#//as Jack’s father said ‘your castle is strong.’

[xkaidaxxxx]

Jack Atlas x Reader

Royalty

Sorry for any ERRORS (late night writing)

Mentions: Foul language, Physical and Verbal Abuse, Self doubt,NSFW,etc.

”Obey my orders! You’re the first born. You didn’t work so hard your entire life for nothing!” Your father yelled. Slapping you in the process. You had a few marks on your arms hence why you wore gloves“Y-yes sir..I understand. Don’t beat me.” You said. “ Alright.” He said leaving the room. You cried still believing his words. One of your maids walked out of the closet where she picked out pajamas and treatment for your wounds. “ thank you.” You said grabbing the clothing and changed into them. “Come sit darling. Treatment time.” She said. Hannis is your personal maid. Always cared for you. You sat down.“ I hope he’s a kind, considerate, strong man. That he protects me. I can’t take this anymore.” You cried. You wish for him be your knight in shining armor. After an hour you went straight to bed. Your dream was wonderful. Dancing in the ballroom surrounded by shining stars. You fell landing on the ground. Seeing flowers around you. You heard a laugh and someone holding onto your hand. You woke up crying. You felt like it would never be . “ Princess breakfast will be ready soon.” One of the maids said. You got up feeling pain but ignored it. You fixed up your hair, light makeup,etc. “ You’ll be meeting him tomorrow. Going on a week vacation. No sexual activity will be tolerated. Sleeping in separate rooms. I expect you to behave.I don’t want his parents to think you’re not suitable.” Your father stated while you ate breakfast. You knew exactly how to act and what to do. The entire day you spent having fun. Painting, reading, playing piano, and most importantly screaming your pain out in the hidden part of the castle you found when you were younger. Tomorrow was finally here.

You sat in silence as the car drove you to the location where you’d vacation. “I’m aware no matter how this vacation ends we’ll marry so you don’t have to up the perfect pink princess act. It disgusts me.” He says. That knight in shining armor wish you had was quickly washed away. “Purple.” You replied, holding your tears back. “Huh?” He questioned fixing his gloves. “ My favorite color is purple. Offend me by saying "perfect purple princess.” You responded. You realized you messed up. “Remember your place.” He gripped your wrist. You yelped.“You obey me from now on.Don’t be such a baby. I’m not gripping hard.” He let you go. “I broke my wrist this morning. I didn’t want to ruin our trip by saying so..I’m sorry Prince Atlas.” You cried silently. Rolling his eyes he huffed. Months passed he was such an asshole,arrogant, disrespectful, abusive. At least not as horrible as your father. This was for the Kingdom. It’s people. It was beneficial for both kingdoms.You walked down the aisle. Wearing your white dress. It was breathtaking. It hugged your body wonderfully. Your guests gasped as they saw you. They all believed the love story. Tears slipped as your father walked you down the aisle. Tears of sadness,yet no one noticed. You and Jack held hands smiling fakely The wedding and coronation went according to plan. “All hail King and Queen Atlas.” Was said by the preacher. The guests and staff repeated. The entire time you were thinking about Prince Charming in your dream. That’s what got you through it all.

Day before the wedding “We expect an heir to the throne.”Jacks mother said. “Yes.” You replied and left the room with him.

After the wedding

In your now shared room. You sat at the edge of the bed dressed in comfortable clothes. “Y/n..I had a talk with a friend last week..it was a rude awakening. I apologize. I abused you..I have to live with the guilt forever. I never put myself in your shoes. You lost your mother..your father abused you for most of your life. You were forced to marry. You have to carry our children without wanting to. I should’ve helped you instead of adding fuel to the fire.” He said while kneeling on the floor. You were angry at everything he did.You want him to feel guilty until the day he dies. “Don’t expect me to forgive you like it was nothing.” You cried then slapped him. He didn’t hurt you at all, not physically or verbally. “Hit me until you're satisfied.” He said. You kicked, slapped and punched him. You threw heels at him. You threw some of your jewelry at him leaving some cuts behind. You threw a lamp at him. It hit him straight in the head.“ The pain you’re feeling is nothing. I’ve dealt with worse pain. This is the only time I gladly obeyed you.” You spoke, slapping him one last time. He silently walked to the bathroom cleaning up the blood from the small wounds you left behind. Honeymoon: The entire month was fun. Playing chess, dancing, horseback riding, swimming, baking,even bungee jumping, etc. Everything that made you both share your innermost self. Open up your hearts to each other. In such a small amount of time. Laughter spread throughout the castle's entrance. Jack embraced you. You both experienced fun. “ I see the honeymoon went well.” Your father spoke. You nodded.“we enjoyed every second of it.” Jack replied. “ The baby will be so cute.” His mother said.“ We decided to wait. We aren’t ready for a baby. Bring lunch to our room.” Jack commented.You guys came back with new versions of yourselves. They couldn’t believe how you rebelled against them.

“Lunch then dance in the ballroom? ” He asked as you walked upstairs. “Lunch, dance, then cuddle and watch a movie.” You responded. “ Anything for you” You blushed. He was getting to you. “ Jack..I like you.” “I like you too y/n.” He responded by carrying you inside the room then shutting the door, locking it. “ Can we try?” You asked, leaving a peck on his lips. “Yeah of course.” Setting you down carefully you bit your lip as he took your jewelry off and unzipped your purple dress. You were nervous yet turned to face him once the dress pooled on the floor around you.“ Beautiful.” Was all said removing his clothing. “there’s no way.” Your cunny clenched around nothing. Slick running down your inner thighs. You quickly laid down on the soft bed. He spread your legs revealing your pussy. His cock hardened. Precum leaking. Pulling your panties off you suddenly got very nervous. He sucked on your pretty little clit stimulating strong pleasure. You moaned and gripped his hair. You moaned and whined. “J-Jack” he loved hearing you moan his name. “I-ha!” He smirked, pulling away, stopping your orgasm. You whined. “You want it baby?” He smirked You nodded. “Beg.” You gave him a death glare“It’s your job to take care of me. Now give me what I want.” You replied pointing at your cunt. He raised his eyebrow loving your attitude and how you were correct. You whimpered as he inserted a finger. He began thrusting it, noticing the blood. He said nothing to not alert you. He added another. “ Deep breaths. Look at me.” You looked directly into his eyes. He guided you with taking deep breaths he thrusted his fingers. Stretchin you as much as he could. After a while you gushed all over his fingers. “ s’good Jack.” He sucked his fingers not caring about the blood. You gasped. “I’m bleeding !? Jack no don’t- its-‘ “It's yummy, baby.” He aligned his cock to your hole. You inhaled as he entered you then exhaled. You cried in pain. He was well aware that no matter the amount of prepping, he would still tear you. He gave you a passionate kiss and rubbed your clit trying to keep you distracted from the pain. It worked because soon after you were acting like such a slut for him. Asking for more and more. “Y-yes just like that.” You said. His cock hitting your g spot. He groaned at how tight you were. “Such a selfish wife I have. Gripping her husband's cock for dear life.” He teased you. You didn’t even care. Didn’t bother to respond. You scratched his back. There was a knock. “U-uh lunch is here my king.” The servant said. “ Can’t you hear -fuck my wife and I are b-busy. Hol- just leave it there.” He responded. You didn’t care that anyone could hear you. All you cared was how your husband was fucking you. “Yes my king.” The servant replied leaving in a hurry. He turned you over. Spanking your ass and pulling you back against his chest yanking your hair. “ Jack!” You yelled, releasing on his cock. He pushed you face down ass up. Thrusting faster and harder making you stupid. Mumbling incoherent words and drooling. Face red and eyes rolled back as he spanked you. “feel so good.” You hear him. He pulled out cumming on your back and ass. He made sure every drip of cum he had to offer was on you.You knocked out. He quickly grabbed a cloth and cleaned you up. “Y/n? Baby you okay?.” He said, shaking you carefully. You woke up and smiled lightly as he carried you to the bathroom. “M’sleepy.” He smiled, setting you on the counter. “I know.” You yawned hearing the bathtub filled. Suddenly you both were comfortably sitting inside. He washed you gently. He knew in the morning you both would be marked up. “I’ll do it.” You said “No darling. I’ve got it.” You use the little energy to yank his cloth to wash him up. He was loved by someone so deeply like he’s always wanted. He loves you just as much Taking things slow was out the window. It’s like you knew each other your entire lives.

After an hour he brought the lunch that was left outside. “It’s cold.” “It’s fine. I always finish every meal that’s given to me.” He fed you giving you a soft look, signifying that he will care for you til the end of time. You cried as he fed you. Turns out he was your knight in shining armor.

[yellowgreendinno]

Just like old times:

I was thinking about all of the things I imagine at like, 3am, so here it goes! It's when they're young... I saw a small scene of these characters together at some point and thought, how did they meet?

(I highly recommend listening to the said songs of Taylor Swift)

Nozel: 14

Jack: 13

Charlotte: 12 (Luck: 2)

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾

Song: exile

I think I've seen this film before, so I'm leaving out the side door...

Charlotte woke up to the sound of a child crying. She looked around her room, dimly lit by a candle, confused. This wasn't the Roselei mannor... was it?

Oh, right..., she thought, this is Yvon, she remembered when she looked at her step-mother's sleeping form beside her.

She had been staying with Adua and her son, Luck, for a while. To be more specific, since she found out her Father had cheated, so, about three months. And over those three months, she saw Adua was not meant to be a mother.

She slowly lifted the old duvet from her small frame, and tip toed around the room to find Luck's crib. His cries ceased as his sister came into sight. Charlotte's eyes lit up and she smiled, as the little blonde boy reached his arms out for her to pick him up.

As she cradled Luck in her arms, Charlotte walked outside the room and sat him on the table while she went back to the room to get a bag, and packed some essentials: her clothes, Luck's, their coats, and Adua's blue old sleep shirt (she surely wouldn't miss it), Luck would always cling to its sleeves. She closed the door in hopes of not waking the woman up, and walked back to the living room.

She picked Luck up, and, with her bags, walked put of the house, into the night. She was headed for the closest beach.

They were on their own now.

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾

Song: Willow

Life was a willow and it banged right to your window...

Nozel was outside the Silva Estate, deep into the forest, a normal thing to happen late at night, or early in the morning. Acier knew of his whereabouts, she would often see him walking outside the castle, or coming back mid-morning.

But she was no longer there...

So, it wasn't surprising that he ended up in the dark heart of the woods. He wasn't scared, he had his magic to protect him.

As he walked through the woods, he looked at the trees he knew so well. Dark bark, strong branches and dark leaves were dull compared to his save heaven. He made his way through the mist to a big willow tree. Its leaves were a light green, almost golden, hanging down like tears from the branches. The mist had left behind a trail of dampness and droplets on the leaves and trunk, making it easier to imagine the tree was shedding tears.

As if it understood Nozel's pain.

The silver-haired boy climbed the tree, in a route he had memorised long ago, leaning on branches and small holes to reach that one branch that accompanied him so many times in his sorrow. He finally sat down on the branch, other small ones making it easier to lean back.

He overlooked the misty forest, the moon shining dimly through the fog. He could still see the Silva Castle over a distant hill. Was the Weeping Willow that far away from home? he asked himself. He started to shake. He put his head between his hands and started to cry,

Over his mother,

over his absent father,

over his jealousy of stupid Fuegoleon and his stupid perfect family,

over how Solid hated Noelle,

over how he heard Nebra's muffled sobs at night,

over how unfair life was to his family.

Then, he heard it.

"Are you okay?"

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾

Song: cardigan

You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding...

Jack didn't know what to feel. He was confused, scared, sad, angry.

Confused; why did they do it? scared; did they feel that way about me? sad; I thought they cared about me... angry; do they really think I would do it on purpose?

It slowly came to his senses that his home was not his home anymore. The beach side town he used to call home didn't want him anymore. All because of that small accident.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that small, but still.

As he walked beside the shore, he looked at the view. The waves were soft, and the sky was tainted peach pink, signalling the rising of the sun. He looked down to his wet feet on the sand, little droplets of blood falling onto it.

He had to get to a hospital, quickly. It was that, or loosing his eye. His strength was running out, and the gush on his face was pretty bad.

Was he really that bad?

As he was about to fall on the sand, two pairs of arms caught him, and lay him on a warm blanket placed on the grass. He could hear their voices talk, and a child cry as well. Probably scared of the deep wound.

"We need to take him to a hospital. Now." a female voice said with urgency.

"He wouldn't make it to the closest hospital. I can treat him." Said a calm, deeper voice. "Hey, this is going to hurt" Jack could faintly recognise the boy's accent as a way higher class. Royalty, maybe?

He heard the girl speak again, to calm down the baby, and then spoke to him.

"What's your name? I'm Charlotte, he's Nozel" In between the pain of the needle piercing his skin to close the wound, he managed to let out a faint whisper of his name.

The boy, who he assumed was Nozel, asked him again; "Jack what?"

He hesitated. He actually didn't know. He had been called "Ripper" all his life, so he answered carefully. "I don't know. They always called me Jack the Ripper because of my slash magic. How about you?"

"I'm Charlotte Ro- Voltia". Jack decided he would ask her about that slip later. "I'm Nozel Silva" So, he was right. A royal snob.

When Nozel was done, he and his companion asked him if he wanted to go with them.

Obviously, he said yes.

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾☾

(Thirteen years later)

Song: happiness

There'll be happiness after me, but there was happiness because of me...

It was the magic knights exam, and a certain candidate had awoken the interest of a crowd. He was a strange mage, it was like he only wanted to fight. Most teenagers found him scary.

Now known as the Cheery Berserker, Luck Voltia had come out as a strange boy; and the eyes of three captains never left him during the exam. However, when the time came, neither of them rose their hand.

"The Black Bulls"

Charlotte looked at Yami, a tint of blush on her face, though her heart swelled with sadness.

When the exam was over, she walked out the first, followed closely behind by Nozel and Jack. The streets were empty, the wetness of the rain from a few hours ago was still on the stone floor. The streetlights were dimly lit by candles, and almost every pub was closed. She fell on the edge of the pavement, her head buried in between her hands.

Nozel and Jack came shortly after. Nozel was the first one to sit down with her, and pulled Charlotte in a deep hug. Jack had sat down as well. He muttered the words able to put a small smile on Nozel's face.

"The kid did grow up"

As they all smiled, they heard a faint voice, loud but distant.

"Captain Yami, hold on a second, please! I have to say goodbye to someone!" A boy said. The three turned around to the sound of the boy's close voice.

"Hi, Charlie"

"Hi, Luck"

[olivyh]

TWST FAMILY HCS PT2) Savanaclaw and Octavinelle

Feel free to tack on your own Hc’s too!!! I love reading what other people think and how their view of the characters and of Twisted Wonderland in general change from person to person!!!

Savanaclaw:

Leona:

-Farena: We already know Leona describes his brother as being carefree and relaxed, but deep under that I think he’s a deeply intelligent man (how can you run a kingdom and be stupid?). He tries his best to make time in his schedule for his wife and child, and even try to get bonding tike with his younger brother (which never works out well). He tries to teach Cheka as much as he can, often giving him little life lessons while they play games. He’s a very kind and straightforward man, often being blunt when he doesn’t mean to. He stands a little taller than Leona, with Orange hair similar to Chekas. He keeps his hair tied out of his face as much as he can.

-Sister-in-law Kingscholar: A strong and confident woman, not afraid to speak her mind when she wants to. She’s blunt and she’d let you know about it. She’s also very kind in her own way, often dragging Leona off and trying to have serious talks with him, which he appreciates but doesn’t show. She adores Cheka and often spoils him without meaning to, and will spoil Leona too (but indirectly in a way similar to Ace’s father’s). Also very intelligent and good at reading people. I think she stands a little shorter than Leona, but she holds herself higher, and he slouches, so it looks as if they’re the same height. She has long yellow hair (again, similar to the ends of Cheka’s) that she often ties back as well.

-Cheka: We already know him, so heres a few Hcs!: He sometimes asks his mother to do his hair the same way as Leona’s, and tries to do everything like him (such as standing like him, trying to deepen his voice to sound like him, throwing sand at various objects in the castle yelling “King’s Roar!!”)

Ruggie:

-Grandma Bucchi: As he said himself, a stern and prideful woman. I think she’d be on the stricter side, having to teach Ruggie how to survive rather than him having to face those hard truths alone. She likely stands a lot shorter, likely 5’0 (sorry to anyone whos that height), than most other beastwomen. She’s a lot physically stronger than she looks, often still trying to pick Ruggie up at his age. She tries to spoil him when she can, trying to make him relax after working and taking over the household chores (which he declines, still cleaning up when she’s not looking- which earns him a smack to the head with a broom). She’s also a prankster, quietly jumping out from corners and scaring Ruggie or one of the other children. I think she feels a lot of regret over seeing Ruggie grow up so fast in the environment that he had, but she’s the proudest grandma ever. Whenever he sends pictures back she boasts to everyone at home (“See that! That’s my grandson’s school! See that there! He plays magift and is one of the best on the team! Look there! He’s got those nice ceremony robes!”), and even boasts about him with what little baby pictures they have (“See him walking at such a young age? Isn’t he so strong?”) Will never stop talking about her grandson, ever.

-Neighborhood kids: I think they’re like little siblings to Ruggie, so I’m adding them. They try to tale over what Ruggie did when he was at home, helping people fix up their houses or entertaining the baby hyenas when their mothers have other things to do. They also leave gifts to Ruggie when he comes back, between little dolls they made, bracelets they thought he’d like, charms, or pretty rocks and leaves. He keeps all of the gifts, no matter how small.

-His mom (bc the poor woman deserves a spot)(Poor meaning unfortunate)(The more i think abt it, both. It means both. Bad time?): I think she looked a lot like him, but with brighter blue eyes than his. She was definitely a prankster at heart, leaving clever traps behind for any poor soul to get stuck in. She was a very hardworker much like her son, taking on any task she could find to help out her mother. I think she’d try to leave as much behind for Ruggie as she could, which would include little notes and scribbles about how she was feeling throughout her pregnancy and how excited she was for him. Ruggie also kept all of those safe and sound, in a small box he keeps in the corner of his room.

(Can you guess who my fav chara is?)

Jack:

-Grandma & Grandpa Howl: A very loving couple, who always make time out of their schedule for their grandchildren, whether it be for school events, emergencies, or if any one of them want to come by and talk. They met when Grandpa Howl got lost and wandered by Grandma Howl’s family’s cabin (which happens to be the one they, and the rest of the family, still live in to this day) and he spent the night. I think they fell in love at first sight :’)

-Mama Howl: A very soft and loving beastwoman who is willing to sacrifice anything for her children. She is often strict, and sometimes a chatterbox, but she always reminds her children to stay safe and that she loves them. She always pats their head or cheek when she walks by, even if she has to reach a little to plant a kiss on Jack’s forehead. I think her hair would be a little darker grey, and she’d definitely be a little more muscular and taller, reaching six ft one when standing straight up. She’d have the same yellow eyes as Jack, and her hair would be cropped shorter due to her still moving around a lot.

-Papa Howl: Very similar to Jack personality and appearance wise. He stands an inch or two shorter than Jack, but is still very muscular due to working around the house and in the woods (chopping wood for the campfire, dragging around tools, carrying three wolf pups at a time in his younger days (only one now wants to be carried, which hurts the poor man’s heart a bit)

-Baby brother Howl: Huffy and a little moody, but a hard worker even if he complains while doing it most of the time. That’s often with his parents, but when he does something with Jack he doesn’t complain a bit. He’s very attached to his older brother, looking up to him for his strength and strong morals. He often compares him to superheroes and star athletes in his mind, but sometimes it slips out, resulting in one very embarrassed wolf boy and another very flattered wolf boy, ignore their wagging tails, it means nothing. I think he stands pretty tall for a preteen, around 5’7-5’8 and growing taller by the day. Same hair and eye color as Jack. Acts like he doesn’t like to play games with his younger sister but will never turn down a game of tag.

-Baby sister Howl: An absolute sweetheart. She just wants the best for her family and will do whatever she can to make what they want happen. Jack is hungry? Good thing she made her special dessert (it’s a poptart with whipped cream messily piled on top with sprinkles and literal sugar cubed wedged in it, but don’t tell her you don’t like it, please she’d actually bawl). Her other older brother is tired? She can get him extra blankets! Mama needs help cleaning? She can mop (she really just throws water on the floor and praises herself for a job well done). Papa need to cut wood? She can- no, she can’t. Please don’t give her an axe. She’ll cheer him from the sidelines with a song she made up just for him instead! She has their mother’s grey hair and father’s dark brown eyes, and loves to do her hair like the princesses she sees on Tv! (Yes, Jack will wear a too-small dress and Tiara if his sister wants to play princess. No, he will not let anyone take pictures.)

Octavinelle:

Tweels:

-Mama Leech: At first glance, a very kind woman with soft eyes. Willing to open her arms to anyone who might need help. Then, a terrifying grin similar to Floyd’s as that poor unfortunate soul realizes the trap they’d been thrown in. She’s very kind and patient towards both her boys and husband, as well as their friends (even of she is on guard near their friends, throwing a few hollow threats to see if it’d scare them away)(She doesn’t like to share her babies). She dotes on the tweels as much as possible, indulging im whatever curiosity they may have. Floyd wants to know what going through riptide is like? They leave tomorrow to find one. Jade wants to know more about life on land? She’ll find as many books as possible and ask (threaten) people for their land belongings. She knows when too far is too far though, and is very skilled at reeling the boys back in if they get to that point. Will always call them her little guppies, no matter how big they get. I think she’d have a teal bob on top, with the underside of her hair being black (which makes her hair look color changing when she swims). Im her human form shes only a few inches shorter than her boys, ranging around the same as Jack’s mother.

-Papa Leech: The definition of old Hollywood New York mob boss. Strict and blunt about his interests and problems, and not afraid to cause any problems if provoked. When the tweels were younger and they’d wrestle and bite at him, he’d throw them off him easily, telling them they need to work to beat him, even if he was impressed by their teamwork at first. Will die to protect his family, and was likely put in that position many times in the past due to his uh… business. He values his wife and children more than anything, and has done everything in his power in the past to protect them from harm. When they went to NRC at first, he felt defeated and almost wanted to beg them to stay safe with him (not that his pride would allow it).(Both the tweels can see through his facade easily)

Azul:

-Grandma ‘grotto: A very stern and prim octomermaid. What she says goes in the Ashengrotto house, and she often catches herself making unnecessary comments. She does apologize. Also a very loving grandmother towards Azul, often babying him whenever possible (doing the classic “you’re not eating enough here take some more” grandma move)(She will smooch his face whenever possible when there are no business clients nearby). Tries to boost his confidence since she knew about what was happening to him (Chances are she went through the same thing- being an octomer as well) and dod her best to protect him and make him happy. She taught him how to write with his tentacles and encouraged him to do his best in everything he does.

-Mama ‘grotto: Another businesslady in the front absolute softie in the back situation. Adores her son and is incredibly proud of how far he’s come.I think she looks identical to Azul, but more heavyset and, of course, female. She coddled Azul as much as possible, which worked out well with baby Azul’s clingy nature. She had no shame in walking around with the little guy stuck to her (unless he smacked a tentacle to her face when she was working on her restaurant), and made sure everyone knew what a good boy he was. She would show pictures to everyone (similar to Ruggie’s grandma), but respects his wishes in wanting to hide pictures of his past. She still shows anyone who asks pictures of him at NRC (compliments to the twins, who send her updates when her son is busy), and will tell everyone how smart he is and how much he’s grown.

-Step-Papa grotto: A very professional man in every aspect of his life, which stretches to his relationship with his stepson. When he learns about the contracts and Azuls UM, he’s over the moon with how happy he is. He swam around with a little more pep than usual, flicking his tail and flaring out his fins the more and more Azul told him. He helps him reword and format his contracts to his advantage, and is always willing to talk with him about Mostro Lounge or (on rare occasion) some memories before Step papa Ashengrotto met Mama Ashengrotto (which always make him happy that Azul trusts him enough). I think he’d be a pretty generic looking Mer, with an average looking tail and such

[jeonronwoo]

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 → 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐨𝐧

anonymous asked: hi!! can i request 1 and 5 from the prompt list with enhypen jungwon? i have kind of like an obsession with royalty aus and stuff like that just to give you an idea but you can still write whatever you want! thank you and i hope you have a great week <3

Requested.

Prompts:

1. “If the full moon loves you, why worry about the stars?”

5. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: None.

Genre: Royal!AU, Fluff.

Summary: “Thanks to a secret passage you were able to live your life normally without the constant reminder of being a princess. But what you didn’t know that you would meet someone you never though you’d fall in love with.”

A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for requesting I had so much fun writing it and I hope you like and enjoy it as well🥺❤

Being a princess wasn’t easy or as fun as it was described in novels and movies. No, you were trained since you were young to be the queen someday in the future, and was kept at the palace all the times, you couldn’t go walk around freely or experience situations like normal people who are your age.

But you weren’t a normal princess, you sometimes disobeyed orders, and rebelled against your parents, which resulted in you being locked up in your room. You also went out of the castle at times, with the help of your maid and best friend, Yuna.

And today was one of those days where you decided to leave the castle for a couple of hours to go to the village. You changed into some of Yuna’s clothes, while Yuna wore your clothes.

“Princess, please, be back before dusk.” Yuna begged and you nodded at her.

“Don’t worry Yuna, I won’t be too late.” you assured her, and she nodded while you escape from the secret door behind the portrait.

You brought your torch up and walked in the long passage, with quick and light steps. You wanted to be in the village as fast as you can. You saw the familiar door and ran towards it, you opened it and saw yourself in the familiar cafe.

You smiled when you saw the owner, who became a good friend of yours. You took off your hat and jacket and hung them on the hanger.

“Good afternoon, Sunoo.” you greeted and he bowed to you smiling as well.

“Good afternoon, princess. Are you staying for a while?” he asked and you nodded smiling. “Very well, I will bring you some cookies! They were just freshly made!” Sunoo said brightly as he left to the kitchen.

You sat by one of the tables, watching as people started coming in and filling the cafe.

Meeting Sunoo for the first time was a bit awkward, it was late at night when you found the secret passage and it led you to him. When he saw you he was stunned but knew that you were the princess because no one except for the royal family, could come through this door. And he became your friend.

The people didn’t know what the princess looked like, except the paintings, no one truly knew what you looked like exactly, and you were thankful for that because you felt like you could be yourself without worrying too much.

Sunoo came back with the freshly baked cookies and a cup of coffee and placed them in front of you.

“There you go, princess,” he said and you sighed looking at him annoyed.

“Sunoo, what did I say about calling me princess? You’re my friend, you’re allowed to call me by my name.” you said smiling kindly and Sunoo blushed in embarrassment and nodded.

“Whatever pleases you Y/N.” he replied and you smiled and ate your cookie.

You were sitting in your own little world, just enjoying your coffee, the door opened and you looked up and saw a boy your age, looking around as if he was looking for someone. When his eyes fell on Sunoo as he smiled widely and ran engulfing him in a hug.

You heard mumbles of, ‘Welcome back.’ and ‘Nice to see you again.’.

You observed the boy in front of you, he certainly didn’t look like a villager, he looked like a gentleman, maybe he was a knight from the west kingdom because if he was from your kingdom you would’ve known him.

The boy noticed you staring at him, and be turned his head to meet your eyes, you blushed and turned away quickly causing him to smile.

It was almost dusk, and you needed to go back to the palace, you looked at Sunoo and motioned for him to clear a way to you, so you can reach the door of the secret passage.

He distracted the people around you, and quickly you grabbed your jack and hat and ran to the door and left through it.

Your departure didn’t go unnoticed by the gentleman who was sitting at the table and watched as you left the cafe through the door.

You spent the last week in your room, thinking about the handsome boy from the cafe, you went back the next day hoping to see him, but he never came. You repeated the same action for three days, but you got the same results, he never came back.

“So she’s really the princess.”

The sound of the door knocked, and it opened revealing Yuna, she bowed and said.

“Princess, his majesty wishes to see you downstairs.”

You furrowed your eyebrows scared that your father found out about your little trips to the village.

“He didn’t mention anything about why he wants to see me?” you asked quietly and Yuna shook her head.

“Unfortunately no, but I don’t think it’s about you leaving.” Yuna tried to assure you, nodding solemnly, you left your room with Yuna following you.

When you got downstairs, you saw your parents, and your brother, Heeseung, waiting for you. You swallowed and bowed, smiling lightly.

“Yuna said that you wished to see me father.” you started and he nodded and then he walked outside the palace with you all following him.

You spared Heeseung a glance but he shrugged his shoulders confused too. You found yourself in front of the gate and then carriages appeared in your sight.

You then remembered that two weeks ago, your father told you that the King of the Westside was coming to visit you. You looked at Heeseung who was grinning from ear to ear because he was finally going to see princess Suah.

You rolled your eyes as two carriages stopped in front of you, the first carriage the King and the Queen stepped out from it. Your father smiled upon seeing his best friend.

“My old friend! Good to have you back!” your father said hugging the King who smiled hugging him back.

“It’s good to see you again.” the King replied and pulled away greeting you and Heeseung.

The second carriage, you saw princess Suah step out with her maid, then the prince stepped out last.

You have never seen the prince before, all you knew that his name was Jungwon and he always travelled. You envied him to say the least, being able to travel without any barrier was great. From the first glimpse of him, you let out an inaudible gasp.

He was the same gentleman from Sunoo’s cafe.

He caught your eyes and smiled, his dimples adorn his flawless face. You broke the eye contact looking away, as you greeted Suah happily, you weren’t close to her, but she was an amazing girl, she wasn’t mean or anything at all. Prince Jungwon stopped in front of you, and bowed his head, smiling at you.

“It’s finally good to see you, princess Y/N.” he said kissing your hand, you smiled bowing back to him.

For the next two weeks, you and Jungwon spoke regularly to each other, and even went to Sunoo’s cafe together, you found out that you and he had so much in common. He also told you that he was interested in poetry, and showed you some of the things that he wrote.

“Likewise, prince Jungwon.”

So there you were, sitting in the garden observing the stars with the telescope, you smiled upon seeing the full moon admiring how beautiful it looked, and didn’t feel Jungwon’s presence next to you.

“If the full moon loves you, why worry about the stars?”

You turned around startled when you heard Jungwon’s voice, he chuckled lightly.

“What was that?” you asked and he smiled sitting next to you on the bench.

“New poem that I’m working on, what do you think?” he asked and you nodded smiling at him.

“It’s amazing, whoever this poem is written for must be lucky.” you commented, wishing to have someone write you a poem.

Jungwon noticed how your mood changed, and immediately started feeling bad thinking of ways to lighten up your mood once again. From the first time Jungwon saw you at Sunoo’s cafe, he thought you were enchanting and had a calming aura surrounding you.

The next few weeks were the same, you and Jungwon going to Sunoo’s cafe and spending some time as a trio, and you couldn’t help but catch feelings for Jungwon. You were amazed by him, and how strong he was, he was also a good prince that interacted with the people and helped them. You fell hard for him.

Jungwon didn’t realise it, but he was starting to like you romantically, it was impossible for him not to do so. You were beautiful, intelligent, wise, and brave. How could he not fancy you?

And he also his feelings started to grow for you even more, and he couldn’t keep the secret for too long, he had to get it off his chest, so he told Sunoo who was very happy for him assuring his friend that the princess also seemed like she was catching feelings for him.

You wanted to tell Jungwon how you felt about him, but couldn’t think of a way to do that, and he was facing the same problem. And it leads to things being awkward between the two of you.

Sunoo could only watch in annoyance as the two of you continued to ignore your feelings towards each other, he wanted to interfere but he knows that he couldn’t do so because it was going to be against both your wishes.

Jungwon not handling the secret he needed to get it off his chest, he went and told Sunoo his feelings towards you. He asked him for advice and Sunoo was more than happy to help. The two boys came up with a plan so Jungwon can confess his feelings towards you.

***

The following day you were sitting in the cafe with a lot on your mind, you were thinking about Jungwon and how your feelings for him started changing, you couldn’t believe that you were falling in love that easily, but you knew that feelings cannot be controlled.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” Sunoo asked and you looked up at him smiling slightly nodding your head.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me, Sunoo.” you assured him, he was unconvinced but decided not to say anything.

Instead, he grabbed his coat and hat putting them on, he flipped the signpost changing it from ‘OPEN’ to ‘CLOSED’. You furrowed your eyebrows as you stood up.

“Are you closing the cafe? Should I leave?” you asked and stood up grabbing your coat but Sunoo stopped you.

“No, no, you stay here, I will be back before you know it.” he said and left the cafe immediately.

You shivered at how empty the place looked and decided just to continue reading your book. You felt someone creeping behind you and you stood up quickly only to see Jungwon standing there.

“Jungwon? What are you doing here?” you asked and he smiled at you giving you a beautiful flower, “This is for me?” you grinned and he nodded excitedly.

“Yes, I noticed you liked these kinds of flowers,” Jungwon replied and you smiled at him.

“You came here for Sunoo? He left and I don’t know where he went it when he’s going to be back,” you said and he shook his head.

He took your hand and sat on the table with you, he took a deep breath and stared at you.

“I was the one that asked Sunoo to leave so he could give us some time together, I need to get this off my chest,” Jungwon said causing your heart to skip a beat as you looked at him your eyes wide.

He took a deep breath and said, “Y/N, ever since the moment I saw you for the first time here, you took my breath away, and when I found that you were princess Y/N that everyone was talking so greatly about, I was happy. Not that we are both alike because we’re royals, but we also share the same interests, you understand me like nobody does, and I couldn’t help falling in love with you, you were the most perfect person I have ever met...” Jugwon trailed as he looked at you deeply in the eyes.

Your heart was beating so fast you could hear it pumping in your ears, you kept your mouth shut until Jungwon said the eight letters that had your heart stopping.

“What I am trying to say that... Y/N, I love you.”

You were smiling so hard and you looked down giggling happily, Jungwon’s heart felt at ease when he saw you smiling and then you said.

“I love you too, so much, you don’t know how much I was dying to say these words but I just kept denying my feelings and told myself that you were only acting that way because that’s what friends do.”

Jungwon smiled at your cuteness as he stood up and sat on his knees in front of you.

“But friends don’t kiss each other,” he said as he closed the distance between you two placing his lips to yours.

The kiss was like what you read in the books, it felt magical and you could feel butterflies flying through your stomach. You put your hand against his cheek, and he placed his on your neck.

After a moment you pulled away from each other and Jungwon was smiling at you, he brought your hands up to his lips kissing it.

“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

You smiled and was about to kiss him again but a loud clapping, you both turned towards the sound and saw Sunoo smiling and clapping his hands.

“Oh don’t mind me continue,” Sunoo said and you laughed.

“So you participated in this, you made me feel scared!” you said and Sunoo shrugged smirking.

“You had to acknowledge your feelings, I was getting tired of you two sulking around and whining about how much you both liked each other.” he replied and you three a toothpick at him which didn’t even reach him.

“I wasn’t even whining!” you said and he laughed he then drifted his eyes to Jungwon who smiled at him saying.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about us sulking around or whining anymore, because I’m not going to let go of her any time soon.”

[iron--spider]

I woke up at 3am yesterday to watch The Devil All the Time and I’ve been thinking about it since. I’m gonna put my thoughts and feelings and a review of sorts behind the cut, because I am gonna talk about it freely, so there will be spoilers! So don’t click if you don’t wanna see. I’ll also be discussing the content of the film and I know that might bother people, so that stuff is in here, too! And it’ll be really long because you know I can’t shut up.

So, I loved it. I loved it loved it loved it. I read the book a long time ago when I first found out Tom was gonna be in it, and the only problem I had with the book was that the POVs would change in the middle of a paragraph lmao, but other than that I thought it was pretty perfect. I knew the movie was gonna be pretty brutal, because the book is brutal, so I was prepared.

-BUT I think the critics HIGHLY HIGHLY exaggerated how bad the content was. Like, seriously, they acted as if this was gonna be a Saw movie. I was preparing for blatant, horrific gore, but it didn’t live up to their dramatics at all. There’s blood and nasty situations, but every single episode of Game of Thrones is worse than this movie, as are most episodes of any crime drama on a paid network. I actually thought they were super, super tactful of all their horrific shit. The dog death was off screen and the shot of the body (described by the critics as literally traumatic) was so quick (enough to shut your eyes) and in the dark. I also argue that particular moment is extremely important for Arvin’s journey, because it’s the moment he truly turns on his father and turns on religion entirely, and he carries it with him his whole life (it’s what he flashes back to when he says “I know what my daddy did” because it’s the marker of all Willard’s mistakes) and it winds up being one of the last things he does before he leaves everything behind. Burying Jack’s bones. So, like, I despise dog death or any animal death in my entertainment, but it’s important here and handled well. And all the worst death scenes are either extremely fast (Helen’s and Gary Matthew’s) or shown in negative (all the photos). I think Bodecker’s headshot with Bobo is probably the worst and is also pretty quick. I don’t know if this means I’m a jaded bitch, but God the way they were all whining and crying, I thought it’d be a million times worse. It could have been, with the book’s descriptions, so it was actually pretty tame. Lenora’s death affected me the most and they cut away from that, too. I guess it’ll still bother some people, but there are many, many mainstream things that are far more violent and gory than this was.

-I thought it was a beautiful movie. I never mind films that are slightly slower but I love ones that use their time to lay things out and really show us what’s going on, build the ambiance and the relationships. I loved the narration (which I was worried about), and it really made me feel like we were visiting a moment in time that was important. Like something that was written and should be learned about. Rumors in a town you’re passing through. The ghosts of past trauma and transgressions looming over everyone that’s left.

-I liked the changes they made with Roy and Theodore because I thought that storyline kinda meandered in the book and I’m glad that Roy was actually gone the whole time and not just neglecting to come back to Lenora.

-The only real complaints I can make, I’ll get out of the way here: I wanted a little bit more time with Carl and Sandy. Carl was really creepy, but he could have been much creepier. In the book he was the one looking at the pictures constantly, Not Sandy, and that really showed that he was the one with the sickness, the one pushing them forward and orchestrating it all. I thought they did well with showing how Sandy deteriorated in her efforts with him through the years, but I would have liked to see a bit more of their personal lives together and her fear of him and her genuine feelings about what they’re doing, because the book goes into that a lot more. I also wasn’t a fan of Lee finding the picture early and knowing some about what they were doing, because I liked how it was a surprise to him in the book and yet he still did all he could to cover it up. And lastly, in the book there’s a scene with Arvin after he kills Sandy and Carl where he’s in a motel and he takes like 18 showers because he can’t get the grime of what he’s done off of him, and he looks at the picture and has a nightmare about killing Sandy, and I really would have loved if they’d kept it in. It would have been another ‘acting’ moment for Tom, and it would have been nice for us to see his direct trauma and reaction to everything that’s piling on top of him.

-BUT that’s it. I loved pretty much every single other thing and decision that they made. The cinematography was TOP NOTCH. You could tell they filmed on 35mm film, you could see the grain, and it really, really added to it. Antonio Campos is a very skilled director and I trusted him at the helm of this story. Everything looked so authentic, all the sets and the costumes. The soundtrack and score were AMAZING and enhanced the film. Technically it was just perfect in every regard to me.

-Acting! Acting! God this was like...a massive testament to the casting department and the talent of these people. Everyone was on their A game. Bill Skarsgård has been on my radar since Castle Rock (which I recommend to everybody, both seasons) and he was so natural and great in this role. Haley Bennet was absolutely adorable as Charlotte, I loved her cute face and her sweet relationship with little Arvin. Riley Keough was so great as Sandy with the limited amount of time she had, and Jason Clarke is one of my favorites but he was unrecognizable in this as creepy ass Carl. Harry Melling was a far cry from Dudley Dursley and he did a great job with his screen time, too. Same with Mia Wasikowska, who didn’t have much to do (same as poor Helen in the book) but she was able to garner our sympathy anyway. Seb Stan was slimy and gross but he pulled it off so well. Eliza Scanlen has been one of my favorites since Sharp Objects (another one that’s brutal as hell but I recommend it, she’s so scary) and she was so, so great here. Robert Pattinson was ALRIGHT, everybody talks him up over this but he felt a little hammy to me and a little too over the top, but there’s no denying his talent.

-Now, the reason we’re all here. Tom. My God. As soon as it was over I just didn’t know what the hell to do, I didn’t even know how to....go on, lmfao. We all know he’s talented, that’s why we’re here, that’s why we love him, but his performance in this is just BEYOND all that. Beyond comprehension. The man is only 24 years old and he’s out here outacting people who have been in the industry for longer than he’s been alive. He is SHOCKINGLY good. I knew he’d be perfect for Arvin as soon as I read the book, but he just completely embodied this role in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. He doesn’t show up in the movie until about 45 minutes in (which doesn’t hurt it because of the strength of the leadup, Bill’s performance and the performance of little Arvin’s actor) but God, as soon as he’s there the whole thing comes to life in a way that it hadn’t before. Tom is literally just a shining light, and he draws your eye in every single scene he’s in, and when he’s not there you’re wondering when he’s gonna come back. Arvin, to me, is a very complex character—he has been inherently changed by how his father twisted religion in his childhood, how deeply he betrayed him by his behavior, but he still has a kind heart and a protective streak and the need to be strong despite the pain nearly breaking him apart from moment to moment. Tom is just outrageously good at portraying all Arvin’s little nuances, how he clenches his jaw, how his voice breaks when he’s afraid or trying to convince someone of something or get his point across, how his hands tremble after he’s done something he wishes he didn’t have to do, how his whole body wilts when he realizes he’s emulating his father. And his eyes. Tom can do so, so much with his eyes that it’s unbelievable. He tells you so much with just a simple look, a glance, a wince, a long blink. I’m not exaggerating when I say he’s just an absolute revelation in this, he cements his place in Hollywood with a firm hand and a tender look, and I will not be forgetting what he did here anytime soon. There’s a reason that everyone called him out for being so stunning in this. He is magnificent. He has a gift.

-I wanna say, in particular, how much I love Arvin’s relationship with Lenora. Their lives were both marked by such tragedy and pain and Arvin just took up the torch of protecting her from the moment he said hello as a child. He wants so badly to be tough, and he IS, but there’s just miles and miles of love in this boy’s heart, and it manifests itself for his family—for his uncle, for his grandma, but for Lenora in particular. I loved how he just showed up when she was being harassed and just ran in there without thinking, and it’s purely devastating that he was out taking care of her bullies while a worse predator was cornering her. The scene where she was sick wasn’t in the book but it was a beautiful addition. Tom sometimes wears this very open, unguarded, honest expression, and this is the only scene in which he shows it, and it really expresses the love between them and how much she means to him. Arvin didn’t find Lenora’s body in the book, but it was the right change for them to make. Tom was devastating here, and that pain and that moment truly fuel every second of his journey through the rest of the film. “My Lenora”. The saddest siblings. Both Eliza and Tom did so beautifully with this relationship and I hope they work together again.

-Favorite acting moments for Tom: when he’s in the car in the rain after beating up the bullies, when he’s in the church crowd and realizes Preston is insulting his Grandma (the way his face changes oh my GOD), when he finds Lenora, when the cop comes to tell him Lenora was pregnant (this is just....so damn good), when he was telling his uncle to look after his Grandma, THE ENTIRE CHURCH CONFRONTATION (the way he trembles when he’s trying to get his attention, how he speaks the whole time, how he slowly gathers his strength), when he thinks Sandy has shot him, the moment where he’s over Lee’s body and just....pleading with his eyes for him to listen and realize what he’s done. And the last scene, in the car, all the emphasis on his face....once again, he can do so, so much with a look, with his eyes. Someone called out the beautiful last shot in the film, and of course, it’s Arvin’s sleeping face. And it was so beautiful (and devastating, to think of him enlisting. Tom draws so much sympathy that you just want Arvin to have a normal life so badly. He deserves it, he does, but will he get it?)

-Last thing I’ll say, I really loved how, despite turning his back on religion, that God seems to be protecting Arvin the whole time. He’s terribly afraid confronting the preacher and that could have easily gone badly, especially when he tosses the book, but Arvin was somehow able to get a shot off and get the upper hand. And with Carl and Sandy, he senses something is off immediately once they pull off the road, and he would have absolutely been killed had Carl not switched out Sandy’s bullets for blanks. And in the confrontation with Lee, he once again shoots at the same time as him, shoots without looking, and manages to come out unscathed and on top. A few spoiler reviews pointed out that the last person that picks Arvin up is supposed to be a Jesus-like figure, almost like he’s finally been saved. It hurts that everyone around him that he loved is almost forsaken by God, but he himself is protected. It’s such a complicated commentary on religion throughout the entire piece, but it’s so interesting and engrossing.

So I’d recommend this movie to anyone that loves movies, loves Tom, can deal with a gritty story that takes its time laying out all the chess pieces. It is definitely heavy subject matter but it doesn’t go overboard with the horror as it easily could have. Yes, there are triggers to look for, but the critics hugely over exaggerated how awful it was. I can probably go get time stamps for certain things if people wanna ask me after reading this, but if you can get through a Tarantino film or any HBO drama, you can do this. And Tom’s performance is one for the ages and not one that deserves to be passed over or downplayed. It is beautiful and heart-wrenching—a magnificent turn that displays his monumental ability to reach out and guide you into any world he decides to make his own.

I loved The Devil All the Time.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hello! i hope you have a happy holidays!! just a question: do you know any good crossover fics? :0 thanks so much! 🥰

Hi Nonny!! 

Thank you! My holiday season was great <3 Sorry for the delay on the reply, but your ask was a great one because I’ve wanted to do an update list to my “movies and books” list, so I’m updating it to just “crossovers” because I have more to add and that makes me happy!! 

This list ended up getting split across two asks, so for this one, this list is all my bookmarked fics. A part 1.5 with my MFL’s is coming shortly with another ask, and I ask y’all hold off to add your own suggestions to that list instead, please :) Thank you!

CROSSOVERS and FUSIONS (Feb 2021) Pt. 1

See Also:

Fairy Tales and Fantasy

TV, Movies, and Books AU (Fantasy Pt. 2)

Wonderful Life AU

Sherlock / Hannibal Crossovers?

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Faes / Faeries

Disney-esque Fics

Moulin Rouge AU

Crossovers & Fusions Pt.1.5 [MFLs]

It's After That Hurts by jonnyluvssherlock (T, 2,791 w., 1 Ch. || City of Angels AU || Fantasy, Fallen Angel Sherlock, Soldier John, Pining Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Permanently Incomplete Fic) – Sherlock's an angel stuck as a guardian to danger addict John Watson. Everything is fine until he gets too involved. Now he has to make the choice, eternity alone or one life time with a man who may or may not love him.

Caffeine and Adaptive Programming by DemonicSymphony (E, 5,540 w., 1 Ch. || Androids AU / Bond Fusion || Android Sherlock, Coffee Shop AU, Pining John Hinted Bond / Q, Toplock) – Sherlock is a coffee shop android slowly falling for a regular customer. But he's not supposed to be able to feel emotions.

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus (M, 5,581 w., 1 Ch. || Torchwood Crossover ||  Humour / Crack, Jealous Sherlock, Sexual Magnet John, Captain John, UST / RST, Three Continents Watson) – The explanation for John "Three Continents" Watson? Jack Harkness is his father. Sherlock doesn't know whether he's going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

The Frost Child by twistedthicket1 (M, 9,994 w., 2 Ch. || Frozen-ish AU || Magical Realism, Christmas, Angst, Fluff, Powerful John) – In a world where people are born with a Gift of varying levels, simple John Watson is the last person one might look at when thinking of any strong Magick capabilities. Hiding comfortably in the shadow of Sherlock's brilliant deducing abilities, John is content to keep it that way...

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

Equilibrium by augustbird (M, 12,351 w., 1 Ch. || Flowers for Algernon Fusion || Jealous then Worried Sherlock, Sick John) – At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself.

The Nutcracker by Odamaki (T, 13,758 w., 7 Ch. || Nutcracker AU ||  Christmas, Dark Magic, Dolls) – Sherlock is unimpressed with Uncle Rudy's present. A doll? What does he want with a doll?

Wonderful, Etcetera. by VictoryCandescence (T, 16,955 w., 3 Ch. || Wonderful Life AU || Alternate Timelines, Brotherhood, Homophobia, Suicidal Ideations, Mentions of Drug Use, Friendship, Different TRF, Sherlock’s Past, Victor Trevor is Past Boyfriend, Depression, Hallucination, Love Confessions, Christmas, First Kiss) – Sherlock thinks everyone would be better off if he had never existed, including and especially himself. When he finds himself in a world in which his wish has been granted, he begins to think perhaps even he could be wrong – but it takes an unlikely chaperone to make him not only observe, but understand.

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w., 4 Ch. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn't. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

Once Upon a Beast Becoming by antietamfalls (T, 24,042 w., 6 Ch. || Beauty and the Beast AU || Magical Realism, Folklore, Celtic Mythology) – An act of pride, a druid’s curse, an enchanted leaf; Sherlock’s torment has lasted an age. Hope arrives in the form of one John Watson, a man uniquely suited to break the spell. But with a single night to win his affections, Sherlock finds his carefully laid plans disrupted by a monstrous killer whose sights are set on the only thing he has left to lose: John.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice, Escort Service) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w., 4 Ch. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

we have never seen a greater day than this by Lediona (T, 36,420 w., 7 Ch. || A Royal Night Out AU || WWII / VE Day, Prince Sherlock, Soldier John, Alternating POV, First Kiss, Bittersweet Ending, Homophobia, Dancing) – Peace. At long last. It’s VE Day and Prince William desires to join the celebrations. It is a night of excitement, danger and the first flutters of romance.

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w., 11 Ch. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

The Curious Adventure of the Drs. Watson by ShinySherlock (M, 40,883 w., 14 Ch. || BBC & ACD Fusion || Victorianlock, Time Travel / Magical Realism, Friends to Lovers, Love and Kissing, Romance, Body Swap) – What if ACD Watson and BBC Watson switched places...  “Imposter!” Hands clenching the lapels of John’s coat, Holmes shoved him anew. “Yes!” John agreed, nodding, and then grimacing. “Sort of!”

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w., 10 Ch. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w., 15 Ch. || Notting Hill AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant -- but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

This Thing All Things Devours by cypress_tree (E, 63,844 w., 15 Ch. || In Time AU || Science Fiction, Dystopian Universe, First Meetings, Action / Adventure, Romance) – In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief...

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

The Baker Street Nativity by SwissMiss (E, 99,662 w., 23 Ch. || Nativity! AU || Teacher Sherlock / TA John, Pining, Sherlock POV, UST, Angst, Christmas, Music/Song Fic, Anal / BJ’s, First Kiss / Time) – Fusion between Sherlock (BBC) and Nativity! (2009 movie starring Martin Freeman). Sherlock is a primary school teacher and John is assigned to be his classroom assistant. Together, they are charged with putting on the school's Nativity play. What could possibly go wrong? Part 1 of The Baker Street Nativity Verse

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

The Swan Triad Series by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers' attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w., 17 Ch. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We're all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn't have much choice. There's only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court. Part 1 of the Care And Companionship series

[punprincess321]

Mchanzo Sleeping Beauty

This is LOOOONG so be prepared...

Once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a beautiful and vast kingdom ruled by two kings, King Jack Morrison and King Gabriel Reyes.

The two had united their kingdoms many years ago when Gabriel's son was still an infant, unfortunately both queens had died, Gabriel had only one heir and Jack feared the worst, when the two met it was like love at first sight, the two were married and Gabriel's son became heir to the throne of the entire kingdom. Jack and Gabriel were conquerors, they would take down tyrannical monarchies and put better more trusted leaders in their place, this system made them loved across the land, along with their 17 year old son.

Prince Jesse was wild like most teenagers, he was mischievous and quite a headache for the palace workers but he was still kind and compassionate, he helped out in any way he could around the kingdom and would give his best hunting prizes to families who needed the fur and meat. This kindness mixed with Jesse's roguish looks made him the most desired bachelor in all the land but Jesse never showed any interest in the countless princesses that flocked to his door, Jesse may have been handsome and beloved, but he still felt lonely, women didn't appeal to him but yet no man had caught his eye either.

One day the kings got word of a kingdom who had terrible rulers, they abused their subjects, stole from their allies and it was believed that they were involved in the dark arts of sorcery and occult rituals. Jack and Gabriel readied their armies and left for the Shimada empire.

Many months passed until the kings returned, the kingdom rejoiced at their return and Jesse ran out of the castle to greet his fathers, behind them was a medley of prisoners, all to either be thrown into the dungeon or executed in town square. As Jesse watched the prisoners walk through the crowd, getting pummeled by trash and rotten produce, one prisoner caught his attention, a man with long black hair and a large blue dragon tattoo on his left arm, he appeared to be Jesse's age, around 17 to 18, and was quite strong, the man looked scared and confused by what the people were doing. Jesse stared at the man feeling his heart race, he wanted him as his own.

The prisoners were brought into the throne room where Jack and Gabriel judged the severity of the punishment they would receive. One by one, the prisoners were divided into groups of ones to be executed and those who would be imprisoned, Jesse stood by and watched the spectacle, they soon reached the one with the tattoo, Jesse looked at his fathers to learn their answer, hoping that he would only be a prisoner, Gabriel stood. "You were the one who attacked my beloved unprovoked when attempting to make an agreement to avoid the mutiny that occurred, for this act you will be beheaded." He announced.

Jesse saw the fear in the man's eyes, like he had no idea what he did would result in a public execution, Jesse couldn’t let this happen and ran to his dad. "Father wait!" Jesse exclaimed. "This man seems to be conflicted about something, let him speak of his actions." He requested, Jack and Gabriel looked at their son then at each other before Gabriel turned back to the man. "Very well, explain yourself to us." He demanded.

A guard pushed the man forward and he looked down at his feet. "I only did as my king father told me, he ordered me to kill on sight, no matter what you say." The man explained, Jack leaned forward. "Your father is king of the Shimada empire?" He asked, the man nodded and held his head high. "I am Hanzo Shimada, loyal son and servant of my family's empire." He replied, this man didn’t look anything like a prince, his hair was matted in dirt and his clothes looked like that of rags, the only way they knew he was honest was the royal crest branded on his right shoulder, not much was known about the Shimada empire, but it was said that royal offspring had their symbol branded on their bodies.

The two kings looked between one another, unsure of what to do with the son of their enemy, Jesse was staring at Hanzo with great interest, Hanzo noticed and attempted to cover his body with his long hair, Jack and Gabriel took notice and made the decision with a nod between them.

"You will serve as concubine to our son." Gabriel announced, Jesse looked both surprised and pleased with this decree, Hanzo on the other hand looked terrified, he knew what happened to concubines if they didn't serve their purpose. The sentencing concluded and Hanzo was dragged away to be prepared for his new position.

-

Hanzo had to be held down as he was bathed, clothed and done up for the prince, the handmaidens made numerous comments about how his hair looked like it had never been combed once and he reeked of a pigsty, Hanzo didn't understand why they mentioned it.

After nearly two hours, Hanzo was ready, he had been covered in sweet smelling oils and was dressed in tight blue silks covered with silver dust, his hair had been braided and decorated with sapphires, his ears had been pierced and platinum and sapphire earrings adorned his lobes, platinum anklets and bracelets shimmered in the candlelight of the room and an aquamarine and sapphire necklace wrapped around his neck tightly. Hanzo looked in the mirror and was shocked, in all his life he never knew what he looked like clean and done up, he actually began to smile until he remembered why he was dressed like this.

Hanzo was escorted to the prince's chambers, the door slammed closed behind him and Hanzo suddenly felt afraid again, luckily the prince was not there yet so he had time to attempt escape, Hanzo ran to the window thinking he could jump out and escape but he was in a tower and the jump would be suicide, he tried the door but it was locked, Hanzo fell to his knees losing hope, he knew his fate as a concubine was to be the royal whore for a couple months, the prince would tire of him and he would be killed, he would have preferred execution over this torment.

The door soon opened and Jesse walked in, he saw Hanzo looking absolutely gorgeous and absolutely defeated, he walked over, knelt down and cupped his concubine's cheek. "Why are you so sad darlin'? Your life has been spared." He said with a smile, Hanzo sneered and slapped Jesse's hand away. "For only a few measly months and only to be your whore…" He spat, Jesse was surprised but his smile returned before he chuckled and stood up straight. "That was not my decision, it was my parents', I don’t wish to exploit you for sexual pleasure or to take your life in such a short time.”

Hanzo looked confused as Jesse helped him to his feet. “I’m in love with you Hanzo Shimada and I want to prove this to you, I will treat you like a king, even if you don't love me back I wish to win your heart no matter how long it takes.” Jesse proclaimed, Hanzo was understandably shocked by this brazen confession, he felt his cheeks heat up from how flustered he was and it only got worse when Jesse kissed his hand. “Come, let’s toast to new friends.” He said, he poured them some goblets of wine and handed Hanzo one, Hanzo blushed and slowly sipped the wine.

It took a couple more cups before the two were buzzed, Hanzo was sitting in front of the fireplace with Jesse and slowly sipping his twelfth cup, at first the wine was just social lubricant but Hanzo kept requesting more, Jesse was only on his fifth and was only slightly buzzed but Hanzo was wasted, trying to sit up straight and keep a coherent sentence. “I think you’ve had enough darlin’.” Jesse said as he took away the goblet, Hanzo whined and tried to reach for his cup but fell flat on his face, Jesse helped him back up but Hanzo tried to pull away, thinking Jesse was trying to make a move on him, only to fall back onto the floor, he ended up falling asleep before he could even attempt to get back up, Jesse chuckled and picked the man up before putting him in the bed. “Goodnight my treasure~” He said softly, he took Hanzo’s hand and kissed it before getting into bed himself, he kept his body turned away from Hanzo to avoid accidentally touching him and disturbing his sleep.

-

The next day Hanzo woke up with a splitting headache and no memory from last night except for having a couple drinks, Jesse holding him and him pushing away before passing out, he finally sat up and noticed he was still in Jesse’s room, in Jesse’s bed but the prince wasn't in the room, the mattress was extremely soft and so were the pillows and blankets, much softer than home… Hanzo looked down expecting to be naked but surprisingly he was still in the outfit from yesterday, suddenly the door opened and a maid came in holding a tray. “Good morning sir, his highness prince Jesse asked me to bring you breakfast.” She said as she set down the tray, Hanzo was stunned by the kind treatment but accepted the breakfast and began to eat.

After finishing breakfast, Hanzo was led by some handmaidens to take a bath and change his clothes, the handmaidens complimented Hanzo’s hair and how beautiful it was now that it was cleaned, Hanzo blushed at the compliments before he was put into a red silk outfit and decorated with gold and ruby jewelry.

Jesse entered the room just as Hanzo finished getting his hair done, he smiled and walked over to his concubine. “You look as beautiful as yesterday.” The prince said sweetly, Hanzo blushed as Jesse took his hand and kissed it. “T-thank you your highness…” He replied softly. "Not that I don't appreciate it but why do I have to wear these clothes?"

Hanzo's outfits had been rather provocative so far, tight fitting and rather revealing, Jesse chuckled. "You're considered my concubine in the eyes of the staff and all concubines must be appealing to the eye if they're seen in public, honestly you're already eye catching without all the glamorous accessories." He replied, Hanzo blushed at the compliment, he didn't understand the prince at all, did he not know what a concubine was?

Hanzo allowed Jesse to lead him into the gardens, he was still weary of the prince’s intentions and didn’t fully believe the heartfelt confession he made yesterday, he also had no idea what happened last night and if the prince violated him or not, they were sitting by the fountain and Jesse was going on and on about random things from sword fighting to his art lessons, Hanzo just listened, sometimes adding in a correction of proper weapon use, but he honestly had nothing else to say, he may have been a prince like Jesse but his early life was far different. All of a sudden Jesse walked over to a rose bush, pulled off a flower then plucked all the thorns off the stem before returning to Hanzo’s side and putting the flower in his hair. “Just as beautiful as you~” He said softly, Hanzo blushed and sheepishly thanked Jesse for the flower.

Hanzo was then brought to the library, there was enough books to build an entire mansion by the looks of it, Hanzo gazed in amazement. "I've never seen so many books before…" He said still in awe, Jesse chuckled. "Would you like to read one?" He asked, Hanzo looked confused. "Read them? I thought they were only meant for decoration…"

Jesse looked at Hanzo in shock. "You've never read a book before?" He questioned, Hanzo shook his head, Jesse looked displeased before taking Hanzo's hand and leading him into the library. "That needs to change, there's amazing stories and mountains of knowledge to be discovered in books, I can't believe you never knew about this." He explained, Hanzo was then sat on a couch as Jesse walked over to a bookshelf, he picked out five books and brought them over. "These were some of my favorites when I was younger, I'm sure you'll find one of them interesting."

Hanzo looked at the small pile before grabbing the one on top, it had a picture of a dragon on it so he was initially curious. Hanzo opened the book and his eyes lit up. "There's words and pictures in here! What does it say!?" Hanzo asked in excitement, looking at Jesse.

Jesse gave him a confused look. "You can't even read? Your parents never taught you?" He questioned, Hanzo shook his head. "They said schooling wasn't important for battle, I don't even know how to write." He explained, Jesse looked horrified. "I'm schooling you myself! No one should be deprived of knowledge!" He exclaimed.

-

As time went on, Jesse showed Hanzo how to read and write, Hanzo took to reading a lot and Jesse had some servants bring some of the books Hanzo liked most to their room. Hanzo really began to appreciate the prince's kindness and the more time they spent together learning, practicing fighting techniques or just hanging around the castle, Hanzo found himself falling in love with Jesse, he was so sweet and didn't treat him like a concubine, he was just there, a man who the prince wanted to be around, Hanzo was also given the option of less revealing clothes opposed to the ones he was made to wear, he was quite happy about that although he did keep wearing the jewelry and getting his hair done.

One night Hanzo was reading in Jesse's room by the fireplace when Jesse came and joined him, Hanzo raved about everything happening in the story when he noticed Jesse was just smiling at him, the flames from the fire reflecting in his eyes, Hanzo didn't even take time to process what he was doing before he and Jesse's lips connected, when they parted Jesse was still smiling. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time~" He said softly, Hanzo blushed and looked away shyly. "Jesse…. Thank you… nobody has ever been so kind to me, I would have died if it wasn't for you and I…. I think I love you too." He replied in a quiet voice, Jesse cupped Hanzo's cheek and kissed him again, the kiss lasted much longer as Hanzo wrapped his arms around the prince.

When the two parted once again, Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled out a platinum and sapphire ring. "Marry me Hanzo, I promise that I will always be with you and make you the happiest man on earth if you become my bride." He requested, Hanzo smiled and held out his hand to accept the ring, Jesse smiled and slipped it onto his beloved's finger before they kissed again. Unknown to the two lovers, a dark presence was watching from the shadows.

-

The kingdom celebrated their prince's engagement, even Jack and Gabriel were thrilled by the news, Hanzo was deemed a member of the royal court and had extensive knowledge of his family's magic uses, not many knew the uses or strength of the dark arts but Hanzo was able to fill in the blanks, the weeks leading up to the wedding were full of excitement as Jesse taught Hanzo how to dance while they planned their big day.

But meanwhile, Hanzo's family was watching. They had escaped the castle before the army burst in, they had left Hanzo and their soldiers to die so they could run off to their fortress in the mountains.

They had planned to retake their kingdom with the help of their prince but now Hanzo had turned against them, he had learned… Hanzo now understood what was being done to him in his family's empire wasn't right, being forced to wear rags, being made sleep in a shack next to the pig pen in the courtyard, being refused an education, proper food or basic hygiene wasn't right and this was all thanks to Jesse, he gave Hanzo everything he could ever possibly want and more, he showed him that those who cared about and loved him wouldn't make him live like a peasant.

The Shimada family had to watch all of this from their spying spells, every book Jesse gave, every meal Jesse served, every gentle kiss he placed on Hanzo's hand, it had unraveled their entire life's work, they wanted Hanzo to remain an obedient soldier who wouldn't question anything even when he took the throne but all that was gone and it was all thanks to the prince.

They. Wanted. Revenge.

The wedding was now in five days and the couple finally had time to unwind, Jesse left on his horse for his usual hunting trip in the forest, he waved goodbye to Hanzo who was at the castle gates and waving back.

Jesse arrived in the forest and looked around for a good target, he saw it in mere seconds, a female deer. Jesse gently kicked his horse and they gave chase after the animal, unaware how deep into the forest he was going. When they finally caught up to the deer, it was stopped in a clearing and was just staring at him, Jesse was confused by this and got off his horse to investigate, he slowly walked closer to the deer when it suddenly turned into a snake, this scared Jesse's horse and it ran off into the woods, Jesse was about to follow suit but the snake jumped and bit him on the hand, Jesse yelped in pain and looked at his hand and then at the snake, his vision began to blur, he couldn't stand up straight, the last thing Jesse saw before he collapsed was the snake taking the form of a woman.

Jesse laid motionless on the ground, the sorceress laughed maniacally at the effectiveness of her poison, she then said an incantation the clearing began to be surrounded with brambles and thorns of any kind, she quickly made her escape from the cage and placed a guardian by the prison before vanishing.

It had now been four days since Jesse left and Hanzo was still waiting for him to return which was odd, Jesse had been gone so long and their big day was tomorrow. Hanzo soon noticed Jesse's horse running into the kingdom and towards the castle, Jesse was finally back!

Hanzo ran down to the courtyard where the horse was to greet his fiancé but to his shock, Jesse was not on the horse, Hanzo immediately had a bad feeling, if Jesse had been gone this long and only his horse had returned, something had gone wrong. "Bring me a horse, sword and my bow!" He demanded, the stable workers nodded and fetched Hanzo what he needed, Hanzo immediately snatched the weapons, got onto his horse and rode towards the forest, he reached the edge of the trees and felt a strange aura around it, something wicked had been casted in the forest… Hanzo was about to head in when suddenly…

"Stop boy."

Hanzo froze when he heard the voice, he turned around and there was his grandfather, along with his uncles. "What are you all doing here?" He spat, his grandfather smirked. "We're here to bring you home, where you belong." He replied, Hanzo glared at him. "I am home grandfather, and I'm going to find where my fiancé is so if you'll excuse me-"

"There's no need to boy, he's gone."

Hanzo snapped back to his grandfather. "What do you mean?" He asked, venom dripping from his words, the elder snapped his fingers and a crystal ball appeared, it showed Jesse in the clearing, laying as if he were dead, his hand bleeding from the snake bite. "The poison was sleeping death, he'll never wake up, he's gone Hanzo."

Hanzo's eyes filled with tears, he couldn't believe it… He basically lost the person who saved him from death in more ways than one… Hanzo wanted to sob but he let out this agonizing scream, it was so loud that the crystal ball shattered, Hanzo then drew his bow and shot his grandfather in the heart before he grabbed his sword to battle his uncles, Hanzo showed no mercy for his family, the ones that tormented and abused him were shown the horror of what they created, a ruthless warrior that could only be stopped by death. “YOU DID THIS! YOU COULDN’T STAND ME BEING HAPPY AND YOU SENTENCED HIM TO DEATH! YOU’RE ALL MONSTERS!” He screamed in anger.

Hanzo eventually bailed out of the fight and ran into the forest, he couldn't leave Jesse there to die alone and forgotten. The cage of thorns was soon in sight and Hanzo made a break for it only to be stopped once more but by a dragon, the guardian the sorceress had placed there. Hanzo was not fazed by the creature and immediately slashed at it but his last few uncles had followed him so he had to dodge arrows left and right but they managed to hit the dragon, this weakened the monster significantly and as Hanzo finished off his treacherous family, he was able to make one last quick slash at the dragon's neck.

The dragon laid slain at Hanzo's feet but Hanzo was not satisfied yet, he passed the creature's corpse and began to cut down the brambles, when he finally managed to make himself an entrance he looked inside, there laying in the light that came through the top of the cage was Jesse, Hanzo dropped his weapons and ran to him, he held his lover in his arms and cried. "I'm sorry Jesse… this is all my fault… My love is what killed you..." He whispered, brushing hair out of his fiancé's face, he gently kissed Jesse's lips as one final act of love before holding him close and crying. Suddenly, Hanzo felt a hand brush away his tears. 

"Darlin'... why are you crying?..."

Hanzo gasped and looked at Jesse and saw his eyes were open and he had a weak smile on his face, Hanzo cried even more and hugged Jesse tightly. "You're awake! I thought I lost your forever!" He sobbed, Jesse hugged Hanzo back and kissed his cheek. "I would never leave you darlin', I made a promise to you." He said softly, Hanzo smiled and kissed Jesse again.

Hanzo and Jesse returned to the kingdom, Jesse was a little weak from his five day sleep so he leaned on Hanzo’s shoulder as they rode home on his horse. “How did you manage to wake me up? You explained to the court that the sleeping death spell was unbreakable, how did you free me?” He asked, Hanzo thought for a moment before realizing the answer. “It was when I kissed you, I remember my parents talked about it near me once and only the kiss of a person you loved that loved you back could wake you.” He explained, Jesse smiled and kissed Hanzo’s cheek. “I knew you were the one the moment I saw you." He said happily.

The next day was the wedding and as expected it was beautiful, Hanzo was dressed in a glittering white and royal blue suit with a golden diamond and sapphire crown which had a veil attached to it, Jesse wore a red suit with gold trim and his golden ruby crown sat proudly atop his head, after the ceremony the reception happened in town square, several chefs and bakers in the kingdom helped the castle kitchen staff prepare the feast for everyone in the city. Hanzo danced with his husband and some villagers having the time of his life but the best part was before the celebration ended, a group of soldiers marched into the middle of the party with the last members of Hanzo’s family in chains.

Hanzo smirked, when he and Jesse had returned to the castle yesterday he told Jack and Gabriel what his family had done, he also told them where the mountain fortress was since he knew that’s where they hid. Jack and Gabriel immediately sent some soldiers to arrest the ones who attempted to kill their son.

Hanzo stood up from his seat next to Jesse looking proud. “Hello everyone, I am so glad you made it to my wedding, however you will not be staying much longer after what you have done, the only person who deserves my pity is my brother Genji and I will be giving him the proper family life he deserves that we never received, with the blessing of my husband and fathers in-law, I sentence you to death.” He announced, he motioned for the soldier holding Genji to step forward, Hanzo took his little brother and held him close while the rest of their treacherous family was dragged away while being booed at by the crowd and pelted with food.

Jesse smiled at his husband and introduced himself to Genji who looked weary but Hanzo knew with a little time he would be okay, just like he was.

THE END

[janaeekook]

Incapable i. || {myg}

“You cant love Min Yoongi, he doesn’t know how to love. Or care for that matter. You’ll just end up getting hurt.”

pairing: assassin!yoongi x reader

word count: 2.3k

warnings: - mafia - death - masterbation -

series masterlist

prologue.

It was your 16th birthday when your father and your older brother Namjoon told you everything — their affiliation and leading of the largest mafia gang in Seoul. You always knew your family was wealthy, that's what you were raised knowing. But you never knew that for your family to obtain it's wealth, the two most important men in your life would go out and risk their lives every night in criminal activities.

You hadn't believed them at first, thinking it was just some prank, a wild joke. The idea of them having a gang made your stomach twist in knots. You had always been your fathers little girl, you saw him as your knight and shinning armor, slaying the dragons of your bad dreams.

Since that day you received vigorous training. Intelligence gathering, undercover and stealth missions, trades; organized crime soon became your life. You were endowed to it, you saw a lot of horrible things, things that never sat right with you, but it all became a twisted new normal to you. The only jobs you refused are to take someone’s life, for you fear your soul may never recover.

When you were eighteen, your father had decided to retire. Leaving the legacy of Bangtan Sonyeondan to your brother. Many of the older members went with your father leaving it fully in the hands of the youth they'd spent years training.

Now you're 21, and head of intelligence. After your father left, you and your brother purchased a new estate in the countryside which served as base camp. The extravagant building was large enough to be considered a castle with its different wings. The west wing was for the higher ups, there was 8 of you in total and you all kept business booming with your varying talents.

Namjoon was very clearly the leader, the true business man, he handled transactions and bigger things along with interigation.

Kim Seokjin, or Jin— was your brothers right hand and the more ruthless of the two, he hated conflict between members and he also specialized in interigation.

Min Yoongi; a cold assassin who never really said much just got the job done without fail, it's quick and painless, he said the screams annoy him.

Jung Hoseok, he deals mainly with illegal substance transactions. He's a sadist in his work, something you'd never guess.

Kim Taehyung, the brains; he is the eyes and ears of every operation and he's just a plain genius when it comes to the plans. He's usually the one to stay at the base camp watching monitors that display cameras he's hacked.

Jimin works along side you in intelligence. He's a complete flirt. He specializes is hand to hand, He may look small but he could take you down in a second.

Jungkook is your arms man, he handles all the weapons, he loves his guns and he's an incredible shot, he never misses a target.

Lastly there's you, head of intelligence, gathering information on enemies, often working close with Jimin. You're also an amazing shot and can be found sniping with Jungkook and Yoongi.

The east wing, on the other hand, housed many of your henchmen; the army. They were not to be trifled with, They were trained to kill. They are the most loyal followers, that's why Bangtan is on top, some even said if they died protecting the 8 they would have fulfilled their duties. They were willing to die for you and the others.

Loyalty is very important, it's drilled into their heads from the first day of training to their last breath. They all take an oath of trust and they devote their lives to Bangtan. Once an army, always an army.

•

"Y/n, can you hear me?" Taehyungs voice came through your earpiece.

"Ya." You spoke quietly as you sat at a booth in a stuffy little downtown bar.

"Ok, he's the one at the bar wearing the red suit, you should make your move now." You nodded and stood from the booth, making your way to the bar and next to the crimson clothed man.

"One Jack Daniels please." The bar tender nodded, you sat on the stool next to the man. You could feel his eyes raking your body.

"What's a pretty young thing like you doing here all alone?" His voice was thick with a Russian accent.

"My boyfriend dumped me." The bar tender slid you the drink and you took a large sip. The man continued to ogle you in wonder. He was not an attractive man, he resembled a drowned rat with his hair all greased back.

"He's quite unwise to leave such a beautiful woman." You looked to his face, scanning it before bringing a fake smile to your lips.

"You think I'm beautiful?" You asked feigning shock.

"Incredibly." His hand moved to your knee, his rat-like face forming the most unpleasant smirk. You took another sip of the strong whiskey before looking back into his beady eyes.

"Hmm." You bit you lip, which came off sexual but you were really trying not to gag, "What do you say we get out of here?" You stood from the stool, grabbing his hand. He pulled money from his pocket and placed it on the counter before standing.

You led him through the chorus of drunk people dancing, weaving your way to the door where Jin waited on the other side. They were hidden from view as you stepped into the cold night air with the rat man following close behind you. The way his eyes wandered your body, mentally undressing you, made you feel uncomfortable.

"I can't wait to see this body." He spoke lowly, placing a calloused hand on your hip. You grabbed the hand before twisting it behind his back and pushing him to the ground, you held one hand behind his back and the other you held to the concrete with your knee.

"What the fuck!?" He groaned, struggling in your grasp.

Hallow footsteps clicked along the pavement as Jin walked up, a cigarette between his the nimble fingers of his right hand, his other hand grasped a black cane that had a gold skull on top. He had injured his leg on a mission a few years ago and it never healed the same, but the cane made him all the more intimidating.

"W-what do you want?" The Russian man inquired from his position on the ground as he looked up to Jin who had placed the end of his cane to his throat.

"I want you to tell me what your boss is planning, and why you're in Seoul." Jin spoke calmly but the intensity and seriousness of his voice would make anyone cower in fear.

"I-I" He stuttered then Jin pushed his cane harder onto the mans throat and You tightened your hold, "Ok! Ok— we're working with another gang." Jins eyes narrowed.

"Who?"

"I-I don't know h-he wouldn't tell us! I'll do anything to prove it to you, I'll work as a spy!" The man crumbled after only seconds of Jins cold stare, the chuckle that bubbled from his throat was just as cold.

"You see, trust and loyalty is very important to me, and you crumbled under the slightest pressure. I hate men like you, cowardly, weak, you could never be one of us." Jin then walked away, you quickly stood and followed after Jin, the rat man scrambled to his feet.

"You whore! You played me! You're already someone's dirty bitch!" The man spoke to you and you just smiled viciously at him.

"It's just part of the game sweetheart." You turned walking away to the car with Jin.

"You're not even worth my time you tramp!" He called out, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yoongi." you heard him hum through your earpiece and a deafening shot rang out, the cold lifeless sound of body meeting pavement, and then silence.

•

The car pulled up in-front of the mansion. You exited the car followed by Jin and ascended the steps to the front doors, the guards on either side bowed to us.

Pushing the door open, you went inside, kicking off your heels instantly. The 4 others sat in the foyer to your left, discussing plans.

"I'm gonna change." You told Jin quickly heading up the left staircase and to your bedroom. You pealed the dress from your body, before tugging your sweatpants on and a long sleeve shirt. Hair tied back in a bun, you headed back out and down to the others.

You plopped down next to Jungkook, he looked to you and smiled, that smile of his never seemed to match his aura, or the array of tattoo's that covered his golden skin. Everyone began talking about random stuff and the mission. The muffled sound of a motorcycle outside told you all that Yoongi had arrived.

When the door opened and he appeared in everyone's view his face visually upset, but You could never really tell. He wore all black and held a full face helmet in his hand, a scar ran over his right brow and extended to his cheek. Your stomach fluttered when his tongue poked at the inside of his cheek. Your relationship toward Yoongi had always been strictly business, though your attraction to him grew, he was painfully attractive.

"Thanks for leaving the body to me." He spoke sourly his gaze directed towards Jin. He sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, his cane leaned on the couch next to him. Jin only chuckled at the younger man.

"It's your job." Jin held a fake smile upon his face, he stood using his good leg before grabbing his cane.

"Sure pin it on me." Yoongi spoke, Jins intimidating smile stayed on his face as he stepped closer to the other boy.

"I know you're not trying to start anything right Yoongi? You know how much I hate it."

He scoffed, "Whatever." He turned and headed up the stairs. Jin just sighed and went back to his original seat. Your eyes followed Yoongi as he disappeared up the stairs, You wanted to follow him but you knew he'd just shut you out.

You laid in bed that night, unable to dodge the thoughts of him. You groaned rolling onto your side and tried to lull yourself to sleep, it was no use your body longed for his hands all over you -- but your mind told you it wouldn't be wise to try to love someone who was so emotionally absent. But was he really?

Your mind and body were deeply contrasting one another, the allure he had; both nothing and something. It called you forth to let him break you, but your morals pulled you back as the dark aura also pushed you away. You chewed at your cheek as your mind was running rampant. Your imagination beginning to take hold the scenarios swirling through your headspace, bringing you into a daydream like state as your mind played out what your mind had thought of sending your cheeks ablaze.

"What do you want me to do princess?" It was Yoongi, he had your daydream self pinned between himself and a wall.

"Touch me." Your voice a pitiful whine as you begged for his hands, he smirked sensing how needy you were, and it was all his doing. Well dream Yoongi of course.

"Where?" He asked, your words failed to exist in your mouth so you grabbed his veiny hand, guiding the strong appendage between your legs. You hadn't realized you were fully naked in this scenario, but you didn't care as his hand began to explore you, treating you like some toy.

Your eyes shot open, not being able to face the crude scene any longer, Your room felt as if it were on fire, your clothes becoming unbearable as they stuck to your skin. Your mind had somehow found its way to the side of your body, running a mile-a-minute with thoughts of Yoongi and different ways his hands could pleasure you. Your face was bright red, You were thinking of extremely sexual situations about someone who probably saw your relationship as otherwise platonic. You groaned, feeling your core throb as more thoughts invaded your mind. You had grown incredibly hot and bothered you couldn't take it, you went to the bathroom starting a shower in hopes to cool down your bodies rising temperature.

The water ran down your body, as you stood under the steady streams unmoving. You shook your head, rubbing your hands over your face, as your mind wandered to the idea of him fucking you against the shower wall. You felt dizzy as you grew more aroused as you thought of the man only doors down from you. You groaned before taking in a shaky breath, you brought your hand to yourself, eyes fluttering shut as you finally did what your body begged for.

It was slow at first as you rubbed small circles over that familiar bundle of nerves, your mind wandering back to the idea of him fucking you senseless in the shower. You bit your lip before pressing your back against the cool tile, lifting your leg to rest it on the shower bench next to you, allowing your hands perfect access to every sensitive part of you. You pushed a finger past your entrance, quickly accompanying it with another. You imagined it was him, his experienced hands touching you, getting you off.

Your small noises concealed by the water hitting the shower floor, you quietly moaned his name as you silently wished it was his cock inside you. Your legs began shaking as you drew closer to your orgasm, you threw your head back in pure bliss the tension finally unraveling in your stomach-- and it was Yoongi's name on your lips, the last word you spoke as you rode out your high.

You quickly cleaned your now relieved body and your sweat ridden hair, before finally exiting the shower. You collapsed on your bed, drifting off into a dreamless sleep, relief and satisfaction running through your veins.

[softyoongiionly]

NSFW A-Z List (Mama Mia! Jungkook)

***This contains smut, 18+ only please***

“Aqua told me you all had some questions for me so, I had my assistant fax me the prompt and, I’m really hoping she didn’t read it because, these are filthy ha. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.” 

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex):

“It kind of depends on the situation but, if I just had sex, I’m in a good mood. If Y/N and I are in the bed, I make sure I change the sheets and, I make sure she’s cleaned up and, feeling good too. Sometimes we like to talk about it. A bit of pillow talk is always great. PILLOWW TALK! Do you guys remember that song by that one dude in one direction? Great song. It’s like he left one direction and, immediately needed to say the word fuck and sing about sex.” 

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s):

“This is a weird question. I like my abs? I guess? I mean I spent like a million hours in the gym trying to tone up and stuff so, it’s definitely the only thing that stands out.” 

“Y/N is the by far the most beautiful woman on the planet so, it’s a little hard to pin point one specific part of her I like the most. If I had to choose, I would say her eyes. Sometimes she looks at me and, I suddenly forget all three languages I speak. She takes my breath away. Literally, who is she looking at like that? Me? Does she value my life at all? Is she trying to kill me? Probably. I love her :-)” 

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person):

“Cum...I don’t really know what I’m supposed to talk about in this section so, I’m just gonna say- yes?? Is that the right answer?” 

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs):

“One time, when Y/N was away on business, I jerked off so much in one day, I sprained my hand. I guess that isn’t dirty but, it is embarrassing. I’d probably do it again though, I’m so spoiled that I forgot what’s its like to go without sex.” 

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?):

“Yikes this question is a little hard for me to answer. Before meeting Y/N, I had a lot of different partners. After finding out my half-brother tried to steal my recipe, I got really down on myself. I felt really empty and, I spent a lot of time partying and, hooking up with random people. I don’t really know how many if I’m being honest. It was a lot though. After awhile I kind of snapped out of it and, realized I needed to deal with my issues head on so, after a bit of therapy, I was doing a lot better. Sexually, I’ve had a lot of experience but, intimacy? That’s a lot newer for me. And let me tell you my dudes, nothing is sexier than being with someone who truly loves and cares for you. I don’t make the rules.” 

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual):

“Missionary. Listen, I know it’s a boring answer but, I’m a sucker for passion what can I say? I like watching her face and, seeing all the little expressions she makes, especially right when I first push inside of her. Also, it’s the best position for her to scratch up my back and, I really love when she does that.” 

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc):

“I don’t really find a lot of things to laugh about during sex but, I’m sure it’s happened at some point. Sex is kind of a serious thing for me now but, I wouldn’t stay serious if something funny happened because, sometimes funny things do happen. When they do, we laugh but, then I’m right back in the moment again. Y/N and I mess around a lot in our daily lives so, I like to use sex as a way to show her how serious I am about her and, our relationship.” 

H = Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.):

“I got laser hair removal like 3 years ago. Yes, it’s possible to get it done in sensitive areas but, it’s crazy expensive. Or so I’ve heard, I’m not gonna lie to you, my idea of expensive and, other people’s idea of expensive are probably a little different. But yeah, I got it all lasered off so, it doesn’t really grow there anymore. I keep my face shaved too but, my arms and legs are free to grow all the hair they want.” 

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…):

“With Y/N, I’m a little bit of a hopeless romantic, I can’t lie. I love all of that cheesy shit. Rose petals on the bed? Yes. Wine and chocolate on the shores of our private beach? At least twice a week. Leaving Y/N little post it notes all over our villa that contain all the things I love about her? Duh. I AM A SAP. I AM A MESS. I can’t help myself. My father collects first edition classic novels and, for Valentine’s Day, I had him send me the contact of his distributor so, I could buy Y/N the first edition of The Princess Bride. It’s one of her favorites. It was only $1,400 so, I definitely got a good deal. I also had a custom gown imported from France and, a prince-like outfit made for me. What do princes even wear? What is that called? Tights? I don’t know but, I looked like a goddamn Disney prince by the time I was done getting ready. I rented a different villa out for the weekend and, my interior designer decorated it like a medieval castle. We spent the weekend playing prince and princess and, it was probably one of the best weekends of my life. So to answer your question: Yes, I am romantic.”

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon):

“I only really touch myself when Y/N is away. Her and I have a pretty consistent sex life so, we have sex almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I don’t really have a need for it anymore and, it doesn’t feel nearly as good as sex with Y/N.”

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks):

“I have a few. I’m really sensitive to smells so, if Y/N smells good, I can’t keep my hands off of her. She has this one perfume from Gucci that I love so much. I can get hard just from the smell; it’s kind of pathetic honestly. I love  having sex outside too. It’s a good thing we have a private strip of the beach because, if we had neighbors nearby, they would hate us ha. I have a cashmere picnic blanket that we take down there a few times a week and, we always end up making love on it. Yes, I said making love. Get over it. Oh and, if Y/N says anything about my muscles or how strong I am? Instant turn on. I think I have a praise kink? Is that what it’s called? I love Y/N’s panties too. Lace, silk, cotton, clean or dirty; I don’t discriminate, just put them in my mouth. Lol, this is getting dirty…sorry Aqua.”

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do):

“I already kind of answered this but, sex on the beach or sex on our balcony are probably my top two.”

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going):

“I feel like I answered this one too because, I just talked about my kinks but, I would say my motivation is to get my girl off right? I get off easily. I have a beautiful woman all over me, saying dirty things in my ear… I mean, my orgasm is guaranteed. Y/N doesn’t take a long time to cum anymore because; I know how to please my woman but, I still want her to feel good. I want to see her let go and, let someone else take care of her for a change. She works so hard. I want to show her what a good woman she is. I want to show her how much I love her.”

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs):

“Threesomes, anal and, I’m pretty sure this is everyone’s answer but, bodily fluids belong in the toilet.”

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc):

“Yes.”

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? Etc.):

“Both. Sometimes I want to draw it out and, let her feel every inch of me but, sometimes I want to fuck so hard we are both sore the next day. It’s all amazing either way.”

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.):

“I love quickies. They are great in the afternoon when she and I have things to do but, we still want each other. They would get old after a while though so, we usually do both. It’s very rare that we just have a quickie and, nothing else but, sometimes it happens. Ever since we moved to Greece, we try to always make time for each other but, we both get busy from time to time.”

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.):

“I’m game to experiment a little bit but, Y/N and I have been together awhile. We’ve tried a few different things but, sex with her is so amazing, I don’t feel the need to experiment that much anymore.”

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…):

“I can last forever if I need to. Like I said, my orgasm is an easy thing to obtain with a woman like Y/N so, my focus is making sure she’s feeling it too. I can go for multiple rounds too, I mean it’s hard not to. Have you seen her? We have sex all night sometimes. I hope she finishes her conference call soon, I’m really starting to miss her…”

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?):

“Y/N owns a very tasteful collection of dildos made out of rose quartz and jade. I use them on her sometimes between rounds but, I don’t know how often she uses them beyond that. I don’t own any toys but, I do spend quite a bit of money on new lingerie for Y/N. She has an entire armoire for all of her outfits. Oh, we have gold handcuffs too. We take turns using them on each other.”

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease):

“Y/N has a really sensitive spot on her neck and, she’s really tender around her waist so, sometimes I come up beyond her and, brush my lips against her throat and, tickle her. She’s told me it turns her on immediately so, I like to play with her a little bit. We both tease each other a lot though, especially during phone meetings. One time, I was on a 4 way call with my investors and, she sucked my dick through the entire thing. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack but, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cum a little harder that time. Maybe that’s another kink of mine…”

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make):

“We live on a private piece of land so; we can be as loud as we want. I’m only loud when things are getting intense but, even still I’m not screaming at the top of my lungs. She isn’t crazy loud either but, I do try my hardest to get her to scream my name every now and again. Just for fun.”

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice):

“Y/N and I are in the process of buying an island in the Caribbean and, sometimes I get turned on when she talks about how much money we both have. I’m sorry, I know it’s a dick move but, it’s the truth. I donate millions to charity every year, I swear.”

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words):

“I’m like 7 inches I think? When I’m hard it’s probably like 8 or 9. I’m not sharing any more than that ha.”

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?):

“Pretty high. Unless I’m really sick or really busy.”

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards):

“If we’ve been going for multiple rounds, I’m pretty exhausted by the end of it but, I don’t just fall asleep. I don’t want to leave the bed afterwards though. I just want to cuddle with Y/N until we both pass out. If it’s during the day and, we’ve only gone once or twice, I’m not tired at all.”

“Aqua wanted me to dedicate this to @gldnrecs​ and, @bulletproofbirdy​. She says you guys are the best and, apparently you have a sweet spot for me. So, I guess I’ll dedicate this to you too ha. I hope you liked it.”

[questionablygourmet]

@gaara89 replied:

Doesn't help that Jack's dead set on pining her as her father's accomplice. Which, to be fair, she kinda was. Though I definitely don't think it was by choice. But the more I rewatch some scenes and the more I watch legal videos, the more I wonder how much of a case Jack had against her. By her own confession to Hannibal, she was the bait, and just considering it logically, it makes sense that Garrett Hobbs had help. How many college age girls are going to be having

Conversations with a middle age man? But how was Jack going to prove she was an accomplice? That's what I've been wondering lately. I don't think she helped with the killing and butchering, otherwise she would have known she was eating them, known the pillows were stuffed with thier hair. If the only part she played was as the bait/information gatherer, I'm wondering how strong a case he has. How does he prove she's an accomplice? I know in Releves, the science team

Found proof that Abigail went to each of the colleges the girls did with her father. Except, it's not illegal to go look at potential colleges with your father. It's not illegal for Abigail to talk to other people while looking at potential colleges. I don't think it's illegal for her to tell her parents(i.e. her dad) about the people she met and talked to while looking at colleges. So, outside of her confessing, how would Jack prove that Abigail was talking to those

girls for the sole purpose of getting information so her father could kill them? I think the burden of proof would fall mostly on the prosecution. Was Hannibal feeding her fears about how credible a threat Jack was?

That’s an interesting question, and one I don’t think we can posit a solid answer to, just because the show is, shall we say, less than rigorous OR particularly consistent in how it handles any of the real-world nuts and bolts that form the stage for the story.  (I am much more forgiving of this with Hannibal than I would be in an actual procedural, because in Hannibal the procedural aspects are basically just window dressing for the real story about identity and agency and interpersonal relationships.  But it does make certain analyses a bit of a pain, haha.)  

From my (non-trivial but limited to an entirely layperson’s perspective) understanding of the burden of proof in that kind of prosecution, I think you’re right about there not being a real case against Abigail, for the reasons you pointed out.  That said, US law enforcement can and absolutely will do all sorts of deceptive, manipulative, unethical and all-around awful things to try to get suspects to incriminate themselves, and Jack’s not a prosecutor.  If he can intimidate Abigail into a confession, then he’s got what he wants, so him latching onto the idea of her as her father’s accomplice makes sense in that regard.  

But, if the show was trying to be accurate about that, then someone else should have pointed out, loudly and repeatedly, that there’s no case to be made even if everyone’s sure she did do it.  Probably several someones.  Alana, Hannibal, and Will would all be aware of this, and Alana at least theoretically has a pretty strong commitment to professional ethics.  Abigail’s never in the same room as a lawyer throughout the show, and given that multiple knowledgeable people had varying but real interest in protecting her, that’s egregious.  

So as far as Hannibal’s part in it goes, given that it’s never acknowledged by anyone just how flimsy any case against Abigail (as an accomplice to her father, anyway; Nick Boyle’s another can of worms*) is, I don’t think the show was necessarily intending to depict Hannibal as playing up her fears, there.  If it was, then Alana and Will both should have done some combination of telling Jack to piss off and Abigail to get a lawyer, even if Hannibal didn’t.  (And for another dose of how this case isn’t treated remotely realistically, in the real world, Alana, as Abigail’s psychiatrist, would have absolutely no business whatsoever discussing any of it with Jack.  This show is only interested in reality when it serves The Aesthetic. xP)

*Minnesota is a “castle doctrine” state, which means that in the real world, it is extremely unlikely that Abigail would have been prosecuted for killing Nick Boyle.  (Castle doctrines provide various immunities from prosecution for using deadly force against a home intruder, and given the specifics of the situation I think the legal case, or lack thereof, would be quite clear-cut.)  Having hidden the body afterward, though, would probably open her up to some kind of charges, and I do think we’re meant to see Hannibal’s actions as self-servingly duplicitous in that case, though that opinion’s based 100% on how he talks about it with Abigail rather than that part of the narrative being more strongly anchored to reality.   

[fl0ating-tree]

Favorite to least favorite c!'s on the dream smp GO! (Them as character's objectively, not their actions, if that makes sense!)

anon kiss me rn this is a perfect excuse to ramble about my opinions and boy do i have opinions.... totally up for rebuttles to these or ppl trying to change my opinions on it i am a literary analysis bitch at heart

hate - technoblade, ranboo (there will be a bounty on my head for this one LOL)

dislike - niki, foolish, punz

don't love or hate - dream, phil, sam, puffy

like - sapnap (i WILL go further into detail for this one if someone wants), jack, tubbo, tommy, fundy

love - wilbur, ghostbur, eret, quackity, schlatt

hate is a strong word but it was used for the sake of the scale lol. but i REALLY dislike techno and ranboo's characters for the same reason of the fact that they feel very mary sue.

techno feels mary sue to me cause just like...nothing bad ever happens to him. i think 90% of my issue with his character would be fixed if he had died as his execution. that entire thing felt so stagnated. the day before dream is like "hey i think youre gonna get executed. heres how to not let that happen." and then the stream after that was "hey im getting executed. thats not gonna happen." like...it was just so unsatisfying because there wasn't a single moment i was concerned for techno considering i watched him get totems the day before and watched him hold one during his execution. he's stuck in the prison but from the way cc!techno was acting it feels like techno doesn't even CARE that he's there, and he has a contingency plan with the syndicate anyways. i didn't even feel bad that he got pulled out of retirement considering it was revealed he was collecting weapons of mass destruction the entire time. the only time i have EVER like his character was early pogtopia when everyone was always like "techno refuses to roleplay" AFSDKFSKG

ranboo feels like a mary sue to me because it's literally just one bad thing happening to him after another without any rhyme or reason. oh no his tears burn him and he has memory loss and he's scared he's doing bad things (did the whole "ranboo secretly has the cat disc" every get brought up again?) and he hears voices. his husband and best friend are moral enemies with his roomies but none of them seem to have an issue with that? just like.....his entire character is internal conflict and everyone loves him. not a fan.

dislike character all boil down to the same thing as well in that i feel like i would LOVE these character if they were executed better.

niki's going from wanting to protect tommy in pogtopia to the next thing i remember of her is her blaming tommy for her trauma. and her villain arc being INCREDIBLY serious but then a joke? niki as a character has a lot of potential but it all just isnt executed well imo, which is why i dislike the character.

foolish being a fun idea but the whole "totem god" thing just falls flat with me.

punz had SO much potential to do something really cool character-wise after the disc finale, but i think that boils down to cc!punz not being a big roleplayer/minecraft streamer, so it makes sense but still feels a little bit like a let down.

for the idc category it's honestly just that personally their character doesn't retain my interest. not that i think there's any major flaw with their character, just not something i care about.

dream i legit just...don't have thoughts about. cool character, but nothing stands out, and he feels a little flip-floppy sometimes. couldn't care less that he's being tortured so i feel like that's a sign that something isn't working right with that plotline.

phil and sam i think i would love their characters if they were exclusivly side characters but with the nature of streaming as the medium for the story there has to be a bit more substance to their characters but i genuinely think i would've liked them if it was just "the warden" and "wilbur's father" rather than their own individual characters. cool characters regardless, just not my personal faves.

puffy i might just not watch her enough but its similar to phil and sam where i think having her just be a therapist wouldve worked better than a fleshed out character. if more puffychu development happens tho, both her and niki will probably rise on this list.

the like characters range from "i think these characters have flaws objectively, but overall are very good!" to just....i am nostalgic for the pet wars.

sapnap i don't have a good reason for liking his character LOL it's mainly because i started watching during the height of the pet wars and i loved watching him during that. but i still just think the concept of his character is so cool and if he did more lore and specifically more stuff with dream, i can see him easily becoming a favorite character of mine.

jack, tubbo, and tommy i think are all very well fleshed out and executed characters. they have goals, flaws, relationships, and all three of the CCs are good actors i feel too. jack REALLY wow'd me over with his manifold hotel arc thing. tommy i think works well as a character because objectively he's kind of a prick but i still want him to win, and i think that's a sign of a well written character.

fundy again is similar to sapnap in that i loved him in the pet wars, but also he has the strongest relationships on the server imo. phil and wilbur stand out the most, but also with the OG l'manbergians and how his relationship with all of them are strained for no apparent reason in this awful "i've grown as a person and can't love you any more" kind of way.

i will fight tooth and nail over the fact that these characters are some of the most well-written and acted on the server genuinely. ESPECIALLY eret. i am a c!eret stan before all else.

ghostbur and eret i absolutely adore because of just how quietly tragic they are. a ghost damned to haunt his failures, and a king damned to try and repent. really REALLY well executed characters, and i pray every day that eret gets the kind of views tommy and wilbur's lore streams do because she is an amazing actor. they are both so tragically well written and executed amazingly, both are great examples of "show not tell" too. ghostbur with the amneisa and eret with their museum and abandoned castle. (only critic for eret is that i wish he stayed dethroned and george stayed king, but i think that was CC error not C error because if i remember right geroge said he wanted out of the lore. tho i think he could've stayed king and still not been involved in lore, but i digress)

wilbur and quackity are all incredibly thought out. you can see a start and a middle, and you can see that there's an ending. i feel like the biggest issue i have with tommy and tubbo is that there just doesn't seem to be an ending for their characters. with wilbur and quackity i can see an ending happening for them. they've got flaws, pros, goals, motivations, ideas. just AMAZING execution and it's cool to see how they're both so well written yet they execute their characters differently. wilbur with very casually imbedded lore that you only realize was lore and foreshadowing until it's too late, and quackity with very in-your-face produced lore streams that make you sit for an hour afterwards and wonder what happened.

schlatt is a good character because of cc!schlatt's AMAZING acting and also because he didn't try to make it some grand thing. schlatt was an alcoholic who abused his workers and was power hungry. he had his goal, and that was it, and cc!schlatt executed that perfectly.

[weasleydream]

The life and grief of Percy and Y/N Weasley - Last part

Okay... This is the last part of this serie. 

I wanna say I particularly loved it, and I would like to thank you once more, @mostmediocreravenclaw​, for letting me use your idea. I really enjoyed writing for Percy with a twin sister, and having the opportunity to show another part of him, one that’s maybe deeply hidden. So yeah, thank you. 

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, I really do. 

I also wanted to inform you I’ve used some inspiration for this last chapter: I’ve listened to No One But You from Queen (god I freaking love this song!) and I’ve found a citation from Jack Thorne. You’ll easily recognize it, it’s the first thing Hermione say at the ceremony. 

I think now you know everything, so remember I love feedbacks and enjoy!

Masterlist 

(gif not mine)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

His first days without her 

The castle of Hogwarts had always stood here, showing proudly its magnificent towers, illuminating the parc at its feet. There was a time when the school had a soul which made it your second home. 

While standing in what was once the Great Hall, Percy couldn’t properly remember how the castle was before the apocalypse. He couldn’t remember the magical roof, the animated portraits, the fantastic creatures in the Forbidden Forest. He couldn’t and, quite honestly, he didn’t want to. It was too painful, because she was a part of all of his memories here. 

He took a few hesitant steps outside, sighed, rolled up his sleeves and got to work. The now familiar burning of the Firewhiskey in his throat hadn’t totally vanished when he managed to move the first rocks. The alcohol was the only thing that had kept him awake these last two days, awake and relatively sane. It made him forget, and for the moment, it was all he wanted. He had insisted to stay here and help. Until the funeral. His family was too shocked, maybe even too pained to do anything. Someone - he couldn’t remember who - had told him his parents were devastated. His siblings too, and no one was able to do anything. They seemed as numb as he, Percy, was. 

His brain cloudy, he brutally moved a rock and almost made it fall on his foot. He didn’t care. He was on the verge of gripping another one when he saw it. 

A hand was sticking out. Someone else was dead. Percy felt his arms shaking and a loud cry escaped his mouth. Someone immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him backward. It was probably one of the persons that had made sure he had Firewhiskey and cleaned a place where all the lifeless bodies should have been removed from. The guy whispered something to a girl, and she left. 

Percy couldn’t see who it was, not that he wanted to. His eyes were flooding with tears, and he felt the urge to rip his heart from his rib cage. He felt the pain, the one he wanted to numb with alcohol, he felt it radiating in all his body. He pulled his hands in his hair as if he wanted to yank them out, and fell on his knees. The guy in front of him didn’t know what to do, and eventually gave up. He left Percy alone, in the same way she had let him alone. 

The sobs were louder and louder. It was the first time he cried since he had hold her body, since he had desperately begged her to stay alive, he had bottled everything up and had thrown himself hopelessly into the cleaning of the castle. Removing heavy rocks with nothing else than his hands, feeling the pain in his arms and his legs, that was the only way he had found to escape everything that would be too much for him: the Burrow, his family, himself. But now, nothing could contain the agony in his body, nothing could contain his heartbreaking screams as he called for her, begging her to come back to him. He couldn’t do that without her, he was unable to survive knowing she didn’t have this chance. 

It felt like he was crying for thousands of years when someone kneeled in front of him. Through his tears, Percy caught a glimpse of red and long hair and for a fraction of second, he had the insane hope she had heard him and was here; but the burning deception soon destructed a bit more his heart. It was Bill who was in front of him. 

Bill took his little brother in his arms, in a strong embrace that allowed him to break down. Percy screamed and cried, and Bill stayed silent, tears rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t know what to say - who would? No one could understand how destructed Percy was at that moment. He had lost his own half, the girl he had protected since birth, who had supported him during the darkest of times, she was gone, dead in his own arms. Bill knew his family was awfully shaken, tears were shed all day long and sobs contained all night long, but he was afraid Percy would never get over it. 

The latter almost fell, narrowly caught by his brother. His shoulders were still shaking. His sobs were nothing more than weak hiccups, and Bill decided it was time to bring him home. He got up, pulling Percy toward him and holding him up while nodding at Angelina Johnson, who had been the one to warn him directly at the Burrow. The brothers walked slowly, Percy almost unable to put one foot in front of the other, and they finally exited the magical barriers around the school. Bill took firmly his brother’s arm and apparated them both in front of their childhood home.

If Hogwarts had lost its soul after the battle, it was nothing compared to the Burrow. The happy family that had once lived there had disappeared, replaced by a bunch of wounded souls. Molly used to cry on the sofa while Arthur paced in the living-room, sometimes holding tight a picture of his beloved and missing daughter. Ginny and Ron would stay silent, sitting next to each other in the kitchen and hating themselves, remembering all the times they had rejected her at Hogwarts. George spent his days trying to get Fred to stop blaming himself while trying to ignore his own sorrow. Charlie left home at dawn and joined his old favourite place, where he would play Quidditch and where he had flown with her, and sat in the grass. Bill knew that for sure because his own way to deal with the pain was trying to make sure everyone stay… okay? 

When Bill gently pushed Percy in the living-room, their father stopped his pacing and rushed toward his son. He engulfed him in a hug, not bothering to hide his tears, while Bill helped his mother to get up. She took a few clumsy steps before throwing herself on them. No word was said, they expressed their pain with a physical way. Percy’s head was down and tears were covering his pale face. He was shaking, and for the first time his parents and his brother understood how distraught he was. He was looking everywhere, his lips trembling, and an awful expression of despair was appearing on his face. 

Percy didn’t know if he liked what he was feeling. He could have sworn she was right here, next to him, because she was part of the heart of the house. But feeling her so close without being able to see her, it was a true torture, one that would never end. In his disturbed mind, a voice said he could feel closer to her. Percy delicately removed his parents and shook his head to Bill, who was on the verge of helping him. He climbed alone the stairs, his heart beating faster and faster as his steps brought him closer to their old room. 

He hadn’t seen it in nearly three years, yet he rediscovered her side of the room. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust - the last time Molly had cleaned here was for Bill’s wedding. His heart stung a bit more when he laid his eyes on a picture hanging on the wall: they were toddlers, both giggling in the bath. Their likeness was striking at the time, they had the same tuft of red hair, the same freckled face and bright eyes. Percy softly touched her face. 

“How can someone like you have this fate?”

Thinking of what had happened was unbearable. He couldn’t do anything, he was stuck in his own desperation, sentenced to a life without her - something that had never happened in his worst nightmares. A new wave of unidentifiable emotions hit him and he fell on his old bed. 

“I love you,” he murmured. “I love you so much, Y/N. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I’m sorry I was a poor excuse of a twin…”

She raised a shaking hand and tangled it in her brother’s hair, ruffling it like she used to when she complimented him.

“Yes you were Percy… but it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Her face twisted in pain, and she looked at his twin in the eyes. He could see anger, an anger she had never expressed but was for him, undoubtedly. 

“I know you’ve never loved me…” she murmured. 

Her hand fell, and she closed her eyes.

Percy woke up, shaking. A lump had formed in his throat and for a minute, he struggled to catch his breath. He was sweating, and it felt like someone was banging in his head with a hammer. However, his eyes were dry. It was the first time he had properly slept since the battle. The numbness brought by the Firewhiskey was a memory and life had decided to mess once again with him. He couldn’t stand it, he wouldn’t be able to. 

Trying his best to be quiet, he left the room and went into the kitchen. He quickly found two bottles of Firewhiskey and didn’t think twice. He headed back to the room and was on the verge of closing the door behind him when a hoarse voice interrupted him.

“What are you doing?”

Tightening his grip on the bottles, Percy slowly turned his head. Fred stood near behind him, his eyes bloodshot and hair messy. He was paler than ever, and his pain seemed unbearable for him too. Percy didn’t say anything but let the door open, and his little brother joined him in the dark room. They both sat on the floor, back against her old bed, and Percy handed a bottle to Fred. 

“It’s today.” the latter muttered. 

Percy knew it. In a few hours, he would have to say farewell to his beloved twin. Someone would bring her coffin and then… Then she would be buried on the top of the hill behind the house. This thought made him panic and he swallowed a long sip of alcohol. He didn’t even wince. Drinking was all he needed. Almost.

“How did it happen?” 

His voice was a whisper. No one had never told him how she had died. He needed to know. 

“An explosion. She protected me.”

Percy nodded and drank. He glanced at Fred: he was drinking too, obviously fighting both his guilt and his tears. 

“Do you hate me?” Fred didn’t dare to look at his brother. He hated himself, if only he could have died on the spot to bring her back, he would have happily done it.

“No.”

“I’m sorry.”

Percy didn’t say anything. A terrible thought was creeping in his head… Why are they suffering? They didn’t care about her when we left. When she was crying in her bed, none of them was there. I was… He felt the anger boiling in him. He didn’t want to explode right now, he didn’t want at all, it would be selfish, deep down he knew he was wrong. But he needed something to evacuate this oppressive sensation in his body, and he had the perfect opportunity in front of him. Fred was muttering rambling apologies and slightly rocking back and forth. 

“Shut up.” His voice was full of hatred, not only toward his little brother, but also toward himself. “Shut up, you don’t have the right.”

“She was my sister too.” Fred croaked.

“And you hated her!” Percy didn’t mean to yell, but his voice was louder than he thought. He winced, aware that he would wake everyone up, but he decided he didn’t care. He shakily stood up, imitating his brother. 

They were now both face to face, holding their bottles and glaring at each other. Percy threw the first punch. He hit Fred right in the jaw, and the latter groaned loudly before punching back. A strong pain appeared behind his temple and echoed in all his body. A bit dizzy, he tried to break his little brother’s nose and failed, only hitting his chest. Fred chuckled bitterly. He moved forward. At this moment, someone slammed the door open and George barged in, followed by Charlie and Bill. He immediately joined his twin - they are the last twins of the family, thought Percy, and a single tear rolled his cheek. Bill headed toward him while Charlie waved his wand, repairing the broken bottle Percy hadn’t realize he had dropped. 

“What the hell are you doing?” hissed Charlie. “We need to support each other! Imagine Mum’s reaction if she knows what just happened -”

“Don’t tell her.” croaked Percy. 

“Don’t tell Dad either.” added Fred on the same tone.

They were being gits, yes, but they didn’t want to make their parents suffer. After one last glare, Fred turned around and left without a word. George followed him after patting Percy’s shoulder and nodding toward Bill. The oldest brother grabbed the bottles of alcohol and gave them to Charlie, who left the room without a word. Percy was pretty sure he was going to rush in the kitchen and hide all the alcohol he would find. 

Bill’s look was unbearable. He seemed disappointed, worried, but above all, highly pained. 

“Go away.” Percy’s voice was hoarse. “I don’t want to see anyone.”

“I won’t.” Bill replied firmly. He glanced at the window - the day was rising. A new day, maybe the most painful one of their lives. “I can’t leave you alone Perce, not after that.” He saw Percy’s fist clenching compulsively. “Hit me.”

“What?” 

“You need to hit someone then hit me. But not Fred. He’s completely broken. He doesn’t need it.”

Percy looked away. He wouldn’t do that. The shame of what he had done to one of his brothers was painful enough, and thinking of what she would have said killed him. He limped toward his bed. Bill sat carefully on her sister’s old bed and watched his little brother curling into a tight ball under his blanket and hiding his face in his pillow. His sobs were muffled by the fabric soaked by his tears. 

Bill allowed himself to shed a few tears and folded his hands under his chin. His eyes were fixed on the window, contemplating the bright colour of the sky. A deep orange dotted of the last stars of the night. This sight had something reassuring. It was as if she was there, next to them, whispering it would be okay. 

Bill left the room two hours later to get changed. He made sure Percy was dressed for the funeral and headed into his own childhood room, joining a distraught Charlie. A quiet embrace was shared between the two brothers, the first of several, and he slipped into his black clothes. She would hate it, he thought. Then he went downstairs to find his mother standing in the middle of the living-room, tears flooding from her eyes and a hand clenched on her heart. His father arrived a few minutes later, the tie badly tied and dark circles under his eyes. 

Bill saw Hermione and Harry outside. They were staying there to show the way of the hill to the persons who would assist to the ceremony. They were mainly family, but a lot of old friends, fighters, Ministry worker and even professors were here too. 

The nine Weasleys left their home, her absence more painful than ever, and made their way to the hill. Molly and Arthur were followed by Fred and George - Fred had a dark bruise on the jaw. Ginny, Ron and Charlie had placed themselves between them and Percy, and Bill closed the step. Dozen of chairs were installed in front of her. 

She was just a few steps away from Percy. She was here, laid in this coffin, her eyes closed forever, her skin pale and cold. It was open, and Percy knew he would see her one last time. But right now, a physical pain had invaded his body and he barely managed to gain his seat. He sat between Arthur and Charlie. A stranger took place in front of everyone.

“Ladies, Gentlemen, we’re gathered here today to support a family in the pain caused by the loss of Y/N Weasley.”

Percy’s heart almost stopped, and tears burned his eyes. It was the first time he heard her name since that day…The man started his speech, praising her bravery during the battle, reminding how kind and caring she was… He didn’t even know her. He had never seen the flame of her determination in her eyes when she witnessed an injustice. He had never seen the love she could show with just one look. What he was saying was stupid. She was so much more than that. 

He fought his desperation with the little strength he had. He wanted to be strong for her, for their mother who was sobbing into her husband’s chest and for his siblings. He kept his eyes on his knees, barely listening to eulogy that was ongoing. He focused on her smile, he imagined her next to him, holding his hand and resting her head on his shoulder, murmuring him it was okay. 

“Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch. Y/N’s memory is one these things.”

Percy looked up. Hermione had taken the stranger’s place. Her cheeks were shining with tears, but she managed to control her voice. She had been quite close to her. 

“What I’ll always remember is the first smile she sent to me. It was- it was my first year at Hogwarts, I was all alone, and Y/N had taken me under her wing.” A violent sob interrupted her as she cowered. “I just… I know she’ll be missed, but I also know she wouldn’t want to see her loved ones crying.” Her teary eyes met Percy’s ones, and she broke down. Unable to continue, she gained back her seat without daring to look at her friend. 

A silence followed her speech. All eyes turned toward the Weasleys, and Arthur stood up, holding a distraught Molly against him. They reached the platform and Arthur started with a trembling voice. He had made the choice to speak to his daughter, and he turned toward the coffin. Molly stepped forward and began to stroke Y/N’s hair. 

“Y/N, we… We miss you. You should never have died.” A loud sob escaped his mouth. “I hope you can hear us. My baby girl, these last years were a mistake, I hope you forgive us. We love you, we will always love you.” 

He hold Molly tighter, leaning over his oldest daughter’s body and caressing her cheek. 

Molly’s voice was quiet, and only her husband and her children could hear her. Percy knew he couldn’t fight his own pain anymore. 

“My baby… My little baby… Why? Why? I have never… Did you- did you know how much we love you?” 

She was crying, her pain seemed endless as a hole was forming in her heart. It was the very last time she would touch her, she couldn’t even hug her daughter like when she was younger. It was awfully painful, and Arthur had to help her regaining her seat. She didn’t even have enough strength to grab a tissue. 

His hand in his pocket, Percy suddenly stood up. Everyone looked at him, and he saw on the corner of the eye Charlie ready to follow him. He shook his head. He would say farewell alone. He tried his best to put on a brave face and almost reached the coffin before stopping himself. If he kept walking, he would see her, and it would be real. He heard the sound of a chair shortly dragged to the ground. Clenching his fists, he took the last steps that separated him from Y/N.

His twin, his annoying and beloved twin seemed to be asleep. Her eyes were closed - he would give everything to see her bright blue eyes once more. Her freckles were more visible on her white skin. Her ginger curls had been carefully brushed. This image wasn’t the one Percy wanted to bring with him. He passed an hand in her hair and ruffled it. Yes, better. He didn’t care about his tears, and while he was close to her, his pain was more bearable. 

“You would have hated this…” he croaked. “All these tears shed for you… You would be the first one to complain, wouldn’t you?” He let out a watery chuckle. 

He pulled his wand out of his pocket. Without thinking twice, he delicately put it in her hands and took hers. 

“You’ll always have a part of me with you now…” 

He felt the urge to take her in his arms, to pull her against his chest and not let her go. He felt the urge to kiss her hair and grab her hand. He wanted - no, he needed so badly to talk to her, he needed her to reassure him. But she was dead. It wouldn’t never happen again. 

“I need you Y/N… You promised! You promised to stay alive!” Percy was now yelling. He needed to dull the pain, he had to or else he would explode… He would hurt another of his siblings, or drink to death, or something like that. “You knew I need you! I told you I didn’t want to lose you! Why did you do that to me? Why did you die? I love you Y/N, I love you… I’m sorry I never really told it to you, I’m sorry I wasn’t a good brother, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed it the most…” 

A heartbreaking sob made painfully its way in his throat, and Percy felt a pair of strong arms pulling him backward. He fought it. He couldn’t leave her alone, she would be terrified. She needed him. He got rid of the person who wanted him to leave his twin and leaned over her body. Slowly, very slowly, he put his lips on her forehead. One last time, he looked at her, trying to remember perfectly each cut on her face, each freckle, each curl. Soon, way too soon, it would be the last thing he would have of her. 

It was the moment to let her go, to let the angel reaching for the sky. 

“Goodbye, Y/N…”

Percy took a few steps back, unable to look away. Now, he wished someone would drag him far from here, because he wouldn’t have the strength to do so. No one came. Turning his head was the most painful thing he had ever done. He felt like half of his heart had been ripped off of his own body and was still with Y/N. The gap formed by her death was getting bigger and bigger, engulfing his sanity. 

He was almost in front of his seat when Fred stood up. Percy barely had the time to meet his bloodshot eyes and Fred gave him a hug. He sobbed loudly on his shoulder, and Percy did the same, because it was what felt right at the moment. He shared a bit of his suffering with his little brother. They were crushing each other’s bones and clenching each other’s shirt. Fred’s tears were soaking Percy’s neck. 

“I wish I could have saved her… Perce, I’m sorry… I should be the dead one…”

“Don’t say that. I can’t- I can’t hear that. Think about George. And Mum. And I.” Percy whimpered. He put his hand behind Fred’s head. “It’s not your fault. It has never been.” 

Fred looked up and nodded weakly. Percy felt an hand on his shoulder, and turning his head, he met Bill’s eyes. His brother was sobbing too, and seeing him like this, when he was usually so strong, was terrible. Percy extended an arm and put it around Bill’s shoulders. Ginny soon joined, her eyes red and puffy, followed by Ron, George, Charlie, Molly and Arthur. A painfully ironical thought crossed his mind. There are hugs and alcohol, just like George had said. 

He hadn’t even remarked they were now alone. Harry and Hermione had asked everyone to leave the Weasleys to their grief. 

The following days were filled with… Nothing. They were empty. For Percy, anyway. He spent all his time curled up in his bed, not daring to approach Y/N’s one. He feared it would make her vanish in some way or another. He barely ate, just enough to keep himself alive, but he always sent away anyone who would put a feet on the room. One night, when the pain had become too hard to bear, he had tried to find some Firewhiskey, or any alcohol. He was right: Charlie had hidden everything after his fight with Fred. Except this night, the only times he left the room was when he went to the bathroom. The few steps he had to do were the only way for his family to see how broken he was: his days in the dark had caused him to have a pallid complexion, his eyes were glassy and he had huge dark circles under them. His hollowed cheeks showed how little he ate, and his state worsened a bit more each day. No one could talk to him. The last one who had tried was Ginny: she had barged in the room, she had yelled and even hit Percy’s arm, but there was no use. He seemed to be nothing more than an empty shell. 

One morning, almost ten days after the funeral, George rushed into the kitchen, looking panicked. Ron, who was on the couch staring into emptiness, jumped on his feet as soon as his brother arrived. 

“What’s happening?”

“Fred- he’s with… He’s with Perce and he… Ron he doesn’t wake up!”

Ron’s face lost all colours. Percy couldn’t… No. No, he wouldn’t let him. Ron rushed upstairs, barely hearing George calling for their mother. He slammed the door open and almost fell on his knees. Percy was paler than a ghost, and Fred was shaking him like a rag doll. A terrible cry echoed in the house and soon, Molly arrived in the room. She pushed her sons and shook Percy herself. Fortunately, he opened his eyes, and a vaguely surprised expression appeared on his face. 

“Ron, Fred, out.”

Molly’s voice was strangely calm. The boys obeyed, relieved Percy had woken up. The room stayed silent for a moment, the time for Percy to sit on his bed. Molly stayed up, staring at the boy in front of her. 

“Listen Percy, I know it’s a hard time for you but -”

“You don’t know what I feel.” His voice was bitter, and Molly noticed his eyes wandering in the room and stopping on a specific spot. Turning around, she saw a picture of him and Y/N, still babies and playing in their bath.

“Honey, listen you -”

“I can’t let her go, Mum.” He didn’t look at his mother, but she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. “I can’t do it without her. We have always been together, and now she- she’s not with me anymore. She’ll never be. Mum, it hurts…”

Molly’s heart broke. Percy had always been a quite tough boy, never really showing his emotions, and now he was breaking down in front of her, crying and rocking back and forth, a hand compulsively clenching his shirt on his heart. She shakily sat next to him and he threw his arms around her neck. 

“I wanted to die.” he murmured. Molly gasped and pulled his son against her with all her strength. “I wanted to be with her… She must be so afraid alone… But I promised I would live for her. I’ll do it - really Mum, I’ll do everything she should have done but… I’m suffering Mum, I don’t know- I don’t know what to do… Why did she have to leave?”

Molly was simply unable to answer. She didn’t know how to deal with the pain either, and she spent her nights trying to understand why she had to lose her baby. She remembered the time Y/N had disobeyed and had joined Percy while he was sick. Molly had found her sleeping on the floor with one hand on his hair. They were inseparable, no one could imagine Y/N without Percy or Percy without Y/N. They loved each other unconditionally. Living without her would be difficult, painful, sometimes it would seem impossible, but they had no other choice. 

How could she help Percy? He was trembling in her arms, she just saw a boy afraid and broken because his twin wasn’t with him anymore. She looked everywhere, looking frantically for something that could help him with his pain when her eyes stopped on Y/N’s wand. 

“Why did you do this?” she whispered. 

Percy seemed to remember the wand and quickly grabbed it. He was gripping it so tight that his knuckles were white. 

“I wanted her to have something from me…” He seemed unable to continue.

“And you wanted to have something from her.” 

The desperation in his eyes was too much for Molly, and she broke down once more. Percy cried too, a lot. The pain seemed insurmountable, but he would do it. He had promised over his twin’s dead body he would live for her, and he would do it. 

If they hadn’t been blinded by their tears, Percy and Molly would have seen a beautiful bird, its feathers as ginger as their hair and its blue eyes shining in the sunlight, watching them from the windowsill. 

Epilogue

[olivyh]

Into Wonderland Chapter Three: Octavinelle Part Two

"Floyd." Jade instructs. Floyd finally lets go of Mc, letting them breathe for the first time since they'd woken up. He stifles his laughs and lightly pushes the bottom of the boat with his back, causing it to topple over. Two figures splash into the water and Mc can recognize them as Deuce and Rielle.

"He-" A cold hand is clasped over their mouth before they can say much else, and they look over to see Jade holding a finger up to his lips, pursed into a tense smile. The figures struggle to get back onto the boat, with not much help from Floyd swimming in circles around them and scratching at their ankles and yanking at their clothes. They finally get going back to shore, the twins smiling at one another knowingly.

"What did you do that for?" Mc asks as they start to swim back to the cave they were in before.

"Because if the little guppy wants to be human forever and get his voice back he has to kiss the princey~!"

"And we can't let that happen," Jade further explains.

"Why? If it makes him happy-"

"It's not that." Another voice calls from the cave. Mc freezes, searching around for the source of the unknown voice. They see something creep around the corner of the rock, pulling an unknown figure out of the shadows. The man has silvery hair that floats around him and sharp icy blue eyes that contrasted his grey skin that was speckled with black and dark grey freckles. Mc stares as he goes further into the light of the cave, revealing eight long tentacles that let the man creep over the rocks.

"Cecaelia-" They remember Rielle mentioning. The man holds himself high, but seems to shrink under the humans gaze.

"My apologies, I should introduce myself," The man creeps towards Mc, bowing lightly before extending his hand. "I'm Azul Ashengrotto."

"M-Mc-" They stammer, taken back by the difference between him and the twins. The twins made no effort to try to hide their mischievous natures, but Azul seemed to maintain a calm, welcoming aura.

It sent a chill down their spine thinking that he was the one who had taken their legs while they were half dead, and the man who gave Rielle legs, at the cost of his voice, then proceeded to sabotage his chances at living on the surface.

The man purses his lips and lets his hand fall to his side, offering another smile towards the human. "I see you're used to your new tail."

They nod. "I've been trying."

"They smacked me n' Jade with it n' ran into the ceiling-" Floyd interrupts, breaking into laughter.

"I should have known you two would have done something like that," Azul sighs. "I'm terribly sorry for any trouble they've caused due to their..." He pauses. "Sadistic streak."

"It's fine..." Mc mumbles. "So uhh... what did you mean before?"

"Hm?" The silver haired man hums.

"When you said that... 'it's not that'. What do you mean by that?"

"You..." The man seems taken back. "You were a human, right?" He mutters under his breath.

"Y-yes... I came from..." They pause. Where did they come from? What was their home before Wonderland? And the Afterglow Savanah? Did they even have a home? A family?

"Poor thing..." Jade says, not displaying the pity he's trying to get across at all.

"Are ya dumb?" Floy, blunt as always, asks.

"N-no it's just-"

"Amnesia perhaps?" Jade suggests, circling to their side. They hesitate and nod.

"M-maybe-"

"That's quite upsetting..." The calm eel nods.

"Back to my main point-" Mc tries to shake their head clear of their sadness and go back to confronting the octopus. "What did you mean then?"

"Humans here actively hunt mers. Thats why we need to stop Prince Rielle from getting anywhere near them." Azul knits his eyebrows and shakes his head, slinking across the floor with the other three close behind.

"What do you mean...?" Mc whispers.

"They sell our fins as jewelry, keep some mer as pets to entertain them-"

"And eat us." Floyd interrupts, a scowl written across his face. "Almost happened to me n' Jade when we were kids."

"Why?!" Mc exclaims.

"They believe that mer have exceptional magic, and by eating us they can inherit some of it." Azul sighs, visibly shivering.

"So you think that when Deuce finds out that Rielle is a human he'll-"

"Eat him, yes." The octomer finishes. Clearing his throat, he swims over to a wall full of scrolls. "That's why we have to stop him from getting close to him. We've seen many people from our hometown fall victim to power hungry humans."

"I'm sure you're aware of how close we live to the shoreline, yes?" Jade adds. Mc nods solemnly, guilt eating away at their heart.

Does that mean Ace and Deuce have eaten mer? They think, head starting to spin. They must be swaying a bit because Jade grabs their forearm to keep them steady.

"...My apologies." Azul looks at them sympathetically. "I suppose this must be a lot to hear considering that you don't remember much."

"I-it's fine-" They stutter. "I asked anyways."

"So I hope you see now why we have to sabotage them as much as possible." Jade nods in their direction. They gulp and nod back. "So this is exactly why we need your help in the next plan, considering everything we've done so far has put a stop in our plans."

"What do I-?"

"You need to marry Prince Deuce."

They choke, punching their chest a few times to get their breathing back to normal. "I have to what?!"

Floyd rolls his eyes. "It'll be easy~! Zul stole the

princey's voice that he used to woo the other princey when he saved him, he gives it to you, you woo him, you pretend to get married until the contract with the guppy expires, then you come back here and we give you back your legs!"

Mc stares, jaw slack at the long explanation. Jade chuckles next to them.

"Brilliant explanation, Floyd."

"Thanks!" The rambunctious eel chirps. Mc gulps as Azul lightly hands them a glowing orb that pulses in their palms.

"I don't have to actually get married, right?" They ask. The silver haired man nods. He lightly raised it to their chest and pushes in, watching it disappear into their sternum. They gasp a bit, taken back by the cold that bursts out from the area, before realizing that the water they'd been breathing in fine before was suddenly suffocating.

They choke and try to hold their breath, suddenly grabbed by a pair of strong arms and rushed to the surface. They take in a gulp of air, coughing up water on the eel's shoulder.

"Gross-" Floyd pushes them off him, making them struggle to stay afloat for a bit. They're scooped up by Jade, who helps carry them to the shoreline. They see Azul close behind, a little slower due to his tentacles not making him the fastest swimmer.

They get to the shore and are thrown some raggedy clothes, realizing that when they were a mer they had no need for them, but now they sort of had to wear them again. They slip the clothes on behind a rock and stand on the shore, rehearsing the plans with the mers that floated nearby.

"Just marry him by sundown tomorrow! Azul already handled getting him close enough to you!" Jade calls out. They wish them lick and swim back under the surface, disappearing under the waves.

"Okay-" They huff. "Here goes nothing..." They take a gasp and start humming, nervous at first. They then start singing softly, feeling dumb about the whole plan. They huff and decide to cut it short.

"W-wait!" A familiar voice calls from a balcony that hangs over the rocks. That was there the whole time?! They think, embarrassment making their face flush. How did they not hear Jade yelling earlier? "Please don't stop singing! I know you!" Footsteps slipping down the rocks greet them as their hands are grabbed and held close to the boy's chest. He beams down at them, sending a pang of guilt to their heart.

"You saved me, that day," He whispers breathlessly, bright green eyes gleaming. "It was you."

Mc can only allow themselves to be dragged back to the castle, listening to the boy's lovestruck speech and rants until they find themselves at the end of a long aisle lined with benches full of expecting nobles, and a beaming Deuce standing at the end. Shuffling in their wedding attire, they walk up the aisle, ignoring Jack's whimpers for them to stop.

"I'm sorry," They whisper, to Jack or Deuce, they don't know. "I have to save Rielle-"

The ship suddenly rocks and sways as something hits the side. They slip and tumble as it threatens to tip.

"A rogue wave?!" They hear a few guests yelp in a panic, holding on to their benches for dear life. Deuce slips and narrowly avoids falling off the edge by Ace grabbing his arm. Mc stumbles off the side, with Jack's futile attempt at biting their sleeve to keep them up failing miserably as they plummet to the sea. They let out a screech as they hit the water, back stinging as they hiss and take in water. A glass bottle is pressed to their mouth and they're forced to drink the substance inside, feeling their legs form together into a long tail once more.

"It's okay," Azul takes the bottle away from their mouth and lets them breathe. He holds them underneath their arms, allowing them to get a sense of their surroundings. "You're okay. You're fine." His voice shakes as another angry roar rips itself from deeper within the sea.

"I won't let you humans keep getting away with this!" A bearded man yells, throwing a glowing trident at the side of the ship and creating a large gash.

"What happened?!" They shout. Azul shakes his head.

"I'm not sure. Rielle found out about the marriage and came back to the kingdom an-and I suppose one of his brothers knew about Deuce and told their father-"

"The king..."

"King Ambrose, correct."

"Wait, Father, please!" They see the redheaded boy try to stop his father, pulling at his arm. "Please it's..." His eyes meet Mc's and they gulp, noticing the emotions that swim within them- pain, sadness, betrayal. King Ambrose follows his son's gaze to Azul and his eyebrows narrow.

"You!" The man booms. Azul yelps a bit and shrinks back, pausing before leading Mc to float behind him as the man approaches. He towers over the octomer, tail thrashing dangerously. "You're the man who sent my son up there. You're the one who allowed him to get closer to humans, the one who sent him there only to come home with a broken heart-"

Before they know it, Jade and Floyd are standing in front of Azul. Both expressionless and motionless, they stare down the king as if they'd been waiting their whole lives for this.

"Your majesty-" Jade bows, trying to cut the tension. "Azul was simply trying to-"

"Silence!" The man booms. He swings his trident quickly at the twin who spoke up. Floyd dashes in front of his brother and takes most of the blow to his arms, crossed protectively in front of his face. The boy hisses as he's thrown backwards, his twin chasing close behind him.

"Wait!" Mc cries, worried about their new friends. "Please- we can talk this-"

They're cut off by a chunk of debris falling between them- something Mc recognizes as part of the now sinking ship. They're launched to the seafloor with a sudden current, likely caused by the raging king on the other side. Looking up, they see lifeboats paddling away from the wreckage and they exhale, glad that everyone was able to get away safely.

They notice another chunk of metal shoot its way through the water as the remainder of the ship goes down. It shoots like a bullet- headed right towards the still stunned octomer.

"Azul!" Mc screams, trying to swim up towards him hopelessly. The boy is shoved out of the way by a blue of teal and black and Mc sighs, recognizing the tweels' coloration and features.

Looking back up, they scream as they see the metal headed towards them. They thrash, tail still not completely formed by the potion they took just minutes before. The appendage flops uselessly as they choke back a sob, the beam inches away from their face. They see the trio swimming towards them quickly.

Jade with a worried expression, eyebrows knitted and a scowl printed on his face, pulling Azul who looks to be on the verge of tears behind him, and Floyd, blood from the gashes on his arms staining the water around them, for once the nonchalant expression tossed to the side and filled with fear.

In what Mc thinks of being their last moments, they look to their friends and smile as if trying to tell them that they'll be okay.

Then they feel the cold metal pierce the first layer of skin through their chest and they black out completely, allowing themselves to succumb to sleep.

——————

They wake up moments later back in the sand, coughing it out of their lungs.

"Huh." They say, laying back on the sand and closing their eyes, trying to steady their breathing and racing heart. "I didn't realize I got do-overs-"

Fun fact actually pretty sad fact- almost every twst sorting quiz i get octavinelle (I got scarabia once but never again). so yeah thats fun. especially for someone who lives far away from the ocean. and who cant swim. y e p.

also am i shipping a half canon character with deuce? maybe. for plot purposes.

also after meeting ambrose the 63 at the end of pomefiores episode im not sure what to think about him. hes either just a kind old man or a nightmare dressed i.n cheesy wizard robes and i cant decide which

[sexycraisinthanos]

Fishing for more notes and validation, so here’s an ROTG fic I wrote

Word count: 3,613

Warnings: None, kind of angsty near the end

Jack learns more about being a Guardian and himself

Jack chewed a piece of grass, looking at the sky. He closed his eyes, smiling.

Then something dropped on his face.

He yelped and sat up. “What the?”

“Come on, Jack. You gotta get ready.” Bunny said.

“Ready for what?”

Bunny sighed, rolling his eyes. Not in an annoyed sort of fashion, but as if he were a child being forced to go to an event he hated. “It’s the Ceremony of Spirits.”

“Let’s pretend I don’t know what that means and you pretend to explain it to me.”

He sat beside Jack, resting his chin on his paw. “It’s this big celebration we all go to. A day of peace. Kind of like a stalemate. We all just gather around, eat, drink, talk, and have fun. It sucks.”

“Well you do hate fun.”

“We gotta dress up in our ‘traditional clothes.’ Something about how it shows we’re all just people at our core. And we can’t fight anyone!” He threw his hands up. “It’s the worst! Even worse than Christmas!”

Jack laughed, standing up, looking at the clothes Bunny had thrown on his face. “So I have to wear my old clothes. Okay...wait do you wear clothes?”

“You’ll see it. Just get changed. I opened you a tunnel that’ll lead to the Hall. See you there.”

He jumped down a tunnel, leaving Jack with more questions than answers.

After looking at himself in his change of clothes, he started feeling very aware that he didn’t have shoes. He took a breath and jumped down the hole.

The hole ended in front of a large castle. A very pink castle. Jack squinted his eyes and stepped back to get a better look and slipped, nearly falling backwards.

He looked down and his head spun.

The castle was in the air, a very good distance from the ground.

Where the heck was he?

A very rough pat on the back nearly caused him to fall forward, but he caught himself.

“Jack! I was wondering if you’d gotten invitation.” North laughed. “I kid. Attendance is mandatory.”

“Hey...so I have a few questions. Where are we, what’s going on, why are we in the sky, and why is that castle pink?”

Before North could answer, Jack jerked his head, seeing Pitch approaching. He reached for his staff, but North stopped him. “Jack, this is time of peace. Pitch is welcome here.”

“This doesn’t make sense. He literally tried to kill us!”

“Oh boohoo, Frost. You’re already dead.” Pitch said.

Jack scowled and stomped up to him. “I can send you back under the bed you crawled out from.”

A gust of wind filled the air and a tall woman appeared out of a whirlwind of flowers, approaching Jack. “Jack, maybe you weren’t told, but this is a time of peace and weapons nor magic will be allowed.” She took his staff.

“Who are you?”

“Mother Nature. Sweet, darling Mother Nature.” Pitch answered in mock praise. “She’s the reason I’m here. Emily, darling, so lovely to see you. I’m sure your father misses you very much.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, saying nothing. “Jack, I’m sure you have questions.”

“Uh, yeah.” Jack said.

“This is the Ceremony of Spirits. Once a year all Spirits, good, bad, neutral, gather in a day of peace. To show that in any time of need, no matter the consequence, if we need each other, we will help one another.”

“That sounds dumb. Why are we in the air and why is the castle pink?”

“We’re in the air because Heartstrings doesn’t like company. And it’s pink because he likes pink.”

“Who’s Heartstrings?...Wait, like Cupid?”

As if waiting for a dramatic entrance, a young man swooped down, sporting large wings, pink messy hair, and a smug attitude. “Hello, loves. You must be Jack Frost. My name’s Apollo C. Heartstrings, but most people call me Heartstrings.”

“I thought Cupid was a chubby little baby with a diaper?”

He groaned, rolling his eyes. “I hate that depiction. Why would I be a baby in a diaper? Babies don’t even know how to use a bow and arrow!”

Jack pursed his lips and backed away. A firecracker whizzed past his ear and he spun around as another one barely missed his nose. “Whoa!”

“Oh great…” Bunny groaned, walking up. “THEY’RE here.”

“Who?”

“The twins.”

“What twins?”

“The Foolery twins.”

“Foolery-?”

A colorful puff of smoke filled the area and two very colorful teenagers in very colorful jesters’ outfits appeared.

The April Fools.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m April and this is my brother Tom.” The girl grinned.

“That is awesome.” Jack said.

“Jack Frost. Oh we heard about you. That snowstorm to get kids out of school? Classic!” Tom said, shaking his hand furiously.

Jack pulled his hand away and stuffed it in his pocket. “Um...thanks.”

“It’s time to head inside.” Mother Nature said as the rest of the guests arrived. “Leave your weapons at the door.” She side-eyed the twins and walked inside as a magical forcefield went up.

Jack looked up in awe. “I’m guessing this is how you keep magic from being used inside.”

He followed them inside and sat in a chair.

Bunny and someone who appeared to be the Groundhog were arguing over a seat, ending with her pushing him to the ground and sitting calmly in her seat.

The castle was much larger on the inside than Jack imagined.

It was probably bigger than the North Pole.

But what surprised him the most was seeing Pitch casually enjoying a conversation with a spirit covered in flowers.

He smiled a little. Maybe there could be a chance for them all to get along.

Everyone was chatting and quieted down when Mother Nature stood at the front of the room. She cleared her throat and when she spoke, Jack realized how ethereal her voice sounded. Like it was everywhere at once. It was strong and harsh, but soft and comforting at the same time. He could tell he would not want to upset her.

“Welcome. Thank you all for coming. It’s good to see that we are continuing to see your faces after all these years. The same faces mean we have the same alliances. We do have a new face here. We welcome Jack Frost, newly-appointed Guardian. This is his first time at this event.”

The spirits looked at him. He sunk in his chair, unsure of what to say.

Thankfully, the room went quiet as the doors burst open. A wind so cold even Jack shuttered filled the room. There was a heavy stomping and with each step there was a jingle of bells.

“You aren’t having a party without me, are you?” A deep, growling voice that sent shivers down Jack’s spine asked.

He turned around, seeing a large figure approaching. Hooded in a dark red cloak, frayed and tattered.

Jack stared, confused, while everyone else had stood, readying to fight. “Oh, come now, you know there’s no violence allowed at these things.”

“Who are you?” Jack asked.

The figure turned its head, looking at Jack. The figure pulled its hood down and Jack’s stomach turned.

A beast. With large horns, both broken. A human eye, glowing red, an animal eye, a sickly yellow, with a horizontal pupil. Large, sharp teeth and a crooked jaw turned into a sneer. Covered in snow white fur. Even taller than North. Just staring at him made Jack feel a sense of dread.

“Who am I?” He laughed. “Never thought I’d have to introduce myself. Nowadays I just go by Krampus. And you must be Jack Frost. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He held out his large paw.

Pitch immediately stood defensively in front of Jack. “Don’t you have better things to do? Like eating garbage cans?”

He growled lowly. “Isn’t this a time of peace? Shouldn’t I be welcome?”

“No one wants you here.”

“Oh you wound me, Pitch.” Krampus looked at Jack. “I wasn’t always a monster, you know. I used to help children. I was the first Santa. Then Man in the Moon decided to replace me. Can you imagine? Me, a loving father, replaced by a man who spent his whole life robbing and killing!” He roared, motioning to North.

“You leave now or not even the grace of the Fates will save you.” Mother Nature said.

“Why were you replaced?” Jack asked.

“Because he wanted to eat children’s souls.” Pitch said

“I wanted to discipline children so they behave more, but one wrong spell and I turn into this. What did Manny do when he saw me like this? Did he look for a way to turn me back? Or did he turn his back on me? You know what that’s like, don’t you Jack? Manny seeing you in distress and then doing nothing to help?”

Pitch pulled Jack behind him. “You will leave or we’ll roast you and turn you into a stew!”

Krampus stepped back, not taking his eyes off of Jack. “I suppose there’s always next year. Pleasure to meet you, Jack.” He bowed and disappeared in a flurry of snow.

Something in Jack almost made him run after him. Seeing him felt...familiar somehow. As if he felt safe near him.

He shook his head and looked at the others. They were all on edge and looked at Jack.

“Why was I so important to him?” He asked, looking at Mother Nature.

She pursed her lips and glanced over at another spirit who nodded, standing. He quickly walked to another room.

“He’s just trying to get a rise out of us. It’s best to ignore him.” She looked to the others. “Carry on. I have to have a meeting with Time.” She turned on her heel and walked after the other spirit.

“Are you okay, Jack?” North asked.

“I’m fine...why is everyone so scared of him? He’s just another spirit.”

“Krampus is different...even bad spirits like Pitch...they still have souls. Krampus. He has none. His heart is...too consumed by dark to ever be good.”

“What happened with him?”

“I don’t know full story. I just know he tried to be stricter Santa and...did not end well.”

Jack looked at the door. Why did he want to go after him?

He stood up and flew out, ignoring everyone calling after him. 

Something was calling to him and he needed to find out what and why.

Jack scanned the area, looking for some form of a sign as to where Krampus went. 

A pull in his chest directed him towards a snowy mountain range.

As he got closer, the weather dropped, winds picked up, and snow spun in the air around him in the form of a snow storm. Both the unease and the bite of the snow were enough to make Jack lose feeling in his body. It was the first time he had ever remembered feeling cold.

He shivered, flying through the storm. There was definitely no doubt that Krampus was here. 

A strong wind knocked him out of the sky, hitting the side of a mountain. He groaned in pain, gripping the cliff face. 

This was probably a bad idea, but he had gone too far to give up. 

He took a breath and launched himself off the mountain and shielded his face with his arms. 

There it was again.

A pull in his chest. 

He looked around and saw a cave opening in the bottom of a mountainside. 

That’s where it wants me to go.

He flew down and landed in the opening. 

It appeared empty. And since he didn’t see anywhere else, Jack figured it’d be a good enough place to warm himself up.

He made his way toward the back of the cave in an attempt to get away from the storm brewing outside. 

Jack took a breath and sighed, closing his eyes. “What am I doing here?”

His head jerked up, hearing the crackle of fire deeper in the cave. He stood up and walked toward the sound. 

Smoke filled the air and Jack sighed with relief as it got warmer. 

As predicted, there was a campfire going. A rather big one. He quickly jumped, getting into a battle position when he realized Krampus was sitting a bit away, preparing some form of meat to be cooked. It was then, of course, that Jack realized that he had forgotten his staff.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you, son. Ice doesn’t work on me.” He simply said, not looking Jack’s way. “Sit. I’m just getting dinner ready.”

Jack, too stunned to say anything in response, simply sat down. Krampus slowly walked over, setting a large slab of meat onto a skillet and sitting across from Jack. 

It was silent except for the sound of the fire and the sizzle of the food cooking. 

“So what brings you here?” Krampus finally asked.

Jack opened his mouth, but found no words.

He didn’t know.

He simply closed his mouth and sighed. 

That seemed to be an acceptable answer for Krampus. He grunted in acknowledgement. 

“I see. The fancy Guardian party bore you?”

“No. I mean, I don’t know. I left after you did. I...just needed to...I don’t know, talk? To you. I don’t know why I’m here. Something just told me to come find you.”

Krampus nodded. “This is what they feared, I assume.”

“Feared? Why?”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m a monster. You’re in danger around me.”

“Then how come I don’t feel in danger?”

“Because you’re young and stupid.”

Jack pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond to that. He had been pretty foolish in the past.

“Why are you...like this?” Jack finally asked. 

Krampus laughed, making the hairs on Jack’s neck stand. “Why? Writing a biography about me?”

“I...was just curious.”

Krampus took a handful of some vegetables, tossing them into the skillet with the meat and took a bite out of a carrot. “Well that’s a loaded question, I suppose. I was like you before. Human.”

“You were?”

He nodded. “Very. Had a wife. Kids. I was a hunter. Provided food for my people. Then I saved the wrong person and got stuck as Santa.”

“You were the first Santa. What happened?”

“You already know. I eat children’s souls, remember?”

“Maybe I want to hear your side of the story.”

Krampus laughed again. “Oh, there’s always only one side of the story that’s correct.”

“So it’s true then?”

“Do you think it is?”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“I’m not a good person, son. I’m the stuff of nightmares. Even Pitch is afraid of me. Centuries of loneliness turned me into this. I took bad children’s souls. Replaced them with good children so their parents could have the good child they wanted. Turned the bad ones into an army of underlings for me. Word spread around, Man in the Moon was furious and exiled me to this cave. Where the cold is too intense for anyone but me to survive.”

Jack said nothing. He was horrified at what he had heard. 

Stealing children’s souls to use them for his own selfish needs. 

His stomach turned a little. 

After a few more minutes of silence, Jack finally spoke. “Was that why you were turned into a…?” He was lost at what to describe him as.

“Monster?” Krampus asked.

He nodded. 

Krampus nodded. “Unfortunately, doing bad things will get you turned into a hideous beast. This is the result of the spell I created. When you create something designed to take souls, you start to lose yours slowly.”

“Why did you take the kids’ souls?”

“Well I couldn’t very well destroy their souls. That’d be cruel.”

Jack made a face, unsure if he was joking or not. 

“It started out as a way to find the best lost soul to replace my lost children.”

Jack smirked a little. “What? Couldn’t find yourself a Mrs. Claus?”

Krampus cracked a smile, but forced it back into his default scowl. “I only have room in my soul for my Mariana...Died so young...I was able to find her soul and take it before Death could. And my daughter’s...I was never able to get my son’s.”

“Why not?”

“His soul still wanders.”

“Like a ghost?”

“Of sorts.”

Jack sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “This is all a lot to understand…”

“Why did you come searching for me?”

“I don’t know...I just...felt like I needed to know about you. Something is calling to me here and I don’t know what.”

Krampus stood, moving the food off the fire. “Come with me.”

“Why?”

“I know what is calling to you.” 

He started off.

Jack was unsure of if this was a bad idea, but followed nonetheless. 

“Following a soul stealer into his dark and scary cave. Real smart idea.” Jack said to himself.

“I trust your gut.” Krampus said.

The cave opened up into a damp, humid cavern that was significantly warmer than expected. Stalagmites formed into shapes that resembled furniture. Torches lined every wall, lighting the space up, along with the hole in the top of the cave that allowed the moon to shine down on every surface inside. There were multiple tunnels that led to somewhere. 

Krampus ducked down, walking into one. Jack quickly flew after him. “Where are we going?”

“A place that not a lot of people have come out of.”

“Comforting.”

The tunnel ended and they stepped out into another room that looked similar to the main area of the cavern. Except the cave walls had been formed into shelves that held orbs filled with different colored smoke. 

“Whoa...what is this place?”

“This is where the souls I collect go.”

“These are souls?”

He nodded. “They’re not hurt, I promise. They don’t even know where they are. As far as they know, they’re living their normal lives.”

“They’re calling to me?”

“One of them.” He walked over to a stand where two orbs, one with brown smoke, another with bright pink, sat comfortably. 

Jack walked over. “Why would they be calling to me?”

“Because something wanted your family together again.”

“My family?” He picked up the pink one, looking at it.

Jack, come on! I wanna go play!

His little sister was in the orb. Laughing as she played with someone who looked like him. 

Someone who was him.

He dropped it in shock.

Krampus quickly dove to catch it and held it close. “Be careful! If you drop these, their souls are gone forever!”

“That’s my sister. Why do you have her!? Who are you!?”

He carefully set it back on the pedestal and looked back at Jack. Jack jumped, kicking him in the chest, pushing him back. 

Krampus grunted, catching himself. He stood, growling quietly. “Jack-”

“Let her go!” 

Wind picked up inside, rattling all the orbs. Snow spun around furiously and Jack shot a stream of ice out of his hands at Krampus, who knocked it away and roared. “If you keep up your tantrum, you’ll destroy every last soul in here and they’ll be gone forever!”

His voice echoed throughout the cave and Jack stopped, cowering a little. The wind and snow stopped and Jack stared quietly. He panted, looking around. “I told you. I had my wife and daughter’s souls saved. So I would never be without them.”

“You...they…”

“My son’s soul was never able to be captured because...it’s still around.”

“No...you’re lying.”

“I’m many things. A liar is not one of them. You, Jack…”

“Don’t say it.”

“You are my child.”

“I said SHUT UP!” A burst of cold shot through the room, freezing everything. 

Jack panted, clenching his fists. 

“Jack-”

He flew out of the cave, landing back at the Ceremony of Spirits, catching his breath.

The others ran up to him, crowding around him.

“Jack!” Bunny called.

“Are you hurt?” Tooth asked.

“Jack, you look terrible.” North said, holding his face, checking for any injuries.

Jack pushed them away. “Is he telling the truth?”

“What are you talking about?” Tooth asked.

“Krampus!”

They all quieted down, looking at him solemnly. 

“Is he telling the truth? He’s my dad?”

They said nothing, unsure of what to say.

“How long...how long have you guys known?”

“Since you were chosen.” Bunny sighed.

“So you all knew and were just going to hide it from me!? Why? You think I’m going to be as bad as him?”

“Of course not, Jack.” Tooth said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He moved her hand away, glaring. “Do not touch me.”

“We’re sorry. We didn’t want you to freak out.”

“So you were just going to keep it a secret from me for the rest of eternity!? No wonder Bunny didn’t want me to be a Guardian...look at who my dad is.”

“Now that’s not true-” Bunny tried to defend.

Mother Nature moved to the front of the group. “I know this is a lot to process. I know what it’s like to have a bad spirit as a father.”

“Don’t! Don’t try to sympathize with me! All of you need to stay away from me!” Jack snatched up his staff and turned away.

“Where are you going?” Tooth asked.

“Away from all of you.” He flew off, wiping tears from his face. 

He landed, sitting inside a hole in a tree, curled up to fit inside.

Alone.

Maybe loneliness ran in his family.

Jack chewed on a piece of grass, staring up at the moon. He closed his eyes, crying. 

[neerasrealm]

just imagine this: slender and jack are going out and bc all the responsible pastas are out they hire a babysitter (y/n) to look after slendra. she’s rlly shy at first but eventually she and y/n become best friends (and they steal slender’s gramophone to play some music while they make cookies and maybe wreck the kitchen in the process depending on y/n and slendra’s combined skills)

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS REQUEST AND I HAD A BLAST WRITING IT sorry it took so long school murdered me plus I was jumping from draft to draft and just. A lot happened ok. I didn’t get all the prompts in because I couldn’t work em in but I feel like I did good. I loved writing y/n just subtly noticing that this house Is Not Human and it- it was a fun dynamic to do gshdjdshj Also new hc this is the origin story for y/n in the poly slenjack fics

You're starting to have regrets about taking this babysitting job. Maybe it was that you'd seen too many slasher movies, or maybe you were just paranoid. Or maybe it was the fact that you were dragging your bike through the woods in order to get to the address you'd been given. The sane part of your brain is saying that this is dangerous and you should turn back, but the broke millennial part of your brain is saying that the $500 paycheck is too good to pass up. I mean- $500? For babysitting for one night? That's insane! It’s gotta be a joke right? Maybe it is. Maybe you are going to be murdered horribly tonight in the middle of the woods. 

You’re broken out of your thoughts by the sight of- a house. Presumably the house you’re supposed to be babysitting in. It’s gigantic- more of a mansion than a house. The outside looks refined and welcoming. There’s even flowers planted around the place. Cute pink pansies and blossoming bushes of roses. You look around hesitantly, then wheel your bike along up to the front door. You very carefully lean it against the wall and look around some more. How come you never heard about this place? I mean- a giant house in the woods? Why has that never come up? You’d think someone would talk about it, right?

As you’re looking around this odd place you realise something. It’s sprawling with cats. At first you only noticed a couple, and assumed they were pets, but now your counting has hit the double digits. Why do cats hang around here? Are they all pets? Is the owner of this mysterious house a cat person? Or do they just- kidnap cats? What if you’re babysitting a cat…

Okay no that’s dumb. You turn around again and knock on the front door. It’s silent for a moment, and out of awkwardness you look down at your feet. You’re standing on a fancy doormat that reads ‘welcome’ in elegant cursive. The door opens and your head shoots up to attention. 

Standing in the doorway is a tall man. Far taller than you. His skin is deathly pale, almost white, and his hair is neat and blonde. He’s wearing a suit, and as he looks down at you you realise his eyes are the brightest blue you’ve ever seen. 

‘’M-mister Schlankwald?’’ you ask, stepping back and away from this strange man. He nods and smiles.

‘’That’s me.’’ he holds out a hand to you. ‘’You must be y/n, yes? The babysitter?’’ he smiles gently, and you realise he actually- looks kind of nervous. That’s a tad reassuring. You take his hand and shake it. You nod.

‘’Yeah, that’s me.’’ you say. He steps aside and you cross the threshold. As you take your coat off you look around. Past the small entryway is a large living room. There're three whole couches, and a few more armchairs scattered around. There’s a large TV surrounded by cabinets full of DVDs and videogames- it looks like a very luxurious place. And also there’s more cats just- hanging around in various places, but you’re not really paying attention to them. Your attention is grabbed by the person standing in the living room. He’s- insanely tall, with long black hair, striped socks and sleeves, feathers on his shoulders for some reason and- bandages. Just wrapped around his torso. He’s also wearing a grey crop top, and what you assume to be white face paint. His nose is striped too, and cone shaped. Everything he’s wearing is either black or white. You stare at him in surprise and just- disbelief. He raises a hand in greeting.

‘’Ey.’’ his voice is deep and rough. ‘’Ye’re th’ si’er?’’

You blink for a moment, not sure what he- even just said. ‘’Y-yes?’’ you say, hoping that’s the right answer. Apparently it was, because he smiles at you.

‘’Ah!’’ he steps towards you and leans down, holding out his hand. ‘’Me name’s Jack. pleased ta mee’ ya!’’

You shake his hand and nod. ‘’I’m y/n.’’ you murmur. Jack stands back up and you look over your shoulder at Mr Schlankwald. He gestures to the other male.

‘’This is Jack, my husband,’’ he explains. ‘’Do excuse the makeup. He’s a performer, you see.’’ 

‘’Ah.’’ you relax a bit. A performer...that makes sense. I guess. You look around a bit. ‘’So uh- where’s the kid?’’ In all this strangeness you almost forgot why you hiked into the deep dark woods. 

‘’Righ’ ‘ere.’’ You turn to look at Jack again and watch him step aside to reveal a small girl who’d apparently been hiding behind him before. Her eyes widen as she comes into view and she stares at you. Her skin is a dark, almost reddish-brown colour. Her face is peppered with freckles and her hair hangs around her shoulders. It’s bright blonde, like Mr Schlankwald’s, but a bit more yellow. She quickly skitters back to Jack’s leg and hides behind him again. You frown. Jack looks at you. ‘’She’s a bi’ shy.’’ he murmurs. He crouches down to the girl. ‘’Ey, luv, i’s okay. Th’ si’er isn’ gonna ‘urt ya.’’

‘’Wh-wha’ if I scare ‘em or say somefink?’’ she mumbles. She has the slightest hint of her father’s accent, but more- refined almost. And a lot easier to understand.  

‘’Ye’re no’ gonna, ye’re a smart girlie, ain’t ya?’’

Mr Schlankwald taps your shoulder and you look over at him. ‘’We- haven’t gotten a sitter before, so she’s a little nervous about the whole thing.’’

You nod. ‘’That’s alright, I’ve had shy kids before.’’ you smile at him. He seemingly brightens up. 

‘’Righ’,’’ Jack’s voice interrupts you two. You look at him as he stands up. The girl shyly steps out from behind him and Jack lightly pats her head, ruffling her hair. ‘’We’d be’er ge’ goin’, luv.’’

‘’Of course.’’ Mr Schlankwald says. He shakes your hand once more and then looks at the girl. He holds out his arms and she quickly runs over, hugging him tight. ‘’Be good now, won’t you my dear?’’

‘’I will.’’ she mumbles. Her parents step away, with Jack heading for the door. Mr Schlankwald looks at you again.

‘’Her bedtime is at nine thirty, snacks are in the kitchen,’’ he nods towards a door behind you. ‘’Feel free to help yourself.’’

‘’Got it!’’ you chirp back as they leave. Once the door has closed it’s just you and the girl. She turns slowly and looks at you. You smile at her and lean down to her. ‘’Hiya.’’ you greet. ‘’I’m y/n. What’s your name?’’

She gulps and steps towards you. The tiny child looks you dead in the eyes and holds out her hand to you. ‘’I’m Slendra. Slendra Jackson.’’ she says with all the authority of a business CEO. you almost, ALMOST, crack up laughing but force yourself to take her seriously. You shake her hand.

‘’Well nice to meet you.’’ she retracts her hand. ‘’How old are you, Slendra?’’

‘’Fo-’’ she stops. ‘’Eigh'. I’m eigh'.’’ she folds her hands behind her back, just like her father did. You smile at her. She takes after her father, you suppose. It’s cute. 

‘’So what do you like? Got any hobbies?’’

‘’Uhh…’’ she toys with the sleeve of her striped shirt. ‘’I like...music...and bakin'...I like readin' too and uh-’’ she shrugs. ‘’That’s abou' it, I guess.’’

You nod. ‘’I see.’’ you smile at her. ‘’So what do you wanna do? We got…’’ you glance down at your watch. ‘’Three and a half hours to kill.’’ She shifts on her feet and shrugs again. You tilt your head at her. ‘’We could watch TV...maybe draw something? Are you hungry?’’

She seems to perk up a little bit. ‘’I have drawin’ stuff in my room,’’ she says. ‘’We could do tha'.’’ there’s a glint of excitement in her eyes. ‘’I-if you want to.’’

‘’Of course I do,’’ you stand up and smile at her. ‘’Lead the way.’’

Slendra smiles a little in excitement and turns, heading quickly up the stairs. You follow after her, looking around curiously. This place is massive. Upstairs is a hallway with doors running all along the right. Each one is decorated differently. One is striped, with ‘laughing jack’ written on it, another is pink with a castle-shaped sign on it that reads ‘Sally’ and under it ‘& Dina’ is written in what looks like sharpie. The one right across from the stairs that Slendra climbs up has a metal sign on it, decorated with a skull and crossbones, that reads ‘Kate’s room, keep out!’

You follow Slendra up the staircase and arrive on the third floor. Slendra leads you to her room. Her door is also decorated, with flowers and butterflies and bowties. Her walls are purple, and the room kind of reminds you of...and office. She has a large desk covered in boxes and papers. Shelves are piled high with toys and trinkets, and she has a massive bookcase stuffed to the brim with- well, books. Fairy lights hang over her bed, which is large and round and covered in pillows and plushies. Glow in the dark stickers decorate her ceiling and walls.

Slendra grabs a large plastic tub from under her desk and drops some paper sheets onto it. She picks up the tub and smiles at you. You frown. ‘’Isn’t that heavy?’’

‘’Huh?’’ she looks at the box. ‘’I guess- I’m kind’ve strong though.’’

You smile a bit. ‘’I bet you are.’’ you step towards the door and open it. ‘’C’mon. If you need help with that I’ll take it.’’

Slendra shakes her head and walks past you. ‘’I got it.’’ she says, holding her head up proudly to show off how big and independent she is. You smirk a bit and follow after her. You walk past the hallway of odd doors and through the living room into the kitchen. Slendra places her box on the dining table and smiles over her shoulder at you. You glance around the kitchen. it’s- well, a normal kitchen. The fridge is covered in children’s drawings and magnets, but oddly no photos. Thinking about it now, you haven’t seen a single photo up on the walls. Odd.

‘’So you like drawing, huh?’’ you say to Slendra. She pulls out a chair, which has a big ginger cat sleeping on it. She pets it and nods.

‘’My brother Helen is an ar'ist. He lets me join 'im sometimes, and he teaches me a lo'.’’ she smiles over at you.

‘’Your brother’s name is Helen?’’

‘’Yeah.’’ she tilts her head. ‘’It’s a unisex name innit?’’

You- don’t really have the heart to say no, so you just nod. ‘’How many siblings do you have?’’ you ask, watching the ginger cat roll over. Slendra scratches its stomach. 

‘’Ten.’’ she replies without batting an eye. You freeze for a second. You blink. Huh- so- Mr Schlankwald, the strange gay man who lives in a mansion in the woods, apparently has eleven children. You slowly tilt your head.

‘’How many people live here…?’’

‘’Fourteen, though my uncle Ivan sometimes comes to visi', so maybe fifte- oh!’’ she’s interrupted by the ginger cat suddenly jumping down off the chair and wandering off somewhere. She climbs up onto the now empty chair and looks over the table at you. "Dad left snacks for us," she points over at the counter by the fridge. "Do you wanna grab some?" 

"Oh uh- sure." You walk over to the counter Slendra pointed to. There's some plates and a bowl covered in tin foil, probably to keep the cats from eating whatever's been left for you. You grab one of the plates and peel away the tin foil. You're greeted by a plate that's sectioned into thirds. Each third contains...snacks? Of some sort. One section is miscellaneous coloured potato chips, one is full of little black squares that look like...seaweed? Maybe? And the third section looks like- thin slices of various vegetables. Dried out to a crisp. You slowly glance over at Slendra.

"What're uh- what're these?"

"Oh! Dad's healthy snacks. They're real good." She smiles. "Try one!"

You hesitate, then reach to grab one of the potato chips. They're all different colours. Orange, red, yellow- even a couple purple ones. You grab a yellow one and very carefully bite into it. Your eyes widen as you chew. It's...good. really good. A nice balance of cheese, onion- are those chives? Yeah! Chives. Fancy. You pick up a second, orange one and toss it into your mouth. It's a bit sweeter, but still just as good. 

Pulling aside the foil on the bowl you're greeted by popcorn, nuts, and various shaped potato chips that also appear to be homemade. You grab one and toss it into your mouth, and get hit with soy sauce and spices. Surprising, but still really good. It reminds you of asian takeout. You take the foil off the last plate and- "Oh! Cookies!"

"Yep! Dad made 'em especially for you." Slendra says as she opens the box she brought down and pulls out a few things. "He always tries to make sure we have food for guests. Every time we ge’ a visitor he tries to feed 'em."

"Huh…" you grab the plates very carefully and carry them over to the table, setting them down between you and Slendra, who's already begun her drawing. "What is your dad like anyway? How'd he afford a giant place like this?" You ask as you wander back over to grab the bowl you left.

"Oh uh- well-" she suddenly seems nervous. "He said tha’…" she pauses for a moment, like she's thinking. "He invested in stocks b'fore the economy wen’ bad." She finishes, speaking like she's reciting a line. You smile a bit.

"I see." You put down the bowl of various snacks and grab another potato chip. Slendra reaches over and grabs one of the black squares of seaweed, biting into it and crunching on it happily. "Weird that I never heard about this place, huh? Giant mansion in the woods…’’ Slendra stares at you, eyes wide. ‘’...That’s full of cats for some reason…’’

She nods and smiles sheepishly. ‘’Heheh, yeah…’’ she puts down her pencil and grabs a thin, dried out tomato slice, crunching on it quietly. ‘’Dad feeds 'em. He loves cats.’’

‘’Huh.’’ you grab a cookie from the plate and bite into it. It’s soft and crumbles in your mouth. Like shortbread, but with deliciously sweet chocolate chips. Without thinking you reach for a second one before you’ve even finished your first. ‘’So what’re you drawing?’’ you tilt your head at her. 

‘’Fairies.’’ 

‘’Oh yeah?’’ you lean over to get a look. You were expecting to see friendly, childish drawings of little people with wings, but instead...you’re greeted by creatures with odd proportions, eyes in odd places, sharp teeth and mean expressions. ‘’...oh.’’ you regain your composure quickly. Kids sometimes draw scary things, it’s normal- probably. ‘’You’re really good at drawing.’’

‘’Ehh…’’ she shrugs. ‘’I guess. I’m still learnin'. Helen says I��m gettin’ better though!’’ 

You smile a bit. ‘’Keep practicing. By the time you’re ten I bet you’ll be amazing.’’

Slendra laughs a bit. ‘’I only really draw when Helen asks me if I want to.’’ she murmurs. ‘’I mostly like to sing.’’ 

‘’Oh yeah?’’

"Uh-huh. Dad taugh’ me to play piano, and pops taugh’ me the accordion." She grabs a handful of popcorn, chips and nuts from the bowl and calmly grabs a single nut, putting it in her mouth and crunching on it softly. "I'm learnin' ukulele right now."

"Wow," you tilt your head at her. "Guess your parents can afford a lot of tutors for you, huh?"

"Nah, we're all homeschooled."

"Oh." You blink in surprise. "Does your dad do all of that?"

"Uh-huh. He's real smart." Slendra puts down her pencil and neatly puts her page aside. She delicately grabs a couple more snacks. She has awfully good table manners. A thing that comes from her father, you guess. ‘’He makes learnin’ fun too. My brothers say school is real borin’.’’

‘’Huh…’’ 

You spend a couple hours sitting there with her, watching her draw odd creatures and talk about her even more odd family. The cookies have been eaten, and most of the other snacks are gone completely. Including the seaweed squares, which weren't actually all that bad when you tried them. And now you're lounging back in your chair, petting a chubby chausie cat that's apparently named Brian. 

"So...he covered up...the hole in the wall...by making more holes."

"Yep."

"...No offense but this Jeff guy sounds pretty dumb." You say. Slendra laughs a bit as she puts away her coloured pencils, dropping them back into the large box of supplies she brought down. 

"Jeffery is a good boy, he means well." She murmurs. She grabs the last of the dried out tomato slices and crunches it down. "Wha’ now?"

You shrug. "I dunno. Whatever you want." you smile at her. She frowns in thought, then suddenly perks up. 

"Oh! I could practice my music," she looks suddenly excited. "Dad has a lo’ of records in ‘is office. Could we listen to those? And I can play along with my ukulele."

You shrug and smile at her. ‘’Sure, I don’t see why not,’’ you tilt your head. ‘’Where’s his office?’’

‘’Downstairs.’’ Slendra hops off her chair and grabs the box. ‘’I’ll grab my things! You go wait.’’ she adds before quickly leaving the room. You laugh a bit and grab the last couple potato chips, then the half-empty bowl, just in case. After nudging Brian off your lap you walk down to the basement and look around. There’s a few rooms, but the thing that catches your attention the most though is the lounge area that’s full of comfy looking chairs and cabinets stuffed with videogames. And also the cats, there’s even more down here, but you’re kind of used to them by now.

You glance around at the doors down here. There’s three doors on the left, and none of them are really decorated. There’s a couple other doors, and one of them has a large padlock on it for some reason. The one next to it, surprisingly, is decorated. Fish and deep sea creatures are painted onto it. You’re pulled out of your thoughts by footsteps on the stairs. You look towards them and see Slendra running down them with a ukulele in hand. She grins at you as she walks up to you. You notice she has a small concertina accordion hanging off her waist from a shoulder strap. ‘’Dad has the door locked,’’ she says as she walks past you towards the last door on the left. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out...a cat claw…? You frown. ‘’I can ge’ it open though.’’ 

You watch her attempt to pick the lock with the claw. ‘’uh...I don’t think that’s gonna-’’

‘’Click!’’ the door opens as if to spite you. Slendra grins over at you. 

‘’Told you!’’ she chirps. She walks into the office and you follow her in, bemused. Inside the office is...odd. Grey walls and carpet, lots of bookshelves, a cat tree in the corner, and comfy looking wicker chairs in front of the desk. On the walls are photos of Slendra and other kids who you assume to be her siblings. There’s an...odd painting hanging on the wall across from the door. It contains two faceless white beings, a similar being with black eyes and no mouth and a strange creature with similar black eyes and a wide smile. You frown at it. Abstract art, you suppose. The creatures remind you of Slendra’s drawings. 

‘’Here we go!’’ Slendra catches your attention again. She’s knelt on the ground, looking through a drawer stuffed with records. You glance over at a table in the corner of the room. To your surprise, it isn’t a record player, it’s a gramophone. An old looking one at that. Must be an antique. It honestly wouldn’t surprise you if Mr Schlankwald was a collector or something like that. Slendra gets up and very carefully places a record on the player and drops the needle. It’s silent for a couple moments and then a delicate piano starts playing. Slendra strums her ukulele and begins to sing.

‘’I know...you belo-o-ong to so-omebody ne-ew…’’ her voice is almost...mesmerising. You relax despite yourself as she sings along. ‘’But tonight, you belo-ong to me.’’ Maybe you’re imagining it, but you swear you can hear multiple voices coming from her. Or maybe it’s just the vocals from the record. You’re not really paying attention. Instead you sit down in one of the wicker chairs and watch her. ‘’Although…’’ she smiles a bit. ‘’You’re a apa-a-art, of my he-e-a-art,’’ her eyes catch yours. They seem to glint a moment and something- odd, passes over you. You suddenly feel extremely relaxed, all tenseness leaving your body. You lean back in your chair. ‘’And tonight, you belo-ong, to me.’’ 

-------

You don’t remember much else from the evening after that. Just that Slendra continued singing along to the greatest hits from the fifties and sixties. Things start to become a bit less fuzzy around nine thirty. Her bedtime. You read her a bedtime story, told her goodnight with a wide smile, and took a seat on the couch downstairs. Which is where you are now, watching a movie in the dim lighting. You feel...good. Really happy for some unknown reason. Not that you’re complaining.

The front door opens and you glance over as Mr Schlankwald steps inside. He closes the umbrella he's holding while Jack shakes himself off, kind of like a dog. Mr Schlankwald looks over at you and smiles. 

"Ah, hello." He steps towards you, with Jack following after. He strides past the blonde and collapses himself in one of the armchairs. Somehow his makeup is still flawless despite the rain outside. "How were things?" He asks, tilting his head. He seems nervous, slightly. Jack opens one eye and looks over at you.

"Good," you sit up. "No trouble at all. She behaved excellently, we just sorta...chilled." you smile a bit. "She's the most well behaved kid I've ever looked after honestly. She didn't even complain when it came to her bedtime."

"Oh!" Mr Schlankwald smiles a bit. "I'm glad to hear that- we were worried, eheh." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He frowns. "Hm...Jack have you got three hu-"

"Righ' 'ere luv." Jack reaches into his striped sleeve and pulls out a small wad of notes. Mr Schlankwald smiles and takes them, folding them up neatly before holding them out to you. 

"Five hundred, as agreed." He says as you quickly count the money. You knew you'd be getting that amount but still, actually holding the money now you can hardly believe it. You stand up quickly.

"Thank you." You barely manage to get the words out. "I had a great time babysitting her- I uh- I've babysat some real demons before so uh- heheh-" you're just rambling now because of the sheer elation of actually being given five hundred fucking dollars. Mr Schlankwald smiles, as polite as ever.

"Well, if we ever need another sitter we'll call you." He says, walking over to the door. He grabs your coat from the coat rack and holds it out. Quickly, you walk over to him and take it. He opens the door while you put it on. "Do get home safe," he murmurs. "Does your bike have a light? Do you need an umbrella?" He frowns at you, apparently worried. 

"No, no. I'll be fine." You give him an anxious smile while you pull your hood up and step outside. You grab your bike, flicking on the light on the front of it. Mr Schlankwald smiles at you, pleased to see that you won't be in the dark going home. You walk off towards the forest path you followed earlier and wave over at him. 

"Get home safe!" He calls as he waves back.

"I will!" You turn away from him and smile wide.

That's the best babysitting gig you've ever had. 

You really, really hope they call you back for another night...

[tiny-belle]

Novel Sneak Peak #1

Here it is, the first sneak peak of my novel. I’d love to know your thoughts!

Jack hurried upstairs and put on an old tunic and tights that once belonged to her father. She tied a bodice around her body to keep the shirt in place, and put on her sturdiest boots before pulling her hair back in a braid so that it would be out of her face. She was not used to dressing this way, but it seemed the more efficient clothing option than wearing her usual dresses. She then rushed back downstairs and outside. “Jack, what are you doing? Jack!” Jack ignored her mother’s calls as she stood at the base of the beanstalk, looking up at it. “Just what do you think you’re doing? Why on earth are you dressed like that?” Taking a deep breath, she pulled up on a vine and placed her foot onto the nearest leaf stem. Flora grabbed Jack’s free leg. “Jack, stop this at once! You’re going to get yourself killed!”

           Jack finally acknowledged her mother. “No, I won’t. The sooner I see what’s up there, the sooner I can come back down. I promise I won’t be gone long.” She then looked back up and climbed another vine like a ladder.

           “Jack, you better come back down right now! Jack!” But Jack kept climbing, grabbing and pulling herself on the vines and stems above her.

Not once could Jack bring herself to look down, afraid that she would loose her focus if she did, thus falling to her death. At least she was far enough away to no longer hear her mother’s nagging. She didn’t want to think about how high up she was, especially because her view never changed. This will be quick, she thought to herself, especially since she needed to be back in time to see Felix. Felix! She had almost completely forgotten about him, considering the events that followed after they parted ways. When exactly was their meeting time? She was positive it was when the church bells chimed three. That gave her plenty of time to return home and make it on time. Her heart skipped a beat at the very thought of him, causing a lapse in the rhythm of her climb. Jack paused to recollect herself, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand and avoid any distraction before resuming.

Jack didn’t know how long she had been climbing at this point, whether it was hours or only minutes, when she noticed a change in her surroundings. She was now well in the clouds, thick and fluffy like cotton. They seemed to cling onto her, tightening in around her. She felt like she was drowning, forcing her to speed up her climb. Before she knew it, she was on the other side of the clouds, gasping for air. She looked up to see the end of the beanstalk was only several more feet away, yet throughout this entire endeavor, she saw nothing but vines and leaves. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she positioned herself to climb back down when she noticed something unusual in the distance. “What the hell?” she mumbled under her breath. Towering before her was a miniature castle! At least miniature compared to the architectural framework of a regular castle, but still enormous in size.

She looked at the base of the building, wondering what exactly was holding it up, when she saw that it was firmly planted on a cloud. She pulled herself out of the cloud and sat down on top of it, realizing that it was a solid yet soft surface. It wasn’t completely solid however, as she could still go back down into it with the right amount of force. If anything, the clouds were like a thicker, more solidified version of water.

Taking a deep breath, Jack stood up on the cloud. She took a couple of slow steps towards the building, looking up at the clouds miles above her further up in the sky so as to avoid facing the reality of just how high up she was and maintaining the illusion that she was really still on the ground. She felt like she was balancing on the world’s thinnest wire, despite the cushioned surface. Afraid that one wrong step would send her plummeting to her death, she decided to slowly crawl on all fours instead.

Soon she stood at the base of the castle. It was so big that it completely blocked off her view of the sky. “Maybe the old lady’s answers are in here,” she said to herself. She found some crevices in the brick wall before her and started climbing. Thankfully she didn’t have to climb anywhere near as high as on the beanstalk, but let out an exasperated sigh when she saw another brick wall ahead of her. This continued on for a while, climbing all these brick walls before her. When she made her last climb, she looked down to see that she had actually climbed just a few steps, yet the clouds were far beneath her. But the distance between her and the ground was nothing compared to the distance between her and the top of the double doors standing before her.

Jack looked down to see that there was space under the doors for her to squeeze through to get inside. She lay down on her stomach and grunted as she crawled through the space. It was a tight fit in that she had to hold her breath while the front of her body strained against the brick ground and the back of her body pulled along the wood from the door, but it was doable. When she finally made it inside, she sat up on her knees and gasped for air. Once she had finally caught her breath, she noticed that she was now surrounded by darkness. She looked up to take in her new surroundings when her jaw dropped.

Jack felt like she had shrunken to the size of a mouse compared to her giant surroundings. The walls seemed to stretch all the way to the top of the sky. Unlit candelabras hung on the walls in an otherwise empty room, consisting of only pillars and windows, which were miles above her. Sunbeams shone down through the windows, peaking through the darkness caused by thick curtains, illuminating the otherwise dark and barren space. Jack looked straight ahead at the hall and staircase before her, overwhelmed by the scope of the building as far as where to go or what to do next. She assumed that she was alone in this place, so she decided to rest against a pillar to recollect herself. She made herself comfortable as she laid her head in her arms to cushion it against the stone structure. Due to the physical fatigue of climbing all morning, she ended up unintentionally falling asleep.

Jack didn’t know how long she was asleep when she awoke to what felt like an earthquake. The shaking was so strong that it literally knocked her from her spot and sent her hitting the ground. She tried to stand up, but the vibrations literally prevented her from maintaining balance. With each tremor, there came a loud stomping sound. She peered around and saw a large shadow approaching from the depths of the castle. With each pounding step nearer towards her, the room shook harder. Jack gasped as she hid behind the pillar. Trembling, she curled up into a tight ball while covering her mouth. This became even harder as he came closer, as the vibrations caused her to fall. She let out a slight yelp as she hit the ground, hitting her head on the hard brick. She sat up on her knees and rubbed her head, but before she could return to her hiding spot, she felt one final tremor completely knock her back down.

Jack tried to support herself on her hands and elbows, but her body was in too much pain from all the blows against the ground, resulting in her collapsing semi-consciously back down. Her vision was still somewhat blurry when she looked up to see what appeared to be a giant hand reaching out towards her. She screamed, but it became muffled out by the hand surrounding her body. She felt herself push against his palm, which was even bigger than she was, like a rough blanket made out of skin. Before she could fully process what had just happened, she felt herself being lifted high into the air in a matter of seconds, feeling sick from the sudden elevation.

After feeling herself venturing further into the castle, she was finally released from her dark leathery cage. The fingers unfolded, causing her to roll out of the hand onto a wooden surface. Before she could sit up or even turn around to get a look at her captor, she heard a deep voice rumbling from behind her, “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”