#running and refusing to harm and being affectionate to boys

[sthilarions]

AU where Charles and Edwin both died two years older, at 18.

Edwin was an officer, in WWI. Sensitive, gentle Edwin; “I shan’t hurt you” Edwin; Edwin who had not been tempered by Hell. Edwin whose fellow soldiers already hated him for being a nellie.

During the Great War, the British government found 20,000 members of the armed forces guilty of crimes carrying the death penalty; of those, 346 sentences were carried out. Those executed included 266 for desertion; 18 for cowardice; two for casting away arms. Others for disobedience or sleeping at post or other like crimes.

Edwin has a memorial, in this universe. The Shot at Dawn Memorial, in Staffordshire; a statue of a boy, blindfolded and bound, who lied about his age to join the army and was executed for desertion at 17, with stakes around it representing the hundreds of others killed. Edwin Payne, 1900-1918, has his own stake.

He was posthumously pardoned with the others in 2007, in a ruling which focused less on the pardon and more on how the officers at the time were “doing their best” and should not be “second-guessed”, and with a section stating that the pardon “does not affect any conviction or sentence”.

It turns out Hell’s pretty much happy to accept the judgments of mortal executioners, and Edwin Payne was convicted of a capital crime - and the Inferno has always held special places for cowards and traitors.

Charles Rowland, in winter 1991, saw a bunch of cops beating on a Pakistani boy and jumped into the mess without a second thought. The cops happily switched objective and beat the shit out of him and he ran, swimming across a river - Prescott Channel - that they weren’t willing to jump into, and ended up shivering and bloody in an attic by its banks.

And Edwin Payne - Edwin Payne who was killed for running and for refusing to cause harm, and for liking boys a little too much - Edwin Payne ran right out of Hell and into that attic, and told the boy he met there, the boy he’d just seen executed by a governmental squad for daring to defy their wish to kill, the same as he was - “I shan’t hurt you”.

[fluff-n-cookies]

Thinking about yandad Dabi and his child who's now around 9-11 years old. Your writing has absolutely captivated me <3

Dabi starts getting more possessive, more protective, and certainly more assertive. He's your dad, after all—you HAVE to listen to him, no? It's too dangerous to go outside without him keeping an eye on you, you're still so tiny and fragile. He'll be damned if his kid steps foot out of the apartment without his say so, no ifs or buts.

After a long day of setting people on fire and committing various crimes, Dabi just wants to scoop you up into a bone-crushing hug and plop down onto the couch to snuggle his baby, paying no mind to your complaints.

While he's soft and affectionate towards you, it's a completely different story when it comes to others. Dabi is ruthless and aggressive, destroying anyone and anything that may try to take you away–much less harm you. It doesn't matter how small, Dabi will turn it into ashes without remorse. If you somehow figure out about his actions and try to make a run for it? He'd be crushed, obviously–Dabi can't stand the thought of you fearing him. Rest assured, he'd track you down and bring you back home, suffering you in cuddles while scolding you. He's your dad–you need to listen to him.

(Btw sorry about how long this became didn't realize I was ranting)

omg hi???? thank you for gracing me with this masterpiece??? wtf???? (lovingly)

For those who don't know, this post is related to these

Pt 1, Pt 2

and this is all so fucking true. I plan on making a longer fic on this (sorry to say that I haven't drafted it yet, I'm working on overhaul posts)

but he's so paranoid, so utterly terrified 24/7, he dead bolts all the doors and windows at night and only lets you go outside between 11 AM and 5PM unless it's for school.

speaking of which, he hates them for giving his baby so much homework and taking away from their time together buuttt he genuinely believes you need to get your education, don't skip out on highschool like he did.

and he does this thing, this god awful thing, after dinner, after your daily shower, and after getting you all nice and snuggly for bed and into your cat pajamas. he'll do this thing where he'll hold you tight to his chest while he flicks through the news channel.

now normally this would be fine, perfectly fine, if I weren't for the fact he either goes to true crime channels where they display the horrific acts of villains (himself included) live. he tells you that the world is a horrifying place, that that's how he burned himself, how painful it was, the scorching flames. he doesn't mean to traumatize you, it's just to warn you!

either that, or he'll go to news channels covering endeavor's problems, scandals, recent missions, interviews. please don't ask who that strange man with eyes like yours is. he'll hold you tighter and say in the lightest voice possible. "he's a bad man, don't you dare go near him, he'll hurt you like he hurt me."

don't say anything else after that.

he's just tired, so tired, and you're there, right when he gets home after running "errands". you're his reminder of what he's working towards, this future with no heroes and no pain that he's trying to build. the revenge he longs for and the aftermath where you thrive. really, you're the reason he gets up in the morning these days, the reason he stopped smoking in the house, the reason why there's no more beer in the fridge, only tenderly made lunches that he makes every Sunday to prepare for the week.

you're like this stress ball, this hit of Serotonin and Dopamine and what not. every time you smile he can feel his heart clenching. when he looks at you, he sees the boy he once used to be, happy. you're so happy, so pure.

he refuses to let you go out much, his reasoning being that the world's a terrible place. when you ask what's his job, what he does at "work" every day, he only chuckles.

"Oh baby, I'm trying to makes this world a better place, my job is to try and stop all the bad things from happening. I'm a type of... Freedom fighter, really."

and he so, so, so so so so so so sweet to you. you have never known Dabi, ruthless arsonist and serial killer. you have never known Touya, a boy lost in his own insanity and deprivation of paternal love. both are vicious, people, downright insane. one's a criminal the other's incapable of ever recovering from his own madness and fury.

the only person you know is your Dad, Dad's a nice guy, he plays doll house and dress up with you and watches cartoons with you every morning before school. he lets you wear his jacket when you're cold and left yours at school in your cubby, and he takes you out for donuts or ice cream monthly. sure, he doesn't have money, he can't buy you that many toys and sometimes they turn the light off because he missed too many bills, but he loves you. that's all you need to know.

Dad is a kind person, he's not Dabi or Touya, he's definitely not a hero. he's your dad.

And Dad does the best job of gas-lighting you to hell and back. you want to go outside after 5 or before 11? welp, he's not coming with you, sorry honey, maybe tomorrow. what do you mean you'll go anyway? the boogeyman'll get you! (it's him, he's the boogeyman, he knows you won't last a second out in the real world with your loving father's help and he's going to exploit it the moment you start to show independence.)

but it's very unlikely that Dabi would ever even get the chance to do this when you're 9-11 years old, you know why? because you'll be in Endeavor's custody by then. I refuse to elaborate since then I'll be spoiling the plot of Part 3 and I don't want that.

P.S. you wanna be tagged?

[quitealotofsodapop]

It was a normal day when the sky opened up. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. The sky didn't literally open up so much as a very noticeable portal to did and a eight figures had slipped through. They were warriors wearing celestial armor, each bearing a crest depicting a plum blossom. The only exception being the eighth figure, a black dog that trotted at the heel of the leader of the group, long slender tail wagging happily. The Celestial Warriors were quick to move out fo the public eye, slipping into a nearby alleyway to prevent themselves from being seen by mortal eyes.

"Remember," Erlang Shang reminded them as they looked took stock of their position and took the time to debrief, "We aren't to be recognized by mortals. If we are, our quarry would surely be notified and flee."

"Erlang, exactly who is it we are chasing?" One of his subordinate asked, "When you were called into His Majesty's chambers, you left eith suck a shocked and severe face and refused to say anything!"

"It was confidential and not to be spoken of where any could hear." Erlang explained, absentmindedly petting Xiaotian Quan as the hunting dog nudged affectionately agaisnt his leg, "I was ordered to keep quiet on the matter until we reached the mortal realm, for fear that it could cause chaos and panic among our people."

"Chaos and panic!? But the only person who is known to cuase such a reaction by their very mention is-"

"Our old friend, Sun Wukong."

The plum hill sages fell silent at their leader's words, taking in what Erlang has spoken of. Sun Wukong had been a figure many of them had not thought of in a long time, having disappeared over 500 years ago and never been seen again, in spite of many attempts to search for him over the centuries. That Erlang seemed so certain and to be given such instructions could only mean-

"He's back." The second in command of the soldiers stated, looking his leader directly in his eyes, "That's why we're here. He's causing mischief again and we need to bring him in."

"Soemthing happened during New Years." Erlang confirmed with a nod, "We do not know if this was something the Great Sage had orchestrated or not yet, but a powerful wave of very familiar chi has spread across the realms, originating from this city, and shortly afterwards three powerful relics had been stolen. All of them connected in some way to Sun Wukong, whom myself and many others recognized as the owner of the chi. We aren't here to punish or harm him, but the Emperor wants Sun Wukong in custody as soon as possible, before he can go to ground again. This is the first time in centuries that we have had a solid lead on his whereabouts and it is essential we do not do anything to risk him running because if we lose him here, we may not find him ever again."

"We'll have to wear human disguises." The second in command said, and with an brief flash of magic, each celestial placed a human glamour upon themselves. Illusions in place, they spread out, searching for clues as to what might have happened on New Years and, hopefully, the location of their old friend.

Erlang became hopeful when he heard tell of a young mortal boy who had taken up Wukong's staff, who was lauded to have recently saved the city from a terrible attack by a demon that had used some sort of venom to inflict a form of mind control on the inhabitants, the time coincidentally being at the time when Wukong's chi was felt and the items had gone missing. A solid lead, and according to the locals, when the boy isn't protecting the town from rampaging demons he works at a popular noodle shop owned and operated by a grumpy pig demon.

With that Erlang decided to investigate.

Across the city in Pigsy's Noodles' a golden monkey let out a yelp as he banged his head on the sink, rubbing the sore spot as he glared at the pig that was frantically cleaning.

"Exactly why am I fixing your leaky faucet!?" Wukong complained, "I'm a mechanic, not a plumber!"

"And I don't have time to listen to your complainin!" Pigsy yelled back as he dusted the ceiling for the fifth time that day, "We got an important guest coming over and the place has to be perfect! You owe us for lyin' for years, so get to fixin' it!"

"I-I didn't lie!? I just... didn't tell the whole truth!" Wukong tried to defend himself, before grumbling to himself, "What was I supposed to say, 'Hi, I'm the goddamn Monkey King! Please don't tell anyone!?'"

A spoon swiftly made it's point as Pigsy smacked the monkey upside the head with it.

"Don't get cute! I offered to make you lunch for this, so get to it! The VIP is going to be here any second!"

With a roll of his eyes, Wukong went back to his task, ducking his head back under the counter as Pigsy and MK cleaned around him. He was so busy grunting and cursing the faucet out, he hadn't even heard the bell over the door ring until he heard Pigsy greeting whichever customer came in.

"HEY! Dogs aren't allowed in the restaurant!"

He heard a muffled reply from the customer, something about a service animal, before the padding of feet caught his attention. Flicking his ear back, Wukong's tail twitched as he listened as the dog sniffed around, somehow having wandered from its owner and began investigating the place while it's owner argued with Pigsy. Wukong tried to shrugged the thought off, trying not to think about how the padding of those clawed feet or the huffing and sniffing sound of the mutter sounded just a little too familiar.

It wasn't his job to watch the dog nor is he responsible if Pigsy and the owner don't notice it wandering. He just wishes it didn't sound like it was coming closer to him. He has nothing agaisnt canids, but he will be the first to admit that ever since Xiaotian Quan had bitten him that one time he had been rather wary of them. Unfortunately for Wukong that didn't seem the case as he heard scratching and whining at the bathroom door where he was working. And the dog must have been smart too, as he soon heard a click and a creak as the door swung open, the panting getting louder.

And then he felt fangs nip at his tail.

With a yelp, he swiftly turned only for his eyes to widen in horror as he realized why the dog's whining sounded familiar. An all too familiar pair of golden eyes gleamed at him from a black and golden body, tail wagging victoriously as the very dog he had been thinking of mere moments ago stood in front of him, panting happily. Shit! Shitshitshitshitshit!!! If Xiaotian Quan was here than thay could only mean the owner outside was-

"OH! Hey, Doggy!" MK appeared at the door, taking one look at the puffed up and frightened monkey within and realizing soemthign was up. He tried to herd the hunting dog away. "No no, don't mess with Uncle Wu! He doesn't like dogs!"

Before Wukong could warn MK not to touch the dog, he reached out to try to grab the scruff. Instantly the dog went form happy to aggressive, growling at the boy as he snapped at him, causing MK to fall back.

"MK!" Wukong called out, "Get out of here! That's not an ordinary dog, it's a celestial hound! He won't let anyone but his master touch him!"

"A what!? Why's a celestial hound here!?"

"Believe me bud, I wish I didn't know. There's only one reason for this particular dog to be here and thats-"

Xiaotian Quan barked, a loud sound that Wukong knew from experience meant he was calling his master. He heard Pigsy letting out curses as he realized where the dog was and the customer, no longer muffled by the door and oh Buddha it really IS Erlang, making apologies as he presumably ran to get his dog. Wukong panicked as the footsteps, those oh so familair sounds of Erlang's boots, began to tower hesd in there direction.

"Shit! MK we need to hide, now! That's Erlang Shen on his way, he's here for me!" Wukong panicked, trying to get up form where the still half laid on the floor only for a large paw was placed on his chest, pinning him. Xiaotian Quan is smarter than any mortal dog, smart enough that Wukong has long known he could understand human speech just fine and act on what he heard, and now he's trying to stop Wukong form escaping.

Considering Erlang has his own true sight and any attempts he made to force the dog off of him would end in a very possed off Plum Hill Sage and a bite to the jugular, Wukong could only think of one solution. Get small enough to hide!

"MK! Hide! I'm gonna shrink myself."

"Sh-shrink yourself!?"

Wukong didn't have time to explain, he began his transformation just as the celestial realm's most powerful warrior rounded the corner, becoming the size of a bug within seconds, XiaotianQuan letting out a surprised yelp as Wukong suddenly disappeared form under his paw. He had only time to meet Erlang's surprised face before he fell into the drainage pipe, barely fitting for how small he had been, the sound of MK screaming following him as he too fell. Oops, it looks like he accidentally shrank MK, too!

Wukong resolved to fix MK later. Right now, they don't have a lot of time until Erlang follows.

Smash Bros Announcer voice: "With his Eyes on the Prize! It's Erlang Shen! And who's the goddest girl in the world but; Xiaotian Quan!?"

The second Wukong let his powers loose on New Years; Erlang's third eye lit up like a fire alarm. He'd know that energy signature anywhere!

So now the whole Plum Hill fraternity is in Megapolis tryin got find their monkey!

Xiaotian Quan's disguise is just her in her Service Dog vest - Erlang had her certified once training became available. She only gets so far into Pigsy's because of this fact.

Once Erlang actually catches up to Wukong, the monkey is surprised that the warrior wants answers rather than bloodshed. The most powerful demon king goes missing for half a millennium without so much as a letter, and it takes a full-scale zombie-spider invasion for him to come back! Not only that - but a bunch of stuff is missing from Heaven; namely things that could be used to create a cure/antivenom, but most importantly The Furnace itself!

Xiaotian Quan meanwhile, takes a slightly different route when she hears a distressed monkey pup. When MK runs from the Lady Bone Demon, he finds Quan, the celestial hound looking at him worriedly.

The Lady Bone Demon preys on another aspect of MK and Wukong's relationship, asking the Monkie Kid why his hero is always running away to make others clean up his mess?

At first MK thinks he's been left to face the hound on his own, only for Quan to push her nose at him - gesturing him to follow her towards her master and his mentor. Finding the Monkey King will be easier if she manages to reunite him with his pup!

It's a major sign to MK that not all of the Monkey King's past opponents want to meet him again for malicious reasons....

[pastaimpact]

Since ur a catboy and maid simp 👀👀👀👀

Catboy maid headcanons for xiao, scaramouche, zhongli, kaeya and diluc?

Like, they lost a bet and have to drink a potion from albedo that turns them into catboy maid or smth pls?

-mac bulli anon

if u see me rotting, no u didnt

Xiao’s displeased by the transformation, but he has better things to do than to get worked up by a small thorn in his side. He has evil spirits to get rid off, and archons be damned if he’s going to let a pair of furry ears and a tail get in the way of his duty. It’s an odd sight, seeing him swing around his jade spear with his mask on, only to be moe-fied by his ears.

He insists on carrying out his own duties, saying that your selfish desires to have him as your maid won’t overrule his original contract to Rex Lapis. Chances are, you won’t even get him into the maid outfit before he goes running off to dispel some spirits. It can’t be helped: Xiao is someone who values Liyue’s peace before he values anything else, although he does feel a bit fuzzy inside when he sees how ecstatic you are over how cute he looks.

If he does find a moment of reprieve, that’s your best chance to capitalize on his transformation. Xiao claims that he needs no attention or extra love from you, that he’s a yaksha who works alone out of fear of harming you, but he’s still someone who craves for the gentle touch of a fellow being. Tell him that he’s done a good job and that you’re proud of him while cupping his face, and next thing you know, he’ll have slotted himself against your body and tell you that this isn’t necessary, all while his tail wags around happily. Archons forbid that anyone tries to interrupt your cuddling session, because he’ll start hissing like an actual cat the moment your attention is turned away from him.

Xiao purred against your skin, his head resting on the area in between your shoulder and neck. He was always cat-like to begin with: coy, distance, but still gentle and affectionate at the right times. You fondled his ears the way he liked them, and his tail curled up in satisfaction.

“What a pretty kittycat you are,” you cooed, your voice low and calm, like the careful trills of a lullaby. “Always working so hard... Always caring for someone other than yourself... What a good boy.”

“...Keep going,” he murmured, scooting closer to you when you stopped petting him for a second. You let a smile grace your lips as you stroked his soft fur again, enjoying the way the catboy immediately relaxed against you. 

How adorable.

Scaramouche is livid, to say the least, by this change. He’s a Fatui Harbinger, and someone who demands nothing short of utmost respect and authority from those around him. Being demoted to not only a servant, but not even a human one at that, is a stain against his spotless, untouchable command.

The entire time he’s placed under your care, he grumbles and snaps at everything that comes his way. He mutters that you should be grateful he’s even putting up with this, and he might just flat-out refuse to do the things you ask of him—until you tell him that you’ll ask someone else, like Signora or Childe. Only then does he come scrambling back to you with a pout on his face and his ears pressed against his head to scold you and say that he could do a better job than any of those sloppy Harbingers could.

He also threatens you, saying that you owe him for humiliating him like this, but he also forgets all about being mean to you the moment you start petting his ears and scratching behind them. Scaramouche swears on his life that he hates being treated like this, but the way he clings to you and purrs loudly clearly says otherwise. He’ll get huffy and frown if you stop petting him, so be prepared for him to completely monopolize your time.

“I hate you for this,” he hissed, practically bristling in your lap. You bit back a laugh, feeling the way he wrapped his arms tightly around your torso, pulling himself as close as he could to your chest. “You’re terrible.”

“It’s ‘You’re terrible, Master’ to you,” you teased, burying your fingers in his hair to tease his ears. The Harbinger opened his mouth as if to snap back at you with a haughty remark, but he immediately melted into your touch instead, giving soft mewls and twisting his head against your skin so that he could feel more of your touch.

“I-I still hate you,” he grumbled, forcing himself to frown at you and huff. He dug his nails into your clothes, settling his chin on your shoulder so that you couldn’t see the blush rising to his cheeks. “Master.”

Zhongli has seen his fair share of oddities, being an archon and all, so he’s grown to get used to whatever life throws at him all while honoring his own approach to life and any traditions he upholds. While being transformed into a cat and a maid, for that matter, is surprising, it’s probably nothing more than a mild inconvenience to a god that once held the ability to shift into a variety of different forms.

He’s a skilled and knowledgeable man, so he’s more than willing to assist you in a variety of topics. His one condition while being placed under your care is that you treat him with the same respect you would show him at any other time. While he may be relatively polite and mild-mannered, he still was a very potent and feared God of War at one point in his life. He doesn’t expect much from you; just drop any funny business around him, and he’ll entertain you for hours with his knowledge about politics, arts, and other fine subjects.

Zhongli is good about keeping his emotions in check, and even with cat ears and a tail, it’s still fairly difficult to gauge how he truly feels. Of course, his new body does betray him every now and then: a flick of his tail to signify intrigue, ears pressed against his head for annoyance, a twitch of his nose for interest. It’s best not to tease him or pry into how he feels whenever he does make an odd movement, but it wouldn’t hurt to present yourself appropriately depending on whatever mood he’s in based off of his little actions. Besides, it’s not everyday that you can see someone as respected and feared as Zhongli in a cute maid dress with his tail swishing excitedly behind him.

His entrance was quiet, and the only thing that even signaled his presence in the room was the rustle of fabric as he walked towards you. His tail was still, and his ears perked up like it had been for the day, ever since he downed the transformation potion. “I brought you tea.”

You looked up from your paperwork, smiling softly at the former archon. You pulled a stray chair close to where you were seated, inviting him to sit down as he set the teacup down in front of you. “You shouldn’t have!”

He shook his head, his ears twitching with the slightest hint of satisfaction as he sat down. “It was about time you took a break. I thought I would remind you not to push yourself too far by bringing you something to relax with. Do drink up; I brewed it myself with prized leaves.”

Kaeya’s all about staying a step ahead of the game, and the moment fluffy cat ears and a tail sprout up on his body, there’s a good chance that he’s already found loads of ways to capitalize on his features to get what he wants. The best way to get information from anyone is to get them to let their guard down, and it’s hard to be intimidated by someone who looks like a stuffed animal.

Which is exactly what he does. There’s a good chance that Kaeya’s been observing you for a while, for whatever reasons he might have (be it personal or for the Knights of Favonius), so he’ll definitely use his cat features to his advantage. He’ll snuggle up to you and let you relax by teasing you with his tail and his ears, and he’ll let his silvery tongue do the rest as he extracts bits and pieces of information from you like he was extracting honey from a beehive.

Kaeya rocks the whole maid concept better than anyone else. Flexibility and adaptability are just a few of his many strong suits, and he might even go along with playing pretend with you just out of the goodwill of his heart. He’s extorted you already for loads of intel, so the least he can do to get you to keep staying so lax around him is to humor you just a bit. It’s also a good chance to see you smiling and laughing as you bury your head into his hair, and it sure doesn’t hurt to hear you gush over how much of a majestic catboy he is.

You felt his fluffy tail slink against your arms, Kaeya splayed out across your lap with the most smug smile you’ve ever seen from him. “Awwww, your tail is so cute! I wish I could just hold it and fall asleep! It feels just like a cloud!”

“Does it now, Master?” Kaeya purred, batting his eyeslashes. It had only been about fifteen minutes since he barged into your room to show off his cat features, and he had already gotten enough info about you to entertain him for weeks. “You can pet me more, if you’d like.”

You lit up, completely oblivious to the fact that Kaeya had you wrapped around his little finger. You were far too innocent, too careless even, and Kaeya found it amusing. “Oh, Kaeya! You’re the best!”

Diluc’s also fairly annoyed by this mess, but he isn’t one to viciously fight against what’s already happened. It is rather irritating to have to put all of his responsibilities aside for another day, but he’s capable businessman who’s used to having to adapt to all sorts of situations. Being turned into the catmaid is by far not the worst of his problems, but it’s enough of a change to actually make him think about how he presents himself not only to you but the people of Mondstadt as well.

He has maids around his winery, so he mimics his ow behavior with what he wants of them. Of course, you don’t make him cook or clean or anything like that, and similarly to Zhongli, he makes sure to treat you with respect as long as you do the same. Diluc’s a very pragmatic man, and he simply takes his duty as a maid to keep you out of trouble, accompanying you whenever you need to head out to protect you from stray monsters or helping you with any finances that you might have to sort out.

His only request is that he doesn’t let anyone outside of his immediate circle know about his current affliction. The last thing he needs is his reputation as a respectable tycoon tarnished, and he sure as hell doesn’t need Kaeya strolling around to mess with him. If it incentivizes you to keep the whole temporary catmaid thing under wraps, he’ll tell you that it can be a little secret between the two of you. It’s best that you give him your word, lest you end up on the wrong side of his stoic mannerisms.

“Good work today,” you remarked, offering up a meek smile to the Dawn Winery owner. “It must have been a lot of work. You know, having to deal with the whole transformation thing while running a business.”

Diluc glanced momentarily you, his ears pressing against his head. You wasn’t sure if it was out of annoyance or shyness, but you decided that it was the latter, as Diluc hadn’t walked away from you just yet. “It’s fine. Albedo said it should wear off any day now.”

“Mmm. But still, if you ever need help from me, let me know, okay? I know I’m your ‘master’ temporarily, but we’re still friends,” You laughed. The corners of Diluc’s mouth twitched as he turned away.

“Goodnight then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

[eveenstar]

Hey ya i remember the post you made of: If Danny's wife treated the Legion like her children. And i was just in love, and i couldn't help but notice the part in the post if Danny's wife was preggo...sorry ill just say it now hehe 😁. I was wondering if you could write something about when the Legion does help out the child of Danny...ya get my drift? Like Danny's kid gets bullied after school and Legion helps out? Extra points if the kid is in middle school or is a freshman.

Please and thank you...plus i just really love your work...this is my first time requesting something. 🥺😊❤❤❤

Hello!! Thank you for requesting and for loving my work ❤️❤️✨ It seems a lot of people loved those first HCs, I'm glad! Hope you like this one too <3

Danny Johnson (Ghostface) with a wife that "adopted" the Legion...PT2

Your pregnancy was a surprise to everybody. You and Danny never had a full conversation about having kids, maybe a joke here and there but nothing serious. And you adopted 4 unstable murderous teenagers that already payed off babies, so you didn't thought about it anymore.

Telling Danny the news was a bit scary, you thought he'd refuse to keep it because of the Legion. You two had a long conversation about it (it literally took 2 hours. Frank and Joey were making bets that you two would get a divorce and that was the reason you were taking too long). In the end, you and your husband had to give the wonderful news to the group.

"Well...We're getting a little Johnson running around soon." You said with a hand on your stomach, hesitant about their reactions. Especially Frank.

"I knew it! Give me my twenty dollars, Morrison." Susie replied happily.

"Fuck off."

Even though they took it great, and were happy for you, you couldn't help but notice Frank's mode dropped the second the news were announced. While Susie wanted to help Danny prepare everything, you went to find Frank.

He was sitting outside, on the backyard of your house. Something was wrong, and you wished you could help him more. "Frank? What's wrong?"

"Should we prepare our bags or somethin'?" There it is. That defensive attitude he takes whenever he feels scared by something.

"What do you mean?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at you once more, then at the ground. Oh.

"No, of course not dear. I would never do that."

"You're telling me that you want to keep people like us around your kid?" Frank mocked, "You'll get rid of us the minute it's born."

"Perhaps you are not acquainted with Danny's interesting hobbies." Frank shrough his shoulders and you sighed. "I would never get rid of you, no matter what. I made a promise, remember? To you all."

Morrison suddenly got up from his seat, his hands closed into fists. "Are you that fucking delusional? You think playing house with murderers is gonna get you far?"

"Frank..." You gently grabbed his hands.

"Fuck, I just..." He looked down, "I don't want to...shit."

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay to feel like this. Come here." You hugged him, which he slowly retributed. This wasn't the first time you two hugged, but it was still a rare moment. Even though you are the only person Frank truly opens up, he's a bit reserved when it comes to affectionate moments. He's learning, as you'd say.

Nonetheless, the pregnancy goes a lot better than you'd expect. Susie has literally filled your home with all baby-stuff related, Julie and Joey tried to help Danny find articles about how to take care of a baby, and Frank...Frank is over protective. He doesn't let you do anything that could possibly harm the child.

When the baby first kicked, Danny was all over the place. He put his hands on your belly and your foreheads touched, he didn't even mentioned a word, just stared into your eyes. (Bonus points, you swore that you saw Frank tear-eyed when he felt the baby kick). Susie was so sweet to you, and she wanted everybody to talk to the baby! She read in a article that unborn babies can hear you and now she keeps talking to it all the time. Julie and Joey roll their eyes.

When the baby arrived, a beautiful baby boy named Morgan (Frank and Danny decided that name! Finally they agreed on something for once.) that definitely got Danny's genes but he has your eyes.

Expect them to be big siblings to Morgan. Minus dealing with the homework. Like Joey said, "We didn't sign up for that part." and the Legion 100% agreed with him.

Oh, oh, but when they find out that Morgan, now a freshman, is being bullied in school? Hah, Legion's still got some good tricks on their sleeve to deal with people. Nobody hurts their family as long as they're around.

Danny definitely wants to deal with them when Morgan tells him what happened, but Frank said "They ran off when we scared them. No worries, they won't bother him anymore." Yeah, that's a code phrase Johnson is well aware of.

In resume, Morgan grows up with a particularly strange family and like I said, he has Danny's looks but he's got your eyes :)

[rocorambles]

Ok ok but listen to this: Imagine a Coraline au where s/o is tired of her boyfriend Osamu being so closed off and distant. Until she finds a door that leads to a better world with a nicer more charming...Osamu? No this boy is different. He’s identical to Osamu except the blonde hair so stark in contrast to her boyfriend’s own grey. He calls himself Atsumu and promises to be a better partner, a perfect partner. How can s/o refuse?

omg GRACE!!!! This is making me RABID. 

Warnings: Yandere, Manipulation, Kidnapping

Osamu is the picture perfect, textbook boyfriend every girl dreams of. He cooks well, he’s polite, he’s kind, he’s handsome. There’s really not much you can complain about and yet, behind closed doors when it’s just the two of you, you feel lost and alone. You’ve always known Osamu was on the quiet and reserved side, but you had assumed that once you two started dating he would warm up to you, open up, be more interactive. 

How wrong you were. 

The silence you had once found peaceful is now suffocating and you can barely swallow the delicious dinner Osamu had cooked as only the sounds of your cutlery and chewing fill the air. You’re tired, so tired, of the superficial small talk, the silent nods and small polite smiles he gives you, the way he sleeps with his back turned to you, so far apart that you wonder what’s the point of even sharing a bed. And as your boyfriend falls fast asleep, you silently get up and exit the room, restlessness keeping you awake as you make yourself a calming cup of tea in the kitchen. 

You open the pantry in your search for the container of chamomile only to pause when you notice a small door you’d never noticed before inside. Granted, Osamu is usually the cook, but surely you would have noticed this before even in the few times you rummage around the kitchen or Osamu would have brought it up, right? And yet, nothing’s jogging your memory and your hand inquisitively turns the handle, heart racing when you see the long foreboding corridor on the other side. 

In hindsight you’ll wonder why you resisted every ringing alarm in you begging you not to continue, begging you to close the door and return to the safety of your bed. But here you are, cautiously walking down and down and down until you’re gasping as the hallway opens up into the mirror image of the apartment you share with Osamu, except...it’s everything you wanted it to be and you think you must be dreaming as you run a hand over the paint color of the walls you had wanted but that Osamu had vetoed, as you squeal and bounce on the couch you had begged Osamu to get only to once again be shut down. The list goes on and on and tears stream down your face as you look around at what could have been, what you’d sacrificed to try and compromise with your boyfriend on to keep him happy.

Emotions are clashing so much in you that you don’t hear the footsteps treading towards you, screaming when a hand soothingly rubs your upper back. You whirl around shell-shocked when you see the familiar face. 

“Osamu?” 

But when the face boisterously laughs and gives you a cheeky smile so unlike your boyfriend, you take a closer look, eyes widening when you notice the only difference in appearance between this stranger and your boyfriend is his blonde hair. 

“Osamu did you...dye your hair?” 

Your brain urges you to keep on referring to this person as Osamu and yet, in your heart you hesitate. It’s true, the similarities in appearance is uncanny, but there’s something different about the confident way this person stands, the mischievous and excited glint in his eyes, the brilliance of his smile. 

“Not sure who this Osamu is, but my name is Atsumu, babe. Now what brings you to my home?” 

A dream. It has to be a dream. And yet, you have no urge to wake up, curious to explore this “new Osamu”, this new life, anything to avoid the dull reality you’d have to return to eventually whenever you woke up. 

In hindsight you’ll realize the small warning signs that this was more real than you had ever imagined, but when you want to escape reality so badly, it’s easy to be lulled into a false security and words tumble out of your mouth as you release all the pent-up emotions you’ve kept locked up, telling Atsumu all about Osamu, your strained relationship, your loneliness. It feels good to finally have a channel to vent even if it is just to a figment of your imagination and this Atsumu just quietly listens, holding you in his arms as you cry into his chest, and you melt into his touch, your body so touch-starved from Osamu’s lack of attention that you don’t notice the way his eyes darken and the way a predatory smile etches across his face. 

But his expression schools back into caring understanding and your chest tightens at the warm fond look he sends your way, so different than Osamu’s usual stoic gaze. 

“No one deserves to feel that way. Stay with me for a bit. Hang out here for a while. I’ll show you what it’s like to have the perfect partner.”

How can you say no to those affectionate eyes? And after all, it’s just a dream. What harm would indulging in your fantasies cause? 

And so you eagerly take his hand, ignoring the way the contact feels too real, too warm to be just a normal dream and you let him whisk you away. 

Years later Osamu will still be left to wonder what happened to you. Did you run away from him? Were you dead? With no body ever found despite how frantically he searched for you, it’s hard to say. But he swears sometimes late at night, when he’s in the kitchen for a midnight snack, he can hear the faint echoes of your voice from the pantry. 

[denkineptune]

lucifer, mammon, levi + secret pining

♡ yes yes im working on requests hehe

♡ just a kinda quick thing i wrote on a whim, idk man jdfkdjf i might do another with the next half of the brothers but this is all my creativity could pump out today, idk if i like it too much, but hey, writing is the only way to get better so have these crumbs

♡ characters: lucifer, mammon, leviathan

fic details: headcanons, 1.4k words, slight angst, fluff, sfw v pure, possibly ooc lucifer?? idk man i don’t know his character that well but for some reason i wanted to write him, gender-neutral reader

lucifer

↠most of the time, i don’t think that he’d keep his pining a secret. he’s a proud demon (avatar of pride, no shit) and he wouldn’t try to hide his feelings too much

↠of course, there’d occasionally be some form of denial, but he is quite the sadist so he’d probably enjoy knowing that you know of his feelings

↠with that being said, if he was secretly pining, something would have had to make him feel like that was the only option. maybe someone would try to harm you to get something from him (don’t forget he’s a ruler of hell), or diavolo forbade it somehow (unlikely, because diavolo is a lil shit and he’d enjoy seeing that unfold)

↠he’s not great at keeping it a secret, just because of his nature, but if he knew that he was forced to do so, he would take that shit to the grave. 

↠and by “because of his nature”, i mean that he’s not really secretive; he makes his intentions completely clear with his actions imo. he can keep a secret if it’s necessary, but otherwise, he’s not making much of an effort to hide things. if a secret comes out, it’s out

↠since you’re living in his house, there’s really no way to avoid you, so he interacts with you like a normal person would. maybe some “accidental” slips-of-the-tongue, praising you more than most would consider platonic, but not much else

↠but when you’re not looking, lucifer will look up from his paper work and admire you

↠he tends to defend you when one of his brothers says something even a little teasing, even though you constantly say you don’t need it

↠you likely have a sneaking suspicion that he feels something for you, but honestly he never does anything to confirm it, so nothing ever comes of your hunch

↠sometimes, luci will imagine a life where he was allowed to love you without having to worry about what others would do or say. he never really has his head in the clouds, but when his mind is otherwise unoccupied, he finds himself in a fictional world where you come to comfort him when he’s down, where you hold his hand and smile up at him, where you kiss him on the cheek and hug him just because you love him too

↠but of course, this is all fake

↠and lucifer will have to live a life silently watching you fall for another, just outside his grasp

mammon

↠he,,,,, he’s a dumbass. straight up- he’s an idiot. which, don’t get me wrong, is adorable and charming sometimes, but also can be kinda annoying. 

↠mammon thinks he’s being super sneaky about his feelings, but god, he’s obvious. i mean he blushes as soon as he sees you, doesn’t matter if you’re talking to him or not. he stumbles over his words and makes excuses to follow you around, claiming it’s because you can’t handle yourself, but everyone knows that he loves you- including, probably, you

↠i’m sorry but you’d have to be so oblivious to not notice his obvious pining- 

↠his brothers are so annoyed at his behavior,, like every time mammon makes an excuse to be near you, they just groan and roll their eyes because come on 

↠nothing prompts mammon to keep his feelings a secret, he’s just scared that he’ll lose you as a friend if he says anything. though, you do know, so it’s only a matter of time before you confront him about it, at which point, he will vehemently deny everything.

↠mammon’s a walking cliche, the living embodiment of the word uwu, who middle school boys would call a simp just because he’s nice. he melts any time you’re talking, even if what you’re saying isn’t something sweet. you bet he’s stayed up at night, thinking about you, wondering what being in a relationship with you would be like

↠would you be lovingly teasing? how affectionate are you with a boyfriend? would you play with his hair, let him fall asleep with his head in your lap, and hold him? what would your dates be like? do you like staying in, or would you rather go out? whatever you prefer, he’s alright with it, as long as he’s with you.

↠he doesn’t get much sleep on those nights....

↠it gets really bad, to the point where the people around mammon are practically begging him to confess. not for his sake or yours, but because he’s so,, obnoxious,,, he can’t talk about anything but you when you’re not around, he somehow manages to relate everything back to you in a beautiful way.

↠i think that he would refuse to say anything, though. he’s just really nervous, so you’d have to make the first move. he probably wouldn’t believe, at first, that you’re serious, thinking that it’s a prank rather than an actual confession.

↠once you assure him that everything is fine and that you do feel the same way, he gloats like a mf and does not stop for ages dlfkdl he’s precious, just let him be happy-

leviathan

↠he will ONLY keep his love a secret and i mean only 

↠ this mf will never reveal his crush on you because he is so,, anxious,, about everything. he’s very similar to mammon in that regard- he loves you so much, but if he confessed, what was he risking? you could be disgusted by him and stop talking to him altogether? you’re the only person who understands him, he can’t lose you

↠he has himself convinced that confessing to you is not worth the risk of you hating him, which is so sad c’mon man :((

↠with that being said, he won’t confess to you, there’s no chance of it. he manages to function semi-normally around you once he realizes his feelings, though if you get within a few inches of him, he’ll absolutely freak and run off, because he’s worried that he’ll get too flustered and you’ll catch on

↠he’s sure that you’d never like him back, but this doesn’t stop him from indulging in silly things that make his heart swell with love when he thinks of you, ex: playing games and using your name as the main love interest’s, sending you platonic love memes (you send some back, his heart stops), or writing letters to you spilling all of his feelings that he’ll never have the guts to send

↠he’s the kind to stare at you in class, get flustered when anyone teases him about his crush, and writes your name in cursive on all his school papers. his teachers are,,, confused,, to say the least

↠whenever you look at him and make accidental eye contact, his eyes dart away; he compares you to his favorite anime characters, and he’s even said that you’re more important to him than Ruri-chan on multiple occasions without being tsundere about it. 

↠levi might not want to confess to you, but that won’t stop him from trying to get you to fall for him. he gets pointers from asmo (an embarrassing experience, for sure) about things you like, he makes attempts to help you out without having to be asked, and tries to change his introverted behavior by offering to take you places for the day

↠being around you so much makes him anxious, he’s worried that he’ll slip up and reveal something you might not like, but he loves you too much to let you be around his idiotic brothers for longer than you have to be. if you spent too much time around mammon, well, levi’s not sure if he’d like you if you adopted his brother’s personality

↠you, once again, would need to make the first move. when you do, he deflects hard, almost trying to convince you that you could do better. 

↠he’s so insecure that he thinks that everyone else is a better option for you. everyone else is cooler, smarter, more confident. he’s just a geeky otaku with no social skills, why would you like him? you might need to do something drastic in order to convince him that, yes, you do like him, and yes, you are 100% sure that you’re not just ‘confused’

↠after that conversation, levi’s mildly panicked, too flustered to do anything right away, so you’ll have to wait til he calms down to talk to him any more. 

(although, bonus, while he’s cooling down, he buries his nose in your side, hiding his face, and it’s quite adorable.)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓅𝓉𝓊𝓃𝑒​​​​​☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

[indiavolowetrust]

THE OBEY ME BOYS AS CRYPTIDS

READ THE OBEY ME UNDATEABLES AS CRYPTIDS HERE.

LUCIFER

It has stood there for so very long. Strutted about a bit, sat down to rest, and strutted about some more when other children passed by. It is at an exhibit at the zoo, after all, but you can’t help but think it looks a bit strange. Are peacocks supposed to have pitch-black feathers with thousands of eyes on it? Are peacocks supposed to have a massive crimson eye in the middle of their forehead? Is it even a peacock? You can’t remember if this exhibit was for peacocks. Where are the other people at the zoo?

You read the sign. BENGAL TIGER, it says.

It blinks at you. Its thousand other eyes blink afterwards in unison. As weird as it sounds, you’re pretty sure it’s waiting for you to compliment it.

MAMMON

You think it likes you. Or, at least, it seems to think of you as a friend in some way. The white crow leaves you little gifts everyday on your way home from school. Bits of shiny twine, bottle caps, the occasional soda tab or two. And then you begin to show it more and more attention, even naming it something silly like “Money”, and the thing responds in something like affection. The gifts become more extravagant: a broken necklace made from silver, a single earring, a gold bracelet encrusted with dark red, and an old ring inset with precious stones, to name a few. A pair of expensive-looking cuff links, a whole pair of earrings this time, and a circlet.

And then there is what looks like a golden tooth.

Your mother tells you over breakfast to watch out for suspicious people. There’s been a lot of grave robbing, you see. They’ve been stealing jewelry from the dead.

You drop your spoon into the cereal.

LEVIATHAN

It may be a snake -- a really big one, actually -- but you get the impression that it isn’t really dangerous. I mean, it’s not poisonous, so the worst thing it can do is bite, right? And it doesn’t seem like it would want to do that. It hisses almost playfully when you pet it, wrapping its coils around your arm as if it wants to give you a hug, and a few times you even let it kiss you in the face. You know that snakes don’t really kiss, but what’s the harm in that?

Your crush from third period walks you home one day, holding your hand, and even gives you a kiss on the cheek when he leaves you at your doorstep. Tells you that he’ll see you tomorrow. You don’t see the snake for a while.

His body is found strangled to death a couple weeks later, his arms and legs covered in bite marks from some massive animal. The snake comes up to you the next morning, affectionate as ever. You decide not to do stuff like that anymore.

SATAN

He’s a stray dog. You’d have to be a monster not to give him scraps. So you do, and the dog asks for more. You give him more. For the next few weeks – months, even – it becomes your routine: you sit at the secluded spot in the school courtyard, the giant hound with green eyes saunters up to you, and you share its lunch with it. It naps in the shade while you do your homework after school, seeing how your older brother doesn’t always show up in time to walk you home after your after-school club.

The bully from your fourth period class throws you into the trashcan one day, laughing and taunting you. Her friends join her, and soon you are being surrounded and kicked and stomped on the pavement. But you don’t cry out. You won’t give her the satisfaction.

A blow to your head, and all is dark.

You wake up sometime later. The sunset is beautiful. The area around you is warm – so, so warm – and strangely wet. The dog licks your face and wounds again and again, and you try not to giggle at the sensation. He’s a good boy.

Aside from the carnage that now surrounds you, he is such a good boy. You’ll bring him barbecued meat next time.

ASMODEUS

You gotta admit, it’s a pretty cute scorpion. You’re not really sure why it’s pink or why it’s following you, but at least it hasn’t shown any defensive or aggressive instincts. So it can’t be that aggressive. You let it be as you take the long hike back to your camp site. Your fellow co-workers in the field wouldn’t even believe you, anyway. The damned thing is probably spray-painted or something like that. Some weird kid’s prank.

Strangely enough, however, you notice it scuttling around at camp. Your co-workers seem to be getting stung by a great many insects while in the field, but they don’t seem to mind it. Or even bother treating it, for some reason. Then there’s that weird behavior – no, you’re thinking into it too much. Comparing a bright pink scorpion to a succubus is a little too crazy, even for you.

And then a strange man with pink eyes and a tipped tail stands in front of your tent one night, a rather satisfied smile on his face. You’re the only one that hasn’t been stung, he tells you. It’s your turn.

BEELZEBUB

You’re pretty sure insects aren’t supposed to look like that. Or be that big, for that matter. But he’s kinda cute, being fuzzy and orange and all, and only wants a bit of food every now and then. Mama always makes too much, anyway. A half-eaten pork chop that you didn’t want, an entire plate of rice, extra dumplings – everything, you know? Mama can’t have dinner with you because she has the graveyard shift, your dad always stumbles home smelling like alcohol, and as weird as it is, this orange fuzzy thing is your only friend. So you keep feeding him.

You wake up to screaming one night. They’re arguing like they always do, but – but this time there’s something different. Something wrong. Mama lets out a high-pitched scream, and then all is silent.

Despite being only a kid and armed with a single frying pan, you burst into the room. Blood trails from Mama’s mouth and she’s unconscious, but she’s still breathing. Just barely alive. It looks like she got hit in the head pretty hard.

There’s the sound of eating from across the room. You don’t pay attention to it too much. The fuzzy orange thing saved Mama’s life, so that’s all that matters. And at least you won’t have to feed him for a while.

BELPHEGOR

He is quite possibly the laziest ox you’ve ever seen. Sleeps all day, sleeps all night, and refuses to pull even the lightest of carts. Your uncle says he’s nothing more than a nuisance, really, but he’s nice enough. He even naps with you on long summer days, acting as both a pillow and bed, and it looks like he even grows fond of you. He seeks you out in the fields, presses his big nose into your palm, and nuzzles you.

You run through the fields, your heart hammering in your chest, but you’ll be damned if you let the neighbor’s boy catch you. You’ve already seen something that you weren’t supposed to, and he knows. He knows, he knows, he knows. And he’s coming after you.

You hop over the fence. Shouldn’t be too long to the house now. He yells taunts and threats at you as you carve your way through the darkness, nearly running blindly, and then --

He grabs you by the back of your shirt. You scream. You see the glint of a knife, the murderous intent flashing across his eyes, and you know it’s over. You can only hope you die quickly enough.

The next morning, you wake up on something soft. Warm. The lazy ox grumbles beneath you, protesting as you sit upwards in a panic, and then you realize that you are safe. Last night was just a nightmare. It never happened.

And then you happen across the body. There is an indent in the grass around it, as if something massive had just fallen asleep on the body.

[z3llous]

Lost in the City

[ Sep 05, 2020 ]

Sanji x reader

Click . Click. Click. One foot after the other. Their shoes had hit the pavement in rapid succession. Around a corner, over a fence, up a building, and on the roof they went. His form trailed  behind them in haste.

Why? They didn't ask for this. Of all the people, why him? Just make it disappear. His existence haunted the deepest depths of their mind, blood pumping alarmingly fast at the sound of his laugh. They wished it would all just wash away.

He just wouldn't give up. Down the building and onto the sidewalk they dropped. As they began to run passed the sewing shop an idea crossed their mind.

"Pervert! He's following me! Help!" y/n yelled loudly in hopes of gaining the attention of some old friends.

Success. The older ladies of the shop raced out to help. They wouldn't let any harm come to their young friend.

---

It had started out as a small crush, easy to ignore. He never fawned over them, barely even looked their way. It was so simple to avoid those miniscule feelings. Keyword being "was".

Y/n was the Straw hat's artist. Their personal art was kept away from prying eyes. Until, he came along.

Early morning sun drifted over the quiet kitchen as their pencil shamelessly danced across paper, one stroke to the right, then a curve to the left. Vaguely aware of his presence, their attention was absorbed in their work.

Unknown to them Sanji had stopped prepping breakfast and was softly approaching. He leaned over their shoulder to see a masterpiece in the making. His hair caressed their ear. Y/n slowed down as realization had seeped in.

"The wispy lines make it look delicate, red ribbons add a nice pop of color, and the soft colorful shading really pulls it all together. It's probably your best work yet." Sanji said examining their work. His breath gently brushed  a strand of y/n's hair.

"Thanks." y/n answered as calmly as possible, refusing to show how flustered they were.

Sanji strode away at an even pace, unknowing of y/n's lingering gaze.

How dare he....

Y/n's face grew slightly warmer as they tried desperately to focus on the drawing.

---

Y/n slowed their speed enough to amusingly glance back at his suffering.

That broom has got to hurt

Hastily y/n took a left turn, rushing toward the bridge.

When they arrived here the crew was surprised to find that it was y/n's home Island.

Y/n wanted to take a small break from the crew and stay there for a month to study under a master artist. Luffy agreed, but decided to make a game out of it.

If y/n could avoid being touched by Sanji for a whole hour they could leave to study for a month.

Then why was Sanji, so determined? Well, they didn't mention it was only for a month.

Dust and dirt coated his shirt, hair disheveled, and yet his will untouched. He arose from the pavement. Left turn and to the bridge he ran. Y/n was a third of the way across.

---

Slash after slash. He couldn't get close enough to land a decent kick. He'd gotten himself into a fight with a skilled distant to mid range fighter.

Warm crimson dripped down as he panted leaning against a wall. He dropped to the floor desperately to avoid another shot. Failure. Yet another hit had landed. Aggressively the air was stolen from his lungs. His vision grew blurry and sound distant. He'd lost. A gun pointed to his head, it was over.

Blood splattered. Metal hit stone. A knife had embedded itself into the hand of the enemy. A familiar figure rushed in, blade in hand. The deed was done, and the body hit the floor.

"Sanji! Stay awake. I'll get Chopper. Everything will be alright." The shadowy figure said in an echoey voice before quickly disappearing from his sight.

He vision faded as a brown furry blob ran up to him.

Everything hurt. A light peaked in through the window blinding him. He turned his head to avoid the bright nuisance. The door creaked open and the little doctor walked in.

"Don't move around too much, you almost died. If you need anything or help going somewhere just ask." Chopper said as he checked for any reopened wounds.

"What happened? I know I lost." Sanji replied in a stained voice staring at the ceiling.

"Y/n was nearby and took him out. I was too weak after my fight to lift you, so they carried you too. Everyone else is busy and I'm still feeling weak, so y/n will be checking in on you." chopped answered before walking out of the room.

I need to thank them.

A knock came from the door.

"Come in." He said as clearly as he could muster.

Y/n walked in.

"Feelin alright? Need anything?" Y/n asked sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm doing pretty well for someone who almost died." He joked. "I could really use some water, if you don't mind." He added shortly after.

"Alright."

Y/n left for a moment and came back with a glass of water. His arms weren't in the best condition so y/n had to help him hold the glass.

Water dripped down his chin. Y/n carefully set the glass down. They leaned in and gently dabbed him dry with their sleeve.

Sanji's eye widened slightly and his view drifted to the floor.

"Thank you, for everything. I'd be dead if you hadn't stepped in..." He said quietly voice trailing off. His eye refused to meet theirs and remained glued to the floorboards below.

"It's not a problem." They said smiling. Their gaze traveled to his disheveled hair.

"Your hair is a bit messy. Do you mind if I tidy it up a bit?" Y/n asked finally gaining the attention of his avoidant gaze.

"N-No, go ahead." He said embarrassment filling him at the thought of how much of wreck he probably looked like.

Y/n left for a moment returning with a brush. Soft bristles stroked his hair. The brushing slowed wherever it got caught in a knot. They gently untangled his messy golden locks.

Warmth filled him and his heart fluttered at their whisper of a touch.

I might not have seen it clearly, but damn they looked so badass saving me back there.

---

He caught up to y/n quickly. They dodged his hand for the fifth time that day, sidestepping and shoving a large metal cart off the bridge.

They crossed the bridge as adrenaline slipped away. A lack of footsteps behind caused them to slow to a stop. He wasn't there.

Eyes traveled below to see a soggy Sanji washed ashore with the metal cart pinning him at the waist in such a way that he shouldn't be able get up. Guilt drifted in and so they made their way down.

Rough rocks crunch under their shoes as they cautiously walk up to him. Y/n squatted down to examine him better.

Slowly his head lifts to see them. The dust and dirt had washed away and in return a small scratch on his cheek filled its place. His arm outstretched to touch them, they were but an inch too far. It was clear that he was stuck.

Knowing their win was only a minute away y/n sat down before him. Bitter ticking drifted to his ears as they pulled out a pocket watch.

He couldn't win.

A coldness crawled through him and his heart cried for it to be a lie.

"Y/n, please don't go. Please..." His voice cracked.

They continued to silently hold up the watch  and stare off into the distance as time slowly slipped away from his grasp.

"Stay. Please. I can't lose you!" He cried out as he reached for them.

Tears began to slide down his face.

"Y/n, I love you! Please!" He pleaded, crying harder and reaching out for anything, his head down in despair.

Suddenly a softness made contact with his hand. Looking up, he couldn't believe his eyes. Sanji's hand was nestled into y/n's hair.

"3. 2. 1. Time is up, you win." Y/n said looking up and smiling at him from their now hunched over position.

Carefully the cart was lifted and set aside.

They pulled him up and held him close.

"It's alright, I'll stay." y/n said as Sanji clung on, his wet hair and clothes dripping all over them.

"Come on. Let's head back and get you all dried off." They said letting go.

Sanji lingered a few seconds longer before letting go.

---

The crew happily welcomed them back and the pair headed off to y/n's room to dry off.

Sanji sat on y/n's bed wearing an oversized sweater of theirs, bandage on his cheek. Y/n stood before him gently drying his hair off with a towel as he nuzzled his face into their chest. His hands gripped fistfuls of y/n's loose shirt.

"You alright?" y/n asked looking down to where his face was buried.

"I was so scared." He whispered.

Y/n tensed before wrapping their arms around him.

"I'm sorry...I was only leaving for a month." Y/n's voice escaped remorsefully as they rubbed his back.

He looked up, eyes wide.

"A month?!" He whispered loudly.

"Mmmhmm, I wasn't planning on leaving permanently...but I just couldn't leave a poor, crying,  baby boy behind. Wouldn't have been able focus on studying." They said quietly pulling him in close and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

He buried his face into their neck to avoid their gaze.

"Aww, it's ok. I don't mind staying with. My. Precious. Baby. Boy." Y/n said closely to his ear, slowing the pace to say each word separately for emphasis.

He held them tightly and refused to raise his head.

Y/n's hand slid down to lightly trace the shape of his side. He shivered beneath their touch.

"Do you like that? Would you like more, my love?" y/n said teasing him.

He nodded still not looking up at them.

"Alright then, as you wish, darling. Stop me if I go too far." y/n said with a hint of underlying mischief.

Their finger traced down his side, to his hip, across his thigh, and stopped at his knee for a moment. They began to work back before sliding under the sweater. They slowed to see if he'd stop them and when he didn't an affectionate warmth filled them. His grip tightened and they continued, sliding their hand up his back.

"Sanji, please look at me." Y/n said gently, tracing hearts on his back.

He loosened his grip to look at them. Immense heat radiated from his face and ears, eyes half lidded.

"I love you with all my heart." Y/n said leaning in and stopping a miniscule distance from his lips and looking deeply into his eyes.

He froze before closing his eyes and crossing the distance between then.

Y/n's hand slid down from his back and gripped his thigh lifting the leg up as the other hand was lost in his hair.

Y/n gently pushed Sanji onto the mattress as their kiss reached its end. They couldn't help but loving gaze down at him. He looked so adorable beneath them.

They pulled up the sweater looking repeatedly at him, to check if he was alright with it. He tugged on their sleeve dazedly. Leaning in they left a trail of soft kisses all across his collar bone, down the center of his chest, and worked back up to his neck.

Sanji leaned in to their touch and slowly slipped into a sleepy haze.

"Are you tired?" Y/n asked ceasing another trail of kisses.

Sanji nodded and wrapped his arms around the neck, pulling their face closer to him.

"Alright, you can sleep with me tonight, my precious prince."y/n said placing one last kiss on his cheek.

The couple crawled under the covers. Y/n pulled his head to their chest wrapping their arms around and tangling their legs with his.

He slipped away into a sweet slumber, engulfed in their love.

[lovehatemysme]

Head-canons/Reactions Master List

*separating my HC and fanfics masterlist! 

RFA with MC who scratches excessively when stressed RFA with Pregnant MC who’s horny all the time [NSFW-ish] RFA with MC waking up with a stray cat beside them RFA with MC who’s Latina/Hispanic that loves her culture and wants to teach them Spanish RFA with Pansexual MC RFA with MC who has natural big anime boobs RFA with anxious MC coming out wanting to be trans RFA with MC who vapes RFA with MC who age regresses RFA with MC having anxiety attack RFA seeing MC in a bikini RFA with an extremely affectionate MC RFA boys if in Rupaul’s Drag Race RFA boys meeting MC in a strip club RFA walking on MC who just got out of the shower [NSFW-ish] RFA going on a roadtrip with MC RFA with suspicious MC at the very beginning RFA with heavily tattooed MC RFA with Teen MC [Platonic ofc] RFA with MIA MC and comes back explaining she has been depressed RFA with MC who has an abusive ex coming back RFA with MC giving up everything to take care of her brother RFA with poet MC who uses poetry to cope with depression RFA (-Zen) with introvert MC who slips and disappears easily RFA with MC working as a disney princess RFA with MC baby talking to the pets RFA with MC who built a pillow fort RFA waking up to a 4 inch tall MC RFA with MC who’s procrastinating on an exam RFA helping MC cope with Migraine RFA with MC can’t sleep unless she’s listening to someone talking RFA with MC who dabbles on every hobby they can find RFA with MC whose real name is Rika RFA with MC who sings bad but is good in rapping RFA reacting to MC overworking herself because she was called lazy all the time as a child RFA with MC who has piercings  RFA with a non-binary MC

RFA + V with MC watching their daughter graduate high school RFA + V being in the delivery room RFA + V with MC who’s a protester for BLM Movement RFA + V with MC who relapsed with her eating disorder RFA + V with MC who can speak Russian fluently RFA + V being caught watching porn [NSFW-ish] RFA + V with MC who was a soldier and have PTSD RFA + V with MC surprising them with a sexy lingerie after work [NSFW-ish] RFA + V with MC who has a rescue house and full of baby possums RFA + V with MC who likes to ride extreme roller coasters RFA + V with MC who’s afraid of bugs RFA + V with badass MC in her judo class RFA + V with MC who likes to play otome RFA + V with MC who has new self harm scars  RFA + V with a really eccentric, energetic, loud, outspoken and slightly chaotic mc

RFA + V and Saeran about what makes their love/romance stands out  RFA + V and Saeran with MC playing MysMe but not their routes  RFA + V and Saeran with chubby MC who is very insecure and doesn’t like her body

Zen with MC who has filthy mouth when drunk Zen with coworkers who call MC his wife and MC finding it out Zen with MC asking the “would you love me if i was a worm” tiktok meme Zen and MC on a typical day Zen with MC who’s V’s twin but they don’t look alike Zen with MC who looks like Snow White Zen who has to delivery the baby because they couldn’t make it to the hospital Zen and MC having a baby that looks like a porcelain doll Zen with MC who’s a restless sleeper Zen agreeing on a wedding lingerie exchange with MC Zen with MC who has a multicolored dragon tattoo on her back Zen coming into the bathroom with MC only in a towel Zen with MC who has a tattoo on her hip and thigh Zen with Cheerleader MC Zen with MC who had her wisdom tooth removed Zen with a guitarist MC on a famous rock band Zen with MC who has drawings and sketches of him Zen with MC who’s an otaku and hardcore fujoshi; been doing the scenes in the books in bed Zen with MC struggling with eating disorder Zen with Firefighter MC Zen with MC who has asthma Zen with MC who’s having a hard time because both of her parents passed away Zen with MC who needs background noise to sleep Zen reacting to his 16 year old daughter who learns how to drive Zen with MC who loves cross dressing males Zen’s Love Language [Personal Opinion] Zen being a hands on daddy Zen with MC who broke a bone Zen in an episode of Superman Returns Zen seeing MC in the front row on his show Zen meeting MC’s ex who he has a lot of similarities Zen meeting nieces/nephews Zen with MC saying no having showers together until their wedding night Zen being pegged by MC

Yoosung and Zen with MC who wears sexy lingerie when they come home [Mild NSFW] Zen and V with MC who brings home a baby possum Seven and Jumin with MC who wants a Poly Relationship Yoosung and Seven with a fat s/o

V with MC who has triplets V with MC who joins drinking session with Jumin V and MC’s matching bracelets story Yoosung with MC having a big family Yoosung react to overhearing MC brag to her friend that she’s got the best boyfriend ever Jumin with MC who doesn’t know how to knot a tie Jumin coming home to MC who’s baking Jumin with MC who gave up baking  Jumin with MC who refuses to sit on his lap [base on Jumin’s bday CG] Jumin reaction’s on Elizabeth running away and coming back pregnant Seven with MC who likes to chill in front of the CCTV Seven with anxious MC but stayed because of him Seven doing MC’s make up Saeran with a new born baby girl who looks identical to him Saeran eating out MC [NSFW] GE! Saeran fluff with MC who likes to tease him Saeran reacting to more Dom!MC

Choi Twins Spa Day

Fanfic & Drabbles Master List

[mintvender]

Hello! I really love your idea! The boys' reaction when Y/N overworks and basically locked themself in their room/chamber? Hope this isn't too much! :D

Glad you’re enjoying them, love! Of course this isn’t too much, it really excites me that you are comfortable enough to even consider sending in an ask. Anyways, enjoy 😊🌿🌿💚💚

Harem!Au

BTS’s Reaction to Y/N Overworking and Locking Themself in their Chamber

Masterlist

Kim Taehyung

Taehyung’s would definately be worried but there’s a part of him that also understands that as the ruler, you are obligated to continue your work under any circumstances. Since the L/N dynasty is still relatively new, there will be many dangers that would approach and you have to do your part to protect the country. Taehyung, with his mastermind would try his absolute best to help you but as a consort, he can’t really do much as a consort is traditionally not allowed to be invested in politics. However, none of you really care considering how you became the ruler with male concubines ( an act that breaks the gender roles). Knowing that, you won’t just bring him into office with other ministers as it would bring more harm than good so you guys settled for yours’ bedroom and talk about the problems there.

As Taehyung is a very observant person, he would notice your sudden fatigue or pale expression at times but would not comment on it, knowing that you would refuse his claims. As a result, he would subtly inject himself in between you and your pile of work like the little minx he is, and offer you little treats to help you relax. At night, he would intentionally be much more affectionate; hugging you and pulling you onto the bed and cuddle you, trying to hypnotize you to sleep. However, this plan has a catch; his physique is too frail to even pull you. Many would think that as a tall and lean male, he would at least have the ability to pull you but unfortunately, brute strength is not his area of expertise. It was also one of the many reason why he was bullied as a child ( like a sack of potato). When he realized that he does not have the strength to do so, his immediate reaction was to pout and complain how tired he is and want to cuddle with you. Of course, Y/N could never resist his adorable expression even after seeing grow from a starved child to a young adult, so you willingly lead him to the bed and cuddle.

The little minx then continued his plan and as you guys talk about future plans, he began curling himself in your hold and melting into you. Seeing how comfortable he is, you slowly began to relax as well until both of you are both in dreamland, finally getting some rest.

“ Y/N-iee, get up! I’m tired and don’t have the strength to pull you. Let’s cuddle in bed and talk about whatever.”

Kim Namjoon

As your personal physician, he would know right away that you were obviously sacrificing your sleeping hours to work considering how similar you are to a panda. He would then warn you about the effects of overworking when he had the chance to examine you for your monthly checkup. Namjoon would then making you consume medicinal tea to help you relax while working. He would stand by your side, refusing to let you work until you had finish your bowl of medicine. Knowing that if he were to be firm, you would eventually listen ( courtesy to years of working with you). Because of his position, he could use that as a reason to be with you more often, claiming that you will work yourself to death.

As he is in your office more frequently, you would find yourself relax when in his presence and more often than not have a conversation going between the two of you. Considering how knowledgeable he is, the two of you can even talk for hours before even realizing how late it already is. This would be a never ending cycle for the both of you during this time, not that you both really mind the change. Even if you decided to lock yourself inside your room, Namjoon has the special to persuade you to either go out or let him in to help you.

Different types of oils and herbs that specializes in calming an individual would be kept on the little table on the side of your desk for Namjoon to used whenever he is there.

“ Y/N, drink this. No, don’t even think about finishing your work until you have finish this bowl entirely.”

Jung Hoseok

Unlike Namjoon and Taehyung, Hoseok got to know you only after you became the ruler so he does not have the opportunity to spend that much time with you. He also does not have your permission to enter your private chamber or office like the others so he just can’t just barge into your office like Taehyung usually does. Considering how he was taught, Hoseok would be more worried in losing your favour than worrying about your health. He just assumed that you are used to it considering how experienced you looked when dealing with the ministers. This is one of the situation where he would have to use his status to meet you; asking his wretched father to secretly ask you for a private audience. As time continue to pass by, his anxiety would only grow until the letter that you had personally written came to his doorstep.

Desperately holding on the letter, he praced his way to your chambers along with the guards that was assigned to him. When he finally got there and the guards were dismissed, he finally understood why you were so distant these past months. Piles of scrolls and manuscripts are piled onto seemingly every crevice of your office, with you working on another from your desk in the far back of the room. Skillfully he made his way over to you, sitting down on the chair once you have made a spot big enough for him. His palms began to sweat when you asked the reason asking for an audience, while the calming scent caused his adrenaline to spiked when he acknoledged that his reason was somewhat unreasonable. When you saw how he looked somewhat conscious, you asked again in a gentler voice, trying to calm him. After his heartbeat had decreased to a better rate, his mouth then ran rampage with his reasoning until you had to intervene, claiming that you were too busy and apologized for making him feel this way.

Satisfied that he was not neglected, he finally realized the condition of your office and offered to help you organize them. And with that, you find yourself a new little helper who is brighter than the sun, itself.

“ Y/N, where should I put this? There? Alright!”

Min Yoongi

With how your first private encounter with him went, you had granted him the permission to enter your courtyard when needed. As the previous dynasty’s crown prince, let’s say that surviving in the current one alone was not an option for him. As a result, he had came up with countless reasons to try to remain by your side, desperately afraid of being neglected yet also a bother. Yoongi knows that he has no power and is probably smaller than a sand particle, weak enough that the smallest gust of wind would send him flying across the field. As a result, he became your little office helper whenever he comes over to visit which was quite often.

Recently, Yoongi had picked up that you had seem particularly pale. Your eyes sometimes unfocused itself and your expression is simply horrid. Of course, he knew that you were working extremely hard but it was naive of him to think that you will be alright. His actions of trying to help can vary depending on the day. It could be from offering you a little smiles while helping you to desperately hanging onto you, begging you to stop working. To some others, it might seem very exaggerated but to him, after seeing how his father had died so easily, he imagined it would be as easy for you as well. With that being said, he can even be considered to be your little nanny who would be taking care of you during this time.

However, with him being there Y/N would most likely not be able to work for hours straight. Seeing him running around helping you while carrying a pout would distract most definitely you too many times.

“ Your majesty, y-you need to rest! Let me take care of this mess. I-I’ve been trained for this so trust me, your majesty!”

Jeon Jungkook

Jungkook is probably the only one who has a reasonable purpose of being by your side that frequently. However, he would most likely not be able to notice your change in demeanour until much latter than the rest as he takes his job very seriously, not wanting to disrupt you and only standing outside your room to guard it. He is also quite young and is used to not care about anyone except for himself so he might come off as naive at times. Jungkook finally noticed how overworked you seem when Taehyung asked about your scheduled. Poor bunny got yelled at by the consort for this when he just calmly listed out your schedule. After that he realized that maybe your schedule is a little too hectic but when it is accompanied by your accidental night shifts, it is too much.

Jungkook then began to squeeze himself between your schedule; interrupting different ministers that have questions after an audience, intervening your time with your desk to force you on a walk, etc. When it is time for your guys’ lesson, he would consciously move you guys outside to a better environment, claiming that your office is too cramped. At this time, he would try his best to soak up the information faster to not burden you more.

At times, Jungkook would sneakily leave small meals by the window for you, knowing that if he were to bring them directly, he would not be able to explain his reasons. Of course, Y/N knows this but they find it too cute to let the bunny know about his mischievous actions.

“ General Yoon, please save your opinions for another time. Your majesty has been working non-stop and now needs some time to rest. Please ask for a private audience next time. Now please excuse us.”

Kim Seokjin

Poor Y/N, the moment Seokjin gets notified about your recent habit, he would act like he is the emperor instead of you so good luck. having gone through years of haggling, the merchant seems to have a bountiful amount of energy when it comes to yelling at you. From yelling at the cause to the short and long term effect of you neglecting your health would drive Seokjin to lecture you nonstop. He would only stop after seeing how tired you are. The day after that, you were gifted a chest full of cosmetics and herbs from him.

Instead of asking for a public audience to suggest a trading plan, Seokjin would first ask for a private one to discuss it with your beforehand then go to a public one before finally deciding if it would be successful or not. For him, this plan would not only be better as it gives you and him more time to think, it also gives him the opportunity to be with you more. Considering his personality, your private audiences will be nothing but serious. You guys would not only talk about different plans but also spend time, bonding with each other as well!

As the wealthy merchant Seokjin is, he would bring different items he plan on trading with yours to your chambers to help you visualize the products better. He would deliberately leave some of the ones he think would suit you the best, claiming that he accidentally left it there but never really coming back to get it.

“ Do you think you are a child? You are old enough to know your own limits but what did you do?? YAH! Listen to me!”

Park Jimin

Jimin might be flirty but he isn’t naive. Recently, his attempts of wooing you seems to go through one ear and exit the other so he obviously know that something is wrong. At first, he thought that the problem is in him. Jimin tries to change himself to your liking but it doesn’t seem close to be hitting the mark. Slowly he began to cling to you, wanting to know what is stopping the two of you from bonding with each other. So like your first night, he sneaked into your private chambers. Unexpectedly, he found himself confused if he was really in the right room. Compared to his first night with you, the room was far too messy as of right now. The only space that was not occupied by stacks of paper was your bed that was currently being squished by you. Jimin slowly approached your tired form, finally understanding what had been happening these past months.

As he is quite affectionate, Jimin could not let himself waste this chance to cuddle you. The next morning, you worked up with your legs tangled with his, confused how he managed to get in with Jungkook guarding outside but deciding to not question it considering that he is not a threat. Jimin would sleepily flirt with you, teasingly saying how clingy you were towards him last night which was probably the opposite.

From that day on, Jimin would appear in your chamber at unexpected times during the day to cuddle you or to hug you. This of course would distract you but it is a welcome distraction.

“ You were hugging me so tightly that I thought I would suffocate. Of course, you can always do that to me. As long it is you~”

~MintVender

[corner-stories]

for it isn't a dream (not a dream after all)

Calem. Serena.

Love At First Sight. Origin Stories. Impoverished Patricians.

19th Century Period Drama But Make It Pokemon.

13123 words

(ao3.)

…

…

…

(in my life)

…

…

…

Calem Bellamy-Beaufort had been born from diamonds, but raised in the dirt.

At birth he was named Baron Calem Xavier Trevelyan — his middle name representing his paternal grandfather who had earned a war fought generations ago, his surname representing the Galarian Viscount that was his father. Said Viscount had won over Calem’s Baroness mother on an endless wave of charm, promising a life of wealth and prosperity if they started a life together.

Had Calem’s mother knew what the deceitful nobleman truly had in store for her, she would have never let him into her world. Viscount Trevelyan had drained the Bellamy-Beaufort fortune, squandering the riches on horses and wine and women despite the wellbeing of his wife and child being at stake. Nowadays Kalos did not recognize the title of Baroness Bellamy-Beaufort, especially after her husband abandoned her and her four-year-old son to join his lover back in Wyndon. The impact of his actions had been enough to sully the Bellamy-Beaufort name, causing his once affluent wife and child to live in squalor.

As a result, Calem has few memories of his father. He only knows that the peaceful life he used to live in Camphrier Town had suddenly ended when his mother sold all her belongings and moved them to a desolate shack outside of Coumarine City. He was too young to comprehend what exactly his father had done, only that all the shouting matches between his parents had culminated in the man leaving and his mother breaking down in heavy tears.

From the moment Calem could walk, he began to work. Before he could read, he learned to shine shoes, usually cleaning the boots of soldiers and brogues of noblemen. His efforts had earned him enough francs for food as well as the affectionate nickname “Xav” amongst the troopers stationed near Coumarine. He earned coins by selling newspapers to the citizens of the city. He would stand on street corners with a paper in hand, giving out news of Kalosian Lords and Dukes as if he was never one of them in the first place. His mother took up honest work in a manor, where she served those who turned their noses at her and would never even think that the scullery maid ever lived a life amongst the diamonds.

At the age of thirteen, Calem had decided that his future resided in the heart of Kalos. The stories of the great city of Lumiose had clouded his mind and refused to leave. He did not even know exactly what he wanted to do with his life, just that the key to his life resided in the city of lifes. All he needed to do was actually make the move to discover that dream. His mother told him to stay with her, as she believed otherwise and that his future was by her side, but Calem persisted until his mother gave in. All young boys left home eventually, she just didn’t think that it would happen so soon.

To fund his move, he began working harder — selling more papers, shining more shoes, and even taking up work at a nearby Skiddo ranch to earn extra francs.

Calem went from a quiet little boy who shined shoes in street corners to a tall, admirable young man. His hair was black like the night’s inky skies, his face was sharper than the blade of a soldier’s sabre, and his eyes were blue like the water off the Ambrette coast. In another life where the world would acknowledge him as the handsome young Baron of Rivière Walk, he would have made strides within the Kalosian ballrooms and could have attracted many pairs of eyes to his angelically handsome face.

He left at age fifteen and never looked back. He kept his mother in his heart and sent letters to her as often as he could. He promised her that he would send a small percentage of his earnings, praying to Arceus that it would somehow keep her afloat.

Calem was not formally educated, but he could read and write and his arms and legs were as strong from his years of physical labour. He first found work at a shoe shining stand near Lumiose Station, occasionally playing with the napping Skiddo between shines. Six months later, his employer let him go due to the Kalos monarchy’s insistence that its citizens pay even more taxes. That left Calem to find work as a courier, where he would travel the city delivering packages and messages to Lumiose’s countless citizens and visitors.

…

…

…

A year into his stay in the city of lights, Calem comes across something digging through the garbage in the alley behind his apartment. Despite his muscles aching from a long day of work, his curiosity gets the best of him and he approaches the rummaging stranger.

After getting closer, he discovers that the thing rifling through food scraps and broken furniture is a little creature no taller than his knee. Its body is brown, but the claws on its feet are pale white and the spikes on its head are green. Calem is taken aback, as he has never seen a creature like this before — it differs greatly from the Skiddo and Gogoat he had grown up around.

Eventually, the tiny creature stops rifling through the pile of trash and looks up at Calem — its eyes are black and beady and frightened. It shows fear in the presence of a person who means no harm.

Calem acts on his first instinct.

“Hungry?” he asks. He reaches to his satchel and pulls out a half-eaten loaf of bread, a tip granted to him from a particularly happy client. The bread is unlike the soft and buttery brioche given to the more fortunate, but the few bites Calem has taken has given him enough strength for the day and he no longer needs it.

So Calem kneels to the ground, holding the bun out to the little creature with green spikes on its head.

“There is nothing good in the garbage,” he explains. “That’s for sure.

Curiously, the creature takes a few steps towards Calem and sniffs the bread curiously. Before he knows it, the creature starts nibbling on the loaf. Judging by its reaction, the bread is clearly more desirable than the rotten cheese and veggie scraps in the trash.

An hour later Calem has brought the creature into his minuscule apartment — a living space that only really has room for a cot, a desk, and a stove. He has nothing else of value on him but a few borrowed books, a stack of stationary, the blue overcoat his mother had given him before he left, and a little bit of food to get him through his days. He lets the little creature have some grapes and cheese while he reads his books, attempting some research to better understand the situation. After flipping through enough notes written by men more brilliant than him, Calem finds some information on the creature in his room.

Its official name is Chespin — the green spikes on its head are soft but when flexed grow hard enough to pierce a rock, its curious tendencies get it into trouble, its optimistic nature makes it an uplifting partner creature for anyone to have.

It takes no time before Calem decides to keep it.

…

…

…

(she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun)

…

…

…

On an autumn’s day, Calem is seventeen. The soles of his well-worn boots slap the cobblestones as he heads towards Jaune Plaza. At his feet is a never-ending ball of energy that refuses to stay down, yet Calem absolutely loves it to pieces. At one point, Chespin climbs up the tails of Calem’s coat and perches on the young man’s shoulders, garnering a soft smile from his master.

“The view must be better from up here, is it?” he says.

The two walk south on Hibernal Avenue, where the whole street is aglow with citizens and creatures. Locals argue with food vendors, tax collectors roam around alongside their fearsome Houndoom for protection, and scholars walk upon the cobblestones with a vacant pondering in their eyes.

Calem passes by the more well-dressed men who walk alongside well-groomed Furfrou and pampered Pyroar. In his heart, he knows that they would never look twice at a young man like him, with his ratty blue overcoat and scuffed boots. Yet somehow, Calem finds himself listening in on their conversation. For all the disdain they may show him, his curiosity persists.

He hears the two men talk of books and writings that are only valuable to those who can afford it. They are too old to be students, so he guesses that they are perhaps professors, maybe of medicine or art or breeding of the creatures that surround them in this world.

Soon enough, the two wealthy men pass him by. Like the young man had suspected, they do not look at him twice.

Calem then hears the sound of splashing.

He glances across the street to see another creature running amok — this one is short, blue, has a cape of bubbles hanging off the back of its neck, and owns a pair of bright yellow eyes that crinkle as it smiles. The creature currently splashes about in a puddle, rolling around as if it were an infant just learning how to move. Calem can’t help but stop and watch it go — he’s never seen a creature like that before.

“Froakie, you silly thing!” says a voice.

The creature rolls out of the puddle and shakes the water off its skin. Using its skinny legs, it hops over to the bottom end of a dress skirt and leaps into the arms of the wearer.

Then Calem sees her.

Her hair is golden blonde and sways in the wind, her eyes grey like steel, and her smile as she holds her creature is absolutely delightful. She wears an immaculate black dress and ornate hat in a scarlet hue, something that could seem so common yet makes her stand out like she’s the only person on the street.

Like a fool, Calem can only stand there and stare. To say that she looks beautiful is an absolute understatement. His heart beats faster than a star falling from the sky, his world feels like it’s spinning around.

Then she looks up.

The stranger’s eyes meet his. They widen slightly just like his as she takes him in from across the street. As she holds her creature in her arms, her mouth is open but still, as if she’s looking for the words but does not know what to say. Calem doesn’t know what parts of him make her look at him that way, but he doesn’t question it.

The two make no sound as the world of Hibernal Avenue moves around them like a clock.

An older man then taps the young woman’s shoulder. Just like her she is very well dressed with a spotless tailored coat and a top hat that makes him look rather tall. She looks to him as one would to a father and he motions for them to go down the street. She nods politely and follows, giving Calem one more longing glance before disappearing into an alleyway.

But as she walks, Calem notices something falling from her person, an item seemingly slipping out of the basket she carries.

Acting indifferent to his own rationale, Calem takes a few steps forward. He arrives at the spot of the dropped item and picks up, soon learning that it is nothing more than a simple white handkerchief. With the little cloth now in his hands, he looks down the alleyway in search of the girl with the golden hair.

But to his despair, she’s gone.

…

…

…

Calem meets arrives at a Jaune Plaza Cafe, a small establishment that sells things like ale and wine and a stew that is rather palpable as long as one doesn’t question what’s in it. He finds his friends sitting at a table in the corner and takes the empty chair on the right. Chespin then hops off his shoulder and decides to sit on his master’s lap.

His friends do not press as to why he arrived late and continue their conversation like nothing has changed. As Calem orders a meal, he hears one of his more talkative friends tell an amusing tale.

Shauna Jan is a short girl of only fifteen, her eyes are bright green and her hair is deep brown and long enough that it goes to her waist. When she speaks, she always does so with a happy spirit to her high-pitched voice. When she smiles, her eyes get small and crinkle at the corners. She works at an Inn in South Boulevard, an establishment run by her parents that is a far cry from Hotel Richissime, but known to the common-folk as a safe place to stay in such an unpredictable city. Her partner creature is a chipper little thing called a Skitty, which prefers to nap near its master’s feet as opposed to doing anything else. She currently tells a tale of an incident earlier today where she caught a customer trying to pilfer some wine bottles that he did not pay for. Calem listens and learns that Shauna got to chase the man away with a broom, something her father was rather proud of her for doing.

The story garners a laugh from Calem and his other two friends. Sitting beside Shauna is Tierno Todaro, a paunchy seventeen-year-old who loves life as much as he loves a good waltz or schottische. With a grin, he puts an arm around Shauna and congratulates her for a job well done. He then goes on to say that his job — a sanitation position at a shop on Hibernal Avenue — is not remotely as interesting. The most amusing thing he sees is rich merchants and scholars roaming the streets all day, as if their lives are so unfulfilling that they must walk around the common folk to feel alive again. Even his own partner, a clawed creature referred to as a Corphish, gets more out of its own existence than the wealthy.

When Tierno expresses his thoughts on scholars, Calem looks over to the more silent friend of the group, the shy and brainy Trevor Pascal, a young fifteen-year-old who is shorter than Shauna and has a head of bright orange hair. He is the quietest friend of the group, but that is only because he does not speak unless he sees it necessary. He’s a boy who dreams of studying Pokemon and prays that his job selling newspapers will somehow fund it. Knowing that it is Trevor’s goal to become a scholar, Calem wonders if the boy will say anything in the event of Tierno’s comments about them, but upon glancing over he only sees Trevor with his eyes glued to the pages of a book. Even his partner Flabebe seems more interested in reading than paying attention to anything else.

Calem and Trevor’s dreams are awfully similar, the only difference being that Calem simply wants to discover what other creatures the world has to hold, whereas Trevor is content with studying what humanity has already found.

The friends continue to talk about their current lives. As the conversation goes on, Calem feasts on a bowl of stew — or as Shauna likes to call it: brown mush. The taste in question is rather unremarkable, but it’s something Calem looks forward to after a day of work. It’s his usual meal when he doesn’t have any extra coin on him, meaning that he eats it quite often. Despite the dubious origins of the stew’s meat and vegetables, it has kept him alive for this long and his stomach has yet to reject it. Even his Chespin doesn’t refuse it when Calem offers up a spoonful to his partner.

As the friends talk, Calem stirs the brown mush boredly as the sound of his companions and the cafe’s other patrons turns into plain ambiance against his ears.

“Calem?” says Tierno’s voice.

He does not hear him the first time.

“Calem!” Tierno’s voice says once more. He reaches over and taps his friend’s shoulder. “What’s wrong with you today? You’re not usually this silent.”

“Have some wine,” Shauna suggests, motioning to the bottle in the middle of the table. “Tell us what’s going on.”

Calem glances up and meets his friend’s gazes with his own. Even the shy Trevor looks worried for him.

“I had a long day,” he tries. He pats his Chespin on his lap, as the little one has started to nap. “We went all over the city searching for one customer.”

His friends nod along. They understand his job, as it’s a hair more physically more involved than their own. He spends his days running across the streets of Lumiose with packages or messages in his satchel. People call on him to deliver because they know he’s fast and dependable. When they need an object or letter sent inside city lines, the citizens of Lumiose simply call for the boy with the blue coat and the head of dark hair.

Today was no different, as it took Calem and Chespin hours to track down a man named Clemont Charpentier, an apparent inventor who dreams of making mechanisms to improve humanity’s life among the fantastical creatures.

Calem tells the tale and hopes that it will be enough for his friends. His better judgement tells him that they do not need to know of who he saw today, and how in a single moment, his entire world felt as if it had changed.

…

…

…

Throughout history, the strange creatures that inhabit the world — despite all their differences — had one shared trait: an eagerness to fight. So in the basement of the Jauna Plaza Cafe is an illicit operation, a tournament of sorts where people put their partner creatures against others. What started as a form of entertainment for the commonfolk evolved into a game for people to play in order to show off the strengths of their creatures. Tournaments like this were popular with the more wealthy folk, but are nigh impossible for a working person to spectate, let alone participate.

Despite his young age, Calem has built a reputation for himself in the basement of the cafe. Every week, he and his Chespin will see what opponent they can take on. The first had been a man with a creature called a Litleo, another had been against a winged being called a Noibat, and the most memorable was against a bulky pink beast referred to as an Audino. Those who do not know him as the messenger boy in the blue coat know him as the one commanding the mighty Chespin to victory. Although he gets mere coins for his fights, Calem accepts any winnings in stride and tucks them deep into his pockets.

Tonight is no exception, as after the meal, he and his friends head down to the basement where a world of competitors awaits him. Tonight he and Chespin go against a creature they have never seen before. The opposing creature’s master calls it an Azumarill and despite its stubby legs and floppy blue ears, it proves to pack quite the punch.

But Calem and Chespin persevere. In the cramped walls of the cafe basement with a crowd of people cheering them on, Calem and Chespin ride on a wave to victory. Calem fights as if he is a soldier and keeps up a sense of honour as if his family’s title had never been sullied.

…

…

…

Night comes and Calem walks Shauna to her home on South Boulevard. Skitty and Chespin walk in front of them like guards in Parfum Palace. Calem keeps his hands in his coat pockets as Shauna leads the way and proceeds to chat his ears off. They walk down the street and pass a street performer, a young girl no older than ten who sings a wistful song for the citizens of Kalos to drop coins into her tattered brown hat.

Lumiose is always dreary at night, a harsh contrast to the lively city it becomes during the day. What once was a bustling metropolis feels like the depths of the desolate woods once the citizens retreat indoors. The street lamps can only do so much to let the life of the streets survive.

Calem cares for Shauna like one would a little sister. He protects her like a young Pancham that has only been brought into this world. He watches over her like any big brother would.

It helps that she knows of his past, knows why he has come to Lumiose, and knows why a child with a double-barreled surname like his has been taking up work as a lowly courier in a tattered coat. She knows that his mother gave her own name in order to avoid any association with his bastard of a father.

“Calem, what’s wrong with you?” Shauna suddenly asks.

He blinks, then eyes his friend as they continue to walk. “What do you mean?”

“You’re still lost in that haze,” Shauna says and she knows she’s right. “What’s really wrong with you today?”

Calem sighs and digs his hands deeper into the pockets of his coat. He knows that Shauna will simply press even more in any attempt to hide. Most people see Shauna’s excitable and impatient nature and assume she is not as bright as her disposition, but those people would be very surprised to discover just how good she is at getting secrets out of a person. The Kalosian Army would make a good spy out of her.

“Promise you won’t tell the others?”

Shauna puts her hand on her heart. “Not a soul.”

“I saw a girl today,” Calem explains. He tries to remain calm as if his words mean nothing at all.

Shauna begins grinning like a fool. “Was she pretty?”

“She was…” Calem starts, but then struggles to continue. “She was a girl I have never seen before.”

He thinks back and tries to remember the face of the girl, from her long flowing hair to the wistful look in her pretty eyes. He tries to recall if he had ever delivered letters to either her or the older man who appeared to be her father. For the life of him, he can’t remember a thing.

“I only saw her for a minute there,” Calem tells Shauna. “And she was gone.”

Shauna lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Good Arceus, is Calem Bellamy-Beaufort in love at last?”

Calem eyes her quizzically. “What do you mean by that?”

“She must have been heavenly to have caught your eye,” Shauna suggests, motioning forward to Chespin and Skitty in front of them. “Tierno says that you carry yourself like you’ve never seen a woman in your life.”

He scoffs and sharply says, “That’s absolutely preposterous, my mother raised me.”

Shauna lets out a laugh and Calem finds himself smiling. He avoids her gaze and looks down to the Lumiose cobblestones. “That girl though, she wore a black dress and a red hat… and I may never see her again.”

“A love story for the ages,” Shauna comments in a playful voice. With a cheeky grin, she strides forward and leads the two on their way down the streets.

When they get to South Boulevard, Shauna asks Calem a simple question.

“Can you tell Tierno I won’t be able to make it next week?”

Calem nods his head. “Are you busy?”

“I have to take some extra shifts,” she says in a tone that’s less bright than her usual voice.

Concerned, Calem begs another question: “Is something wrong?”

Shauna looks down. “My mother has fallen ill. Father needs me to cover more shifts so we can afford medicine.”

To see Shauna looking so downtrodden is strange. She may very well be the most cheerful person that Calem knows, yet even her sunshine demeanor is susceptible to the reality she exists in.

Calem starts to think, which causes eyebrows to knit. As he and Shauna get closer to her family inn, a choice dances in his head. He turns to Shauna and looks her in the eye.

“How much money do you need?”

Shauna blinks. “What?”

“How much does the medicine cost?” Calem tries again. He turns to her and speaks with conviction in his voice. “I can cover it.”

Shauna shakes her head. “Calem, I cannot take anything from you.”

Calem stops walking and begins digging through his pockets. He pulls out some coins and a single banknote. It’s nothing compared to the fortune his father gambled away, but he holds it to Shauna like it’s fit for a king.

“You can pay me back later,” he says. “Shauna, I trust you.”

Shauna looks hesitant as she eyes the money. Eventually, she starts counting in her head, then takes most of the coins that her friend holds. She counts the coins with the same unsure look in her eyes. Once she’s done, she looks up to meet her friend’s gaze. Although she still looks uneasy, she says:

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Calem says, nodding his head.

“I shall pay you back as soon as I can,” Shauna promises. “If there is anything I can do for you now, please tell me.”

For a second, Calem thinks. He then says the first thing on his mind. “Actually… is there someone you can find for me?”

…

…

…

Calem’s apartment is a hole in a wall in the otherwise vast city of Lumiose. For all the city’s talk about beauty, the accommodations for the commonfolk were often dingy and infested with small creatures they referred to as Dedenne. Calem’s place in particular is cramped and constricting, but it’s enough for him and his partner.

When Calem returns to his abode, his Chespin is absolutely exhausted. He removes his coat as his partner creature stumbles through the room and hops onto the bed.

Calem wastes no time in finding the loose floorboard by his bed and lifts it up, revealing his hiding place with all of his valuable belongings, like his life savings and the wedding ring that his mother told him to save for an important occasion. He empties his pockets and places the money that he has next to the rest. He then replaces the floorboard back over his valuables.

As his Chespin naps, Calem goes to his writing desk, procures a piece of paper and a pen and writes a letter to his mother apologizing for not being able to send funds this month.

…

…

…

(tell me child, what is your name?)

…

…

…

Serena Johanssen was born in the dirt, but raised among diamonds. Nowadays she lived a happy life under the loving eyes of Augustine Sycamore, a scholar who had taken under his wing and loved her like they were father and daughter.

Of course, Sycamore wasn’t her actual father. While their eyes were the same shade of grey, her hair was bright like honey, his was dark like a shadow. Her smile was soft and gentle, his was charming and alluring. She spent her days reading stories and reports from lands beyond the city, he spent his days researching and studying. But that did not matter. They might as well have been related by blood because Sycamore raised her like she was his own.

They had met years ago outside of Lumiose, at a time of Serena’s life that was very unlike the way it was now.

For as long as Serena could remember, she was not like the other girls she knew. Instead of having ribbons to tie in her hair, she had shoes so thin that her little toes would turn red in the cold. Instead of having a loving Mama or Papa, she was watched over by the owners of the Dendemille Inn, a husband and wife who had taken her from a children’s home and promised her shelter as long as she did what she was told.

Serena could not remember her life before, even the supposed memory of her living amongst other orphans and street rats felt fuzzy in her head. All she could ever really acknowledge was that despite Kalos being a region of beauty, Dendemille was a city under constant cover of clouds. Even if snow would not descend from the frigid skies, the ground would be cold.

Sometimes Serena asked her caretakers where she had been before she had been placed in the children’s home. What they told her was that they were actually old friends of her Mama, that connection being the reason they were able to adopt her and have her live in the Inn. When Serena asked about her Mama, her caretakers would never answer beyond giving her name, which was Grace.

Serena’s days were often cold, but the nights were even colder — during evenings where she would sweep and scrub every corner of the Inn with her tiny hands, she would huddle near the hearth of the fireplace in a desperate bid to bask in the remaining warmth of the embers. Her meals consisted of a thin gruel that was varying shades of grey and brown but mostly grey.

Sometimes Serena would let herself dream. There was a shop in Dendemille with an open window, and in that window was a doll clad in a pretty pink dress and blue bow. Its hair was tied in a braid and its feet were small, just like hers. She dreamed that maybe one day if she saved enough coins from Inn guests, she would be able to buy the doll for herself. At the very least, she would have a friend with her while she slept at night.

On a winter’s evening when Serena was eight, the Inn was exceedingly crowded. Travellers from near and far had gathered in the main tavern to eat the food her caretakers provided, that being a bowl of stew with meat of a questionable origin and a cup of wine diluted with liquid of a questionable origin. Serena walked around the tavern, gathering dirty dishes as the guests around her told tales of adventures from far away. Serena often liked working on nights like this because she could eavesdrop on conversations from the travellers, then later on as she slept on the hay in the stables, she would dream about the stories she heard. The travellers often spoke of creatures she could never even imagine — dragon-like beings that could circle the globe in one second, long serpentine beasts with flesh of stone and steel, large avians that could soar through the sky.

At one point of the evening, Serena’s caretaker pulled her aside, reaching into her dress pockets for extra coins. The wife of the Inn ordered her to get some water from the well, which anyone would have abhorred on a freezing night like this, let alone a small child.

But she couldn’t say no — or risk the firm hand of the husband of the Inn — so barefoot in the snow Serena grasped a bucket in her hand as she headed up north to a place colder than the town, a cavern of frost that not even the locals ventured into.

The world around Serena was cold, yet as she trudged through the snow, she knew she was not alone. The creatures she found up in the woods were not as fantastical or viscous as the ones she heard of from the mouths of travellers, but they were no less sentient and alive. As Serena fished up a bucket of water from the well, a small horde of ice creatures surrounded her. She had seen some of them before — a few little white bears with runny noses, short pink birds with yellow hair and an adorable waddling gait, and the most peculiar of them all, a seemingly sentient chunk of ice with purple around their bright eyes.

Serena called these creatures her friends because she had no one else. Not even the people who were supposed to act like a Mama and Papa to her. She sang sweet soft melodies to them as she did not know any real songs, but they listened and appeared to be enjoying it as they gathered around the little girl by the well.

Then suddenly in the midst of the night, Serena saw a figure walking in the dark. One of the bears with the runny noses alerted her, and when she saw the person walking she gasped, dropped her bucket beside the well, and hid behind the closest tree she could find. Her creature friends fled as well, scattering back into the woods.

“Fear not, I mean no harm!” said the voice of the stranger. He took a few more steps, the moonlight illuminating his face. He wore a clean, fancy coat that reminded Serena of the richer travellers that would stay at the Inn, as well as a pristine top hat that only exuded the idea of wealth. Even if this man was not as rich as he dressed, he could still afford many comforts.

Serena stayed hidden behind the tree, peeking out just in time to see the man removing his hat, a sign of respect if she ever knew one.

“Bonsoir, my name is Augustine Sycamore,” he told her in a soft voice. He knelt down to her, yet kept a good distance away. His eyes were unlike the ones she was used to, soft, gentle, and inviting. “You can call me Gus. Tell me, Child, what is your name?”

“I am called Serena,” she told him.

Augustine smiled, then noticed her bucket on the ground by the well. “That looks very heavy, Serena. Would you like me to help?”

“You do not look very strong, Monsieur,” Serena said, still hiding behind the tree.

The gentleman laughed. “Oh my, what an honest child you are. It’s nothing I cannot handle, though.”

Serena thought for a few seconds, then stepped away from the tree. Together with Augustine, they fetched a bucket of water from the well, then with one hand on the handle and the other around hers, escorted her back to Dendemille Town. Although they were strangers, Augustine was warm — the way he looked at her made Serena think of the Papa or Mama she had been dreaming off her whole life.

When they got back to Dendemille, Serena showed Augustine some of her favourite parts of the place because he would listen — like the street lamp that glows the brightest even in the late of night or the doll in the shop window she would always look at.

Then as they approached the Inn, Augustine looked down to Serena and put on a more serious face. “Now, Serena, listen close to what I have to say. I am an old friend of Grace’s.”

“Of Mama’s?”

A soft, but sad smile crept onto Augustine’s lips. “Yes, of your Mama’s.”

A rush of excitement ran through Serena’s heart. “Is she coming to be with me?”

That was when Augustine’s face got more and more dour. He stopped walking, then kneeled down in front of the little one. “Serena, it breaks my heart to say that your Mama is not with us anymore. She is… she is no more.”

Serena went still. Her arms felt like ice colder than the snow in the city. She did not know what to think now and could only look into the eyes of Augustine, the dark pools that almost glistened in the moonlight.

“But in lieu of death, there is space to make life,” said Augustine. “And I promised her that I would take care of you… but only if you, and your caretakers, will let it be.”

Serena thought for a few seconds, then asked curiously, “So you’ll be my Papa?”

“Of course,” Augustine assured. “Like a Papa and a Mama to you. Is that okay?”

And with his hand in hers, he took Serena to the Inn where she lived to talk to her caretakers. Serena did not hear much of the conversation, only that Augustine had a letter from Grace allowing Serena to be with him. He tended to move around the region for work, but had the means to make sure that the little one could be cared for wherever they went. Serena’s caretakers ignored his main intentions and tried to bring him into the Inn for some gruel or watered-down wine, but Augustine refused. Serena sat by the hearth, taking in the last bit of warmth by the fire as the adults spoke. Eventually, she witnessed Augustine nod sternly and pull out a wad of bills from his pocket. He counted off a rather handsome amount of francs, then handed it over to the husband of the Inn.

Then without waiting another second, he made his way to Serena by the fire. He took off his coat and put it over her. “We are to go now, Serena,” he said, taking her hand.

With a nod, Serena stood up and walked with him to the door of the Inn. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of feigned cries from both her caretakers, something that felt as unreal like the creatures she heard about from faraway lands.

Before they left Dendemille, Augustine made use of the time before their carriage arrived. With Serena’s hand in his, he brought her to the store with the doll in the window, handed the old clerk another fraction of the bills in his pocket, and took the pristine doll in his hands. Then immediately, he knelt down to Serena and held it to her.

Serena could only stare in surprise. So many things had happened, some felt as make believe as a dream, yet others reminded her that this was very much real. She looked at the doll, then up to Augustine’s eyes.

“Take it,” he told her in a voice as gentle as a little fall of rain. “It is a gift from me to you.”

With a small smile, Serena took the doll, holding it like it was made of gold. It was heavier and bigger than it looked in the store window, but she held it tight nonetheless. As they waited for their late-night transportation, Serena held the doll close to her like it was her line between life and death. Augustine asked if she wanted to play with it, but she replied that holding it tight to her was playing.

Once the carriage arrived, Augustine carried her on board. His plan was for them to stay at a place in Couriway Town, a settlement known for the gorgeous waterfalls that cascaded off the cliffs. With her new doll in her grasp, Serena leaned her head on Augustine, closing her eyes as she let the gentle lull of the carriage’s wheels put her to sleep.

Her heart felt warm and full of light, the world around her was cold yet somehow she could feel the chill slowly seeping away as she entered her new life. All at once in the midst of the night, Serena finally understood what it was like to be loved.

…

…

…

Years later and Serena is fourteen, yet there is only an echo of the lonely frigid girl she used to be. She proves to be rather tall for her age, rapidly growing from a small underfed child to a young girl rapidly on the path to womanhood. Augustine even jokes that at the current rate she just might become taller than him.

Augustine is not of noble birth, but he is from considerable wealth. His great-grandfather had concocted a formula for a pristine tonic that would bring life to even the baldest of heads and a wax that could tame even the wildest of hairs. After charming a horde of Kalosian nobility with the product’s effectiveness, the Sycamore family had amassed enough wealth to allow Augustine to spend his life travelling throughout Kalos and researching the creatures that live in the region. And of course, his wealth allowed him to keep Serena as safe and as loved as he could. Although Serena is not a Sycamore by name, Augustine makes plans to change her name legally to guarantee her inheritance in the wake of his death.

When Serena is not travelling around with Uncle Gus, she’s being taught by various tutors in as many subjects as possible — literature, latin, arithmetic, calligraphy, history, art, science, and music.

Ever since she learned to read, she had been absorbing the words in the books that Augustine uses for his studies. Each one is full of wonders and sketches of creatures around the Kalos region and beyond. There’s something called a Bunnelby with floppy ears and a coat of short grey hair and there’s another called Dedenne that’s so small that one could fit it in the pocket of their coat.

She cannot help it, there is something exceedingly alluring and fascinating about the creatures. In particular, she comes across a page in a book regarding a trio of green and red and blue. According to the notes scribbled in the margins, the creatures hold abilities connected to grass, fire, and water. The tiny fire fox-like one is said to spout fire from its mouth, the blue frog can leap dozens of feet into the air and generate bubbles at a whim, and the one with the green head can shoot spikes of wood. It’s fascinating to think that creatures like this can live all around the world, but it’s even more fascinating for Serena to acknowledge that they very well may live outside of her window.

One day when Serena and Augustine are staying in Lumiose City in an apartment connected to a gated green garden amongst the sea of cobblestones. After a calligraphy lesson with her tutor, the young girl heads to a lab on South Boulevard where she had planned to meet her Uncle for an afternoon stroll. Upon entering a building made with white marble beams, Serena discovers an unusual sight for such a well-structured place — shards of glass are scattered upon the floor in the foyer. There are a handful of maids cleaning up the mess and they urge her to be careful or risk pricking herself upon the sharp edges.

A confused Serena holds onto the hem of her dress as she dashes through the building, searching around the rooms in a fervent haste. She heads to the second floor and soon finds who she is looking for at a room at the end of the hallway.

It appears to be a library of sorts, as various thick books line the walls. Augustine is standing with a group of other well-dressed men, no doubt the scholars he spent his days studying with. On the ground are more shards of glass, all culminating in a broken window above the highest shelf.

“Uncle! What happened?!” Serena asks with the utmost worrying in her voice. “Were you robbed?”

Augustine takes his eyes away from his notes and looks at his ward. A similar look of fear slips into his gaze. He walks to her, setting his hand on her shoulder and quickly guiding her out of the library.

“Let us speak outside,” he suggests in a soft voice. He takes her out into the hall, where things are more quiet.

Once they are out of the room of scholars, Augustine tells her what he can.

“You can rest assured that we have not been robbed,” he starts. “We simply had an accident, nothing more.”

His words do little to quell Serena’s fear. “What in Yvetal’s hellscape happened in there?”

“I can assure you that no one was harmed,” Augustine continues. His gaze upon her is plagued with intensity, such a vast change from the warm way he usually looks upon her. “We brought some specimens into the lab and they may have… escaped.”

“Exactly what specimens did you bring?” Serena asks, her fear now changing into curiosity.

“Ones in the books that you read so much,” Augustine says. “A Chespin, a Fennekin, as well as a Froakie — fine specimens, they are, such a shame we could not keep them under control.” He places a hand on her shoulder again and plants a kiss upon her forehead, something he had been doing since she was a young girl. “I know I promised you a stroll by the tower, but I must tend to this matter. Perhaps we can meet in an hour?”

Serena shakes her head, then leans in to give him a hug “Do not fret, Uncle. Take as much time as you need. What exactly made the specimens run?”

“I do not remember that well,” Augustine admits. “But you know how some creatures like to fight — we believe that they have taken things a bit too far. The Chespin apparently took some food from the Fennekin and they got a bit… rowdy.” He pats her on the shoulder again, “But this should not bother you, please head home and I shall meet you there.”

Serena nods her head. After Augustine gives her another forehead kiss, he walks back into the messy library to rejoin his colleagues.

Serena leaves the lab with much calmer steps. As she passes by another broken window by the front of the building, she begins to wonder just how far a small trio of tiny creatures could go in a city so vast.

She had read in her favourite books that Chespin liked to live in forests underneath trees, but the closest forest to Lumiose is outside of the city lines. Fennekin enjoyed living in fields, but Lumiose had no such things. Froakie would often make their homes in rivers and lakes and ponds, but the river that ran through the city seemed too touched by man to let nature thrive.

With her bonnet over her head, Serena makes her way back to her and Augustine’s home, an apartment north of Autumnal Avenue. She makes her way through the city streets, passing by merchants and street performers and students. Even under the current circumstances, she appreciates the liveliness of the city. Lumiose had its own heartbeat, very much like a human body made of flesh and blood and bone. Even the imaginary stories she read often spoke about how Lumiose could hold the key to one’s heart.

Serena walks with the wind blowing through the ends of her hair and the hem of her dress. She comes through Bleu Plaza, one of the least crowded plazas of the city. Unusual for the place, there is a group of people huddled around a fountain in the middle of the street. In no time her curiosity gets the best of her and she walks towards the horde, her heart practically begging to find out what’s going on.

In the fountain that has garnered such attention is something that surprises her — playing in the water is a creature with blue skin and large yellow eyes. It is rather small, but its legs are strong and bendy, allowing it to jump in and out of the water with ease. Its hands are white and on the back of its neck are a small collection of white bubbles reminiscent of seafoam.

Serena knows for sure that it is a Froakie. It is much more lively than it could ever be in writing or sketches — it breathes the same air that she does, it lives in the same place she does, and it is made of flesh and blood and bone like she is.

Her gut instinct tells her that the Froakie currently frolicking in the Blue Plaza fountain is one in the same as the one that had escaped a building filled to the brim with scholars. Serena reaches into her satchel and pulls out a slice of pound cake wrapped in old newspaper, something she had bought for her and Augustine but would give to a friend if they really needed it. She breaks off a piece of the sweet treat and holds it out towards the creature in the fountain, ignoring the prying eyes of the Lumiosians around her.

When the Froakie notices her, it is quick to stop hopping about in the water. Its large eyes settle on her with pure intrigue.

“You look like you’ve come a long way, little one,” she greets, giving the adorable creature a smile. “Why don’t you come along with me?”

…

…

…

The rest of the day is filled with Serena dashing through Lumiose City like an explorer on an adventure with a Froakie perched upon her shoulder. She tries to think of where a Fennekin and a Chespin could end up in such a place. She searches through a street lined with vendors, wondering if a little hungry creature would try to steal a bite of food from an unsuspecting merchant.

The little Froakie proves its skill when it hops off Serena’s shoulder, urging her to follow as it heads down South Boulevard. In no time the two come across a Fennekin basking under one of the trees in front of Lumiose Station, bits of bitten twigs scattered around it as it sleeps.

Happily, Serena rewards Froakie with a few more bites of cake and gently scoops the napping Fennekin into her arms. The creature proves to be a heavy sleeper and does not protest.

Serena and Froakie look around even more, wondering if the third missing creature will make itself known. But despite all their efforts to find a wandering Chespin in the city of lights, the two are unable to find a single clue. Serena ends up heading back to the marble building of scholars with only a Froakie on her shoulder and a Fennekin in her arms.

When Serena comes back to the second floor library with a broken window, she is greeted by Uncle Gus and a gaggle of his very surprised colleagues. They thank her dearly for her help, one older scholar in particular smiling like a fool and planting a kiss on her cheek. Uncle Gus pulls her into a hug, smiling at the wit and talent of his young ward.

One bespectacled scholar takes the sleeping Fennekin out of her arms and returns it to its large roomy cage. When another scholar comes back to take the Froakie perched on her shoulder, Serena feels the creature suddenly tightening its grip on her. Its tiny hands grasp onto the material of her dress and bonnet, clearly resisting any intention to drag it away from her.

Augustine is quick to notice the phenomenon in front of him. With an honest smile, he places a hand on his ward’s shoulder and looks his colleague in the eye.

“It’s no use, Marceau,” he says. “I believe Froakie won’t be able to help our research after all — this little one has found its match.”

Marceau looks unsure. “But what are we to do then? Find another water creature in the middle of Lumiose?”

“I shall figure it out,” Augustine assures. He looks at his ward with pride, then gently pets the top of Froakie’s head. “It would break many hearts to know I had to separate two friends.”

Marceau can only sigh, but without further questions he nods his head and leaves Augustine and Serena be. When Augustine looks at his ward, he is quick to see the look of confusion in Serena’s eyes.

“Uncle… I’m not sure what you’re implying,” she says. She reaches up and pulls Froakie off her shoulder to hold the creature in her arms, where it is very happy to be. “Do you want me to take care of this little one for a few days?”

“You can if you want. However, I was implying that you take care of it for a lot longer.”

Serena’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That is, if you want to,” Augustine clarifies. “You would be caring for this one under me, my dear — I can help if you need it.”

With a bright grin on her pretty face, Serena looks at the Froakie in her arms with glee, then looks up to meet her beloved Uncle Gus’s gaze with hopeful eyes and a nod of her head.

…

…

…

(and my life seems to stop as if something is over and something has scarcely begun)

…

…

…

The citizens of the city are caught in a buzz as news regarding King Lysandre V has reached the streets. The beloved leader of the country would be leaving his home in Parfum Palace to spend a week in the city of lights, apparently to learn more about the people he rules over.

Calem believes it to be a load of Skiddo droppings, seeing as that same King lived in luxury as the working-class of Kalos slave for a meger wage, only for said wage to disappear once the tax collectors come around. It is moments like these that make Calem rethink the life he could have had, the one where he would have been so wrapped in a world of opulence that he was blind to the suffering of the people. Sometimes he thinks his family name becoming disgraced is a blessing in disguise.

At the end of a day of delivering gossip-filled letters and fortune-filled packages Calem and Chespin get challenged to a battle in an alleyway. There’s an old Sot from the Jaune Plaza Cafe claiming to have seen Calem in one of the basement battles — the Sot is tall and gaunt, his face tinted light pink after one too many glasses of wine. He approaches Calem with a wobbling gait and a creature that he has never seen before. Its body is pill-like and on its back is a pair of bright pink wings. The Sot calls it a Vivillon and Calem thinks it’s one of the most fascinating creatures he’s ever laid eyes on.

His fascination with a new creature aside, Calem and Chespin accept the challenge and engage in a battle. It becomes quickly evident that some of Chespin’s attacks do not work on the Vivillon. The spikes of green that shoot out of Chespin’s head are nearly worthless against the winged creature. Vivillon releases a shower of sparkling purple powder down onto Chespin, when it graces the bipedal creature’s arm, the poor little one cries out in pain, causing a sudden rush of fear to pulse through Calem’s veins.

The two are forced to find other ways to fight. Chespin proves to have a fighting spirit stronger than a thousand hussars. The creature rolls itself into a ball and bounces off the walls of the alleyway, using its speed to dodge its enemy’s wind and powder attacks. Building momentum, it manages to ram its spinning body directly into Vivillon, sending the two tumbling to the ground with the winged creature taking most of the impact.

With a lively grin on his face, Calem sings the praises of Chespin as the creature rolls back towards its partner and hops onto its feet.

The Sot is left aghast, falling to his knees next to his Vivillon. Calem picks up his Chespin and approaches the drunkard, reaching a hand out to end the battle peacefully. To his surprise, the Sot swats Calem’s hand away. With a look of disgust on his wrinkly face, he throws a handful of coins at Calem and soon leaves the alleyway, picking up his fainted Vivillon as he goes. He bitterly mutters words about challenging Calem to a rematch, vowing to beat him that time, then disappears from sight.

Without a battle to continue, Calem shrugs his shoulders and gathers up the fallen coins. Although battles between creatures is something only done in dark alleyways and basements, a certain kind of etiquette has developed in place — it is expected for the losing person to give the winner some kind of reward, whether it be an extra flagon of frothy ale or a handful of coins or a stomach full of food.

As Calem slips the coins into his pockets, he notices that something is wrong with Chespin. He looks to the little one and cradles it in his arms, asking what may be wrong and checking its every limb for any abnormalities. Soon enough he spots a collection of purple powder sticking to Chespin’s left paw, most definitely a remnant from Vivillon’s attack.

Without hesitation, Calem immediately cancels his plans to meet his friends at the Jaune Plaza Cafe. With Chespin in his arms he rushes directly to his apartment, knowing that time is of the essence if he wants to keep his partner alive.

…

…

…

Between the walls of his small apartment, Calem tends to Chespin. The poor thing’s breathing is laboured and uneasy, its energy sapping away as the moments pass. Calem’s books tell him that his partner has been poisoned, so Calem rifles through his collection of berries until he finds the one that can act as an antidote. After feeding his Chespin a handful of pink fruit, the little one starts to feel better. Its breathing evening out as its strength returns. Calem lets his partner sleep on his bed, covering Chespin with a blanket and patting its head with the gentlest touch.

His heart is beating fast as unknown anxiety pulses through him. Even though Chespin appears to be making some semblance of a recovery, Calem cannot help but fear the worst. He ends up opening a cheap bottle of watered-down wine to calm his nerves, something that stings and burns on the way down but manages to keep him sane. To satiate his own hunger he digs into a bag of apples he has on hand — it had been a gift from a happy client he had met on a delivery job, while Calem decided to use it as food for Chespin it ends up becoming his dinner for the night.

The night drags and Calem keeps himself huddled in his own corner of Lumiose. As Chespin rests, the building’s landlord comes up to the apartment to deliver a letter that had arrived earlier that day. Calem sits on a chair by the open window as he reads the latest update from his mother, his hair a disheveled mess and the upper buttons of his collared shirt remaining undone. Her loopy handwriting tells him of a recent interaction from his father — Viscount Trevelyan had sent a letter all the way from Wyndon asking how his son was. Calem is used to sporadic updates from the man who disgraced the Bellamy-Beaufort name, he no longer has the energy to get emotional over them. His interest is piqued when his mother’s message tells him of an invite to travel to Galar, as the Viscount is curious to know if the young man would like to meet his little half-brother — the honourable Victor Trevelyan.

Before Calem can contemplate a theoretical trip up north, he hears a familiar voice calling from the city streets below.

“Calem! Calem! Are you in there?”

He puts down his letter and glances out his window, leaning on the ledge as he looks around. On the cobblestones is a large woolen overcoat with Shauna standing inside, she looks exhausted enough to make him wonder if she had sprinted all the way here.

“Calem! You weren’t at the cafe tonight!” Shauna calls up, ignoring the various Lumiosians walking around her.

“I could not,” Calem explains, looking down at her from three floors up. “Chespin was hurt, did something happen?”

“I shall explain inside!” Shauna declares. “I am coming up now!”

After a few moments Shauna arrives at the apartment, evidently having run up the stairs. She catches her breath and he offers her a seat at the chair at his desk, wondering if he should get her some water or wine. She refuses his attempts at hospitality and once her breathing evens out, she says:

“Calem, I found her.”

“Who?”

“The girl,” Shauna elaborates. She walks to him and gestures wildly with her hands. “The one you asked me to find, the one with the red hat and the black dress that was so divine to have made you fall head over heels with her! That girl, you fool!”

There is a beat of silence between the two friends, then Calem replies dryly, “Well… you certainly make me sound daft when you put it like that.”

“That’s not my point,” Shauna prods. “The point is that I found the girl you ran into. Or at least… I think it’s her.”

Calem eyes her suspiciously. He usually trusts the information Shauna can overhear from her family Inn, but he cannot help but inquire just a little further. “How do you know for sure?”

“There’s no way to truly tell,” Shauna explains. She reaches into the pocket of her ratty overcoat and hands her friend a piece of parchment crumpled and compressed beyond all measure. “I wasn’t able to find her name, but I have this.”

When Calem slowly unravels the paper, he finds a hastily written name of a garden written on the page.

“Autumnal Gardens,” Shauna says. “It’s just north of Rouge Plaza. Rumour has that a girl with golden hair visits on some nights to watch the stars. By day she dons a black dress and a red hat, just like your description, but at night she is said to be clad in white. It’s not much, but if you come there tonight then perhaps you may find out the truth.”

Calem is unsure what to do. For the briefest moment he paces across his apartment, running his hand through his dark hair as he thinks and further rumpling it. He begins to contemplate the logistics of such an act — wondering what it will be at best or at worst. To quell his raging thoughts, he walks over to his desk and searches through the drawers — what he finds tucked away is a simple white handkerchief, the unspotted square of cloth that he kept in his pocket for a week, then finally hid away thinking he would never find the owner again.

“The least I can do is return this to her,” he says as he eyes Shauna.

She gives him a nod as Calem puts on his coat. Once the garment is on, he steps towards his friend and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you.”

Shauna seems more amused than anything else. “It was nothing, really.”

Calem glances to his bed, where his Chespin now sits awake with a curious glow in its beady brown eyes. He walks over and kneels down to the little one.

“Mon amie, want to go on an adventure?”

…

…

…

(so many questions and answers that somehow seem wrong)

…

…

…

After dinner Serena finds herself in the apartment drawing room. She is dressed down for the evening, free of her stays and clad in the linen fibers of her chemise. On the floor by her bare feet is Froakie, currently napping on the rug without a care in the world. In her left hand is an embroidery hoop and in her right is a needle — with the use of the two she attempts to guide a piece of scarlet thread through the stiff canvas. When she pricks her finger and draws blood for the third time, she lets out an utterly loathsome groan. Frustrated by a piece of thread and canvas, she stands up and goes to the nearest drawer to dispose of the damn thing. She shall deal with needlework tomorrow.

In the moment she slams the drawer shut, Augustine enters from his study. To come out of hours of work to see his ward so fraught has caught him off guard in a rather entertaining way.

With a lively grin on his face, he asks: “What’s gotten into you?”

Serena puts her ring finger in her mouth to stop the bleeding. “Needlework,” she tells him bitterly.

Augustine lets out a laugh. “Nice to see that you have taken to it well.”

Serena seems unconvinced. However, she spares shooting him the glare she’s tempted to give in favour of looking at the open door of his study. “Mind if I take a book?” she asks, quickly slipping in.

Like always, Augustine nods his head. “Of course.”

Inside the walls of the study, Serena moves past the various notes of her Uncle’s research in favour of perusing his collection of books. She has always found that he has good taste in tomes, specifically the ones about old Kalosian legends. She ends up picking one that depicts the tales of Kalos’s past, a saga of a raging war between life and death that could only be quelled by a creature of order.

When she returns to the drawing room with a book under her arm, she finds Augustine rifling through the cushions of the couch, possibly on the look for something.

“What are you doing?” she asks curiously.

“Have you seen my white handkerchief anywhere?” Augustine questions. “I have not been able to find it for weeks.”

Serena can only shake her head. “I will be on the look for it, Uncle.”

With that said, Serena heads to her bedroom and Augustine keeps looking around the apartment. He soon gets to the drawer housing the cause of Serena’s previous ire, promptly fishing up Serena’s less-than-stellar embroidery project. When Serena gets a second look at her dreadful work, she notes that it looks worse than before and sighs like a dour ogre.

On the other hand, her beloved Uncle thinks differently. “Do not fret,” he assures in a voice soft like the sun. “You will get better with practice.”

Serena can only stare at the floor with a bitterness in her eyes. “I do not see why you think I would be good at it.” Her voice is low.

Now Augustine is the one who was unconvinced, yet he still gives her that same cheery smile and says, “Your mother was good at it.”

“Or so you say,” Serena retorts sharply. When her eyes meet his, she is less downtrodden and more… curious, as the mere mention of her mother has a habit of awakening this side of her.

The truth remains that she still does not know much of the woman who brought her into this world. She knows that her name was Grace, she knows that Augustine had befriended her back in their youth, she knows that Grace had been shunned for becoming with child while unwed, she knows that needlepoint was a favoured hobby of hers, and she knows that she loved her to her last breath, having begged Augustine to promise to care for her flesh and blood before she left for another world.

But Serena knows not much else, such as her mother’s favourite colour or how she wears her hair or how she likes her tea. She doesn’t even know who her father might be, only that he spent a summer by Grace’s side but was gone when autumn came.

So standing in front of Augustine now, Serena looks her uncle in the eye and asks:

“Why won’t you tell me anything else about her?”

The scholar looks uneasy as he glances away from her. “Serena, you are too young to know,” he tries. He faces her again, taking a few steps closer. “It will make you sad and pensive, something you should not be.”

“But I know so little about her,” Serena reiterates. “Give me something, Uncle, something more to dream of.”

Hesitence hangs across Augustine’s face. But yet he shakes his head. “Not tonight,” he decides in an affirmative voice. He then presses a kiss to her forehead like he always did at night when she was young. “You should sleep.”

Without another word, he retreats off into his bedroom and shuts the door.

In her loneliness, Serena can only languish for more. Her grip on her book tightens as she mutters, “So many questions… yet not enough answers.”

She considers for a moment staying in her room to submerge her mind in tales from the past, but a look outside at the clear Lumiosian night makes her think otherwise. She ends up walking over to her napping Froakie, gently nudging her partner awake.

“Come,” she says. “I need some air.”

…

…

…

(i’m doing everything all wrong)

…

…

…

The city is dark as Calem rushes across the cobblestones. He fears nothing with Chespin on his shoulder, yet as he gets closer and closer to Autumnal Avenue, he feels the knot in his stomach growing tighter and tighter. His breathing tightens as he goes more and more north, a fear that he is not used to feeling. In his coat pocket is the handkerchief that he has been holding onto for weeks, his hand grasped around it so firmly that it may permanently warp the garment. With his nerves getting dangerously close to taking control of him, he starts to regret not taking in another goblet of watered down wine as good luck.

Soon enough he arrives at the Avenue. As he walks down the streets, the buildings around him change from shops and offices to homes — some eons more lavish than the ones in his own neighbourhood and some dreadfully uncared for. As Calem wonders if he is lost, he suddenly comes across a large metal gate taller than two men, on the other side of it are the overgrown greens of a lush garden, an oasis of nature amongst the city’s stones.

And in the depths of the flora on this clear Lumiosian night sits a girl with golden hair amongst the daisies and lilies and violets. Her shape is cloaked in a spotless white dress and protecting her from the chill of the night is a large woolen coat that looks a few sizes too big for her.

Shauna��s words prove to be true.

The knot in Calem’s stomach gets bigger.

…

…

…

(for it isn’t a dream, not a dream after all)

…

…

…

In the garden between buildings are vines that cling to the sides of the apartments and flowers of many colours (Serena fancies the red ones the most). In the center of the flora is a bench made of stone, a place often occupied by the tenants of the connected buildings. But at night it is empty, leaving Serena to enjoy all the space to herself. She sits on the bench with her book in her lap, alternating between reading some of Kalos’s folklore or staring up at the twinkling stars.

There is also a bird bath near the bench, something meant for the Fletchling that visit the garden during the day, but is often used by Serena’s faithful Froakie for a midnight soak. As Serena reads in peace, she can hear the sound of her companion splashing around. She looks up to see Froakie clinging to the rim of the bird bath, happily basking in the water and giving her a smile.

“I guess the water needed changing anyway,” she says, feeling joyful like a fool. She gestures for her beloved partner to come to her and Froakie obeys, hopping off the bath and skittering over. The creature climbs up her nightgown and perches itself on her shoulder, as if to read along with her.

With a grin, she playfully strokes her Froakie’s chin. In her mind she cherishes moments like this, times where she could feel close to someone who knows her for who she is. Not to say that Uncle Gus doesn’t know her at all — he knows as much as any good guardian would. But there’s some kind of unspoken understanding between her and Froakie, an acknowledgement of her unmasked self — a self that dislikes needlepoint and dreams of adventures beyond her own existence.

Sometimes the way Uncle Gus looks at her makes Serena think that he still sees her as the helpless little girl he had met on a winter’s night. Sometimes he tells her that one day she’ll grow up and become a woman, perhaps finding a successful, suitable husband and settling down with a family.

But part of her knows that it’s not her — in her heart all she wants is someone who sees her for who she is, whether it be a friend or a lover. Not even her beloved Uncle seems capable of that.

Suddenly Froakie leaps off Serena’s shoulder. The creature hops across the grass of the garden with startling speed. It takes mere seconds for it to arrive at the gate of the garden, where apparently something is so interesting it warrants startling Serena.

“Froakie!” Serena yells. She closes the book and drops it on the bench, dashing after her partner with haste. “Froakie! Come back!”

When she gets to the gate, she sees Froakie situated at the bottom of the structure, down there it looks through the metal bars to greet another creature. Said creature is small, roughly a foot tall, and has a brown body and face with pointed ears tipped with green. The creature looks rather familiar to Serena, as memories of her Uncle’s research books start to jog in her memory.

Dumbfounded, she says, “It can’t be, is that-”

“Chespin!”

Startled, Serena looks up and sees someone running towards the gate of the garden. His features are illuminated by the lights of the street lamps, proving him to be a sharp set of eyes upon a youthfully charming face and a head of dark hair pushed back and barely combed. Despite the elegance of his features, he looks just about her age and stands just a bit above her. He dons a blue coat with signs of wear over a corduroy vest that has seen better days.

The young man looks at her and he looks just as stunned as she is. The mere look of the awe in his eyes is enough to make Serena remember. There’s just something about the boy behind the gate that looks familiar.

Serena grasps onto the metal bars as if to steady herself in the storm she’s become trapped in, and then he speaks —

“Bonsoir, uh… forgive me, dear Mademoiselle,” he greets, giving a polite — albeit nervous — bow. He then lets out an unsteady laugh, as if to alleviate the situation. Had he a hat on then perhaps he would have tipped it towards her. “I cannot control the little one sometimes.”

“It’s not a problem,” Serena tells him. Her grip on the bar tightens, but she doesn’t know why.

The two then look down to the pair of creatures — Chespin and Froakie appear to be getting along fine. Judging by the little croaks and squeaks the two make at one another, it is fair to say that they are getting along.

“Curious,” Serena says.

The stranger looks up. “What is?”

“They seem to know each other,” she explains, meeting her eyes with his. “Or they just get along well.”

The stranger nods in agreement. “Connections can work like that sometimes.”

Serena’s grip on the bar of the gates loosens, as with every word she can feel her initial fear fading away. “Forgive me, Monsieur, but what is your name?” she decides to ask, feeling somewhat brave in such a moment.

“I am called Calem,” says the stranger. “And you are?”

“Serena.” Subconsciously, she moves just a bit closer to the gap in the gate, her forehead barely an inch away from the iron rods. “You…” she starts, but finds herself stuttering. How unladylike of her. “You… uh, you look rather familiar.”

“I would say the same to you,” Calem says. Suddenly he reaches into the pocket of his coat, digging around for moments before pulling out a white handkerchief. “Perhaps you will recognize this.”

Serena is surprised, but smiles widely. “Uncle’s handkerchief!” she exclaims. “He’s been looking for that for weeks!”

Calem seems caught off guard. “Uncle?”

“I borrowed it for a day,” she explains fervently. “It broke my heart to tell him I had lost it — I’m glad that it managed to turn up somewhere.” Moments pass and her mind finally slows down enough to put the pieces of the puzzle together. “That means…” she begins, then a look of enlightenment takes her eyes. “You were the boy I saw at Jaune Plaza! That’s where I know you from!”

Calem nods his head, a small simper forming onto his pretty face. “It is good to hear that you remember.” He holds the white handkerchief up and through the gap in the gate. “I suppose you would want this back.”

A rush of hesitance surges through Serena’s every nerve, an abrupt sensation that surprises even her. Coyly, she eyes the handkerchief, then looks up to meet his gaze. She reaches over slowly, taking the cloth in her fingers. Their hands graze when they pull away from each other, something that makes Serena’s skin twinge in a way she cannot quite understand.

“Thank you for returning this,” she eventually manages to say. She looks down at the fabric, feeling the soft material in her palm. “Gentlemen like you are a difficult find nowadays.”

Calem looks amused, then lets out another laugh. “How brave of you to think that I am anything near a gentleman.”

“You are much too modest,” Serena remarks, unconvinced of his words.

After another honest chuckle, Calem absentmindedly places his hand on the bars of the gate. When his fingers graze hers, both Serena and Calem pull away from the cold iron. It is a quick event that is over as soon as it starts and Calem quickly thrusts his tingling hand into his coat pocket. Serena avoids his gaze, her hand touching the gate again but only to slide down to where the metal is forged into a spade-like shape.

“Perhaps I should go,” Calem suggests. His voice is shaky, nervous.

When Serena finally glances up, she is quick to see that he is avoiding her gaze too. A part of her begins to wish that she had not looked away.

He speaks once more, “Have a nice night, Mademoiselle.” With his last word stated, he turns around and begins walking away, the soles of his boots tapping against the street and his loyal Chespin following at his feet.

Serena is quick to call out —

“Wait!”

Calem halts his strides and turns to eye the girl behind the gate.

Serena is uneasy as she speaks, every nervous pang in her body fighting to get the better of her. “You came all this way to return my Uncle’s handkerchief,” she starts, fighting back her own fears. “There has to be something I can do to repay you. Would you perhaps… like to come up for some tea?” she suggests. Then restlessly, she begins to retract her offer very slightly. “If you drink tea, that is.”

Calem’s unease fades into a smile. “I drink tea,” he answers, relieved. He turns around to face her. Even in the dark of night, the look on his face is astronomically bright, something that highlights his angelic face even more. “Something warm does sound heavenly right now.”

Excitement pounds in Serena’s chest as she goes to undo the lock of the gate. Once the barricade has swung open, Chespin runs back to Froakie and embraces the creature into a hug like they are old friends. Serena motions for Calem to follow and trailing behind her, the two young Kalosians escape the cold of the city to head upwards to a beacon of warmth. In her heart Serena thinks not of her future or her life or even any thoughts of her mother — but instead she thinks of the moment she is trapped in now and how curious she is to learn more about the young man by the name of Calem.

[justalittletomato]

On the matter of Touch: Savage X Reader

@zabrak-show @phantomofthenormandy @savagesbonergarage

TW: mentions of abuse 

He is used to being jostled around. Growing up with the Nightbrothers you were guaranteed to be pushed about or put in an affectionate headlock. It was commonplace. At night Savage was more than once squished by a group of little ones who decided Savage would be their pillow that evening. Raising Feral he would be given many hugs and annoyed little pushes away, as the boy grew older these were still ever present.

However not all touch is affectionate or kind. Savage hisses as another Nightbrother lands a punch. They are trained warriors after all, pain is a necessary aspect. Cuts and bruises are inflicted upon brother. As he grows he is unsure as to the reason why, it is just the way of things.

There are also other touches he detests these in the form of the Nightsisters that wander into the village. There will be another round of pain inflicted as a result. Again brother against brother for the sole purpose of satisfying a Nightsisters wish. There is no other choice,  not fighting  would certainly mean death, you must fight to survive. You must cause harm to another in order to live.

He has won some of these contests, the touch from these moments was only fleetingly pleasant, if it could be called that. He blurs the memories, but winces at the scratches she had left.

The last time a Nightsister made them fight, Savage is again declared the winner and his brother is left behind.

The Nightsisters leave their mark on him, he is untouchable now. His dead brother evident of that. There will be no more annoyed pushes or a hug given. There are no more nights spent around his brothers or little ones who use him as pillow.

He has never felt so alone and there is no comfort just pain and more pain.

His lost brother is unused to others, living in the hovel of Lotho Minor with nothing and every touch makes him flinch. Savage can just watch as his brother howls and screams. Maul does make a motion to touch him, a hand outstretched but like the more recent ones it is again painful. His lost brother does not give him an embrace but grips his jaw painfully, there is work to be done.

He accepts that this will be his life now, there is no more affectionate touches.

Then again Maul will place an assuring hand on his shoulder, but that is the extent…

And he sees what others see. The monster that will likely rip them down.  A horror right before them in their last moments.

But now there is…

His Angel.

They do not run in fear of him, rather they refused to let go. Their arms wrapped around his neck.  It has been so long since he had felt such a gentle touch. He never thought it possible. Not with how he was now.

Their fingers brush over his cheek as they adjust the scarf they had made him. he can’t help but sigh at it, they notice. They do so again, another happy sigh. They make sure to touch him more.

It’s small things too, their hands in his. Their hands are small in comparison but its a pleasant sensation, touching like this. They raise their palm, and he presses his to theirs, again still small. But they smile and say its a perfect match.

Other touches are more constant, a hand to the small of their back or gently stroking their hair.

or very often picking them up and holding them in his arms. Just like at the start they don’t want to let go  and he doesn’t want them too.

There is a new development now: a kiss, gentle and sweet against his lips when they are held up in his arms. He is startled, he never experienced such a thing. A pleasant buzz to his lips and a gentle touch? A tenderness in each sensation from the Angel in his arms?

But its happening, sweet kisses against his lips, against his tattoos, his cheeks and along his jaw. His angel is touching him so lovingly. They wanted to touch him, more kisses and their hands on his face. His name on their lips as they ask for a few more.

Again there is  playful jostles this time from his Angel who can’t even budge him forward, he does move a bit to appease them.

There is another touch that has returned, his Angel climbs onto the bed and asks if they can stay. Of course he says yes and of course they curl up upon his chest. One last kiss or four before they drift to sleep listening to two heartbeats from thier pillow.  

[monomonomagines]

Could I get the v2 boys with an ultimate baker s/o when sad or stressed tends to make buttercream and then stress eat it?

Oh, my goodness thank you for this request Anon. I myself, tend to stress bake as I call it so getting to write something similar with my favorite cast of boys to write for is just perfect. My ramblings aside though, I hope that you'll enjoy this as much as I did writing it. I'm very excited to be writing for you all again!

Imposter/BBB

The Ultimate Imposter normally wants to be there to help you whenever you're sad or stressed so even if he understood eating to cope at times he'd still be worried.

He just cares about you more than anything, especially your well being, meaning that he'll quickly catch on to whenever you're feeling down or stressed and will try to get you to talk about it instead of allowing you to indulge yourself with buttercream frosting.

He'll let you do it on occasion as he does think it's cute when you're not overdoing it but again he is just a big ol' worrywart that needs to make sure you're always doing your best.

If you don't listen to him and end up overdoing it he'd just sigh and "begrudgingly" take care of you and your hurt tummy for the day.

"I had warned you not to overdo it, S/o. If you're feeling down or stressed depend on me. I'll always be here for you!"

Teruteru

Teruteru is most likely guilty of stress eating some of the delicious food he makes himself. With his sick mom and running a restaurant, his life is actually a lot more stressful than it seems.

Because of this, he wouldn't feel right scolding you or anything, especially since he thinks it's kind of cute and can make perverted remarks about it.

He does worry though since he'd know first hand that stress eating can be harmful but rather than stop you he'd probably just join in and eat some frosting with you as he tries to talk to you about what's upsetting.

He wants to be able to be there for you even if he isn't always the most dependable of a guy compared to the others and would do anything so that you feel comfortable telling him anything.

"I love ya darling, but ya do know you can tell me whenever somethings wrong right?"

Nekomaru

As if Nekomaru is going to let you just eat frosting when you're feeling down or stressed when he's there.

He takes a while to catch onto things as he's not the smartest but once he would he's constantly asking you if you're feeling ok.

He can be a bit overbearing but he's like your own affectionate puppy dog as well as your biggest cheerleader so he just wants to show that he cares about you.

He wouldn't be as forgiving though as Teruteru or the Ultimate Imposter and would literally pick you up and whisk you away if you wouldn't talk to him in favor of eating some frosting.

If you have problems he'll take care of them and he'll do whatever it takes to make you tell him when you are troubled.

"If you have any problems just leave em to me, S/o! I'll kick all your problems asses any day!"

Gundham

Gundham isn't quite as used to socializing as most of the other guys despite his loud and eccentric means of interacting with others.

He normally turns to animals when he faces any problems and only now goes to you since you were able to break down his walls.

He'd want you to the same with him of course, but he's not sure how to convey that to you so he may act odd or even awkward when he can tell you're down or stressed.

He wants you to rely on him instead of relying on the product of your labor but he knows he can't say the words that would make you understand.

In one instance, he'd even go to you when you're in the process of eating some freshly made buttercream only to wrap his arms around you from behind.

He knows he's awkward and maybe he's not reliable or maybe he's not a good boyfriend but he wants to tell you that he's here for you and that you can rely on him.

"My Messiah of the Night, can't you rely on your Lord of Ice in these trying times, rather than confectionary goods?"

Nagito

Nagito is perhaps one of the most accepting of his "utter uselessness" to you.

He knows he's worthless compared to you so it made sense to him that you'd opt for something like frosting instead of him to cheer you up.

Of course, he'd be jealous in a way and concerned but he isn't the one to force you to rely on the likes of him.

He'd try to get you to talk to him but it'd be rather passive unless he finally lost control.

After a while, he'd decide he wants or rather needs you to rely on him. After all, if he can't even do that then he really is as useless as he says.

Like Gundham he'd embrace you when you'd be on your way to the kitchen refusing to let go as he'd whisper in your ear about how he wants you to rely on him more.

"I know you shouldn't rely on someone as useless and pitiful as me but I want you to be all mine. I want you to tell me when your struggling and when you need help or feel bad. I want to bear it all."

Kazuichi

Compared to all the other guys, Kazuichi is quite clueless when it comes to socializing.

He's friendly and means well for the most part but he can't help but get caught up in his own head more often than guessing what's going on in other's.

He does enjoy to stick his nose into other people's business, however, and as your boyfriend would want to always know what's up that means he would even when you're gorging yourself on some buttercream frosting.

It would again take him a longer time than anyone else but when he'd put the pieces together he'd feel like a total moron.

How could he let you suffer like that? How could he even call himself your boyfriend?

This poor boy would assume that you just didn't want to bug him with how consumed he gets with his projects and would quickly run to you to spill everything out.

"S/o, I noticed whenever you eat the frosting you make that you're normally kind of upset and I...well I...I want you to rely on me instead! I am your boyfriend and all!"

Fuyuhiko

Fuyuhiko may have a short fuse and seem childish but he is by no means stupid enough to overlook this habit of yours.

He wouldn't think it's too harmful and would probably ignore it for as long as he can but he wouldn't be able to stop himself from wondering if he's just not someone you can rely on.

He was a yakuza and maybe even if you were dating he seemed too unapproachable for stuff like this.

Needless, to say he enjoyed you making sweets for him whenever he was feeling down or stressed but normally he'd be able to complain to you at the same time as he enjoyed his treats.

Like this, it was just you using sweets and nothing else and it drove him mad.

He tried to be rational about it but his anger would get the best of him as he'd yell out at you everything that weighed on his heart as you went to eat some more one day.

"If you're going to do that at least rely on me too! I won't stop it but I want to be able to help you too!"

Hajime

Hajime is one of the most rational person out of these boys other than the Ultimate Imposter.

He would easily pick up on why you'd eat buttercream frosting from time to time but he wouldn't lose his head over it.

He is a bit of a worrywart as well but he's a lot better at just talking to someone when there's any cause for concern.

He'd wait until he could catch you in the kitchen eating some again when he'd sit next to you and take a taste of his own.

"I can see why you'd like to eat this stuff but you know you can talk to me too, right?"

He'd want to just make sure you're alright and if you felt like you couldn't rely on him yet he'd just keep trying without ever giving up.

If he had to just indulge in some frosting with you to get you to talk then he'd do it.

[abode-of-hope-and-despair]

So, while waiting for requests I decided to post some of my old works. Hope you enjoy!

You petting them/they petting you. V3 cast.

Shuichi

• When you first attempted to pet his hair, it didn't work out well

• You, being your sneaky self, snatched his hat right from his head. The boy gasped, clearly not expecting such move. You were talking peacefully just a moment ago. Tho, he should have noticed this mischievious glint in your eyes

• Shuichi wasn't happy with what you've done. He actually yelled at you and asked you not to do this again

• Needless to say your plan failed

• After Kaedes death, when he was shoked and pained you decided to try and pet him to comfort

• It was much better time for such a thing, the boy needed something like that. That's why he let you pet him

• He couldn't hold it when you did and cried hard on your shoulder

• Shuichi's more willing to accept head pets after this, although he's shy about it and won't ask for pets himself

• He blushes and stutters when you move your hand to his head, but doesn't try to stop you. He becomes expecially embarassed if someone else is around tho, and if you try to pet him he'll decline

• When Shuichi grows comfortable with pets, he'll be craving it

• Still, he's rather passive about it. He'd play with his hair strand unconsciously or just look at you with silent question

• After some time he gets enough courage to touch your hand lightly and ask for some pets. He's a bit awkward about it, but slowly becomes more bold over time

• Your head pets is very nice to him. After he overcomes being overwhelmed each time you hand touches his head, it's very calming as well

• Shuichi goes to you everytime someone dies or he just feels sad and you make him feel better

• He'll pet you as well, if you ask him

Kaede

• You petted her after the escape failure

• She seemed sad after what Kokichi said to her, so you thought some head pets and reassuring words would make her feel better

• It did. She seemed happy that you didn't blame her for anything and she gladly accepted your pets

• You two become close since then

• Kaede is very sweet and affectionate person if you let her be. Of course, she does have her moments of shyness, but overall she's pretty forward

• With that said, it's more likely that she'll be the one petting, not you

• If she sees you're nervous or scared, she uses her hands to soothe you

�� She likes to see you smile, so she makes sure you keep doing it

• While Kaede prefers petting you, you petting her make her feel... safe. She's more prone to caring about others and making sure everything alright where she currently is. She wants to make others feel better, inspire and unite them. Unfortunaly, nothing she do helps anyone here and it saddens her. It stresses her. She's human too and needs some support

• Kaede really appreciates your pets. Such simple yet wholesome sign of affection makes her smile

Kaito

• You wanted to touch his hair. That's all, no hidden intentions or anything. You saw it - you obliged to pet it

• When you asked him about it, Kaito was both surprised and flattered by your request. Sadly, he refused so as not to ruin his crazy hairdo

• He petted you tho, 'coz he thought you were cute

• He likes to pet you or ruffle your hair, and does that in any opportunity

• Once you let him, he's not gonna stop

• Now it's his way to greet you, to show his attention/affection, to comfort you and to say "bye"

• His hair is still off limits, unless you persuade him to let you pet it

Rantaro

• As long as you ask politely he'll let you

• Has no problem with you petting his hair. I mean, it's already messy. Plus, Rantaro is a chill-guy

• He also used to have twelve sisters, so there's a big chance his hair was messed with in the past and he won't mind you messing with it too

• The first time you asked him to touch his hair using silly excuse, you most likely reminded him his sisters. Nostalgia made his heart soften and you got to pet this guy

• While Rantaro does accept it, he, just like Kaede, prefers to show affection

• The moment he grows really fond of you, you receive all head pets in the world

• There's something really comforting for him in petting you. Maybe it's big brother thing, who knows. But his hands are really nice

• Be careful or he'll adopt you as his 13th sister

Kirumi

• Well, you won't have much problem with petting Kirumi

• I think

• When you asked her the first time she was surprised, but saw nothing bad in it. I mean, where's harm in letting somebody touch your hair a bit? Or perhaps, she was in a good mood. The point is - you petted the pretty maid yay

• Will be confused if you ask to pet her again. May become concerned, thinking you're touch-starved. Or that you're getting other kind of pleasure from it. Don't let her thing that way or you'll get banished from pets

• If you just suffer from lack of attention and NOT thirsty for maids, Kirumi'll start giving you head pets

• I'm not sure about the other way around. She may let you have it, if it helps you ease your stress from being in the killing game

• She just treats it as another part of her duty as a maid

• May take liking to you tho. You just need to spent more time with her

Maki

• Do you wanna die or what?

• Even if she let you be affectionate, although it'd need lots of time and dedication from you, head pets would still be a no

• It's just... doesn't sit well with her

• She's not a dog

Kokichi

• Dear god, good luck with that

• Kokichi won't let you touch him at all for quite some time. Mainly, because he's adamant about playing his role and staying aside from everyone. He's an ultimate supreme leader after all. Add to this trust issues and touch-starvation and you'll get Kokichi

• Actually, he'll be more quick to pet you or ruffle your hair for some reason. It doesn't mean he's comfortable with you. He may be far from it. Well, not that far, but you get it

• It can get irritating, but you just have to keep proving yourself to him

• You'll get to hold his hand or hug him sooner that you'll get to pet him

• It's just the hardest shit for him. The sight of your hand moving to his head just makes Kokichi automatically alarmed. It's just do

• The first time you attempted it and he wasn't ready he barked at you "fuck off" and immediately laughed it off. He was keeping a distance for awhile after that

• When it's time, he'll come to you himself and just lay his head on your shoulder. If you don't pick up on it or, for some damn reason, decide to tease him, he'll get irritated. The boy is nervous as hell, spare him

• He closes his eyes and flinch a bit, when he feels your hand on his head. He can't relax first, but then he does and gets all over you

• Grows to like pets. Still flinches if he doesn't expect one and complains to you about it

Himiko

• Choked on her "nyeh" when you did it the first time

• Acted irritated, but deep inside kinda liked it

• When you get close, she becomes really touchy. She just sprawles on your lap and demends your pets

• She loves it

• Himiko prefers being petted, she will pet you if you ask about it

• If she's in a good mood

Gonta

• Ahhh, unless he's sitting you can't just pet him. You have to ask him to bend

• Was confused when you asked him the first time. Wasn't sure if it's fine or not for him to be petted by a lady. You had to persuade him it is, before you got what you wanted

• His hair is soft, but very messy and a bit tangled. Be careful not to get your hand stuck in it

• Thinks it's relaxing

• Always returns the favour

• Always

Angie

• If you're nice, she won't mind, really

• She's very open and friendly and will definitely pet you back

• She will

• One of easiest person to pet/get pets from overall. You don't even need to persuade her

Tenko

• Shoked the first time you asked her

• Might hesitate, but a bit of gentle persuading will get her to agree

• Thinks you're a bit weird, but in a cute way

• More comfortable in giving you head pets, then receiving it herself

• Receiving it awkward. Then again that smile of yours tho

• If she really likes you, Tenko won't give a damn about awkwardness at all

• Prepare to sneak pet-attacks

• Will tell you how great and adorable you are while she's petting you

• Compares you to a cute small animal

Kiibo

• Confused as hell

• Doesn't really want you to pet him at first, 'coz it's weird and inappropriate

• Wants you both to become close enough before you do

• When you are, he's shy and very adorable about it

• You need to be careful with antenna tho. Don't knock it over

• When he first pets you, he asks if he's doing it right and if you're comfortable

• Worries that his pets not nearly as good as yours are

Miu

• Got owerwhelmed, screeched, and then run away

• What did you expect, the girl's not used to affection. You, petting her hair was so wild to her, she hurried to get away from this all

• She can't help but be shy around you. Miu tries to keep her facade, but she keeps slipping remembering the touch

• If you try again, she will cling to you after

• There's no escape from her after that. She's touch-starved and you showed her affection. Expect to see her at your door everytime you have free time

• Gets excited when you pet her. In the same time she's very hesitant to pet you back. May ruffle your hair if you're acting too cute tho

Ryoma

• No

• Not even when you're close

• Well maybe, but it'd be hard as heck

Tsumugi

• Politely asked you not to do this again, once you did. Told you it's embarassing and she doesn't like it

• She really doesn't

• And she probably doesn't want to accidentally get attached to you either

Korekiyo

• Oh boy, another hard one to crack

• Korekiyo likes to observe, to watch other people, keeping himself distanced from them. He's not against human interactions tho. He likes to listen and to tell. He'll even seek your company once you show geniune interest in him and/or anthropology. He just isn't comfortable with you touching him

• He may pat you on the head if he feels pleased with you and you're close enough. However, if you want to pet him you need to overcome one big obstacle

• His sister

• Yep, the only way to get him to be touchy with you is to be his loved one, no exeptions

[chocolvte]

STRAY KIDS REACTION — which types of supernatural creatures they would be

AUTHOR’S NOTE — happy halloween buttercups! i hope you all enjoy this post and have an amazing all hallow’s eve. stay safe cuties! 🔪🎃

LISTEN TO — rockin in the graveyard by jackie morningstar

BANG CHAN

werewolf — the first time he turned it was on your bedroom floor during the summer before eighth grade. neither of you had any idea what was happening and it was terrifying, but it turns out channie is more puppy than wolf, even on a full moon.

“you’re such a baby,” you teased, reaching down to scratch your boyfriend behind the ears the way he likes. chan whined, nuzzling his face against your cheek affectionately, before he caught the edge of your shirt with his sleeve, tugging you towards your bed for cuddles.

MINHO

fallen angel — minho showed up on your doorstep one rainy night covered in blood and soaking wet. any sane person would’ve turned him away or called the police, but there was something about him, something magnetic, that refused to let you send him away.

“thank you,” minho stared at you as you cleaned out the long gashes along his shoulder blades, “for being so nice to me. you didn’t have to.”

“it’s okay,” you smiled softly, pressing one last bandage in place. you held your breath, hesitating, before kissing each bandaged shoulder, very gently. “there. now they have to get better.”

and if you thought minho was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to him now, blushy and ducking his head to hide his giant smile.

CHANGBIN

goblin — living on the outskirts of town, you were very familiar with goblins and the dangers they posed. goblins meant no harm, but they liked treasure (which could be anything from a pretty flower to a trunk full of cash) and they didn’t care much about who they had to trick or take advantage of to get it.

still, there was nothing that could have prepared you for the day that changbin decided you were the prettiest treasure he had ever seen. he just had to have you.

“don’t cry, little one, i’m going to take such good care of you,” changbin smiled warmly, stroking your hair soothingly as you struggled against the silky black ribbons that bound you. “you’re mine. everything will be okay now that you’re with me.”

HYUNJIN

siren — every summer since you were little you and your family had been vacationing by the sea, so you were very young when you met hyunjin for the first time. he was just a little siren then, with pretty green scales swirling over his temples and dark curls flopping all over the place.

you were older now, and hyunjin had grown a lot, but he still got just as excited for your visits. he loved to sing for you, using his magic to put you to sleep when you couldn’t or ease your heartache when other boys hurt you.

tonight was one of those nights. you had been crying for a while, curled up against hyunjin’s chest while the two of you lay stretched out on the beach.

“please don’t be sad anymore,” hyunjin murmured, giving you a gentle squeeze. he sounded almost as hurt as you, though a little more angry. “he’s just a stupid boy. he doesn’t deserve you.”

JISUNG

alien — the plan had been to go to proxima centauri, the next star over, but somehow jisung’s ship had gotten off course and crash landed on earth, a tiny blue planet in a part of the galaxy jisung had never visited. he met you when you came running downstairs to figure out what had just crashed into your backyard, but it didn’t take him long to decide you were the love of his life.

“i’m going to show you all the stars some day,” he told you, smiling softly. you were laying with your head in his lap, falling asleep, as he braided your hair (something you taught him). “and my planet. it’s much further away from its sun than yours is. don’t worry, though, little moon. i’ll protect you from the cold.”

FELIX

demon — he’s new at this. for a demon, felix is still young (only a couple hundred years old), so you can’t blame him for not understanding all the rules yet. he was supposed to be corrupting you, charming you into giving up your soul to him, but how could he know you would be so cute?

“i shouldn’t be doing this,” felix breathed against your lips. you pulled away just a little bit, your heart stuttering in your chest as he smiled at you, warm and soft, while his eyes were consumed by black. he shook his head, pressing his lips back to your neck. “but i guess i didn’t get into hell by following the rules.”

SEUNGMIN

witch — seungmin never held back when he thought you were being a dumbass. as his familiar, the two of you have been inseparable since you met at the tender age of three, but that didn’t mean you were spared from seungmin’s sharp wit.

“seriously, y/n?” he frowned, flipping through several grimoires until he found the spell he was looking for. you sat on the counter with your head hung, ashamed. when you weren’t a person, you were a very small siamese kitty with a tendency to fall off of things (like said counter).

keeping one eye on the grimoire, seungmin set his hand over your sprained ankle, murmuring softly, and you felt the pain start to fade until eventually it was completely gone.

“thank you, minnie,” you smiled sheepishly, throwing your arms around his neck gratefully.

“just be careful please, kitty,” he sighed, ruffling your hair affectionately. he might not show it, but seungmin worried about you a lot and all he ever wanted was for you to be safe.

JEONGIN

vampire — jeongin was just a baby vampire when he met you. he had been turned less than a year ago and he was so terrified of feeding that he always put it off until the last possible moment. this meant that the night he met you he was absolutely starving.

you were walking home alone, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that someone was watching you, when suddenly you were shoved into an alley and up against a wall. you didn’t even get the chance to scream before jeongin was ripping your throat out.

neither of you could have predicted that you would become so close, but jeongin couldn’t just leave you there. he took very good care of you while he was nursing you back to health, tears coming to his eyes each time he ran a gentle hand over the scars on your throat.