 

His hands scoot lower, sliding down your back and sides, resting just above your bum. The warmth of his palms rubbing that sore area in circular motions sends more shivers up your spine. In his ascent back up, he pays attention to the tensed muscles of your arms, thumbs kneading deep into them and then finally, he goes back to your neck. Your breath catches at the feeling of his strong hands wrapping around it. His firm touch appears to arouse something primal within you. You can feel heat pooling in your core right away. 

"Fucking hell. Your neck is rock hard." 

He increases the pressure, rubbing the skin and working on the knots. His thumbs slide up and down your larynx, matching the movement of his other fingers on the nape. Your head bends backward on its own, landing on his chest. 

Ghost hums again, appreciatively. 

"You liking it?" 

"Y-yes, sir-"

His chest shakes softly against your back, a light rumble coming from his throat. 

"Good girl." 

You bite back a gasp. Those hushed words only add to the growing ache between your legs. The massage is clearly starting to turn you on and you feel… conflicted. You know you shouldn’t let his skillful touch, nor his raspy voice whispering so close to your ear or the warmth of his chest pressed against your back affect you so much. However, you are basically caged in his lap, how are you supposed to not let that cloud your judgment? To not allow your fantasies to run wild in your head? Yes, you’re strong, but… not that strong. You can’t possibly stop your body from reacting so naturally to all of these overwhelming sensations. Especially when you’re so touch-starved, and having Ghost being the one to indulge your craving doesn’t help in the slightest.

 " Mh, you're tensing up again." 

Ghost swiftly resumes working on your back, placing the palm of each hand on either side of your spine and working his way up, keeping his hands parallel to one another. When he reaches the top of your back, he fans his hands outwards across the shoulders, as if outlining the top of a heart. Using a kneading motion, he returns to the lower of your back to work the large muscles on either side of your spine then presses his fingertips firmly into your flesh before quickly releasing as he works his way up. The constant pressing and releasing sends your spine tingling and you fail to hold back a moan.    

“Yes. Don’t fight it.”

If only he knew what you were actually fighting against. How can the tension leave your body if his touch and his closeness and his voice are all working so hard together to make you tense up all the more?

You feel his hands close into fists and his knuckles start to rub gently but firmly across the tops of your shoulders and then glide down your biceps, the inner part of your arms, the side of your chest... 

Inadvertently, your body jerks at the new sensation, and his hand accidentally brushes up against your breast, fingers knocking into the slight bulge in your top caused by your aroused nipple. You stifle the moan that erupts from your throat by biting your bottom lip hard, your body stiffening instantaneously. 

Silence falls into the room, coating it in tension; your mates are not even snoring anymore. You don’t dare to move a muscle, you can barely keep your ragged breathing under control. 

Has he noticed? Does he realize what has just happened? It’s so dark in here and it all happened so quickly, he may have no idea what he has just touched, he may have not caught the lewd sound that came out of your mouth, either. Your body has tensed so much, however, that your reaction must have caught his attention. Any doubt goes out the window when you feel his hands retract and his body shift uncomfortably behind you. 

Well, fuck it . You just had to make it awkward, didn’t you? For both of you! How embarrassing. He will look at you and treat you differently from now on, you know it already. You're soldiers, for god’s sake! You're professionals! And he’s your superior! These things shouldn’t happen! They should stay out of work. And to think that you've managed to get this far, despite Ghost's strong magnetic pull on you since the first time you saw him... You’ve hidden your emotions so well for months. But unfortunately, no matter how hard you try and succeed at hiding it, you can’t really control your body and how it reacts to his presence, touch, or gaze. This was bound to happen sooner or later, as much as you prayed it wouldn’t. Besides, how could you have even imagined you would find yourself in such a crazy situation at one point? Working with him every day, getting very physical on the field and still keeping your emotions at bay was already enough to drive you insane. There was no way you could have handled this and came out victorious.

But perhaps you could still salvage this somehow, or at the very least escape the horrible truth-spilling conversation that awaits you. Yes, it is possible. You simply need to get the hell away from Ghost, crawl back to your bedroll, attempt to sleep it off, and put the burden aside to deal with it another day. Easier said than done.

Your hands fumble around you, hoping to meet the cold tiles of the floor -rather than those god-like legs stretched at either side of you- and you bend forward in an attempt to hoist yourself up. 

“A-alright, this has been nice-”

A steel-strong arm snakes around your middle and forcefully pulls you back. You gasp as your spine collides with his chest once more. 

Now that you're pressed up against him, even closer than you were before, you can feel his bulge against your lower back and your mouth goes dry.

"Ghost-", your voice comes out in a loud, unsteady squick and he instantly hushes you, tightening the grip around your waist. 

You feel his hot breath caress your ear even through the balaclava. “We’re not done here, yet.”

His hands start to travel up and down your body once again, bolder this time, skimming over areas he hasn't touched before. The hand wrapped around your middle slips under your tank top, fondling the smooth flesh at your side as it raises, leaving a trail of goosebumps on your skin, until it reaches the upper area of your stomach. There, his fingertips tease the lower curve of your breast from above the fabric of your sports bra. Your breath catches again but you don't dare to move. He holds his palm there for a long minute. 

Is he testing you? Is he messing with you? Is he silently asking for permission to move forward? The affirmative guttural sound that rewards you as you finally throw your morals out the window and boldly place your hand over his and tug it upwards, sweeps away any doubt. His big hand instantly covers your whole breast, groping it gently at first then squeezing it decisively. His other hand comes to match the motion as they both slide inside the cups and fondle your soft sensitive flesh before turning the focus onto your erect nipples, causing you to arch your back forward and shiver. 

“Is this-”, your voice catches in your throat as his fingers pinch your nipples hard, lips squeezing together to muffle a groan, “-why they call you magic hands ?” 

You feel a light chuckle rumble in his chest and against your back.

“You catch up real quick, Sergeant…”, he whispers in your ear in that gravelly voice that makes you squirm, “...but you don’t know the half of it.” And as if on cue, one of his hands sneaks out of your tank top and slides down your stomach, skimming over the inseam of your pants and resting on your crotch, causing a warmth to spread from deep within your stomach. Two fingers push against your core, suggestively and your heart races. Your breaths are ragged in anticipation. 

“Bet you’re desperate to find out, innit?”

You don’t even realize you’re nodding in response until you feel him huff a laugh through his nose, blowing cool air right next to your ear. 

"Curiosity killed the cat, didn't you hear?" 

His palm rubs against your crotch up and down a few times before giving it a firm squeeze. 

You suck in air through your teeth and your hand lands on his thigh at your side, fingers dipping in his firm muscle. 

" Please -" 

You're not sure what you're even begging him for, your mind dazed with desire, and all you can focus on is the heady sensation of having his warm palm rest so close to your aching cunt but still denying you the touch you desperately crave for. 

Ghost doesn't need you to say anything, he clearly knows what you're pleading for and he makes quick work of unzipping your pants before sliding his hand inside. His eager fingers meet your panties which are, unsurprisingly, already soaked; a small detail that he seems to appreciate greatly. He runs his digits over the wet patch on the fabric, eliciting a loud moan from you. 

An abrupt stirring sound freezes you and your head snaps up, heart jumping in your throat, while your eyes dart across the room expecting to meet the shocked expression of one of your brothers. The thought of having been spotted however doesn't seem to stop Ghost from pushing his fingers beneath the damp fabric of your undies. You don't have time to still the violent beating of your heart as he begins to circle his way through your folds, instantly drawing back your whole attention. A harsh whine crawls up your throat when the pad of his finger meets your clitoris and his free hand immediately moves to cover your mouth. His clad lips suddenly draw close to your ear, skin tingling at the contact. 

"You don't want to wake up the boys, do you, kitten?" 

You shake your head profusely and he hums softly. 

"Thought so."

You suppress the cries of pleasure that he provokes by rubbing his fingers up and down over your slit in a slow intoxicating way, your hips shaking with each swipe. He presses his forearm against your stomach to hold your body still, squeezing you closer to him as a result. 

You wince as you hear it; the wet sound of your desire seems to be the only noise in the otherwise silent room and it only grows louder when Ghost teases your entrance, rubbing his pads around it before easily pushing two fingers inside. You screw your eyes shut and throw your head back against his chest. As he thrusts inside you in a steady rhythm, he presses his palm on your most sensitive part, and drags his hand in a firm circle against it. The feeling is dizzying and it sends lightning jolting through you. 

Ghost's hand leaves your mouth to grab your inner thigh and push it over his adjacent knee, spreading your legs wide apart to gain better access to your core and thus shove his fingers deeper inside you. In fact, his next thrust perfectly hits that sacred spot buried deep between your walls and you grasp a fist of his t-shirt and pull it against your lips to muffle your whimpers, while your other hand tugs firmly at his tensed arm lying on your stomach.

You are close, so close. You can feel the heat in your gut begin to bubble and spread, scorching and hair-raising, to the rest of your quivering body. Ghost too seems to notice by the way you tuck into him and clutch at his arm as if it’s the only thing keeping you grounded, your safe anchor. His fingers grab your chin and angle your head so that your eyes meet. 

His eyes… his big eyes. The only visible part of his face, the only part you are allowed to lay your gaze on and let it linger. And oh, how beautiful they are. Especially now, glinting with moonshine and looking down at you with a special twinkle which you can’t quite decipher but that makes your heart swell. 

You prompt yourself up in a daze, just enough to cup his cheek and pull him down to meet you in a quite unorthodox kiss. You press your lips desperately to his mask, just above his own and you feel them twitch at the contact, responding to the kiss only a moment later. 

You stay like that while his hand still works against you, faster and sloppier but hitting you perfectly with each push. You keep your lips glued to his as the coiling pleasure in your belly finally snaps, a heady wave of pleasure washes over you and makes your body jerk uncontrollably. Your cries are muffled by the fabric of his mask, even more so when his hand cups the back of your neck and presses you harder against him. He continues to slowly dip his fingers inside your fluttering walls then litter your small bundle of nerves with a few more soft teasing caresses all the while subsiding your spasms with his strong embrace. 

Your eyes are squeezed shut, your chest heaving hard, heart still racing and legs still shaking when his hand slips out of your pants and you pull back. You let your head rest on his chest as you take a deep long breath. Almost instantly a subdued ruffle of fabrics strikes your ear and you can feel a cool breath blowing on your neck before a pair of soft damp lips meet your boiling skin. You bite your lips at the shiver-inducing sensation; it feels like a vital secret shared in utmost confidence and you don’t dare break the touching moment until his lips retreat and the mask is safely put back on. Only then you chance a look up through a heavy-lidded gaze and you meet his beautiful eyes again, which in turn watch your reactions with a hazy, adoring gaze. All is forgotten; the packed room, the initial conflict you felt, the aching muscles… The only thing you can focus on is the tingling sensation abandoning your body, leaving the way to the heartening warmth of his embrace and gaze. 

“Ghost-”

“Simon.”

You gulp, nodding feebly as you reverently search his eyes. 

“Simon…” 

Saying his name feels strange but also… meaningful. Like uttering a magic word or being handed the sole key that unlocks the armored door that keeps the treasure safe; treasure so priceless and vulnerable that only a few trusted people are allowed to take a glimpse at it.

“I’m-” you fail to find the words, mind dazed and heart hammering in your chest, “that was…”

“Kitten got more than she bargained for.” 

You catch an amused hint in his voice and even if you can’t see it, you’re certain there is a smile tugging at his lips, for the corner of his eyes curl up slightly.

“I take it the massage didn't make things worse after all?”

"Well…", you shift in his embrace, turning to face him with a sheepish grin, "that was some effective massage, alright." 

You prompt yourself up and reading your intentions he closes his legs to let you settle on his lap, your knees resting on either side of his hips. His eyes never leave yours as you lean up, arms latching around his neck. 

"Nothing aches anymore thanks to you…", you grind your hips slowly down against his, relishing in the sound of his heavy breathing picking up, "...but maybe it's you now who is in need of a release ?" You bite your lip at the rousing feeling of his throbbing bulge rubbing against your still sensitive center, as well as at the rare thrilling satisfaction of seeing him crane his head slightly up to look at you. 

His hands descend on your hips, fingers almost painfully gripping the flesh, causing you to groan.

"I wouldn't mind it one bit kitten, believe me…", his lust-clouded eyes rake over your body. You see him swallow hard as he glances down where your hips meet and a long breath escapes his lips. His gaze then trails back up, savoring every inch of you, until it finally locks with yours once again. "But you should hit the sack now."

Disappointment shows plainly on your face.

"But-" 

"Besides, I'm on second watch tonight."

"T-That’s good! I can sneak out to keep you company. I'm not sleepy! Even less now than before. We can-" 

" Negative .” His tone is peremptory and it shuts you up at once. “And don’t fret. You’ll be asleep before your head hits the mat.”

" But -" 

His hands slide up your sides and squeeze your waist, pulling you down to sit on his thighs and hold you at eye level.

"We're taking a rain check, Sergeant."

The title again. His words are final, then. 

A huge sigh escapes you and you nod at last. Reluctantly, you climb out of his lap, his hands following your every movement to support you. Before you stand on your feet and turn around, you chance one last look at him. Your heart swells as you meet once more his big beautiful eyes which look at you so gently, so wistfully… you think you can catch the promise behind them.

"Don't you dare die tomorrow, Simon."

The corners of his eyes curl up again. 

"Surely not on your watch, Kitten."

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[gem-magpie]

Gosh, you're fat. You're *so* FAT.

I know you fantasize about it. You dream about being a completely immobile blob of pure hedonistic gluttony, but you forget all too easily that you actually are already *very* fat.

You aren't exactly in denial of it, but you don't tend to truly recognize your real-life achievement when you're busy thinking about being fed by a magical tube until you can't move, or becoming addicted to magical flying cakes.

You're the real deal!

No magic potion did this, no hypnotism necessary, no living slime forced you into what you are. You did this through sheer, unmitigated, piggish overconsumption. You made yourself huge, and you didn't even try.

Let me guess, you're reading this with a sugary drink nearby. Maybe a few empty cans sitting on your desk; calorie bombs that you already guzzled down? Don't worry, I know you needed them to wash down the huge breakfast *and* massive lunch you had today.

No no, you've been responsible, right? Just a little cereal, and a simple sandwich for lunch? A reasonable little ham and cheese?

Maybe you just forgot that you finished the entire box of cereal? I guess you didn't notice that had the majority of a family sized bag of chips with that sandwich as a "side"?

You couldn't stop yourself. With each handful of chips you promised yourself it'd be the last one, but then it wasn't enough. Again and again you stuffed your mouth with those delicious, greasy, salty delights as you searched for the perfect mouthful to end on. Just one more. Just one MORE. Oops, better leave the crumbs. That way you can tell yourself you didn't eat the whole thing. Gosh, You must be *so* full.

Maybe you’re thinking of just a small meal for dinner since you've been gorging yourself silly all day?

Who are we kidding, you're ordering out again aren't you? You did yesterday, and the day before, and you are going to do it again today.

You don't even have the supplies necessary to cook something in your kitchen, do you? Just snacks and drinks to keep yourself stuffed between meals.

You go to the store to pick up "groceries'' and you just end up buying ice cream, frozen pizzas, chips, and soda. You shamelessly place a towering stack of cookies on the checkout belt and pretend not to notice the looks you get. You hope everyone assumes that you're shopping for a family, but you know it's all for you.

You grab a few things here or there that you tell yourself will make for a healthy dinner, but they are just extra calories when you pack your tummy with something fried anyway. No wonder you look more and more like a big, soft ball of dough each day.

Alright, I digress. You're already looking past all the food you already mindlessly shoveled into your fat gut today. Let's get to that delivery order. Of course you're putting in for a large combo. No, wait, a large combo and… a few extra entrees?

Wow, to think I thought you might stop with enough food for just one helpless glutton. You're justifying 3 people’s worth of food to yourself now. Just because you're not ordering 3 large combos doesn't mean you aren't eating three entrees *with* additional sides, you know.

It's okay, just happily plop your fat ass down on the couch and fill your capacious belly with everything you bought. This amount of food doesn't even slow you down anymore, does it? It's actually stunning watching you eat.

As usual, you ate all of that before even one act of your show was up; And, as usual, you're grabbing something more from the fridge to tide you over for the rest of the episode. It's only thirty more minutes, but we both know you really can't go thirty minutes without eating.

Gosh…

It's no wonder none of your clothes really fit. You buy the biggest sizes you can find, and you tell yourself it fits "well enough" because your gut is technically not hanging out of the front of your shirt (yet).

I guess it doesn't matter to you much how tightly it hugs your wobbling chest and generous paunch, huh? I mean, it's drawn so tightly over your body that it's dimpled inward into your cavernous belly button.

You might as well not even wear a shirt with how snugly everything hugs your curves.

You're too fat to even see that, aren't you? You had no idea so much of you was on display even when your clothes "fit". Aww, look at how red you're getting!

Maybe I was wrong earlier when I said you didn't try. You love this. Maybe you wouldn't admit it (yet), but you did all this to yourself *on purpose*.

You love hearing about just how fat you are. You can barely contain your excitement as I describe how blatant it is that you've lost control.

You couldn't stop gorging yourself if you wanted to. You're just too hungry, not to mention you love how soft and heavy you've gotten…

Now that the show's over it's time for some recreational activities. Maybe a walk outside?

No, grab yourself some dessert. You just ate over 2500 calories in fast food and guzzled 32 ounces of soda, but I know it's never enough. Not only is your heaving, plump gut pining for MORE food, you yourself are longing to be bigger.

You managed to squeeze those massive hips of yours into that little office chair. The poor thing looks like it's about to shatter under the weight and pressure of all that fat! Seeing as you're eating sandwich cookies four at a time, and washing them down by chugging milk straight from the carton, I'd guess that's your goal. With every heavy gulp you fantasize about just how amazing it would be if your swelling ass broke the armrests. Then you could get yourself a double-wide chair. I bet it excites you to think about having such a blatant monument to your hedonistic gluttony. Don't worry, you'll get there soon.

Regardless of what you're doing after dinner, the only thing that matters to you is that you're sitting and eating *again*. Honestly I can't believe you can still be hungry after all of that, but the unmistakable roar of that insatiable gut of yours is proof otherwise.

It's OK, it's just a few more hours of continuous eating after you already had a huge dinner. No big deal. It’s super cute, actually. You look so full, and yet you keep going. You’re practically begging for more.

I can't blame you, it feels fantastic to be so blissfully full.

Just think of how fat you could *really* get if you gave in completely to your desire. I would love to help you. There's no need to spend a moment hungry, I'll take care of everything. Give in, and let me make you huge.

Yes? Absolutely.

Finish off that sleeve of cookies for me, ok? Good, now open another. Throw away the wrapping, you won't need to reseal them. Another. More. Another. Don't stop. Eat. Drink. Fill yourself for me.

Let me feel you swell. I want to watch your strained clothing ride up your flesh and expose your taut, bloated belly. I need to hear you burp and moan with the pressure and pleasure of truly giving in. I can't wait to watch it all melt away and fill your lap with more warm fat.

Go on, polish off that bag of chips from earlier. Tip the bag back and prove that you don't need to pretend any more. Never again hold back your gluttony for appearances. You NEED to finish off that calorie loaded, family size sack before bed. A sense of completion is important after a long day to get some decent rest, you know.

And you’ll need plenty of rest to give your body time to grow.

Go ahead, roll your huge, swollen body into bed. I got you a heaping bowl of ice cream to finish off your day. Sweet and salty go so well together. Eat up. Dump some chocolate syrup on top. Treat yourself.

Actually, why not finish the gallon? Even after all I fed you, I can tell it wasn’t enough. I’ve got it nice and melted for you. Good, chug it down. Let it fill you and, if we’re lucky, finally satiate you.

I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast.

Gosh, you're fat. You're *so* FAT.

[collidescopeeyes]

Time is Roulette Whee: Swain WIP Pt3

“I'm not allowed to make deals with you anymore,” you tell the raven sternly on your next outing. “Also, that was very rude. It's not like dying is new to me, but some warning would have been nice. Not that I think you can talk, per se. I mean, you have those creepy whispers, but I don't know the demonic language. I can probably guess what you're trying to get at, though, and no. I'm not letting you rip my head open for juicy tidbits, and also, I'm not making any bargains to free you from Swain's control. Anything you know he knows anyway, and he's less likely to fuck me over than a literal demon. Especially one that very rudely let's me get my throat shrapneled from the inside.”

The raven caws from your shoulder. “Yeah, that's what I thought,” you grouch.

—

You don't do much over the next month, honestly. Once every few days or so, a raven arrives with an envelope clutched it's beak, and inside is a time you're to arrive at Swain's office, wrangle Raum under control, and chat. He seems to like talking to you, or at least you assume that's why he keeps doing it. You do occasionally feel like you're on the business end of a reconnaissance mission, but you can't imagine knowing your opinion on yordles somehow gives Noxus an edge on their many conquests. No, at this point you figure that Swain just has an intense demeanor that makes him seem like he's always doing something important, even when he's just asking you how your days been, or how you're settling in, or your thoughts on the book you were reading. That last one might be a reminder that you're under constant surveillance, actually, but it's not like you particularly care. Spending years in a nightmarish hellscape completely isolated save for the inhuman monsters trying to kill you kind of maxed out your lifetime requirement for alone time. Besides, you're pretty sure the birds can't open doors or unbar windows, and if you really wanted privacy you could always rewind yourself to Piltover or something. Still, you leave your window open for the birds most days.

—

The bird on your windowsill caws to get your attention. You wave it over without looking, focused on your book and your breakfast. Noxus probably would've been higher on your list of leads if you knew their food was so good, honestly. Who knew artisanal bread and cheese could elevate a grilled cheese sandwich so much?

The bird lands on your table, Swain's fancy envelope in beak. You wedge your bookmark in place and take it with your clean hand, breaking the crimson red seal and fishing the card out one handed. “Three pm,” you read aloud, tossing the card back on the table. “Standard Raum wrangling duty, it seems.”

The bird croaks at you. You shrug. “I don't make the rules.” You rip off a piece of crust to feed to it, then frown. “Come to think of it, how do you work, anyway? Does Swain see everything you see, or do you just report the important stuff to him?” You frown. “That would be awkward. He is technically my boss. That being said, respect for authority was never my strong suit.” You consider the bird a moment, then turn back to your meal. “Ah, whatever. He has like a hundred of you running around. I'm sure he's not paying attention to me telling you about embarrassing things I did in primary school. Hell, maybe it'll convince him to stop having you follow me around.”

—

“I can hear everything you say, and no, the inanity of your conversation is not going to convince me to leave a mage of your caliber unchecked,” he says by way of introduction that afternoon.

You blink, shutting the door behind you. “I’m not a mage.”

He raises a brow. “Oh? How does one traverse the Void without magic, then?”

You shrug as you seat yourself across from him. He changed the chair out shortly after your first visit–it’s nicer now, with actual padding. You wonder if that's for your benefit, or if someone got the other one broken over their head. “It's a secret. Hand,” you wiggle your fingers at where his left arm lies hidden inside his imposing military coat.

“Would you tell me in exchange for a recommendation to a cake shop?” He asks, placing his red-lit palm in yours. His tone is dry, but there's an edge of sincerety there that makes you think he's not entirely joking. “They make a lovely lemon meringue.”

You click your tongue. “Sorry, no dice. Besides, I'm sure you can figure it out from the tidbit your birdie already got out of me.”

“I understand it was a Voidspawn that took you from your world, and I take it your powers are a result of harnessing whatever you found there,” he says offhandedly. “What I don't understand is how you came to be here.”

You glance up at him. He has that look again, the one that makes you feel vaguely like a butterfly pinned to a board, like he wants to peel you open and see what's inside. “If I knew that, I probably wouldn't still be here.”

“Hm. I hope you know I won't be opening any Void Rifts on your behalf,” he says casually. “Far too much cleanup.”

“If you can find me a trajectory through a hellish nightmare void that defies time, space and euclidean geometry, I will personally slaughter every Voidspawn from here to the nearest Shuriman Rift,” you say cheerfully.

He raises a brow. “Not overselling yourself, I hope?”

You shrug. “I don't die. Don't strictly need to eat or sleep because of that, either. And believe me, I know how to kill Voidspawn.”

“You also take several hours to revive,” he points out. “Hardly time efficient.”

You shake your head. “Reality is…rigid, here. Inflexible. Not the Void. Those things bring a little bit of nothingness with them. Makes it easy to change things, change me.” You frown at his hand, trying to find your way around your curse. “First time I died after coming here, it was morning by the time I woke up, and I was not happy about it.”

“Hm. How fast would you say, with exposure to Void energy? Minutes?” He peers intently at your expression. His brow hitches. “Seconds?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny,” you say breezily. “And if you don't mind, I'd rather change the subject, before I say something I shouldn't and end up spitting blood in your face.”

He grimaces. “Very well. What would you like to speak about, then?”

You blink. “Yknow, you're different from what I was expecting.”

He raises a brow. “Oh? And what did you know of me, before you met me?”

You open your mouth, except you have no idea how to answer that question. “I don't think I can fully answer that,” you say slowly.

“Partially, then,” he says.

You frown at him. “Hey, you were following me for weeks before we met, and you don't see me interrogating you about what you know about me, other than that I like lemon meringues.”

He blinks. “I did not know you liked lemon meringues, just sweets. And putting aside what you have willingly divulged to my birds, I know that you're stubborn, intelligent, pragmatic, and more ruthless than you like to pretend you are. You go out of your way to help others, but pain doesn't seem to phase you anymore and without that nothing in this world seems to pose any real threat to you, so the life-threatening risks you take aren't particularly high-stakes for you. You subject yourself to the mundanities of human life your powers could erase the need for–food, water, rest, walking to places you've been or practicing a knife when you could unmake a city. You don't shy away from your powers, so you must not think they pose any threat, but you don't use them as a crutch either–that leads me to believe you mistrust them, perhaps that they'd desert you once you return to your world. Please, correct me if I'm wrong on any of those counts,” he says, spreading his free hand invitingly. You don't. “There. I've told you all I know about you.”

You raise a brow at him. “I know you didn't tell me all that just to hear about yourself,” you say dryly, and release his hand. “But if you really must…I know you get kick out of getting under people's skin.”

He smirks. Whatever answer he was looking for, that was apparently good enough. He's handsome when he smiles–well, he's handsome all the time, but in the same way a classical statue is, a cold and untouchable sort of beauty. When he smiles, that wicked little twist on his lips, it makes him look human. Not quite approachable, but at least like someone that lives on the same plane of existence as you. “I can neither confirm nor deny. You may restore the walls of Bitharix tomorrow at your convenience. That will be all.”

“Yes, sir,” you say with a mock salute, rising from your seat as he returns to his work.

“The shop is called Halcyon, and it's near the war memorials,” he says as you turn to leave. You look back to him, taken aback.

“Are you just telling me that because I wasn't expecting you to, and you like throwing me off?” You ask skeptically, though there's mirth in your voice.

“I decided I should reward you for your rare approximation of respect,” he drawls.

“If I'd known I got a reward for being a good girl I'd have done it sooner, sir,” You say teasingly, because spending years in the Void talking to yourself just to stay sane has really done nothing good for your already tenuous brain-mouth connection. Swain looks up at you, brow raised, and the satisfaction you derive from his taken aback expression is almost enough to cancel out the fact that you just hit on your boss.

…Your boss, Jericho Swain, Grand General of Noxus, who you have to look in the eye in a scant few days. Who, judging by the smirk curling on the edge of his lips, has no doubt cottoned on from your deer in headlights that you weren't just fucking with him, and you've completely lost why opportunity to play that off as a joke.

Welp. He might think you don't use your powers as a crutch, but you've never left somewhere so quickly in your life. You make your escape before he has the chance to say anything.

—

He doesn't call on you for a few days after, and you almost, almost put the incident out of your mind. You've had more embarrassing fuck-ups, you're sure, and honestly everything you've been through kind of puts social blunders into perspective on an odd way. You decide not to worry about it.

—

“What is that?” Swain asks, squinting at the paper bag you've deposited on his desk.

“A lemon meringue?” You say, plopping into your seat and wiggling your fingers at him.

“Why is it here?” He says. He doesn't even look at you when he puts his hand in yours, busy opening the packet to peer inside, as if you've somehow put a bomb in a clearly labeled baked goods bag.

You blink at him. “It's for you?” He gives you a blank look. “I figured you liked them, since you didn't know I did and you brought them up anyway. If you don't want it I'll take it. You were right, though, they're amazing.”

“Hm. No, I'll take it. My thanks,” he says. There's a strange look in his eye when he regards you. “Is there something you want?”

You consider him. “People don't often just do nice things for you without wanting something in return, do they?”

“Implying you don't want something from me?” He asks.

You pointedly do not think about your last encounter. “Well, sure, but you know what I want.”

“Do I?” He says, his voice low and considering. His palm is warm in yours. You're so fucking made.

You resist the urge to squirm. You've spent years in the Void, whatever this is can't be worse. “Look, if this is about what I said last time–”

“It's not,” he says easily, completely derailing what was about to be a very awkward apology about your lack of professionalism. Not that you'd ever had much of that. Before you can ask what the fuck that means, he hands you a sheet of paper. “In any case, your services are required in Ionia. We will be departing tomorrow morning. The details are there.”

You scan the piece of paper, which is part mission detail and part itinerary. “We?” You ask, flipping the page over. “Wait, you got the Leviathan back? Didn't Gangplank steal that?”

He grimaces. “Yes. Captain Fortune returned it after she deposed her predecessor, as a gesture of peace towards Noxus.”

You glance up at him. “Did it work?”

A smirk pulls at his lips. “For now. Bilgewater is more useful to me as it is now. Besides, bringing that mis-managed shantytown to heel would be far more effort than it's worth.”

“Would be useful to have serpent callers on staff, though,” you point out idly. “If there's one thing I'm not going to miss about this world, it's the sea monsters.”

“A fair point,” he says thoughtfully. “Though I must say that relying on the favor of a god sits ill with me.”

You shrug. “Can't say I know much about Nagakaborous, but gods can be brought to heel like anything else. Look at Aurelion Sol.”

He gives you a sharp look. “The celestial dragon? What about it?”

You blink. “Oh. I suppose that would predate your demon. The Aspects enslaved it using a magic crown and bent it to the will of the Ancient Shuriman’s, creating the god warriors which ultimately led to the civilizations downfall. As far as I know he's still floating around Targon doing their bidding. When I tracked him down, he refused to help without the crown being removed, and putting aside how long I'd be comatose for if I tried to undo however many thousands of years, I'm pretty sure he intends to blow up the planet if he gets free.”

There's a predatory gleam in his eye. “I see. What else do you know, about the Aspects?”

You raise a brow. “If you're expecting me to sit here and lay out the secret history of Runeterra, you're at least buying me dinner.” Shit. Wait. You've done it again.

He laughs, rich and dark. He turns his hand in yours, his clawed fingertips brushing over the inside of your wrist, where your pulse is currently thundering through your veins. “I can give you so much more than that, dear girl. Tell me, what is it you're craving today?”

…You're so fucked, and what's worse, he knows it.

—

Once you scraped your brain into your head, the first thing that came to mind to request for dinner that didn't involve clothes coming off was steak. You spend an hour comparing your understandings of the Aspects, Mount Targons general political landscape and possible resources, and you go into a impassioned aside about how the cosmic dragon that created the stars in your sky was a pretentious prick. He does, in fact, get you dinner–which is to say, the tower has its own kitchen staff, and he invites you to dine with him. He's actually very cordial–for all that talking to him sort of feels like you're somehow being played, he also holds open the door and pulls out your chair. You notice he only uses his demonic arm in front of you–in the hall, he keeps it tucked away in his coat when you're walking, but as soon as the serving staff have filed out of the room he's back to normal.

“How many people know about Raum?” You ask, cutting into your food. It is, of course, excellent.

“Only the Trifarix, Katarina Du Couteau, and you,” he says. “More convenient to have our enemies underestimate me as a cripple, and those who witness my powers firsthand don't tend to survive the experience.”

You glance at him. “Is it really that bad, that you lost an arm?” He raises a brow at you, and you wave a hand. “Not as in–look, I've been dismembered before and it fucking sucks, but what I mean is…I don't think having two arms is what makes you dangerous.”

For a moment a bittersweet smile pulls at his lip. “Things were different under Darkwill. Martial strength was all that Noxus valued, and that is one of the many reasons it was rotting from the inside. It's a mentality some still share, inside Noxus and out.”

You snort. “Like it matters how good someone is in a fistfight when they have a fortress and an army?”

“Some would describe that as cowardice,” he points out mildly.

“I'd call it pragmatism,” you retort. “Do you frequently say the opposite of what you mean just to see if people will agree with you?”

He smirks. “No. But I don't particularly care for most people's opinions.” Implying he cares about yours? “Wine?” He offers.

(The wine is, of course, as excellent as the food.)

—

“When you said morning, you did not say pre-sunrise,” you grouch, huddling under your new coat. The wind is bitingly cold in the harbor; Swain seemed unbothered by it, though it sends his coat flaring dramatically around him. The upper deck has a balcony that leads directly to his quarters, and he cuts an imperious figure overseeing the Leviathan's launch.

“Not a morning person, I take it?” He drawls, as if he doesn't know damn well from his birds.

“There are three things that wake me up in a good mood–sex, food, and coffee, in that order,” you say archly. “And I don't imagine you have an eggs benedict and a vanilla latte under that coat.”

He raises a brow. “Unfortunately, no.”

Hm. That's a surprisingly lukewarm response. You pause, finally taking a good look at him. “You look tired,” you say, noting the shadows under his eyes. Exhausted would probably be the better term.

“Yes,” he agrees. “There was much to do before we left, and I hadn't planned on our talk being quite so engaging.”

You hold out your hand and wiggle your fingers at him. He glances at you curiously, but places his gloved hand in yours. You rewind him back to rested, and his brows hitch. “Convenient,” he notes.

“I'm not doing that on the regular, and I don't care how efficient you'd be if you didn't need to sleep,” you tell him bluntly, releasing his hand. “Even without the physiological side effects, there are deep-seated psychological ramifications to not sleeping you really do not want to mess with.”

“I'll take your word for it,” he says. “I appreciate the assistance, but the reason I called you here is because there's been a slight change of plans. You'll be serving as my primary bodyguard for the duration of this trip, not just part of my entourage.”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Do you need a bodyguard?”

“No, but the Ionians’ don't know that, and I'd prefer it to stay that way,” he allows. “That does however mean that I expect you to stay by my side, unless I explicitly order otherwise.”

You nod. Internally, your head is in your hands. You're sure that being next to him all day will have only positive effects on whatever bizarre game of cat and mouse you're in with the man. Which, now that you think of it, you're not entirely sure if he's trying to seduce you, use you for the good of Noxus, or just enjoys fucking with you. Probably all of them, to some extent or another.

He turns to look at you, considering. Then he looks back over the still-grey horizon. “Your quarters are there. I suppose I won't take issue if you chose to return to bed. We are still in Noxian waters, after all.”

And little acts of kindness like that are doing nothing to help you make up your mind.

[exalted-dawn-drabbles]

Kubo & The Two Strings | Writing Prompts

🍂🌘🐦🪕📜

Quote Prompts

❝ If you must blink, do it now ❞ ❝ You are my quest ❞ ❝ The most powerful kind of magic there is ❞ ❝ We hold their stories, deep in our hearts ❞ ❝ We grow stronger, the world grows more dangerous. Life has a funny way of keeping things balanced. ❞ ❝ Whatever your quest, it is now my quest too ❞ ❝ This was a happy story. But, it could still be a whole lot happier. ❞ ❝ I still need you ❞ ❝ Heroes come and go ❞ ❝ Cold and hard and perfect ❞ ❝ Well, that’s kind of a long story ❞ ❝ Paper runs out, as does patience ❞ ❝ Always stay hidden from the night sky ❞ ❝ In recognizing [their] compassion, I recognized my own. ❞ ❝ You have questions, I can tell. You get three. ❞ ❝ You’re out of questions now, so just listen ❞ ❝ I spared [their] life. [They] gave me mine. ❞ ❝ Do you need a little help? ❞ ❝ This is real. This is not a story. ❞ ❝ Memories are powerful things ❞ ❝ We can't trust anything you say, because *you* can't trust anything you say. ❞ ❝ They’re family. ❞ ❝ No, they are monsters. ❞ ❝ Promise me you will never let this happen. Promise me. ❞ ❝ Before you went on this great adventure, you were still very much a hero ❞ ❝ Tell us your story, then we can sleep! Please? ❞ ❝ [They] looked into my eyes and uttered four simple words. Those words changed everything. ❞ ❝ Even with just one eye ❞ ❝ Concentrate on what is in front of you. Let everything else fall away. ❞ ❝ I seem to have forgotten my story ❞ ❝ Can you help me? ❞ ❝ The end of one story is merely the beginning of another ❞

Sensory/Imagery Prompts

A meal sitting between two people

Boats made of leaves

The strumming of strings

Skimming rocks across the river

Catching fireflies in the mulberry fields

The warmth of a gaze

Crane songs

The full moon over the ocean

The cold night sky

Braided strands of hair

A father’s clothes

Folded paper

Flowers and stars

Scurrying beetles

Busy market streets

A charm for protection

Lantern light

Long evening shadows

Soaked with sea water

Fishing lessons

Feather cloaks

Broken porcelain masks

Eyes full of secrets

Interrupted stories

Soup that’s too hot

Speaking to lost loved ones

Quiet, lonely mornings

Forbidden festivals

Childhood toys

Making your own wings

Golden armor

Silver moonlight

Hidden caverns filled with treasure

Waking up in the snow

Prominent Theme Prompts

To be looked at and be seen

The sharing of stories

Finding each other again in another life

Remembering what was lost

Fighting the past for the future

The power of humanity

Life takes on a new form

Being the hero of your own story

A mother’s love

A child’s devotion

For every horrible thing, there is something far more beautiful

Memories are the strongest magic

To look someone in the eye and see their soul

All stories must have an end

Making beginnings out of ends

Mementos of the lost

Love endures beyond death

Running from the night

Fighting to see the day

There is beauty in imperfection 

A messy life is still one worth living

Longing for something you never had

Stories are stronger than the sword

[ohtumbly]

Top Object Summit (TOS): A Tumblr Novel Object 'Show'

The Sky Team had a good meal of cooked fish from last challenge and had their bellies full. Hours later, they were all fast asleep.

The Land Team had to face elimination tonight.

"Alright Land Team, this is your first elimination and I'll go through the rules again just for you."

"Each one of you will vote for a teammate to leave the team. You will be given a slip of paper and you'll have to write the member you want booted out of the team."

They all began writing names on the slips of paper and handing them over to Chilly.

They all sat around the campfire where Chilly might melt when close to it, but it's snowy body wouldn't melt at all.

"Land Team, you're now here and one of you will be leaving. I have received all your slips and checked every single one of them."

"Sugar Cube, Reflector, Cash Register, Nut and Lapis all received no votes. You may now go to the next camp up ahead."

"Phew. Thanks Chilly." Reflector sighed.

"Birthday Card, Buoy and Yo-yo have 1 vote each."

"Phew. Thanks Chilly." Said Yo-yo, and he went to the next camp up ahead with the others.

Up at the next campsite, the safe members of The Land Team whispered to each other about the remaining three down there.

"Orange Pop doesn't really bother about us," Began Lapis.

"And Potato might be dead weight." Continued Cash Register. "He seems kind of useless."

"Hey! That's not too nice." Reflector snapped.

Back down at the camp below, Chilly announced the final results.

"Two of you are safe with 2 votes. They are...

...Potato...

...and...

...Orange Pop."

"Encyclopedia is out with 4 votes."

The campmates watched Encyclopedia on the ski-lift down the mountain and it surpised them.

"Oh my moonshine! Encyclopedia's eliminated?!" Reflector said with a sudden shock. "We haven't know much of him yet!"

"He's full of things that can help us." Responded Lapis.

"But he might say information that aren't necessary in his pages." Said Yo-yo.

"Yo-yo!" Reflector snapped again.

The Land Team

Birthday Card

Buoy

Cash Register

Lapis

Nut

Orange Pop

Potato

Reflector

Sugar Cube

Yo-yo

The Sky Team

Ice Cream

Jelly

Jotter Book

Lamp

Magnifying Glass

Microwave

Nine of Hearts

Skiffle Board

Tape

Zipper

Day 4

The next morning, everyone woke up at the campsites. Members of The Land Team went down the mountain to the boat and take the fish they caught from last challenge back up.

Birthday Card and Cash Register returned with fish in their stash.

"Hey everyone," began Birthday Card, in her usual cheery way, "We got fish to eat!"

So they all had fish cooked over the campfire together.

Chilly the Snowman rolled in to announce the next challenge.

"Contestants, the next contest is this way! Follow me."

"And you'll need these." So the contestants were given helmets with a lamp fixed to them.

"Why do we need these?" Asked Magnifying Glass, curiosity setting her up first before anything.

They were lead to a dark cave in the mountain, where it's deep in, they might have forgot how to get out.

Lapis thanked Chilly for the helmet on her head, pleased with the lamp that comes with it.

"The next contest is a Half Blind, Half Mute, Three-legged Race...Maze! With 20 of you left, you will be arranged into pairs and be given:

- a blindfold on one member

- a choker on the other member

- a rope tied between one of each leg

The pair has their legs tied to each other. One member can't see and one can't speak, and both had to get out of the cave. Once you did, you can take off everything and help the other pairs from your team get out. The first team to get all five pairs out of the cave wins."

"Wait, Microwave doesn't have a physical face. So Nince of Hearts, could you mute him with his magic?"

And then she replied: "Sure thing!"

The pairs are:

Birthday Card and Lapis

Buoy and Sugar Cube

Cash Register and Nut

Orange Pop and Potato

Reflector and Yo-yo

Ice Cream and Lamp

Jelly and Magnifying Glass

Jotter Book and Skiffle Board

Microwave and Nine of Hearts

Tape and Zipper

"Oh boy, this'll be fun!"

The pairs stood at the start and got themselves ready.

"Alright everyone, now go!"

The objects started walking forward, middle leg(s) first, followed by the other two, the pairs go.

Some got stuck in the maze:

Poor Reflector was blindfolded, so she couldn't see. She bumped into a dead end in the cave.

"Go back? Okay."

Others tripped over things, like Jelly. She has a blindfold on her and couldn't see. She tripped over a rock and shattered in a sugary splat.

"We have to go back." Magnifying Glass suddenly thought and said. When returning back to the start to get Chilly to revive her, she kept bumping into things.

Sugar Cube felt scared and was about to cry, but she couldn't be heard because of the choker in her mouth.

Buoy stopped and tried to pick Sugar Cube up to make her feel better, but he tripped over her and they both fell.

"I'll get you out of this cave first." Buoy suggested.

Jotter Book and Skiffle Board were the first pair to get out of the cave. The light shone from the exit as they approached it, and they were finally free and out.

"We have our first pair out of the cave!"

"Whew." Said Skiffle Board in relief, as she took off the blindfold. "We'll find the rest."

Buoy and Sugar Cube were the next two to get out of the cave. They untied each other and Buoy wrapped Sugar Cube with a warm towel and carried her in her hands. She felt much better and was glad she had someone with her.

More pairs came out of the cave. Birthday Card and Lapis squealing with delight once they took everything off, Orange Pop carrying Potato in his hands, and Microwave and Nine of Hearts in a puff of red smoke and heart-shaped confetti.

"Ta-da!" Went Nine of Hearts, taking off her blindfold, and she gave Microwave his voice back.

"Where are we?" Asked Microwave.

"Out of the cave!"

A bright glow grew bigger and bigger from the cave. There was Ice Cream and Lamp, who got out of the cave at last.

"I knew it was a good idea to let Lamp see insead of me."

Tape and Zipper were lead out of the cave by Skiffle Board. Looking at the cave entrance, Tape chuckled as she got herself an idea. She taped the entrance of the cave!

The last two were Reflector and Yo-yo, both of them bruised from bumling all over the place, and Jelly and Magnifying Glass, who returned to the start to get Jelly recovered.

"Ow. Ouch. I'm sorry Yo-yo. I don't think we can make it to the end like this."

She couldn't hear Yo-yo with the choker in his mouth.

"Hey, you two!" A voice called.

There was Buoy and some of the other Land Team Members looking for the missing pair.

On the other side, Magnifying Glass and Jelly walked their way out, being more careful this time.

"Let's try to be more careful, Jelly."

So the last two pairs made their way to the exit of the cave.

Upon seeing Reflector and Yo-yo, Tape quickly peeled the tape off the entrance.

"Phew."

Chilly rolled into the scene. "And there comes Reflector and Yo-yo, approaching the finish, and the've done it! The Land Team wins!"

Reflector took off the blindfold. "We made it!" She wobbled, bent with dents, and collapsed on the snow.

"Yup, we made it." And Yo-yo followed her.

"You may now go to the next camp up ahead."

So The Land Team went up the mountain to the next camp. Both Reflector and Yo-yo, feeling dizzy, were dragged up by hand.

Other members of The Sky Team brought Jelly and Magnifying Glass to the end of the cave.

"I'm not fit for this challenge." Jelly said.

"No, Jelly. If you don't think you could be able to do this on your own, we'll be there for you." Says Magnifying Glass.

And then Nine of Hearts shows up. "You have me."

"And me." Ice Cream added.

"Well, one of us might be leaving now." Interrupted Skiffle Board.

[kanisema-blog]

Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story

Chapter 20: The Festival

I sat at the dining table, the grand room feeling even larger as I ate my lunch alone. The clink of silverware against porcelain was the only sound, echoing softly in the expansive space. I had grown accustomed to these solitary meals, but today felt different, perhaps because of the anticipation simmering beneath the surface.

Mich entered the room, her expression a mix of excitement and duty. "Miss Xaiana, there's a festival event in town tonight. It starts after sunset. I thought you might be interested."

I looked up, a spark of curiosity igniting within me. "A festival? That sounds delightful. Thank you for letting me know, Mich."

After finishing my meal, I spent the afternoon in my room, sketching designs inspired by the mansion's opulence and the natural beauty I had encountered. Time seemed to fly as I lost myself in the flow of creativity, my pencil dancing across the paper. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, I set aside my sketches and turned my attention to preparing for the festival.

I rummaged through my walk-in closet, searching for the perfect outfit. I settled on a flowing, midnight-blue dress adorned with delicate silver embroidery that shimmered like stars. I paired it with a set of matching accessories—a silver necklace with a moon pendant, delicate earrings, and a bracelet that sparkled with tiny crystals. As a finishing touch, I pinned a silver hair clip adorned with a single sapphire in my hair.

"Ready, Miss Xaiana?" Mich asked, appearing at the doorway.

I nodded, feeling a thrill of excitement. "Yes, let's go."

We made our way to town, the atmosphere electric with anticipation. Colorful lanterns hung from every building, casting a warm, inviting glow. Stalls lined the streets, offering an array of tantalizing foods and handcrafted goods. The air was filled with laughter and the hum of conversation, blending with the melodies played by street musicians.

Mich and I roamed through the festival, our senses overwhelmed by the myriad sights, sounds, and smells. We sampled a variety of treats—sweet pastries, savory skewers, and refreshing fruit drinks. We joined in the activities, trying our hand at games and admiring the intricate artistry of local craftsmen.

As we wandered, I accidentally bumped into someone, nearly knocking them over. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, reaching out to steady them.

The person turned, and I found myself face-to-face with Katarina Solace. Her eyes widened in surprise, but a warm smile quickly spread across her face. "No harm done. Festivals can get quite crowded, can't they?"

I nodded, relieved at her easygoing response. "They certainly can. I'm Xaiana Elsher, by the way."

"Katarina Solace," she replied, her smile widening. "Nice to meet you, Xaiana."

Mich introduced herself as well, and soon the three of us were strolling through the festival together. Katarina was charming and lively, her enthusiasm infectious. We visited more stalls, trying various snacks and chatting animatedly. Despite knowing her role in the book, I found myself genuinely enjoying her company.

As the evening wore on, the sky darkened, and the festival's lights grew brighter, casting a magical glow over everything. Suddenly, the first firework shot into the sky, exploding in a burst of color. More followed, painting the night with vibrant hues. We stood in awe, the spectacle above mesmerizing.

"It's beautiful," Katarina said softly, her eyes reflecting the fireworks.

"Yes, it is," I agreed, my gaze shifting from the sky to her. In that moment, I saw why Loyd could be drawn to her. She had a presence that was hard to ignore, a light that shone brightly even in the darkest of nights.

The fireworks continued, each one more stunning than the last. As the grand finale lit up the sky, the crowd erupted in applause, the air buzzing with excitement and joy. When the display ended, we lingered for a moment, soaking in the lingering beauty of the night.

"Thank you for spending time with us, Katarina," I said as we made our way back through the festival.

"It was my pleasure," she replied. "I had a wonderful time. We should do this again sometime."

With that, we parted ways, Mich and I heading back to the mansion. The night had been a welcome distraction, a blend of new friendships and the magic of the festival. As we walked, I couldn't help but wonder about the paths that lay ahead, intertwined with those I had met in this world.

[howlingday]

jaune arc is a wizard specializing in the Geas. a magic based around promises. the idea is that jaune offers up a payment (typically a service to the universe. in the form of a promise to act a certain way) requests compensation for it (in the form of a boon based on a concept. like using the concept of guardian leads to him being a better protector and so on) and then a consequence also based on a concept for if he fails to live up to his promise

this magic has been passed down through the ages by his family. along with a little enchanting and potion making (though 90% of that is just growing magical plants and then learning how to make meals around them) he's not well respected by his peers especially since his parents insisted that he get a normal education at beacon academy since being a wizard doesn't exactly pay well and most magical families have been living off their ancestor's wealth for generations.

desperate to have a friend who understands his hobbies and doesn't need to be lied to 24/7 about where he goes off to in his spare time he summons a familure. to his surprise, he doesn't get a dog, cat, or even a magical beast. he gets an honest-to-goodness pixy! her name is neo and while she can't speak like humans do her illusions let her communicate via writing. this might just be the start of an amazing partnership... if jaune can stop the mischievous pixy from causing so many problems around the school. TLDR: jaune is a wizard that can't cast normal spells trying to keep magic a secret from his friends as his new familure enjoys her time causing chaos (I'm aiming for eventual silent knight but we'll see how this goes)

What happens when two wizards meet? That's a bit of a complicated question. See, the term "wizard" is used as a generic term for magic users, but magic users partake in various blends of magic, and the wizard is an older, respected member of the magic user's community. To be called a wizard told you one of three things about a person.

First possibility was the person wasn't a magic user, but they acknowledged you as one. This is usually done by either the entirely new to magic, like a baby, or a recently blessed individual, like a thief who stole the right book.

The second possibility was you were, in fact, a wizard. Perhaps you destroyed a powerful foe, or you performed a great feat that impressed both peers and adversaries. For example, slaying a rampaging dragon or quelling a volcanic eruption earned you the title of wizard.

The third possibility was sarcastic mockery. You are a magic user, but your fellow magic user was not impressed by your performance. For example, a chronomancer wizard could tell divinist..

"You truly are a great wizard, Mister Arc," Ozpin said as he shook his head, "for only a wizard such as yourself could fail this horribly."

The two stood over the crag filled to the brim with cough syrup. What had started as a simple task had devolved into an act against nature. No, not an act. A sin.

The task was to cure a town of sniffles. Harmless sniffles that did little more than to inconvenience the children of the village. Ozpin suggested using his chronomancy to speed up the immune system. At worst, the children's life spans would be reduced by weeks, a month at the most.

Jaune protested, saying it goes against everything the Brothers and Oum stood for. He offered, instead, to simple use the will of his patron to heal the children. And using his knowledge of the divine, he suggested the Mother of Medicine to act as his patron.

He saw this as a sound option, so Ozpin relented, allowing the younger of the two to make his attempt. He even assisted by summoning his familiar, Glynda the Punisher, to aid in the commune. Jaune, feeling himself overwhelmed with magical energy, extended his arms. His familiar, Neo the Pestering, danced around his arm through the air, dipping her fingers into the magic aether.

"Oh, Mother of Medicine!" Jaune called out. The sky grew purple, a good sign of her presence. Lavender clouds rolled into view, blotting the sun and casting a great shadow on the ground. "We call for a favor-"

Jaune choked and his eyes widened. The clouds weren't lavender. They were periwinkle. The Mother of Medicine's divine color wasn't periwinkle. That color belonged to-

"Hello?" A voice from the heavens called down to the four mortals. The clouds parted, revealing the divine and beautiful face of the Tabby of Trickery. "Did someone call for me?"

To deny a goddess was foolish, but to reject one in favor of another was to invite disaster! Jaune thought on his toes and played a risky move.

"Oh, beautiful beauty," he called out, "we ask for your aid in this pandemic!"

"Pandemic?" Her golden eyes gleamed as she gazed over the four. "Four humans is hardly a pandemic. You had better be dying, because I was having a nap."

"No, uh, beautiful beauty of beautiful beautiful-ness!" Jaune gulped. "A village nearby needs medicine! Children are dying, and-"

The goddess yawned. She then reached into a cloud, and pulled out a brown flask of glass. "If I give you this, will you leave me alone?" Jaune looked to his group, then nodded at the goddess.

The clouds dissipated, along with the divine visage of the beautiful goddess. The sky returned to it's brilliant blue hue. Everything was back to normal.

The only oddity was the brown bottle rocketing toward them. Jaune blinked and saw Ozpin was already half a mile away. Once again, Jaune was envious of his mentor and friend, and his time-altering powers.

Neo guided him through the best path to avoid dying horribly. Their relationship was an odd one, as his pact with her benefited her more than him. Jaune would call on her for guidance, and she would guide him through the most entertaining path for the sadist, but she often had to pull back because a path led to his death, and by proxy, hers.

No, wait, it only benefited her, now that Jaune thought of it.

There was an explosive crashing sound. Jaune didn't see it, but he could both hear and feel it. It knocked him off his feet, and sent him forward onto elbows. He winced as he stood up.

"At least we're alive, right Neo?" The pixie didn't answer. She was too busy staring at the crater left by the gods themselves.

Or perhsps it was more of a lake? In either case, Jaune's jaw dropped. Easily a mile wide and probably half as deep, the crater was filled to the brim with a purple liquid.

"Well done!" Ozpin called from behind. Glynda silently glared, as she always did. "Only a great wizard could accomplish this."

"Like you've never made a mistake?" Jaune countered.

"More so than you, but never in a way that changed maps like this." Glynda shot him a look. "Changed landscapes like this."

"Well, we'll just have to bring this to the kids and see if this works."

"After you, oh, great and powerful wizard." Ozpin bowed.

"Shut up, Oz."

[maddyteller]

Double Mindedness - Part III.

Druig x fem!reader

Warning : I don't think there should be any tw, a little bit of abandonment, sadness, a little bit of fluff but very light. It's pretty dark ? Or not....

Summary : It is often those closest to us who betray us. How do we deal with those closest to us who oppose us ? Is love always the winner ?

Note : English is not my first language and I still make any mistakes. I write on English for practice so please bear with me ! Don't hesitate to correct me and enjoy (:

Usa - Present day

"Are you sure this is the place?" "Look, I'm not the one who's spent my whole life in a forest. I know how to use a GPS. Trust me." Eyes glued to my phone desperately searching for the right way, I can feel Druig getting impatient behind me. It's fair to say that patience is not really one of his qualities. "We're lost, aren't we?" "Well, listen to me, if you speak one more time, I swear to God-"

"Dad! Daddy look!" "Wow Jack, you're really improving!" "I think we just found it." Just as I was ready to take out all my frustration on him, he walks past me heading towards a nice brick house. I try to calm myself down, he really has a way of getting on my nerves in an instant. I quickly tie my hair up in a not very well done bun. I quickly arrive at the small white gate and witness a most beautiful scene. A family scene. With a smile on my face, I feel my heart melting in my chest and when our friend finally recognizes us I fear he is not so happy to see us.

I say hello to Phastos, I feel him stressed and worried. He must suspect that if we are here after all these years it is not for a happy family meal. "Hello, do you need help?" Before I can answer, Phastos claps his hands drawing our attention. "Oh my gosh... what a surprise! Friends from university... it's been a while. Mh, Lucie and... and Marius?" I frown as I hear the names he has chosen for us. "Marius?" Druig looks far more surprised than I do. "But Dad... why are his eyes glowing?" Looking at Druig I understand the boy's question better. I slap him on the back of the head, which stops him in his tracks. I pull him by the arm and move away from Phastos, signalling that I will be back.

"I can tell what you're playing at. We're here to convince him to help us, not to give him a reason to kick us out of his life permanently, Druig! If you can't understand that not everything can be solved by manipulating others you'll stay outside while I talk to him." "Y/N clean him up you know when it's not about you he doesn't make an effort. Come on in." I sigh, trying not to be too angry with him even though he is annoying me. As I walk towards the entrance of the house I notice that Druig is not following me. What the hell. "What the hell are you doing. Come on." "You have to know. Do I stand on the pavement or do I go inside." "You're gonna drive me crazy if you keep messing with my nerves." "I don't have to play with your nerves to make you lose your mind." He walks past me, proud of himself. I clench my fists, and the worst part is that he's right. Asshole.

In the small living room, by the fireplace, we wait for Phastos to take care of Jack and I can't help but look at the scene before us. It's far too cute. "Stop spying on people." "Shut up." I feel his presence behind me, I smile quietly, I love it when he's close like this. "Why don't you have a child?" "What?" "You've always loved children, I wonder why you don't have any." "I can't, you can't, we can't. So I don't have any." "What about adoption?" "Druig what are you trying to find out here?" "I was just wondering-" "No I never found anyone after you. Shut up now." When Phastos finally notices that we are looking at him I quickly turn to go sit down but Druig stops me. "Get out of the way, you big idiot, and go sit down."

When we turn around we see that there are only two chairs and not three. We look at each other with a defiant look on our faces, I rush to the chair but I don't know what magic of the universe he sits down in front of me, a proud smile on his face. "You are definitely not discreet..." Phastos sits down and I stay standing. "Do you want a chair?" "No, no... I'm fine." "Okay... what's going on?" As I begin to tell the reason for our coming, I feel Druig's hands come to rest on my hips and pull me towards him. Sitting on his lap I can't help but blush without losing the thread of the conversation. I'll give Phastos time to digest it all. To assimilate everything. A conversation starts very quickly, he doesn't want to leave his family and this is quite normal. After several minutes we decide not to insist anymore and thank our friend, leaving the house without him.

"I understand that." "So do I Druig but-" "If I'd had the chance to have a family with you, I wouldn't have put it at risk for anything." I don't really know if I've just dreamed this moment but I have to admit that the tears are rolling down my cheeks all by themselves, luckily for me the darkness prevents him from seeing how much he's just touched a nerve. To start a family with him. Ready to return to where we came from, Phastos quickly exits his house, jacket in hand. "I'm coming with you. We'll stop this and then I'll go home. I'll find my son and my husband. No more killing. Is that clear?" I shake my head sharply, this is our only chance to make it.

Irak - Present day

"Do you think they'll manage to convince him to come and help us?" Sersi and Ikaris are together, desperately waiting for us to return. "I don't know if it was really a good idea to let Durig go. He's not very good at socializing." "That's true. But Y/N is there. I trust her, and I know Druig will make sure not to upset her. He just wanted to be near her." "Mhhh. I don't understand what she sees in him." "Ikaris!" our friends start laughing, which lifts some of the burden of waiting for us to arrive with Phastos. When the three of us arrive near the deserted archaeology camp, thanks to Druig's help, the reunion goes well but we don't really have time to waste. "While you were away we thought of a solution. All we want to do is stop the emergence and put a Celestial to sleep for a moment. The only one who can do that is Druig but he needs a lot more strength and power or it will never work."

We all listen to Sersi, waiting for the end of her reasoning, but I soon realise that she doesn't really have an idea. As Phastos digs up our ship, I approach him. "Do you think you could make Druig's powers more powerful?" "I don't have the ability to make his powers more powerful, but I can combine our strength so he can use it to put the Celestial to sleep. A kind of... mind-meld?" As everyone goes inside the ship I notice that Ikaris turns around, doesn't go inside. I don't know why but I decide to follow him. All along I've had a bad feeling about him and I don't really understand why. I need to know if what I saw was one of his memories or just a coincidence.

I don't really know what time it is but the sun is slowly setting behind the sand dunes. The landscape is beautiful, I really missed it. As I slowly approach Ikaris I really don't feel right. I don't know if I'm feeling what he's feeling or if I'm just afraid of what I'll find. "The scenery is beautiful hmm..." he speaks up, I wasn't exactly discreet in following him at the same time. "It's... I don't have the words. I miss Babylon. I miss that time. Don't you?" "I do. I do a little. I wish time had stopped here." "To stay with Sersi all your life?" "Yes. But also to stay with you. I liked being near you."

"Even with Druig?" one cannot help but laugh. Even though the two often bump into each other, I know they don't hate each other either. I feel Ikaris' pain deeply and I don't even want to know what is real and what is not. I just want to show him that he is not alone. "Come give me a hug. You deserve some love. I know I'm not Sersi but I'm your friend so it counts, right?" He nods with a smile and lets his arms wrap around my waist. A massive headache suddenly grips me, an unspeakable pain overwhelms me and I fall to my knees. My mind is about to explode.

"I have always been faithful to you Ajak. I kept your secret, I never told anyone about the emergence and now you want to end it all? To end our work this way and betray Arishem." "Ikaris... I'm sorry I didn't guide you on the right path..." "My faith in you is no greater than my faith in Arishem. This is the only path I know."

"Y/N! Y/N! I'm here Y/N." My mind explodes, my memories hurt, Ikaris' memories too. I don't really know where I am anymore and what's going on. I quickly realize that I'm in Ikaris' arms, now inside the ship. "Y/N?" I hear Druig's voice, I smile as I try to pull myself out of the arms of the one I considered my friend. I can't walk and fall back into Druig's arms.

"You were right, you were right..." I press my forehead to his, whispering. "Look... look." I feel him reaching into my mind, searching for what got me into this state. I relive the memory with him, my hands are shaking and I can't even stand on myself. His blue eyes filled with sadness stare at me, we have just understood how Ajak died. Understand why I felt so much sadness in Ikaris and that he won't let us finish what we just started.

I look at Makkari, I haven't seen her for so long and I don't even take the time to say hello. Kingo and I are the only ones who have learned sign language, the only ones who can communicate directly with her. I slowly approach her and begin to speak to her in sign language. "Makkari... Don't trust Ikaris. You need to find out where the emergence is going to happen. Come back and tell me." "What do you mean Ikaris betrayed us?" "He killed Ajak and he's going to stop us from stopping the emergence. I know this because I saw him... I... I had access to some of his memories. Trust me."

Without further ado, I see her speed off and I feel Kingo's gaze on me. "What's going on here?" Thena, annoyed, approaches me. "What's going on is that your national hero killed Ajak and was about to screw it up. He never intended to help us. I don't know how she got access to any of your memories and I don't give a shit. What were you going to do? Kill us all? You know what I'm going to do? I'm gonna kill you." without me really understanding what's going on Druig punches Ikaris in the face before lashing out. "Stop!" Sersi rushes between the two boys but nearly gets hit in the face. Phastos finally separates the two.

"I had to do it! I had no choice or I would never have killed her but I had to stop her from stopping the emergence! But she decided to allow Sersi to see Arishem! And therefore to know everything about the emergence. And now I have to stop you, and I will kill you if I have to." Makkari arrives at this point. With the location of the emergence. "RUN!" without asking why, she leaves the ship a second time before becoming Ikaris' number one target. Sersi approaches him with tears in his eyes.

"It can't be true... tell me it's not true. Tell me." "I'm sorry Sersi... but I can't let you do this. I can't stay here. Don't try to stop the emergence or I'll kill you." he turns his back on us and we are all speechless, each of us trying to understand what is happening, it all seems so unreal. "Wait. I'm coming with you." I turn back to Sprite, not really understanding what she's getting at. Without anyone being able to say a word, Ikaris and Sprite disappear behind a cloud of butterflies. "You look surprised. Didn't anyone notice that she's in love with him? Yet it's still obvious."

I don't want to know anything more. If I am to be honest, this is all going too far, I am emotionally tired. I leave the common room, not really knowing where to go. I just want to be alone, to be immersed in silence. When I arrive in the room where we all arrived several centuries ago I find Makkari, who looks at me with incomprehension. "Ikaris went with Sprite." "With Sprite? Why did she leave with him?" "Because she loves him, so she follows him blindly." "And what do we do now??" "I don't know... Ikaris has the goal of letting the emergence happen and he'll kill us if we ever try to stop him. Sprite will possibly do whatever he says. Sersi is... sad and overwhelmed.” "I do believe that Kingo will not be with us on this mission."

"Why?" "He believes Arishem's work should not be stopped, but he will not fight us. Thena and Druig are... ready to fight Ikaris and then Phastos probably regrets following us here." "It doesn't look like it's going as planned," I smile, coming to sit beside her. "You're right. Nothing is going as planned." There is silence in the room and it feels good. Peace and quiet. Far from the emergence and violence of our world today. Sersi joins us, I feel a deep sadness in her. "Kingo is gone... mhh. Phastos still believes we can stop the emergence so I trust him. He has found a way to bind us all together so that Druig can put the Celestial to sleep. All we need now is to know the location of the emergence and to... get ready to fight Ikaris and Sprite." The three of us look at each other. Ready to stop this whole massacre.

This is part three. It's not the part I like the most, but I think it's necessary for the rest. Because yes, even if I didn't want to do more than three parts, I think I'll do a fourth. Maybe even a fifth. A little extra smut or fluff. I hope you enjoy it ! 🦋

[youbloodymadgenius]

Ivarello (Modern!Ivar x reader) Chapter 2

Moodboard by @quantumlocked310

Ivarello's masterpost here

A/N: This is my entry for @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie 500 Followers Fairy Tale Challenge. It's a retelling of Cinderella. Congrats again, darling 💖

A huge thank you to @mrsalwayswrite , who's a great beta reader and an even greater cheerleader 😂

A massive thank you to @quantumlocked310 , @vikingstrash and @serasvictoria . Thank you for agreeing to collaborate and for sharing your talent with me. Your moodboards are beyond amazing 🤩

In this story, Sigurd is alive. Ragnar and Aslaug are dead, but Lagertha didn't kill her. I took a lot of liberties with the show, I hope you won't mind.

Unlike the tale, there will be no magic involved. Not everything will be realistic, however. It's a fayritale, after all!

Let me know if you want to be tagged 😊

Summary: Orphaned five years ago, Ivar and his brothers have been living with Lagertha ever since. Now 16 years old, he wants to attend Harald's traditional Midsummer party, but obstacles stand in his way.

Warnings: description of car crash; orphaned kids; Sigurd being Sigurd; OOC characters.

Words: 2075

Additional note: In Norway, you are of age at 18.

Enjoy 🙂

🛡⚔️🛡

"... don't start eating until your brother joins us."

As he pushes himself down the large hallway leading to the kitchen, Ivar can hear Lagertha's assertive voice. He knows exactly who she's talking to and his suspicions are confirmed as soon as he enters the room, as a very displeased and apparently famished Hvitserk looks at him with irritation before letting out a muffled, "it's 'bout time."

"Sorry, I must have dozed off." Shrugging, Ivar wheels up to the kitchen table, the smell of pizza tickling his nostrils. He must be hungrier than he thought.

"You look like Hel." Sigurd sneers in greeting.

Ivar, without bothering to look up, just tilts his head and hisses through clenched teeth, "coming from you, dear brother, I take that as a compliment."

He can feel Lagertha's gaze upon him and when he turns his head toward her, she is staring at him, the worry obvious in her eyes.

"I wouldn’t have put it exactly like that but Sigurd isn't wrong." She crosses the room and leans over, her brow furrowed. "You look exhausted, sweetie, what's going on?"

Ivar almost wants to laugh. He looks exhausted? No kidding? Yeah, guess what? That's what two sleepless nights in a row usually do to you. At least that's what they did to him. What you did to him, haunting his nights and even haunting his dreams, waking him up with a start, his heart pounding in his chest, the few times he managed to fall asleep. At least, he'd made up his mind early this morning. Hopefully, now that the decision has been made, he'll sleep better. Saturday night, he'll see you again. His heart is racing at the thought and he inhales deeply, trying to calm down.

Unsurprisingly persistent, Lagertha asks again as she places her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, "Ivar, are you all right?"

He wishes he could just ignore his stepmom but knows she won't let it rest. Unwilling to admit that he owes his restless nights to a girl - to you - he decides to keep his answer vague. "So-so," he mumbles, slightly rocking his right hand.

"You're in pain? Do you need more meds? I could run to the drugstore really quick."

For once, he doesn't resent Ubbe for his well-meant yet patronizing kindness, nor for the pitying look he gives him. Actually, he silently thanks him for the good diversion. As long as his brothers and Lagertha believe that it's his legs that bother him, keeping him awake, his secret - you - will be safe.

Faking a small, sheepish smile, Ivar shakes his head. "Thanks bro, but that's okay, I have everything I need. Guess I should just double-up the tramadol tonight." He winces for good measure, knowing fully well he won't even need a single dose. The pain in his legs today is barely at four, nothing he can't handle.

Once the meal is almost over – which in plain English means that everyone but Hvitserk has finished eating, but thanks to Lagertha principle 'no one leaves the table until everyone has finished, boys', they're all stuck here – Ivar decides it's time to break the news.

"I'm gonna go to the party."

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, the kitchen falls quiet. Even Hvitserk stops chewing, putting his last slice of pizza back on his plate.

Not knowing what to do with the silence, and feeling a little awkward, Ivar explains further, a hand on his neck, "the midsummer party, I mean. Harald's party."

"We heard you just fine, sweetie." Lagertha is the first to pull herself together, even though the disbelief is clear in her voice. As Ivar looks up, his brothers are staring at him, slack-jawed, bewildered, probably wondering what's got into their baby brother.

"Let me get this straight." With widened eyes, Ubbe starts running both hands through his hair, "you are considering attending Harald's party, right? That's... That's what you said?"

"Yep." Ivar shrugs as if it was no big deal. Who is he kidding? Of course, it is! Attending the party is a fucking huge deal for him. There's no way in Hel he'll admit it, though. Not in front of his brothers. No fucking way!

"I'm not sure I understand..." Ubbe sounds cautious and it infuriates Ivar to no end.

"What part of 'I'm gonna go to the party' don't you get, brother? Huh? Too many big words for you?" He wants to keep going but when Lagertha clears her throat and gives him a stern look, he faintly raises an apologetic hand while muttering under his breath, "okay, okay, I'll stop."

Heaving a sigh, he shrugs once more. "Seriously, you don't all have to look so surprised. I just want to go to Harald's party. It's really not that big of a deal."

"But you never wanted to, sweetie. Why now?" Lagertha's eyes are wide open and there's a frown on her forehead as she crosses her arms.

"Why not?" Ivar can't help but raise his voice. "I'm sixteen, Lagertha! Thought I was entitled to a change of heart. Was I wrong?" Pointing a finger successively at each of his brothers, his free hand grabs his push rim, his knuckles white. "The three of you attend every year, why shouldn't I?" Looking directly at Lagetha once again, he asks in a clipped voice, "You're not going to tell me I can't go, are you?"

"Of course not, sweet–" She begins but Ubbe cuts her off.

"Listen Ivar, no one is saying you shouldn't go, not yet at least. As a matter of fact, no one would be more pleased than I if you were willing to go out more. Playing pool, going to the movies, or just having drinks, you know you're always welcome to come along with us. But..." Ubbe groans, rubbing his hands over his face and Ivar stiffens, grinding his teeth, "Harald's party, really? It's not going to work. You know it takes place on the beach, it's not exactly wheelchair-friendly."

Reluctantly taking his eyes off his slice of pizza, Hvitserk jumps in. "Ivar is our brother, if he wants to go, we find a way. That's it - I'll carry him."

Positively surprised, a small smile playing on his lips, Ivar thanks his brother with a nod, glad – and relieved too, because two are always better than one, right? – that Hvitserk, as so often, backs him up. Of all his brothers, he's the only one who sees him first as a sixteen-year-old and not as a cripple.

Ubbe is having none of it though. "Hvitserk, just stay out of this, okay?" He's practically shouting, chin up and chest out. "You don't have a say! I'm the oldest, not you! I don't think it's a good idea for Ivar to attend Harald's party, period."

Hvitserk furrows his brow and for a short moment, Ivar thinks his brother is going to fight back but eventually he lowers his gaze, defeated, before shoving the whole slice of pizza into his mouth. Ivar knows all too well that his brother, who's not the most tenacious of them, hates confrontation, especially with Ubbe.

Unlike him, Ivar is always ready to pick up a fight, even when it's not worth it, even when he is wrong. Today, though, it's definitely worth it.

His nostrils flaring, he smashes his fist down on the table, his face crumpled with anger. "Who do you think you are, Ubbe? You may be the oldest, but you're not my father, okay? So please, just do me a favor, brother, and read my lips." His voice dripping with sarcasm, his bottom lips quivering, Ivar is absolutely livid, "You. Don't. Have. A. Say. Period."

Ubbe is about to retort, his hands clenched into fists but Lagertha raises a hand, shutting him up. "Boys, boys, boys!" Glancing at Ubbe and then at Ivar, she shakes her head, not exactly thrilled with their outburst. "Now, calm down, both of you. Ubbe, Ivar is right. You may be his big brother, you may be an adult, but you're not his father. I know you mean well but as Ivar's guardian, I have the final say." Turning her head toward Ivar, she cracks him a reassuring smile. "We'll talk about this later, okay? Just the two of us."

***

Slamming the door shut, Ivar wheels up right next to his bed and, angling his chair just right, transfers over onto his bed before punching the wall, a roar escaping his lips. Big tears of frustration and anger run down his cheeks as Sigurd's words linger in his mind.

He had been surprised when his less-favorite brother had stayed out of the conversation.

He should have known better.

No sooner had Lagertha, Ubbe and Hvitserk left – she to make a phone call, they to join Margrethe – leaving them to tidy up the kitchen, than Sigurd had lashed out at him with harsh words and eyes full of spite.

"You messed up in the head, huh? It's a fucking beach, Ivar, you do realize your front wheels will get stuck in sand, right? Now tell me, little brother, do you really think we are going to carry your crippled ass around all night? Let me tell you, it's not going to happen! There will be so many better ways for us to spend the night. Girls, you know? Lots of them. Am I going to let you embarrass me and ruin my night? No! Not in a million years. And anyway, why do you even want to go? Get real, Ivar, you don't belong there, you just don't. You're a fucking cripple, a freak, an abnormality. No one wants you there. No one wants to see you. The sooner you accept it the better."

He knows Sigurd was intentionally trying to hurt him. And fuck, he did succeed. Ivar had felt so humiliated that it had brought bile to his throat.

At some point, while Sigurd was spitting his venom, Ivar had grabbed the large knife lying on the table and it took all his self-control not to stab his brother. No doubt his shrink would be proud of him.

Now though in his room, and even if he is boiling with anger, the nagging thought that Sigurd had a point, that he wasn't completely wrong, doesn't leave him. And he can see now that, in his own weird way, Ubbe was trying to protect him. By preventing him from going, his big brother wanted to spare him humiliation, pity, and mockery. Hvitserk, of course, had been willing to help, but let's face it, Sigurd once again was right. Piggy-back riding is not really an option anymore, he is too heavy. Plus, if he's being honest, even if it were still possible, it's the last thing he'd want. The mere thought of you seeing him on Ubbe's or Hvitserk's back makes him nauseous. Which puts him back to square one.

The beach is a problem and a huge one. Wheeling in sand is a no-go. It's just fucking impossible. If he doesn't come up with an idea soon, he's not going to be physically able to attend the party. And that's something he doesn't want to consider.

"I need a fucking genius idea!" He speaks out loud, cracking his knuckles, his eyes squeezed shut.

Fuck.

He just wants to see you. Y/N... Just you. And he won't be able to.

Fuck. Fucking sand! Fucking beach! Fucking legs! Fuck– Stop.

Wait.

What... What did he say?

He needs an idea... A genius idea. Genius. That's it.

A slow smile spreads across his face.

Good thing he knows an authentic genius, right?

Grabbing his phone, he frantically slides his pointer finger on the screen, sighing with relief as he finds the contact he is looking for.

"Hello, Ivar," the man answers after two rings, and his voice brings an even bigger smile to Ivar's lips, "it's very sweet of you to call me."

"Hello to you too, you spindly legged, knock-kneed old fool. There might be something that you can do for me. I want to attend Harald's party. It'll take place on the beach. My brothers won't carry me and I can't really crawl about, can I? I wonder if you could help me, Floki?"

Ivar's godfather lets out a high-pitched chuckle before answering, "I'll figure something out, dear Ivar, I'll figure something out."

🛡⚔️🛡

Ivar's taglist: @waiting4inspiration @honestsycrets @lisinfleur @saldelys @gearhead66 @inforapound @readsalot73 @milkkygirls @xbellaxcarolinax @shannygoatgruff @zuxiezendler @hecohansen31 @lonewolf471 @fuckindiva @tgrrose @didiintheblog @peachyboneless @pieces-by-me @funmadnessandbadassvikings @ethereallysimple @destynelseclipsa @cocovikings23 @xceafh @mrsalwayswrite @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @pomegranates-and-blood @jadelynlace @grimeundglow @quantumlocked310 @alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom

Ivarello's taglist: @not-another-viking-fanfic-blog @hashimily @prepare4trouble @supernaturalvikingwhore @funmadnessandbadassvikings @heavenly1927

[thunderheadfred]

❄️Todoroki HC's🔥

Aged-up pro hero Shouto. NSFW under the cut. Minors do not interact.

- - -

General

Might as well be tied with Bakugou for the #1 pro hero spot; they seem to pass the crown back and forth every other year. Everyone knows about their intense frenemies uber-rivalry. Well. Everyone but Shouto.

He's asked to speak at a lot of charity events. If he has time to prepare (and hire a speech writer) he is capable of stirring crowds to standing ovations. But if caught unawares... he gets cornered into hilarious on-the-spot interviews. He's been memed. Mercilessly.

He's an OP character, but unfortunately he rolled -500 in fashion sense. Eventually he wises up and hires a stylist. When he finally cuts his hair a slightly different and even more flattering way, it's a national event. People faint in the street.

Does god-awful sleight-of-hand magic tricks when he meets young fans, even though nobody asked him to. The second-hand embarrassment is palpable. But he keeps doing it. God, why does he keep doing it?

Has hovering arm syndrome in every fan photo.

Super into pop music. Not a fan of any particular group or artist, couldn't tell you the name of a single song. But every time he turns up the volume on the radio it's like... really? THIS? Probably pumps that shit through his hero agency to keep up morale. Has no idea what you mean when you tell him his music taste doesn't match his personality.

Similarly, he enjoys brainless romantic comedies and old silent movies. Doesn't laugh at jokes but loses it over physical comedy. Thinks Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are the funniest people who ever walked the earth.

He's long and limber. Runs practically a hundred miles every day just to "relax." Doesn't even get sweaty doing it. A filthy yoga addict. He'll probably live to be 200 years old.

He can regulate his body temperature for quirk use but in everyday life he's always half a degree outside the Goldilocks zone. It drives him quietly insane; he has an epic love-hate relationship with his thermostat.

Has a therapy animal pet. Doesn't matter if it's a dog or a cat or a bird or an iguana or a teeny tiny rodent. It's the best-behaved animal in the country and speaks more languages than you. It has its own room and an instagram account with millions of followers.

Lives in a traditional Japanese estate that doubles as a national treasure. Probably has government-appointed snipers at the gate, and he's just like, "don't worry about it." You are afraid to touch anything. Fuck, don't even look at anything, just to be safe.

Has an outstanding personal chef who only gets to cook five things unless (thank fuck!!) company comes over. Impossibly picky eater. He rotates between a few "safe" foods and suspiciously side-eyes everything else. If you cook something unfamiliar for him it will be the most awkward meal of your life, because he'd never tell you he doesn't like it. But oh lord, just look at his face.

This clashes directly with his love of traveling. Frequently uses his hero earnings to visit exotic foreign locales over long weekends... but rarely tries the food.

- - -

Dating

A grey-ace demisexual disaster. You could count the number of people he's been attracted to on one hand. He falls madly in love every time and always gets his heart smashed to pieces when his crush can't magically intuit the meaning of his frigid longing glances and generically courteous romantic gestures.

Which is stupid, because he gets propositioned constantly. He can't walk out the door without being flirted with. People keep slipping him their phone numbers and he always directs them to his agency like a moron. It's a good thing he will never understand how attractive he is because that's the only thing keeping him from total world domination.

Conventional attractiveness does not compute. Shouto doesn't have a type, doesn't care that he's an eleven whilst you are merely mortal. He will fall for your personality above all else.

Probably falls head over heels because your schedules overlap in a completely ordinary way and he witnesses you doing something endearing or brave or most likely: utterly mundane.

Pick a favorite, because you're his favorite coworker, or his favorite barista, or his favorite random bystander in line at the grocery store. You made him smile once; then he spent the next three months daydreaming about your future together before you accidentally stomped on his foot, initiating your first real conversation.

He's big on healthy communication. HUGE. He goes to therapy and it shows. Will talk through literally everything to the point of delirium. Sometimes his dedication to resolving every issue right away can get overwhelming; sometimes you just need some frickin time alone. But it pays off, because the two of you have practically never have a "real fight." There's just no way for bad vibes to fester.

STILL, his family wasn't exactly... erm... verbally or emotionally supportive, shall we say. For that reason, he might not give you all the compliments you deserve, because it simply doesn't occur to him to do so. He assumes you know how he feels. If you're self-conscious or insecure in the relationship, it might take him a while to notice. But when he figures it out (or even better, when you tell him directly) he will make it up to you with enthusiasm.

Will take you on lavish dates. Spoils you rotten without actually intending to. He's clueless about money. If you wanted a sugar daddy, you just hit the fucking jackpot. But if the word valet makes you uncomfortable, perhaps suggest some romantic picnics instead. He can still go all out with the food and five-star location without making you see cartoon dollar signs.

Chronic Insomniac. Stays up too late watching YouTube every night. His viewing history is an incomprehensible blur of k-pop music videos, serial killer icebergs, and super girly crafty ASMR channels. When he's watching a video, he is unreachable. Please call back later and try again.

He's disgustingly cute when he sleeps. Doesn't snore, but drools. Sometimes the drool freezes and leaves frost trails on his face in the morning. Still sleeps with the giant stuffed cat pillow that his mother gave him when he was like, zero. He'll inadvertently suffocate you with it, and you will welcome death with open arms because awwwwww!!!!!

The first time he tells you he loves you will be after your traditional Japanese shinto wedding. You won't hear it again until you start a family. Honestly, it's a good thing he doesn't say it often and is always holding you when it happens. It's a knee-buckler.

- - -

Icy-Hot

I don't even need to say it. Shouto is as old-fashioned as they come. You will never open another door or pull out another chair for yourself as long as you live. He will ask before he holds your hand. He will ask before he kisses you. He will stop and check in if you so much as breathe funny during sex.

If you don't orgasm at exactly the same time while staring into one another's eyes, he'll consider himself a failed lover. God forbid you want him to pound you into the futon... cause you are going to have to present that scenario to him in writing first.

Physical intimacy rarely leads to sex. He loves cuddling, craves physical affection. He'll sprawl all over you and turn into goo while you hold him close. He's an amazing, astounding, phenomenally good kisser. And that's... nice and all... but sometimes you have to grab his face and say, "Shouto, I'm horny," before he's like so that's why you're currently dry-humping me?

Even if he isn't technically a virgin the first time (or the millionth time) you sleep together, you won't know the difference. He's a blushing violet. Every. Fucking. Time. This doesn't mean he's a bad lay, oh no. But there's always ten minutes of confused bumbling before he hits his stride and remembers oh yeah, I DO know how to fuck good.

Absolutely silent during sex. Focused. Intense. Sometimes you have to push him a little to make any kind of noise at all, just so you know you're pleasing him (oh don't worry, you are).

His cock is Just Right. Not to big or too small. Perfectly proportioned and symmetrical. Somehow pretty. Like a fucking factory prototype. It truly is not fair.

Gets handsy and restless at night, even if you both have work the next day. Seems to crave sex at three in the morning. You've given him more than one exhausted handjob.

Gets offended if you don't cum. Will go down on you for hours. Of course he uses his quirk to tease you. He doesn't typically use it during actual intercourse, but he's all about foreplay, and he'll use every tool in his arsenal.

His sex drive is completely fucking unpredictable. Sometimes he's all over you, other times he's an icy slab. His line of work leaves him busy and stressed on a near-constant basis, so you can't entirely blame his personality for this one. Just give him some time and help him take care of his basic needs. He'll come back around soon enough.

[takuyakistall]

tuna | anniversary special

Synopsis: A normal day in Yuu's new life in NRC but, somehow, today made them feel a little bit nostalgic.

Notes: I wanted to write something for Twisted Wonderland's anniversary! This game really means so much to me and I don't think I would've picked up writing again if I didn't stumble upon it. Something about Grim and Yuu's relationship makes me emotional and the fact that Grim got a new card in the game didn't help me cope at all. I ended up writing this fic as a result, this is just purely fluff! (I think) I hope you guys like this.

The smell of charred coal and an oily can of tuna greeted Yuu's nostrils as they stirred awake, grumbling incoherent words as their eyes adjusted to the sudden sunlight entering their room through the window. It was almost peaceful.

Almost.

Had it not been for Grim feasting on his tuna noisily and messily. Yuu sighed as they stood up from their bed and began to arrange it—folding the sheets, dusting the pillows and set them aside neatly. The creaking of the floorboards with each step they took used to unnerve them, afraid that it might give in one day but Yuu learned to get used to it. Though sometimes they can't help but worry for the day when it actually gives in. Maybe they could ask Headmaster Crowley before that happens?

Yuu shook their head and dismissed the thought. The last thing they wanted to hear was Crowley spouting nonsense all over again and then disappearing without a trace. Judging from all the times Crowley has let them down, who's to say that he won't do it again? They pulled out the wooden chair placed by the table and scrunched their face when they saw how Grim was eating.

"You're making a mess everywhere!" Yuu scolded, trying to snatch the tuna can from his hands (paws?) before he could knock the other stuff down on the table. Grim didn't bother refuting as he sat back lazily on the chair, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Mhm... That was delicious~!" Grim let out a merry sigh. The breakfast he'd been used to everyday wasn't something he would look forward to or enjoy. Living in an abandoned dorm meant that no one else was there to cook for them but theirselves and there was no way Yuu was letting the ghosts handle the cooking. As a result, most of their meals were either bland or too little in terms of portions—Crowley wasn't one to ensure these types of things so that's one more thing Yuu adds to the list of 'Why I don't like the Headmaster'.

So when Grim found a can of tuna lying around somewhere, he didn't waste a second to grab the golden opportunity in front of him. Though there was one tiny little problem with what Grim did.

Yuu got that for their breakfast today.

Together.

And much to their misfortune and Grim's doom, the can was empty. Yuu had to pause for a moment to process the sudden discovery—Grim ate all of the tuna. They had to clench their fist tightly so as to not grab the ribbon tied around Grim's neck and shake him like a pepper shaker. Grim was blissfully unaware of the way Yuu was giving him glares that could kill and continued to relish himself in his euphoria. Though that was short-lived when Yuu decided to open their mouth, gentle anger lacing their voice.

"Grim. Did you eat all of the tuna?" They crossed their arms across their chest, a perfect close eyed smile on their face as they tilted their head slightly when they questioned Grim. He froze for a moment, eyes widening and his lips slightly twitching as Yuu furrowed their eyebrows. Clearly, they saw how the sudden realization hit the raccoon-cat (or whatever he was) and how nervous he became. He needs to think of an excuse—fast.

"A-Ah! About this…" Grim started, throwing his paws around in the air, making out incomprehensible gestures. Though before they could hear his explanation, an important thought crossed over Yuu's mind and they felt their blood run cold.

"Hey… Grim. What time is it?" They didn't wait for a reply, feet already scrambling towards their closet as they vigorously looked for a clean uniform. Grim held a confused expression.

"Eh, time? Isn't it…"

"Grim you idiot! We're bloody late!"

"F'nya!! Why didn't ya tell me sooner!?"

"Oh so now it's my fault? You're the one who didn't wake me up!"

"Professor Trein is going to be so mad…"

"Just shut up and start walking!"

Both of them dashed out from Ramshackle, the doorknob at the entrance getting slightly jammed so Yuu had no choice but to break the rickety door down. Not that it was difficult though, burglars could've easily killed them during their sleep—that is, if people even manage to climb a whole mountain to bother stealing from them. They'll just have to explain the door incident to Headmaster Crowley as well later. That is, if they manage to talk to him at all.

But, for now, the only thing stuck in their heads was to run as fast as they can or else it was off with their heads!

“You’re late.” Their teacher, Professor Mozus Trein, spoke in a cold tone. Gingerly stroking his cat’s head as it purred but that didn't give Yuu and Grim any ease at all when they stood there, unmoving, at the classroom entrance. Yuu tried to keep a neutral expression, hands at their side and feet together. Grim, on the other hand, wasn’t doing so well with doing the same as Yuu. He had trouble standing straight on two legs so he decided to climb up Yuu’s back to their shoulder and stayed there.

The sudden shift in weight on one of their shoulders made them grimace slightly.

“Good morning, Professor. Please excuse my tardiness, it won’t happen again.” Yuu bowed slightly, hoping that this would all be over quickly and he would let them go to their respective chairs. They straightened their back, looking at Trein directly before he gave them a slight nod and returning his attention to the chalkboard in front.

Yuu and Grim let out a sigh of relief simultaneously as they quickly went to their respective seats with Grim hopping off Yuu’s shoulder. He grabbed a bunch of books from Yuu’s bag to stack them up. Sitting on it since he wasn’t tall enough to see on his own without the desk obstructing his view.

Yuu caught the sight of Ace trying hard to keep in his laughter in the corner of their eye. They wondered for a moment about what Ace could possibly be laughing about until they heard Grim snarl ever so slightly. As if a lightbulb suddenly popped up over Yuu’s head, it suddenly clicked all too well.

He was laughing at them.

Although Yuu didn’t particularly mind being laughed at by that clown, Ace Trappola, Grim didn’t share the same sentiment. They had to hold back Grim’s tail to stop him from throwing a fit during class—it was a good thing Professor Trein had his back turned or else they’d be in bigger trouble.

A few minutes into class and Yuu could already feel their head explode. Coming from a completely different world than Twisted Wonderland, there was no doubt that they were going to have difficulty understanding things from here. While History of Magic was indeed an interesting subject, Yuu couldn’t help but feel the need to pull their hair out when they saw what Professor Trein was writing on the board.

‘Those symbols… am I supposed to know them? This looks more like a summoning circle more than anything, how am I supposed to understand this?’

They slapped their forehead repeatedly and forced theirselves to stare at the board once more—hoping that staring at it for a while would miraculously make them understand whatever that is. Grim, on the other hand, looked like he was boding well—looking so studious and listening attentively. But the moment he picked up a pen, that’s when the image was ruined. Yuu had to stifle their laughter when they saw him struggle to write on paper.

While it was a bit mean to laugh at him, Yuu couldn’t deny the fact that the drastic change was hilarious.

“Yuu, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” Professor Trein suddenly called out their name. Their back straightened and their gaze immediately snapped to the teacher in front. It seems like the Professor was paying more attention to Yuu.

Someone in the classroom let out a snort. Small, but audible for it to be heard by everyone in the dead silent classroom.

“Ace Trappola, do you have something to say as well?”

Ace stood up almost immediately.

“N-Nothing, Professor!”

Yuu was a tiny bit glad that Ace slipped up. At least they won’t be alone when Professor Trein decides to punish them. They shot a mischievous look at Ace, sticking their tongue out that screams: Serves you right!

“Dismissed.” With one single word from Trein, the class burst into a series of relieved sighs and yawns—a few ones groaning here and there but they were eventually glared at by the Professor and his poofy cat. Ace sluggishly walked towards Yuu and Grim with Deuce, who looked as fresh as ever, following behind.

“Hey, did you get everything Professor Trein said? Today’s class was sooo boring.” Ace whined, crossing his arms over his chest as he asked his three friends.

“Nope.” Yuu answered truthfully as they put back their pen into their case.

“Not at all…” Deuce closed his eyes and clutched his forehead.

“Hmph! Of course I did, I even took down notes.” Grim was proud as he puffed out his chest. Ace’s eyes perked up for a moment, wondering if he would let him view his notes until a sudden realization struck him. He wouldn’t be able to decipher Grim’s terrible handwriting in the first place. His expression slowly turned into one of disappointment—something akin to the feeling of finding out your name wasn’t in the Top 50.

Deuce was the first to comment. “These are….. Notes?”

“Grr! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“It looks like a bunch of scribbles made by a cat.” Yuu added. Grim was about to be fuming mad until his ears drooped down slightly, Yuu felt a pang hit their chest. Could they possibly be feeling bad?

“Well… I’ll give you an A for effort.” Yuu patted Grim’s head, hoping that they didn’t hurt his feelings too much after that comment. Instead of lifting his spirits up, Grim felt like his soul got crushed. He felt like Yuu pitied him more than actual commendation, but he won’t say anything. He’ll take the crumbs of praise he can get.

Ace straightened up and walked towards the exit, dragging his legs slightly as he called out his friends. “Oi! Let’s go have lunch already, I’m starving!”

“Coming!” Deuce replied before promptly poking Yuu’s shoulder to make sure that they heard Ace.

“Alright, alright. Give me a minute to fix all my stuff, you guys can go ahead.” Grim stared at Yuu, wondering who should he go with—Yuu or Ace and Deuce? He was going to accompany the Heartslabyul Duo until he remembered how Yuu didn’t get to eat breakfast because of him.

He felt a little bit bad for leaving them like this.

He opened his mouth to say that he’s going to stay with Yuu until they suddenly cut into his thoughts like a knife into butter.

“Grim, you can go ahead too. Save a seat for me while you’re at it.”

“Are ya sure?” Grim asked them for reassurance.

“...? Are you going to miss me or something?” Yuu teased.

“No way! Nevermind, I’m leaving!”

Yuu watched as the Ace, Deuce, and Grim exited the door before letting their smile drop into a frown. They wondered if today was an okay date to ask the Headmaster about progress on the whole ‘find Yuu a way back home’ thing. But, there was a possibility that their visit to his office will be all for naught. Crowley was someone unpredictable, after all—eccentric is another way to put it nicely.

They tapped their fingers against the desk rhythmically. Dozens of thoughts running inside their head. The chatter outside the classroom cutting their train of thoughts continuously which annoyed them to death but it was something they took comfort in. The nostalgic noises of a bustling school filled with students going on and about.

It reminded them of their homeworld.

Yuu decided to look for Crowley as they stood up from their chair. A nostalgic bitterness lingering in their mouth as they left.

“Why did I think I would find him today?” Yuu asked no one in particular. Eyes glued to the wall clock as they counted the minutes they had left before break ended and classes started again. They silently dwelled on their regret of visiting Crowley’s office, it was nothing but a waste of time. Now they had less than 30 minutes to go into the cafeteria to get some food.

Each step they took was taxing. They put too much force with every one and perhaps that was a result of getting mad at a useless bird—their temper can’t help but explode a little bit. By the time Yuu arrived, they spotted the idiot trio sitting by the window. They had already finished eating long ago but they were still there. A thought popped into their head.

‘Could it be…? They were waiting for me!?’ Yuu knew it was nowhere near the truth but perhaps they can indulge theirself once in a while with these kinds of thoughts. Grim was the first to spot them.

“Where were you!? Break is almost over.” The grumble Yuu’s stomach let out made their cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Maybe it was because they skipped breakfast? Grim felt bad. This was his fault, wasn't it? Ace and Deuce urged Yuu to go buy something to eat but one look at the line formed by the counter, Yuu immediately declined. They’re going to be late for class if they waited!

Grim stared at the small portion of lunch he set aside for himself for later. Much to no one’s surprise, it was fish. He had a debate with himself—asking if he wanted to keep this or offer it to Yuu. In the end, he went for the latter. He nudged Yuu with his paw before holding up the plate with his two paws.

“Have this if you want… Ya didn’t get to eat breakfast because of me, right? I feel kinda bad but here.”

Ace’s eyes were wide in shock and Deuce dropped his yogurt. Yuu was flabbergasted at the sudden nice gesture Grim was showing but-

“Sorry, but I don’t want rabies.”

Grim had to resist the urge to set everything on fire. Yuu had to bite back a laugh when they saw how mad Grim was—denying everything about him having rabies. The troubles they had about Crowley were long gone and replaced by the bubbling happiness growing in their chest. The sight of their friends—Grim, Ace and Deuce—was enough to convince them to forget about it. Even if it’s just for a short while.

The nostalgic taste danced in the tip of their tongue once again. A sudden wave of sadness washing over them as they thought about the day when they’ll eventually go back to their own world.

I’ll miss this. Definitely.

They looked up to see Grim causing a mess with Ace holding him back and Deuce trying to summon another cauldron. Yuu shook their head.

But, for now, let’s focus on the present.

Is it so bad that Yuu wanted the incompetent headmaster to stay incompetent? Just for a little longer, don’t find a way back.

[azurevi]

enstars charas with an overworked s/o

First time writing enstars🤡 this took kinda long becz exams but i hope its good ^^ also kinda self indulgent hhh

Characters : natsume, ibara, leo, tatsumi, arashi, keito

Natsume

Natsume watches from the doorway as your head bobs about, hands tapping unrhythmically on the keyboard. You're already falling asleep, yet you still refuse to go to bed. 

Normally he won't interfere with your work, knowing that you're fully capable of making the right decisions, but it's a pain seeing you pushing yourself so hard. 

"Still working?" he steps in, holding a steaming drink in his hands. 

Your head snaps up at his voice, and you nod. It's a project that you've put off for far too long, and of course, you have to suffer the consequences. 

"The deadline is two days later, if I don't finish this section today I probably won't make it in time,"

He sets the mug beside your hand, observing your wandering gaze and disheveled hair which you must've been running your hand through. "I don't think you can finish it, though. You already look worn out."

You raise the mug to your lips and take a sip of whatever it holds. The drink tastes sweet and refreshing in your mouth, and almost instantly your muscles relax. "You aren't any better, you know,"

That's true. Being a nightowl himself, Natsume's words don't really seem all that persuasive. At first you would lecture him about how little he rested, but you gave up eventually. You suppose he's built differently, seeing as he can still perform well after only three hours of sleep. 

"Pretty sure I'm in better condition," he says, pulling a chair beside you and popping down. The wood scraps against the floor, creaking slightly. It's usually a sound that you find unbearable, but you seem to have missed it as you try to continue your work.

"Come here, love," he stretches his arms out, wiggling his fingers expectantly. You raise a brow, contemplating whether you should give in. It won't be a surprise if you fall asleep right away in his arms. 

"But work…" you sigh, tearing your eyes from him. His shoulders drop immediately, a frown forming from the rejection. "You're just gonna leave me hanging? How cruel…"

You know he's just messing with you when he let out a dramatic huff, but somehow his defeated look still tucks at your heartstrings. 

"Fine, fine…" you sigh, sneaking your arms around his torso and burying your head into his neck. His chest hums with satisfaction as he digs his fingers into your messy hair, soothing out knots he finds along the way gently. With every stroke you're getting drowsier and drowsier, and you know that you're supposed to be working, but the feeling of his hand running through your locks and the steady rise of his chest convince you to stay. 

You fall asleep almost immediately after you close your eyes. Natsume calls out to you and smiles when he hears your slight snoring instead. It's probably the best to get you to the bed and tug you in, but he decides to stay in his spot for a moment longer and relish your presence. 

Ibara

Ibara knows from experience just how hard it can be to sway you when you’ve made up your mind. That’s why he doesn’t try to sweet talk you or lecture you into sleeping. 

No, if he really wants to get you to listen, he will have to trick you into it. 

Almost like a hunter watching his prey, Ibara leans against the doorway as he tries to come up with a flawless plan for his mission. Several empty cans are littered around the desk and he can already smell the aroma of coffee from so far away. You had your fist in your hair, and every once in a while you had to stretch your muscles awkwardly from the lack of movement.

“Don’t you think you deserve a break?” he walks towards you, peeking over your shoulder at the work you’re struggling with. It’s yet another project for the other units, and you seem to be stuck in a dilemma.

“I don’t feel like sleeping without finishing this,” you say.

“Right, but I think you added an extra 0 here,” he points at the paper you're working on, where the value had been increased tenfold because of your negligence. 

“Oh goodness,” you sigh deeply, immediately erasing the zero. “How amateurish of me,”

Ibara watches as you rub the space between your eyes, trying to soothe the looming headache that was making your work even harder. “It feels like all the muscles in my body died,”

“You’ve been sitting for hours after all,” Ibara suddenly smiles, his eyes diminishing into thin slits. You don’t need to hear anything to know that he’s plotting something behind the smile. “What if I give you a short massage?”

Well… that is unexpected.

“A massage,” you repeat.

“That’s right,”

Now that is interesting. You’ve heard from Hiyori about how good Ibara’s massages are for more times than you can count, and it’s something you’ve always wanted to try. It just keeps slipping your mind. A massage sounds just as appealing as a five star meal right now considering how tired your limbs feel.

“Come on, I promise it’ll be worth it,”

“Fine,”

His smile widens even more. “Alright then! Please get onto the bed,”

“You wanna do it on the bed?” you frown. “I’ll fall asleep,”

“It’s not gonna be long,”

This sounds way too risky especially with the amount of work that’s still unfinished, but his grin is unwavering, as if he already knows what your answer will be.

“God, alright,” you admit defeat and throw yourself onto the bed face first. There is a moment of quiet shuffling before Ibara settles himself behind you, making sure he isn't crushing you under his weight. His hands find their way to your back, and start working their magic.

"Normally I would get massage oils, but that'll be for next time," Ibara says in a low voice, as if trying to lull you to sleep. Hiyori was right about his skills -- you don't think you've ever had a massage so satisfying before. Somehow, he just knows where to knead and how much pressure to put. With every passing minute your muscles are getting looser, as is your mind. You almost feel bad experiencing this for free.

You're about to fall asleep when something suddenly jolted your consciousness, like a big slap to your face. You have no idea how long you've been laying down in that hazy state, but you've still got work to do.

"That was the most incredible massage ever but I have to work now…" is what you're trying to say, but the words come out too jumbled and incoherent to be understood. When you try to get up, Ibara presses you back down, insisting that he's not done with the massage yet.

"I'm going to fall asleep for real," you argue weakly as your body slumps back into the mattress. Ibara watches as your words cease and your face loosens up, mouth slightly ajar as you finally indulge yourself to sleep. Maybe you'll be mad at you in the morning, but seeing you rest makes everything worth it.

Leo

This is so, so ridiculous. 

You've been telling Leo to go to bed for the past two hours, but did he listen? Evidently not, seeing as he's clinging to your arm with half-lidded eyes that are failing him every two seconds.

"Just go to sleep first, kay? I still have tons of stuff to do," you flip the pile of complicated documents around, not wanting to spare them another glance. Alas, there isn't much time left before your work is due, and the only way you can think of to tackle this is to keep pushing through no matter how worn out your body feels.

Your head is throbbing and somehow your sight just won't focus. You're pretty sure you're starving too, but you feel no incentive to leave your seat and grab snacks. No, you have to finish your work as soon as possible.

This might've been a lot easier if not for Leo. In the middle of your working he suddenly jolted awake and whined about wanting to cuddle with you. It's no surprise though, considering how often the two of you cling to each other during your sleep, but tonight just doesn't work out.

"Aren't you tired too? I can't sleep without you…" Leo mumbles.

"Pretty sure you're falling asleep as you speak," you say, even though you shouldn't be the one talking right now, not when you're also getting groggy just from his warmth and presence. 

When you turn to look at him, his face is squished against your arm, mouth slightly ajar as he snores. To prevent him from waking up again, you decide to tuck him in.

Which is a big mistake, because just the sight of the bed is enough to knock you out. Also because Leo's not letting go of your arm even in his sleep.

"Come to rest, please…" he mumbles quietly and you sigh. Trying to work when your body is screaming isn't going to do much anyway, you suppose, and you flop yourself onto the mattress with the boy. Leo may be childish at times, but everything he does comes from wishing for your wellbeing. 

Tatsumi

Lying to Tatsumi feels like committing the worst crime ever, but the guilt of going to sleep with your work still unfinished is even greater. 

That explains why you're here under the dim light of the desk lamp against Tatsumi's advice, trying to fight the sleepiness getting to your head as you type away on the keyboard. Just a few more pages and you will go to sleep, you decide, but 'a few more pages' is looking a lot like five essays right now.

You lean back against the chair, throwing your head back. You dare not close your eyes, because you're sure a second longer than an usual blink and you'll be a goner.

"Come on, come on…" you return to the original position, shoulders slumped and eyes squinting as you try to string sentences together. What is usually an easy task has become an impossible mission, and the voice at the back of your head suggesting you to give up isn't any help.

Absorbed in your work, you fail to notice the ruffling of the blanket and the shuffling of slippers behind you. When Tatsumi sets his hands on the back of your chair and calls you, you flinch dramatically.

"Oh," you sigh after calming down. "Did I wake you up?"

"Not really," he says. "I thought you agreed to go to sleep,"

You grimace at his words that remind you how you made a false promise with him when all he wanted was for you to take care of yourself. "I know I did, but I couldn't really fall asleep thinking of all this stuff," you gesture vaguely at the screen.

"I don't think you're doing well though," 

As if trying to prove his point, a yawn escaped your lips and tears blurred your vision. "I suppose not,"

He sits back onto the bed, reaching out so that he can hold your hands in his. "It's no use trying to work in your current state, you know? I know that you're feeling stressed out from all the work piling up, but rest is important for your productivity too. And I'd hate to see you overworking yourself," he pressed a kiss to your knuckles. "Let's go to bed first, and we'll tackle whatever's on your plate tomorrow, alright?"

He doesn't have to say much to sway you. It's one of his charms anyways -- being able to persuade you without even trying.

Arashi

Arashi glances at the clock. 1am. You've been working at your desk since 8, and she can see that you're already starting to fall asleep.

"Sweetheart? You should go rest," she says softly, resting her arms on your shoulders from behind. This brings your mind back to the present, and you sigh realizing that you've zoned out once again.

"Is this due soon?" Arashi asks.

"Not quite, but I don't want to pile everything up. I'm supposed to finish this part today but so many things happened that hindered my plans," you rub you the corners of your eyes. "And I'm already feeling tired,"

"Then you should probably sleep, right? Lack of sleep can mess your face up easily," she turns to cup your face, professionally observing your skin and missing the blush on your face. "You still look cute, but I'd be really sad if you became a victim of sleep deprivation~"

Her voice sounds light and casual, but you can tell that she's genuinely worried about your health. You pull her into a hug, burying your head in her clothes. She always gives the best hugs, hugs that understands you without having to exchange words, hugs that reassure you and rid you of anything on your mind, that remind you even if the world turned its back on you, you'd still have a home to come to.

"Let's go to bed," you suggest, voice woozy. 

"Sure, but let's do some skincare routine first!"

You always enjoy doing routines with her even though you're never one to pay much attention to yourself. But something about her being close and taking care of your face makes you feel at ease, and with her soft hands working on your cheeks, you quickly fall asleep.

Noticing your dropping head, Arashi lets out a sigh before carrying you in her arms, planting a light kiss on your forehead

"Sweet dreams, my love,"

Keito

When you started dating Keito, Kuro was quite delighted. One because he never believed someone could actually put up with the man, and two because someone can finally keep an eye on his atrocious working schedule.

What he didn't expect though, is that you're just as much of a hard worker as Keito. 

As the night passes, the two of you are still working incessantly. Except from the occasional small talks, there's only the sound of paper and keyboard in the room. The tea he brewed a while ago has already been emptied. You turn to look at the green-haired man, and although you can only see his back, he doesn't seem to be too affected by all this work. Perhaps his monstrous workload back in Yumenosaki Academy has turned him into a machine who doesn't feel tired.

But that can't be true. Surely, overworking a lot doesn't make you immune to it. Keito may not be vocal about how he feels, but he's still a human, and he's bound to feel tired,

The tapping sound on his end pauses abruptly as he turns to you, only to meet your observing eyes. This startles him a bit, and you let out a small chuckle.

"You should go rest-" he glances at the clock on the wall and frowns. "-it's already so late,"

"You're one to talk," you retort.

"I can still function without sleeping, but you shouldn't push yourself too hard,"

There it is again. He never seems to acknowledge his own weaknesses, only paying attention to others as he hides his feelings inside the myriad of work thrown at him each day. 

"No one can 'function without sleeping', Keito. You're not a superman,"

"..." 

Keito's shoulders are still tense, but he seems to be deep in thought as he isn't working on the computer either. After a moment of silence, he shakes his head and resumes typing. Perhaps he's reminded of his responsibilities, of the various roles that he plays, and how he can't afford to let anyone down.

As always, it's hard to move Keito. You brush it off and turn back to your work. 

It isn't until Keito stands up to get himself a new mug of tea that he realizes how drained you look. Your eyelids are drooping and even from far away he can notice errors on the computer screen. Your figure is slouched, leaning towards the table like you just want to fall asleep right there but can't.

"You should really go to bed," Keito walks to you, hand resting on the chair's rail. 

"Are you going to come with me?"

"What?"

"Are you going to come to bed with me?" you repeat.

"I still have work,"

"Then I'm not gonna rest yet,"

Keito raises his brows. "Are you threatening me with your own health?"

"If this is what I need to do for you to rest, then so be it,"

Silence fills the room. He watches as you tap away on the keyboard, re-typing every once in a while because your fingers just can't seem to find the keys. It's almost painful to watch.

"How incorrigible," Keito sighs. "Alright. Let's go,"

You jump to your feet immediately, dragging him to the bedroom. "No sneaking out after I fall asleep, okay? You have to rest for real,"

"Fine," Keito grunts.

The moment his head falls onto the pillow, he swears he can slip into dreamland right away. You throw your arm across his torso and he instinctively rests his head atop yours, listening as your breathing becomes more and more calm.

The both of you may be hopeless cases, but you always find a way to hold each other up.

[stayevildarling]

Traitor- Cordelia Goode x Reader

Chapter 2: Little White lies

word count: 3.2k

warnings: cursing, angst/sad, fluffy ending

Following Cordelia, you walk out of the living room, leaving the witches to carry on celebrating Zoe's birthday, and past the kitchen, momentarily your mind wanders to countless nights spent in a room that is supposed to be about the preparation of something simple meals.

Nevertheless, the kitchen always had a different meaning to you, it reminds you of intimacy. Not the kind of intimacy that you would feel or experience in a bedroom for instance, but it represents a sense of home to you regardless and a sense of comfort. You remember all those late nights when you couldn't sleep after just arriving at the academy because everything felt so overwhelming.

First, it was the fact that witchcraft is real, like how could that even be true? despite seeing some of the girls perform spells before and watching Miss Cordelia clean a few of Madison's messes, it still seemed like some cosmic joke to you and there were so many questions back then.

''Why did mom never tell me sooner?'' you questioned, not understanding why she would need to wait till her dying breaths because it only left so many more questions and no answers. The blonde witch, currently leading the way into her office, used to find you here at the strangest times, very early in the morning before everyone got up, her wanting to prepare breakfast for the girls when you couldn't sleep a single bit that night. She found you late in the evenings, in the middle of the nights, and somehow, Cordelia always knew you would be lingering the halls of the academy and she would mostly be finding you in the kitchen, looking out the windows and overlooking the beautiful spacious garden, ignited by the moonlight and the stars.

The first time she ever found you in there, neither one of you knew that throughout the first few months at the academy, this would quickly become one of your habits together and something you would both cherish eventually. In the beginning the supreme thought, you simply needed a little extra help and support, after learning about both of your parents' passing, the supreme felt bad and like you would be another one of those girls that wouldn't just need help with their magic at the coven but also a home and family.

She took you under her wings, giving you everything she could, her time - she would sit with you in the kitchen for hours, listening to you very intently. She would give you her resources- always taking time to teach you and help you explore your powers and that process wasn't easy especially at the beginning, to ignite those powers, hidden deep within yourself. Cordelia gave you her strength- making you believe in yourself and teaching you and guiding you through this journey.

Although it might seem like you benefited a lot from this and Cordelia was the one lifting you up, giving you a home, a family, someone to talk to, and someone teaching you, it wasn't just one-sided. After Myrtle's passing or rather her being burned at the stakes, Cordelia felt like she was on her own. Neither a mother nor mother figure left to who she could turn to, get advice with this whole supreme thing. All the witches at the academy used to be younger, before Coco joined, being one of the oldest there eventually.

Even though Cordelia is now a confident supreme, amazing leader and a great role model and mother figure to some of her girls, she wasn't always like this. Before you arrived at the academy, Cordelia lived under the shadows of her mother Fiona, always insecure and doubting herself, the betrayal of her husband at the time not helping with all of that either. The only people she could turn to at the time and that would lift her up back then were Myrtle and Misty.

But both the mother figure Myrtle and also Misty, the friend and student of Cordelia at the time passed and so Cordelia felt a lot of lonely nights, where she would doubt herself and the responsibilities of leading the academy and being the most powerful witch on earth, resting heavily on her shoulders.

But then you came along and at first the supreme thought you would just be another student. One of those that would use the support of the academy to discover your powers before you would leave. But after meeting you and learning about who you truly are, she quickly learned that you are a very caring person, always checking up on people and offering help without asking anything in return. Something that stood out to the supreme from very early on, was you checking up on her.

As supreme and headmistress, the witches including the ones that have been there the longest, Zoe, Queenie, and Madison, they always just assumed Cordelia was fine. After all, she is an adult, supreme, and headmistress she has to be okay right? Of course, they occasionally asked and Cordelia would say she is okay because what else should she really say? She couldn't bother the younger witches with all of the things and the stress on her mind.

But every time Cordelia would walk into the kitchen, you would be there, greeting her with a warm smile, offering some hot chocolate, and asking how she is. You were different, you asked, you cared and you really wanted to know how she is feeling, not just expecting the usual ''I'm fine'' answer and you had no problem mentioning at first that even though the supreme said she was okay, she didn't seem it. It took Cordelia by surprise and slowly you two started bonding, unaware that soon feelings would get involved and something bigger, something more powerful and far more would develop eventually.

Next, you walk towards the long staircase and through the hallway and you look at some paintings on the wall, some of them of the supreme's before Cordelia and you realize some things have changed in this year since you have left because they changed the decoration slightly.

Even though you studied at this academy for a long time, you are unaware of the names of the past supreme's, only knowing the name of the former supreme, Cordelia's mother Fiona Goode. Despite never knowing or meeting the woman, you had heard a lot about her. At first, Madison would tell you all about how she was killed by the former supreme and all the bad things that happened before Zoe told you what Cordelia had to deal with at times and learning about the supreme's past.

Whenever you used to walk past the portrait of Fiona, you used to feel hate, even before dating Cordelia, you never understood how anyone, especially her own mother could make the beautiful blonde angel, feel anything but special and loved. Cordelia could never hurt a fly, at least that's what you used to think and despite everything that happened, the blonde sure doesn't deserve the things she was put through.

You came to understand and realize that even a woman that technically has everything she could want, beauty, power, and a family, would crack sometimes under the pressure and need someone to lift her up, out of the ocean of responsibilities and also pain, and that even Cordelia needed a helping hand at times.

You were more than happy to provide that helping hand for her, whether it being helping her in the greenhouse over the weekends or throughout the week after classes, helping her water all the plants and helping them nourish and her explaining you all about each individual plant. You were more than happy to provide someone simply listening to the supreme, whether she needed to analyze one of the girls behavior and figure out how she can help them, or her stressing over some council meetings and unsure how to handle and deal with a certain situation. You would manage to get her to stay calm, relax and you would suggest her a few things or get her to make reasonable decisions again and it worked.

Next you walk past the bedrooms and just like it was yesterday you remember the room order and which room belonged to whom. First you walk past Coco and Mallory's room and you remember the many funny arguments they used to have especially with Queenie, arguing about the calories in people's foods and some fond memories, despite not knowing those two for long before leaving.

After, you walk past Zoe and Madison's room and this brings back a whole wave of emotions and also different memories and you can't help the bitter feeling when your mind momentarily wanders to all those nights spent in their room.

At first you would get along really well with Zoe, quickly realizing you both have the same taste in things and interests and she would often want to hang out with you, which only caused Madison to be jealous so eventually after getting over the arguing phase with the movie star, you got along very well with both of them.

They would often invite you into their room, especially at the beginning, getting to know you better, Madison asking you all sorts of questions, Zoe trying to calm Madison down and telling her she will end up scaring you off. The many nights where Madison would quite literally force you to go out together to a bar or a party and them doing your makeup or lending you their clothes.

Those things and interactions bring a smile to your face but it fades as quickly as you remember some of those dark nights you spent in there. Often you three would have little crisis meetings, Madison being dumped by a boy and needing a lot of ice cream and comforting, Zoe having her struggles with Kyle or you having your struggles with Cordelia.

At first it would be all these conversations about you doubting what is actually going on between you and Cordelia, all the nights drinking hot chocolate, speaking for so long and having such intimate conversations. Then the times where Madison encouraged you, telling you she noticed the way Cordelia would look at you and that she hasn't seen the supreme look at anyone like that in a while. Zoe was a bit more cautious, not wanting to get your hopes up but still you remember the many times you would burst through their room and gush over something Cordelia did now. Whether it being her inviting you to drive down to the city with her and pick up some new plants for the greenhouse, her helping you with another spell, her helping you discover that you are indeed a witch with a bloodline and that your powers just needed help exploring and so you could let them free.

You would start gushing over every single thing, to the point where Zoe became sceptic if you aren't just madly in love and reading everything wrong but indeed you weren't reading everything wrong. Madison was always confident and knew from the way Cordelia would glance at you from across the dinner table that there was something more growing and developing between you two.

The moments of bursting in there and gushing over Cordelia turned into moments of you three just swelling in memories and Zoe repeating ''I can't believe you were right all along Madison'' after you and Cordelia actually got together.

That soon changed too, although it took a few months, months of happiness, it fell apart as quickly as it grew and developed. From sitting there, over the moon gushing about the sweet things Delia did that day and Madison getting slightly annoyed, not wanting to hear all the romantic crap, your two friends would soon have to pick up the pieces Cordelia left and your shattered heart. At one point Madison thought you was going crazy, when you kept going on about Misty, after Mallory joined the academy and just like a miracle Misty came back to the academy, back from the dead.

Madison thought you were being stupid, accusing Cordelia of lying but Zoe had a feeling you weren't overreacting, weren't reading wrong that there is something going on and that the little white lies that you accused Cordelia of, would eventually turn out to be true.

Momentarily you are pulled out of your thoughts when you suddenly walk past your own bedroom door, or at least the one you used to sleep in before Cordelia's and your own feelings grew so strong for each other that none of you could possibly hide it for a second longer. And it didn't take long until you packed the few things you owned, some clothes, books and your vinyl player and you moved into the supreme's bedroom, just on the other side of the hallway.

As you glance over there your stomach flips and a bunch of emotions hit you like the familiar slap in the face or ocean wave crashing right at your body. You feel nostalgic, remembering the late nights with Cordelia, spent in her bedroom ,expressing secret love confessions, sharing each other's feelings and gradually taking each other's insecurities away, reminding each other and also showing each other all the beautiful parts about you and Cordelia, to the point where you would learn to love yourselves.

You feel happy that you were able to share such special memories with Cordelia, not just as her girlfriend back then but also her as a good friend to you, always there to lift you up when you doubted yourself or when your past and the grief for your parents hit hard. Even though Cordelia never had a stable relationship with her mother, she knew back then a lot about grief and she would help you on that journey of accepting things and learning to smile again, despite the things that life threw at you.

Part of you can't help but feel a hint of jealousy or maybe is it curiosity? whether they are still together, surely they must be because Zoe mentioned it on the phone but you do wonder, whether Misty and Cordelia share the intimate moments you shared together, whether Misty can lift Cordelia up the way you used to, whether she can love her the way you did and whether she is worthy of the supreme's love.

But before your emotions can overwhelm you or consume you further, Cordelia pulls you out of your thoughts, when she turns around, the same familiar perfume filling your nose, causing you to close your eyes just for a split second and remembering how at one point that smell used to remind you of home and safety.

She looks at you with a small smile and explains ''I thought it might be a bit more quiet if we speak in my office'' and all you can form as a reply is a nod, before she turns around again and opens the door.

Instantly a lot of flashbacks cloud your mind, the time you walked in there for the first time, after Zoe opened the doors of the academy to you and invited you in. The first few meetings with her, understanding what and whether you actually have a gift or not. The times where you would pop in there, sometimes even on the weekends or late at night and asking if she needed any help.

The times where she pushed you into her office, kissing you hungrily and taking you straight to her desk. The times where you would sit there, begging her, on the verge of tears and asking all of these questions, whether you two are still working, if she even loves you, ever loved you in the first place, whether you had done anything wrong, causing her to pull away from you or if it was indeed the return of Misty.

Every time you sat there, she would show the exact same reaction, her eyes locking with yours, her head tilting to the side a little, like she usually would when she noticed how much something is on your mind and how upsetting is it to you. Just there was a difference, she wouldn't do the things she normally would, like coming closer, kneeling down to reach eye-level and reassuring you that whatever is bothering you will be okay.

She simply avoided your gaze, often looking over to the window and overlooking the garden, her touching her nose gently or the scratching of her neck. Back then you didn't understand it was always an indication of what was really going on, her lying to you but not only you, to herself mostly, trying to push away what was so obvious, what you kept implying and what she tried pushing away since Misty passed years ago before you walked into her life.

Yet again, you are pulled out of your thoughts when Cordelia offers you a seat and points towards the same chair that you used to sit in all the time. She closes the door just like she usually would, swiftly and quiet and then she walks over to her chair, holding it with her hands for a second, her usual defense mechanism of her showing off her power and radiance but she quickly sits down and puts her hands on her desk a little nervously, playing with her rings.

You can't help but think back to your last conversation you had in this room, which was saying goodbye. Part of you always knew it was bound to happen, if not always, definitely after a certain blonde witch with curly hair and a Fleetwood mac obsession, returned to the academy.

It seems like the last conversation you had with Cordelia still didn't seem to finally give you any answers or any form of relief or clarity because only after saying goodbye, packing your stuff, saying goodbye and leaving New Orleans you learnt the truth from Zoe. Despite not really staying in touch with anyone, after you moved to Los Angeles, Zoe and you often messaged or talked on the phone, especially at the beginning, she wanted to know what is happening in your life and stay a part of it.

You remember your reaction when she told you a few weeks after leaving the academy, she told you that you were right all along and that Cordelia and Misty couldn't hide their affection and love for each other a second longer. It seemed like you were the piece keeping them from being happy and finally being able to share the feelings that they had for each other all along, despite Misty being dead for a long time in between and Cordelia being in a relationship in that time as well.

Of course it hurt and of course you cried but part of you felt relieved and you still do to this day, knowing you were never paranoid even if Madison and also Cordelia made you feel that way at times, telling you that you are wrong and reading too much into this. But you felt clarity and a bit of sanity given back to your life, learning it was never you being wrong, it was Cordelia and her little white lies. Always lying about these small or unimportant matters how Misty would gush over Cordelia or how they would look at each other or touch each other when they are in the same room and her lying in order to avoid hurting you.

[luvlyrv]

Our Songs | pt. 6 | Wendy x F!Reader SM!AU

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: I hope the word count marginally makes up for the fact this series has been on a three month hiatus lol, don't worry though it'll finish soon!

Date: 6/10/21

Series Masterlist

Ever since you and Wendy exchanged numbers you find your hand unconsciously reaching out to your phone throughout the day. You hope to find a notification from her when you turn it on. Thankfully she always seemed to respond back, but even when she didn't you'd put your phone down to repeat the loop. You tried your best to make sure it didn't interfere with your work, but still, your day was marked by Wendy. Although she wasn't there physically your conversations always carried through day and night.

You've known her to be a warm person, always friendly and comforting. You hope you're not reading into things too much, but sometimes you read her messages and your heart skips a beat. The way she would talk about you would make you flustered. It would force you to put your phone down for a second, unable to comprehend the positivity. Then the thought that maybe she was flirting would creep into your head.

The idea that you're just imagining things always comes back to fight it though.

Shaking your head you decide not to contemplate the idea further. After all she was going to come over soon and you needed to focus on finishing your songs. Thinking about any possible romantic feelings was the last thing you wanted to do. Especially with her in front of you.

Luckily the thoughts dissipate as you zone into the work in front of you, scrutinizing every detail you possibly could. You let yourself sink into the feeling of the songs, letting it help guide your decisions in mixing. As quickly as you get focused though, you're broken out of your zone when you hear knocking on the door. Before answering you run to the mirror and take a quick look while trying to make sure you look presentable. When you rush up to the door to open it you act like nothing happened.

"H-hello! Welcome again to my humble abode!" You say it with a smile, trying to suppress the sudden fluttering feeling in your stomach.

"Hey!" She says while looking up and down at you. "Looks like we're accidentally matching today, huh?" Wendy walks past the door and you close it behind her. You take a moment to look at her outfit and then at yours. The both of you had a very blue color palette.

"Well, way to steal the spotlight. You look way cuter than me." You don't sound as confident as you'd like, your voice bordering on the softer and quieter side. You realize you haven't felt this nervous in a while.

"As if that could ever be possible!" Wendy turns her head back at you as she walks towards your room. She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue at you, only to quickly smile at your remark. "Now stop being silly and let's work."

You follow her into your bedroom and sit down in front of your computer. She sits on a familiar stool and the two of you immediately start working. You share what you have so far, all you do is record some more vocals, including harmonies and adlibs. You polish things with Wendy by your side to help make some stylistic choices. It took a few hours that only felt like mere minutes.

The sun is still out, unlike the first time the two of you had worked together. This leads you to ask Wendy something before she would leave.

"While we're here we should just record the collab video, yeah?" Wendy's eyes light up in recollection of your previous conversation.

"That sounds good, how about we do the Q&A type video today? I can just message Yeri for some questions."

"Sure, I'll ask Seulgi to make up some interesting things for us to answer too."

The two of you didn't have to wait long as both of your friends replied fast, excited to help out and excited to have some questions answered. You situate yourself next to Wendy in a comfortable position and get the camera ready. After getting the camera in position you take the time to fix the lighting in your room, making sure to have a soft and natural feeling with the lights.

Finally, the red light begins to blink on your camera and you wave. Wendy follows along and flashes the camera a friendly look. You give a quick introduction for the video.

"Hey everybody! I'm here with Wendy today to do a little Q&A type video for you guys! We've both gotten some questions from our friends and it's just to share a little about us, how we feel about our collaboration, behind the scenes type of stuff, you know?" Wendy tilts her head and looks at you as you talk, nodding to your words.

"I really can't wait to answer these questions with you." She says with a smile. She looks back at the camera as she pulls her phone out and looks at her messages with Yeri. "Neither of us have prepared any script or anything. We've barely even looked at the questions they've sent us!" You nudge Wendy with your elbow and laugh at a thought.

"What if they sent us something inappropriate?"

"Oh god, Yeri totally would." You both giggle before Wendy prompts you to start reading questions first.

"Alright we'll stop wasting our audience's precious time now. My dear Seulgi's first question is… "what were your first impressions?" Wendy doesn't hesitate to answer the question as soon as it was asked.

"Oh! Whenever Y/N entered the café we were meeting in I was kind of surprised! She doesn't post a lot of pics of herself so to see someone as talented as her in real life was an honor. She's really cute, right?" She reaches out to pinch the cheek of your so-called cute face. You strain a smile of embarrassment at her antics.

"Yeah yeah, I don't record myself a lot." When she stops her assault on your face you follow-up with your opinion. "For Wendy… I was also really surprised… I think I'm really lucky. You guys should know that a camera really doesn't do her justice! When I first met her she certainly gave off a very approachable demeanor too."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know? I was really nervous meeting you, yet when I saw you and when we got to talk the atmosphere turned into something really comfortable fast. Let's just move on to the next question." You take a look at your phone again to see Seulgi's question. "What's your favorite thing about the other? Well, Wendy has always been so sweet, it's been wonderful working with her. I appreciate the care and dedication to her work that she has shown me. Her musicality really helped pull everything together, and when I was stuck she was always there to give me a fresh perspective."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you." Wendy says with a blush on her face, her hand covering her face as she laughs a bit. "It's strange to be talking to you like this, I feel like. I think you're a really straightforward person but we haven't really talked about our opinions to this extent! Especially to a camera. Ah… well I think I could really say everything the same for Y/N." Wendy nods a bit in thought before continuing on. "To add to it though, I think Y/N has just always been so considerate to me. Like, beyond being a great musician she has been a good person to me. I think if you've seen some of our interactions on Twitter you'll know that she ended up cooking a wonderful meal for me on our first meeting. I think that if she wasn't as nice as she is, we wouldn't have had this much fun together… wait, this has been fun for you too, right?"

"Oh my god, yes it has. How could you doubt that?" You punch her arm with a fake upset face. You turn back to the camera. "Guys, we've hung out and have talked soooo much outside of our collab. I literally don't understand how she can have a single doubt in her mind about us having fun."

"It doesn't hurt to clarify! Anyways, next question now! And stop punching so hard!"

"Oh hush, it wasn't that hard. Oh hmm, to go along with that Seulgi wonders what our least favorite thing about each other is."

"That's an easy one!" Wendy says all too excitedly. You make a shocked expression, worry flooding your system as Wendy points at you with a smile. "I hate how you're absolutely brimming with talent! Your work is impeccable! Musical genius!"

You groan as your body crumples. "You nearly gave me a heart attack…" Your voice is muffled between your knees.

"It's true though!" Wendy says in a sing-song voice, her face smug in satisfaction to see your scared reaction. "Otherwise there's nothing I can really say."

You gather the strength to get back up and face the camera, then Wendy. Your face is still filled with disappointment but you take your time to stare at Wendy. As you stare at her she seems to come undone as she nervously looks away.

"What are you doing?" A red color subtly creeps up her neck.

"I'm just thinking. I'm thinking that… You also have nothing wrong with you." Wendy can't help but to roll her eyes at your comment. "Except for being awfully cheesy. It makes me wanna go bury myself in a ditch so I won't have to hear your stupid cheesiness again."

"Whatever, whatever. It's my turn to read the questions. Now… this is a good one, "what has the work process been like?"

"Well that's obvious, I do all the work and Wendy leeches off of me like a parasite."

"Hey! Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it to the world!" Her response throws you into a fit of laughter, turning you into a mess.

"Oh my, no no! It's really not like that. I would say we have an equal workload, or a workload that makes sense between our respective positions." Wendy shakes her head in disagreement.

"I don't feel so. I feel like Y/N always does so much work, and she does it so quickly too. It makes me feel kind of bad when I sit beside her and see her work her magic. When she's focused and working so hard it's quite amazing."

"Ah geez." You shyly scratch the back of your neck. "Wendy's always like this, complimenting me. Like I said earlier though, she really helps bring me new perspective when I'm stuck and her musicality is like nothing else. She always takes the time to sit next to me and monitor things too. It's not like she's a third party to the process. Not only that," You take the time to send Wendy a smile in an attempt to reassure her that you're not burdened with work. You want her to know that you appreciate her part of the creative process, "but nothing really feels like hard work when I'm with you."

Wendy has a hard time processing your words, so instead of addressing it she decides to just further elaborate her answer to the question.

"Well, I'll just lay down the process for everyone. Obviously, Y/N produces and I sing. Although after enough convincing from me you'll hear her singing on the tracks as well, so say thank you! It all started when Y/N took the time to reach out to me, which I was really excited about by the way, and then we both agreed to meet up at a local place. We just talked about concepts and our availability. We both ended up writing songs and worked together on what we wanted to keep or change. Everything productive happens here," Wendy opens her arms to gesture to the area around her, "at Y/N's place. Even though I have audio equipment at my place too we just record things here."

"Yeah, everything she said is true. I have a little set-up here in my room. I don't think I've ever really shown you guys it? I mean, I've shown my guitar collection before but not all my other equipment yet. I'll film that another time though. Next question?"

"Oh this is kind of interesting to think about, "what do you think the reception of your mini-album will be?" The both of you take a moment to think about it. Recalling many of the things you've read on social media you decided to speak first.

"Well, I think it'll be extremely beneficial to the both of us in multiple ways. I mean first off, I guess by our genre of music we have a lot of overlap between fans. There's been an overwhelming amount of support from fans who are excited to see the both of us collaborate and interact. I have no doubt that it'll do well since it's so highly anticipated by our fans. It'll be even better if you guys manage to stream and share it!" Throughout your explanation you begin to give Wendy shy glances. "I think that even if we drop our music and it doesn't meet much success, I would've gained a lot. I think working together with Wendy has helped me grow as a musician and anything that I learn here I will utilize in the future."

At your last comment Wendy seemed to get excited and she quickly added on.

"Exactly! If anything the most important part about all of this is the fact that I have gained skills as a musician and gained a friend. That greatly outweighs any potential of success." Wendy has a bright smile on her face, happy to be able to call you a friend.

"That doesn't mean we don't want you guys to go ahead and share our music by the way." You joke light-heartedly. "It would mean a lot if you did."

"Now final question for this video! We've been talking too much." Wendy looks at her phone, unlike before she takes a couple seconds before reading the question aloud. "Uh, I think this should be fun to answer. "What do you want to do in the future together?" I think that obvious answer is to make more music!"

You chuckle at her answer before responding as well. "Going to each other's places to have a jam session doesn't sound bad, but hanging out in general is good. We'll definitely continue being friends, and if the reception for our collab is really good we might do another one? That is, of course, if Wendy is okay with that."

"I would be more than happy to do that. I was also thinking of forcing you to binge watch more shows and movies with me."

"Only if you stop hogging the popcorn. Anyways, I think this should be the end of our video. I highly encourage all of you to check-out Wendy's channel in a couple days. The day right before release we're going to be dropping one more video together! Bye-bye!" You wave a goodbye to the camera with a smile. Wendy joins you in your outro.

"See you guys soon!"

You go to turn your camera off as Wendy goes to gather her things. After turning off your lights you go to sit back down on your seat, importing the recently filmed footage to your computer. Wendy takes this moment to sit down next to you again.

"Again, thank you for your hard work!" She says it with a smile as she brings her hand on your arm. "I'm always amazed with the quality of your work and how quickly you can do it."

"No problem, I'll send the songs to you later for your feedback. We'll be able to post everything soon." You smile back at her and give her hand a comforting squeeze. A part of you wishes you could keep your hand there forever.

"Alright, well see you at my place soon!"

When you finally hear the click of your door closing you let out a sigh. You don't want to think about it. You don't want to face it.

You don't want to face the possibility that you've fallen.

[lorkai]

🌺 Title: One More Life

🌺 Summary: There is no future without learning the mistakes of the past, but there is also no past without the hope of a better future. And to repair mistakes or to make things better, a child is dragged into a tragic history of coups d'état, deaths and re-concessions.

🌺 Words: 4096

🌺 Notes: Some may remember that I already posted this story here, but I decided to rewrite this chapter. Hope you like it.

🌺 Warnings: Mention of dismemberment, explicit death, gore. Please check the tags for more.

The closed clouds formed strange patterns over the faint sunlight that ended on the horizon, red and orange slowly disappearing, leaving behind a thin trail of snow. And despite the hours, the children ran over the lights of the lanterns that they carried in their small hands, without knowing what was close to happening. Their laughter would be remembered in young Morgana's mind for a long time. Everyone was happy, after all it was the Harvest Festival - affectionately nicknamed the Demon Race by the girl - it was the day when her Lord liked to send his little soldiers to face demons that he summoned to see how much they had evolved with their magic and spells, that always happened at the end of the night.

Morgana did not grow up in a good or happy place, but she had no choice but to follow what her Lord commanded. The organization he worked for was also not a good place if she remembered correctly, there were so many experiments going on, so much pain and cries of help echoing through those walls that would never come out of the young girl's head or anyone who heard them. It was terrifying.

And in the dark of the old empty hut, she sat. Chained at the ankles by a metal pillar. The dark did not frighten her any more than the task entrusted to her, hunting demons, killing them and bringing their hearts to her Lord. Morgana hated that time of year, hated the snow pulling her down and the cold so intense to freeze her bones, and on top of that she hated the magic that came out of her hands and the blood that spread through her fingers afterwards. She hated the throbbing of the organ in her hands and even more that sadistic smile on the face of the man who had taught her so much about magic. But she had no choice, not yet.

"Your folly is amazing, my dear." Said a well-known voice, making Morgana turn around. It took her eyes to get used to seeing something in the immense darkness that surrounded her, but when she finally found him she started to massage her temples in search of momentary relief. It was Toby, a small, transparent ghost who wore bloody rags of clothes that looked from the 1800s. He was, unfortunately, the girl's dead brother, now a ghost bound to accompany her.

"What would you have done?" She replied, showing her hands chained by heavy metal. She didn't want to have to deal with the ghost now.

"I sure as hell wouldn't be pretending to be a good girl, waiting for someone to give me an order. Morg, you must take the chance to escape. They plan to summon a strong demon this time... What was the name again? Diavovo? Dialovo?" Toby yelled, crossing his arms. He floated to the other end of the cell, tossing a thick, old black leather book from hand to hand. And contrary to his angry tone, the ghost seemed calm, stopping beside his sister to hand her the book. "Whatever! You know the Demon Race is the closest thing you have to an opportunity to escape."

"Patience, my dear. I can't rush the sand into the hourglass any more than it can." She said, mysterious. Her fingers traced the pattern of unfamiliar letters and she smiled, feeling the strong magic so familiar that emanated from that Grimoire. The book that belonged to each of her brothers was hers now and she asked that it be useful in her journey. "Can't run away now, brother. This isn't the time. Also, you know what B would say."

"I don't care what that traitor has to say to me! He wasn't there when you or our brothers begged for help, he isn't here now to save you." the ghost grunted grudgingly and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming to adopt a defensive posture. "I insist you use this to escape, there's a very useful spell here. Take a look."

Morgana looked. It was the old book that passed from sibling to sibling in her family, but she never read it and didn't even know her secrets. Its pages were old and fragile, yellowed, she analyzed the strange letters forming strange words – it was an unknown language that was written there, but little by little the words moved and began to form sentences that the girl knew and understood. Spells appeared over the pages and she let out a big sigh this time, one of relief. Toby moved closer to her. "There are some spells you won't understand, Lothos made sure the younger ones wouldn't understand. So I can translate what you don't understand." The ghostly fingers roamed the pages with great nostalgia as he read her the simplest spells, almost overjoyed that she couldn't read in the dark.

And she was looking at him even through the dim light from a lantern, but it pained her to nurture his hopes when she herself knew she might die at any moment. She wasn't going to run away from Cosmos, no, she was going to destroy them inside and save those who could be saved. The emotion she felt at the moment couldn't be explained, she was happy to have him around and hear his voice, but she didn't feel his touch, his heat. Anyway, that moment was almost enough to make her forget what was going to happen within the next few minutes. There was a noise that disconcerted her and made her close the book with a bang, she quickly stuffed it into the pocket of the dress she was wearing. And she waited.

She looked at the figure standing over the wooden door, the light shining over his head as he chuckled softly. Then she noticed that he was shaking the human head of a child much younger than she was, and his red eyes glowed with excitement, watching the blood trickle across the floor of the cell. "He deserved it, he was making so much noise when I whipped him. But I like to think of it as his good luck gift." He threw his head towards the girl, falling to her feet. The child's transparent eyes stared at her, hot blood running in abundance over her legs and onto the floor. A horrendous image. She tried to move away but the chains stopped her.

"Too bad. His voice was so beautiful when he screamed." He commented and removed a cork of keys from his pocket, walking very calmly towards his expressionless pupil. He seemed to root for her to cry, for her to scream so he could punish her, but that didn't happen. He released her from the chains slowly as the blood on his hands smeared her and made her shiver even more, he pulled back far enough so that she could get up and seemed to find the sounds of bones cracking amusing. "Project K is almost perfected, so no failures will be tolerated. Stay still."

Morgana pressed one hand against the other, bracing herself. He handed her a red pill and watched as she swallowed without question. The burning sensation that engulfed her body was almost unbearable, causing her to fall to her knees and bring her hand to her throat. And anger filled her as her lord laughed to the point of being in tears. The pill he handed her must have been an improved version of the drug they were creating, she felt like she was being ripped from the inside out and blood leaked from her mouth as her vision glowed. Everything about her body ached, Toby and His lord went out and into focus. His voices mingled in her head as she vomited more blood.

"There, there." Her lord pulled her to her feet, using a spell to stop the bleeding. He patted her head lovingly as he smiled and she leaned closer to the contact, albeit involuntarily. His gestures didn't match what he was saying at all, but it took her a few more moments to process that. "It's going to be alright honey so don't let us down. I know you can do it, now go." He gently guided her out of the hut and closed the door slowly. A barrier was erected as soon as the girl was thrown out, to protect him. And she heard him laugh. Maybe he imagined all the bodies he would have on his worktable in the morning. Perhaps he had imagined a morbid joke. She didn't want to know.

"Are you okay?" Toby questioned. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"I am fine, brother." She analyzed the landscape around them. Shady trees, whose roots were hidden by snow, rose so high that their leaves and branches almost completely obscured the dim moonlight. This was a perfect place for demons to come to hide waiting for a meal, a subtle black trail of sulfur could be discerned through the tree branches. The smell also did not hide that there were demons there. She looked up at her brother, stifling a moan of pain as she smiled so as not to worry him. "Where are we going?"

"Demons everywhere. Three of them are northwest, seventy meters and they're strong. But there are two weaker ones you can kill easily, ten meters away. This way." Toby pointed, starting to follow a narrow path between some crooked trees, destroyed by the force of some demon. He heard Morgana walking behind him and her teeth gnashed so hard that he felt sorry for her, he couldn't feel the cold or heat anymore due to his condition, but he remembered now that she wasn't so lucky. The fine clothes she wore couldn't protect her from the incessant cold, that was a punishment and even she knew it. She had failed in her last mission, so it made sense to let her suffer her own luck. He knew she wouldn't survive like this and they had little time for it. Unfortunately she couldn't use any fire-based spells either because the scent would alert the demons.

Toby stopped his sister with a wave of his hand, gesturing to the pockets of her dress. "I almost forgot, but there's a spell in the Grimoire you can use to keep yourself warm. Let me show you."

"You know the cold can't kill me, even if it hurts" She warned him, giving a half laugh that was followed by several sneezes. Toby frowned as if he didn't quite believe his sister, signaling to himself as if he was setting an example. "Right, but that won't happen, brother."

"Enough stubbornness and give me the Grimoire. We have to be quick." Morgana let out a huff of indignation as she pulled the book out of her pockets and opened it, after glancing from side to side to make sure no one else was there. She created a sphere of light and illuminated the pages while a short wave of wind caused by the ghost opened the right page. He whispered the spell to her once, twice. Then she chanted it aloud and felt something warm run through her body, strengthening her. "Back to the subject... Use the Grimoire." He muttered looking directly at the book in her hands, with puppy eyes.

Morgana was preparing to give him an answer not as kind and patient as the others, but she was silent. She hid behind a tree when she heard a thin scream very close by. It had started. Really started. Limb by limb and the sound of flesh being ripped off was heard through the forest loud and clear, she covered her mouth with her hand so that no sound escaped her and signaled for the ghost to see what was happening.

"Looks like we found them, yay." Toby muttered grudgingly, his fingers making hollow sounds against the trees he touched. The feeling of running or fighting was never higher than when he approached some supernatural being, not that the ghost had seen more than other ghosts and lost souls, but he knew a thing or two. Finally he went to his sister, almost exasperated. "If you insist on following your role, the audience awaits your show, little star. They say they want to see his heart."

"If you insist." The girl whispered something in a low tone with her hands clasped together as if to pray and from the center of her hands flaming chains ripped the skin until they huddled together, moving of their own accord. Morgana was smiling. And she moved faster than Toby's eyes could see, like furious lightning. Toby ran to accompany her, without worry. He had seen a lot of that happen over the years. And it came as no surprise to him when he saw Morgana manipulating the chains and lifting the demon's body by one, two, three, four meters from the ground, hearing him scream when his arms and legs were broken, twisted at odd angles. Bones exposed on his skin. Black blood trickled over the snow as he screamed profanities.

"I really didn't want to do this." A deep, husky voice came from the girl's lips as she laughed, enjoying the smell of burning flesh. The chains slowly burned the entire demon's body, to the point that she would have ripped his heart out of his chest before he died. "But the grains of sand can only fall into the hourglass when it is time for them to fall."

"You are the disgusting witch that everyone talks about!" The demon screamed, blood dripping from his mouth. He struggled against the chains, but the more he struggled and screamed, the more the chains tightened.

"The only one but I think you don't like me that much, too bad." Morgana made a single movement that threw the demon on the ground and she approached him, pulling a red blade from her pocket that she would use to kill him. The demon tried to fight the chains, struggling, forcing its wings to work to get him out of there. But the girl kicked him in the face and commanded the chains to hold him more tightly. Toby flinched when he heard the sound of more bones being broken. "You had to be a low level one, it smells like sulfur. Shame on you, someone of your level would never be able to kill me." And then she sank the blade into the demon's chest. More blood flowed as she stabbed again and again, feeling it tremble beneath her small body, laughing when she saw life abandon the weak entity.

Toby yelled after her that he was dead, but she only stopped stabbing him when he was reduced to an unrecognizable mass of flesh. The white dress she wore was black, filled with demonic blood. She looked down at her hands with something akin to curiosity, then she looked down at the body and for a moment she couldn't make out anything that had happened there. "Fuck, this shit is scary every time. Morg, you...?"

"I'm fine, silly." She returned the chains back into her hands as she grunted in pain, the next moment her palms were intact as if they had never been injured. She got up quickly, muttering aggressively that she would have to find another demon now that she couldn't take the one she'd just killed, so she stepped away from the dead body and looked around. The sun wasn't even close to rising yet and she had plenty of time, but she also knew that failing couldn't be an option. Not this time. She has seen what happened to those who failed and it was something much worse than what happened to that demon at her feet. There were so many limbs and guts out of a body while her lord was using poisons and having fun, she didn't even need an anatomy book to tell the difference between a lung and a tibia. She wouldn't be next - between failing here and being next, she could freeze to death.

"You went into a trance again." Toby sighed, if he was alive he would probably be shaking. "Are you wondering about your next target?" Morgana nodded.

"Far away. About forty meters. But they are powerful." Toby tried to concentrate to find out something else, but he didn't have much to feel. They were powerful entities without a doubt, if they were strong to face the girl or not he did not know and did not want to know, he wanted her to run away. But there was only a little he could force her to do. The ghost watched as she seemed to consider whether she was going after them or not, but stopped walking before she could state her thoughts. There was a dismembered body in front of them. The head was tied to a tree as if it were a sinister pinata, a wide smile from cheek to cheek still frozen on the face. Blood dripping still. It was recent. She gasped and tried to walk away, but she felt something hot and hard on her feet that made her stop. Something that the faint light of the moon illuminated very well, she stepped on top of the corpse's guts.

"All this for what, I wonder sometimes. So many dead children, so many tormented spirits. If the fate had been different they could have been happy away from this misery." Toby whispered so quietly that even a breeze made more noise. He tried to pull her away, despite being cruelly reminded that he couldn't touch her. He was just a lost voice over others inside his own sister's head, so he did what he could. He caught her eye and pointed to a safe place.

"Because they are all too cowardly to fight for what they want, so they train us and use us," Morgana shivered with rage when tears came to her eyes, her fist closed on the blade that was just used in the poor devil's murder. "We are weapons in a war that we do not even know when it will happen. But it will be all right because I will destroy Cosmos and free all who still live, even if I die trying, I will drag those motherfuckers to hell with me!"

"Oh, now you're talking like yourself, good little girl." She felt the speck of happiness in the ghost's voice, even with all the sarcasm he dripped from each syllable. "Morgana, the girl who wanted to save the witches. Sounds like a good title for a biography." Toby continued to tease.

"I won't save them, wizards, humans, they both always think they're above everyone else. I'm just going to free them and then go home. Or what's left of our house. They can handle their problems on their own." Morgana sighed, crouching for a moment in the mud to undo an exploding trap. She eyed the device curiously before standing up and following the ghost further into the forest. The trees gave way to a brighter place, a snowy field opened up for them. A frozen river was mere steps ahead, their reflection was reflected under the stars and moon. There, the girl almost looked livid. A confirmation that her dead brother really was by her side - not that she didn't know it, but she thought she was crazy after everything she'd been through there.

"What are you going to do?" Toby asked, floating around her. She shrugged with a cynical laugh.

"I have all the information to destroy them, but I need time and resources," She explained taking a big breath to try to warm up, but she failed and she shivered. "We will complete this ridiculous task and we will go back to the base."

"Or you can open a..." Toby tried to dissuade her like an annoying good brother, but he stopped in mid-sentence and turned with confusion hovering over his face. And for the first time he was serious. If he could go pale with fear, he would surely be now. Although he was tired of running around, protecting the girl, he knew that every year was the same thing. But as he said hours earlier, her lord had summoned stronger demons this year. And the ghost felt three of them behind them at that moment. The same ones he didn't know if his sister would be able to defeat.

He pointed out to Morgana that she should start walking slowly and quietly to get as far away from the hiding demons as possible. Stumbling and almost slipping, Toby pushed his human and hoped that no one would appear. To his displeasure, Morgana started sneezing and coughing up blood again, he felt her magic get out of control and he cursed himself for letting her drink that strange pill the old man had given her. A lot of things could go wrong, but he really hoped nothing would happen now. The bushes moved and branches broke, and when Toby looked around there were three demons staring at Morgana with a desire to take her soul. The young girl was on the verge of a breakdown and he knew that her magic would be as unstable as every other time that she drank that pill.

"Can i do this?" He heard his sister swear in pain. "Do it, brother."

 He looked at her before taking possession of her body as he had already done before. The cold she felt, he felt. The feelings and thoughts she had were his now. And with that, he moved his hands very quickly when he realized that the demons were approaching and surrounding them quickly. A great barrier separated them and prevented them from attacking it. It was weak and so he started running while he still had time, looking for a place he could use to keep his sister's body warm and safe until he thought of something.

"Bloody hell, what a shit situation, Morg!" Toby grunted, but now in a hoarse and dragged tone. He did not know how long he looked for shelter or how much time he spent running, but he knew that the presences were approaching again and this time much more aggressive. He heard the murmurs of disdain and sarcasm, and he feared for his sister's life. He saw the horns slowly came out of their heads, small and sharp, twisted to the sides and long black wings with emaciated feathers punctuating out of their backs.

'We are going to die!', Toby thought, no longer able to continue. 'This is all B's fault!'

"Look, Apoliom, Belial! Such a brilliant soul. Will you want to?" One of the demons commented to his friends in a tone of immense mockery, lifting the girl by her white hair and smiling when she struggled to get out of his grip. Unsuccessfully. Toby tried to use the chains, but the most that came out of the palms of Morgana's hands was smoke. And it made the demons laugh hysterically.

"If you're going to eat her soul, do it soon. We have to go back sooner or we are going to have problems." Apoliom murmured with great disinterest in the situation, but he wanted to know how someone so young had a soul as brilliant as those. "We're already full." Belial shrugged. "Hurry up!"

The demon's face seemed to melt like candle wax, revealing a hideous face of muscle, and his eyes went the blackest shade Toby had ever seen. He leaned forward, encouraged by the other two friends who had already satisfied their hunger, he opened his mouth ready to suck Morgana's soul, and if Toby still had one, his too.

But a very bright light suddenly blinded all the demons. It was hot. Intense. Angry and calm in the same proportion. There were screams of pain and curses thrown at random, but the light just kept expanding and expanding. And a flood of warm feelings went through the ghost's chest and he knew that this sensation reached Morgana somewhere in her tired mind, he felt that she fell into a deep sleep, warmed by that light. Her body finally fell, but not in the snow. In a pair of firm and gentle arms that lifted the small body. The demons were forgotten, expelled, although not even Toby was able to remain lucid for a long time, visibly affected by using possession for so long.

"The only survivor, we are going to take her with us, Barbatos."