#I'm only rarely giving spirit Halloween

[tanith-rhea]

hii, I love your writing! I was wondering if you could do some fake dating for either Larissa, Miranda or Lucifer and female reader? :D You know the one where for some reason they decide it's good to pretend they're dating, but oh nooo they accidentally fall in love for real? 😱😏

Only Pretending

Hey, anon! Thank you so much for the request! I'm afraid it turned out bigger than I expected, I don't know what you envisioned but this will definitely be a multiple chapter one... Sorry!!!

Word count: 3k

"That's all for today, guys. I won't give you homework, so enjoy the break and prepare for the quiz when we get back. Remember, the winning team gets a homework-free week!" you waved the excited teenagers out of class. It was the last period of the day and autumn break was officially started. Many wished you good rest and some a fun Halloween, but there were always the ones who bolted right after you said they could.

However, some stayed behind, too entertained gossiping to pay attention at the hour or — which was the apparent case — complaining about their mother coming to get them for "Family Halloween Traditions". Wednesday and Enid were still sitting at their shared desk, Enid trying to convince her roommate that "it" could be fun if she let herself enjoy the festive spirit and Wednesday complaining she would only have fun when Enid arrived.

You thought they were the cutest pair. So different and at the same time sparking out the most unexpectedly similar sides of each other; Wednesday encouraged Enid's feistier side through bickering and teasing and Enid made Wednesday smile begrudgingly with her cuteness.

"I think it'll be less horrendous than it's been before at least," Wednesday conceded, "Some different faces of people I actually don't loathe being around."

"Exactly, honey bun!" Enid chirped, getting up from their class and offering her arm for Wednesday to take, "I'll arrive early to rescue you from your mom and I'm sure Principal Weems will bicker with her enough to make you smile."

Wait, Larissa would visit the Addams? For Halloween? You could swear she barely tolerated Wednesday's mother from what you've heard of their history at Nevermore. Morticia seemed all right to you and according to other teachers and old acquaintances, quite fun to be around, but the poorly concealed disdain that overtook your boss' face every time the woman was mentioned fostered a small uneasiness and dislike to grow on you towards Wednesday's (un)beloved mother.

"Hello, girls!" you approached the pair with the pile of essays you had to grade and everything you needed to not return to class for the entire week in your hands, "Everything all right? Do you have any questions?"

"No, Professor! No worries," Enid hushes to say, and Wednesday got up as well, linking her arm to Enid's, "We were just about to go. Happy Halloween!"

You were about to wish them happy Halloween as well when Wednesday cut in, "Do you have plans for Halloween, professor?"

Curious of her to ask. You liked to think you had a good teacher-student relationship, but the girl rarely seemed to care for pleasantries or chit-chat for that matter.

"Actually, I'll just stay at the academy and rest a bit. I love teaching you guys but if dealing with ordinary teenagers is already taxing, teaching extraordinary ones is a whole other level." It was true, the amount of trouble your last students could get into was only exponentiated when added to the supernatural abilities students at Nevermore possessed. It was also much more entertaining. Yes, you had to keep them safe and punish troublemakers accordingly, but you loved the thrill to discover just what mischief they had got up to again. The best one so far was when a vampire kid turned into a mist to sneak out at night and changed into their solid state while floating atop the lake.

“Mother is hosting a Halloween party. I believe she’ll only pester Principal Weems to go but you are invited,” she said in her trademark monotone. Why you didn’t entirely know.

“I think that would be a matter for your mother to decide, dear. Although I am honoured you’d like my presence, I don’t think I can simply show unexpectedly.”

“The more sane, competent women there the direr it will be for mother, I only figured you could help me avenge the inconvenience of her smothering motherly love.”

Wednesday was quite the interesting girl. You thought it did make sense she’d want some friends around to endure the celebration, and while you understood and quite shared her respect and admiration for the principal, you were touched to find she regarded you similarly.

“If I cross paths with your mother, I’ll be sure to ask her, can we leave it at that?” at the youngling’s curt nod, you saw the pair leave the room and followed behind, closing the door when you left.

You took three or four steps before listening to the click of very well-known heels. Your shoulders sank and you quickly prayed to any god that might be listening for patience.

“Hello, there, beautiful lady!” Razvan, the vampire transformation teacher stalked at you to accompany your steps.

“Good evening, teacher,” your voice was calculatedly calm. You learned your lesson on being nice to overly adorable and excitable kittens as well as their human-like form.

“I was hoping to catch you alone to ask about that coffee date I suggested last week,” he was smiling like a child on Christmas morning, waiting to open their presents, “You said you were too busy planning the homework you’d give the students for the break but now we’re all free.”

It was cute how he seemed to like you, but he just wasn’t your type. When you saw the tiny black cat at the quad a few months back you thought it was only that, a cat, which you petted and played with and fed because its appreciative meows were cute. When it turned out to be the very not-cat, very impressionable vampire transformation teacher, you wanted to smash your head into the nearest flat surface, so what if it was a stone wall?

“You see… I haven’t got around to grading their essays yet, so I’ll be busy these first few days. Maybe later this week? I’ll see if I can make time and get back to you, ok?” it was really difficult to just say no. You weren’t the most proficient at negating people even in normal circumstances; the fact that he was so clearly infatuated with you made saying no seem like kicking a puppy.

“Oh… that’s fine… I guess. What about tomorrow? Right after lunch? You can check your agenda tonight and I’ll look for you for the verdict!” with that he puffed into a bat and flew down the corridor like a drunk butterfly. Was he making little loops? You had to end this and soon, it was too cruel to keep it up and even if it’d hurt him, it was best than leading him on.

Later that day, you and Vlad sat together eating dinner. He was telling you about an interesting countermove a second year made to get a point on their opponent and you were only half-listening and humming when you thought it appropriate.

Larissa was at the other end of the table, rather uncharacteristically talking to no one and wearing a tight face as if her food tasted like lemons and green limes squished together.

“Something on your mind?” Vlad inquired, following your gaze to the headmistress, “Oh, wow, someone’s not looking forward to rest and relaxation.”

“Hm?” you looked at him and noticed he was also studying Larissa’s sour complexion “Ah, yes. She does seems really angry, doesn’t she? If I hadn’t seen it before I would almost say she’s pissed.”

“That is because she is.” He explained, taking a sip of blood before continuing, “Morticia Addams visited earlier, and by what I hear she quite smugly questioned if Larissa would ‘finally’ bring a plus one to the Halloween Ball they host every year.”

Oh, so that was it. You’d seen Morticia’s verbal sparring with the principal before; you attributed it to their past roommate status and the complications that may arise with sharing a bedroom for three years. You had also seen the bickering and teasing on parents’ weekend, the elongated looks in yearly student reviews and all the times Wednesday’s parents had to be called in because their daughter got herself into trouble.

You knew the story of Larissa’s fancy for Gomez when they were young, but you didn’t think Morticia would still be gloating twenty years later that she got the cake.

“And is she?” you asked, looking back at her, something in your chest making you feel cold all of a sudden.

“What?”

“Is she bringing a plus one to the ball?”

Vlad examined you with those piercing dead eyes of his, knowing all too well why you asked, but respecting your wishes not to mention it.

“I don’t know. Haven’t heard anything yet. The closest person she had recently turned out to be a fanatic serial killer who tried to murder her.”

“Laurel, right? The one before me?” you were the second attempt at a normie teacher in Nevermore. You liked to think you were doing well, but few things could be worse than trying to destroy the school and everyone in it, so you couldn’t be always sure.

Vlad only nodded and went back to his drink while you lingered on Larissa’s face, then her hands, barely moving to pick at something on her plate.

The first day of break came as a welcomed cup of hot chocolate on a winter morning. It was chilly outside; some yellowed and orange leaves were stuck on your window with the early humidity. The corridor outside was so silent it felt almost eerie and gut-clenching. But you knew it could only mean one thing: freedom. Freedom from classes and teenager angst, freedom from having to get up and face the world. You could just get back to sleep if you so wished and boy that was quite something.

But you didn’t. In truth, the fact you knew most teachers would do exactly that, spurt you on to get out of bed and enjoy the entire campus at your disposal.

The kitchen was first. You made coffee with just this side of too much cream and stole waffles someone had made and left at the table. Then you went to the library and spent some hours in the lounge, readying cheesy romance and enjoying the sunlight coming through the big arched windows.

It was bliss, although short-lived. From the corner of your eye, you saw a small black cat silently but confidently making its way to you. The man shifted with a practised puff, almost like a magician popping into the stage from a cloud of smoke.

“Good morning, professor. I see you decided to venture around the school instead of having extra hours of beauty sleep. Not that you would need, of course,” he shifted excitedly beside you. You couldn’t mask the regretfulness on your face upon looking at him, and he realized it, mistaking your meaning and quickly adding, “Don’t worry! I’m not here to talk about our date. I said after lunch, and I’ll stand by my word. I just wanted to pop in and say good morning.”

“Oh... No problem Razvan, I’ll have my response by then, and good morning to you too. Have you been enjoying the time off so far?”

He seemed to brighten at your question, and although you were happy you could converse on something else than the blessed date, you were also fretful he would think too much of it.

In the end, he had something to do in Jericho and had to leave just a few minutes later, which you were grateful for. He was perfectly pleasant and even fun to be around but his lovesick eyes made your head pound in second-hand embarrassment.

At lunch, you and Vlad got together again at the gazebo in the woods. He slept through the morning, enjoying having the excuse to shift back onto his nightly routines, but not willing to fully shift or else he’d suffer to go back when classes started again.

“You will not believe what I’ve agreed to yesterday,” he told you in a voice that very much spelt migraine alert.

“Oh, Vladdy, break just started and you’ve already got yourself in trouble?” you teased, biting on your sandwich.

“I’ve got myself in trouble?” he asked, in an undignified tone “I’ll have you know that the person that got me ‘into trouble’ is your beloved Larissa Weems!” he pointed at your chest with an arched brow.

You looked around for anyone that might have heard him, no one was there.

“Hey, Vlad you know you can’t say that! What if someone tells her? I’d be out the door in no time, you know she’s especially strict with me!”

He just tsked and shook his head, “You are such an oblivious young girl, she couldn’t care less about you breaking rules. Besides, fancying your boss is not against any and Larissa’s just looking out for you because the parents pressure her into being careful after what happened.”

You knew Vlad had good intentions telling you this, but he wasn’t called every week, sometimes two times per week, to justify a comment or action some student or staff thought deserved attention.

Of course, she was always patient and never inquired too deeply into every situation but her cold demeanour told you everything you needed to know: she didn’t like you either, she just needed someone to show off when outreach between normies and outcasts was mentioned and you happened to be an overqualified and very capable chemist.

“But anyway, this is about me,” he continued, “and what I’ve agreed to is to pretend to be Larissa’s boyfriend at the Addams' Halloween Party.”

You were sure your jaw was on the floor. How had that happened? You knew Vlad and Larissa were friends for quite some time and very close for that matter, but pretending to date was just... another thing entirely.

“How are you going to do that?” you packed the rest of your sandwich, suddenly not hungry anymore, “Won’t they know you aren’t an item? I mean you know Morticia, and she knows you’re very good friends... To just start dating out of nowhere isn’t a bit suspicious?”

“She just really needs to give it to Morticia,” Vlad shrugs, a sorry half-smile in his mouth, “She asked me to her office yesterday night to drink. She was very upset by Morticia’s appearance and mean suggestion that Riss didn’t have a partner-“

“Of course she wouldn’t,” you interrupted, “She’s too busy being a badass successful woman at the head of a god-blessed academy!”

“Yes, yes, keep it in your pants,” he rolled his eyes fondly at you, “But she was breaking my dead heart and I suggested accompanying her. And first, she said it wouldn’t be the same, because we would go as friends and only confirm it to Morticia that Larissa was still alone. So I proposed we pretend to be a pair,” he seemed equal parts rather proud of himself and loathing his genius idea.

“I think it’s sweet of you. But I don’t think it’s going to work,” you said, not wanting to make him feel even worse, but enable to shake the feeling this was doomed to fail.

“Yes, I think you’re-“

“Professor!” a voice interrupted your friend’s comment and Razvan ran towards you, “I finally found you! I was looking for you to ask when we’re getting that coffee. I trust now you have my answer, correct?”

You were so full of this situation. Full of uncomfortable awkwardness, guilt and shame for playing with your colleague’s feelings, even if your intentions were benign. You had to tell him no, to say you didn’t like him that way. That he was too adorable and nice and you could never see him in that light.

“Oh, yes... about that, Raz...” you started, no idea of what you’d say next, “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression we could be more than colleagues and friends... but I’m-“

“In a relationship,” Vlad supplied.

“What?!” you and Razvan yelled in unison.

“C’mon, darling, it was bound to get out one time or another,” he kept going, the madman, “I know you’re worried about what people may think of her for it, but I swear Larissa is dying to go public.”

His maniac grin at your shell-shocked expression made you want to squeeze his neck until you heard it pop. It wouldn’t do much for him, but it would certainly be satisfying to you.

“Y-you and Principal Weems are together?!” the teacher was turning beet read and you had to give it to Vlad that it was a funny situation at least, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know! And of course, I understand why you wouldn’t want to tell me you were taken, that’s completely not my business... Oh my, I’m so sorry!” and with that he rapidly walked away, just shy of outright running.

“You little shit!” you exclaimed as soon as the other vampire was out of earshot, “What in the absolute heavens were you thinking?”

He was shaking with laughter while you punched his shoulder, which only made him go on a bit more before finally calming enough to talk, “You’re right,” he said, as if it explained everything, “I and Larissa aren’t a believable couple. But you and she are a pair one could easily sell.”

“What are you talking about?” you ran your hand through your face in exasperation. He was out of his mind, and now you were screwed if Razvan said anything to anyone.

“You’re here only a year. Morticia doesn’t know you and Larissa is comfortable enough around you to pretend to be with you. It might be even easier than with me because kissing someone after twenty years of friendship is admittedly awkward,” he reasons.

“Kissing some-? What are you even on about? I can’t pretend to be in love with her, you know I can’t! I’ll just make a fool of myself and let something slip.”

“Nonsense, girl. Let’s go, we need to tell Larissa about the change of plans,” he got up and held out his hand to you “And if she says no, we already told someone, so she’ll have to go with it.”

Chapter Two

[sirowsky-stories]

The Old Prince

Part 9

Author's Note: New Header! Because, oh yes, we're getting some major plot-twists! Can you tell I'm excited?

Description: You and Oberyn make a shocking discovery, which then leads to further complications, and not just for yourselves.

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Monster Oberyn Martell x Female Reader, AU fic, obviously Halloween themed, reader cusses. Major TW for descriptions of small child being murdered. Word Count: 7500 Author's Masterlist

   His home is calling. That is where he feels he must go to find the answers, even though you have no connection to Egypt beyond your association to him.    But you were correct when you said it was his bite which ignited all this, changing you, or perhaps triggering something dormant from your innermost being. But whether it had always been there or was somehow put there by the dragon, there is no denying the fact that had you never crossed paths with Oberyn, you would likely have remained ordinary.

   You’re still not awake when he carefully lands in the desert, far enough from any cities or settlements that no human eyes can track his descent, and he ensures that no people are crossing the barren landscape before he settles on a location.    The ground is covered in crystalized salt, a remnant of the past when there was still a body of water here, although that was before even his time. But these views still bring back memories of his childhood, which is one of the reasons why he has rarely ever been back here.

   Now though, he needs those memories. He must learn what is happening to the two of you, because he is convinced that your fates are linked in some manner, and although he does not yet have so much as a hypothesis, it feels as though the answer is knowable. He merely needs to find the right clues.    But before he’s had a chance to do anything, you finally stir within his paws, so he pulls you away from his chest to see if you have awakened.

   The bright afternoon sun is piercing to your eyes, which have been closed for several hours by now, so he quickly shifts you back underneath his shadow again, while you climb out of his hands and step onto the age-old sands.

   “Wh-what happened? Where are we?” you ask, sounding disoriented by more than the unfamiliar surroundings, as though the light within you has altered some fundamental aspect of your sense of self, which is far more believable than it might sound.

   But he cannot answer you in his dragon form, so he steps back to transform, careful not to accidentally swipe at you as his much larger form is retracted and folded away within him.

   “Not far from where I was born,” he replies as soon as his mouth is functional again, while attempting to rearrange the weapons he had brought.

   It had seemed prudent at the time to offer you something with which to defend yourself once the creatures had been located, even though he knew you would likely not be able to harm them. However, he has found that humans often find comfort merely in having the means of defending themselves, regardless of the chances for success. And given your quite obvious association with the dragon, it wouldn’t have hurt you to have the possibility of safeguarding yourself against potential aggression from humans either.    Unfortunately, this reasoning had slipped his mind once the hunt had begun, so the weapons are now mostly an inconvenience.

   “We’re in Egypt?” you question, clearly somewhat confused since your last memories before passing out were of the northern Californian coast.

   “Yes. Something happened with the spirits and I… felt compelled to seek some answers.”

   “What do you mean? What happened?” you ask, and you sound frightened now.

   He gives up on the weapons, letting them drop to the ground for now, so that he can put his arms around your waist and hold you while he explains.    Because he feels certain you will appreciate the support once you’ve heard what he has to say.

   “When you hit the water, Octopus was there, ready to drag you down and end you, and I couldn’t get to you in time. I dove and swam after you, but she’s much faster than I am under water. I never would’ve caught up to you.    She took you so deep so quickly that I thought your brain would surely have imploded by the time I reached you. But instead, you saved yourself.”

   You look utterly baffled hearing this, and he does not blame you. For a few seconds, you merely stand idle in his embrace, thinking hard by the looks of it.

   “But I was unconscious…” you try to reason, closing your eyes for a moment as your equilibrium falters and you sway slightly where you stand.

   The healing has weakened you and he has no food to offer you this time, so he can only hope that time will help you regain at least some strength.

   “You were, and I wonder if that’s why it happened. If you have some manner of built in defense whenever you’re unable to fight for your life.    Consider that you were also unconscious after I bit you, only to wake up completely healed just hours later, without any loss of energy, unlike the time that Lupus first attacked you. Although, on that occasion, not much of you escaped unharmed,” he recalls, which seems to remind you that the bat and butterfly had very nearly carved your kidneys out midflight a while ago.

   He lets go of you when you begin to examine yourself. Your clothes are in tatters, but as you shift the torn fabrics around, you find no gashes or exposed ribs. Just the same smooth skin Oberyn had caressed so lovingly the night before.

   “That’s right, you did it again,” he explains once you’ve stopped searching for damage, drawing your gaze back to him, except now with even more confusion in your brows, while he remains only impressed. “But this time, you also created a blinding light all by yourself, which scared Octopus away and allowed me to reach you.”

   “What are talking about? What light? And from where?”

   “I don’t know exactly, I had to close my eyes against it. Even in the darkness at the bottom of the sea, it was blinding.”

   Unexpectedly, hearing this brings tears to your eyes.    Oberyn would have thought hearing of such a powerful defense within yourself would bring you peace, as it has already proven effective against the spirits and might mean a chance for you to evade their murderous plans. But instead, you appear only to experience despair.

   “Why do you cry, my lady? You are capable of defending yourself against The Decem. Does this not comfort you?” he asks, feeling increasingly confused now, himself.

   Wrapping your arms around yourself, perhaps to keep your torn clothes from flapping in the wind, but more likely in attempt to hold your being together, your gaze drops to the ground and tension becomes visible in your shoulders.

   “I don’t know… what I am anymore,” you start, and while he wants to object, he holds his tongue and waits for you to speak your mind, as this is clearly affecting you deeply. “I’m not human or dragon, but then you tell me I might be this terrible thing, ready to turn all the world into darkness and pain.    And now you tell me I’m somehow full of a light so powerful that even the spirits can’t stand it?”

   You look up again now, and your gaze has grown even sadder. He feels as though you must be lost, wandering the world much as he did after his own initial transformation, looking for meaning or at least some explanation.    But as he has yet to find one for his own circumstance, even after six millennia, he has no answers to offer you.

   “Great…” you shrug, “So, what am I supposed to do with that? I don’t even know how to use it, I still have no idea how I can heal myself, or if the creatures were somehow set loose because of me.”

   “No, my love,” he finally interrupts, for this line of thinking must be stopped, lest you start digging your own grave with it. “The creatures are not your fault; of this I am certain.”

   “How?”

   “Simple: You are not a Darkling.”

   This conclusion seems to annoy you, and he can see why. For weeks now you have had no answers as to what has happened to you, while Oberyn has presented you with several possibilities, each one scarier than the next. At this point, you must be so tired of theories and fed up with worrying about things that are still completely beyond your control.    So, he must do what he can to help you understand where his sudden confidence on this matter comes from.

   “I have told you before that I’ve been skeptical of this diagnosis from the start, because of the radical differences between you and the only dark one I’ve seen before. Well, this light you possess is proof that I was correct.    A Darkling cannot bring light to the world, in any fashion. Once awakened, it is only capable of destruction.”

   A glimmer of hope sparks within your features then, and Oberyn suddenly realizes how absent such a feeling has been from your frame, ever since you learned of the creatures’ escape.    Surely, you cannot have taken on the blame for their mayhem solely on the notion that you could be a contributing factor, had you turned out to be the shadow-bringer.

   “But if that’s true, why are the spirits still hunting me?” you ponder then, and he must think on it for a moment.

   “Probably because they, like us, know of nothing else which can see them.”

   “So, even if there’s clear evidence to the contrary, they’re gonna keep coming after me?”

   “Most likely, yes,” he nods, and the hope once more falls away from your frame.

   You sink to your knees on the ground, letting your hands come to rest against your thighs, and he does not like how defeated it makes you look.    He’s always known your personality to be large. Not loud or brash, but the kind which fills a room simply by entering it. As if your soul is constantly attempting to eliminate emptiness.    He wonders sometimes if it comes from your childhood and your feelings of abandonment.

   “The Decem do not think as you or I do. They exist in the moment.    We can’t hope to convince them of your innocence, which leaves us with only one other option, and this is why I have brought us here.”

   “Alright,” you say, confirming that you are listening, even though your head remains tilted forward and your tone conveys only the mildest interest.

   “I believe that my own history might hold the key to understanding what you are. Because it can’t be coincidence that our lives have intersected, I cannot believe that something so pivotal happened by accident.”

   “Pivotal? To us or the world?”

   “Both. To my knowledge, we are the only two humanoids on this earth with supernatural abilities, and not only have we settled down on the same continent, but we each have been drawn to and frequented the same area around the Seven Hills for years, until we eventually crossed paths.    The odds against these chains of events, which began with my transformation right here, six thousand years ago, are astronomical, Valya.”

   “Okay, sure. But how does any of that help us now?” you question, turning your head to look out at the desolate landscape, still not meeting his eyes.

   “I don’t know that yet.”

   “And how exactly do you imagine that we’re gonna find any answers out here?” you challenge, throwing an arm out to gesture to the glaringly obvious lack of clues. “There’s nothing left of that time, Oberyn. The odd clay pot or stone tablet, sure, but I highly doubt we’re gonna happen upon the perfect find to help you piece together your past.    It doesn’t work that way.”

   Something in the way you say the final sentence makes irritation flare within him. Because while he does understand why you would be struggling with the notion of your own identity right now, it completely escapes his understanding that you would so strongly resist any possibility of finding answers.

   “Why are you so unwilling to believe in us?” he questions, and when you still show no sign of engaging with him, the malcontent grows within his chest. “Is it really so hard to fathom that there might be a reason we were brought together? That maybe it is our connection to each other which makes you capable of this incredible light, just as being with you has enabled me to see hope once more.”

   “I don’t see hope…” you admit then, and his anger quickly cools, because this is not the answer he was expecting. “My life was never truly good, I know that. But it was enough.    I never dreamed of adventures or bravery, of being the hero. I just wanted to live a simple life with my garden and my horse and maybe one day get to travel some.    This… the magic and mysticism and saving the world crap… I don’t want any of it.”

   Once you’ve fallen silent, you finally look up to meet his eyes, and he can see how deeply you believe in every word spoken. How you cannot be enthusiastic about any of this because none of what’s happened has been to your benefit.    Except…

   “Does this mean you don’t want me either?” he asks, tentative now that he suddenly cannot be certain the answer will be favorable to him.

   But the words could just as well have been a kick to your jaw. You hunch at the sound of them, falling in on yourself as though your heart has just pulled your chest with it while it plummets through you.    No words fall across your lips, merely the pained breath which is pushed out by the sudden contraction of your stomach, in revolt against the agony you suffer for his faulty assumption.    Relieved, but also ridden with guilt over his mistake, he kneels beside you and pulls you close.

   “Forgive me, my love. I know better than to say such things.”

   You let him hold you for a moment before you reach up to reciprocate, but once your arms are around his shoulders, your grip is firm. A confirmation of your feelings, strong and true, even though your world outside of this relationship has come to an abrupt, and painful, end.

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   He takes you on a slow stroll through the desert, hand in hand, while he searches for these answers which he seems unreasonably certain he’ll find here, despite being in the middle of fucking nowhere.    You don’t share his attitude for one very clear reason: whatever he might find is unlikely to mean good news for you.

   Since this whole thing started, aside from meeting Oberyn and falling in love with him, everything that’s happened has meant pain, loss and unwanted change for you, none of which you’re eager to continue experiencing.    Yes, the likelihood of you being a Darkling has significantly decreased, but you’re still no closer to a happy ending because of it. You’re still under attack and you may yet have to give your life to see an end to this conflict. Which is absolutely the very worst-case scenario, given how the dragon would likely react to losing you.

   You try not to think about that as he leads you further out onto the salt-flats, where the heat of the sun makes the plain ground look like liquid in the distance. But you’re still so caught up in your own thoughts that when he suddenly stops, it’s only his hand in yours which alerts you to the fact that he’s no longer moving.    Turning back to find out what’s caught his attention, you find him staring at the ground right at his feet, where there’s nothing of interest to be seen.

   “What is it?” you quietly ask, hoping you’re not interrupting him in the middle of rediscovering a lost memory.

   “I know this spot. This exact spot,” he slowly responds, and you step closer so that you can see his expression even though his head is bowed.

   You want to ask how he could possibly know where he even is when everything looks the same for miles and miles, but that won’t help anything.

   “Why? What happened here?” you ask instead, worried now as his face has begun to reveal a truly haunted image.

   “My nephew… this is where he was torn from his mother’s arms. This is where he was thrown to the ground, toyed with, and crushed under the feet of half a dozen tribesmen.    Barely a week old…” he says, whispering the last part.

   He didn’t remember this much before, and you’re afraid to disturb him now that he seems to be reliving those horrible moments, even though it clearly tortures him, so you remain silent and still beside him.

   “My sister screamed, begging for his life, trying to fight her way to him, but they kicked him between themselves as if he was a football, keeping him out of her reach.    His father and I ran to her and tried to intervene, but they stabbed him in the back, and when I attempted to fight in his stead, I was beaten with a club until my neck broke and I fell to the floor.”

   He’s crying now, shaking all over as if he’s freezing cold despite the heat of the sun above, and you hate to see him like this. The usual might of his shoulders no longer there, the stoic frame of his chest and seasoned wisdom in the set of his brow nowhere to be seen.    You want to help him, but what can you do? He came here because he wanted to understand his own past, and now this place seems to be giving him exactly what he wished for, so however much it hurts you to see it, you must let him suffer through this.    But you don’t have to let him do it alone.

   “I’m here, honey,” you whisper as you take his hands, so that even if he can’t hear you, he might still know you’re there. “I’m right here with you.”

   He doesn’t see you even though his eyes are wide open, but the moment your hands slip into his, he grips you firmly, as if he fears he might disappear into the memory without an anker in the present. And for all you know, there’s every chance he really could.

   “I’m lying face down on the floor, gasping for air, unable to move, but I can still hear them. The screams and the cries. And then just desperate wails as the child goes quiet.    God. He survived their sadistic game for so long…” he continues, but his voice breaks in the end, and he droops to his knees.

   You follow, crying as badly as he is at this unfathomable picture he’s painting for you, enabling you to experience it with him, so that you might have a chance to understand at least some of all this.    But then he flinches. Not hard enough to rock his entire body, but enough for you to know that something shocking just happened within the memory.

   “The light… it’s blinding… everywhere, all at once,” he breathes, while his gaze moves around, seeing something entirely other than the desert lands of your time. “It doesn’t burn at first, it just makes everyone stop and cover their eyes.    But I can’t. I can’t move, not even to close my eyes, but I can see… through the light.”

   His eyes move quickly over the desert, as if he’s searching for something, and then they stop. He stares at a fixed point behind you, over your right shoulder, and you wish you could see whatever it is that he does.

   “What is it, honey? What did you see in the light?” you ask when he doesn’t continue.

   You expect him to say that he saw the other dragon, the one who presumably died by giving Oberyn the fire, but he doesn’t answer you at all.    His expression quickly shifts from despair into something more like awe, and for a second, you can swear you see some kind of figure reflected in the wetness of his eyes. But then he blinks, and it’s gone, before he closes his eyes and somehow you know that the memory is over and he’s back with you.

   “Hey, look at me,” you beckon, when he lets go of your hands and brings his palms up to rub his face. “What just happened? What was that?”

   You have to grab his wrists and pull his hands away from his face to get him to look at you, but again, his expression is not what you expect it to be. He doesn’t look haggard or pained by the experience he just had, instead he meets your worried gaze with what appears to be that same awe from before.    And yet, he doesn’t answer you.

   “Oberyn?” you try, and he does react to your voice this time, but by getting back on his feet and turning his back to you.

   He takes a few steps forward, putting his hands on his hips and exhaling hard a few times, and somehow, you get the feeling that this isn’t relief. More like he’s preparing to tell you something difficult.    You stand as well, starting to feel worried, and you’re just about to approach him when he sighs deeply.

   “It wasn’t a dragon that did this to me,” he says, and he sounds torn between sorrow and joy. “There was no other dragon.”

   “Then what was it? What changed you?”

   Another deep breath passes through him before he turns around, and once he does, you feel like you already know the answer. As if your body can sense it from his before a single word has been spoken.

   “It was Lux. The spirit of Day.”

   The moment you hear that name, something passes through you. Not a feeling so much as a realization.

   Recognition.

   “Me…” you breathe, scarcely able to acknowledge the thought. “I… I did this to you.”

   He nods slowly, but his features reveal nothing of what he feels in that moment.

   “It was you, all this time,” he says, and there’s a softness to his voice which takes your mind to the solemnity of a church.

   To heavy subjects and grave implications, mixed with deep respect and reverence. But you can’t possibly be the reason why he would feel these things.

   “No, it can’t be. I remember my life, I’ve only lived for thirty odd years, how could I have been in ancient Egypt, it makes no sense!” you ramble, getting desperate now because this is too much to ingest.

   “I told you that no one has ever seen Day, that not even the spirits know who she is, and this explains it.”

   “No, it doesn’t! How does this explain anything?”

   He comes closer to you, and without meaning it, you recoil. Fear grips you at the idea that all his long years of solitude, agony and despair, could be your fault, and your body reacts. Although, whether to protect him or yourself, you’re not sure.    Noticing your fear and desperation, he stops, but worry seeps into his face then.

   “Don’t you see, Valya? The Latin word for day is Lux, which also means light, and light is everywhere, just at different times. You exist in all things and all places, which means you’re never just one person in one moment.”

   “If that were true, then why is the Night spirit a bat, and not capable of the same?”

   “Because light undoes dark. Yes, night falls upon each day, but only because the Earth turns away from the sun. Not because light no longer exists. All dark places, no matter how deep the blackness, are unveiled by light, and therefor, you are the most powerful of all spirits.    Yes, in your natural form you’re probably much the same as the others, beyond thoughts or reasoning, existing only in the moment and the feeling. But unlike them, you must be able to choose when you wish to be seen, and in which form, since light can be bent and manipulated into any shape.”

   Logically, it all makes sense, and you have no reason to believe that this man who has lived longer than any other, wouldn’t know what he was talking about. In fact, he’s probably the only one who even remotely understands these things. But you still resist.    Not for lack of memory of past events, but simply because you don’t want to be the one responsible for Oberyn’s pain.    He’s everything to you. Your light and purpose, your friend and confidant, your fucking soulmate.

   He tries to approach you again, and just like before you back away. You can’t help it, you’re too scared of unknowingly doing something damaging to him.    But this time, your rebuke saddens him, and you recall his question earlier. “Does this mean you don’t want me either?” Just hearing it had turned your insides into a pit of knives, and the memory brings the feeling back.

   “I may not know why you changed me, but now that I’m certain it was you, I can only believe you had some plan for me,” he says without a trace of accusation in his tone. “Something you sensed coming, important enough to create a being so strong it could burn down this whole world, should it be deemed unavoidable.    I know you, my love. Spirit or not, you would never willfully condemn anyone to an eternity of loneliness. And whatever else you might be, this person you chose to be born into is also you, and the life you’ve lived as a human is equally responsible for the character you’ve become. None of that is undone by the past.    You are still the woman I love, and you always will be.”

   Enchanted by his words, you’ve remained still while he’s crept closer to you, and when he falls silent, he’s suddenly only inches away.    Before you can recover, he steals a long and loving kiss, using the intimacy to snare you into his embrace where you can’t help but melt into him.

   From the first day you met his human form he’s been intoxicating to you, and maybe this does explain how that could be. Maybe you’ve loved him ever since he was an ordinary man. And if so, could you have filled him with light and made him so powerful as a way of protecting him?    Somehow that seems… excessive.    What you know with absolute certainty is that if something were to happen to him now, you would stop at nothing to save him. And since spirits are even deeper connected to their emotions than humans are, it is plausible you’ve always felt that way about him.

   But it’s such a strange thing to absorb when you have no recollection of being anything else, of living in any other time, and maybe there’s a reason for that. Possibly just that the spirit of Day isn’t supposed to have memories.    The problem is, you can’t help but think that what if the reason you can’t remember it, is because Oberyn is wrong and you’re something else entirely.

   Wishful thinking, perhaps, but is it really so farfetched?    The only way to know for sure is if you can figure out how to use your light, since that would be undeniable proof of your connection to Lux. But you don’t even know how to start.    Then something occurs to you, and you pull back to look at your man.

   “You said that light can be bent and manipulated into any form, right?”

   “Yes.”

   “Which means, theoretically, I could do that to any source of light, at will?”

   “As far as I understand it, yes. Where are you going with this?”

   “The spirits are made of light, aren’t they? So, is it possible… I mean, if I am Day… could I control all of them?”

   His eyebrows shoot up at that, so clearly this is something he hasn’t considered.

   “It makes even more sense than you realize, my dear. That’s likely the very reason why Day is never seen.”

   “Because she’s already there, within all the others, like a natural piece of them.    I mean, I am,” you correct yourself, trying to taste the words in the hopes that they’ll somehow start to feel right, but they just don’t. “Shit, this is so screwed up! How can I be her and not even know it?”

   “I think our biggest concern at the moment is rather the question of why you’ve come to exist in human form at all? What’s changed in the world to warrant such an extreme measure?”

   “Also, why can’t the other spirits tell that I’m one of them, and possibly even a part of them?”

   “A conundrum, indeed. However, now that we have learned what we can from this place, I think we’d best head back and resume our hunt for the creatures. Perhaps in doing so, you can uncover the secret to using your power.”

   “Let’s hope so, or this might be the shortest war in history.”

   He smiles at your attempt to relieve some of the drama, but probably also to offer you some encouragement, since he undoubtedly knows by now that when you joke about deadly serious stuff, it’s usually because you’re scared out of your mind.    You let him take a few steps away from you so he won’t knock you over with his transformation, but once he’s done, he doesn’t open his front paw to you.

   Instead, he lays down flat and places his front leg against his own side, like a stepping-stone. He wants you to ride on his shoulders, apparently no longer concerned about his hairs injuring you, and while you’re not sure if you’ll be safer hidden within his paws or free to move around on his back, you are curious about what riding a dragon would feel like. Probably nothing like riding a horse, but undoubtedly a thrilling sensation all the same.

   But when you step up to him and prepare to climb on, you notice something which hasn’t occurred to you before, and which makes you stop and frown while you try to remember if you’ve just been inattentive or if this has happened as incredibly fast as it appears.

   “Hey… you’re a lot bigger than before,” you observe, looking from his snout to your left, all the way down to his tail, curled up further away to your right, and then up towards the muscular arch of his back and the two massive joints connecting it to the wings.

   He watches you measure him, and there’s confusion in his golden eyes, so you attempt to elaborate.

   “The first time I watched you transform; I figured you were about eight feet tall from the base of your chest to the top of your shoulders. But now, I’d say you’re more like twice that. Which, incidentally, means there’s no way I can climb up from here.”

   Still with a perplexed expression, he starts looking himself over and you watch as his confusion is slowly replaced with surprise, so clearly, this is something that’s happened without him noticing either.    There’s nothing to be done about it and frankly, it’s not really important right now either, so you move to his hindleg and use that to climb onto his lower back instead, and since you’re unaccustomed to the slippery surface of his scales, you crawl on all fours up to his shoulders.

   Once there, you make another strange discovery, in the form of a few bald patches of hair along his neck. Although, you decide not to tell him that. You’re not sure how important his looks are to him, but judging by how impeccably he manages his grooming, there’s every chance baldness would negatively affect him.    There was no indication of his human form being similarly affected, so hopefully this is just a result of his recent skirmishes with the spirits.

   He waits until he feels you settle in and find your balance before he opens his wings and starts to walk around on the ground for a bit, just flapping a few times to let you feel his movements.    It’s difficult to describe just how strong he feels. You imagine that compared to a horse, sitting on an elephant must be like going from a go-cart to a formula one car, in terms of power. But using the same comparison, Oberyn would be like a space shuttle.

   And when he starts running against the wind to give you a softer liftoff than if he just jumps and pushes up, in some ways, it really does feel like he’s about to launch you into space.    It’s a completely different experience from his back.    Once he’s off the ground and the windspeed picks up, you have to lay down as flat against his neck as you can, to avoid getting pushed off by it. But surprisingly, you have no trouble staying put when he turns and maneuvers through the air.

   The Atlantic seems to spread out underneath you in no time at all, so he’s not cruising along, and yet, you don’t feel as though you’re moving all that fast.    Until there’s suddenly a loud bang, and it takes you a second to grasp that it was the sonic boom of the dragon breaking the sound barrier.    You know enough about speed to understand that you shouldn’t be able to breathe if he’s flying that fast, so he must somehow also control the airflow around his body to keep you from suffocating.

   In any case, it doesn’t take long before you begin to see land ahead. But if it’s the North American east coast, then someone’s done a real number on it.    He slows down and drops lower as you glide in over land, and as far as you can see in all directions the ground looks similar to how it would if a wildfire had raged over it for days. But the trees and grass aren’t dead. Instead, they look like they’ve mutated into something you might’ve expected to see grow out of crude oil.

   The tree trunks are black and somehow slimy, and their branches look like snakes covered in needles, just waiting for something living to walk by close enough for them to strike. The grass, meanwhile, resembles thick earthworms attempting to crawl out of the soil but being too deeply embedded in the ground to break free, tangling with one another in their efforts.    Bushes and shrubs could just as well be some manner of horridly overgrown stick insects, actual insects have become at least ten times their normal size and overall nightmarish, and even rocks are oozing black goo and moving around, like halfdead trolls.

   “This is what you talked about, isn’t it?” you guess once he’s set down some twenty miles inland, in the middle of a large clearing, and he nods once in confirmation which makes your stomach drop. “So, there is a Darkling at work.    But if it isn’t me then… who?”

   Just as you’ve said it, there’s a delighted laughter coming from what used to be woods to your left, and when you seek out the source, you’re rocked to your core to find Simon walking through the disfigured woods.

   “You never really believed that it could be you, did you? Miss Pretty Little Loner. Hah! As if you could ever command this level of dark power.”

   He looks exactly the same, save for the small detail that his feet are somehow joined with the wormlike grass, almost as if he’s grown out of it. And when he walks, there are no feet at the base of his legs, the worms just sort of… tear out of the ground when he lifts one leg, and then rejoins it when he finishes the movement.

   “Oh, my god. So, Caelum was drawn to a dark presence at the Thanksgiving party, and when she noticed that I could see her, she assumed it had to be me,” you ponder, finally beginning to understand how all the pieces of this puzzle fit together.

   “Bingo. And you actually bought it, you dumb bitch,” Simon snickers, obviously delighted that he’s managed to fool you all this time.

   Suddenly his odd behavior that day, as well as his persistent attempts to keep you away from Oberyn, slip perfectly into place. He’s known all along what you are, and to him, it was apparently great fun to watch you fumble in the dark.

   The dragon growls in warning, probably objecting to the name-calling more than anything, but you’re more concerned with the sudden absence of the spirits.    Surely, they must’ve felt the presence of all this darkness being born and multiplying in record pace, so why aren’t they here, fighting it? They certainly never wasted any time trying to take you out.

   “Oberyn, where are The Decem? Shouldn’t they be here already?” you whisper, low enough that Si can’t hear it from his position at the edge of the clearing.

   But the beast can’t speak, so even if he does know the answer, he can’t tell you. And he’s not gonna risk returning to his human form when there’s a fully developed Darkling next to him.    You’re gonna have to try and work this out on your own.

   “Aren’t the spirits supposed to be able to sense you? How have you kept them off your scent all this time?” you ask Simon, hoping that his ego will enjoy the opportunity to brag.

   “Well, you’re a fool if you think that evolution only happens to creatures of the day.    Did the beast never tell you what happened to the last Darkling? I mean, sheesh… no way I was gonna go out like that. So, I figured out how to develop the dark power without actually using it, ergo, no trail for the spirits to follow.”

   “And I suppose this is where you want me to congratulate you on your amazing genius?”

   “It wouldn’t hurt. I mean, I have done something unprecedented in all of time. Kind of a big deal in certain circles.”

   “So, that’s it? You’ll just cover the world in darkness and then live happily ever after?” you sneer, because it genuinely seems so stupid.

   “Sounds about right.”

   “And when everything’s dead or corrupted beyond redemption, what then? What’s the almighty Simon Truxly gonna do for fun once the world is done ending?”

   “You’re not paying attention, sweetheart. I told you, even darkness evolves. The world will end, you’re right about that, but there’ll still be living things to torture for all eternity,” he happily chirps, leaving no doubts regarding just how rotten he must be inside.

   “Not if we stop you.”

   “Ah, yes. The omnipotent Lux and her pet.    I’m sure you felt me coming even back then, that’s probably why you made that thing. Because to a being which exists outside of time, even things thousands of years away from happening are an imminent threat.    And of course, you needed him to be well under control by the time I sprang to life, or the world would’ve gone to shit no matter what,” he snickers, but you find nothing amusing about the picture he’s painting.

   Because you can see it. You can very vividly imagine what it would look like if a completely undisciplined dragon went to war with a mature Darkling. Especially if there were no spirits around to help.    Where are they?

   “I’m not gonna let you do it, Si. If you know me at all, you know I don’t stand idly by when bad things happen. And if you were truly so nonchalant about my power then you wouldn’t be wasting all this time trying to convince me that I can’t beat you.”

   As cocky as you’re being, you’re also wondering just when you hopped onboard the “I’m a spirit”-train. Because while you’re beginning to hope it’s true, you’re still not convinced that you really are Day.

   “I bet he told you that light will always undo darkness, but that’s not true. Even physicists will agree with me there, not that it matters.    Bottom line: you’re not gonna beat me. Unlike you, I’ve been training, practicing, preparing all my life for this, while you still thought you were human just a few weeks ago.”

   “And unlike you, I don’t remember being anything but human, which is why I still value my humanity. It’s not weakness, it’s what makes everything worth the effort. If life was simply about journeying through pain and darkness, we would’ve seized to exist ages ago, and then who would you play this fucked up game with?” you challenge, and his expression sours.

   “Yeah, you’re right. I am wasting time, so let’s get to the fighting then, shall we.”

   Before he’s even finished that sentence, with a mere flick of his wrist, a giant root-system is wrought out of the ground. Hundreds of yards of seemingly sentient and malevolent tentacles, coming at you and Oberyn from all directions at lightning speed.    The dragon reacts at the first sign of movement, sending a large flame at the closest tangle of roots, which does destroy them. But there are so many of them.

   Simon has an arsenal unlike any other, because there are more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way, not to mention all the other plants, as well as animals, he can corrupt and command.    And what do you have?    Even now, when your life is threatened, you don’t know the answer to that question. No light flares from within, no hidden connections to the spirits are revealed.

   You have nothing. No weapons and no armor, except for the man and monster you love, who now fights for you with everything he is while you just sit there, holding on as best you can. But in the end, still helpless.

   Oberyn is fierce in this enraged state. His flame is about to reach the same level of destruction as what he’d awoken in Detroit, and he’s spewing it without pause all around the two of you. How he can do that without needing to breathe in between volleys is beyond your understanding, but what you do know is that despite his colossal effort, he isn’t winning.

   And then, amidst the fiery chaos, as if momentarily spellbound, your gaze is drawn away from the battle, towards something moving strangely slowly through the air.    It takes a second for you to figure out which distance this unknown featherlike thing is at, but once your focus aligns, you realize that what you’re looking at are bright green strands of hair. Lots of them.    Remembering the bald patches, you look down on the dragon’s neck, finding no part of the once thick mane intact.

   Shockingly, however, it quickly becomes a mere footnote on this day’s list of unexpected developments, because what you’re looking at is no longer the slick green rows of perfectly aligned scales on Oberyn’s alter ego. Instead, what’s underneath you now is at least ten times bigger, completely white with much larger, thicker, and rock-like scales.    The normal golden glow of his eyes has turned bright blue, and somehow, you know those eyes.

   You’ve seen this beast before, in another time.    He’s as old as you are. The first dragon, created by the clash of light and dark, long before any life had evolved in the galaxy. And back then, he’d been a creature of night, breaking the earth apart and reshaping it countless times over.    It was his anger and despair which had sent continents clashing together, creating mountain ranges and deep-sea trenches.

   For eons he’d raged, while you, a mere spirit with no other ability than to chase away shadows, had felt his agony and searched for a way to end it.    By the time you’d learned of the complete absence of light within him, he’d become so infested with hatred, you’d feared no light could ever penetrate his blackened heart.

   You’d gone to him anyway, formless, just a light hovering around his head, hoping for a moment of his focus. And you’d gotten only that. One moment. Just enough to show him.    But once he’d seen true light, brightness had taken hold of him and found a home within his chest, so strong it had turned his body white.    From that moment, no shadow, no matter how deep, could ever again sway him. And with that freedom, he’d chosen to give his strength, all his might and power… to you.

   “Tyrannus,” you hear yourself say as the memory leaves you, and you know exactly what it means.

   Tyrant. Oppressor. But it was also his name.    The name of the first beast to walk the Earth, who’s powers you have now bestowed upon the old prince.

Part 10

The Ten Spirits of the World Air - Forest - Water - Stone - Night - Autumn - Winter - Spring - Summer.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you wish to be notified when this story is updated, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications, or just ask nicely, and I'll tag you.

@harriedandharassed @kittenlittle24 @joelswritingmistress @pedrostories

[lilyrachelcassidy]

Hello dear- I love the idea of spooktober 🎃🎃 but I can't for the life of me think of a written prompt so I shall send you a gif instead:

I hope you have fun with it

xx Val

A/N: Thank you Val so much for sending in the request. I love the GIF and as soon as I saw it, I instantly knew what to do with it. Wishing you a happy happy Halloween today, have fun (also with reading hehe)!

Summery: reviving Thomas Shelby back to life (quite literally). 

WC: 1.3k

Warnings: supernatural themes (dark magic)

xoxoxoxoxo

Somewhere in a distinct part of the house, the sound of motion and animation had been made, setting your nerves even more ablaze. Must have been Polly, or Arthur, you weren't sure. Jitteriness and dismay accompanied you the whole time. Today, on this very day, everything was supposed to change; change back to how things had been in the past.

The sudden knock came on your bedroom door, causing you to jump lightly at the abrupt sound. You looked over in the direction, contemplating your decision, and perhaps the entire sense of existence, until you concluded there was no way out of the situation no more. The verdicts had befallen like a hapless dice of kismet.

"Come in," you said, utterly contradicting your state of mind. You wanted everyone to be gone, the entire assembly of people downstairs, although you had been the one who had come up with the initiative of commencing such a gathering. You wanted to muster that previously owned courage right now.

"You ready, gal?" Arthur's head peaked through the slim gap of the opened door. He looked at you as if already knowing the answer to his question.

"Ummm... yeah, I think. I just have to put on the cloak and then... yeah, give me two more minutes." While saying so, you made sure to feign a smile, try as might to convince yourself in the utter lie of being prepared for the upcoming.

Something in your expression must have crumpled, however, because Arthur frowned at your weak attempts. "You know, the whole ordeal still can be postponed or canceled, if you don't want-"

"No! I want to! So badly. It's just that..." Subconsciously, your fingers started fidgeting again and you twisted your hands in nervousness, try as might to obscure your emotions.

Arthur was no longer leaning on the door frame but decided to enter the room after all, and made his way over to the bed, settling himself just next to you. From that distance you could also detect the rapidness of his breaths; he was brittle too, you noted shrewdly.

Somehow feeling that position more obliging to spill the truth, you looked away, rather focusing your gaze on the floor, and rambled on: "I'm sorry. I'm distressed, that's all. I've never... bewitched anyone before. Or played with dark magic. I'm just scared that if something should go wrong, we might be doomed, you know."

The sinewy hand covered your knee in a conciliatory manner. Sometimes you wondered whether you have fallen in love with the right person - it could have been someone of a sensitive nature as yours, preferring to move on with a tranquil lifestyle you would have loved to lead. Instead, there was a man who had killed and terrorized people for his bread and butter as if it had been a social standard. The man who was dead at this point in his life.

But not for long.

"If that makes you happy, there have been only two administered cases of failed dark magic in history."

"And what were the consequences of that?"

"Well... they have been overruled by the dark spirits-"

"Oi, Arthur!" You hid your face in your hands, shaking your head. Was that supposed to be fortifying?

"But that's beside the point. It only proves how rare the complications are!”

Glancing over at him, knowingly, you couldn’t help the smile that ensued on your lips at his attempts of appeasement. There were many circulating opinions about Arthur in the vicinity, but the real him was standing just here, in front of you - honorable and amicable.

After that, you merely thanked him for his uplift to which he smiled, and then still making sure that you were sure of your resolutions and still standing on your ground, he excused himself from the room, letting you change back into the appropriate garments for the occasion.

Briskly, you grabbed the ink black cloak which had been loosely handing the chair, then quickly pulled it through your head, and eyed yourself critically in the mirror.

‘Tasteful, at least,’ you thought to yourself, just before fetching the last item to complete the outfit - the macabre mask which, apparently - as Polly has instructed you - was a necessity during the ritual. In mere seconds, dashing down the stairs, you were standing in front of the living room and entering it with the impetus. As quickly as the door swung ajar, you beheld an already-encircled, bemasked group of figures, their outlines irradiated by a waning flicker of the candles in, apart from that, dark room. The only one without the mask was Polly, who sent you a light, motherly smile before extending her hand and mutely asking you to join the group. With the final exhale, so you did: you seized the palms of people beside you - one of Polly, the second one, callous, of the unknown owner.

The enchantments and whisperings commenced and, with intertwined fingers, you closed your eyes and joined. The few, first seconds abounded in nothingness, incoherent murmurs merely filling up the room; but that was only for one minute until the scenery started to evolve rapidly. The previous murmurs were no longer quiet but now changed almost into shouts in your ears as if somebody had been just beside you, screaming; the tension in the room was almost palpable and could be almost literally cut with a bayonet, so thick and unbearably suffocating it was; the waining flicker of candles transformed into blinding whiteness and even with your eyelids closed, you could perceive its intensity.

Still deciding to risk it all, you opened your eyes in the little slits, and as you had assumed previously, not much could have been seen. In the wholistic blur, one particular thing that caught your attention was a sumptuous, long-necked vase in the middle of the circle you could have sworn hadn't been there. The thick, muddy substance was oozing out of it, soon excluding all over the floor, and to your surprise, forming a human-like shape.

First starting from the feet, it gradually evolved to the full human figure, and you, caught totally off guard, stared at the whole phenomena, not daring to glance away nor effuse any kind of sound. No one besides you seemed to be affected by the occurrence because the chants sustained and even picked up on the pace.

But then suddenly something happened, something you very not even sure how to describe - the mud-person (or so you liked to call that) converted into a more human-resembling form; the lineaments slowly started carving, the body shape becoming more and more pronounced, and the murky texture changed into a sallow skin.

Unwittingly, you emitted a gasp - no longer was a mud mass standing in front of you, but Thomas fucking Shelby himself. His eyes were closed, his mouth pursed, and he was standing in the middle of the circle in the nudest form. As if feeling the intensity of your stare on him, his eyelids flew open, revealing the bloodshot whites juxtaposing with the blackness of his orbs.

You found yourself startled at his grisly appearance; he still looked like Thomas Shelby, handsome in the way, but also as if owned by some dark spirits at the same time.

Tommy ogled you, never tearing his gaze away to other participants of the ritual; he appeared positively possessive, wild even, and for a moment you got scared he might throw himself at you. But none of that happened, and instead, he grinned, menacingly, like a madman to their victim. When he spoke up, his voice was hoarse and deemed amused:

“Missed me much?”

xoxoxoxox

A/N: okay, so the thing I should have mentioned in the first a/n was that I started reading too much E.A.Poe and that... reflects my writing rn I think (especially the ‘the premature burial’ like...). So here, let’s put it truthfully, we get in touch with a tad necromancy-like theme which I hope works perfectly for setting a Halloween-ish atmosphere. Yet I hoped you enjoyed Val! and the happy happy start of November!<3

[pkmntrainertrix]

Uh, can you help? I have a recently evolved Decidueye and I'm not really sure on how to entertain him. I've gone hunting with him a lot and I have some archery targets in my backyard but he seems to be getting bored with them. I've never had a ghost type before (They're just rare where I am) and I'm not really seeing anyone else having this issue. Should I take him to a haunted house? Get some things from spirit halloween? Thank you in advance :')

Oh hell yeah Decidueye! They’re really cool, only ever seen em in photos though. Hmm… well first good on ya for giving them a ton of enrichment, going hunting with a Decidueye has got to be awesome! Buttt it could just be that it’s something they’re good at but not super interested in. Maybe try some other activities like contests! But of course getting some ghostly energy from Halloween in isn’t a bad idea either :D

[boozuru]

Ghostic Prologue

chapter select  ⇢

(NOT JP PROOFED)

Season: Autumn

Yuzuru: (Goodness, I’m such a disgrace!)

(Fushimi Yuzuru, this is the greatest mistake of your life. Young master could fall into danger any moment…!)

Tori: Help… me…

Yuzuru: Young master…!

Yuzuru: I’m here! Where are you? Young master!

Tori: …

Yuzuru: Oh, thank goodness. So that’s where you were hiding. I’m glad you’re safe.

Tori: ……

Yuzuru: I can’t see any life in his eyes…

Yuzuru: I knew it, it wasn’t me misinterpreting anything. There’s something “dangerous” in this haunted house-

If only I had known, I would have been more vigilant.

Evil has made its home in this mansion. The evil spirit's existence is-

〈Going back in time by several days〉

〈Late October. One day during "Halloween Party" preparations.〉

Mao: …Phew. Good work today!

At first I was worried if we would make it in time, but now all the clerical work for collaborating with ES is basically done.

I think managing "Halloween Party" will be way easier from now on.

And Yuzuru, thanks for handling communications with Tenshouin-senpai.

Yuzuru: No need for thanks, I was also having trouble with this year's "Halloween Party" anyway.

If anything, I apologize for having to rely on Eichi-sama when we are from the same unit.

Mao: Don't say that. But yeah, it feels kinda wrong to ask the alumni for help. You're not in the wrong though, you just don't want to be thought of as an undependable underclassman.

And somehow Hasumi-senpai sensed our troubles. He really helped us out by negotiating ES joint hosting stuff with Tenshouin-senpai.

And thanks to that, we don't have to worry about the lack of live venues at Yumenosaki Academy grounds. Now we just have to focus on our individual units. ♪

Tori: A blessing in disguise, am I right~? Now we can have a joint Halloween with ES since Hasumi-senpai arranged stuff with Eichi-sama.

Make sure to thank Eichi-sama for his generosity, okay~?

Mao: Chill, dude. You're also a part of the student council, so you were the one being HELPED, right?

Ah well, whatever. It's true that we should be thankful for alumni that are willing to help us on short notice.

Shinobu: Yup yup! A helping hand when we needed one. Thanks to that, I'll be able to join in on Ryuseitai's Halloween celebration quickly too.

I'm happy that everyone else can do the same with their respective units. ♪

Mao: But it feels like I'm just making everyone else work in my stead since the others in Trickstar are working their butts off without me...

If I remember right, in fine's case Tenshouin-senpai is taking care of the project, right?

Tori: Yup. Eichi-sama is the one taking care of the ES side of things.

He did have me and Yuzuru give suggestions till the halfway point, but told us to prioritize the school so I'm pretty sure that's what's up.

Also, I don't think we need to worry about Eichi-sama considering his project track record. Hibiki-senpai joined him and so those two are working on it now.

Fufu, if there's anything that we should be worried about, it's whether Eichi-sama will be okay without me〜♪

Yuzuru: Isn't it too early to be so lax, young master?

We won't make it in time if we don't keep up our current pace. Eichi-sama and Hibiki-sama are working on Halloween preparations, and we also have our own work to do.

Tori: I know~ Yuzuru, I always tell you that you worry too much.

Besides, I've been just raring to go from the start.

You all saw what Eichi-sama's working on, right!? There's gonna be a large-scale haunted house this year at ES!

Thinking about it makes my exhaustion from practice basically fade away! ♪

Mao: A haunted house? That's awfully ambitious, isn't it~?

Shinobu: As expected of Tenshouin-dono. His mind is truly something else!

Tori: I know right? No one can beat Eichi-sama when it comes to planning stuff!

Anyways. Yuzuru, since the worst of student council work is basically done, let's go to ES.

Sorry to you guys, but us in fine are totally gonna steal the show! Try not to get forgotten now〜♪

Mao: Haha, he's really cheerful, isn't he~? Even his steps feel lighter somehow. ♪

Yuzuru: My apologies for the young master's rude behaviour, Isara-sama, Sengoku-sama.

Shinobu: No problem. If anything, seeing Tori-kun gave me new kind of energy.

Ryuseitai might be lacking in funds compared to fine, but we will liven up Halloween as well!

Yuzuru: Thank you for your reassurance.

However, young master was strangely carefree today. He must have been frustrated since he couldn't participate in fine's projects due to his position in the student council.

...Regardless, now is not the time to speculate. I suspect that if I leave young master alone right now, he will carelessly injure himself.

If you will excuse me, I will also take my leave earlier than planned. Thank you.

Mao: Yeah, thanks for today.

You can go too, Sengoku. The rest of Ryuseitai is waiting at ES, right?

We are gonna practice on campus, so I'm fine with closing up the student council office.

Shinobu: Thank you for thinking of me! Well then, I shall also take my leave.

Trick or Treat - I'm going to work hard so I can bring joy to everyone when the time comes....★

Mao: Haha. Everyone scuttled away like a bunch of baby spiders. Just that is making me think about Halloween and getting me hyped up about participating.

Alright. I'm gonna take a short break from student council president work, and spice up Halloween as idol me!

Wait for me, Trickstar… ★

[cerealmonster15]

HELLO. IT IS GAME TIME.

I have voice lines from each character taken from their cards, and you have to guess which character said it 🥳 No duplicates! I chose lines that mention one other character because I feel like that gives just enough context 🕺 IDK where I got the idea to do this 🤔 I think I was reading one of the character lines and I was like "hrmm this looks like something [Other Character] would say, you'd never guess [Actual Character] would say this..." & then I came up with the idea and wanted to do it bc it is FUN 🕺🕺🕺 I had a time picking these out cause god all these silly guys are so weird and unique that trying to find lines that don't immediately give away who it is was HARD, especially for characters like Idia & Rook who are incapable of saying things in a normal way JHGFDSDFGHJGFD anyway here they are, HAVE FUN. One of them is a blatant give away lol

Ow… While we were in the middle of stretching, Lilia pushed my back down as hard as he could… I even told him to be gentle.

Kalim-kun gave me crackers with a buncha different flavors. It's not a bad gift, but… I dunno, not really what I was expecting to get from him.

Diamond saw the grade l got on my test earlier. He wouldn't stop laughing at it.

I saw Jack's tsum chasing a butterfly in the hallway, and it felt odd. Most likely because Jack would never do that.

If you're not done with your assignment, maybe go talk to Azul. He'll tell you anything you want as long as you pay the price.

Trey-senpai helped me with washing the dishes. He said that it was in lieu of a present, but I feel bad having a senpai do that for me.

Malleus gave me some rare herbs he had that grow in Briar Valley. He remembered me mentioning that I couldn't get my hands on any.

I'm starting to think Coach Vargas speaks an entirely different language. Maybe I'd understand him if I took Animal Lang before Flying?

Silver trains every morning. That dedication of his is something to be admired.

Hey, next time let's go to the town at the base of the mountain. I want to try out the outfit coordination tips that Vil-senpai taught me.

Aren't you in the same grade as Sebek? What do you think about him? Isn't his voice the most annoying you've ever heard?

Epel gave me a jacket with a tiger embroidered on it. It has different colors than his. Maybe sometime we can get together and match each other!

Apparently, Ortho-kun and his tsum watched a science fiction movie together. If I were to watch m something with my tsum, I wonder what movie we should select?

Leona-kun's tsum was walking toward me, and I felt this mysterious aura around it. I almost jumped out of its way without thinking!

When I handed Grim-san a flower, he immediately ate it. All I wanted was him to say it was pretty…

The portrait that Rook sent of me… It's not terribly made but, when I think about how he was constantly observing me, I feel uneasy.

When I invited Jamil to my party, he grew suspicious and asked "What's the catch?" …And here I only wanted to get along.

I want figure out the secrets behind Ace's magic tricks, but he's too good that I can't see through it. Grr…

Riddle got really passionate when we were talking about the treats for Halloween earlier. Sweets are just amazing, aren't they?

Idia-kun seems to be in good spirits when he's in costume. There's no need to check under his pumpkin head to confirm it. His footsteps sound different than usual.

The terrarium that Jade gave me is so lush and green that it looks like an oasis. It reminds me of back home!

Epel from Pomefiore… Despite how he looks, he seems like a man of strong will. It makes me want to cheer him on.

JFLDSKJFKDLSF JUMPSCARE IN MY INBOX HI FELIX omg a game MADE FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!! <- i love. quotes and categorizing and guessing sdjklfjdsklfjskdljfkdlsjf WAHOO!!!!!!!! god you are so right about idia and rook LOL omg i'm excited let's GO!!!

Literally pausing the fic i was writing and putting my answers in a google doc bc i know im gonna talk Forever on every guess and i dont trust tumblr or my internet to stay up long enough in this ask while i Go Crazy fjksljf <- little did I know I would be doing this over night also LOL 

Putting under a readmore bc I Went Crazy. SORRY. 

Final answers are BOLDED!!!!

Trey. i remember this one lol. probably his PE card!!

hmmm sounds like cater? for one of his birthday cards. i can't remember many people who call the second years -kun besides cater and i think ruggie, and i dont think ruggie would complain about food. i remember he likes giving grim crackers kflsdjkfld but thats not really how grim talks 🤔 i'm not sure exactly which bday card it is tho. i dont think it's the union card bc i have that one, so i think it's either his first suit or third bloom card? BUT THEN AGAIN ruggie might complain about crackers bc he wanted something expensive…… yeah ok im going with ruggie actually!!!

omg im pretty sure this one is beloved son juice spade. i def remember reading that one lkjsdfjlksd and i know juice calls most of his seniors [last name]-senpai. i think it was either his standard card or his dorm card but i dont remember which one wrong. Juice is later. This has to be ace?? God are you sure you only picked one quote for each person JKFLDSJKF

kdkjlsfjkldsf omg this one's stumping me!! idk why my first thought was jade LOL jade or riddle. but this has to be someone who had a tsum in the same event as jack, and jade didnt have his til tsum 2 so it cant be him. i think?? i think riddle. riddle tsum card. wait are we all heartslabyul cards first is this in order- not riddle. Umm. sebek???

ok nvm. my first thought would be one of the tweels and it sounds too Average Polite to be floyd.”maybe go talk to azul” FLOYD WOULD NEVER!!! Well maybe he would. Actually he might if hes being a little bastard “ehehe maaaybe talk to azul huh~” TONE IS EVERYTHING AND I CANT HEAR!!! Im going with jade!! I dont know which card jfklsdjkfs i should bc i god jade’s dorm card recently!! But i havent groovied it yet and tbh i dont think ive even set it in my home screen yet bc i was still going wild trying to get masquerade cards fklsdjkfls. Its probably either his dorm or standard uniform card. It feels like a standard uniform thing but tbh i do not know!! No actually im going with floyd. I think the lack of tone is throwing me off and hes being a goober. And i have too many jade guesses elsewhere!!!

6. Wait fuck this one sounds like juice but im SO sure juice was earlier with caycay [spoiler alert no he wasnt i just glanced at #12 HELP-]. And ace would never feel bad about free labor LOL jkfldsjklfjdkslfj… omg wait. Birthday card… who duos with trey…. I know epel is with him on one but im p sure that’s trey’s union birthday card. I could half cheat and just look up who has a bday duo with him but I CAN DO THIS PROCESS OF ELIMINATION!!!it feels like a first year quote but also i suppose a second year could say it. I was gonna say probs a union or bloom card bc it feels like one he’d interview for at the party but i dont know?? Who did you interview, trey…  but maybe it wasnt an interview bc they kinda just show up at each others parties!!! Maybe it was jamil actually?? I think he calls  the third years senpai… im between jamil and epel bc i havent guessed jamil for anyone but idk my first thought was epel…….. but now I’ve gone and picked Epel for something else so I’m picking Jamil!! Idr which bday card. One of the first two I think bc it sounds familiar to me. 

7. Fuuuuuuuuuuck i have heartslabyul brain disease this one sounds like riddle 😭 but also jade!!! Wow they really are Similar, Kind Of ldksjflksdjk IM GOING WITH JADE. FOR NOW. except what if this is vil. It could be vil. Herbs for potions. Im going to die here. Ok I picked Jade for something else so I’m picking Vil now actually. 

8. Uhhhh uhhhh ummm an unathletic character LOL. maybe azul or idia… im going with idia jfksdljfk oh oh and if he shortened it to animal lang, that sounds like something idia would say?? [remembering engtwst where he said rollo was Throwing A Tanty fisjkfjesjlf] ok yea lets go with idia!!

9. Ummm. ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Um. come back to me 🚶 I’m in back uhhh I haven’t said sebek or malleus for anyone. And I mean sebek I feel like cant compliment silver without also being a bitch in the same breath so perhaps malleus? Yeah actually makes sense bc malleus calls most everyone by their last name except people in his dorm and tbh idk who else would comment on silvers training like that (except maybe juice or jack but. Begone!!!)

10. You know what’s killing me. I recognize a lot of these lines. I just. Cant remember who said them kfdlsjfklejlfe THEYRE GONNA TAKE MY TWST STAN CARD AWAY!!!! Sounds like something theyd say in the fairy gala event? Bc thats where vil was helping a bit?? Maybe kalim… or silver… UHHH… and I can’t narrow it down more bc I’ve gone thru by now and all I have left are those two and lilia and he said senpai!! Wait does Kalim say senpai. I am p sure silver does but I don’t actually remember if Kalim does!!!! Silver??? Silver fairy gala is that you????

11. HELLO????????? SDJKFLDSJKLFJSD WHO’S BULLYING SEBEK HELLO???? Sounds like firstyear warfare but this is clearly an older student talking. God im slacking i havent read as many of the newer card lines/some of the dorm ones that came out later. i  was gonna say lilia til he went ISNT HE SO ANNOYING. Lilia would nev- well. I guess it depends on the tone kjfslfs lilia might say hes like. Lively or something. I could see a fan translation being like “haha hes so annoying :)” but like who else would be asking about sebek besides someone in his dorm… sounds too blunt for malleus but i havent read his or like any of the diasomnia dorm lines since they came out later AUGHH omg… and god wait what if it’s general lilia hes meaner!!! But i feel like “hey what grade are you in” isnt something hed say At War lfksjee. actually I’m picking leona for this one. Resident diasomnia hater and all around cranky bastard- WHAT IF IT IS GENERAL LILIA THOUGH. WHAT IF THATS THE LILIA LINE TO THROW ME OFF I haven’t looked at that card at all yet bc I was behind on catching up to main story when it came out!!! I could look now but I’m waiting til I’m done with the quiz LOL omg. Ok no I’m keeping Leona bc the other 3 remaining quotes I have do NOT fit him shfnfnfbfnfnf

12. HELP THIS ONE IS JUICE NOT THE OTHER ONE!!!! I remember they talk about cool jackets in juice or epel’s PE card story. And eppy duos with juice’s first bday card so i think?? It’s that one?? Why am I doubting myself tho. Like I know they talk about it in a pe card and I’ve literally seen fanart of them with matching jackets. But what if it’s ace LOL but no I’m sticking to juice!!

13. The. the language sounds like jade. Help why is everyone heartslabyul or jade. Im going to cry why is this So Hard IM PICKING TSUM JADE!!!

14. J. jack?? Ive read this line. I have!!! Tsum Jack??? WAIT NO HE LITERALLY SAID LEONA KUN. was it tsum cater???? Man who tf was in the first tsum event I need to check again bdbcbcbnfbg but i think it was tsum cater!!!

15. FJKSDFJKDSLJLFDJLS i think ive read this one too but WHO 😭flowers… fairy gala?? Who says grim san besides probably jade… this doenst sound like a jade line…. OOH WAIT maybe fairy gala ortho?? Bc i can’t think of anyone else that might say GRIM SAN and also go “I wanted him to say the flower was pretty :(“ idk ortho says everyone's full name and grim doesn’t have a full name, maybe he calls him -san

16. God this could be almost anyone. I have not read this line before ljfsjeklkfjekkjjskkjejf or wait??? Idk maybe i have now im doubting everything but maybe vil??? Like who else would rook send a painting to where they’d be like only mildly concerned [i mean maybe trey but i already know treys line LOL]. but i mean vil knows rook’s always watching him… is he really That Surprised… MAYBE EPEL????? Yeah ok I’m going with Epel I ended up picking vil elsewhere and he’s just the right bit of “rook does some strange things but i guess it’s ok….” And I think rook would get a painting of his beloved son LOL

17. Azul’s first birthday card fklsdjfklsdjfsldkf jKLDFSJF another one im 100% sure about LOL. azul 🤝trey => having very specific lines i remember LOL. but you know i know this one 🕺

18. HFDSFKJLDSJ UMMM. jack????? Maybe?? Going grr… i thought it could be GRIM but since you said he’s not an option. Wah. cries. Omg. ace did cheat at cards in jacks robes card so im going with that one

19. Help that’s so cute i love you riddle rosehearts. Omg. um. Umumum god there were so many halloween cards. idia is the only character that i remember besides riddle that loves sweets so maybe idia?? But idia def calls him riddle-shi and i cant remember how consistent he is w/it. Tbh this kinda sounds like kalim kflsjdljbut also it made me think of silver?? Like idk why i could just hear him being like 🧍sweets are amazing arent they 😐 LOL. Hmm. Kalim silver or lilia. Idr if lilia uses honorifics… ok ok ok now we are down to Kalim or lila for 19 and 21 HELP LOL!!!! I could see either of them being like haha how fun ^.^ but also I know(?) Kalim likes sweets and I know lilia doesn’t like Specifically Marshmallows…. But maybe he likes other sweets…ok I can’t dwell forever I’m piling Kalim but my runner up guess is lilia lol. 

20. Who says idia kun…. Besides cater and maybe lilia idr…. But i guess sometimes he doesnt though so yeah I think rook? I’ve read this line before too I just CANT REMEMBER!!! 

21. Oasis…… k… kalim??? OASIS MAKER!! Sounds way too excited to be jamil. Idk who else is associated with oasises but also lush and green…  UMMMMMM. I DUNNO im going with kalim even tho i remember sand in his hometown event lol. But also at this point I’ve narrowed it down so much that it could be either Kalim or lilia. Enough enthusiasm to be one of them and lilia’s home is green I guess?? More terrarium -like to me djfnfngn the word oasis is throwing me off but also lilia has traveled the world and has probably seen an oasis… but would it remind him of home… but would Jade give Kalim a terrarium… I feel like he’d give it to lilia?? I also feel like I probably read this line when looking for Jade and lilia mischief evidence or something once lol. But I could’ve been looking for second year friendship. Or just looking at voice lines LOL omg Ugh who are youuuuu. Ok same as 19, I have to choose LOL I’m locking in lilia but my second choice in my heart is Kalim

22. Wait fuck UGH this sounds like groom outfit riddle!!! Im like. Almost positive thats a groom riddle line!!!! I remember him saying he wants to support epel!!! Unless it was groom ace… but im pretty sure it was riddle??? GROOM RIDDLE!!!

ok i had to stop doing the auto numbered thing and manually type them bc tumblr got mad at how many characters i had in that huge chunk LOL AUGH i. ok. i think i kept them ordered properly tho.

This was psychological warfare but still Very Fun!!!! I love going Bonkers over Characters and GUESSING GAMES!!!!

This taught me that it’s been too long since I’ve read certain lines and that there are a lot I need to catch up on. I’ll be on the wiki later reading the rough Everything character by character 🕺🕺🕺‼️‼️‼️

[silasbug]

had another dream.

(in which there's a music festival outside my house that turns unsettling).

there was a lenghty dream before this one in which i saw an advertisement in the papers for a free concert/music festival taking place in the city where i live, it was supposed to be quite close by. it was advertised as featuring many different, smaller artists, the main attraction being a small ensemble playing skyrim music on the larger stage.

.

i was going down to the store across the park from where i live because i needed something for dinner. i'd stuffed a 10€ bill in my pocket. as i was heading down the stairs, the appartment building began to look different. there was a window with a sill that a coursemate (who lives in the same building as i do) was sitting in. she says hi. i greet back. we exchange a few words. i leave.

as i'm making my way across the park, suddenly there's an influx of familiar faces from university- way too many to be a coincidence. none of them have business up here, i live quite far north, it's a quiet area for families, not students. i overhear one of them mention something about the concert. it makes sense.

sure enough, once i reach the store, the entire area in front of it is packed with stages. i didn't realize it'd be happening right outside my door. i walk along, there's tents, there's food stalls, there's so many people. it's still daylight.

i walk by a small group of people and this super cute goth looking girl suddenly turns to me and asks if i want a cigarette. i turn her down (because i don't smoke), but thank her. i ask her why she'd offer me one? she says because i look like someone she'd expect at a death metal concert (lol what) and that i looked like kindred spirit.

i keep wanting to talk to her more, but being the shy idiot that i am, i hope that she talks to me. we keep bumping into each other and exchange a few words and smiles here and there. i end up walking to a stall serving food, she walks with me. it's way overpriced, but i decide why not? i order a bowl of vegan chili. it's only 3 bites for 6€. ridiculous.

suddenly the sun is gone and i end up at mainstage, where a man with a chello and a man with a keyboard are doing introductions, playing some Skyrim ambience. it's nice.

once they stop, other stages (it was literally just.. booths? where there would be what looked like animatronic puppets performing, or it'd look like someone was sticking their face through a piece of cloth, each booth had a number) begin to perform. the crowd dissolves, all trying to find performances to listen to.

they gather at the first one, where 3 creepy looking, halloween-esque animatronics (or at least i thought they were) started performing. it wasn't bad, per se, but not my thing. the crowd quickly dissolves. feeling guilty and being the only person left, i stay until they finish. once they do, i give a small clap and hurry off. the leftmost "animatronic" turns his head around the corner and calls after me, "how disheartening, a half hearted clap and barely a smile, that's all we get" or something similar. it was very creepy. i felt even worse. it was three men in costume, after all.

as i hurry along, it's hard to find the other performances. there's some happening simultaneously, but once you find one it's usually almost over. they don't happen in chronological order.

i only rarely see people. the place expands in size, rows upon rows upon rows of booths and stalls. it's dark by now and the open sky has transformed into a large hall, the walls are far away to either side and the ceiling is tall. it's got more of a creepy-arcade/indoor-amusement-park vibe.

i eventually find a booth that is playing a song i know, so i stay. i listen, sway along. (it was an ambient song, no singing). i'm the only one there. when he finishes, i thank him and say that i've been enjoying their music recently. they take it kindly. i say something more. it was the wrong thing to say. the mood shifts.

i hurry off, back to the front of the area. it looks like a ballroom. it's incredibly dark and gloomy. there's people gathered there, tired out, filling out slips to vote on their favorite performance or just waiting to finally be let out.

there's no way out.

[artemstellation]

tot men + spooky dates.

artem wing...

.... takes you to a haunted fair! there's all sorts of supposedly 'haunted' goods for sale ― and while he's not interested in getting either you or him haunted by a spirit, malicious or not, he adores your childlike glee at the items on display and sale.

if he knows a myth or a legend about a display you've seen, he'll tell you all about it ― all the while he softly holds your hand, even if you aren't scared by it. if you'd like to, he'll take you out to one every halloween.

takes you to all the activities there and makes you a cute little air clay pumpkin carving that you can use as a charm.

“for you,” he says as he places a little clay charm in your hands. it so suspiciously looks a lot like you ― but it warms your heart nonetheless.

he knows his way around, and takes you to places where you can eat lots of delicious food. gets very flustered if you kiss him, but eventually relaxes and gives in.

sneaky kisses while hidden under his cape (he bought it because he thought it'd look cute on you, but it ended up being too big, and had to wear it himself), and he brings you along to the woods when you're done exploring the fair, to a clearing to watch the night sky. wraps the large and warm cloak around both of you as he pulls you into a hug, placing feather light kisses all along your hands (maybe nipping at them here and there, too).

“what was that?” he teases, when you squeak at his sudden nipping. he looks at you for a moment, and then buries his head in your neck right after. “you're too cute, you know that? it's not good for my heart to skip so many beats.”

the both of you sit there flustered and comforted in each other's presence, until you break the silence with the appearance of a shooting star. quickly making your wishes, you ask him what he wished for, if he did make one.

all he does is smile the softest you've ever seen, and knocks his forehead with yours, before finally answering your question.

“for me to always be able to stand alongside you, no matter what happens, and to be allowed to love you till the end of my time.”

marius von hagen...

.... much to contrary belief, would like to spend his halloween at home. it's one of the rare times that he can relax with you, without having to bother about work and his actions constantly being judged.

though it doesn't mean that he's going to skimp out on the festivities ― he makes a little fair of your own at the von hagen estate, where everyone from his family to the staff are in celebration.

“doesn't it look good?” he says, chest very much puffed out in pride, as he looks around. the lights hung around shine on his face, giving him a glow ― one that doesn't allow you to look away.

he does steal you away a little while later, throwing a “there's no need to show off your good looks, i'm enough proof of it!” over his shoulder as he grows pouty by the attention you've been giving his family (he knows you were just being polite, but it's your time to spend together, and he's not going to let anyone intrude on it).

spends the rest of the night together with you as he takes you to all the little things he's set up (with careful planning) and makes the most obnoxious pumpkin carvings. steals a kiss here and there while you're distracted and laughs in smug glee at your flustered expressions. pulls you for a dance, and twirls you around until you're laughing so much that it's hard to breathe, and finishes it with a lingering kiss to end the night.

“come on, it was just one kiss!” he whines at you, clinging onto your arm. he only pouts harder when you give him a deadpan, and continues to grumble under his breath, throwing his biggest and saddest puppy eyes that he's able to muster your way.

“maybe give me another one, and i promise won't bother you for the rest of the time!” he says, and cheers loud enough for the whole mansion to hear when you finally agree to his demands, and give him a kiss that he nearly doesn't allow you to escape from.

he, of course, as usual doesn't keep that promise.

luke pearce...

.... takes you to a haunted city tour! he's always adored them (while being scared, not that he'd admit), finding a mystery for him to solve around every corner, in every nook and cranny. he does make sure that you're both appropriately 'armed' ― by that he means two very large squirt guns of holy water.

“just so we don't get haunted”, he says, smiling at you, like it was necessary to do so and to reassure you (even though it seemed like it was more for him than for you).

says he doesn't believe much in ghosts ― though the squirt guns tell you otherwise. holds your hand tightly during every single thing, squeezing it when something remotely as makes a squeak.

he keeps a tight hold on you throughout the duration of the tour, watching out for both you and him. although he wouldn't admit it, your presence helped relax him a lot, allowing him to loosen up and join in with joking around with the tour guide.

when it's all over, he heaves a big sigh in relief. he managed not to get scared in front of you, and actually, even enjoyed the trip, listening to all the stories and the lore. though when peanut appears out of nowhere from a bush, he gets so startled that he jumps into your arms (well, there goes his plan to keep a brave front).

“hey, let's get some food from that new place that opened down the stree ― OH MY GOD!” he shrieks mid-sentence, cutting himself off and jumps into your arms as you surprisingly manage to hold his weight.

something rustles in the nearby bushes, slowly coming through... and it turns out to be peanut. he stares at it, before sighing and hiding his face in embarrassment. all you can do is shake your head at him (while stifling your laughter) and squeeze his hand a little more to reassure him.

he does end up getting a lot more cuddles that night, though.

vyn richter...

.... being his very mysterious (not really) and secretly extravagant self, takes you out to an actual castle which was said to be haunted by rather friendly spirits, in the country where he asked you to travel with him for vacation.

“it doesn't look quite ominous as a haunted castle would,” you say, raising an eyebrow at the looming and eerily beautiful structure.

“well, it is said to be haunted by rather friendly apparitions, so i suppose that it is the reason why it looks so,” he replies, not once looking away from it.

the two of you run amok in the castle, with him somehow having the entire place to yourselves (you think that he owns this place, for some reason, and your intuition tells you that you're right). he tells you a little something about all the people in the large oil portraits hung along the long hallways as you pass by them.

at some point, the two of you get separated from each other ― and you slowly realise that it's getting colder and colder, shivering in both cold and fright, when you hear footsteps and the door swings open. you sigh in relief when you see that it's just vyn, and allow him to help you up and dust your clothes even though he says nothing to you, and his hands being cooler than usual.

he leads you out to the exit, where you see a large wisteria tree, and gestures at you to wait there. he comes by just a moment later, waving at you, and pulls you into a hug, hands warm all of a sudden, and you sigh at the comfort. however, when you apologize to him about being separated, his reply is what leaves you very unsettled.

you pull away from him, feeling guilt gnaw at you for probably worrying him so much, and apologize.

“vyn, i'm so sorry that i got separated from you ― i should've been paying attention to what we were doing. i'm really sorry for making you worry so much.”

vyn looks at you with a face full of confusion, as he responds.“but you were with me the entire time ― although your hands very quite cold compared to what they are now, and you told me to come here for you, too.”

the uncertainty swirling in his amber eyes turns to fear soon, and sure enough, when the two of you look back at the castle, there's two translucent figures waving back at you.

you've never bolted out of a place so fast in your entire lifetime.

✦ notes; aaaaah i'm so sorry i haven't posted in so long ― my allergies have been giving me such a hard time lately, and all i've been doing is sleep, sleep and well, sleep. you know i had to add something actually haunted to this piece ― hope all of you like this <33

- rine

© 2021 rine @artemstellation. do not plagarize or repost without due permission.

[cruciatusforeplay]

This is part two of a hella big post. Check out part one here. These are all a lot more recent, so I'm gonna try to be less spoilery, but there are gonna be some.

A not-so-brief history of Hawkeye in Comics Part Two (spoilers below the cut)

A note on events, dying and doubling down on Hawkeyes

Comics love doing big events, and I'm not covering them in here. Partly because they are huge and complex and to just focus on Hawkeye would be an injustice to the stories, but also because the amount of stuff I would need to spoil would be way beyond just a little Hawkeye. Clint was involved in Secret Wars (1984), which was one of the first crossover events of its kind. Another notable era is 2004-2009, where there is an incredible amount of superhero politics driving big narratives. If you're new to comics, you might not know that characters dying is common and rarely permanent. This is relevant because while I said that I wouldn't talk about events, I think it would be pretty uncool to not mention that Hawkeye dies and is brought back to life (Avengers Disassembled, House of M, New Avengers #26). It's around here that Clint picks up the Ronin mantle.

This is also when Dark Reign/Dark Avengers is going on. For anyone who'd like some Clint whump from this era, there's a top notch naked torture scene in New Avengers Annual (2009). Clint is involved in several other big events and crossovers over later years, but that's definitely a seperate list.

In the time where Clint is dead, Captain America is hanging out with a group of newly formed Young Avengers, including archery badass Kate Bishop. Cap suggests to her that she take up the Hawkeye mantle and gives her Clint's old bow. After Clint returns, he becomes initially her mentor, before they form a very close friendship. Clint is initially doing Ronin things, but even when he lays down ninja robes, they decide to be very Hawkeye about the whole thing and both keep calling themselves Hawkeye, despite the obvious confusion this causes.

Hawkeye's ears: Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #0-4 (2014)

This is a fun little miniseries that you could treat as a Halloween special if you so desired. It's set in the time after Fraction's run and there are a few callbacks, but nothing major if you've not read that. Clint is a little short-tempered and hypermasculine in this run for my personal taste, but it's got lots of grumpy Clint Vs sassy Wade while they vaguely attempt to team up. The thing this run does really well is Clint's deafness, despite the lack of visible hearing aids. There are comments around lip-reading, wearing aids when wearing other headgear, there's some sign language, and this is the run where Deadpool pulls his mask up so Clint can lipread and see his face while he signs (facial expressions are really key in sign language). It's lovely. Otherwise the run gives you a Kate cameo, some Deadpool and Hawkeye disaster/shenanigans, and perhaps most importantly, the return of the skycycle.

Key background: All New Hawkeye #1-6 (2015)

This run is often overlooked, but the art in the flashbacks is beautiful. We get some key information around Clint and Barney's abusive home situation - with their dad who drank and beat them, and how they ended up in care after their parents died, and subsequently their early days in the circus. There is a definite shift in how Barney is characterized as a bad influence compared to the 2003 run. It parallels with the rest of the arc which focuses on Clint and Kate Bishop working together to get some kids out of a very bad situation. The rest of Lemires run is a little weird and has no major repurcussions for anyone except Barney (which I won't elaborate on because it's relevant to the Fraction run).

Back to your roots: Tales of Suspense #100-104 (2017)

Seeing Clint cycle back and return to Tales of Suspense is really lovely. This comic is one of my all time favourites. It's incredibly tight story-telling with a great plot and really fun dynamic. The premise is Clint and Bucky teaming up to figure out the body trail being left after Black Widow's death. Clint is obnoxious and a delightful mess, Bucky is sporting a permanent scowl and is hilariously level-headed. It's a lot of fun and it's a lovely build on the tension and teamwork between these two idiots (who I, as an avid Winterhawk shipper, am completely gone for, but even without that, this is a great comic.) It also has some killer covers, and the facial expressions are absolutely hilarious.

Hawkeyes together: Hawkeye #13-16 (2017) and West Coast Avengers #1-10 (2018)

The Hawkeye run is Kate Bishops run and it has a larger continuing storyline that runs from the beginning of her Hawkeye and way into WCA, but I've listed the issues that you'll want for Kate and Clint shenanigans, and you should be able to catch up without the rest if you don't want it. These comics are ridiculously fun, especially West Coast Avengers, which has Kate leading the team this time. There's loads of jokes, and it strikes a nice balance between Hawkeyes being disasters and being hyper competent. Truthfully, this is Kate's show, and Clint takes a backseat, but their dynamic is killer here so I think is deserves a mention. There are also plenty of Clint related wardrobe malfunctions and Lucky the Pizza Dog is around.

Our most recent boy: Hawkeye freefall #1-6 (2020)

I haven't read this one yet, but it's been extremely well received by the fandom. As a result, good news: no spoilers! It's a short run, which may have had something to do with it being published during 2020, and specifically around a time when Marvel were experiencing some major distribution issues (which would have led to digital release only and as a result lower sales), but that's all guesswork because I haven't actually researched it. This run has someone dressing as Ronin and letting Clint take the blame for their nefarious deeds (oh no!). Clint makes some classic Clint (read: dumpster fire) decisions, and the art looks fun and vibrant. Can't really give you more without reading it myself 😅 If you need more Clint still, he's also rumoured to be knocking around in the 2020 Black Widow run, but I've not had the money to get my mitts on that yet either.

Notable AUs:

Marvel is a big fan of throwing a well known cast into an alternative universes, so there are a few other places to look for him.

The Ultimates universe was largely speaking a bit of a shitshow, but they did give us a very dark and gritty Clint, so if that's your jam, ultimate hawkeye is the place to be. Old Man Hawkeye appears alongside Old Man Logan, and they are both, you guessed it, old. It's not the only time we get Clint as a wrinkly dude (the second half Lemire's run also has some timey-wimey stuff happening), but this is a version of Clint who is going blind (granted we've seen that before too, but this is a darker vibe than Blindspot). Wanna know who the greatest marksman is without his sight - old man Hawkeye for you! Finally there's the Zombie 'verse: zombie Clint is a little confused, but he's got the spirit. Clint got zombiefied and then left in some rubble as only a head for 40 years before getting picked up, so he's a little worse for wear. If you need that in your life then Marvel Zombies is your universe. For a full rundown of all the universes including animated and MCU, click here.

Notable aliases:

Clint's been a few other people than Hawkeye in the 616 universe (the main Marvel Comics universe). He used one of Hank Pyms growth serums and became a giant strongman in Avengers #63 (1969) and stuck around in his Goliath form for more than a few issues. After Cap had died, Clint returned from the dead and tried on Captain America for all of one issue in Fallen Son #3 (2007). He decided (with a little help from Kate) that it wasn't right to wear the uniform, which in turn led to some interesting tension between him and Bucky Barnes when Buck did become the new Captain America. Finally, there's his most well-known alternate persona: Ronin. Clint becomes Ronin after returning from the dead, wanting a break from his Hawkeye persona and an opportunity to become Ronin arises in New Avengers #27 (2007). Clint is not the only person to have used these aliases. Additionally, Hawkeye has been used not only by Clint and Kate Bishop, but also by Bullseye during the Dark Reign.

The things we haven't talked about

Like I said at the very beginning, there is a lot of Clint Barton knocking around in comics and even with all this there's a lot of content I haven't focused on. For instance, I've not talked a lot about his relationships, beyond his marriage to mockingbird (and really I only scratched the surface with that), and honestly once you start getting into interpersonal relationships we're starting to move on from what can be done in a Tumblr thread.

There are also some topic specific threads floating around, which you might like to look at too.

@vaguelyrotten has done a run down of some great dumpster fire Clint Barton comics (some of which I haven't listed) and you can see that here.

@bobbimorses did a great summary of Clint's historical deafness for instance which you can find here.

There's also this little bit all about Clint and Bucky in canon (thanks to @nightwideopen ) and how Winterhawk became a thing (thanks to @1000-directions )

This is slight sidenote, but @clintscoffeepot did a really great comprehensive of Fraction Clint's apartment which is just a really useful writing resource and you can get that here.

There is also this website which I stumbled across fairly far into writing this post which does actually look like it might be comprehensive.

If I've missed anything major, or listed something incorrectly or you just have some Clint related opinions that I need to know about, do hit me up.

[sirowsky-stories]

The Old Prince

Part 5

Author's Note: It's getting a bit scarier now, folks. Most of this is Oberyn's pov because I just love exploring how someone so old might think and react. Hope you do too, or this'll be a bit boring for you :) Also, I'm using the term Darkling for my own purposes here, it has nothing to do with the Grishaverse.

Description: Oberyn can only stand by and watch as you're forced to swallow some hard truths, after you've become witness to what the spirit world has planned for you.

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Monster Oberyn Martell x Female Reader, AU fic, eventual romance, obviously Halloween themed, reader cusses. Angst, reader is attacked, overprotective/jealous coworker. Word Count: 6570 Author's Masterlist

   He departs from the courthouse by air, too distressed to give any thought to the two thousand souls inside that are endangered by his transformation. But he also flies away so quickly that he is never at risk of getting caught up in the hunt.    His mind is trapped on the sight of the spirit, and what it might mean that you were not only able to see her, but that she now knows that you possess this ability.

   Throughout the ages of man, there have been only a handful who have been able to see them, but none have ever been favored by The Decem. Instead, those rare few humans have been hunted by the spirits, driven to insanity by their magic, and then killed.    This is the cause for Oberyn’s haste. He will not see this happen to you, but he knows that no human is welcome in any of the spirit realms and that there is no power on this Earth that can destroy the ghostly beings.

   All animals can see them, which is probably why he can as well, but what does that say about you? Did his bite really change you to such an extent that you have now crossed from the human reality into that of magic, mysticism and despair?    If so, then he must learn what you have become before you can harm those that you hold dear, because such is the fate of all creatures within this realm of ghosts and beasts. Whether by their will or not, those around them always suffer.

   Returning to the castle, he heads for the library, only turning back to his human form once he has reached it, as the halls and stairs are too long for human legs to navigate effectively, although grand enough for the dragon to slither through without being halted by his size.    He finds the section where he has collected the very oldest scrolls and books, and picks out one of his own scribbles from long ago, when he had attempted to create an account of his life. An endeavor he had soon abandoned after realizing that he had not one positive note to share within his own mind, leaving him too depressed to see the meaning of such a text.

   But not before he had already filled seven volumes, one of which is dedicated to his encounters and thoughts around The Ten Spirits. The Decem.    His memory fails him frequently these days, with so many years to try and recount, which was the original purpose behind the journals. Creating a library of his own memories. But who would wish to remember such a life? So much time spent in the company of death.

   He places the book on the reading table and opens it to a random page, having forgotten most of its contents at this point, since the spirits are a topic that he has never thought he would have cause to discuss with another.    It falls to a page about the Beetle, Scarabaeus, the spirit of stone, who can turn solid at will, whether sitting on a leaf or having crawled inside of a rock or tree.

   All the spirits are generally neutral in terms of moods or intentions, but they all possess the capacity to turn dark and menacing, should they encounter certain circumstances. They are neither good nor evil, light nor dark, but they are also both.    He turns the pages, not sure of what he seeks but convinced that he will know it when he sees it.

   And he does. Near the end of the book there is an illustration. An image plucked from his own mind, depicted in detail because of how disturbing the memory had been, and now that he sees it, the memory is re-awakened within his mind.    He slams the book shut and backs away from it, as if the memoir is responsible for the pictures within his brain, and not the other way around.

   The horror in the man’s eyes as the darkened spirits had torn his soul to pieces, is an image he had hoped to never recall.    That is what they do when they encounter a being which threatens the spirit realms. One by one they are darkened by their growing fear of this being, until that darkness becomes so thick and so empowering, that it draws them all together into one destructive mass, capable of covering the entire world under a cloud of anger.

   If you have become such a being, if they find cause to fear you, then this is what will eventually come to pass, no matter what he does. But he must still try.    You are the light of the sun, the moon and all the stars in his skies. He cannot let this darkness swallow you and tear you apart. He must warn you.

   He leaves the library, transforming once again the moment he has crossed the threshold and entered the spacious hall beyond. However, he is momentarily halted by the opening that leads down to the basement door.    Never before has he crossed that opening without feeling the pull. But in that moment, it is not there. He stands and waits, but the sensation does not come.

   It should not worry him that such a treacherous and vile feeling is no longer there, but he does, because the timing is too perfect. For the first time, he wonders if there could be a connection between the creatures down there, and the spirits. It has never occurred to him before, but it now seems somewhat plausible.    He does not have time to ponder this further, though. He must get back to you.

   The dragon’s body is slender and snakelike, although so large that he is still as wide as a car over the chest, but he cuts through the air with minimal drag and his serpentine form enables him to maneuver with unparalleled agility.    He is covered in both scales and sections of hair, and while the deep green color fills every inch of his exterior, making him glisten like a jewel, every deceptively smooth scale has a razor-sharp edge, and each strand of hair can become a deadly needle.

   His claws are black, his teeth a dark grey, and at the end of his tail is a rounded bone covered in sharp ridges, like a medieval mace, and concealed by a patch of longer hair.    His entire being is designed to be both stealthy and excessively deadly, for reasons that he cannot fathom. Surely, a crocodile, hippopotamus, or venomous snake is deadly enough for this world, there can be no reason for anything worse to exist.

   Whatever made him, his purpose can be only destruction. But even now, after six millennia on this Earth, six thousand years of death, he still resists this notion.    Because of you.    Because if just one look upon your face is enough to awaken his heart, then there must be a light inside of him that has nothing to do with the fire.

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   When you walk back inside, Simon is waiting for you, pacing back and forth with his arms crossed, clearly in a state of anxiousness. You’ve seen him have full-blown panic attacks before, but this isn’t that. He looks almost angry, and you can’t tell if it’s about Oberyn, or about you telling him to leave.    In any case, the moment he sees you, he launches into a minor interrogation, no doubt spurred on by your obvious discomfort with the tall dark stranger.

   “Are you okay? Who was that guy? Do you need anything? Did he leave? Because I’ll totally make sure he does if you want, you know that, right?”

   “Yeah, I know. Thank you for caring.    And yes, he did leave, but it’s none of your business who he is or how I know him, so just back off, okay,” you say firmly, hoping that your tone is enough to convince him that you’re not gonna talk about this any further.

   Sadly, he doesn’t pick up on it.

   “It is if he’s upsetting you. I’m your friend, I’m allowed to be concerned when I see that someone’s obviously bothering you.”

   “You’re allowed to be concerned, yes, but what you’re not allowed to do is interfere without my asking,” you argue, getting angry that he isn’t respecting your privacy, which is entirely out of character for him.

   “Boo, you literally ran away from the guy! If there’s a bigger universal sign for help, I don’t know what the hell it could be,” he counters, and you do have to give him that one.

   You can imagine how your entire interaction with Oberyn must’ve looked to any bystander, but you also need everyone to steer clear of the viper, even if the only way to keep them safe is by hurting their feelings.

   “I don’t need your help, Simon. And this little display of possessiveness isn’t doing you any favors.    Friend or not, you don’t ever get to try and control any part of my life. And insisting that you have the right to interfere based on nothing but your own perception, is egotistical, and does absolutely nothing to help me.”

   He looks like you’ve just run over his cat, and a part of you does feel guilty to be so harsh with him. He did have the best intentions, after all. But you’d rather see him hate you for the rest of his life than get killed because he stuck his nose where he shouldn’t have.    After staring at you for a few seconds, he seems to decide that you’re just mean and that he isn’t gonna put up with it, so he turns and walks away without another word.

   You wonder if this could be jealousy too. If perhaps you’ve misjudged his friendliness and that it could be indicative of a deeper interest that he just never dared to reveal.    You’ve been a loner for as long as he’s known you, so there’s been no pressure for him to hurry up and tell you, if he does have those kinds of feelings for you, because there was never any rival to contend with before.

   In any case, your interest in him has never been romantic. Like everyone else, you’ve kept him at arm’s length, which is probably another reason why he wouldn’t have felt comfortable telling you about any deeper feelings.    You watch him return to the dance while you remain out in the hall, looking at the catering staff that has arrived and started to fill the tables with all manner of deliciousness, and suddenly you feel so disconnected.

   Humans can’t see them…

   Somehow, you’re not human anymore. This place within the community that you’ve grown up in, is just not yours anymore. You don’t belong among them.    You’ve always been an outlier, not quite an outsider but far enough removed that you’ve never been able to claim real togetherness with the people of this city. And now that line has become a wall, separating you from them completely.

   The thought makes you feel unwelcome. It makes your skin crawl and your blood burn with shame, for some reason. It’s not like you asked for this, so what is there to be ashamed of?    You cross the hall and go to pick up your things, throwing your jacket on without changing out of the dress or putting on your boots instead of the golden ballroom dancing shoes you’re wearing, because suddenly you need to get out of here.

   The parking lot is huge and since you hadn’t had any boxes to carry inside when you’d arrived, you’d chosen to park furthest away from the entrance, so that elderly or people with aches and pains wouldn’t have to walk that far.    There’s three inches of fresh snow on the ground, so your feet are cold and wet within the first few steps beyond the stairs, which had been swept clean before the guests arrived.

   But before you’re even halfway to your car, a glimmer in the corner of your eye draws your attention, and you stop walking when you see a wolf staring at you from between two maple trees, far off to your left, that provide shade to the parked cars during the heat of summer.    Unlike the owl, this spirit isn’t glowing or half-transparent, but you still know that that’s what it is because it’s three times the size of a normal wolf, and instead of fur, it looks like moss, leaves and grass are growing on it.

   It was the glimmer of its eyes that drew your gaze, and the longer you look at it, the harder you seem to freeze to the spot, as if it has the power to lock your body in place.    But when it starts to move, just taking a few steps at first, and then quickly falling into a jog heading straight for you, the very air behind it seems to darken. As though it sucks away the light from the lampposts all around the lot.

   And from one breath to the next, you’re terrified. Locked in place, you see it’s jaws open, and although you can’t hear it growl, the air seems to vibrate with the force of its voice.    It moves so fast, seeming to pull that ominous darkness towards you, willing it to devour you, when another movement suddenly draws your attention away.    From your right, a trail of sparkling red is visible in the sky, and before you’ve even located the source of it, something whistles past your face, and a sharp pain cuts across your cheek.

   It unlocks your body, and you double over to the left, feeling hot blood spill over your cheek just as your gaze finds the wolf again, a mere moment before it too reaches you.    The collision is so massive that it feels as though your head remains in one spot even as your body is wrung from the ground, with your entire midriff pinched between the massive jaws of the canine as it both bites and throws you like a ragdoll through the air.

   Miraculously, its teeth don’t seem to be able to pierce your skin, but they crush your insides all the same, before it releases you, sending you hurtling across the entire parking lot, leaving you airborne for so long that you have time to consider where and how you’re gonna land, and how much it’s gonna hurt.    You come down on the roof of a Volvo, buckling it and setting off alarms and airbags as the windscreen cracks under the force of your mass and motion energy.

   But you’re not sure how you’re even able to notice that when the landing breaks most of the right side of your body, and that’s before you’ve bounced off the car and crashed against the pavement as well.    You’re too damaged to move any more, leaving you trapped in the position you eventually come to a stop in, on your back with your right arm trapped underneath you, and your legs veered off to the right as well. You can’t tell if they’re broken.

   Directly above you, the source of the red sparks passes over, flying slower now, and you can see that it’s a bat. It’s even more transparent than the owl, and smaller, much closer to a bat’s actual size. The rapid flapping of its wings is what produces those sparks all around it, even though the actual body of the spirit appears to be almost white, with a yellow tinge to the collar of hairs around its neck.

   You should scream for help, but you’re barely even able to breathe. The shock and adrenaline aren’t enough to conceal the pain anymore, so all you can do is lay there in agony as your brain feebly attempts to map everything that’s broken.    Claws scraping against the pavement tells you that the wolf has rounded the car and is approaching you to finish the job, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

   You can’t even turn your head, staring up at the starry night sky as the giant, pale white head of the spirit comes into view above you, while the bat circles above its ears.    It smells of pine needles and something heavily earthy, like the woods after a day of rain, but much more potent. And when it opens its mouth to presumably crush your skull, its breath reminds you of freshly mowed grass.

   For a fraction of a second, your mind leaves the cold ground and the simultaneously sharp pains and dull aches of your broken bones and crushed organs, fleeing to memories of cycling past a summer meadow in full bloom. Sneaking away from your foster mom to go riding on the neighbor’s pony. Kayaking out to the middle of the lake and drifting aimlessly for an entire afternoon, just watching the world around you go about its day.

   The moment ends when a bright light flashes from somewhere before the wolf can close its jaws around you, and suddenly its head moves away, searching for the source.    Heat floods the air as the light only intensifies, and before you’ve managed to catch on to what’s happening, the wolf is engulfed in yellow flames.    The white head is replaced by glistening green scales which are somehow all around you at once, while the blinding light of the fire fills the sky and seems to devour the world.

   Fresh pain shoots through you as something wraps around your torso, and then the light fades away and all you can see are the stars, before the darkness takes over and you fall away from the conscious world, into the painless nothingness beyond.

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   He did not think it would happen so quickly. He had hoped that they would at least take the time to ensure that you are indeed a danger to them.    It has been some two thousand years since the last dark one. The last human to cross between realms. Perhaps the spirits have grown restless since then, or perhaps their fear of these creatures has increased, hastening their need to quell the threat.

   His flame cannot harm them, but it does stop them, because there is no fire-spirit. That element belongs only to him, and spirits can only withstand elements or forces commanded by other spirits.    Caelum commands the air, and therefor the wind. Scarabaeus commands stone, and therefor also the earth. And Octopus commands the seas, lakes and rivers. But there has never been a spirit who commands fire.

   They know now that the dragon protects you, and he suspects that this will only further stoke their need to destroy the threat which you present, but nothing like this has ever happened before, so the outcome is impossible to determine beforehand.    Because just as he cannot harm them, they are equally powerless to damage him.    But that is also your only advantage.

   He has brought you back to your home this time, simply because of the proximity, as your broken body would not have done well with a six-hundred-mile flight, but thankfully, even just an hour after the attack you have already begun to heal.    Still, he waits nervously by your bedside, hating the sickening snaps of your bones falling back into place every now and then, flinching and grinding his teeth at each one.

   The cuts and bruises have already disappeared, and he knows that your organs are recovering just as swiftly, but the memory of these pains will linger within your mind and body for a long time.    The real recovery will not be the physical one. A thought which torments him as he is ultimately responsible for all this agony.

   It takes three hours before you begin to stir, and the small twitches in your fingers which make up the earliest signs of your improvement, offer him such relief that he marvels at the sudden influx of oxygen to his unknowingly compressed lungs. And when your eyes flutter open and you stare up into the ceiling, no doubt perplexed as to your own survival, he can no longer refrain from touching you.

   You flinch at the unexpected contact, and your head turns, seeking the source of it, but you do not pull away. Your subconscious must already have alerted you to his presence because you are neither shocked nor alarmed to see him there.

   “It is alright, Valya. You’re home. The spirits are gone, you are safe for the time being,” he assures you, but you look only confused.

   “But… how? I felt my body break…”

   “Yes, you did. But you have already healed yourself, just like after the bite. I still don’t know exactly how you are capable of it, but I have witnessed it twice now.”

   Hearing this only adds to your bewilderment, and clearly needing to test the truth of his words, you begin to sit up.    The effort required for this sort of rapid reconstruction is massive, especially with as much damage to deal with as was inflicted upon you, so when you move, the muscles and ligaments are slow to respond. And the memory within your nerves-system wakes up.

   “Oh, god… urgh…” you growl, as your pulse immediately spikes, and your breathing turns rapid and much too shallow.

   “Easy, the healing may be complete, but your senses have not caught up yet,” he cautions, but your determination is unaffected.

   You swing your legs over the side of the bed and then sit there, rocking back and forth while you wait for the pain to subside.

   “What the hell happened, Oberyn? Why did they try to kill me?”

   “Because in their eyes, you are dangerous now. Like I said, humans are not supposed to be able to see them.”

   “Wait… So, because you bit me and somehow transformed me into whatever the fuck I am now, those things have decided that I’m more dangerous than you and that I need to die?” you question, having regained enough composure to raise your head and glare at him.

   “I will explain as best I can, but you must eat now, my dear. Your body has depleted all of its reserves, you will soon pass out again if you do not replenish them.”

   As if his words have reminded your body to signal its fatigue, your head falls forwards and you sway slightly where you sit, before you drop your elbows onto your knees and let your head come to rest against your palms.

   “I feel sick…” you croak.

   “I know. You need protein, salt and vitamins. I will go and prepare something for you,” he offers, but when he rises to leave the room, your hand catches his and you look up into his eyes.

   “You can talk while you cook, and I can listen while I wait. Help me to the kitchen,” you demand, and he is not about to argue with you.

   You have more than earned any and all answers he might be able to give you.    He turns and picks you up from the bed, cradling you in his arms as he carries you with him to the little kitchen, feeling ridiculously joyous at the feel of your arms voluntarily wrapping around his neck, and how you rest your head against his shoulder for the brief journey.

   “They are The Ten Spirits, or The Decem,” he begins even as he leaves the bedroom, seeing as there is no time to waste. “They exist within the elements and the seasons of the world, not controlling them, but able to command them if the need arises.”

   While he deposits you on a chair and starts rummaging through your fridge and pantry, he tells you about the three elementals, and you immediately raise the question of the fourth one.

   “So, are you fire, then?”

   “No, for some reason, fire has no spirit. I’m something else and for all my years, I have not yet managed to uncover exactly what that is. But I know with certainty that I am not one of them.”

   “How?” you ask after he has found some promising ingredients.

   “Well, for starters, humans can certainly see me. And unlike The Decem, I am capable of thought and reasoning.”

   “You’re saying they don’t have minds of their own?”

   “Not like you and me. Their minds are closer to those of animals, driven by instincts alone, not really able to think ahead, only react to what happens around them,” he explains while he begins preparing to make pancakes. “And much like animals, they remember things that have frightened them, and that is where you come in.”

   “But I’ve never seen them before tonight…”

   “No, but they have encountered the likes of you before. History even has a name for humans who can see the spirit realm. They are called Darklings.”

   “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all…” you gripe, already struggling to keep your eyes open.

   “I’m afraid it’s even worse than it sounds. Darklings earned their name by literally casting darkness upon the entire world, simply by existing,” he begins, and that gets your attention, leaving you staring at him with a worried crease in your forehead as he continues. “The spirit realm is beyond human reach because you have long ago lost the ability to exist only in emotion, completely devoid of thought.    Because for all your intelligence, it is still thoughts that corrupt. It is thoughts that can never be controlled, whether they are for good or evil, and unfortunately, they are the most easily influenced by darkness.    The spirit realm has no thoughts. Those that live there can only feel, and feelings cannot survive dark thoughts.”

   “So… the spirits were trying to expel my thoughts from their realm?” you conclude, having to lean over the table now to keep from crashing headfirst into it.

   “Precisely. And they will continue to do this until they have succeeded, because they have not forgotten what happens to all the world when a Darkling slips past their defenses.    And neither have I,” he adds pensively, while he starts to whisk the batter together.

   “You’ve seen that happen?” you quietly ask, and he answers without turning around as the task at hand helps his mind remain clear despite the grim subject matter.

   “Unfortunately, yes. It is a truly frightening thing to see all the world fall victim to depression, anger and despair. Not just people, but all living things.    Every tree, flower and blade of grass, and every animal, from the largest whale to the smallest insect, all turned into evil, malicious beings, with no purpose save for destruction and pain.    That is what the spirits are trying to prevent.”

   You go so quiet hearing that, that he turns around to ensure you have not fallen asleep. But you remain wide awake, in utter defiance of the absolute depletion of all energy reserves within you, refusing to rest until you have a grasp on this new reality you have so unfairly been thrust into.

   “But if you’ve seen that, if you know what’ll happen, then why did you save me?” you question, and he returns his focus to the food.

   Not just because you need it sooner rather than later, but also because this part of the conversation worries him.    He worries how much he should divulge of his feelings for you. These most recent events aside, you have made it very clear that you have no favorable eye for the beast that caused all this, and there is no reason to think that you will change your mind on this matter.

   “Because I don’t believe that you are a Darkling,” he finally explains. “For what I know of them, they have always been born with the ability to see across the realms, none have ever simply acquired the ability by some magic trick. And more than that-…” he adds before he can stop himself, which of course piques your interest.

   “What?” you press when he does not continue, and he sighs heavily at his own lack of restraint.

   “To my knowledge, they have never been so lovely as you. So full of light,” he confesses, continuing as he hands you a stack of finished pancakes, because why stop when he has already begun. “I cannot believe that anyone who can reach into a heart as lifeless as mine was before I met you, and make it shine with hope and possibility, could ever be this malevolent and destructive thing, all at once.    I can’t believe that someone so wonderful could possess the power to destroy all life. If such a thing has indeed become possible… then maybe it is time for this world to expire.”

   For a long moment, you merely stare at him, perhaps at a loss for words, but whether because you are overwhelmed to hear of his feelings, or disgusted by them, he can’t discern.    He returns to the stove and hears you begin to eat shortly after, so he lets the topic rest.    You allow him to refill your plate twice, ending on a total of eight pancakes and three fried eggs, only speaking again once you have stopped eating.

   “You said there’s ten spirits, so aside from the three elementals, what are the rest?” you ask, apparently determined to understand as much as you can about this.

   “The wolf you encountered, Lupus, is the Forest-spirit, and the bat, Vespertilio, is the Night-spirit. And then there are the four seasons. Autumn, which is the deer: Cervus. Winter, the polar bear: Ursa. Summer, the horse: Equus, and finally Spring, the butterfly: Papilio.”

   “You missed one,” you say, counting them out. “These six plus the three elementals is only nine.”

   “That is correct. The tenth spirit, Day, has never been seen.”

   “Then how do you know it exists?”

   “Because if it did not, the power of the spirits would be incomplete, and they would not have been able to fight the darkness throughout the ages.”

   You ponder that in silence for a while, and not for the first time, he wishes that he could read your mind, because you are far too good at concealing what you think of.    But when you do speak again, you have changed the topic, so perhaps you have elected to not think too closely on the beings that almost killed you, for now.

   “So, what are we gonna do?”

   “What we have been trying to do from the start, which is find out what you have become. That’s the only chance we have to save your life,” he answers while clearing the table for you.

   And right then, there is a sharp knock on the front door, and a quick whiff of the air in that direction tells him that it is the boy from before, Simon, and what smells like a policeman, unless someone else is walking around the city with a revolver.    There is no mystery to their cause for being here, given the scene left behind at the parking lot, where your bags were left thrown on the ground in the haste of your departure.

   You look to him before you make any move to get up, so he nods to reassure you that it will be safe to open the door.

   “Boo, thank god, you’re alright!” Simon exclaims as he steps over the threshold uninvited and throws his arms around you, also without permission.

   The officer merely steps just inside the door, putting your forgotten bags down before he politely removes his hat.

   “Yeah, uh… I’m fine. What’s going on?” you reply, understandably confused.

   Oberyn is more than mildly pleased to see you push the young man back, signaling your discomfort with his invasion of your personal space at this moment, but he maintains a neutral expression as he approaches and comes to stand by your side.    Your colleague is not at all pleased to see him in your house, and seems to forget that the lady has asked him a question, so Oberyn takes the opportunity to answer for him.

   “It would seem that they’re concerned about the bags you left behind, along with your car, at the parking lot.”

   “Oh, right… that,” you fumble, looking for a way to stall and give yourself a moment to come up with a believable lie.

   Unfortunately, he can’t help you do that. The explanation must come from you, or the men will not believe it, as they are entirely unfamiliar with the stranger in your house and has no reason to trust anything he says. Moreso the opposite, especially after what Simon may have read into whatever he’d seen of your earlier exchange.

   “Well, there’s a perfectly good explanation for that, it’s just that… um… it’s personal,” you try, earning yourself another few seconds.

   “I’m afraid we’re gonna need that explanation, miss,” the police officer insists, to which you give an exasperated sigh, suitably theatrical, not too dramatic nor too bland.

   “Okay, fine. Oberyn and I got into an argument at the party and then he left. But it was my fault and I felt bad about it, so I grabbed my stuff to go after him, caught up to him by his car and then we… made up… and I forgot the bags.”

   You deliver the lie with absolutely perfect mimicry, leaving both men slightly flabbergasted. Clearly, you are not known to be irresponsible, or imprudent.

   “And where’s your car now, Mr…?” the officer prods, turning to the stranger, but his quarry is very well practiced in evading questions and staying out of reach of the many human legal systems.

   “Oberyn. And unless a crime has been committed which somehow involves my car, I see no reason to divulge its current whereabouts.”

   “Another car in that lot was severely damaged, sir.”

   “I see. Do you have reason to suspect that it was my car that caused these damages, officer?” he counters, knowing full well that the car in question was only damaged on the roof and windscreen, a feat no other car could have accomplished.

   “…No,” the policeman begrudgingly admits, so he smiles and nods politely at the man.

   “Then I think this conversation is over.”

   “Alright, seriously, who the hell are you?” Simon challenges then, clearly increasingly frustrated to learn of this previously unknown variable to your life, who is apparently also unfailingly superior to himself.

   But you are not one to suffer intrusions, of any kind, which is why Oberyn does not even attempt to answer the rude question.

   “We’ve already had this conversation, Si. Whatever your beef is, take it somewhere else,” you reply in his stead, just as he knew you would, but the young man only grows sourer.

   “My beef is that you don’t want friends, even when it’s people you’ve known for years, and you don’t ever cozy up to strangers.    Do you really expect me to believe that this guy isn’t coercing or controlling you somehow? I mean, is he the one that made you change your appearance? Did he send you off to some fancy clinic so you could look as timeless as him, is that it?”

   “You are way out of line, Simon!” you emphatically growl at him, but the boy has found a blowtorch to feed the already crackling fire within.

   “Oh, come on, Boo, do you really think I’m that stupid? And what about Kelli and Micah? Just because you don’t tell us everything about yourself doesn’t mean we don’t know you, we all figured it out the moment this guy showed up!”

   His words shock you. So much that there are tears in your eyes as you listen to him continue to rant, but you do not retort. You stand there and let him disrespect and condescend you in your own home, and for a moment, Oberyn prepares to step in.    But then he glances down at your hands, finding them closed tightly against your sides, and it makes him realize what you are really doing.

   Whatever your relationship was before this night, it had obviously begun to crack at the seams even before the boy showed up here, and now that he has revealed precisely how little he values it, you are standing back, allowing him to destroy it completely, all on his own.    You wait for him to run out of hurtful words, and then you simply push him out of your house, hard enough that he falls on his ass, before slamming the door shut.

   There is no reasoning with someone who has already decided that they’re right, so your actions are entirely correct. But if your life was lonely before, it is now desolate. Because if this really is what everyone around you is thinking, then how will you ever be able to convince them otherwise?    Keeping a safe distance between yourself and others is one thing, but having no one to turn to, no one to trust even with the smallest thing, that is an entirely different kind of solitude.

   “It’s for the best, right?” you ask after a few moments, surprising him. “I mean, they’ll be safer now, having nothing to do with me, won’t they?”

   “Technically, yes,” he answers, knowing that you need to hear the truth right now.

   You nod, but sorrow rocks through you as you attempt to accept the loss. Not just of your friends, however shallow the relationships may have been, but of your previous life.    Despite the changes you have gone through, you tried to go back and live as you always have, perhaps hoping that somehow, it would all simply work itself out. But this night has proven to you, once and for all, that there is no going back.

   Whether by their will or not, those around them always suffer.

   You have already understood that your mere existence is a threat to these people, and you care enough about them to shield them from the darkness that hunts you.    He does not remember his own beginning anymore, his human life. But he knows that the first blood the dragon ever spilled, was that of his own kin. A horror he may never cleanse himself of, but which you could yet avoid.

   Unsure if you would accept his comfort, but also unwilling to watch you stand there alone with your grief, he steps closer and carefully wraps one arm around your back, leaving you an easy exit from his embrace, should it be unwelcome.    But as soon as you feel it, you lean into it, letting the sorrow fully grip you as you fall into his chest, wrapping your arms around his waist and holding onto him as if your life depended on it.

   He hates that it does. That he is now the only one that can aid you in your attempt to stay alive long enough to find out what has happened to you. But he will not falter.    He will forego both sleep and feeding for as long as it takes. Because the spirits need neither rest, nor sustenance. They are energy themselves, and thus, their efforts will not be paused.

   Even as you stand there, they are approaching, hindered only by his presence.    But once they have all gathered, even the might of his flame will not be enough to hold them off.

Part 6

The Ten Spirits of the World Air - Forest - Water - Stone - Night - Autumn - Winter - Spring - Summer.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you wish to be notified when this story is updated, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications, or just ask nicely, and I'll tag you.

@harriedandharassed @kittenlittle24 @joelswritingmistress @pedrostories

[fly-pow-bye]

Powerpuff Girls 2016 - “Midnight at the Mayor’s Mansion”

Written by: Haley Mancini, Jake Goldman

Written & Storyboarded by: John West, Angela Zhang

Directed by: Nick Jennings, Bob Boyle

The second Halloween special!

The episode starts with the Mayor running away from a growling monster, holding a container of pickle chips that will become important later. This immediately flash cuts to Zombie Mimes, a movie that is a part of a movie marathon the Powerpuff Girls are watching. Blossom has to actually talk about why this could be funny: because the mimes can protect themselves with invisible boxes!

As this is Halloween, they're wearing their costumes, because it's Halloween! Of all the holidays they decided to double dip on, it's unsurprising it's Halloween. It's a good way to show their creativity in making costumes that fit their unique personalities. Also, more costumes for the toyline!

Buttercup is Buttercup Van Helsing, which is not even a pun. Bubbles is dressed as the Mayor, leading to jokes about the silly character acting like the other silly character.

And Blossom is Rosie the Riveter, continuing her habit of choosing feminist icons that Buttercup does not recognize. Not that any kids would recognize her either, as they decided not to explain who she is beyond "she's that girl from the posters." I'll give them one thing: at least Blossom isn't dressed like a coder this time. No questions about how they're not giving Bubbles a costume more fitting of her coding personality!

Bubbles, acting like the Mayor, pretends to make a call, which coincidentally aligns with an actual Mayor call. Unlike usual Mayor calls, this is followed by what seems to be the generic TV show phone ringing sound this time. Even previous reboot episodes at least had something that resembled the old hotline. Only hearing The Mayor's screams of agony and a monster growling, they decide to go to City Hall to find out what's going on, and...

...wow, Tom Kenny really wanted out of this show, didn’t he? I wouldn’t blame him; even modern Spongebob is less demeaning. Nah, just kidding, he's just hanging from a coat hanger, as he forgot to take himself off the coat! At least this established that the Mayor isn't too bright, something that used to be seen by his contrast to the apparently "not-fitting-with-the-messages" Miss Bellum. Bubbles suddenly gets afraid of the monster, or "m-m-monster" as Bubbles calls it and the rest of the characters just agree with in a running gag, but Blossom has an idea.

Blossom tells them to split up to find the monster, only for Buttercup to say people splitting up and getting "monster mashed" happens in every horror movie she's seen. Seems to happen even when you're together, so I don't see the big deal. They decide to split themselves up in groups of two. Blossom and Buttercup, and Bubbles and The Mayor.

The main jokes with Buttercup is that, being addicted to that movie marathon, she believes in all of the tropes. She would constantly point out situations that would remind her of the movies she's seen. This is the closest this episode gets to being funny, and is used as a not-horrible explanation to why Buttercup, of all the Puffs, is afraid of being beaten up by the monsters when she's usually the only one that beats them up.

There's a joke about a banjo room, including a banjo that sucks the soul out of people when it is played. I would talk more about it or even give a screenshot if it actually went anywhere. Oh, and the power goes out. Ooh, dark! ...that's about it.

Bubbles ends up teaming up with the Mayor. It wasn't Blossom's intention, it's just that Bubbles got into her role so much, she ended up thinking Blossom was referring to her, too. It's like even Blossom knew that there is rarely anything good that would come out of a comedy routine with two not-so-wise people and nobody else. This episode certainly doesn't disprove what Bubbs and Donny Get The Mail has proven with only two minutes.

Bubbles: Hold on, my Mayor sense is tingling!

The Mayor: I had those too, but a doctor prescribed me a topical cream.

TMI, Mayor, TMI. Actually, there is a sort of point to this scene, as these scenes are the first time we get to see the monster. We even get to see a transformation that they probably should have kept secret!

They have the Mayor eat one of the pickle chips, and he suddenly turns into a giant green monster. This is all seen by the viewer; nothing is really left vague. This episode still treats this like a mystery. I guess there might be a possible intended mystery on how these transformations happen. Maybe there's something more to it?

Bubbles and The Mayor play on an air hockey table, and I realize they only took a minute or two to forget that the power went out. Bubbles finally gets a glimpse of the monster as Blossom tries to get her soul stolen by that banjo, and is interrupted by Bubbles' screams. See, irrelevant! Well, she does accidently break the banjo, freeing a spirit that proves that it does steal souls, but the only thing this leads to is a minor random joke during a future random joke.

Blossom decides to lock herself in the room with Bubbles and Buttercup, and grabs the Mayor, who suddenly de-transformed into his normal form, to protect him from the monster. Buttercup correctly guesses that this was a bad idea. She has yet to even see the monster, but she knows this from her monster movie knowledge. Another running gag. Including...

Buttercup: Or, the infamous (puts on a glove, does finger quotes) "badroom".

Once again, the reboot has to force appendages the Reboot Puffs don't have. Blossom tells her that's there's nothing to worry about, as there's only Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, and The Mayor. It would have been a little funnier if it cut to the monster instead of the Mayor, but instead, we get to see the Mayor turn into the monster, while coincidentally eating a pickle chip before his transformation.

This leads to the Scooby Doo door scenes that's been seemingly parodied more times than there are Scooby Doo, Where Are You? episodes. They try a few jokes, like having a basketball team show up only in this scene, having Bubbles go on one of those old bicycles, and just in case you didn't get the reference, the Mayor shows up in a Mystery Machine-like vehicle and have him go "zoinks."

Possibly realizing this is going nowhere fast, Blossom decides to calm down the Mayor the only way the Powerpuff Girls know how...

...by beating him up. Biggest surprise of the episode: they actually succeed for once. No "what have we done" moment, no Monster Punch, Girls Down, just a quick slideshow beatdown. The monster-Mayor then gets tied up with rope.

No really, it's that almighty ordinary rope that was able to tie buildings-full-of-people lifting superheroes up is able to work on giant Hulk-like monsters, too! Continuing from the Scooby-Doo joke, this episode takes a very dark turn!

Bubbles: Now all they have to do is find out who this monster really is! (grabs the Monster Mayor's head)

Blossom & Buttercup: NO, BUBS!

Okay, that's a total lie. With this episode, you have to make your own fun. While Buttercup attempts to leave the scene, Blossom just can't leave the Mayor like this. But first, Bubbles decides to try some of those pickle chips! Buttercup, knowing her tropes, slaps it out of her hands, figuring out that they're not just ordinary pickle chips...

...but Transylvanian pickle chips! Gee, it was the pickles that turned him into a giant monster? To be fair, there is slightly more to it, as they're also expired for 5 years. What's even better is that it's Buttercup that figures this out, not the smart one. There's a good reason for this: she's the one most familiar with the movie tropes, which makes her correctly guess everything in the episode. Is this just admitting this episode was cliched?

But not for long, as Buttercup Van Helsing tries absolutely everything. She sprays juice on the monster Mayor like an exorcist sprays holy water, she reads from a generic monster book, and they even do another fake out scene where it looks like Buttercup is burning him with an iron...when she's really just ironing for no reason! Random!

Out of options, Buttercup decides to use one of her stakes to Blossom and Bubbles' horror. This time, I'm really not making this up. It turns out that's only using her stakes to make a sundial to time how long it takes for the transformation to wear off. At night. Indoors. Even the show itself points out that this is silly. Still, we get Buttercup correctly assuming that the monster transformation wears off without any prior knowledge.

After a few hours, which is far longer than the transformations before for no adequately explained reason, the Mayor wakes up as his usual self. Yelling "banjo" for no reason other than to prove that they still remember that banjo gag, Buttercup eye lasers the rope to free The Mayor, thus proving that they really could use eye lasers to get themselves out of rope! The Mayor promises to get rid of the pickle chips, so it won't fall in the wrong hands! Guess the joke!

The episode ends with Bubbles turning into a monster, Buttercup taking out another stake, and Blossom yelling her name in horror. Should I mention that it was Bubbles that pointed out the chips were 5 years old? Also, I can't help but notice that she sort of resembles Bunny. Insult? You decide.

Does the title fit?

I guess you could call City Hall a mansion if the Mayor lives there, which I think was hinted at.

How does it stack up?

A lot of this episode felt like filler, as if this could have been another short if they cut out all of it. The episode has an identity crisis, not really wanting to be a mystery, but not really wanting to be too much of a comedy either.

This is the least of the Season 2 episodes so far, I just couldn't get into it. Just watch The Squashening. Or, if you want something entertaining, Boogie Frights.

Nobody knows what's in store for the reboot, at least in the US. It could be super lice, it could be Jemmica, or maybe it could be a Holiday special! Looks like Fly is going to take a break from PPG 2016 to catch up on a certain other reboot throughout this week...starting tomorrow.

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